On My Way Down...

    

In number's that is. :-) That's right! Even with my over-point start to the week, the scale was still nice to me.  Down another 1.2 pounds! Yes, I know it's just week 2 but it still could have been worse.  I cheated towards the end of the week and peeked at the scale which showed a gain, so I was really surprised when it showed a loss Sunday morning.  It's just water weight I'm sure, but hey - I'll take it!  I've even learned a good lessons this past week.  I've learned I don't have to starve or deprive myself of food I enjoy or a special dinner or desert with someone because I'm on a diet.  I'm not on a diet.  This is about real life and sometimes real life involves yummy greasy carby fattening food that I LOVE.  :-)  It's ALL about portion control and moderation.  Do I indulge every day? No.  I have to be careful though because my oh-so-convincing mind will tempt me to.  It says, "Just a little bite won't hurt.  You still have the points for it."  But if I give in, I'm more likely to choose unhealthy foods, go over points, feel terrible about my choices and see a gain on the scale.  Which results in me quitting all together.  So I'm trying hard from the beginning to be careful and change my thinking pattern.  Not an easy task. 
 I'm positive the time will come when I hit a plateu or just plain want to quit when I'll need to look back at this same post and remind myself it's about the journey and not the end result.  :-)

What A Weekend!

     This weekend has been crazy. But in a good way. First, my weigh-in day was on Sunday. I was hoping for 3-4 pounds for my first week. Well, I didn't get it...i lost 6.2!!! I was so proud of myself! I was worried because the night before, we ate at Justin's (a local family restaurant here in Morristown)and I was afraid I would go overboard. It was also Mother's Day, so chocolate's and candies were everywhere. But I stuck to my bananas and half of a pb n j sandwich to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Second, Sunday was our One Year Wedding Anniversary. Time has flown! To celebrate we drove to Asheville that afternoon, checked into the hotel (the same one we stayed at on our wedding night) and tried to find a local restaurant that would suit my hubby's meat and potatoes desire and my healthy but tasty wants. We did. Burgermeister's in West Asheville. It was so good!! Huge tasty burgers. I opted for turkey instead of beef and onion rings over fries. I thought I ordered pretty well considering my options. Until I began calculating the points in my head after the meal came. Let's just say my I'm thankful for those weekly points!! LOL. I'll be honest....it was a huge meal...but I ate it ALL. And it was GOOD! I don't regret it, because I didn't let it derail me like I have in the past. I knew I would go off a little, but I still continued to make healthy choices. Monday morning we went to the same Cracker Barrel we went to the morning after our wedding day. Big difference: my meal was VERY different this year than last year. I had turkey sausage, 2 eggs, and low fat yogurt with lots of fruit and granola. There was also a HUGE blueberry granola kinda muffin. Probably the most pointy thing I ate, but I wanted to be full so we wouldn't pig out at Biltmore. We were stuffed when we left. We went to Biltmore (our first time) and it was absolutely gorgeous!! I didn't want to leave. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time together. Here's a few pics:

In front of Biltmore

Pictures don't do it justice.

Pink daisies: my favorite!

I would love to have this view from my back porch! Ole' George Vanderbilt knew what he was doing when he designed his home.

     After the filling breakfast we had and all the walking we did, neither one of us were ever very hungry. Although, the little bit of wine tasting we did and sample of cheese dip we had did help. And the scoop of ice cream (no cone) from the creamery. :-) But I normally would have had twice the amount of food. We headed home and Dagan grilled steaks and corn on the cob for dinner. So, all in all, I though I did pretty dang good for being out of routine, out of state and having all kinds of unhealthy options in front of me.
This morning I was curious and stepped on the scale. I gained 1.2 pounds this weekend. Did I get ticked off, mad at myself and go grab the jar of peanut butter like I usually do? No. I expected it and was actually happy because I thought it would be worse. I was happy. I didn't starve myself or deprive myself of having "special treats" while we were on our anniversary trip. I didn't obsess. I just ate less. A lot less. Now, I know I'm in the beginning and have a huge amount of momentum going and it will be harder to make those healthy choices at some point in the future. But I'm hoping I can make little changes now that build upon each other so that when the time comes that I want to give in, my mental stamina will be stronger and it will be easier to stay on track. Time will tell!

Ready....Set...

...HOLD UP!!
     Although this is my first-ever blog post, I'm no stranger to the weight-loss scene.  I've struggled with my weight since I was a child, and have tried every diet and method I could think of to try to lose.  Yes, I was successful but the weight came right back on (plus some) every time I quit.  Even with Weight Watchers.  I've started and stopped so many times I've lost count.  The first time I began WW my mom and I joined together and I did great, losing about 23 pounds.  Then I lost momentum, had a skiing accident that led to knee surgery and months of being couch-bound, and I let all the weight I'd lost plus another 20 pounds come right back on.   That was 3 years ago.  Can't blame the surgery and knee problems anymore! Even getting married last year wasn't a huge incentive.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to look and feel beautiful for my husband on my wedding day, and I did, but he has always made me feel beautiful no matter what size I was and I've never questioned him loving me for me. 
    So, here I am.  I just joined WW Online yeserday and tracked all my food.  I went 9 points over, but hey - that's what those weekly points are for, right?! LOL.  Plus, I didn't eat HALF as much as I normally would, so I was happy.  I'm trying to get the hang of counting points again and learning the new Points Plus system.  My strategy this time is SLOW AND STEADY.  One day (and even hour) at a time.  I always begin all gung-ho, excited and get really strict on myself.  Then the first time I mess up, I quit.  Not this time.  I've put a lot of thought and prayer into it, and I'm determined not to give up.  Not to get discouraged when I go over points, have a bad day, don't lose as much weight as I think I should've or don't see any physical changes as quickly as I had hoped.  Even with this blog.  I'm hoping it'll help me stay commited, but I could see myself "running out of things to say" and quitting.  I don't see myself as literally creative at all, so some posts might end up saying: "Had a bad day.  That's all." :-)  I'm just gonna try to stay honest and transparent.  I had no idea blogs could be so time consuming, so it'll alway be a work in progress, just like me.     
     Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come back often to visit!