Category Archives: Health

Healthy Steps – Week 23

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It was no shock to me that I gained 2.8 pounds this week. I camped and hiked and ate. I ate a lot of unhealthy foods, and I realized that I’m dangerously close to losing all progress. Before I could even think about that, I had to rush out of Weight Watcher’s check in to go on another (I think the last) work trip. making time to think and healthy choices hard to find.

I think the weekly topic for Weight Watchers (Set Your Summer Goals) couldn’t come at a better time. I don’t want to loose my forward progress, and with the summer stretching out before me, this is a great time to contemplate my goals, and maybe even (as they suggest) do a new one.

  • Tracking 4 of 7 days
  • 1 Frappachino per day
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 11,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

Tracking

This is the most basic WW tool, and the one I find most easy to ditch under stress, particularly as the day goes on. With this in mind, I just made myself a little sign at my computer to remind myself to finish out the day and track.

Frappachino

Lately, I’ve been doing better with this on the week days, but each weekend it falls by the wayside. I’m not sure what to do that’s easy enough to start my busy weekends.

Prepared food

Again, I’ve been doing well, but by the afternoon that last batch of carrots does not look as appealing as somethings “fun.” I see a trend of getting more tired as the day goes on…

I would like to add trying some new items as the farmer’s market is now open. How about one new thing a week?

11,000 Steps

I’ve been rocking this, so I’m not going to add here.

Summary

Even if I was perfect this week, I would have to drop 7 pounds, so I don’t think I’ll hit 10% by the end of my 16 week book. But, I do think it’s important to put goals out there. So, here’s my big goal. But the end of summer (Labor day weekend) I’d like to have hit my 10% and removed an additional 12.9 pounds to get to [number redacted, but written down].

Healthy Steps – Week 22

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Please forgive me; this post is a day late. I have been working on a project and time got away from me last night.

I was down .8 pounds this week, leaving me 3.7 pounds away from the BIG TARGET. I’m pretty happy with that, especially considering how much cheating I did.

I wish I could figure out how to just NOT buy stuff, which would make NOT eating it easier. Obviously, I’m the only one doing this and who has control of it, but sometimes I feel really helpless about it.

I’m still on my basic goals, though adding that 1000 steps last week had been surprisingly challenging.

  • Tracking 4 of 7 days
  • 1 Frappachino per day
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 11,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

Healthy Steps – Week 21

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I am delighted to report, after the gloom and doom of my last post, that this week I lost 6.4 pounds, erasing last week’s gain and even dropping a little bit more.

In fact, I am 4.5 pounds away from a big milestone: 10% gone! My goal when I started this 16-week Weight Watcher’s booklet (“My Success Story”) was to hit this goal by the end of the 16 weeks. I have 3 weeks to do it, and I am feeling inspired!

As I was riding my bike home from work (read this cool article here), I was thinking about if I could really do this. It’s kind of silly thought. Obviously, I am CAPABLE of doing it. I have done it before. There is no physical reason that should make it impossible now. But it’s still daunting.

It got me thinking about why the last 4.5 pounds of a goal that is just the first step of many would be so hard. I’m not sure, but I think it has to do with fear of failure. I don’t want to lose my progress in a quest to make more. Which is silly, because I’m far from done. I have too much to do to stand still now.

So, this week it’s back to basics.  I’m not sure I’ve ever shifted from these, but I find the first three very challenging. The fourth is something I find comfort that I am accomplishing (and I wasn’t always.) But having said that, I just went into my FitBit and increased my goal to 11,000 per day!

  • Tracking 4 of 7 days
  • 1 Frappachino per day
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 11,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

I not only CAN do this, I will do this!

Healthy Steps – Week 20.5

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Oops. In so many ways…

Last Wednesday (it’s Monday evening now) when I got on the scale I had gained over 5 pounds! Now, I was expecting an increase, but the amount surprised me. I resolved to work on the basics again, and have made some progress decreasing to 1 frappachino a day (again). But, I traveled this weekend. And a lot of candy was had. So, 36 hours, when I have to face the scale again… it’s going to be an ugly meeting.

Thankfully, there is no limit on second chances. And I have two days to practice the basics so I’ll be ready to hit it again after weight in.

  • Tracking 4 of 7 days
  • 1 Frappachino per day
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 10,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

Healthy Steps – Weeks 18 & 19

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I’m not sure what happened to my post from last week (week 18); I guess I wrote it in my imaginary blog? It was a nice post. I gained 1.2 pounds and it was about how it’s the kick in the pants I need to get back to making changes.

It was obviously a motivational post because this week I lost 3 pounds, bringing my “middle number” into a nice new range that I’ve been admiring all day.

In spite of making some great choices this week, I was a little nervous because I took a fall last night and had some Advil, which sometimes makes me gain (or at least that’s my story.) But I was down, and I’m looking forward to working hard this week too.

  • Tracking 4 of 7 days
  • 1 Frappachino per day
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 10,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

For this last goal, I had to buy a new FitBit (my third) because the band on my HR came away from the device. My new Charge 2 has bands that can be changed. I also found out FitBit makes waterproof ones, though I didn’t get one. (Don’t tell my mom, but she may find one in her stocking at Christmas.)

Healthy Steps – Week 15-17

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No, I haven’t forgotten about this. I just haven’t been home on a Wednesday so I could go to Weight Watchers and get a report!

After two weeks and SO much traveling, I was very nervous about today’s weight in. While I had made a concerted effort not to eat my way around Oregon in the calorie-free car zone, I can’t claim I’ve been at the top of my form.

  • I haven’t tracked.
  • I’m on 2 Frappachinos per day (and could have done more, but this is where I restrained myself).
  • I’ve eaten my prepared food when I could and tried to eat a salad (occasionally) when I went into restraunts.
  • I hit 10,000 steps about 65% of the time.

I am THRILLED to report I not only didn’t gain weight, I am down 1.8 pounds!

But, now it’s time to get back to work. And I’m starting over (again.) Luckily, as a former Weight Watcher leader told me: There is no limit on the number of do-overs you get when loosing weight.

Basic goals… we’re gonna focus on you this week.

  • Tracking 4 of 7 days
  • 1 Frappachino per day
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 10,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

 

Healthy Steps – Week 13

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I lost (a frankly amazing) five pounds this week.

While I am thrilled about this, I have to admit to being surprised. While I made some good choices, there were a lot of extremely questionable choices in there.

This got me to thinking that a theme that keeps coming up is that weight removal is not about being perfect; weight removal is about working to make choices that will be reflected in the long term. So, yes, I went out to eat and had a great big salad with bacon and avocados; I didn’t have potato chips. I went out dinner and had a yummy grilled chicken with mayo; I didn’t have the hamburger with cheese.

I know that perfection is one of those themes that keeps coming up for me in my life. Obviously, it’s impossible to be perfect. And every time I don’t hit that mark, I feel it down to my pancreas.

I went to see my therapist last week and she gave me the (somewhat standard) speech about treating myself well. The handouts and words vary, but it’s the same message. I always walk away from this speech vaguely frustrated; I treat myself fine, darn it!

The fact is I’m not perfect and it haunts me. Maybe it’s time to really think about actually taking my therapist’s advice and celebrating the great things about myself and not beating myself up for those things (like my quick temper, over-reactive tendencies, and impatience) that tend to put me in conflict with the world at large.

Obviously, that’s a lot to ask and not always within the scope of weight removal. But it’s something to consider as I move forward.

I am very much still on basics this week; last week was about 50/50 (if that).

  • Tracking (4 of 7 days
  • 1 Frappachino per day (I did 2 each day last week in spite of stating I was going for 1 because it was all just too much)
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 10,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

On a last note, with today’s weight removal, I’m within eight pounds of a big goal: 10% of my body weight removed. At the front of each Weight Watcher’s booklet, you are supposed to state your goal for the 16 weeks that booklet covers. My goal for this booklet was to remove 10% by the end of it. I have 8 weeks to go and I’m starting to believe I might just do it!

Healthy Steps – Week 12

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I gained weight this week. In a perverse way, I am relieved. While I didn’t go off the rails like I did last week, I certainly didn’t snap back into shape.

But it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, and frankly for the last two weeks, I’m still down a little. I’m feeling like my perspective is improving and I’m ready to look ahead a little.

When I entered my gain into my Weight Watcher’s app, it gave a suggestion: trying tacking 4 days this week. I think that’s a good start to this week’s goals.

  • Tracking (4 of 7 days)
  • 1 Frappachino per day
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 10,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

I’m still on the basics. And I haven’t quit.

Healthy Steps – Week 11

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Folks, I went off the rails this week. A combination of hormones, doctors, work stress, pet drama, and heaven only knows what else just go to me. There was pie. There was Easter Candy. There were multiple pizzas. And the Frappachinos are back.

When I got on the scale today, I was braced for the worst; imagine my shock when I was down 3.4 pounds. All I can say is that next week I’m sure I will pay.

I think this sums up what went wrong.

I got mentally tired and when the triggers came along, it was an explosion.

On that note, last week I made the daring decision to take one item off my to do list and work on another. I’m feeling like that was a step I wasn’t ready for, so I’m going back to my original four.

  • Tracking (6 of 7 days)
  • No Frappachinos
  • Eating my prepared food
  • Hit 10,000 all seven days, taking at least one break/lunch walk

Tracking and Frappachinos are the ones that got away.

Luckily the WW topic this week was the perennial favorite, “Bounce Back! Setback happen to all of us. Here’s how to get back on track.”

Boy, do I need it!