Habits/Routines and Challenges

Weight Watcher's new 360 program is all about routines--so I am trying to be very reflective of healthy routines that I have established, and unhealthy routines that I have continued with. One habit that I am going to work to change in to a more healthy routine is that "after school snack."

I am sure this habit goes back to kindergarten--when we get home from school, we have a snack. Unfortunately, lately, as I get the girls' snacks together, I end up making unhealthy snack choices for myself. Its frustrating--yet I still find myself doing it! I count the points, so I know I am okay with my daily allowance, but I would like to make better choices at this snack time.

Here is my plan for my new routine:
1. Take everything in the house, as per usual, and get the girl's milk and snack.
2. Get myself a healthy snack
3. Stay the "H" out of the KITCHEN until time to make dinner.

Its #3 that I have a problem with so I am going to try some things to overcome #3. On nice days, I am going to take the kids outside so that we can play and I can stay away from temptation. On not-so-nice days, I am going to go upstairs and start working on scrap booking and schoolwork binders for the girls. I have found that staying on the same level as the kitchen is just too tempting! I know that if I start a new routine for a couple weeks, it will become a habit. Here's to developing a new routine!

Anyone else have this struggle? What do you do to overcome the "after school snack" temptation?

Working my way to fit,
Kati

I survived...and so did my weight loss

So, I made it through the toughest part of the year for me. The combination of mine and Hailey's birthdays are usually quite rough. Its usually about a two week period that I am just NOT myself.  I love to celebrate my own birthday, but its been hard since Hailey; those days are just so close together.

I approached these days with a plan:

1. Do not turn to food for grief
2. Maintain my excerice
3. Allow myself 2 pounds gain without being upset

Sounds like a great plan--here is what actually happened.

1. There were days that I did make unhealthy food choices, but I did not go "crazy" as I would have in the past. I did not just sit and eat chips and feel sorry for myself, but I did indulge in some unclean food that I have not allowed myself to have (because I don't trust myself to stop once I start).  I ate the meal, but counted the points. I went over on my points, and used my weekly allowable, plus some. But I was still conscious of what I ate instead of just blindly eating crap.

2. I did not maintain my excerice like I would have wanted too. Instead of hitting the gym, I did lot of play time with the kids, spent some time on my treadmill (not as much as I like), but mainly focused on positive energy with the family.

3.  Weight gain without being upset... So I tried to use the plan that our leader talked about over Holidays. Give yourself a limit and do not be mad if you gain within that limit. I decided two pounds would be it.

Week 1: Gain 4.6 (GASP) okay, I can be mad because I certaininly went over that two pound limit. I got myself a little more under control. Concentrated a little more on tracking...

Week 2:  Loss 4.4. Overall, I had a gain of 0.2, which is well within my two pound allowance.

So, I made it through my "dark" month with only a minimal gain, a few days of tears, and lots of successes. I am beyond blessed with great friends and a great family. I am so excited that spring is approaching and am looking forward to being "me" again.

So, long February!
Working my way to fit,
Kati

Eye-Twitchingly stressful week

Hi long lost friends!!!
While I have certainly dissapeared from the blogging world for the past week, I assure you I am still here and conscious about getting fit!

This past week, not only was I exceptionally busy at work, but it was also the last week of a class I was taking. Between being on the computer at work, and being on the computer to finish my homework, being on the computer for blogging was just out the window!!

Weigh-in on Sunday was a little dissapointing. I only lost 0.4, however, being that I went out to dinner with my family on Saturday for a birthday celebration, I expected to not lose much at all. Never a good idea to eat a heavy meal the night before a weigh-in, even if I had the 49 weekly allowable points to spend on the meal.
Good news: I am at 39 total pounds lost!!!

Bad news: This week has been insane--and I am not getting quality sleep, and my EYE is TWITCHING from stress!!! I have missed a couple workouts, and I just feel terrible overall. This stress is really getting to me right now. I know that a good workout will make me feel better, but I am already exhausted and on nights I work out, I end up staying up until 11. I can't tell you how ready I am for Friday. I plan on hitting PF on Friday and on Saturday. I also plan on recovering some much needed sleep on Saturday and Sunday so I can start next week with the energy I need!

I do not plan on posting again until Saturday because I plan on going "off the grid" for Valentines day. My husband deserves my full attention!  And, I am hoping to go to bed EARLY on Friday... so, with that... Have a happy Valentine's day! Do something fun that does not require eating unhealthily!!!


Working my way to Fit!
~Kati

LT3

Little
Things
To
Try
LT3! This week my new interim WW leader challenged us to try a new little thing and to make it a routine. This month's WW routine is to plan for exercise. So my LT3 was to plan my exercises and follow through with them. On Sunday, I sat down and wrote down my exercise days on the calendar. Today, I had a bit of a rough day at work. I got home and played with the girls, and before I knew it, it was bath time. Jon commented that he didn't really want to work out today. It would have been very easy to just skip exercise and snuggle on the couch watching our DVRd shows (<---- this would attribute to our weight gain of the past!). Anyway, my calendar said it was a work out day--my co-worker and friend asked before I left work if it was a work out day--every thing was screaming at me: IT IS A WORK OUT DAY.

Guess what??? To Planet Fitness I went and I rocked it! I went 3.5 miles and shaved 5 minutes off my normal time!!! That's a huge gain for me. The circuit was pretty full, so instead of adding a circuit, I hit the stair stepper for an additional 30 minutes. My friend Sam and I say that we know its a good workout when our eyelashes are sweating.. and mine definitely were today!

Even though I was not so motivated to hit the gym tonight, I stuck to my plan and I feel great. Fat me would have preferred to eat chocolate and ponder my stress with a book and TV. Fit me kicked stresses booty at the gym. I am loving this new me!
Jon also killed it at his workout tonight all--he added an extra mile to his workout: 5 miles in 50 minutes. I'm loving the new us!

Thanks for all the continued love and support.
Working my way to fit,
Kati

Weigh In Day

Routines and habits: the new focus of WW 360 program. Sunday is a day filled with routines for me. I wake up, do laundry, feed the girls and Jon a breakfast of waffles (because its Sunday breakfast) while I enjoy my egg beaters because eating a heavy Sunday breakfast before weighing in seems CRAZY to me :) Then, I head off to weight watchers where I happily step on the scale and my favorite WW leader, Jon, encourages me to keep up the good work. Jon is an awesome leader--the best leader I have ever had. In fact, when I rejoined WW I actually switched meeting days because I enjoyed his meetings so much.

Cue dramatic music: duh duh duh...

Today, JON WAS NOT THERE! And, to make matter's worse, Jon is not coming back to Sunday meetings!!! WHAT??? I liked our leader today; she was great, but she was not Jon! She is just a sub for this month, our new Sunday meeting leader starts in March. As I have learned recently, a change in leadership can be good. But, through all of my weight watcher leaders (and I have had many), Jon has been my favorite. I am sad to see him go. Regardless, I will keep on trucking through this weight loss and I will keep going to my Sunday meetings because I like the routine I am in. I am hoping that my new leader will be fantastic, but if she's not, I am going to keep working hard to earn those stickers!!!

Today's results: -3.6 for a WW total of -20.8 or a grand total of -38.2 :) I am a pretty happy camper! My goal for the next 5 weeks is to lose 2 per week. That will put by 16 week total at WW at 30.8.

The bad news (not really bad) is that with my new weight, I lose a point. I am okay with that--I actually usually have to find a snack at the end of the night to finish my points anyway.

I am off to go finish watching the Superbowl. Went to a Superbowl party this evening and ate relatively healthy. One small desert, but I am positive that I did not veer over my weekly 49.

Have a great week!
Working my way to fit,
Kati

My own dragon...

Welcome February.
February is usually my dark month; a month that I mourn the loss of the daughter that I only got to hold for two short weeks while I smile and attempt to celebrate her life. Those closest to me know that I put up a good front, but the weeks leading to Hailey's birthday are usually the hardest of the year for me.
As I am spending a lot of time focusing on getting healthy both physically and mentally, I welcome February.

I will reflect and blog my way through my "dark" month, and perhaps I will realize that there is a lot of light to be shared. Hailey's life was about celebration, and in this darkness, I will find the celebration that she gave to us. For this post, I am going to celebrate my husband...

Today started with some self-doubt: this is part of my weight loss journey that I have to face full on. Every time I find success in weight loss, I have a personal dragon I have to face--and its a BIG one.  I was hurt by someone a long time ago, and every time I start to feel confident and start to like the way I am looking; this dragon rears his ugly head. This week I have done well and I look forward to weighing in, but I can feel that dragon burning on the back of my neck.

This dragon, my own self-loathing, pulls at the very core of my own insecurity and usually sends me down a path of self-sabotage. .

Today, in my own "dark" mood, I made a self-deprecating comment that somehow  had Jon agreeing with me, but not intentionally. It was like I purposefully worded my own dislike with my body in a way that trapped him in agreement. Once he realize what he had agreed to, he put a lot of effort in to restating his comment and explaining why he loved me so much. As I reflect on this incident, I realize that I have really married the most perfect man in the world for me. He is truly my best friend and he knows how to bring light to the darkest moments. He has seen me in best, and in my worst, and in all of that--he loves me unconditionally. There are times, when his unwavering faith in me leaves be breathless and I wish I could steal just a portion of that faith in myself. I am proclaiming that this time I will beat this dragon. With Jon by my side, I can conquer anything the world throws at me...and right now, its throwing my own personal dragon.

Please bare with me as I take February one day at a time, and sometimes one moment of a time. After all, Hailey taught us to enjoy every moment.

Working my way to fit~and this month its an emotional fitness that I am working on as well as a physical fitness~
Kati