the stress effect...

i would love to have time to study the science behind stress and weight-loss. i have been under quite a bit of stress lately....from all angles....and i'm wondering if that's why i'm not really budging on the scale...dispite my healthy eating and exercise. i'm not really looking to blame stress....i'm just looking for ways to combat it....whether the stress be personal, relationship, career, etc. this week, i have been stressed to the point of nightly crying jags, intense anger (which, luckily, i've been handling by running my butt off on my treadmill!), and extreme exhaustion (b/c i'm not sleeping well). any suggestions would be much appreciated!

scale tonight...i've still been keeping that 151 in my mind and in my actions, but i won't be suprised if stress doesn't let me achieve it. i'll keep you posted! ~woo

feeling good...

i started back to running again this week, after taking a week off... and i've been eating well this week, after a much-needed, motivating weekend. and, i know it's only tuesday, but i'm feeling good. i think goal setting is the way to go for me....having a number in my mind really helps me to focus on making healthy decisions. i have this internal dialogue that goes something like this...

**let's see...what to eat...mmm, cheese....151 lbs....mmm, chocolate....151 lbs....mmm, wine....151 lbs....ok! ok! ....mmm, green peppers. that will work!**

i'm hoping the scale is reflective of how i'm feeling come thursday. i could really use seeing 140-something on the scale sometime soon! :-) woo

*PLOP*PLOP*PLOP*

that was the sound i heard as my spoon plunged completely into my soup on 3 separate occasions today! i think i spent more time cleaning my spoon than actually eating off of it!! but at least the soup was delicious... V8 butternut squash... only 1 point per cup and counts as a serving of veggies!

in other news...what a fantastic weekend!! :) i got to see my tbird and spend some much needed quality time together! while there, i discovered that it's possible to eat healthy for an entire weekend. i also discovered that i am down from a 10 to an 8...at least in david's bridal bridesmaid gowns ;-) all while laughing and having a wonderful time! not too shabby!

this week, i'm finally feeling better about this journey, and i think the weekend helped me with that. i fell last week... forgetting about exercise and only eating moderately well. luckily, we didn't have our meeting due to an ice storm, so i got to miss the scale..... this week, though, i'm setting another goal... 151 lbs! i'll keep you "posted" ~love, woo

mission accomplished!!!

that's right....you are reading a post from a 153 lb me! ;-) that was my exact goal! of course it would have been great to be lower...but i set my sights, and i attained! woohoo :-)

this journey is really teaching me to be patient. it's taken me a long time to lose this weight (12 weeks for 12lbs!) BUT at least i'm heading toward a healthier lifestyle...and a healthier me!

in running news...i have manged to drop from a 16-min mile to a 13-minute mile in one week! still turtle speed...but great improvement ;-)

happy friday! ~woo :-)

weigh day reflection...

so, i've completed (nearly) yet another week with weight watchers. this past week i did something for the first time...i set a specific weight loss goal for the week. usually, my goal is to just lose...doesn't matter how much. i'm happy as long as i'm down. well, you already know that i'm tired of being in the 150s, so i felt it was time to set a goal for myself. and you know what? i think it may have worked. obviously, i don't have proof yet...my weigh-in isn't until this evening. BUT i really feel that goal helped me to focus better than usual. my goal for tonight is to be 153 (or less). that would be a loss of 1.4 lbs. definitely attainable....hopefully i did it! i'll let you know tomorrow :-)

~woo!

gathering handled!

this time ;-) i did so well! i went to the idol party last night... i ate my perfectly portioned boneless skinless bbq chicken breast, a medium baked potato, and broccoli :-) i even drank water ALL evening! whoa!! when i got home and calculated my points, i figured out that i had enough left for a sugar free hot chocolate and a weight watchers lemon cake (1 point each!) and what a treat! i was quite proud of myself ;-)

in running news: i'm in my 2nd week of my 5k training program. last night i was scheduled for a 2 mile run/walk. the program says that i can choose how much running and how much walking...so, i ran the first 1.5 miles and walked the last half mile! :-) i felt pretty good about that, too!

so, overall....a day to smile about :-)
hope you had the same!
~woo

gatherings, and such...

i think one of the toughest things about weight watchers is handling gatherings...parties, dinners, etc. basically, anytime you get together with friends and family. i think it's so tough because those gatherings are generally centered around food. and wine. and more food. ....and more wine ;)

tonight, i've got my first american idol gathering of the season... usually, a large group of us meets up at somebody's house for a potluck of sorts. tonight, it's dinner prior to idol. bar-b-que chicken, potatoes, and a veggie. okay, so maybe that doesn't sound so bad. but that's just dinner. however, let's think about the before and after. before dinner=LOADS of finger foods (chips/veggies/dips/cheese/crackers/etc.). after dinner=LOADS of wine. so, how do i go about being the "healthy" one?

some ideas: eat dinner before i go. eat dinner there, but make sure i'm aware of portions/ingredients/prep. bring my own beverage(s) (water/diet soda). chew gum (side note: i've been chewing SO much gum lately that my jaw is sore!! can you say ridiculous?!?) any other suggestions? i want to partake in the fun of the evening, but does that mean that i have to eat and drink like everyone else???

i'll let you know how it goes!
~woo

I need UN-stuck...

I'm feeling a bit discouraged... at the moment, I feel like I will never be out of the 150's. I feel stuck. I know I'm working hard, but am I working hard enough? I'm so proud of my friend, Treesa....she's down 5.5 lbs in one week!!! I just want to know how to do the same. It would be a big deal for me to lose that much in 2 weeks...even 3 weeks. Holy cow...I can't imagine how I'd feel if I did it in one! But...alas....each person is different. Each body is different. My body is different week to week. I just need to be proud of my accomplishments each moment, and acknowledge the work I've been putting into this journey.I have no doubt that we (myself, my mom, Treesa, her aunt) all will be super successful....maybe I'll even get out of the 150's this month ;-)

huh....maybe I just needed to blog to get un-stuck ;-)

Love, Woo

I ROCK!

my hard work this week paid off. down 2.6 lbs at my weigh-in last night! :) woohoo! my official current weight is 154.4. just before christmas, i was a bit lower than that (153.6) ...but proudly, in one week, i've covered a lot of ground! my goal for next weigh-in? 153 lbs. i figure that's a fair and realistic goal for one week. and i also think that since i posted it here, i will be much more accountable ;-)

my celebration was to go out to eat w/my fiance...and i had a beer! yum :)

thank goodness for our two-hour delay today....now it's time to get to work!

happy friday! ~woo

*DUN DUN DUN*

weigh-in day. it hasn't happened yet, but will in just a few short hours.

whose idea was it to plan weight watchers meetings for the evening, anyway?!? some skinny b**ch, i bet. i wake up feeling light and fresh, and by, oh, let's say 3pm, i feel tired, stressed, and generally larger. not sure why, but it's nearly daily.

anyway, i've actually had a great week. i've worked out...cardio, strength, and stretching. i've eaten well...barely used my flex points. i'm at least hoping to make up for some (most would be great) of my christmas "pudge". we shall see!

one idea that i've incorporated into my journey is forgiving food after each weigh-in. if i'm hungry for pizza, i eat pizza. if i want some peanut butter, i have some peanut butter (side note: why is it that the best tasting foods are SO high in points??). but anyway, it helps. it's like my one moment each week when i allow myself to relax about food. relax about counting points. oddly enough...i'm finding that as the weeks roll by, i'm beginning to make healthier choices, even in the moments i tell myself points don't matter. how cool is that?? :)

OH...i almost forgot. my BIG plan! i've decided to train for another half marathon! :) may sound crazy to some, and like no big deal to others. for me, for some reason, it feels necessary. i've run 2 half marathons in the past...only a few years ago. but since then, i have barely run at all. just 2 weeks ago, i started feeling an "itch" to go it again. so here i go. but luckily, not alone. get this...a good family friend is joining me...and between the two of us, we may have convinced my mom to give it a shot! (fyi: she is also doing WW, and is the beginning stages of gaining great fitness!) i'm SUPER excited! she has given me the motivation to train hard and see where it takes me! i'll keep you "posted" ;-)

ok, kids, gotta run...literally! and then? off to my weigh-in!!

~woo

on the road...er, i mean my blog...again!

ok. ok. i know. way to go me. call it the holidays. call it lack of internet in my own home. yes, i've missed some time with my blog. but, no worries, thanks to the motivation from a friend, i'm back at it. my blog. and more importantly, my weight loss.

to fill you in... i began my weight loss journey back at the end of october. i was doing great...down about 11+ lbs! by december. go me :) and then....christmas happened. it knocked me down a bit....ok, 3.8 lbs. back on my body. but, didn't i say no worries?? i'm back at it. yesterday was my first day counting points since christmas. and i even spent some time on my treadmill (yes, i was working out!!). so there you go. here i am. back at it. wish me luck! :) and while you're at it, check out my friend's (and her aunt's) journey to wedding and weight loss! (i'm a follower!).

happy counting!
~woo