WI#36 STS

I stayed the same this week. I know I am still retaining water from my week of eating out, one more dinner out tonight and then back OP for the week. DH and I are going to an annual seafood buffet at a local resort tonight. Buffet could mean trouble but I am eating mostly fruits and veggies all day so that I can save my points for this evening. Good thin shellfish is so low in calories - I just need to stay away from the melted butter.

I need a new exercise plan. My gym membership is finished and I think I will take a break from the gym until the new year. My new pan is to use my home exercise equipment 3-4 times a week for the next month. My Wii Fit, Dance Dance revolution, WATP video, pilates ball video, and in the short moments where it is not pouring rain I will strap on my runners and head into the neighbourhood to keep up my jogging.

I have a little recipe to share. I have been hearing for months about people who combine various things with cake mixes to make a lighter dessert. I decided it was time to give it a try - this is the recipe I used:

1 box angel food cake mix

15 ounces pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

3/4 cup cold water

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine all ingredients in large bowl, mix on low for 30 seconds then medium for one minute. 3. Pour into ungreased 13x9 pan. 4. Bake 35-40 minutes, remove from oven. 5. Cool upside down for best results.

Per serving: 107 calories, 0 Fat, 1g. Fibre

Only 2 points for the piece of delicious cake - I added 1/2 cup of ice milk and some sugar free butterscotch for another 2 points. This will definitely be making an appearance at Christmas dinner!

Tired of eating out..

I have been on the road since Friday. i just go home this evening and am exhausted! I spent the weekend in Vancouver with my Sister and nieces to do some shopping and see Hairspray. I made great food choices on Friday and Saturday - chicken, salads, subway etc.. but on the ferry home on Saturday night I was so hungry and tired that I caved an had a White Spot burger (my favourite!!) and yam fries.

I went straight to Victoria and have been working there for the past three days and staying in a hotel. This meant lunch at the food court each day - I was pretty good, salad and subway again. I bought some groceries for the hotel room - grapes, cottage cheese cups, veggie tray, and some baked chips. Last night I was too tired to go back to a grocery store or go to a restaurant so I ordered a small pizza from room service - spinach, olives, mushroom and feta. I ate the whole thing :(

Today I had a yogurt parfait and plain coffee from Starbucks (6 points) Two chicken tacos from Taco Time (8 points) and then on the 3 hour drive home I had a chocolate bar (5 points) and some crispy minis (4 points). I went to pick up my dog at my brothers and they were having Turkey lasagna for dinner - I had a small piece, a tiny piece of garlic toast and about 1/2 cup of Cesar salad. I don't think I went too far over my point allowance but definitely did not meet my nutritional requirements for the day.

I just stepped on the scale and it said 212 - but my fancy scale told me that my water % is very high (hmmmm could be the pizza, baked chips, lasagna, garlic bread, and crispy minis floating in my system!!) I am going to drink a litre of water tonight and try for another 3 tomorrow before my WI tomorrow night.

My week of the Wendi plan ended on Saturday and I lost about 4lbs in that week - hopefully i have not gained any of it back. I will be trying Wendi again starting this tomorrow! I will post my WI results tomorrow night - good or bad.

WI#35 -2.6 and breaking up with Ronald!

Yay!! I'm halfway through my Wendie week so that is not the entire reason behind my good WI but it has definitely kept me on track for the past few days. This morning the scale actually read 209.8 but I decided this was the week to change my WI outfit to something more weather appropriate (and the dress I usually wear is far too big now). Seeing 209 renewed my hope that I can reach onederland by Christmas.

Today is my super high Wendie day - I'm allowed 39 points! I was thinking about what I wanted to splurge on and decided that I would hit up good old McDonald's. I ordered a McChicken meal with a diet coke. I resisted the urge to eat the fries in the car like I used to and brought the meal home. The fries smelled delicious and I was excited to taste that old familiar salty grease. The first one tasted great.. the second one was good.. the third was ok.. the fourth tasted like salt and grease. Halfway through I thought "why am I eating these, I'm not even enjoying them" I gave the rest to my dog (she deserved a treat too). The McChicken was better but I would have enjoyed a fully loaded turkey sandwich more (for half the points). So now I am enjoying a cup of dark chocolate frozen yogurt for the same points I threw away in french fries.

I'm really glad I did this. My DH really likes his McDonalds and will have it as a treat on occasion - and I am a bit bitter when I order a side salad. Now I know I can just sneak a fry or two from him and be done with it. So, Ronald McDonald all I can say is, "don't feel bad, it's not you it's me!!"

Wendie Day3

I went to bed last night with a scratchy throat.. and woke up with a full blown head cold. I dragged my butt into work but soon my employees gently prodded me to go home (so this sneezy coughy disgustingness would not pass to them). I spent the next 11 hours watching TV and napping. I just wanted ice cream and jello! Here is how my day played out:



Flax plus cereal with yogurt (3)

WW bagel with ham cheese and lettuce (5)

Apple (1)

Jello (2)

Raw veggies with ff lemon poppy seed dressing (1)



and then it went downhill as the cold medication clouded my judgement...



Individual kraft dinner bowl (normally I would never eat this) (5)

2 cups Chocolate frozen yogurt (8)



This was my 25 point allotment for the day.. and then my Sister in law showed up with a piece of chocolate cake from the family dinner I missed.. I cut it in half and then ate one half... I don't know how many points but I am guessing at least 4. So 29 points for today throws off my Wendie plan a bit - I'm going to take 2 points off tomorrow and two points off Thursday and that should even things up. My WI is tomorrow morning and I still have high hopes for a decent loss.

Wendie Day2

I saw my lowest number yet on the scale this morning!! Day 2 of Wendie Plan and I am allowed 30 points, here is the breakdown:

3/4 cup flax plus cereal (2)
source yogurt (1)
apple (1)
Florets Nightingale (4)
Chicken Pandimoniyum (4)
Chocolate Pudding (4)
Ham (3)
Roasted brussel sprouts (1)
pita chips (2)
salsa and sour cream (3)
toast and jam (2)
hot chocolate (3)

25 point day tomorrow (still planning for my 39 point day on Wednesday!!)

Wendie Day1

Today I started the Wendie Plan. For the past 8 months I have faithfully eaten my points every day (rarely going over or under) so It felt a little strange to have so few points. I planned out my day carefully so I would not be left hungry in the evening. This is how I used my 24 points for today:

1 cup of flax plus cereal (2)
1 ff source yogurt (1)
small apple (1)
cucumber and cauliflower (1)
ww bagel (2)
ham, cheese slice, lettuce (2)
Florets Nightingale (5)
1oz chicken (1)
ff chocolate pudding (3)
cool whip (2)
Weight watchers bread (1)
sugar free jam (1)

Now it is 8pm and I have 2 points left for the night. I am going to drink another litre of water and then either have some popcorn or hot chocolate before bed. I am already planning for my 39 point day on Wednesday..... soooo many options!

Trying some new things...

I'm back from our trip Vancouver. We had a lot of fun shopping and reminiscing (we lived in various areas of the lower mainland from 1994-2001) with old friends. Being able to try on clothes in most regular stores is still a lot of fun for me. I limited my self to a few pieces as I hope they will not fit for long (and I work in a clothing store that tempts me every day!) I did quite well with my eating - our one splurge dinner out was at this fantastic Jamaican restaurant, my chicken entree was healthy(ish) but I did indulge in some delicious fried plantain chips (mm mm mm!!) I weighed my self this morning and I was the same as Wednesday so I am happy with that.

Today I made DH's lunches and dinners for the week as he was heading back up north this afternoon. I tried some new dishes from the Eat Shrink and be Merry Cookbook. First was Florets Nightingale. Cauliflower and Broccoli with a yummy creamy cheesy sauce and then topped with a Parmesan bread crumb topping. Next time I will spice up the cheese sauce a little and then this would perfect!

The next dish was Chicken Pandemoniyum. It was OK- nothing spectacular. It is a chicken and rice one pot meal. I am not a big fan of casseroles but DH loves his food all mushed up together and he really like this one.

This third was Fake 'n Bake Chicken. This was so simple and really delicious. One of the main ingredients is hoisin sauce, which is my favourite condiments, so this will definitely be a repeat recipe.

I think I need to shake up my weight loss routine again, so I am going to try the Wendi plan. I have read a few blogs from people who have had success with this so I am going to give it a try. Normally I get 29 points per day - so with the Wendi plan my week will play out like this:

Day 1 - 24 points
Day 2 - 30 points
Day 3 - 25 points
Day 4 - 39 points
Day 5 - 24 points
Day 6 - 30 points
Day 7 - 28 points

Should be interesting!

WI#34 +.8

I went to my WW meeting this morning and was greeted with a gain of .8 booo!! I'm not too upset as I was seeing a smaller number all week and this afternoon TOM arrived. Plus I had my spa indulgence day and only made it to the gym twice. This week is going to be another tough one as I am in a hotel in Vancouver until Saturday. DH is passed out under the big fluffy white duvet on the king size bed as I write this right now. I bought some grapes and a smoothie for breakfast tomorrow and will find a healthy lunch in the food court (I am running a workshop at a mall tomorrow). DH and I are going out for a nice dinner tomorrow night and I already know dessert will be a challenge. I usually have no trouble saying no to sweets but I am craving chocolate like crazy today!

We are spending the day Christmas shopping on Friday so at least I will get lots of walking in. Speaking of Christmas, I usually make homemade candy to give all my employees for Christmas. The new healthy me would like lighten up the gifts this year - any ideas for something I could make that would be ok to package up a week or so before it is given??

Finally I have one more picture to post. I get so happy when someone takes a good picture of me because for years i have been cropping my photos or deleting them completely. This is my favourite one in a long time - I felt fabulous that day and I think it shows!

NSV... a goal achieved!

Tonight I tried on my 'Inspiration Hoodie' and IT FIT!!!! It is a little snug but definitely wearable. The weight has not been coming off as fast lately but all my clothes are fitting looser and I am starting to see some muscle definition from my hours doing weights at the gym. I am so excited - it is so true that the number on the scale is only one reflection of my success.

So while I was in the closet with my hoodie I decided to pull out the one pair of size 22 pants that I kept (for comparison sake). I put them on and of course they fell right off. Sometimes I forget that I was ever that size - the changes are so gradual that I often don't register a difference when I look in the mirror. So I decided to lay my new size 15 (regular not plus!!) jeans on top of my old pants - this is a visual that really showed me just how far I have come.

I know I have a long way to go still - but tonight I am going to celebrate what I have accomplished and then write out a menu for the next few days so I can have a great WI on Wednesday. As soon as I WI my DH and I are headed to Vancouver for 4 days. I have a work meeting one day and then we are going to spend the rest of the time doing some Christmas shopping and hanging out together.

Thanks for sharing my NSVs - hope you had a fantastic weekend!

A day for me..

I missed my WW meeting this week. There are three meetings where I live and this is the first time (except for when I am out of town) that I was not able to make any of them. I did a WI at home on Wednesday and recorded a loss of 1.2 lbs.

My blue mood has been slow to lift so I planned a day of pampering for myself today. My DH my best friend and I went to a spa this morning and I had a lovely day of pampering. This is the website for the fantastic Kingfisher Spa. We started the morning with the Hydropath which is a series of different water features that you move through - some massaging, some mineral imparting, some rejuvenating. It was fantastic! This took about an hour and then we lounged in a beautiful solarium overlooking the ocean and mountains of the Georgia Strait. We then had lunch at the gourmet restaurant on site. I had 'Wild Salmon Firecracker' - it was grilled local salmon with Asian slaw wrapped in phyllo dough. Plus a salad with raspberry vinaigrette.

After lunch my DH left and my friend and I went back to the spa. We had some time in the hot tub, steam room and mineral pool and then were taken to our appointments for Thellassotherapy body wraps. I was very nervous about this.. I have had massages and facials before but a full body scrub and wrap is something I never would have considered 55 pounds ago. For anyone who has never had a treatment like this I will give you the basics. You lay naked on a bed in a dimly lit room with a sheet over you. The esthetician then rubbed my entire body with a sea salt scrub - she very carefully manipulated sheets and towels so that my entire body was eventually worked on without feeling exposed or uncomfortable. She then repeated the process with a cooling gel. I was then wrapped in cellophane and then in blankets. the gel began to heat up and become tingly. She then gave me a mini facial and head massage. I laid there for about 20 minutes and then was unwrapped and showered off. Then lotion was applied to my entire body and the treatment was over.

All of my fears of claustrophobia, and self consciousness about my far from perfect body were completely unnecessary. It was an absolutely pleasant and relaxing experience. We left the spa around 3pm feeling calm and sleepy. My friend (who was visiting from Calgary) and I decided we would go out for a nice dinner to extend our day of spoiling ourselves. We went to my favourite bistro. I had a curry coconut chicken pasta and a Wedding Day Martini (champagne and cherry brandy). Finally we went to a coffee shop and had skinny vanilla lattes and shared a piece of cheesecake.

Today was the first day in months that I did not calculate the points for what I ate. I definitely did not overeat and I enjoyed every mouthful! I am going to count today as using all my weekly flex points and not give it another thought. I am feeling relaxed and content this evening, ready to put a smile on my face tomorrow morning and say goodbye to this blue mood for good!!!

Blue..

I have been feeling a bit blue this week. I think it has to do with all the rain. I knew when I relocated from the prairies to the rainforest that this would be an issue but 7 days without seeing the sun and I began to feel like the grey clouds had taken up permanent residence in my mood. I have been ok with my points - staying within my allowed but maybe not making the best choices (frozen yogurt and a bag of grapes for dinner last night!!??!!) I am struggling with my water though. That is a problem I have not really had before. So to pull myself out of my funk I decided that my cuter new body needed a cuter new haircut (sorry for the bad photo but my camera is still MIA so I used my webcam). It is blonder that usual and I hope that will help brighten up my mood.

Tonight I made a real dinner (grilled chicken, roasted cauliflower and roasted potatoes) and am going to force myself to drink another litre of water before bed. The scale is hovering around the same place as my last WI so I think I will show a loss if I can rehydrate myself over the next few days. My temperamental back is acting up again so I have not been to the gym since Thursday.. I think I will either go and ride the bike tomorrow or maybe hit the pool for a nice low impact workout and a hot tub!

Hope you all had a great weekend!