Halloweeeeeen!

I would have to say that one of my favorite parts of having kids is that it gives me an excuse to do kid things. Going to pumpkin patches, watching Disney movies, watching cartoons, eating candy, and trick-or treating are just a few of my favorite avtivities.

This year Halloween is on a Monday, which kind of bites. Normally I would take the next day off but my sick kids have used up all my vacation days so we will just have to have fun and be tired the next day without worry. Briana is going to dress up as a Vampire Princess, and Hudson is going to be Pooh Bear! They will look somewhat like the pictures below, but way cuter. I will post actual pictures after the holiday. Happy Halloween!

WW Wednesdays

For the first time, since I first weighed in, I actually gained weight. It was kind of a gradual process. I did so well the first week, I thought..."well, this is cake!" But I was wrong. Slowly I would let bad habits creep in. One week I would eat too much of my portion sizes, the next I would choose more and more food that didn't support my goals, and the next I would eat things that I didn't count on my points plan. Finally, with all of these bad habits eventually coming together, it caught up to me.

But it's okay. I'm not mad at myself. I know that I'm in control, and I can control what happens the next time I weigh in. I have a goal to reach and it's up to me to get there. It's not the scales fault. It's not the food's fault. It's all on me. So far I have lost 6.6 lbs (from the time I started WW).

Goal for next week: 3.4 lbs.

If I reach this goal it will make up for lost time, allow me to achieve my 10lb sticker, and my 5% sticker. Plus it will be my greatest weight loss in one week so far.

How I'm going to achieve this: I'm not going to use any extra weekly points, I'm going to count every single thing I put into my mouth, and exercise everyday. I realize this is going to be a difficult week, but I will tell myself that it's only ONE week. It will be like my little test. It will be the extra credit I need to make up for lost points. Wish me luck.

When You Know Better, You Do Better

Just a quick update on my weekly weight loss: I lost another lb! Every week I think to myself that I’m not really losing the weight, I just happen to be lighter in the first half of the day when I haven’t eaten dinner (we weigh in at 11am). But even if that’s true, I keep getting a little bit lighter each time I weigh in. So if this is happening consistently every week, I must really be losing it (weight, not my mind).

Since we’re on the subject now, of losing one’s mind, I can tell you that in an effort to better my mental process I have been watching some of Oprah’s Life Class. The last time I watched the main theme was, “When you know better, you do better.”  She explained that this means we can not hold our selves hostage for the mistakes we have made in the past. Even if it’s the most terrible mistake of your life, it’s over now. Now you know better, so you can do better. What’s important is that you learn from it and apply that knowledge to the rest of your life. And it’s just another reason why we should not judge any other person for their past. We should only be judged for the person we are now, for the person we are trying to become.

I don't know about you, but I'm still trying to find my way.

WW Wednesdays

It's Wednesday, and once again I stood on the scale. I try to tell myself before the weigh-in that it's not a big deal if I don't lose anything. That just means I need to try harder the next week, and not make all the mistakes I made last week. But it's always a little nerve-racking anyway. Today I stepped on the scale and learned that I had lost another 1.5 lbs! I can't help but to be excited. I got my 5lb sticker today and since I’ve been walking with my great friend Aryn, I've lost over 10lbs.

Again, it's not the number that is important, but until I reach a range that is healthy for my body type, it is a valid reminder of my hard work, and a result of my new lifestyle. It shows me every week that if I do the work it will pay off. I am now in a range that I haven't seen since before Hudson, and my mind still doesn't quite get it. I can't believe I'm actually doing it this time. It only makes me want to push further.

My Ego Self...My True Self

Today I was excited to watch Oprah's Life Class. I know the whole Oprah thing is a little over-rated but you have to agree that there isn't much on television these days that empowers us to discover and identify with our true selves.

Today's show was about ego. When you think about ego, you might think of someone who is haughty, arrogant, or snotty. But ego isn't all about "acting out". Ego is every thought  you have about yourself. I'm fat. I'm ugly. I'm rich. I'm poor. I'm amazing. I'm stupid. You get the idea. Ego is also how you identify with the things around you. It's how you identify with your salary, your status in the company you work for, your educational background, your friends, your spouse, etc. Ego is when you think that you, as a person, are better or worse because of these THINGS. For example, I often have the thought that I'm not good enough because I'm over weight. Or, on the other end, I sometimes have the thought that I'm better than others around me because I have a four year degree, and they don't.

That is ego.

I remember they mentioned that people often get defensive when their opinions are challenged. This is another example of ego. "You're challenging MY beliefs? MY values?" We feel as if we are being attacked. The lesson was about being aware of these thoughts, recognizing that they are coming from your "ego" self, and being able to separate your true self from it. I think we have to step back at times and remember, "Whoa, that's my ego talking." We can't control all of our thoughts but we have the ability to recognize and learn from them. I think we are never done trying to figure out who we are, and if you learn to recognize that ego voice, you are getting closer and closer to your true self.

No "thing" defines who we are. When you are working towards a goal, ask yourself, why am I doing this? Does the answer come from your ego self, or true self?

The Easiest Recipe in the World!

If you're like me, you like to cook but you don't have a lot of time. You need to make something fast, and it needs to be easy. In my WW journal, I discovered the easiest dessert recipe ever! And Hudson helped me make it. All you need is 1 can of your favorite pie filling, and 1 regular box of angel food cake. I bought light cherry filling but use whatever you like best. That's right, only two ingredients! Here's what you do...

Get your ingredients ready.

Mix the cake mix and pie filling together.

Let a little man try the batter.

Bake in the oven for 25-30mins at 350 while the little man plays with your pans.

Cool, and cut into squares.

VOILÀ!

I promise. It tastes so yummy. Another plus...it's not all that bad for you either. Go ahead...bake it!

Weight Watchers Wednesdays

It’s been a long hard week, and I always look forward to Wednesdays to bring me back to earth. I weighed in today, and did okay but not as well as I had hoped. I lost 1.8 lbs, which gives me a total loss of 4 lbs since I’ve joined WW. It’s great that I lost and it’s great that I stayed inside of my point limit, but I know that my activity level and food choices affected the total. I didn’t walk as much this week, I didn’t eat as many fruits and vegetables, I didn’t drink as much water, or plan my meals. It was a very willy-nilly kind of week. I guess I just thought if I stayed inside my points, a magical fairy would wave her wand and POOF!-I’d be three pounds lighter.

So here are my goals for this week:
1.) More Fruits veggies -I think these make great in-between meal snacks.
2.) More Water-I don’t know why I have such a problem drinking liquids all day
3.) More Walks – Jake loves to walk and I should start taking him about 3 times a week. He can be my walking buddy!
4.) Take a multivitamin – I would really love if these weren’t the size of horse pills.
5.) Planning my meals – I have a little time to myself at night when the kids go to bed. I think this is the perfect time to plan. It doesn’t take long and it makes the next day less stressful.

My goal is always to lose two pounds a week, and technically, since it’s been two weeks and I’ve lost four pounds, I’m still on track. I really want to get my five pound sticker next week! But what I really want is for all these healthy choices to become a normal part of my life.