I Am A Loser! But Not The Biggest Loser

As of January 1 the Biggest Loser competition I entered has finally finished…and while I wasn’t the Biggest Loser and didn’t win any months or overall….I still am a big winner!

This was a four-month competition between a bunch of fabulously motivating and inspirational women I met online!!  Everybody seemed to know each other and the majority lived in the Utah and Colorado area, except me!  I was the lone east coast representative…way on the other side of the country.

On September 1 we weighed in, with a picture of the scale, (a very scary moment for me!  I never share my weight) and kicked off the contest.  Being on Weight Watchers, and having done pretty well so far at the time, I thought I had a chance here.

On the first of every month we checked in with  another scale picture…and at the first check-in I was totally blown away!  The 1st place winner had lost over 20 pounds in one month!  I had lost a measly 3 pounds.

And so it went!  These ladies worked hard…exercising, watching what they ate, blogging, and exercising some more.  They sure put me to shame!!!

But they were so motivating…they made me even want to go running! (I didn’t actually DO it though).

In the overall scheme of things I actually placed quite well.  23 ladies finished the competition yesterday and out of those I placed 6th.  No money…but a very respectable finish.

Over the four-month period I lost a total  of 14 pounds.  I really thought I would hit at least 20….but 14 is great…especially when that last month falls during the biggest eating season of the year!

I managed to lose 4 pounds between Christmas and New Year’s!  Not too shabby!

Yes, my weight loss has slowed dramatically and I have some resolutions and goals to attend to for the new year.

There is another competition coming up as well…I  would like to join but I also know that I will never be a 20 pound in one month loser…I take it slow and steady, and because of that I am not sure it is worth the $$ for me.  (I still have three whole days to think about it though!)

But I did want to thank Melissa and Karilynn for putting the effort and work into this (even on New Year’s Day you were working!).

I had a lot of fun and it was a pleasure “meeting” all of you.

November Biggest Loser News!

Well, the November results are in for our Biggest Loser competition and I am excited to congratulate everybody for their participation….it is work to do this!

And especially congratulate the top three…Angela, Karilynn, and Robin!!

You guys did great!!!  Keep up the losing work!

I am happily shocked to see that with my 6-pound weight loss for the month, I came in fifth this weight-in!  WOW!  I am losing weight very slowly….much slower than most of the other competitors so I never expected to be this close to the top!

Me thinks the most challenging round of competition is yet to come though…we all have to make it through the dreaded Holiday Season!

Only two more months of comp to go!  This has been tons of fun!

Ahhh…The Weekend

Normal weekends are very challenging for me to stay on program.  Today should be a little easier as I am alone most of the day.  FabHubs is working, FabTeen is off at an Eagle project (I am going too in a bit), FabPreteen is at her dad’s, and  FabStepson is at his mom’s!

When I am not going anywhere and only feeding myself, food is easy.

So this morning starts off with one Eggo Blueberry waffle (something I normally would never buy but I caved into Ms. FabPreteen’s pressure) with 1/2 TBS of almond butter.  Also an espresso.  Today I decided to try the Agave syrup instead of sugar in it.   Not as sweet as usual, but not bad.

Sometime between now and leaving I want some form of Amazing Grass drink, either in Green Monster or just plain.

Finally my “Before Pictures” have been sent off to the BL 2009.  Eventually I will post a progress series here on the blog…but I need to make some visible progress first!

Then I am off to the Eagle project, a spiritual workshop, and  home for more things of my To-Do list.

Great WI Today!

Today was WW weigh-in day and I did a whole lot better than I did for BL weigh-in day last Thursday.  I had been sort of hovering up and down for a few weeks, unable to get down past a certain point, ready to cross a zero but  never making it.

As of last Thursday though, I have been trying to lean more towards a plant-based diet with less meat products.  (more on that later) I did have chicken on Friday night, and I did eat a hot dog at the pumpkin unloading Saturday (and felt ridiculously guilty after that!)  but otherwise since Thursday a.m. that is the only meat I have eaten.

Well TA-DA! That seems to have been the boost my needed to get over the hump it was struggling with! This morning’s weigh-in was a surprise!

Down 3 pounds from last Monday….and last Thursday.  Across a zero (YAY!) but down one point in my Weight Watchers food points as well (BOO!) 

And I am feeling great to boot!

Twas The Night Before Weigh-In

Yessiree!  Tomorrow is a BIG DAY in Loserville…our first weigh-in!.

I personally have had a pretty crappy last two weeks and when I checked this morning (tsk tsk..I KNOW!)  I am up from Monday, which was up from last Monday.  Not good!

But I am really excited to see how great my fellow Losers are doing and looking forward to seeing the results.

Yesterday was overall a pretty good day point-wise, until we got to the potluck scout Court of Honor.   I had a plan…but you know what happens when you plan don’t you!

My good intentions were to take a piece of chicken (they always have chicken) and then load up my plate with a ginormous pile of salad.  They always have a great selection of salad.  Well guess what….NO SALAD AT ALL…and a paltry selection of veggies at that!

So I took a piece of chicken (ummm….a fried thigh) and a small taste of Shepherd’s pie.  And I took a nice helping of fruit, green beans (with nuts), and some carrot soufflé that I thought was sweet potato, but was still really good.  Although I am sure it was not as healthy as regular old carrots.  And that was going to be it.   I wasn’t going to have dessert.  No, not me!  But of course I caved…BIG TIME!  My daughter brought me back a dessert plate and I ate it all.  I had a brownie (a little one), and a cookie, and (gulp) a piece of carrot cake.  So much for good intentions.

Now today was a different story.  Today I ate really really well…and still came in with half a point leftover.  That was even after half of a Take Five bar I decided to taste since I had all  those extra points.

Today I decided to try and  forgo most meat and really load up on some nutrient  dense foods, especially veggies.   I kicked off the day by lugging out the juicer and making a glass of fresh juice before breakfast  while I was still getting kids ready to go (carrot/granny smith apple/a slice of beet/a slice of ginger).  That was so incredibly refreshing and energizing.  A great way to start the day…and I halved the amount from yesterday so I could enjoy it and not compromise my points.

When I came back from the school run I had a cup of Kashi  U with currents and walnuts (YUM!) with some almond milk.  About an hour later I had an Amazing Grass Green Monster.  I hadn’t had one with spinach for a while and I have been craving this.

Lunch was meatless and fabulous.   (It was pretty too but I was in a hurry and forgot to take a pic!) I put a bunch of spinach leaves in a bowl, cut up some red pepper, threw in some  grape tomatoes, 1 ounce of crumbled feta cheese, 1 tablespoon of walnuts, 1/2 cup of chickpeas, and 1 ounce of hot pasta.   I tossed this with a simple dressing of balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil.  This was so filling and so good and other than the fact it was a few more points than I had bargained for…it was really healthy so I felt good after eating it.

And then I decided for dinner to try to go meatless totally and cut up a half of an eggplant, sautéed that with some red pepper and Adobo seasoning, and my three corn tortillas that I love so much.  I made chicken Caesar salad wraps for  the rest of the family…and then I caved and stole 1 ounce of chicken tenderloin to add to my eggplant mix. 

After that I still had 3 points left and debated some almond butter…but went with the half of the Take Five.  It was just okay…I am glad I used the points on that so I know I don’t want one anymore.  There are plenty of other things I would much rather have.

So that is my day, part of yesterday, and look ahead to tomorrow.  Still failing in the photo journal  department.  I do have pictures of the juice but I will add those maybe tomorrow as it is almost midnight now and I am tired…and the computer is running kind of slow.  One day I hope to manage that much better.

Struggling

As usual, I am fine when I am eating at home, but eating outside of the house is a real struggle for me.

And this week  has been a whirlwind of a week.  Starting with last Saturday, we had a Rosh Hashanah dinner out, which also served as a birthday dinner for my dad and husband (each with their own cake of course!).

Wednesday night came another birthday dinner out for Husband.

Friday night we were out at a field trip with the school and ate at Golden Corral.  Yes…I am still a sucker for their fried chicken and I had one piece, a thigh, with skin.

Saturday out at a Girl Scout event all day….only hot dogs and  chips available…and I ate one of each (not one chip…one bag though!).

Saturday night, on to the Boy Scouts with a local campout for our troop that lasted through Sunday.  I ate the chili and rice that was dinner.   And a taste of the two Dutch Oven cakes that were dessert.

Sunday morning  breakfast I loaded up my omelet with veggies.   But still.

Sunday night, dinner at our daughter’s house….with homemade pasta Alfredo and garlic bread and homemade cookies.  With no lunch I was hungry but I still took about a cup and a half of  pasta with some sauce on it.  And while everyone else had two and three slices of garlic bread I limited myself to one, but I still had one and felt  guilty for that.  And depressed that I feel guilty for wanting to have a piece of garlic bread along with every one else.   And the cookies were large…so I cut one into fourths and a quarter of a cookie. 

I never take seconds…and I take reasonable helpings.  But still…after all of that, the scale is still UP a pound from last week.  It  takes me two to three weeks to knock one pound off…and one week to easily put it right back on!

And today…not because of the weight, I don’t know what though…I am emotionally down and frustrated.  I have to go to the grocery store for the week today, and even meal planning is proving to be challenging for me at the moment.  I don’t know what to do for dinner…I am tired of the same old stuff..and I don’t want anything too complicated.  But I am feeling overwhelmed by choosing right now.

And finally, we are coming up on a month for the BL  weigh in and I really thought I would have more than 3 lbs off in a month…which is where I stand as of this morning!

I really need to get back on my wagon. 

Keep On Keepin’ On

 

Weight Thoughts

Today is a really weird, up and down kind of day. 

I have some frustrations that it seems the weight is not coming off,  and I have bounced back and forth between FEELING fat and then oddly enough, feeling like my tummy is a little down.  I don’t know!!!  AARRGGH!

I am avoiding stepping in the scale until Monday since I weighed in for WW this past Monday and then again for BL2009 yesterday.

I do know I have been working hard…this is Week 7 of Weight Watchers and for the life of me I can’t figure out why, with staying on program for all of these weeks now and even adding walking to the routine, I was UP this week or why my clothes don’t seem to feel any looser, or why it is going so sloooowwww!

What I Am Eating

As far as my meals today, I have gone a little “pointier” than usual.  I like to keep my breakfasts during the week around 3, no more than 4 points.  But today I opted for a bowl of cereal which included one cup of Kashi GoLean Crunch, one cup of mixed berries, one cup of Almond Milk, and one espresso for a total of 5.5 points.

I didn’t have the Green Monster for breakfast today and I noticed by 11:00 I was fighting a nap.  I had a ton of work to finish, today is run around and pick up kids day…and all I wanted to do was go to sleep! 

So for snack I made myself a GM, along with 3 fresh figs that were just calling my name.   This came to a total of 4 more points and I haven’t even had lunch yet.  I know I can’t make it to dinner without eating something either so I will need to have a low-point lunch along the way now, or dip into my weekly allowance points later on. 

But now I already feel less tired and have more energy…so this concoction seems to be working well.  I  have committed myself to having one a day for 30 days to see if I have noticeable benefits…and so far so good.

BL Blogs

Finally, over the next couple of days I would like to spend some time going around to the BL2009 blogs and getting to know some of the other BL ladies.  So far I am thrilled that I have figured out how to add them to my blog list…heck….I even figured out how to make a blog list!  But all of that takes time and somewhere in there I am expected to actually get some JOB work done!  Imagine. 

YUM and EWWW

So as not to gross you out and lest you think I don’t eat real food (how do you think I got into this situation to begin with!) I will first show this absolutely delicious, definitely repeat recipe I made for dinner last night.

Aside from having to buy a few ingredients I have never bought before (a tube of anchovy paste and a bottle of clam juice…which I hid from Hubby as he would never have eaten it had he seen those!) it was incredibly easy to make and was such a treat.

Plus big bonus points for being low in points! I love those!!!

This is Drunken Shrimp from Gina’s Weight Watcher recipes. If you haven’t been there, this is a goldmine of delicious recipes that everyone in the family can eat too. Just because I am on Weight Watchers doesn’t mean I am going to cook to separate meals…everyone else can eat healthy too. But I do like to find yummy recipes they will enjoy.

This was perfect with a piece of Hubby’s homemade “Just Like Macaroni Grill But Better” bread to sop up that garlicky wine sauce. Definitely a keeper.

BREAKFAST

Now on to this morning. First was a cup of espresso with a tsp of sugar. Next was getting the kids off to school. Once that was done I was home and ravenous so I grabbed a few fresh figs.

I couldn’t decide between a bowl of cereal with the blueberries I bought on Sunday or the Green Monster…but since I am loving the energy I am getting from these Amazing Grass products I decided I really really wanted a shake. This time I did take pix…but they really do look gross. Believe me....it tastes much much better than it looks!

I used 1 TBS of flaxseed meal, one packet of Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion, half of a frozen banana (not in photo, already in blender), 1 cup of Almond Milk (I like the sweetened, only 1 point), and a few big handfuls of baby spinach.

Yea…that looks just gross.

But it is amazing how filling it is and how well it keeps me going. I am on Day 2 of not feeling sluggish and draggy and having to fight going back to bed. That makes it completely worth it!

Finished blend…..

And I am sipping now as I blog. Today’s is a little “spinachy” but not overpowering.

Biggest Loser 2009, Day One

I have signed up, sent in my $$, sent in my scale picture and today is Day One for the BL challenge.

Since I have been following Weight Watchers now since July 20 I don’t feel like it is a Day One sort of thing…like I did my first day on WW. But I am excited for extra motivation to push to lose some weight. This has really been going slow for me….especially with the two 1-pound “up” weigh-ins.

Now the scale picture…that was hard. Not even Hubby knows how much I weigh! I have never shared that with anybody…except the doctor…and then only ‘cuz I have to! Besides…he still has to read the chart to know.

Funny thing about that scale…when I am sneaking onto it for my weekly weigh-ins, that digital number seems to take forever to disappear once I get off…and I am always sure Hubby is going to walk in and see. But today..when I was trying to get my scale picture…with the pen and without my feet….that number would disappear as soon as I hit the camera button. I tried repeatedly…until I finally gave in and took while still standing on it….feet and all!

Sorry…that picture will NOT be posted here!

Finally, I am loving this Windows LiveWriter except for including pix on the blog…that has been a real ordeal. I am trying to figuring out the uploading….Help! Is there an easier way???? Anyone?????!

Biggest Loser 2009…I am IN!

I stumbled on an online weight loss challenge today that looks like lots of fun and motivation.

This four-month challenge starts TOMORROW and I have all sorts of things to figure out….like how to comment on other blogs…and taking pictures of my scale (UGGH!) and sending it over.

I have been all alone in my efforts so far…..I am nervous about going public but excited too!

Looking forward to gaining some new friends while losing some pounds.