Amy: Week 40 Ugh

I mean nothing life threatening of course, maybe a tapeworm or something.

That about sums up the last month or so, how are you guys doing?

Amy: Week 27 - Meal Planning Made Easy!

Nothing is more central to weight loss than well-balanced meal planning. For me, meal planning can be my saving grace or my Achille’s heel. If the day falls apart and I can’t make it to exercise, I can at least salvage the day with smart choices that compensate a little. Or if I’m forced to work late, a healthy casserole in the fridge can keep me from the verge of doom and gloom at the McDonald’s drive thru. You can see clearly in my weight loss chart how essential thinking ahead on the food I’ll consume each week translates into success.

But it ain’t easy. We’re busy, whether it’s work or family or just life draining the sands from the hour glass each day, we’ve got a lot to do. Planning seven “jump-start” breakfasts AND seven “moderate, but filling” lunches AND seven “don’t blow it now” dinners AND oh, don't forget healthy snacks (not of the Oreo variety) in between isn’t a snap for me. To say nothing of keeping variety and what your family will actually eat in mind.

That’s why I was so excited to meet my new gal-pals Tricia and Cortney at Blissdom in early February.

Tricia and Cortney @ Blissdom, photo by Jenny at Mommin' It Up

These wonder-women started a blog apparently just for me - Once A Month Mom! They have worked out a system to prepare 15 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 15 dinners, neatly and orderly once a month. That’s right, you cook the lion’s share of your monthly meals on one day (usually takes 4-8 hours), freeze them and viola - no more fluster and frustration wondering what to cook each day.

(For those of you with little, little ones Cortney and Tricia also offer a homemade baby food track - also once a month - it looks so great it almost tempts me to have another baby! Almost!)

But it’s not just a bunch of recipes and a wish of good luck that Tricia and Cortney offer, they’ve laid out the complete grocery lists for everything, recipes and instructions on preparation in the once a month mode, tricks and tips to be successful, plus they’ve done all the math - SCORE! Basically all their hard-earned expertise and time-consuming work is handed to you and all you have to do is read, shop, cook and freeze. Well, and thank them for each yummy bite!

I’m am super excited to try it out. Their system is set up for a two-Mom approach. I’ve recruited my sister in law to join me on the adventure. We’re gonna do our cooking day on Saturday and I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes next week. Wish me luck!!

Amy: Week 23 - Staying S.M.A.R.T.

With the encouragement of Julie, my Jazzercise guru, I’m proud to report that I exercised five days out of seven this past week. I stayed within my points and followed the healthy guidelines every.single.day. And I took off 1.4 pounds! Thrilled - Thrilled - Thrilled

Now that I’m getting back on track, it’s time to start setting short and long term goals. We all need to be mindful of this - in all areas of our lives. What goals have you set for yourself? Did you write them down? Did you put them somewhere you’ll have a daily reminder? Do you reward yourself properly when you hit one of your goals?

I’ve been following these guidelines (thanks Weight Watchers) to help make my goal setting more manageable and effective:

SMART Theory for Setting Goals

S

Specific: What exactly are you going to do? Make it clearly defined and simple.

M

Measurable: How long? How much? What are the milestones you will reach along the way?

A

Attainable: Make it reasonable. Do not expect to lose 50 pounds in 3 months. How about 5 to 8 pounds a month for X amount of months?

R

Rewarding: You have to stop and reward yourself along the way. Small rewards for reaching modest milestones will keep you motivated and keep you positive.

T

Time-limited: Set an end date. That last thing you want to do is keep your resolution open ended, because you will have less focus. At the same time, make sure you give yourself enough time to attain your main goal.

This week’s goals are as follows:

1. Get more walking in - especially on the days I don’t do a Jazzercise class.

2. Plan menus for the week so there is no temptation to cheat when dinner time gets too hectic.

3. TAKE MY MEASUREMENTS (still haven’t done this yet!)

4. Introduce a new WHOLE GRAIN to my diet.

Those are all doable, short-term goals I can manage with my busy schedule. What are your goals for this week? Take a minute to think about it and jot something down. Even of it’s just one simple thing like "take a multi-vitamin everyday" or "drink enough water to stay healthy and hydrated" - a goal is a goal and it all starts with a small step in the right direction.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

We all want to add healthy food to our choices and whole grains are the best way to do it. But what the heck do you do with Bulgur Wheat? Or Quinoa (just between you and me, I’m not even sure how to pronounce it, much less cook it!)?

So to achieve my #4 goal, I picked up the cookbook: Whole Grains for Busy People: Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals and More for Everyone by Lorna Sass. It’s just what the nutritionist ordered for a whole grain virgin like me.

And one lucky Cincy Loser reader will win a copy! Leave a comment here listing at least one short-term goal you’re working on this week - leave as many as you’d like (I’d love to hear about them), but you must leave at lease one to be entered. You can get an extra entry if you tweet the giveaway up - just leave a separate comment with the link to the tweet!

The deadline is 11:59pm on Monday (2/2). I’ll announce the winner in next week’s Tuesday post.

Amy: Week 22 - Feeling the burn, the burn of calories!

I’ve stayed on plan all week. I’ve gotten back to Jazzercise. I’ve gotten my grove back. Filled with determination, inspiration and perspiration! I had a little gain on Sunday (my new weigh-in day). But it was minor and didn’t get to me.

But now for the real news...the winner of the PB2 giveaway. Crack your shells for:

MIZGREENJEANS!

She’ll soon be enjoying the sweet, guilt-free bliss of peanut butter. I’ve gotta tell you, I ordered a few jars of this stuff and after tasting it everyday since it’s arrival, parting with MizGreenJean’s jar is gonna be tough! It’s delicious and so peanutty. If you’re interested in purchasing some for yourself, visit PB2's website here.

This week’s focus at WW’s was recognizing true hunger signals and responding appropriately to them. It seems like an easy concept at first glance. You feel hungry, you eat. But for anyone like me who has spent years overeating all the wrong stuff, A+B does not always equal C. As I told my group Sunday, I believe I spent an entire decade never feeling hungry. How could I? I was eating all the time. I never gave my body a chance to tell me when it actually needed nourishment because I was constantly changing the subject with Ho-Ho’s and Ding Dong’s and pizza and beer.

So we’re getting to know one another, my stomach and I, slowly. All too often I let my hunger get the better of me and go too long between meals. And you can imagine my level of self-control once food is before me in such a scenario. So I’m snacking more and listening closer to the signs my body gives me.

I’ve also gotten a work-out mentor at Jazzercise and that has really helped in making me accountable. I know someone is out there noting when I’m not there and checking in with me. It’s made a world of difference. Julie is nothing but positive energy and she’s gonna help whip this body into a lean, mean dancing machine. Thanks Julie!

Oh and by the way, the friend I mentioned last week who’s just getting started on WW lost over THREE pounds this week. I’m so excited for her and thrilled to share her success with you guys.
Here’s to seeing less of us next week!

Amy: Week 21 - Getting back to business

Grueling...there is no other word to describe my weight/diet/exercise experience over the month of December. Self control - gone. Energy - huh wha? Wisdom - ha! Excuses - far too many to count. And it was so bad that December morphed into January and I didn’t get back to business til I got a little inspiration from a friend who decided to join Weight Watchers last week. So my “new year, new you renewal” was about a week or so late - better late than never I guess.

So I’m back on the horse - and the horse is huffing from the FOUR POUNDS gained over the holidays. Did I eat one of the wise men or something? Ugh. One step forward...nine steps back.

But I’m here, I’m ready and I’m recommitted. I weighed in just a bit ago and I'm down a bit. Nothing to throw a parade over, but down is always better than up.

Here are my goals for the month of January:

Take my measurements
(so I have another way to calculate success when the scale is temperamental)

Lose five pounds by February 1st

Get back to Jazzercise 3-4 times per week

Follow the WW principles like I was before the holidays got me

Weigh in once a week so I keep things in check

To celebrate the new year, I’m trying a new product that was recommended by one of the WW leaders last week. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you PB2 from Bell Plantation.

Peanut Butter is the forbidden fruit to many dieters and certainly this Weight Watcher has a hard time calling it quits with just a tablespoon or two. So how wonderful is this: PB2 is made with premium quality peanuts that are slow-roasted to our specifications and pressed to remove the fat. It’s all natural with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Same consistency as full-fat peanut butter with all of the roasted peanut flavor, but with more than 85% less fat calories. You mix this peanut “butter” powder with water or your favorite jam and voila you have the peanutty taste without the fatty side effects! Per serving it’s 53.2 calories, 1.87 grams of fat and 0.48 grams of fiber or 1 point for a two tablespoon serving in the WW world. I’m excited to give it a try and it should arrive from the UPS guy tomorrow.

And I’m giving a jar away to one lucky reader. Leave a comment here telling one thing you’re doing to start the new year off right. I might just steal the idea from you! Winner will be selected next Tuesday - I’ll announce the peanut lover in my normal post. Good luck!

Amy: Week Seventeen - Trying to Stay Afloat

Okay, things are nuts here in Cincinnati - Christmas, work, extra-curricular activities, you know trivial things like showering and making sure you have clean underwear. The stress is mounting and I don’t see it easing til January.

Over the weekend I burnt my hand pretty badly getting STEAMED VEGGIES out of the microwave. Proving once again that eating healthy is crazy dangerous. And how did I respond to the attack by the steamed veggies? Well with a big ass bag of M&M’s of course. This is just one example of the kind of week it’s been.

Yesterday, the snow came early and I’m one of those overly worrisome drivers, so I skipped my WW meeting and headed home to avoid the traffic/white death. I hope to get there tomorrow and I’ll keep you posted on my results.

One thing I did want to share with you is this new site the gals at Cincy Chic shared with us Cincy Losers. WeightView allows you to upload your “before” picture and they will digitize an “after” picture of what you would look like 10, 20, even 50 pounds lighter. I’m still awaiting my after pic, and I’ll share as soon as it comes of course. But this is an example of what it does:

For me, one of the hardest things about losing weight is the fact that it takes so long to see results. If you're like me, you want immediate evidence of the work you're doing. That's what I like about this website - if gives you a snapshot of the future, the future you can have if you keep working on your goals for a healthier you. That photo will motivate me and remind me of the reasons I'm skipping those hot fudge sundaes!

Amy: Week Fifteen* - Steady as she goes

*Here's a funny: I had to look up how to spell fifteen...funny in a "whose gonna take care of me when I completely lose it" kinda way

Here's hoping you all had a nice Thanksgiving.

You know the weight loss bandwagon? Yeah, well I power-vaulted off of that bad boy early. Wednesday thru Sunday are just a blur. The only upside? I did exercise four times last week and that is saying something. Exactly what it says I have no idea, what with my mouth full of crap the other 23 hours of each of those days.

But that was last week and the wagon has come back around to pick me up. I went to my weigh-in today and I'm down 0.4, thrilling me to pieces, but convincing me that my metabolism is bi-polar.

Remember Gwen from last week's post? I hope you read that piece - and the second part because if you're looking for a guidepost in this weight loss journey - she is it! Now, during my workouts when I start to slack off I chant GWEN GWEN GWEN. The other women in class think I'm a whack-a-doodle with a real thing for some chick named Gwen, but hey, whatever gets me through.

Today, during our meeting, someone achieved Lifetime Member status. Norbert started WW about 2.5 years ago. He is now 286 lbs lighter. 286 lbs?! It's nothing short of astounding. What an inspiration.

I'm now gonna alternate Gwen Norbert Gwen Norbert in my chant-thru-my-workout routine. That'll really shock 'em.

My friends over at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat are doing the "32 Days of Christmas" (weight loss edition). Go check it out - they'll make you laugh enough to burn that second piece of pumpkin pie right off. How you burn pieces three through eleven is your own problem.

Amy: Week Fourteen - Meet Gwen and Be Inspired

My friend Kate recently introduced me to a wonderful woman, Gwen Papineau. At first glance Gwen might look like the average twenty-something: beautiful, hardworking, fun and full of life. But there's so much more to Gwen.

This is Gwen

Gwen has been kind enough to lay out the story of her last fews years and it is nothing short of extraordinary. It made me laugh and cry. I was Gwen then and I look forward to being the Gwen of now someday soon. She'll make you believe in yourself people, and I'm not overselling.

Please pop over to my "regular" home on the internets to read Part One. And then visit dear Kate's blog, read Part Two and thank her for bringing Gwen's story to us!

PS - I weigh in today and I'll update you on my progress tomorrow. Today, just enjoy the beauty of Gwen!

Amy: Week Eleven - Another Quickie

I'm a day late, and a dollar short - please forgive me.

I lost 1.4 lbs and gained a President yesterday. I really was so wrapped up in the election, I completely forgot about posting. But I went to my meeting, lost and I'm feeling good. Really good.

I slacked on the exercise but I'm recommitting tonight at Jazzercise.

Until next week...

Amy: Week Ten - Ick

The scale was surprisingly hateful today - I'm up almost a pound. I'm a little confused and I'm praying this is simply Mother Nature related.

Could my Jazzercising be turning me into a woman of steel so soon? Ha, I don't think so. But it's frustrating because I feel lighter. I know my clothes are looser, so where the hell is this 0.8 hiding? Dirty bastard.

If I posted something now it would be very negative and no one needs that, so I'll sign off for now and try to figure out why the wheels fell off the bus this week.

One good note though. Remember my posts about Lose for Good with Weight Watchers? It looks like over FOUR MILLION POUNDS were lost worldwide during the effort and ONE MILLION DOLLARS will be sent to battle hunger in the US and worldwide.

Til next week...

Amy: Week Nine - Jazz Hands!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the owner of the local Jazzercise studio. There was a new program kicking off and they were enrolling twenty-five fresh faces to take part. The program incorporates Jazzercise classes with nutritional guidance and mentoring and it lasts twelve weeks.

I lucked out and got selected. Thanks Wendy! Fortunately there was no dance audition tape required, so my lack of coordination and basic rhythm did not disqualify me. It may end up injuring one of my classmates, but that is a post for another day.

I went to my first class on Thursday and loved it. The hour workout combines cardio, strength training, toning and stretching, so you get the whole package in one workout. The program requires that I do this workout at least three times a week for the first four weeks.

The class itself was pretty low-key. Everyone was dressed in comfy clothes, no shiny lycra or Flashdance outfits in sight - thank goodness! They were women just like me in all shapes and sizes and incredibly welcoming. My instructor Tina was supportive and thankfully didn’t draw attention to me while I was finding my feet (and then tripping over them from time to time). It’s not like a bootcamp where they call you out and egg you on, it’s a fun and comfortable environment.

Music is the key to this workout. It keeps you moving and it makes the time fly by. I’ll admit at about song three I was gasping for air and wondering if I was crazy, but by song five I found my groove. When I couldn’t get the moves right away, I just marched or slowed things down a bit - the key was I kept moving the whole time.

Once the aerobic part wrapped up, we did a most wonderful stretch routine. It seems silly but it was like having that delicious, relaxing glass of wine after a hard day.

I know it’s early, but I really think I may be on to something with this. I went out of town this weekend and hoped to make it back on Sunday for the last class of the day. Time flies when you’re having such a great time with Shannan, Susan and Jennifer, so I didn’t make it. I realized that I was disappointed to have missed the class - ME disappointed to miss out on a chance to exercise? Huh, what?

It’s reminded me of what the experts have told us for years: you have to enjoy the exercise you’re doing or you won’t do it. So keep that in mind. You may not be into running or aerobics, maybe it’s swimming or tennis? You have to find what works for you to make it stick.

Great news - I'm down 2.8 today for a total loss of 32.4 lbs. 42.6 to go! Til next week...

Amy: Week Seven - And not a salad in site.

photo from stock xchng

I left more than my points counter and ipod at home this weekend. My willpower was nowhere to be found either. I spent four days in Washington, DC - known for it's mouth-watering dishes just as much as it's monuments.

To my credit, I did walk a fair amount. But as much as I walked, I don’t think it will make up for the fact that the words “no thank you” never crossed my lips. Tapas (sure, they are little, but not after you eat twice your share); fish stuffed with Boursin cheese (eliminating all the good fish qualities); tortellini in a pesto cream sauce (yeah, I’m certain that was low fat); breakfast panini stuffed with eggs, smoked bacon and cheese (oh, my). To spare what little dignity I have left, I’ll not even mention the alcohol consumption. I will say that if you run across a Ginger Vodka Cooler, you should prepare to be wowed.

And so it goes.

Therefore, this shall be a week of rebuilding. Much like the Bengals’ entire season or decade depending on who you talk to.

I head to my meeting for weigh-in shortly. You know what’s amazing and wonderful about this blog is that if this past weekend had happened two months ago, Weight Watchers wouldn’t have seen me for weeks. But I know I need to get on that scale, face the ugly truth and get back to work. That is exactly what I’m going to do. Thanks for keeping me honest...be back soon.

Remember when I wrote last week about how you can do everything right and still not lose and yet there are weeks when you know you’ve cheated and you still see results? SHA-ZAM this is one of those weeks. I guess the walking evened out the gluttony and I’ll gladly take it. I’m down 1.2 and I hit 30 pounds! 30.4 to be exact! Maybe it’s a fluke? Maybe my fat cells are using reverse psychology? I don’t know, but I’m down and I have all week to work my butt off to make sure I stay down!

And I meant what I said, I wouldn’t have even gone to the meeting if I wasn’t accountable here, so I really do owe it all to you!

The meeting topic this week was SOUP, which on the surface after a weekend of tortellini and panini and a host of other inis doesn’t sound so exciting. But give it a try. Have some low-fat, low-cal soup on hand as we head into this fall season. With a tasty, crusty bread and a nice glass of wine, it’s the perfect autumn meal.

photo from stock xchng

Another tip to try, if you’re heading out for a night on the town and your favorite restaurant, fill your tummy a bit with a cup of soup. It’ll make saying no to those complimentary rolls or fatty appetizer that much easier because you won’t be so hungry when you sit down to eat. Here's a little trivia for you too: last week when the Dow was plummeting, the only major stock that rose was Campbell's, so there must be something to this soup business, eh?

Here’s a simple, yet filling soup to get you through those times when your stomach growls. This famous Weight Watchers recipe is known to everyone as an easy, zero point alternative when you need more food but don’t want to spend the points or calories. It's quite tasty to boot!

2/3 cup sliced carrots

½ cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
1 ½ cups diced green cabbage
½ cup green beans
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp salt
½ cup diced zucchini

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, heat. Saute the carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about five minutes. Add broth, cabbage, beans, paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, about fifteen minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes four 1-cup servings

Get creative - use any of your favorite veggies - the more the merrier! Or spice it up with your favorite seasonings and fresh herbs. You can easily make this soup your own.

Until next week...

Amy: Week Six - Putting the pieces in place

Weight lose is a big puzzle for most of us. So many elements go into your success or failure. And each person’s puzzle is separate and unique from everyone else’s. I’ve learned the hard way that what works for one of my friends or even my spouse won’t work for me necessarily.

It’s tough. First, you gotta find all the pieces. Define your motivation, map out your strategy, learn the hows and whys of your metabolism. Once you have your corners in place, you move on to those tricky middle pieces. Dealing with cravings, making sure you lose in a healthy way, eating the foods your body needs, adding exercise to your daily routine. Then there are always going to be those one or two weird pieces that never seem to fit. You know like facing stress (without a bag of M&Ms in hand), making it through holiday seasons (without a holiday ham attached to your ass), facing the pitfalls that come your way (without jumping into a bowl of hot fudge). If you work at it long enough, the puzzle comes together and you see results.

But what happens when all the pieces come together and the scale didn’t get the memo? There are going to be weeks where despite our best efforts, we just don’t lose. Any number of factors could be blamed, but the bottom line is that you walk away from that scale feeling dejected, like all your hard work and going without was for nothing.

I’ve been there. I’ve had weeks where every box was checked off, I did exactly what I was supposed to do and still didn’t see results. On the odd flip side, I’ve had weeks where I’ve cheated more than once and found success. Who knows what evil lurks in those fat cells of ours?

You know that Mucinex commercial? The one where the germs are little green creatures that take up residence in your nasal cavities? That’s what I picture when I think of my fat. Green little monsters that pro-create way too much. They’ve set up home in my body for years now and they’re tough to evict. On the weeks where the loss is low or non-existent, I can just see those SOB’s, bags packed, clearly unwanted, but holding on for dear life.

I wish it was easier and faster, no doubt. Who doesn’t? But it isn’t and I’ve faced that fact. It’s probably going to be a year before I’ll see the whole fruits of my weight loss efforts and hit goal. A year of sacrifice and choices not easily made. The comfort comes from two places: the success I’ve already seen and the better health I’m already feeling.

So the puzzle is always a work in progress. Sometimes pieces get bumped around and knocked out of place. When this happens you simply have to pick them up and start placing them again.

This week, I had a couple bad days: hard time saying no to seconds and no to cravings. But I tried with each new day to get back to making it work. I'm up 0.4 lb and I began my period yesterday, so I can't complain.

Til next week - keep making the pieces fit!

Wanna a little help to get going? I'm raffling off two three-month Weight Watchers Memberships at my blog. Stop by and enter now through 11:59 pm tomorrow (10/01).