Weight Watchers

Well I finally broke down, again. I joined Weight Watchers online. It has been about a year and a half since I last joined. I have this problem that I think I can do it by myself. But, as usual I let life get the better of me and start eating to much and not being active enough. Which then causes me to gain weight. What a pain!

So I joined last Wednesday (and I had to enter my starting weight), and I have worked to keep myself at or under my points. Sunday was my first official weigh in. Guess what… I lost  7 pounds. Now obviously this is uncommon but I figure it’s a start. I am hoping to loose about a 1 pound a week which is safe.  This is going to be a long road but it will be worth it. I have just decided to embrace it, now it would be great if I could just get ride of this cold!

Not having to make a special meal for myself but include the whole family in this endeavor has been helping me keep to my plan. Plus I told the kids about the changes so they have been ‘reminding me’ lol. On Friday we had grilled veggies and meat which was delicious! We all loved it! We even had dessert. I made grilled peaches with Cool Whip. It was sweet, filling and only 2 points!

There is a Recipe of the Day and it has been inspiring! It has helped me take normal things I would make and how to tweak them so they aren’t so heavy.

I don’t want to go to a meeting and ‘share’ but I want everything at my finger tips so it is easy for me. That way if I want to check it anytime of day it is there. There is also a community page so there are challenges and information and blogs that help give you information and motivation. But it’s on my terms. So for all of you out there that are like me that don’t want to do the meetings but want better resources you might want to check it out.

For me keeping track of my points can be a pain but WW has a mobile app for my phone. So I can keep track of my points while I am out and about.

Planning is a critical part of keeping myself on the right track. I think about what I am going to have for my meal a head of time. That way I am not as tempted to take shortcuts that cost me points. If I plan everything out ahead of time I know how many points I am going to use and what will be left over. If you are lazy like me sometimes and the thought of cooking is revolting there are also Smart Ones in your grocers freezer that taste pretty good and you just have to microwave them. Plus on the box it tells you how many points it is.  I have also been working on tracking all the food I eat and try not to leave things out.

This is one step in the right direction! Come join me for the fun!

Improve My Lifestyle

I thought I was doing the smart thing by working to get a desk job. Unfortunately my rear does not agree. Have you ever heard of the secretary spread? Well, I’ve got it and it’s not pretty. My doctor has informed me that I live a sedentary lifestyle. What’s that you might say? Well, there are lots of definitions out there but the main one is that I sit too much and I the things I like to do don’t require much movement.

My “sitting disease” has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and premature death. So I am working on being more active. Now I’m not talking about running a marathon or scaling a mountain but goals are always a good thing. I am going to start with baby steps and work to build up my stamina.

Here are a few suggestions I am working on that I wanted to share:

Get NEAT (thermogenesis): Things that I can do in my seat at work. 10 minutes an hour this can include stretching, turning, and bending. The idea behind this activities is to raise your core temp and to burn calories.

Take Breaks: We all have obligations and activities that monopolize our time. However, taking a break every hour or so and getting up and moving around can be helpful.  Walking around or stretching for a few minutes can help re-energize the body.

If she can do it I can!

TV Watchers: I still enjoy watching TV but instead of just sitting on the couch I try to add time to stretch, use my stationary bike, do resistance exercises, and alternate with other activities that keep my body moving.

Parking: When I go to a store I park farther away. Ever little bit counts.

Going Up: It may take longer but, if you are able use the stairs rather than the elevator when you are in your doctors offices and other buildings you are doing errands in.

Communication: When at work many tend to use email, voice-mail, im, and so many other forms of communication that are preferred for our busy lives. Unfortunately we lose face to face human interaction and many of us just sit on our butts. So, the next time you need to talk to a colleague take a minute and go and talk to them. You get up, you move your body, and you get the opportunity to interact with someone else. The moments add up and make a difference.

Date Night: My husband and I like to go out for date night; however, most of the time it is going out to eat and then coming home and watching a movie or crashing. So we are working on mixing it up. Finding things that are less about food and more about just spending time together and still being active. Some things to try…go to a museum, a park, take a hike, go for a bike ride, or go dancing,  find activities in the community. Many times there is food but you’re not just sitting. Remember date night is about spending quality time with your partner and having fun.

Vacation: What do you like to do on vacation? Go camping, relax on a beach somewhere, or go to a spa? Well, for my family we enjoy camping to which can be pretty active. Other things we like to do is visit family, or go to the big city to see the sights. With a family fun and education is a big part of the draw for us. Do research ahead of time and you can find a ton of things to do no matter where you are headed. By the time your vacation is over you may need to go home just to rest! Now that’s the sign of a great vacation!

You can Do it!

Swimming: I have always enjoyed swimming but, I have not had a membership anywhere for a while. The house we just moved into has a pool, so for the first time in my life I don’t have to go anywhere to go swimming. The pool has been a lot of work but I have so enjoyed getting to go in whenever I feel like it. It’s not huge but the kids and I have had  lots of fun. It gets me in the sun for some needed vitamin D and the water provides a fun workout. Just playing with the kids can wear me out, my favorite time is doing laps when it is quite and I can hear the wind blow and the bird chirp. Swimming is a great way to get my body moving and it has a much lower impact on my joints. So for chubby girls like myself swimming is much more doable than running is. If you can handle getting into a swimsuit then you can do amazing things! Swimming is great for increasing your stamina and improving your cardiovascular system. Look at your local gyms, and community centers many of them have water aerobics and other water activities you can get involved in. Try it and let me know what you think!

New Habits: No matter where I am I am working on making new habits. This may include getting up early to exercise before I go to work. Even doing household chores is not a bad way to start just to get you moving. Taking breaks at work is focused on moving around and not just grabbing something to eat and drink. Being more active is helping me to set a better example for my kids. When I get home we go for a bike ride. Well, they go for a bike ride and I keep up by going walking. It it another way I am getting out of the house and making strides. Increasing your movement and watching what you eat can make a big impact on your life.

I’m not looking to get skinny I just want to be comfortable in my own body and be healthy!

Plus God willing I am baby bound.

My Famous Potato Salad

As summer gets near we are always in need of easy food. So here is my recipe passed down through my family for potato salad. It is a great way to get my kids to eat something cold (the I don’t have to cook) and includes lots of veggies.

Now I will have to admit I don’t tend to do much in the way recipes, if you like something add as much as you like. If you don’t like something reduce the amount or omit it all together.

My potato salad Yum Yum!

Ingredients

8 – 10 Potatoes (any of your favorite kinds will do)

12 Eggs (hard-boiled and peeled)

3 – 5 Radishes

2 – 4 Celery stocks

3 Carrots (thinly chopped)

5 Pickles (keep your pickle juice)

1/2 cup Mustard

1 cup Mayo +

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tbsp Ground Mustard +

1 tbsp Paprika (Hungarian is the best but any will do)

Prepare:

Peel and boil the potatoes. When they are soft and you can easily stick a fork through them they are done. Then drain the potatoes. Chop the potatoes and put into a large bowl. Chop in bite size pieces and add the following items to the bowl eggs, pickles, carrots, celery, and radishes. Once all items have been added stir until well incorporated.

Next add mayo, mustard, pickle juice (start with 1 tbsp) salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix all ingredients again.

Now here is the most important thing…taste it! Depending on what you prefer add more of any of the ingredients and spices you want more of.  Enjoy!

You can eat it right away but it also tastes even better refrigerated (6 hours or overnight for best results). The salad will last  for 3-4 days refrigerated, stir before serving.

My summer gift to you!

Infertility…Are you affected?

Do you want to grow your family?

Do you want a baby so bad it hurts? I have wanted children for many years now. When I was young they told me I had endometriosis, then in my late teens and throughout my twenties I had three ovarian cysts that burst.  So over the years I have done research and what I gathered from doctors and journals and articles is that these problems can make me infertile.

In 2006 I was given a miracle. I met and married my husband who came with three children. So even though I didn’t bear them I have had the opportunity to be a mother. Over the last six years I have learned many things.  Now our youngest is 6 and is just finishing up kindergarten. Some days I swear she is 6 going on 16 but we deal with things as they come.

Recently I had to get a new OBGYN since mine had retired. My first visit was rather scary, I had found a lump in my breast. But after tests, and a biopsy they found that it was a fibroadenoma and not cancer. Now while I saw my new doctor I stated that I had previously been told that I could not get pregnant. She looked and me and said “…I don’t know about that, let’s talk, I deal with infertility regularly. So as the stress has subsided I have began thinking, it is possible that I could get pregnant? Is there hope? I had long been resigned to the fact that I would have no children of my own. Now don’t get me wrong I love the children that I have, and wouldn’t trade them for the world. But, I would like to add to our family.

So now I have become a little crazed at the idea of getting pregnant. So I went and talked to my regular doctor and made sure that there wasn’t anything I was taking that would hurt the baby.

Now the moment of truth came Monday I saw my OBGYN again. This time to specifically talk about getting pregnant! I’m so nervous I can’t even breath, oh that’s helpful! So she came in and we talked about my history and my husbands history. So now that the meeting is over I have lots of homework and I have to see her again in a couple months. So this is a first for me, but now each morning before I get out of bed I have to take my temperature, and then log it. Plus I have to go get one of those ovulation kits to see when I am ovulating. Did you know that there is like a two day window a month you can even get pregnant? Plus I have to send my husband in so he can have a semen analysis done. Oh, he is thrilled lol.

The hardest thing for me to hear was that because of my size I would be considered a  high risk pregnancy. So her first recommendation to me is to loose about 100 pounds. At that point I will just be obese not morbidly obese. Wow, I put on a brave face and said “OK, I can do that”. Then I walked out of the office in a bit of a daze. I was supposed to talk to my husband after the appointment but I couldn’t. I had to think through this first. My first thought was oh great I have failed again.  But as I took a moment and prayed I began to get alittle perspective. I am 34, I am able to move around and work and I can do this! Of course what do emotional eaters do when they are stressed and depressed and feel all alone. They eat! So I ate! Not my finest moment!

Last night as I waited for my husband to get home I made dinner. I made chicken divan, one of my favorite dishes. Lol, not the lowest calorie meal I could come up with. More like comfort food in a bowl.

At last my husband came home exhausted, hungry and not real talkative. So after a kiss and how was your day…I began to talk about my meeting with the doctor. My recap to him was ” I have lots of homework but I have to loose weight, right now I am a really high risk”. Now my husband who loves me no matter the size I am pauses and says “yeah, it probably is safer for you and the baby is you lost some weight”. I think at that moment I cringed a little inside. I knew he was right and I have been battling that all day, but if I want to do this I am going to have to push myself. So this is a test…how badly do I want a baby? Now the best thing about my conversation with my husband last night is that he agreed to loose weight with me. You are so much better with a support system than by yourself.

Now last night I felt sorry for myself and I ate to much and I pouted. But this morning it has been a different story. I woke up early, I stretched, I did twists and light movements this morning. Even though it was only for 20 minutes it is a start. This evening when I get home I will also get my buns on my stationary bike and ride. My plan is to exercise each day. It will take me awhile but I will reach my goal. My family has always said I can accomplish anything because I am so pig headed lol.

My second struggle is my eating habits. I love food and I have the ability to consume alot. So I am working at documenting my food and exercise at a site I enjoy. If you want to join and be my partner in loosing weight look me up username “asan4rd”. I figure we can all use the company and encouragement.

Now I know there are many who suffer from infertility but there is hope. If you have been like me and just let nature takes it course it may be time to find out more. Check with your OBGYN and ask what you can do to try and get pregnant. If your doctor feels that you are healthy enough for pregnancy you may want to find out more. It is important that we take care of ourselves first. Get on a prenatal vitamin, exercise regularly and above all else don’t forget to practice!

As I continue on my journey I will happily share my ups, downs, failures and struggles!

For All Us “Fat” Girls

Get’s your attention doesn’t it! I have lived with body image issues most of my life. I am a big girl! There is no other way to put it.

I struggle with eating too much and not the right things. I also work at a job where I sit on my butt and don’t move enough. Plus when I get home I am mentally exhausted so the thought of doing something else makes me want to cry, then eat and after all that work go take a nap!

In the midst of all those things I have found a husband who loves me for me and not my size! But the thing I still struggle with on a daily basis is loving myself even though I am fat!

My husband sent me an article today “Ten Rules for Fat Girls“! First off I kind of wanted to punch him! But then I went to the link and started to read. I could relate to what she said and I began to actually read some more. Since I want you to look at the link and not just my blog I will only recap the list:

1. You are not obligated to be thin, healthy, or pretty.

2. Don’t talk s@*t about your body.

3. Don’t talk s@*t about other people’s bodies.

4. Wear clothes that fit.

5. Demand better treatment from healthcare professionals.

6. Find a way to move.

7. Stand up for yourself.

8. Deal with your fat.

9. There are worse things in the world than being fat.

10. Don’t expect to feel awesome about yourself every single day forever.

This blog has opened my eyes and made me see. It also made me giggle and say “Hell Ya”!

I will still continue to work on myself and part of that includes moving and eating better. The biggest aspect that will impact me is the mental aspect that I am an amazing person. That’s it! No but, even, what if’s, or should’s.

I strongly believe that most people are unhappy with their bodies in some way. Well, it is time to stop judging ourselves and others and start by liking ourselves first!

So to all my Fat Girls out there “Let’s Rock It”!