Catching up for a hot minute....

Glad to FINALLY be living in NY, although it did derail my Weight Watch-ing for a little while. I gained 2.4 2 weeks ago, and I am struggling to get back on a regular eating/exercise schedule. There are a LOT of temptations here food wise...and I treat myself to trigger foods within reason. I'm DYING to get a bagel this weekend, and top it with some (homemade) egg whites and American cheese (cooked in 1 tsp evoo, of course!) I lost 1.6 last week, so I am making up for the gain, but I am in the red this week.

However, despite PMS week, the in-the-red-ness has been under control (fairly). I am 28 points in the red as of today, and plan to WI Friday morning. I would love to squeak out a .8 loss, so I am going to (try) to get in like 6-9 more APs before then, which will put me at about 19-22 points in the red. NOT horrible. The only day I did NOT make my GHGs was Friday - and I only missed my personal goal (16-19 a day) by 1 that day.

I'm experimenting with the program a little - trying to see if things seem more manageable for me by taking 7 points from my WPA @ the beginning of the week, and applying 1 to each day. Then, instead of having 27 points, I have 28...and 28 WPA for the week. It seems to help with meal planning. That one extra point makes a difference. If I am successful, eventually as my POINTS get lower, I may go to 2 a day, or 2 every other day. We'll have to wait and see. Of course, this is not a WW endorsed thing, it's just me!

Going to head back to posting daily menus. I think this blog was REALLY keeping me focused, and it's important for my WLJ to maintain it. Going to add activity component to each day, as well - plus I need to spend some POSITIVE time on the 'net. LoL

End of Tues/Wednesday's Menu

I finished off Tuesday with a "faux" quesadilla & a side of cucumbers in vinegar. I ended up doing my WI this morning, to get it out of the way while I am packing & moving.

I ended up being down 1.2 today, to make my 5%! I also got my 2nd 5 star. VERY excited. Starting next week, my WI is going to be Thursday (I think).

I am continuing my "try to eat without shopping before I move" project. It's going pretty well. Being VERY inventive, to say the least. Today's menu:

AM: (5pts)
Coffee w 2 tsp splenda +
1/2 c skim milk
2 90-calorie special K bars

AM snack: (5 pts)
Smoothie:
3/4 c almond milk
1/2 c water
1 1/2 c frozen sliced strawberries
1/2 scoop protein powder
1 tsp evoo

Lunch: (5 pts)
Lean Cuisine Chicken Enchilada Suiza w
2 tbs salsa
1 tsp lite sour cream
1 WW Lemon Cake

PM Snack: (6pts)
2 WW Ice Cream Candy Bars (I know, I know...)

Dinner: (6 pts)
Mixed:
Lipton Pasta Sides, Cheddar & broccoli
1 can tuna in water
1/2 c frozen peas
1 c frozen spinach
cooked, ate half with 2 tsp hot sauce

^ that was actually REALLY good, and a big serving. However, I will be HEAVILY bloated tomorrow from all of the sodium. Oh well!!

Tuesday, revamped.

DID make that smoothie last night! I was hungry. I peeked today and it looks like I should be lined up for a loss on Friday. I hate a change in my WI schedule, but I will DEFINITELY be changing it when I head back to NY. Hopefully, I can get over my mental hurdle of night WI and can WI with my BFF @ her home meeting, but we'll see! I may keep my WI in the morning and just go to the meeting w her at night (sorry Kat - we'll find out! LoL).

Tue AM: (8 pts)
coffee w 2 splenda
1/4 c FF H & H
Omelette:
1/4 c onions
1/2 c frozen spinach cooked in
1 tsp canola oil
3 egg whites
100 cal pack of cheese

AM Snack: (2 pts)
90 cal special K bar

Lunch: (12 pts)
2 slices leftover Papa John's Thin Crust Garden Fresh Pizza
2 WW mini cakes
1 c uncooked carrots

PM Snack(not planned): (6 pts. EEEK!)
1/2 c Whole Grain Mac & Cheese
1 WW Ice Cream Candy bar

**Dinner is still up in the air. Not *Quite* sure what I want. May just end up being a GINORMOUS smoothie. Dipping more into APs and hopefully will get in a run tonight!**

Lesson Learned: WL Drugs Don't Work

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Tuesday's Plan

AM: (7 pts)
Coffee w Splenda +
1/4 c FF Half & Half
1/2 c frozen spinach + 1/4 c onion, cooked in
1 tsp evoo w
3 egg whites
100 calorie pack of Cheddar/Jack, melted
1 kashi cookie

AM Snack: (2 pts)
90 calorie sp K bar

Midday: (5 pts)
Potato Nachos (recipe for 4 servings in previous entry)
small potato
1 chicken meatball, divided over potato slices
1/4 c RF cheddar cheese
2 tbs salsa
1/4 c beans, divided over potato slices

.....Leaving it here. May be meeting a friend for lunch, and if so, will be having potato nachos for dinner, and most likely a Chick-Fil-A Salad & Diet Coke for lunch. Will be back tomorrow to make any changes!

Sunday's Menu REALLY looked like + Monday's Menu (UGH!)

As I mentioned earlier, I've been struggling with what I (think) is blood sugar issues, so my Sunday got MESSED up.

AM: (7pts)
Coffee w 2 splenda + 1/4 c FF Half & Half
1 arnold's sandwich thin, toasted, with:
1/4 c onion cooked in 1 tsp EVOO
3 egg whites
100 calorie pack cheese, melted

AM Snack: Smoothie (4 pts)
1/2 c almond milk
1 frozen banana
1 tsp evoo
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

Midday (at work): (13 pts! EEEK)
1 Mrs. Fields Sugar Butter Cookie w Sprinkles
1 serving whole grain pasta with:
3 chicken meatballs + 2 tbs sauce

Evening: (17 pts! EEK!)
1 slice leftover Thin Crust Papa John's Garden Fresh Pizza
12 pieces california roll
1 diet coke
Mentos

So I went WAY into APs, but I still made all 19 of my GHGs. Went into Monday with 13 APs left, because I worked a VERY active shift at work and earned some points back for that.

Monday: Woke up and felt craptastic. Ended up going to Urgent Care.
AM: (7pts)
Coffee w 2 splenda + 1/4 c FF H & H
3 hard-boiled Egg Whites (don't like the yolks)
90 calorie special K bar
1 Kashi Cookie
1 tsp honey

Midday: (18 pts! EEEK)
3 slices leftover Papa John's Thin Crust Garden Fresh Pizza
1 WW Ice Cream Candy Bar

Evening: (13pts! EEEK!)
1 serving whole grain Macaroni & Cheese
3 chicken meatballs
hot sauce (buffalo styleee!)
1 c raw carrots

Evening snack (maybe?): ( 4 pts)
Smoothie:
1/2 c almond milk
1 tsp evoo
1/2 scoop protein powder
1 c frozen strawberries

If I do all of this, I will be DONE WPA and 3 into my APs for the week. If not, I will have 1 WPA left. I'm doing a LOT of emotional eating these last few days ::sigh:: At least I'll hit 17/19 GHGs if I eat everything. Will plan better for tomorrow.

WI on Friday this week, bc if all goes well with my blood work from this morning, I am running Race for the Cure Saturday AM! If I'm NOT running, I'm going to get my shirt, number, & race packet anyway. This week is my LAST WI in NC! HOORAY!

Sunday's Menu: Planned for 25 pts + 2 WPA

Saturday went pretty well. I edited to include the additional WPA I used. I start Sunday with 22 WPA remaining for the week.

AM: (7pts)
1 c iced coffee w 2 splenda +
1/4 c FF Half & Half
Egg Sandwhich:
1 Arnold's WG Sandwich Thin
3 Egg Whites + 1/4 c onions cooked in
1 tsp evoo
topped with
1/3 c RF melted cheddar jack cheese

AM Snack: Smoothie (3pts)
1/2 c almond milk
1 frozen banana
1/2 scoop protein powder
water to fill to desired level

Lunch (at work): (5 pts)
Lean Cuisine Chicken Enchilada Suiza (Chix Ench + Rice in Sauce - YUM!)
1 c raw baby carrots

Afternoon snack: (2 pts)
Special K Bar - Strawberry

Dinner: (9 pts)
1 serving WG pasta
1/2 c tomato sauce
3 chicken meatballs (unusual, I know, but trying to eat ALL of my food store in the house with the upcoming move!)
salad, dressed with:
1 tsp evoo + red wine vinegar

Planned for 18/19 GHG's. Currently short 1 milk product, perhaps will work it in??? Hoping for no additional sugar issues, as I've worked a LOT more carbs back into my diet. Either way, will be carrying mentos and an extra cereal bar or two for emergencies.

Saturday's Menu: Planned for 25 pts + 4 WPA

Morning: (7.5 pts - I typically eat better in the morning, but save food for after WI)
Coffee w 2 splenda +
1/4 c FF Half & Half
Special K 90 Calorie Bar
**Blood Sugar Recovery**
2 tbs honey (from bottle, estimate - may have been less)
Special K 90 Calorie Bar

Lunch: (10pts)
1 c uncooked carrots
2 slices of thin crust, Papa John's Pizza (Garden Fresh Variety)
8 oz Diet Coke

Midday Snack: (5pts)
Smoothie:
1/2 c almond milk
1 banana
1 tsp EVOO
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
2 frozen strawberries
add water to desired level

Dinner: (6.5 pts)
"Chicken Burger"
1 WG Arnold's Sandwich Thin
3 oz Raw Ground Chicken, mixed with:
1/2 tsp EVOO, garlic, + 2 tsp Old-Fashioned Oats
Topped with:
onion cooked in 1/2 tsp EVOO
1/8 cup reduced fat cheddar
Side:
1 serving "Garden Medley" Vegetables - Green Giant, frozen variety

**No APs scheduled, depends on how I feel later today. Still feeling VERY low blood sugar-y**

EDIT: Also ate 2 WW Ice Cream Bars at the end of the night, when my sugar felt low again. This means that 13 WPA were used, total. I hit all 19 of my Good Health Guidelines! YAAAAY!

LONG POST! Review of a Week/This Week's Challenge/Blood Sugar

So I lost .8 today, but it was a TOTALLY undeserved .8. STILL, I'll take it! I was MAJORLY in the red this week. Are rather carelessly, which started with the feeling of having low blood sugar Sun/Mon/Tue. It made me overindulge in carbs.

1. 16-19 GHGs Daily: 3/7 days. Boohiss. This goal stands for next week. MUST have at least 5 days.
2. 4 Runs + Wii Fit: Got in 3 runs. I think right now with my time constraints, this is all I can *REALLY* manage. We'll see how it goes this week with only 1 day of work.
3. DO NOT GO OVER WPA + AP. -> FAIL. BIIIIG FAIL.
4. 20 APs. Also a fail. I'm thinking maybe that for now, this goal is *too* high for my lifesytle.

Still don't know how I lost .8. I decided that after last week's DISASTER, I am going to post my daily menus, and then whether or not I adhered to them, on the following day.

The Challenge lies in this: I am moving in a week, and NEED to eat from the food supply I have in my house. Hopefully I can come up with some creative menus to get all of my GHGs in. This means probably eating more processed food, but I have virtually no budget, and don't want to have to pack up food to bring back to NY - or discard it!

Blood Sugar: I'm having what I'm GUESSING to be low blood sugar issues. It's really scary. I have no health benefits and cannot afford a local clinic (we don't have free care in my region). Today, after WI, I had a particularly scary episode. I always bring my iced coffee & a breakfast bar of some kind to WI. I WI, and then if I lose, I allow myself a SMALL non-food purchase as my reward.

I went into Ulta to look for a nail polish. While there, I began sweating profusely - I wasn't sure if I needed to pee, vomit, sit down, or poo. I felt faint. Thankfully, I was only 5 mins from home. I flew home, where my body had begun shaking. I guzzled approximately 2 tbs of honey from the container - which was difficult to hold in place due to the shaking. I ate another cereal bar, and had a few BIG glasses of water. The shaking subsided. The exhaustion has NOT gone away.

I ordered a large, thin crust, garden fresh pizza from Papa Johns & had 2 slices for lunch, along with 1 c of raw carrots. I'm hoping that the carbs in the pizza will help me through the rest of the day.

I'm REALLY upset about working these carbs back IN to my diet, after only having 1 Whole Grain carb 1 meal/day for WEEKS. Carbs are a HUGE trigger for me. But for now, while I can't afford to see a doctor, I need to work carbs back into each meal. :-( Hopefully when I get back to NY in a week, I can work out a payment plan and someone to take me for blood work - but in the meantime will use one of my mom's sugar testing machines/kits.

I'm very scared, considering I have a 5K next weekend. Considering picking up some GU energy gels for the race - so that I can grab some quick carbs/sugar if I start to feel woozy on the course. Hoping it's a cool morning.

*I have previous experience with GU from training for a Marathon in 2008. They are for long-distance running (usually). I love the Chocolate Outrage - tastes like chocolate icing, as well as the Vanilla Bean. They USED to carry a yummy raspberry as well.

Reflection on a Week

Had a GOOD WI on Sat! Lost 2.4. I expected to lose, but I didn't think it would be THAT good. I lost 2 pts due to a lifestyle change, and I think that made ALL of the difference. Plus, I've been eating way cleaner. Looking back @ last week's goals:

1. GHGs: 16-19 DAILY. (There can be up to 20 with the optional milk serving)
2. Earn 20 APs
3. Do 4 training runs for my upcoming 5K.
4. EAT CLEAN! (minimum amount of processed foods & refined sugars)
5. DO NOT go over WPA + AP earned (I've been WAY in the red the past two weeks)

#1. I was able to get at LEAST 16 GHGs for 5 out of 7 days! Woohoo! Aiming for 6 this week
#2. Earned about 16 APs, so room for improvement there.
#3. Only got in 2 training runs before WI
#4. Goes along well w GHGs. Will leave this one out next week.
#5. Was in the red about 10 pts after WPA + AP earned. MUST correct. Can't believe I still lost!

I've been hitting refined sugars like CRAZY this week, because I am feeling very weak/like I'm going to pass out. I've been CRAVING them. I'm done with my WPA/APs already. Need to make it till Friday PM under remaining points and earn about 7 more APs to break even. I'll do it, though, for sure. Whether or not I will lose with all of those processed foods is another issue ENTIRELY.

Getting my hair cut SHORT before I move back to NY. I worry that my "fat girl" face won't work well with my style. But it grows back, right???