Greetings friends after a VERY long hiatus!
I have been slowly traveling a slippery slope.  To be transparent and honest with you, I've been able to stay at/under/near goal for 8 years. Last year I was 5 pounds over and this year I'm 10 over.  It's time to pay serious attention!   So went back to review my old posts to help propel me to a good frame of mind regarding healthy eating.  I came upon this post from 2008 and thought it was a good place to start. After revisiting this post I've prepared a shopping list and am heading to the grocery store this afternoon with renewed purpose. 

Anyone want to join me?  
We can do this together!
Hugs,
Patti
    

Sunday, October 19, 2008
They said the day would come...
They said the day would come that staying at goal weight would become a challenge. I am sad to say my friends that after 2 years at goal that day has come. I am officially 2.4 pounds over my goal. I am 10 pounds heavier than I was a year ago. This is not good and does not make me feel good.

I was thinking about it this afternoon and I came to the conclusion that I can do as I've done in the past and just ignore it and see what happens OR I can set my mind to doing something to make a change.

Option #1 - Ignore it and see what happens - hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm experience has proven time and again that when I just ignore it, "IT" does not go away. The problem gets worse and I become very unhappy with myself.

Option #2 - Set my mind to doing something to make a change - Not the easy route by any means; but the best route nonetheless. This has to be my choice. In fact, there is no choice in my mind. I also listened when they said to give away all my larger clothes. I cannot change size or I'll have nothing to wear.

The tough part...how to put my plan into action. Here's what I decided to do:
Get back to following the CORE food plan with a fervor.
Go grocery shopping and buy healthy food that supports my efforts. I allowed NOTHING in my cart that would compromise my efforts. (Ask Thorsten, he tried really hard and even tried "pouting" but I would not give in!)
Cook up a big pot of beef barley and veggie soup. This will give me plenty of easy, healthy lunches or fast suppers this week so I don't fall into the "I'm tired, hurried, etc. trap"
Cook up a pot of homemade chili. (reference above)
Prep veggies - clean and cut them for easy munching.
Make sure I get my water in each day.
I decided these were the items I will focus on this week. I will exercise, but it won't be in the written plan until next week.

As a friend/family how can you best support me in my efforts?
Ask me how it's going - it's okay to acknowledge this is a time of struggle for me.
Don't suggest or ask if I'd like to have a cookie, ice cream or pizza. I'm weak right now and if I give in I will regret it later. Trust me.
Ask if I'd like to go for a walk or do something that gets me out and moving.
Ask if I'd like to see a movie.
Celebrate with me when I succeed! Without food :)

They told me this day would come.

A New Day

Today is a new day.

It doesn't matter that in June I told myself, "It's time for a new start.  I can do this."  .... and then I did very little.  I guess I wasn't ready to make the changes necessary.

Today is a new day.

Yesterday I decided it was time to make necessary changes.  Yesterday went very well.  Today has been going really well.

I don't have to change everything at once.  Just one thing at a time.  My bad habits didn't all come back at once.  They edged back into my life slowly...one at a time.

Today is a new day.  Are you ready? 

Do Something!

How do you know when the time is right to break out and start moving more?  The flat out answer is RIGHT NOW!  Now is the best time to do SOMETHING.  After I started losing weight I knew I'd eventually need (want?) to start exercising.  When I was younger I was quite active and enjoyed running but at 50 pounds heavier I was really not doing much of anything.  So when I decided it was time to start moving I figured that ANYTHING was better than the NOTHING that I had been doing.

If you haven't been exercising you'll want to check with your doctor first and when you have a green light from the doc start slow.  Where you start depends on your fitness level.  Do what is right for you whether that is a simple walk around the block or lifting Progresso soup cans for dumbbells.  You'll want to test the waters with something reasonable and be careful to NOT overdo it on the first day.  Many people have been known to go all out on the first day and then be injured or too sore to do something again the next day.

Our goal is to work up to 30 minutes of movement on most days.

You'll find that as you get used to it you'll enjoy it and will naturally want to increase the time and/or intensity.

I started by mowing the lawn.  Then I started walking.  I went further and I went faster until finally I was moving at a pretty good clip.  From walking I moved to the elliptical and from the elliptical I started running and that's another whole topic in itself.  (Click here to read about when I ran a marathon.)

Although still very useful for other
"stuff" running shoes need to be
replaced every 500 miles or so

The important thing is to do SOMETHING because anything is better than nothing my friends.

BONUS:  When you start moving more by walking, running or playing badminton you get to wear really awesome and colorful shoes!  Check out my nice little collection of lightning fast Kinvaras made by Saucony.  These little babies are SWEET!   

KUDOS!

Kudos!  My hat is off to you!  Very cool!

Last night at our Weight Watcher meeting we had two people come to join.  Here it is the week before freaking THANKSGIVING - a foodfest if there ever was one - and they are joining a weight loss group!  I think that's wonderful.  What that says to me is they are not on some "New Year resolution" that will last a couple weeks and fall by the wayside.  They are not focusing on an upcoming wedding or class reunion expecting to drop 50 pounds in the next 2 weeks so they can look amazing and impress their friends and classmates.  Nope.  This man and woman (not a couple, I don't think they knew each other) were there because they want to change the way they eat.  I think that's stellar.

Kudos!

Post Halloween Tough Love

November 1st.  The day after Halloween. The Trick or Treating goodness is sitting there in the orange plastic pumpkins staring you in the face.  It was lots of fun and the kids made a haul.  The bowl of candy for callers is still sitting next to the front door, the leftovers calling your name as loud as they can.  "Come and eat me!"  Oh my, what to do, what to do!?

TAKE ACTION!

1. Dispose of the leftover candy.  Send it to work with your husband or throw it in the garbage and dump something gross, wet or goopy on top.  I can hear the dialogue in your head, "What? Throw away perfectly good candy?  But, but, but there are starving children in Africa!"  Yes!  Throw. It. Away.  You were okay with giving it away last night, so pretend it was all handed out and there are no leftovers.  It is gone.  (And do you really think starving children in Africa are going to benefit from YOU overeating on candy?)
2. Your kids made a haul and it's in the house.  That is THEIR candy - not yours and this is not a time to teach them about sharing.  You wouldn't take their allowance or their money so why would you think it's okay to take their candy?  Its not.  The candy is theirs.  Leave. It. Alone.
3. Start fresh with determination!  It's only 21 days until Thanksgiving and we all know that's another whole challenge to be dealt with separately.  Get back on track today!
4. Make something really healthy and yummy for dinner.  Try a new recipe.  Make it appealing so its easy to stay on track. 
5. Get outside and move.  Rake leaves, go for a brisk walk or bike ride, clean house like the in-laws are coming in an hour, whatever you do get your body moving more than you usually do.  

Halloween is only a day and even though it is laden with candy, its really not about candy.  Its about dressing up and having fun with others.  Relish that part and enjoy the laughter.  It's November now and Halloween is over.  Forget the candy.

Pivotal time in life?

I know that most of my posts are about exercise, food, motivation, etc. and I don't often get into a lot of my personal life, but this week seems to have become a very pivotal time in my life so I feel compelled to write about it.  I knew all these events were coming and yet, I didn't realize until today how important they all really are.  

My oldest daughter, Lindsay, and her wonderful guy,  Andrew, got married on Saturday and it was beautiful and touching.  My son, Erich officiated and did a wonderful job.  Everything went smoothly with no problems on any front.  It was great, even the weather at this outdoor wedding in the park.  I am so very happy for them.

My youngest child, Kari, left Tuesday morning for Honduras.  She is so brave and amazingly adventuresome.  I admire that in her and wish I was stronger in that trait.  Who knows, perhaps I will become more so. 

My oldest child, Erich and his wife, KT, bought a house and had the closing this week.  They are now officially homeowners and as Erich puts it, "able to make the rules."  He grew up hearing, "When you live in our house you live by our rules; when you have your own house you get to make the rules."  He has proudly pointed out that now he (and KT) get to make the rules.  Ha!  I love that guy.

Wow what a week!  I've always considered that my job was to prepare my children for the future, to get them ready to leave home, and to live on their own.  They have been taking steps toward that all along and now, wow.  Huge steps for all of them and all within a four day window of time.

Now I plan to start focusing on new goals for me.  What will they be?

• Spanish classes finally?  I've talked about becoming fluent for so long I'm sure no one will ever believe this one.  
• Re-working a tight budget to travel to Honduras soon?
• Start training for a fall marathon?  Do I want to do another full marathon or are half marathons a better fit?
• I certainly have things like picture albums, etc. that I could do.  But I don't hear them calling me just yet.  

Hmmmmmm.  Seems it wasn't so long ago that I was thinking, "when I have time I want to..." and now I have time and none of the those things sound appealing any longer.  But I haven't decided just yet what DOES sound appealing.  Any suggestions?


Seems this is a pivotal week and I need to do some deep thinking.

Growth through disappointment

Every disappointment is important. It is part of life and cannot be avoided. Disappointments are necessary! You grow by losing and then accepting the loss. Change occurs through loss and disappointment. Growth occurs through loss and disappointment. Life takes on a deeper and richer meaning because of them. The better you handle them, the healthier you will be and the more you will grow. No one said that loss and disappointment was fair, but it is part of life.

Is it going to be easy?

As we are learning a new way of eating - a new lifestyle - we could smile and say, "it's easy" but we'd be lying to ourselves and to everyone else. It will be easy at times.... but there will be times that it will feel downright hard! For inspiration, let me share the story of Admiral Jim Stockdale.

Jim Stockdale was the highest-ranking officer in the "Hanoi Hilton" POW camp from 1965 to 1973. He was deprived of his rights under the Geneva Convention, tortured over twenty times, and often wondered if he would ever see his family again. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins quotes Admiral Stockdale as saying, "I never lost faith in the end of the story." And when Collins asked "Who didn't make it out?" Stockdale replied, "Oh, that's easy. The optimists." "The optimists," Collins said, "I don't understand." To which the Admiral replied, "The optimists were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart. This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they may be."

I think his story is a really powerful one and fits many hardships in life... including our weight loss journey. It won't always be easy, but if we are convinced that:
1) This is not the last chapter in our life (basic optimism) and
2) That we are honest with ourselves that yes, we will suffer, however it will get better.

Thank God everyday you didn't have to live this concept the way he did.

In all struggles in life hold tight to the fact that next chapter is an awesome one!

Feeling Out of Control?

Control in our lives is an issue. It can be a big deal. There are so many things happening around us these days that we have absolutely no control over and we often times feel helpless to make an impact on the outcome.

Now, that may be true of many things in our outside world... but when it comes to food, don't kid yourselves my friends, you have control. There is no one force feeding you. There is no one on this earth who has more control over what goes into your mouth than YOU do. (In hindsight I realized that when I lost my weight a couple years ago, food was the ONLY thing in my life I felt I could control.)

So if you feel out of control in the area of food, what do you do? I've got a few thoughts that might help.

1)Get a plan. A plan that works for you.
2)Start with small changes. Just focus on one thing a day...or a week. When that comes naturally, then make another change.
3)Get a support network of friends. If it can't be your family or close friends (because some just are not supportive of our efforts) then find that support elsewhere. Join Weight Watchers, find support in a co-worker, or neighbor, or friend from church. Someone somewhere will be happy to do the journey with you. Don't be afraid to reach out to them.
4)Realize that it may not be easy at first. You are changing habits that have been in place for a long time.
5) Remind yourself that you are the BOSS about what goes into your mouth! (No matter how often Aunt Helga puts food in front of you and says, "eat, eat" YOU are still the boss. Ya, ya, ya!)
6)If you have no idea where to start... start with eating a fraction of what you normally would. Eat 3/4 or 1/2 of what you normally put on your plate. Start by eliminating fried foods. Start by eating 3 pieces of fruit each day.
7) Pray about it. Fall to your knees and ask for help!
8)Celebrate your successes whether they are big or small. Celebrate!

You ARE in control - it just may be that you haven't realized it yet.
Good luck and lots of power to ya!

Joy!

Joy is so very cool!

It can be seen in the eyes....in the smile...in the walk and it's great when it's bubbling up and overflowing outward for others to enjoy. I feel that joy is not something that can be given to someone else or believe me I'd give it to you. There is nothing I can do or say that can place joy on your heart. It can't be given or forced however it can be shared. Joy is something that is found within, comes from within and must find it's place in your heart by you alone.

I pray JOY is a lifelong resident in your heart -

They said the day would come...

They said the day would come that staying at goal weight would become a challenge. I am sad to say my friends that after 2 years at goal that day has come. I am officially 2.4 pounds over my goal. I am 10 pounds heavier than I was a year ago. This is not good and does not make me feel good.

I was thinking about it this afternoon and I came to the conclusion that I can do as I've done in the past and just ignore it and see what happens OR I can set my mind to doing something to make a change.

Option #1 - Ignore it and see what happens - hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm experience has proven time and again that when I just ignore it, "IT" does not go away. The problem gets worse and I become very unhappy with myself.

Option #2 - Set my mind to doing something to make a change - Not the easy route by any means; but the best route nonetheless. This has to be my choice. In fact, there is no choice in my mind. I also listened when they said to give away all my larger clothes. I cannot change size or I'll have nothing to wear.

The tough part...how to put my plan into action. Here's what I decided to do:

• Get back to following the CORE food plan with a fervor.
  
• Go grocery shopping and buy healthy food that supports my efforts. I allowed NOTHING in my cart that would compromise my efforts. (Ask Thorsten, he tried really hard and even tried "pouting" but I would not give in!)
  
• Cook up a big pot of beef barley and veggie soup. This will give me plenty of easy, healthy lunches or fast suppers this week so I don't fall into the "I'm tired, hurried, etc. trap"
• Cook up a pot of homemade chili. (reference above)
• Prep veggies - clean and cut them for easy munching.
• Make sure I get my water in each day.

I decided these were the items I will focus on this week. I will exercise, but it won't be in the written plan until next week.

As a friend/family how can you best support me in my efforts?

• Ask me how it's going - it's okay to acknowledge this is a time of struggle for me.
  
• Don't suggest or ask if I'd like to have a cookie, ice cream or pizza. I'm weak right now and if I give in I will regret it later. Trust me.
• Ask if I'd like to go for a walk or do something that gets me out and moving.
• Ask if I'd like to see a movie.
• Celebrate with me when I succeed! Without food :)

They told me this day would come.

What street are you walking down?

• A man walked down the street and fell in a hole. He really had to struggle to get out, but he finally did.
• The next day he walked down the same street, saw the hole and fell in again. He thought, "I've been here before I know what to do." He got out after struggling, but it was easier than the first time.
• The next day he walked down the same street. He saw the hole and fell in again. This time he thought, "I've been here before - this is my fault." He got out one more time.
• The next day he walked down the same street, saw the hole, remembered what it was like to fall in and walked around it.
• The next day he walked down a different street where there was no hole.

What street are YOU walking down?

A Person Of Faith

A Person Of Faith

"Being a person of faith doesn’t mean you’re not also a person of suffering, a person of fear, a person of anger. It just means you have someone to hang onto, and to hang on to you while you cry, or yell, or hurt. It just means you don’t suffer alone.

And somehow, that makes it just a bit easier to get through." -Karen Ebert

The above quote is from my dear friend Karen Ebert, Pastor of Wausau's 1st United Methodist Church. I really like it and I think it's very helpful for the emotional struggles we go through and we all know that our struggle with weight is connected in some way to our daily struggles.

What's Causing Your Plateau?

Article By: WeightWatchers. com

Different situations potentially contribute to a slowdown in weight loss. The first step to overcome the plateau is understanding what's causing it.

"Weight loss revolves around all aspects of your lifestyle — sleep, stress, even mood," says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, LDN, the director of sports medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "And if you're neglecting one of these, you may be sabotaging your success."

Whether you're a Flex Plan or Core Plan® user, here are the common reasons for plateaus with strategies to get your weight-loss efforts back on track.

"I haven't been focusing on portion sizes as much."

If you're on the Flex Plan, refocus on using visual cues to estimate portion sizes. Make sure you're using the correct POINTS® values for the portion you're eating. Check out the Portion Primer for a pictorial guide to common portion sizes.

"I've been eating past my Comfort Zone."

If you're a Core Plan user and you haven't been paying attention to your Comfort Zone lately, make a commitment to start listening to your body's cues for feeling satisfied. Read Discover Your Comfort Zone to learn more about gauging your hunger and how to stop when you feel full.

"I haven't been working out much lately."

Commit to earning at least 1 activity POINTS value (preferably 2 or 3) per day.

If time is an issue, consider increasing the intensity of your workout rather than the length of it. For instance, instead of walking for 15 minutes, try jogging.

Exercise helps lower stress. Many people avoid the gym when they're anxious or overloaded, thinking they don't have time. Kelli Calabrese, MS, an exercise physiologist and editor of Personal Fitness Professional magazine, points out that, "Exercise is one of the best things you can do to bring your stress level down." And since stress is often linked to overeating, reducing it will help you stick to good eating habits.

"I've been taking a new medication recently."

Check with your pharmacist or physician to see if the medication you're taking can cause weight gain. If it does, ask if there's an alternative.

If you're taking an over-the-counter medication, check the label for added calories. If your medication does have calories, compare labels of other products to see if there is an alternative with less or no calories.

Have you been tossing and turning all night long? "If you don't sleep enough, your body looks for another way to find energy," says Bonci. "More often than not, that means you end up overeating just to stay awake." Plus, she adds, when you're exhausted you're less inclined to make smart food choices. Aim for seven to nine hours of shut-eye a night.

"I'm a Flex Plan user, but I haven't been keeping track of my POINTS values regularly."

If you don't have time to write down details, you can use ExpressTrack feature of the POINTS Tracker to enter your own food and POINTS values.

Looking for a way to make tracking more exciting? Reward yourself (with something other than food!) each week you keep track. Buy a new CD or a small kitchen gadget that will remind you of your tracking success.

Wondering if you should switch your food plan? Switching food plans is one strategy for breaking through a plateau. But Weight Watchers recommends that you stay with whatever food plan you've chosen for at least one week. Once you've lived with the plan you started on for a while, you'll have a much better understanding of how good a fit that food plan is for you. The Switch Guide will help guide you through the decision to change to the other food plan if and when you're ready.

Making Small Changes

The following is from the Weight Watcher website and I love the ideas they share:

The surest way to succeed is making small changes. Think in terms of manageable baby steps, like swapping the half-and-half in your morning coffee for fat-free or low-fat milk. There are lots of little changes you can make—in your food plan and daily routine—that will add up to a lot of weight loss over the long haul.

Take a look at 25 tips below (from Weight Watcher’s website) for eating healthfully, fitting exercise into your busy day and revamping your daily routine. Start by picking five changes that you're sure you can tackle and practice them this week. Then try another five next week.

Not every idea is right for everyone, so experiment and see what works for you. Lots of little changes can yield big weight-loss results—and a healthier new you!

1. Good things come in small packages.
Here's a trick for staying satisfied without consuming large portions: Chop high-calorie foods like cheese and chocolate into smaller pieces. It will seem like you're getting more than you actually are.

2. Get "water-wise."
Make a habit of reaching for a glass of water instead of a high-fat snack. It will help your overall health as well as your waistline. So drink up! Add some zest to your six to eight glasses a day with a twist of lemon or lime.

3. Herb it up.
Stock up your spice rack, and start growing a small herb garden in your kitchen window. Spices and herbs add fantastic flavor to foods without adding fat or calories.

4. Slim down your soup.
Make a big batch of soup and refrigerate it before you eat it. As it cools, the fat will rise to the top and can be skimmed off the surface.

5. Doggie-bag that dinner.
At restaurants that you know serve large portions, ask the waiter to put half of your main course in a take-home box before bringing it to your table. Putting the food away before you start your meal will help you practice portion control.

6. Listen to your cravings.
If you're craving something sweet, eat something sweet—just opt for a healthier nosh (like fruit) instead of a high-calorie one like ice cream. The same goes for crunchy cravings—for example, try air-popped popcorn instead of high-fat chips. It's just smart substitution!

7. Ease your way into produce.
If you're new to eating lots of fruits and vegetables, start slowly. Just add them to the foods you already enjoy. Pile salad veggies into your sandwiches, or add fruit to your cereal.

8. Look for high-fat hints.
Want an easy way to identify high-calorie meals? Keep an eye out for these words: au gratin, parmigiana, tempura, alfredo, creamy and carbonara, and enjoy them in moderation.

9. Don't multi-task while you eat.
If you're working, reading or watching TV while you eat, you won't be paying attention to what's going into your mouth—and you won't be enjoying every bite. Today, every time you have a meal, sit down. Chew slowly and pay attention to flavors and textures. You'll enjoy your food more and eat less.

10. Taste something new.
Broaden your food repertoire—you may find you like more healthy foods than you knew. Try a new fruit or vegetable (ever had plantain, pak choi, starfruit or papaya?).

11. Leave something on your plate at every meal.
One bite of bagel, half your sandwich, the bun from your burger. See if you still feel satisfied eating just a bit less.

12. Get to know your portion sizes.
It's easy to underestimate how much you're eating. Today, don't just estimate things—make sure. Ask how much is in a serving, read the fine print on labels, measure your food. And learn portion equivalents: One serving of pasta, for instance, should be around the size of a tennis ball.

13. Don't give up dips.
If you love creamy dips and sauces, don't cut them out of your food plan completely. Just use low-fat soft cheese and mayo instead of the full fat stuff.

14. Make a healthy substitution.
Learn to swap healthier foods for their less-healthy counterparts. Today, find a substitution that works for you: Use skim or low-fat milk instead of whole milk; try whole-wheat bread instead of white.

15. Bring lunch to work tomorrow.
Packing lunch will help you control your portion sizes. It also provides a good alternative to restaurants and takeaways, where making healthy choices every day can be challenging (not to mention expensive).

16. Have some dessert.
You don't have to deny yourself all the time. Have a treat that brings you pleasure, but this time enjoy it guilt-free be—sure you're practicing portion control, and compensate for your indulgence by exercising a little more or by skipping your afternoon snack.

17. Ask for what you need.
Tell your mother-in-law you don't want seconds. Ask your other half to stop bringing you chocolates. Speak up for the place with great salads when your co-workers are picking a restaurant for lunch. Whatever you need to do to succeed at weight loss, ask for it—make yourself a priority and assert yourself.

18. Improve your treadmill technique.
When walking on a treadmill, don't grip the rails. It's fine to touch them for balance, but you shouldn't have to hold on. If you do, that might be a signal you should lower the intensity level.

19. Simon says... get fit.
Here's an easy way to fit in exercise with your kids: Buy a set of 1 lb weights and play a round of Simon Says—you do it with the weights, they do it without. They'll love it!

20. Make the most of your walks.
If your walking routine has become too easy, increase your effort by finding hills. Just be sure to tackle them at the beginning of your walk, when you have energy to spare.

21. Shop 'til you drop...pounds!
Add a workout to your shopping sessions by walking around the mall before your start spending. And try walking up the escalator—getting to your destination faster will be an added bonus.

22. Walk an extra 100 steps at work.
Adding even a little extra exercise to your daily routine can boost your weight loss. Today, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or stroll down the hall to talk to a co-worker instead of sending an email or calling.

23. Brush your teeth after every meal and snack.
This will be a signal to your mouth—and your mind—that it's time to stop eating. Brushing will also give your mouth a nice fresh taste that you'll be disinclined to ruin with a random chip. At work, keep a toothbrush with a cover and toothpaste in your desk drawer.

24. Clean your closet.
First, it's great exercise. Second, it's an important step in changing your attitude. Get rid of all the clothes that make you look or feel bad. Throw out anything that's too big—don't give yourself the option of ever fitting into those clothes again. Move the smaller clothes up to the front to help motivate you. Soon, you'll be fitting into those too-tight jeans you couldn't bear to part with.

25. Take your measurements.
You might not like your stats now, but you'll be glad you wrote them down when you see how many inches you've lost. It's also another way to measure your success, instead of just looking at the scale. Sometimes even when the numbers on the scale aren't going down, the measurements on your body are.

It's Your Turn To Make Choices...

Resolve to succeed. The greatest discovery one can
make is that nothing is impossible.

Cold-Weather Cravings

Cold-Weather Cravings

Thanks to Deb Nockerts for this entry!

When the temperature drops, food cravings swing from cool and light to hot, heavy and filling. Salads just don't hit the spot in quite the same way as a pan of baked ziti. But eating wisely doesn't mean that you have to forego all your favorite cold-weather foods. Here's how to fit comfort foods into your healthy-eating plan.

Satisfy Your Cold-Weather Cravings

You've probably heard your Leader or other meetings members mention that brainstorming is a great way to come up with simple solutions; like how you can enjoy mac and cheese on a blustery day and still lose weight. So take a few minutes to brainstorm all your favorite comfort foods—no matter how many POINTS® values you think they contain. Think: meat loaf, pasta bakes, stews, apple pie. Then think of ways that you can make them fit into your plan.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Bake or buy whole-grain breads for a filling and fiber-rich addition to dip in your soup.
• Browse through lightened-up recipes in the new Find & Explore feature of your Plan Manager. Choosing "Winter" under the "Occasion" tab brings up nearly 400 season-appropriate dishes.
• Use the Recipe Builder to figure out how many POINTS values your favorite cold-weather recipes have. Then see how you can reduce them by substituting lighter ingredients such as low-fat or fat-free milk and cheese.
• Check your Meal Ideas for inspiration to whip up something new today.
• Enjoy your favorite high-calorie casseroles, chowders and desserts. Just keep an eye on portion size, and be sure to track the POINTS values in your Food Tracker.

Winter food urges are inevitable. By giving in to them in a low-fat way, you're actually bettering your chances of reaching your weight-loss goals. After all, figuring out a way to eat healthfully for the long haul is vital to achieving lasting weight loss. Satisfaction is a big part of that.

Don't Quit!!!

I got the following poem at one of my meetings while I was losing and stuck it on the fridge. It's a great reminder!

DON'T QUIT

When you've eaten too much and can't write it down
And you feel like the biggest failure in town:
When you want to give up just because you gave in
And forget all about being healthy and thin:
so What! You went over your Points or Comfort Zone a bit:
It's you next move that counts..
So don't you quit!!
It's a moment of truth, It's an attitude change.
It's learning the skills to get back in your range:
It's telling yourself "You've done great up till now:
You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow!
It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal.
You're still going to make it, just stay in control.
To stumble and fall is not a disgrace
if you summon the will to get back in the race.
But often the strugglers when losing their grip just throw in the towel and continue to slip
And learn too late when the damage is done
That the race wasn't over and they still could have won.
Lifestyle change can be can be awkward and slow.
But facing each challenge will help you to grow:
Success is failure turned inside out.
It's the silver lining in the cloud of self-doubt. When you are pushed to the brink, just refuse to submit:
If you bite it JUST write it.. But don't you QUIT!
Author unknown

Frustration!!!

Some days we get so frustrated with ourselves. We doubt our abilities and our willpower fades away. We doubt if we have the knowledge to do what we need to do. We eat because we are bored, scared, frustrated, tired, lonely or any variety of reason we really don't want to actually acknowledge or face.

What to do... what to do!?!

When this happens we need to get centered. Back to the basics. Call in the calvary and any other providers of support and strength we can call on. This is NOT A DIET! This is a lifestyle change and that doesn't mean we throw everything that makes our bodies healthy and feel good to the wayside. NO!

• Call a friend
• Get up and move
• Force yourself to concentrate on something positive
• Make a plan - plan for meals, plan for shopping, plan for exercise
• Pick something - anything - however small and get it DONE. Get the feeling of accomplishment and success so you can feel good about it.
• Move on and start over - the next minute is a brand new minute - no need to wait until tomorrow.
• Pray - fall to your knees and pray.

A dear friend of mine wrote the following prayer and it's awesome:

“O God, you accept and love my prayers

the kind that are like a florist’s arrangement

of perfect cut flowers

each word and sentence chosen and scripted.

But today my prayer is no such bouquet.

But you O God accept and love my prayers

perhaps even more so

the kind that are not prettily arranged and comfortable to see

but are like a single plant violently yanked

by its roots from its bed

and with tears plunked down on your altar

roots, dirt, stem, leaves, blossom, buds and all.

Today my prayer is in sobs and one word sentences

and repetition of the same questions

that cannot be answered.”



Always remember there is a strength within you that waits patiently for you to call upon it.
Be strong my friends.

My Weight Loss Journey

It felt like I had tried everything over the course of the past 30 years.

The hotdog diet.
The cabbage soup diet.
The cleansing drink diet.
Counting calories.
Cheap hypnosis.
The not so cheap hypnosis.
PhenFen - the magic pill that made it all melt off...until you stop taking them and it all comes back.
Nutri-System
Even Weight Watchers a couple times.

I even tried to tell myself that it didn't matter and that I didn't care. But the truth is I DID care. As I look back over my prayer journal that I started on Christmas 2003 my repeated, consistent and earnest prayer was for God to put the desire to want to eat healthy, want to drink water and want to exercise on my heart. I prayed and waited. Occasionally I'd start a "diet" or "exercise plan" but it usually didn't last long and my heart wasn't in it.

In January 2006 my co-worker, Pam, came to me and said, "I joined Weight Watchers, do you want to come too?" My first thought was, 'Do I want to do this AGAIN?', my second thought was, 'She's going to lose all this weight and I'm just going to be mad at myself!' and my third thought was, 'YES, I want to join with you!'

So on January 19, 2006 I started down a familiar, yet very different road. The first thing I think made a huge difference is that my prayers were heard and God was ready for me to do it.

There are several additional factors that I believe also made it different this time:
1) CORE program was a big hit with me because I wasn't required to track everything I ate which fit perfectly with my personality. In the past I'd be little Miss Perfect and track everything for a couple weeks, then I'd get busy and the tracking (and thus the weigh loss) would fall by the wayside. Then seeing no results I'd get discouraged and quit.
2) Somewhere along the line I stopped thinking of it as a diet and instead thought of it as a lifestyle.
3) My leader, Deb, was awesome.
4) The support and ideas I got at my weekly meeting was wonderful.
5) The support from my family and friends was great. (I'd pull out of the parking lot after a meeting and be on the phone to my daughters, mom and husband to tell them, "I lost 8/10's of a pound this week!" or "I lost a pound this week!"
6) The accountability and support of going the whole journey with Pam was key.

On September 28, 2006 I hit my goal weight with a loss of 50 pounds! On November 9th I made lifetime status and now as long as I stay within no more than 2 pounds over my goal weight I will never have to pay to go to meetings again!

I have many ideas and thoughts on weight loss and maintaining healthy eating habits. However I'll save them for future posts.

For now, let it suffice to say that this has been a hard fought journey and I know my weight will always be something I'll have to pay attention to, however now feel like I'm well equipped to keep on top of the battle!