Friday, January 27, 2012

The 20% Day

I am learning a lot from Trina and Fit4Females Stroller Boot Camp.  The one nutrition seminar I was able to attend that Trina held she spoke about the 80/20 rule.  As long as you are good and stick with your proper eating habits 80% of the time, the other 20% of the time you aren't going to be such a saint and potentially still have weight loss results.  Today was that "other" 20% day.  Even then, my day was fantastic...up until after dinner and temptation was placed in front of me.

I had my usual breakfast of cereal and banana.  I can't help it.  I know it isn't the "cleanest" food, but I loves me my cereal.  I drive Brad nuts.  At any given time I will have 5 or more open boxes of cereal.  I like to rotate through them.  None of them are the sugary crap either.  I love a good Raisin Bran or Life or any variety of Cheerios or Shreddies.  MMmmmmm....Shreddies.  When I was pregnant with James and had the wicked bad  morning/noon/night sickness all I could keep down was Shreddies.  Unfortunately I no longer purchase Shreddies.  You just can't have a bowl of them without 2 inches of brown sugar coating the top.  Great.  Now I want Shreddies.  Since I've been learning a little more about nutrition I'm trying to get at least three food groups into each meal.  So I usually try to have a glass of milk and either a banana or blueberries in with my cereal.

Lunch today was Cream of Mushroom soup, 7 soda crackers and milk.  Dinner was chicken almondine and blanched green beans with lemon juice.

Then we went to my Mom and Dad's house.  I knew going in I had 4 points left in my day.  Good for me since it is Friday night tradition stemming back from when we used to visit my Grandmother on Friday nights that we have a "Friday Night Goodie".  Today's was doughnuts from Tim Horton's.  I really do not like doughnuts.  Knowing this, can someone please explain to me why the fuck did I have 3?  Yes.  Three.  Okay, okay, let me explain.  It really was like a strategic move in chess.  The first one I had I chose carefully and with much consideration.  I had 4 points.  I knew I still had earned exercise points to use and all of my 49 weekly "woo-hoo" points.  My selection was an old fashion chocolate dip.  Tasty and complimented my vanilla spiked black coffee.  James' selection was a filled sprinkle doughnut.  He ate about 2/3's of it and discovered, much to his dismay, it was filled with Strawberry Jam.  Before I knew it and without any rational thinking at all, it was in my mouth.  I am usually pretty good at not finishing food that James hasn't finished.  I don't like other people's spit...even if they are from my own gene pool.  From that point on it was like a wild beast took over my body and was playing mind control games in my head.  I then ate another doughnut that I picked out all on my own (a double chocolate old fashion) and scoffed that down.  Hey, I still had that coffee left.  I accidently asked for a large, forgetting Tim's changed their cup sizes and ended up with the old extra large cup. James' next selection was a Boston Cream, fortunately he ate the whole thing...but then the little bugger also took a plain chocolate dip...and it sat on his plate for a good 30 minutes.  So of course, after I changed Piper's bum, down on the floor, sitting next to that remaining 1/2 of the doughnut, again that wild beast took over and forced that damn thing down my throat. It wasn't me officer!  Honest!!!  It just jumped into my mouth.  I was holding it for someone else.  It isn't mine!

On the ride home I had time to ponder my actions and try and figure out where my head goes in these situations.  Brad and I had a discussion the previous night about drinking and alcoholics.  I forget how the conversation came up but he believes anyone who binge drinks is an alcoholic.  I know when I drink, I only do so to get drunk, which, now that I have kids, let me tell you, really isn't often.  At all...and remembering some of my hangovers, that isn't such a bad thing.  Relating that to food, I do the same thing.  If I'm going to be bad, I do it to be really bad.  If I go over my points or have a bad day food wise, I then will eat anything and everything that I shouldn't that I can find.  A perfect example of this was what I did at Christmas.  I ate all kinds of baked goods, cookies, chocolates, cakes, breads, candy and chips.  Anything I could find.  To the point I gained 7 pounds in a short 2-3 weeks.  I felt like a convict that had been in lock up for 25 years without knowing the pleasure of sex for that long....I needed it and as much of it as I could get because I didn't know when my next meal would be.  I binged on food like there was no tomorrow.  Which is what happened to me tonight with the doughnuts.  I binged.

Great.  I know this about myself now.  So now what?  First step?  Admit to it and take ownership of my mistake.  I was going to pretend this didn't happen.  I was not going to share this shame with you.  I wasn't even going to journal this horrible sin.  But I did, I am.  I want to be completely honest with you and in doing so...with myself.  "Hi, my name is Kim and I am a binge eater".

Here's the ugly, ugly truth.




PointsPlus™ Tracker entries

Friday, January 27, 2012
Morning
Life Cereal - Quick-added food
3
1  large banana(s)
0
2  cup(s) black coffee
0
Subtotal 3
Midday
1  cup(s) canned cream of mushroom soup, made with whole milk
6
1  serving(s) 7 Saltines Salted
2
1  oz Cheddar or colby cheese
3
8  medium uncooked baby carrots
0
1  cup(s) low-fat milk
3
Source Yogurt - Quick-added food
1
Subtotal 15
Evening
1  cup(s) cooked green beans
0
1  Chicken Almondine
8
Subtotal 8
Anytime
1/3 doughnut(s) Filled Donuts - Filled Donuts Strawberry (filled donut)
2
1/2 doughnut(s) Cake Donuts - Cake Donuts Chocolate Glazed (cake donut)
3
2  doughnut(s) Cake Donuts - Cake Donuts Old Fashion Plain (cake donut)
15
Subtotal 20
Food PointsPlus values total used 46
Food PointsPlus values remaining 0
Exercise
No entries for exercise.
Activity PointsPlus values earned 0
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Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Results Blog and Other Ramblings

Let's not beat around the bush.  Today was official Weight Watchers weigh in and I lost 0.6 and I hate their scale.  It weighs more than the one at home....plus I don't weigh in naked at the meeting...you're welcome for that image.  I don't want to tell you my weight.  I really don't.  I don't want anyone to know.  But I'm going to tell you.


*COUGH194.4COUGH*


I know I shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed by this.  It is just a number after all.  A number I am not happy with none-the-less.  I grew up as the chunky, unpopular, ugly red-headed kid with the 'fro, lost the weight, was happy with the way I looked, even if I didn't want to admit it.  Now, I feel like I've come back full circle to that fat lonely kid again.

0.6 for first "official" Weight Watchers weigh in or not, I'm happy I rejoined.  Going to the meetings help to give that added sense of accountability...and someone to help share my successes and failures with.  I have always done better going to meetings than going it alone on line.  I think for the next 20 weeks I will finally break over my weight slump and finally have the losses I was hoping for and expecting all along.  I have an excellent handle on the program and have been getting in as much activity as I can, and am trying to find ways to include even more in my daily routines.  It is hard when Brad is working shifts and taking care of the kids by myself but if this is something I want bad enough, I will find a way.

Today I feel ... yucky ...for lack of a better descriptor.  I am feeling bloated and thought I had gone drastically over my points both yesterday and today so wasn't going to bother doing them, then realized those are exactly the behaviours that set me up for failure, so I went back and recorded it all.  And you know what?  Wasn't at all bad.  In fact, with my earned activity points from my high intensity boot camp yesterday, I still come out ahead.  I even still have one point leftover today.  Looking at my food journal today, I didn't do so well getting in any vegetables or fruits and had a lot of carbs, which would probably account for why I am feeling so bloated. I also didn't drink enough water today.  Only one crappy bottle of Dasani with lunch.  I have a problem getting started drinking water.  If I go for a run, I will drink it for the rest of the day.  When I don't, it is hard to get that first bottle down.  Without that first bottle I just can't be bothered. Will have a better plan for tomorrow.

At the meeting today I saw someone from my past.  A past I had all but forgotten about, but played a major role in leading me to my current path in life, finding myself and beginning my Weight Watchers journey.  I graduated college for something entirely different than what I am doing in my current career.  In fact, I don't think what I graduated from could be further from my current job...other than they both deal with the handling and spending of money I never actually see.  After graduation I got a job in my "chosen profession" and moved away from home at 23 to be closer to the city where the jobs where.  Though I moved in with my, then, boyfriend and another male room-mate and had a dream job, I was so desperately unhappy.  I didn't want to be so far away from my family and friends, I lost all three of my living grandmothers, and my dream job was a dream, just not my dream.  I was so unhappy that thought I couldn't change my career or the path my life was taking so instead, I sought out to change who I was.  My weight, at that time, had reached its all time high and when I joined Weight Watchers the first time, I was 182.2.  The weight was slow to come off back then too, but at that time I knew I could do it and had to do it for my own peace of mind and happiness.

Turns out losing the weight (40.2 of it to be exact!) did more for me than just made me look at feel better about myself.  It helped me to become more confident in who I was and in my decisions.  I made up my mind to go back to school, move back to Hamilton, and do what I wanted to do with my life.  Turns out, the contacts I made at the college I attended were solid and I made quite the impression on those I worked with.  I was only in my new program for 8 weeks.  I didn't even make it to mid-terms, before I found a "temporary" part-time job at the college.  I haven't looked back since and the rest...as they say...is history.

So maybe, just maybe, this is why I am struggling so hard to lose the remaining 44 pounds this time around. This is the third time I've joined the program and have had a significant amount of weight to lose.  This time around I am happy.  All my complaining and bitching aside, I am happy.  I have a loving husband, who I love (most of the time....give or take a few douchey moments of his), two beautiful children who I adore, a job I love (well...we'll see if that changes when I go back), a home that is our own and I get to make the decisions as to when I rip up a floor or two.  I'm running and attending the most incredible exercise class.  I have loving, concerned and supporting parents.  I am living the life.  Maybe my therapist was right.  Maybe I'm okay just the way I am.....

.........though I could always be better.

Sweet dreams.




PointsPlus™ Tracker entries

Thursday, January 26, 2012
Morning
1  large banana(s)
0
1  serving(s) Kelloggs Special K
2
2  cup(s) black coffee
0
Subtotal 2
Midday
Weight Watchers Toasted Coconut Bar - Quick-added food
2
1  serving(s) 6" Turkey Sub Subway
7
Subtotal 9
Evening
1  cup(s) cooked quinoa
5
2/3 package(s) Instant, Mix-Ins Chocolate fudge instant pudding
2
1  serving(s) Mealtyme White Bread
4
3  Tbsp 95% fat free whipped topping
1
1  Kim's Homemade Chili
5
Subtotal 17
Anytime
7  nut(s) almonds
1
Subtotal 1
Food PointsPlus values total used 29
Food PointsPlus values remaining 1
Exercise
No entries for exercise.
Activity PointsPlus values earned 0
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And yesterday





PointsPlus™ Tracker entries

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Morning
1  serving(s) Multigrain Cheerios
3
1  large banana(s)
0
Subtotal 3
Midday
1  serving(s) Quaker Maple instant Oatmeal
4
Hazelnut Flavour Shot Tim Hortons - Quick-added food
0
1  cup(s) black coffee
0
1  large fresh apple(s)
0
1  Kim's Homemade Chili
5
Subtotal 9
Evening
1/3 package(s) Instant, Mix-Ins Chocolate fudge instant pudding
1
4  slice(s) mixed-grain bread
7
1  cup(s) low-fat milk
3
2  Kim's Homemade Chili
9
Subtotal 20
Anytime
No entries for this meal time.  
Subtotal 0
Food PointsPlus values total used 32
Food PointsPlus values remaining 0
Exercise
Bootcamp - Activity I created
6
Activity PointsPlus values earned 6
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Amazball

Today was a day at rest.  Not from doing things around the house, just from actual activity.  Did not get out for my run.  The days I do not get out I feel like no matter what I eat, I won't lose weight and it is a day beyond redemption.  I know that isn't the case.  I write every little thing down that I eat, and now drink.  Looking at my points today I went over only by 1...and since I have both banked activity points AND my weekly allotted points remaining I know that, realistically, it is okay to be over by one.  So then why do I feel like I failed today?

I am a little bloated feeling.  I could probably attribute this to having a diet pepsi today.  It had been a while and it was delightful.  Not a habit I want to get back into though.

Lunch was amazballs.  I made chocolate banana whole wheat pancakes topped with apple slices.  To die for.  I usually don't like pancakes, but these were pretty damn good if I do say so myself!  Dinner was Turkey Chilli. I even managed to get James to eat half of his...including the zuchinni.  I make a mean chilli.

I've been enjoying trying new recipes each day.  Nice breaking out of the rut of the same old things that I know how to make.  I've never really been a very good cook.  I tend to prefer baking.  I like to know exactly what to do with meat and what to make along with it.  Since most of the things we've been trying have been turning out, my confidence in the kitchen is getting a little better to the point where I'm creating my own dishes.  The thought of returning to work with Brad working shifts has been terrifying me.  Some days I will have to hand the kids all by myself, from dropping them off at my parents (or school eeek!) in the morning then picking them up at night, getting home and making dinner.  It has been very reassuring knowing that some of the new things I've found in the Best of Clean Eating cook book have been easy to make with things that I have on hand and have taken a fairly short amount of both prep and cooking time.  Maybe I can do this after all.  See?  There it is.  I have to stop telling myself now that I can't do it and I won't be able to do it and that it will be hell on earth.  It will be doable.  Many women do it every day.  Many of them single moms who have to do it all day, every day.  Because of this, I am eternally grateful I have a husband who is willing to help out when needed and to have my parents who would do anything for me and the kids.  Honestly, without my parents, the first three months of Piper's life...I don't think I would have made it through without them.

Tomorrow morning is boot camp and unofficial weigh in at home for my on line weight watchers and the bet I have going with Brad.  Wish me luck!




PointsPlus™ Tracker entries

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Morning
1  serving(s) Multigrain Cheerios
3
1  large banana(s)
0
3  cup(s) black coffee
0
Subtotal 3
Midday
Banana Chocolate Chip Whole Wheat pancakes - Quick-added food
7
1/2 large fresh apple(s)
0
1  cup(s) low-fat milk
3
Subtotal 10
Evening
1  cup(s) low-fat milk
3
5  slice(s) mixed-grain bread
8
1  Kim's Homemade Chili
5
Subtotal 16
Anytime
1  serving(s) 7 Saltines Salted
2
Subtotal 2
Food PointsPlus values total used 31
Food PointsPlus values remaining 0
Exercise
No entries for exercise.
Activity PointsPlus values earned 0
Check off these important items daily:
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Milk & Milk Products
   
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Multivitamin/Mineral
 
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