Good weigh in last Thursday - lost 5 whole pounds. I'm sure lots of it was water weight but still I had to pat myself on the back. I did pretty good on the diet plan. Keeping the Points down below or just at the 29 mark. I have been trying to plan ahead at least for the next meal. That's ahead right... I don't feel the loss yet though. When my tummy feels smaller then I'll know I am doing good. I played the yo-yo game for a long time with the scales and they became my enemy. Now I use them but with caution.

I love potatos and was grilling steak so pototos are perfect. Wanting something different I came up with this recipe. I used 3 potatos and it made more than 3 servings. I modified the recipe so that I can count it on my Weight Watchers Points Plus for one person.

Three Cheese Potato Bake

1 potato baked
1 slice bacon
2 t sour cream plus
2 t shredded cheese plus 1 t
2 t parmesan cheese plus 1 t
2 t cream cheese
1 t butter plus 1 t
1/4 c milk
bread crumbs from 1/2 slice of bread

Mix all ingredients well and place in a ramekin or small casserole dish. Mix the extra cheese and 1 t of butter and crumble on top. Crumble bread on top. Bake 350 for 20-25 m.

It was delicious with the steak and steamed cabbage.

Weekend

I had a relatively good weekend in the food category. Stayed on trak pretty much. My biggest problem is in the preparation and planning ahead and following through on said plan. Fridays and weekends always presents a challenge when mealtime comes around.

I ended up with scrambled eggs on Friday night because I was running so much I failed to plan my meal and ran out of time. Didn't get those eggs till 7:30 either. Saturday - busy busy - but bought and cooked some tuna steaks. Never grilled asparagus before but it turned out so good. Greased the asparagus with some olive oil and salt. Easy. Who doesn't like rice-a-roni? I love it and it went well with the tuna and asparagus. I can't say how good I did without saying that I had my downfalls. I had a whole double chocolate cream cake in the freezer from a few weeks back. It had to come out of the freezer so food could go in and of course the cake HAD to be cut. It was so yummy and rich. Really like a devils food cake. I also ate a package of raisinettes - love that chocolate all over those raisins. Half of that snak was healthy - huh. Even though I ate foods I shouldn't have I still came in OK on the Plan.

For the tuna - melted butter, fresh basil, lemon zest and juice from a half lemon and a tea. of chopped garlic. Mixed the herbs and juice and let the butter cool and rubbed on steaks.

All in all snacks included I stayed on trak with WW Points Plus progam going over only slightly with that chocolate cake.

Stress is better this week so far.

Expecting rain later in the week and that makes me happy.

Changes

I started the Online Weight Watchers yesterday. I've been thinking about this for a while. I don't really need to eat so much less food but better choices. I have a habit of eating at my desk throughout the day. Munching on pretzels usually. They really are a good choice for snack foods since they are so low in fat and contain no sugars. I did the WW program many years ago when we were given little books to chart our progress and foods. I read the founders true story when it first came out and was inspired. The program is really the healthiest weight loss program I have ever used. My desire with choosing to join again is to make me more aware of my choices and how much I am consuming. It will definately make me more aware in the evening time. Normally I choose not to cook and so I munch. I hate cooking for one and cleaning up after myself. But I am making this effort to change some of these bad habits.

What I intend to change - evening and night time munching. I am going to prepare ahead of time on what I plan to eat. I will plan ahead on snack foods also. I will eat breakfast - a meal I usually skip. I am thinking about planning some exercise - back to walking - but it is enormously hot. I need to think about getting my butt out of bed early in the morn and walk. Have to think about for a while though...


I have found in the past that a little discipline leads to more discipline so I am putting effort into this. I want to feel better and that is my goal to shed a few pounds and to feel better. More energy. I physically feel drained lately. Not taking vitamins - so I need to get back to that. Taking one right now.

I'm also feeling stress. I'm not recovering from it fast enough before I face it again. Work has become stressful as I try to manage the demanding phone calls and keep myself on track. Lately more than once I have wanted to go off and cry somewhere all by myself. But I have been trying not to do that. The stress of work is bleeding into my personal life too.

I don't feel like doing anything garden related lately. It is so enormously hot. The gardens are drying up in the hot sun and dry conditions. After someone unhooked my garden hose I discover that it is broken now. Have to buy another hose and hope that I can save what hasn't burn up from the sun and drought. Walking from the car to the indoors requires a wash cloth to wipe away the sweat that breaks out so quickly. Conditions are simply miserable outside right now.

Gosh this post sounds so whiney but then I am whiney at the moment. It will pass though and I know it and that is the good thing.

Weight in June 16 - 155# Goal 135

I Caved

I caved last night and bought a pack of cigs. I had been doing good all week. Let me say I have smoked for 40 years. I am feeling like I am giving up a friend. I have to get my mind set again and rethink my strategy. I am not going to give up. I hate that I failed - I feel like a failure. This is hard to do.

Day One Progress

I am so proud of myself. Yesterday I did good with only 4 cigs for the whole day. Two of those were yesterday morning. Got to get new patches though. These that I bought from WM the Equate brand seem to come off after 12 hours. They are suppose to stay put for 24 hours. Plus I bought the wrong ones - I bought step 3 instead of step one. Yikes but its still working.

Not too concerned with what I'm eating right now. Just mindful.

I'm on my Way

OK. My goal at the end of last week was to prepare for stopping smoking. I have tried so many times and have had some degree of success. Quit once for 2 yrs and stupidly started back. As I am contemplating and preparing my mind for what I am about to accomplish I remind myself that I need to do something positive for myself in place of the cigarettes. I spotted a book/magazine from Prevention titled Walk Off Weight. While I can stand to lose some weight - losing weight is not my goal here. However being good to myself is important as I throw all of my efforts into leaving off something bad for me. Ok so this book will be encouraging - has lots of tips for getting healthy and exercise guides.

I purchased nicotine patch and nicotine gum and hard candy. I planned on putting on the patch on Sat while permitting myself to continue to smoke. What I noticed pretty quick was that I didn't even have craving. So I ended up cutting back on the amount I was smoking. Yeah.

This morning was to be the bid day of total abstinance. I realized yesterday that I had purchased the wrong patches. I bought for step 3. I need step one first. So I am wearing the patch and am giving myself permission to smoke only 4 or 5 today. I'll be getting the patch for step one.

While my focus is on stopping smoking and making sure I am successful my mind is thinking about making myself a healthier person and replacing the bad habit with some good ones.

I am shooting for a successful day!

It's a Struggle

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. John F. Kennedy

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (World Health Organization)

Why is it so hard to be good to yourself? I have good intentions but they falter. OK so good INTENTIONS are nothing without ACTION. I have all the tools I need. It is easy to do nothing. It is work to make changes and be good to yourself.

My routine needs to revamped. I need to turn off the TV and get busy. I watch a lot of TV since I live alone. Being alone lends itself to routine most times. OK. I've acknowledges this much.

My health is at stake here. I am heart attack waiting to happen. I feel the twinges in my heart sometime like and old engine trying to run with oil build up. Last night I lay in bed just hoping that I wasn't about to have a heart attack.

The thing I need to conquer most is to stop smoking these nasty cigarettes. I know what they are doing to me. I've quit before. I absolutely HAVE to stop.

I need to eat more nutriciously(sp). I eat whatever is fastest most times it is eggs. Eggs are alright but I need to eat other things. I need to plan. I have vitamins but I don't take them. I need to start taking them.

Alright my head is spinning with changes I need to make. One change will lead to another.

Confessing this here will make me more accountable I hope. Changes are a struggle sometime but I am going to work on what I have to do.