Ok, so today marks the end of week 2.
Here is where I am at:
WEEK 2:
HOUSE:
House was updated yesterday, so nothing new to report there. We have had a busy busy week, so mainly we are trying to catch up on laundry and keeping the status quo that was created on Sunday, which is nice!
GOD:
Still need work on this one. I decided today to spend some time downloading some prayers, etc onto my cell phone so that I can follow along during my commute. This will help fulfill this goal!
SELF:
LOSE- EEEEEEE! So excited! Today I weighed and I lost 2 more pounds! What does that mean? That I have hit my goal of 5 pounds for March! If I lose nothing more this month and simply maintain that, I will be SO happy! Also, found a new breakfast that is yummy and only 4 points (Ok, it's not new, I have been eating them for years, I just didn't realize how low in points it is!). What is it, you ask? I call it a Firehouse Pizza (because I learned it from my fiance who's dad was a fireman and he learned it from him.) It is an English Muffin, toasted and topped with tomatoes and low fat cheese. YUUUUM-E!
A little side note about English Muffins. I bought the Thomas's "lite" English Muffins, which are packed with fiber. I did so thinking that the points would be lower than the regular, super yummy white ones. The points are the same. The "lite" ones are tasty, and a little doughey which I like, but they are not as good as the original ones. SO, next time I will just go with the originals! Why sacrifice taste if you don't have to. Also, the low fat cheese has almost no flavor. I will have to find something else, or just take the hit and go with regular cheese. It will still be only 5 or 6 points for breakfast, which is totally reasonable.
GAIN: Worked out twice this week. That is something, right? I need to start making more of a point of it. I like seeing credit for those activity points in my weight watchers tracker!
FOCUS: Big success in this category! I finished all school work for the week on Friday, so FREE WEEKEND! What a GREAT feeling that was! Working on the same for this week! WOO HOO!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
About Weight Watchers online
So, here is my opinion of WW online after ~2 weeks.
Mostly, I love it. Their new Points Plus system is great, and I love that I can eat fruit without sacrificing points (one of the issues I had with the old point system). The recipe builder function is great! There are a few changes to that I would make, but all in all I LOVE that I can take any recipe I want, plug it in and know how many points it is. Additionally, the system saves it for me, so I don't have to waste paper printing it out or space saving it. I have started adding my favorite recipes here and there so that I can eventually have them all in the database.
I also love, love LOVE that I can track points from my phone! This makes it so much easier to keep up! I can do it while I sit and wait for my lunch to heat up, or at an appointment in the waiting room, etc. Having it online is SO much easier. No writing things down, no calculating the points myself! It's more accurate, cheaper and better.
NO MEETINGS!!! I LOVE this aspect. I HATED meetings! I hated going, and I hated paying so much each week. The online works out to about $5 a week, which is 1/2-1/3 less than going to those meetings, and I don't have to go sit with other people and talk about how fat we all are.
(caveat- I know that MANY people love the meetings, and get a lot of help and inspiration from them. I am glad for this. It just isn't for me. I have a lot of shame associated with my need to lose weight, and it is lessened if I don't have to talk about it to others. I didn't tell anyone but my finace (and now you, of course) about my 3 pound loss. I have only told 3 or 4 people that I am even on Weight Watchers. SO, hopefully that will help you understand why I hate the meetings. If meetings fill a need for you, I am glad. For me, they add anxiety and shame to a situation that already has enough of both!)
So, just in case someone at Weight Watchers is reading this and needs some pointers, here is what I think are the cons:
1- No Meal Planner- Before the new PointsPlus sytem, there used to be a tool on their website where you could plan out your meals weeks in advance. I LOVE this. It really helps me stick to my diet. If I know what I am eating, I don't have to stand in front of the fridge, or run through the drive through, etc. I can make sure I don't use too many points during the day so I have enough for dinner, etc.
I wrote them and asked why they took it away. They said it was because of the Points Plus system. I have NO CLUE what one has to do with the other, but I would love them, and hug them, and name them George if they would figure out a way to put it back.
2- They have many articles on their site about weight loss, healthy meals, etc. This is NOT a con. This is a PRO! However, often times they will have recipes in these articles. Most of the time, these recipes do not have the points per serving value included, and they are almost NEVER in the recipes section of the website. This means that if I want to use this recipe, I have to retype everything from one area of their website to another area of their website just to know how many points it is, or to make sure it is available to me at a later date when the article may have been archived. I wrote them about this too. I suggested that they input the recipes before they post the article. I have not received a response on that one.
3- The mobile site (for access on phones) does not allow you to add foods that are not in the database. Therefore, if I eat something and want to track it but it's not in their tracker, I have to remember to go back later and do it when I am at a PC. Also, you can't track your weight. So, if I am not near a PC on my weight entry day, I have to wait until I am. I am not sure how/if this can be added, but it would be super if they could do that!
So far, that is all I have in the way of beefs with this program. The price is great, the resources are top notch (with the eception of the above listed), and it has really helped me stick to it!
Mostly, I love it. Their new Points Plus system is great, and I love that I can eat fruit without sacrificing points (one of the issues I had with the old point system). The recipe builder function is great! There are a few changes to that I would make, but all in all I LOVE that I can take any recipe I want, plug it in and know how many points it is. Additionally, the system saves it for me, so I don't have to waste paper printing it out or space saving it. I have started adding my favorite recipes here and there so that I can eventually have them all in the database.
I also love, love LOVE that I can track points from my phone! This makes it so much easier to keep up! I can do it while I sit and wait for my lunch to heat up, or at an appointment in the waiting room, etc. Having it online is SO much easier. No writing things down, no calculating the points myself! It's more accurate, cheaper and better.
NO MEETINGS!!! I LOVE this aspect. I HATED meetings! I hated going, and I hated paying so much each week. The online works out to about $5 a week, which is 1/2-1/3 less than going to those meetings, and I don't have to go sit with other people and talk about how fat we all are.
(caveat- I know that MANY people love the meetings, and get a lot of help and inspiration from them. I am glad for this. It just isn't for me. I have a lot of shame associated with my need to lose weight, and it is lessened if I don't have to talk about it to others. I didn't tell anyone but my finace (and now you, of course) about my 3 pound loss. I have only told 3 or 4 people that I am even on Weight Watchers. SO, hopefully that will help you understand why I hate the meetings. If meetings fill a need for you, I am glad. For me, they add anxiety and shame to a situation that already has enough of both!)
So, just in case someone at Weight Watchers is reading this and needs some pointers, here is what I think are the cons:
1- No Meal Planner- Before the new PointsPlus sytem, there used to be a tool on their website where you could plan out your meals weeks in advance. I LOVE this. It really helps me stick to my diet. If I know what I am eating, I don't have to stand in front of the fridge, or run through the drive through, etc. I can make sure I don't use too many points during the day so I have enough for dinner, etc.
I wrote them and asked why they took it away. They said it was because of the Points Plus system. I have NO CLUE what one has to do with the other, but I would love them, and hug them, and name them George if they would figure out a way to put it back.
2- They have many articles on their site about weight loss, healthy meals, etc. This is NOT a con. This is a PRO! However, often times they will have recipes in these articles. Most of the time, these recipes do not have the points per serving value included, and they are almost NEVER in the recipes section of the website. This means that if I want to use this recipe, I have to retype everything from one area of their website to another area of their website just to know how many points it is, or to make sure it is available to me at a later date when the article may have been archived. I wrote them about this too. I suggested that they input the recipes before they post the article. I have not received a response on that one.
3- The mobile site (for access on phones) does not allow you to add foods that are not in the database. Therefore, if I eat something and want to track it but it's not in their tracker, I have to remember to go back later and do it when I am at a PC. Also, you can't track your weight. So, if I am not near a PC on my weight entry day, I have to wait until I am. I am not sure how/if this can be added, but it would be super if they could do that!
So far, that is all I have in the way of beefs with this program. The price is great, the resources are top notch (with the eception of the above listed), and it has really helped me stick to it!
Introduction and Week One update!
This blog was created for just me, but you can feel free to read it if you want! I created it to journal my progress on my Lenten Promise. I made this promise for Lent, but plan to keep it going after Lent.
My reason for this journal is threefold:
1- If I write a journal, I have less chance of cheating
2- If I hit a plateau, perhaps reviewing my older posts will help give me ideas as to how to change things up, etc to be more successful
3- If I am in need of motivation, I can review my posts from 'good' days and hopefully get motivated!
I started this journey as part of my Lenten promise to work on self improvement. The past year or so has not been the best for me (especially mentally) and I feel I am starting to come out of the funk/haze. As I am coming out of it, I realize that 3 things in my life have been SEVERELY ignored by me. First, is my relationship with my house. It is a MESS. Disorganized, cluttered, and just generally needs a good overhaul. Second, is my relationship with myself. I have been treating myself very poorly. I haven't exercised, I haven't eaten right, I have been drinking too much, and many other "treat yourself well" things have gone by the wayside. Third is my relationship with God. I haven't been to Church regularly in over a year, I haven't prayed daily in longer than that.
So, I am working on all of those things. I have 'promised' this Lent to spend 20 minutes a day on House, Self, and God. One of the 'Self" categories is that I joined Weight Watchers online. I guess this could also be considered in the 'House' category as watching my food intake has made me change my dinner habits. I cook instead of eating out, which is healthier for my family and also ensures that my dishes get done more regularly (can't cook in a messy kitchen).
All of this started (of course) on Ash Wednesday. Tomorrow marks the second full week finished. I will tell you where I am officially tomorrow, but today I will catch you up on week one.
WEEK 1:
HOUSE: This was going VERY poorly in week one. It was difficult to get motivated as there is SO much to do! So, I owed God a LOT of time! I have been trying to make up for it, and spent 2 hours on Sunday doing 20 minutes in each room of the house. Where am I now? My house is split into 3 levels, so I will go by that.
MIDDLE:
Kitchen- somewhat clean, still needs organization, but is MUCH BETTER
TV Room: Dusted, picked up and floors cleaned! This was a BIG achievement, and I am proud of it!
UPSTAIRS:
Bedrooms- clean! (need floors done and dusting this week)
Bathroom- CLEAN and Organized!
DOWNSTAIRS:
Guest room- an absolute MESS. (this one is going to be my Achiles heel, as it has been my catch all for EVERYTHING for over a year.)
Bathroom- clean! Needs some organization. My daughter uses this bathroom and she has too much STUFF. So I need to get in there and help her figure out what to do.
Dining room- Rabbits cage cleaned (a 10 minute job) still needs work otherwise.
GOD: Ok, so I have to be honest, this still needs work. I am still not in the habit of praying everyday, and God's 20 minutes daily has been more like an average of 5.
SELF: I have 3 goals with this one... 1- LOSE: (fat) Eat Right/Lose 55 pounds, 2- GAIN: (weight) Exercise 20 minutes per day, and 3- FOCUS- stay caught up on homework during the week so I can play on the weekends (during the summer, this will change to reading everyday, so I can get caught up on all the books I want to read)
For week 1, here is how I did:
LOSE: The first week I lost 3 pounds!!! WOO HOO! It feels SO good to say that! I had an undiagnosed thyroid problem for 3 years, and no matter what I did I couldn't lose weight. In fact, most of the time, I gained it! That is where 45 of the 55 pounds I need to lose came from! So, to actually work at something and see the scale go DOWN is priceless. I have given myself a realistic goal of 5 pounds per month. This should have me back to where I was when I started gaining by Christmas. That would be a Christmas Miracle worth working toward! SO, if you are doing the math, I was more than half way to my March goal by mid-month! This is AWESOME!
GAIN: this category + me = SUCKO.
I didn't even work out ONCE during week 1. This particular one is going to be harder than I thought. My commute is one hour each way, so morning workouts are out of the question for now, as I am NOT a morning person, and I have a very hard time getting up before the sun. By the time I get home and get dinner, etc I just want to veg. So, I definitely need to work on that!
All and all, I think I am doing ok. definitely room for improvement, but I am trying to make a lot of changes, so any progress is good progress I think...
If you happen to be reading this, and want to make a comment (positive, negative, encouraging, etc) please feel free. I welcome the feedback!
My reason for this journal is threefold:
1- If I write a journal, I have less chance of cheating
2- If I hit a plateau, perhaps reviewing my older posts will help give me ideas as to how to change things up, etc to be more successful
3- If I am in need of motivation, I can review my posts from 'good' days and hopefully get motivated!
I started this journey as part of my Lenten promise to work on self improvement. The past year or so has not been the best for me (especially mentally) and I feel I am starting to come out of the funk/haze. As I am coming out of it, I realize that 3 things in my life have been SEVERELY ignored by me. First, is my relationship with my house. It is a MESS. Disorganized, cluttered, and just generally needs a good overhaul. Second, is my relationship with myself. I have been treating myself very poorly. I haven't exercised, I haven't eaten right, I have been drinking too much, and many other "treat yourself well" things have gone by the wayside. Third is my relationship with God. I haven't been to Church regularly in over a year, I haven't prayed daily in longer than that.
So, I am working on all of those things. I have 'promised' this Lent to spend 20 minutes a day on House, Self, and God. One of the 'Self" categories is that I joined Weight Watchers online. I guess this could also be considered in the 'House' category as watching my food intake has made me change my dinner habits. I cook instead of eating out, which is healthier for my family and also ensures that my dishes get done more regularly (can't cook in a messy kitchen).
All of this started (of course) on Ash Wednesday. Tomorrow marks the second full week finished. I will tell you where I am officially tomorrow, but today I will catch you up on week one.
WEEK 1:
HOUSE: This was going VERY poorly in week one. It was difficult to get motivated as there is SO much to do! So, I owed God a LOT of time! I have been trying to make up for it, and spent 2 hours on Sunday doing 20 minutes in each room of the house. Where am I now? My house is split into 3 levels, so I will go by that.
MIDDLE:
Kitchen- somewhat clean, still needs organization, but is MUCH BETTER
TV Room: Dusted, picked up and floors cleaned! This was a BIG achievement, and I am proud of it!
UPSTAIRS:
Bedrooms- clean! (need floors done and dusting this week)
Bathroom- CLEAN and Organized!
DOWNSTAIRS:
Guest room- an absolute MESS. (this one is going to be my Achiles heel, as it has been my catch all for EVERYTHING for over a year.)
Bathroom- clean! Needs some organization. My daughter uses this bathroom and she has too much STUFF. So I need to get in there and help her figure out what to do.
Dining room- Rabbits cage cleaned (a 10 minute job) still needs work otherwise.
GOD: Ok, so I have to be honest, this still needs work. I am still not in the habit of praying everyday, and God's 20 minutes daily has been more like an average of 5.
SELF: I have 3 goals with this one... 1- LOSE: (fat) Eat Right/Lose 55 pounds, 2- GAIN: (weight) Exercise 20 minutes per day, and 3- FOCUS- stay caught up on homework during the week so I can play on the weekends (during the summer, this will change to reading everyday, so I can get caught up on all the books I want to read)
For week 1, here is how I did:
LOSE: The first week I lost 3 pounds!!! WOO HOO! It feels SO good to say that! I had an undiagnosed thyroid problem for 3 years, and no matter what I did I couldn't lose weight. In fact, most of the time, I gained it! That is where 45 of the 55 pounds I need to lose came from! So, to actually work at something and see the scale go DOWN is priceless. I have given myself a realistic goal of 5 pounds per month. This should have me back to where I was when I started gaining by Christmas. That would be a Christmas Miracle worth working toward! SO, if you are doing the math, I was more than half way to my March goal by mid-month! This is AWESOME!
GAIN: this category + me = SUCKO.
I didn't even work out ONCE during week 1. This particular one is going to be harder than I thought. My commute is one hour each way, so morning workouts are out of the question for now, as I am NOT a morning person, and I have a very hard time getting up before the sun. By the time I get home and get dinner, etc I just want to veg. So, I definitely need to work on that!
All and all, I think I am doing ok. definitely room for improvement, but I am trying to make a lot of changes, so any progress is good progress I think...
If you happen to be reading this, and want to make a comment (positive, negative, encouraging, etc) please feel free. I welcome the feedback!
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