Catch-Up

I've been a bad blogger lately! Let's just say it's been a busy last few weeks with my son having surgery on his ear, a trip to Colorado, house guests, an out-of-town wedding, and getting ready to take my son to kindergarten! Life is settling back down a bit now and I'm thankful for it! Updates on those things: the wedding was beautiful and it was great to see family, house guests were fun to see, surgery went well and he's recovering beautifully so far, Colorado is gorgeous, and kindergarten started on Tuesday with no tears from me (the tears came Wednesday!)!

Since my son is in kindergarten all day, I've gone to the gym the last two mornings. It's been great! I've had lots of people ask me what I'll do with all of my time while he's in school. I'm the coordinator for my MOPS group, so that takes time, I have a house to clean and going to the gym will hopefully lead to a job someday as I'd love to work for Weight Watchers, but can't do that until I reach my goal! I do teach piano lessons, too, some evenings. I may go back to school after Christmas, but time will tell on that one. In other words, I'm plenty busy!

I've had some gains lately, but with going to the gym and getting back to tracking my daily points, I'm back to business this week and am sure I'll be seeing losses once again. Today is my 11th wedding anniversary and I'm *this close* to fitting into my dress. I hope this time next year that dress will be too big! I have some goals in my head that I may share later, for now just know that I'm refocused after a crazy summer!

Are you focused right now? What do you do to stay on track during crazy-busy times?

Overweight Can Snack Up On You!

Snacks. I love them and hate them at the same time. I need snacks to get me through my day, but don't always make the best choices. I often grab a mini Weight Watchers snack bar. While they're quite tasty, they don't fill me up and I usually end up eating something else, too. I've been trying lately to switch up my snacking to healthier choices that fill me up and stick with me. It so happens that this topic was what we talked about at my WW meeting yesterday, too. Yes, I went to WW on vacation, I've never missed a meeting since I joined! So what kinds of foods fill you up for longer and make good snacks? Anything that gives you energy and keeps hunger at bay such as:

• low-fat dairy
• eggs
• sliced lean deli meat
• Whole-grain breads
• whole-grain crackers
• whole-grain chips
• Fruit
• veggies
• fiber-filled cereals
• hummus

Healthy fats such as avacado, nuts, and peanut butter should be enjoyed in small amounts, but provide essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins and are great to pair with foods from the above list.

My new favorite snack is apple and peanut butter sandwiches. They fill me up, give me my peanut butter (I love PB!) and satisfy a sweet craving, too. Apples are full of fiber and peanut butter gives me protein, so this snack is sure to stick with me between meals without wanting anything else.




Knowing when to snack is another obstacle for some. I often crave something around 10AM and 3PM. Knowing this, I try to be prepared and don't let myself get past those times without a snack to avoid over-eating once I do get a snack or to the next meal. Being aware of when you usually need a snack is powerful knowledge that you can use to your advantage. Being prepared for those snack times will help you in your weight-loss goals. Keep in mind that food is fuel. It should be enjoyed, but not too much and make sure that whatever you're eating is worth it! You're worth it!

Weekly Weigh-in {August 2nd, 2011}

Starting Weight: 292
Last Week: 205.8
This Week: 202.8
Weekly Loss: -3 pounds
Total Loss: -89.2

Finally feel like I'm getting back on track! I lost three pounds this week. I'm on vacation in Colorado right now and am having a great time! Here are a few pictures of what we've seen so far:

 A thunderstorm coming over the mountains.

 From the top of Pikes Peak.

 Coming back down from Pikes Peak

 What does it mean?! Hahaha.... a double rainbow last night. Just beautiful!

Sunset last night after the little rain that caused the rainbow.