Friday Faves!

So. I have found that when you are changing up your eating style, exchanging junk for healthy does not have to be at the cost of flavor and fun. I think most people give up on their weight loss goals because they are eating bland foods, blah salads, and ZERO sweets. I declare: THAT IS NO GOOD! Honestly. Who can sustain a LIFESTYLE of such boringness. I can't.

I have decided to make Friday the day I post my favorites of the week. That way, you folks who follow can, too, add some pizzazz to your snack times. I will present at least two different favorites ranging from main dishes, side dishes, snacks, drinks...basically whatever I shove in my mouth that is SO YUM.

1. Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Light
That is the yummy beverage that my co-worker BFF and I are so happily sipping in the featured picture. She texted me last Friday raving about it. I was doubtful that something so yummy and low-cal could be SO delish. She offered to pick one up for me Monday and I died in my chair upon the first sip. Be sure to stop by Starbucks and get you one! SO YUM!

2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Frozen Pie
Let me just say that this is bacially a slice of graham cracker crusted HEAVEN. My co-worker BFF made for a dinner gathering she attended and was so gracious to save me a piece. I was really HATING Weight Watchers on Monday and that pie turned my day around. I will post the recipe later on. It can be found in the Weight Watchers Comfort Foods Cookbook. SO YUM!

Anyway, y'all have a SUPER FABULOUS weekend!

The Scale

The following post is something I wrote earlier this year regarding the dreaded scale and my feelings that still exist around my weekly weigh-ins. Enjoy!

I can empathize with the woman in this cartoon. As funny as it may seem, the scale and I have a hate/hate relationship. There is no love involved whatsoever. Have you ever dieted, worked out, went to bed feeling hunger pangs and just knew you were going to lose weight just to step on the scale and find that you gained 3 pounds? No? Well lucky you. This has happened to me pretty often during 2008. And it's SO infuriating. Makes you wanna leave that scale and eat a burger (which I did do a few times) because you feel like all your efforts just don't matter at all. So frustrating...and then I have a sister who works out with me twice a week, still eats fried chicken and loses weight like it's no big deal. But here I am working out 4-5 times a week and nothing budges and I don't even eat fried chicken!! Oh, the frustration.

One of my determinations for 2009 is to figure out what works best for my body and get this weight off. I've been on this journey since I was in 1st grade and I've definitely had my shortcomings but I am determined to continue this year. You would think after 24 years of living, I would've discovered the issue and lost this weight but unfortunately, it just hasn't been that easy for me.

I do thank God that I've never been a hermit because of my weight or had any extreme eating disorders. In fact, I think I always refused to be that typical "fat girl" who is bound by insecurity and fear and ends up being a loner and inactive. I've been determined to never be that. I have, however, battled those thoughts of not being pretty or attractive, feeling like I was always being judged, and I've always hated not being to wear all the things I want to wear. But a lot of that has been dealt with and I've rooted my identity in Christ as opposed to what the scale or the tag in my jeans says.

So I make a resolve to live healthfully. I have eliminated certain foods from my diet to do this. I will continue to work out 4-6 times a week. I am doing this to be healthy. I believe in time, the weight will come off (it better!). But I only have this one body and in order to do the Lord's will, I've got to take care of it. After all this is also the temple of the Holy Spirit and I want it to be a clean home -- spirit, soul and body.

And because weight and body issues have been a prevalent issue in my life, I'll probably be blogging more about this to come...in segments of my life and what was going on with that at the time. I think it'll give you all a deeper glimpse into who I am, how I've dealt with these issues, and how I'm being healed (in Jesus Name). I love y'all...thanks for reading.

A Weight Gain That Didn't Hurt Me

I would like to first off apologize for being so sporadic in my blog posts. August was SUPER eventful with moving and vacation leaving me without much opportunity to sit down and write a meaningful entry. I promise to not allow that to happen again.

Anyway, let's get to business. :)

Just got back from a very fun vacation this past Monday. I went to Seattle for a wedding I was in. I had not been to Seattle since I left last November so as the date got closer and closer, the more excited I got. And to be honest, I was looking forward to a break from work, family and this Texas heat. Life is great but sometimes you just cry out "Calgon, take me away!" Except I needed to physically fly away...even with my amazing bathtub, I needed something more than Mr. Bubbles.

Prior to my trip I planned to maintain my new Weight Watchers lifestyle. I was talking on the phone with my bestie Ammie, and I was like "oh, we must go here and eat this and then have this...oh and don't forget this." But the more I thought about it the more I realized that being on vacation DID NOT mean ditching my fitness and weight loss goals. Why would I want to go backwards? So...I planned out what "cheat foods" I would have and had devised a plan in HOW I could fit those foods in without going off the deep end. I left the day of my weigh in and returned the evening before my next, so the last thing I wanted to do was gain weight and regret indulging.

PLAN: I baked pumpkin and blueberry muffins for the trip. I brought oatmeal and popcorn along as well. I realized that having healthy snacks with me at all times would prevent me from having to reach for something unhealthy in the event of hunger. Since Starbucks is HUGE in Seattle, I figured muffins would be great so that I would not be tempted by all the goodies in the glass case. The blueberry muffin at Starbucks can contain up to 600 calories and 20 grams of fat!! No thanks!

I planned a couple hangouts with my friend Megan around working out at Gold's Gym. I knew that if I fit in a couple of workouts where I had time, that would allow me to eat more. More psychologically than anything...I would be so guilt ridden had I not taken my butt to the gym. And then I felt like I earned the right to eat too. Hey we all have our issues...and that's one of mine right now. :)

FOODS I ATE: I'm just gonna list all the foods I ate that I normally would not eat but made the exception since I was on vacay.
Wednesday Lunch: Bruschetta, Crabcake Sandwich, Sweet Potato Fries, Coconut Cake
Rehearsal Dinner: 1/4 burger
Breakfast Morning of Wedding: 6 slices of bacon (eek), eggs (more than 2 - eek), peach cobbler a la mode (a ala fat!).
Reception Dinner: Tortilini, Alfredo Sauce, Roll, Butter, Wedding Cake
Saturday Lunch: Mac Salad with my Hawaii BBQ
Sunday: Enchiladas, Tortilla Chips, Strawberry Shortcake, Zeek's Pizza (all veggies)

So I look at some of those foods and I think "whoa". But what I pat myself on the back for the fact that I ate some of those foods in small portions. (With the exception of the wedding day breakfast...I couldn't help it y'all. haha. That gluttonous beast in me reared her ugly face that morning in the midst of that southern breakfast. LOL) I still got to enjoy all the flavors but didn't gorge myself as I would have before. And it's funny because I would never have thought twice before eating those dishes before Weight Watchers. Now I can look at something and instantly think if the point value of that particular food is worth me consuming. Sometimes it's worth it...but often times it's not.

My Tuesday Weigh-in: I assumed I had gained. After all, look at the foods I'd had. But on the other hand, if there was a loss I wouldn't have been surprised either because all in all, I made good choices and worked out. Weight Watchers does not restrict WHAT you eat. Weight Watchers assigns points to every food which gives you the freedom to choose whatever it is you want to eat and be accountable for that choice.

I hopped up on the scale and asked the lady behind the counter how bad it was. She responded and said that it looked like I was the same. I tell you, normally I would be upset and frustrated but this time I was relieved. I had actually gained point 4. So not even half a pound! Yay...and really that gain was worth the allowances I made on vacation. I'm proud for allowing myself to be flexible and enjoy some goodies without being a glutton and also for fitting in some physical activity. Not to mention getting my groove on at the reception. LOL.

Well that was my week in a nutshell! Now that I'm back from vacation, I'm back to healthy choices and it feels good.