-14.6 lbs... After 9 weeks on plan ..current weight 286.8

Alright, Alright, Alright!!!!

I am only .4 lbs away from my 15% ...that is always your first Weight Watchers goal and I will add that is point four pounds, less than 1/2 a pound :)  I am excited to be almost 1/2 way to 30%, I feel like I am making great strides and doing it in a way that I can live with and keep it off.

So, as you may have guessed I didn't get to weigh in before my NASCAR weekend but all's well that ends well.  Let me tell you about our menu and how we survived the weekend.  First, we rented a pop up to keep us out of the elements...it was really cold in the mornings. Second, we prepared ahead...crock pots are a wonderful tool in the kitchen.  I made the Hungry Girls Slow cooking BBQ chicken in one and a yummy lean Chili in another.  We took some turkey dogs and light buns, and sandwich thins.  I also made some cole slaw and tuna (for sandwiches) ahead of time.    For snacks we took some granola bars and some fresh fruit. So we were able to have pretty good variety all week end with BBQ sandwiches ...chili dogs a side of slaw with either ....or just a bowl of chili and it was all yummy.  Now I will add that I also made another batch of Steel Cut Oats in the crock pot at home which was not nearly as yummy as the first batch which was pumpkin oatmeal.  But, it was warm and got my belly full to start the day.

I haven't felt well this week.  I missed one day of work and have not made it to Aqua all week.  I am hoping that I can get back on track this week and get some time in the pool as I know that the next couple of weeks I will probably not be able too as I am having surgery on Friday.  A bi-lateral hernia surgery, I am very anxious to get this behind me so I can start healing.

So, with all of that being said I am going crazy trying to think about Christmas and the fact that Thanksgiving is only a week from Thursday.  Good news!  With both of the guys in my house also following the Weight Watchers plan I'm not getting a lot of flack about Thanksgiving.  Now, that being said the "family" may not be as supportive.  My Dad usually deep frys the Turkey ...so this year I will be making a baked Turkey at my house so that we have options.  Not sure about the rest of the menu just yet but the good news is that I know I can make it work.

Did you know that the average American consumes 4,500 calories for one meal on Thanksgiving Day?  How insane is that?  You would have to run 30-40 miles in order to work off those calories...Check out these numbers on running and calorie burn that I found:

This table sets out calories burned by 140 and 195 pound people who run for one hour:

Running 5.0 miles per hour (12.0 minute mile) 508 708
Running 5.2 miles per hour (11.5 minute mile) 572 797
Running 6.0 miles per hour (10.0 minute mile) 636 885
Running 6.7 miles per hour (9.0 minute mile) 699 974
Running 7.0 miles per hour (8.5 minute mile) 731 1018
Running 7.5 miles per hour (8.0 minute mile) 795 1107
Running 8.0 miles per hour (7.5 minute mile) 858 1195
Running 8.6 miles per hour (7.0 minute mile) 890 1239
Running 9.0 miles per hour (6.5 minute mile) 953 1328
Running 10 miles per hour (6.0 minute mile) 1017 1416
Running 10.9 miles per hour (5.5 minute mile) 1144 1594


Now that is all great for runners but for a big girl who still weighs in at well over 275 the likelihood that I will do any running on Turkey Day is slim to none!  My goal is to at least go for a nice walk and if I make better choices I won't have to worry about 4500 calories.

I will continue to share some more recipes with you all and I hope that you will continue to explore the healthy options that are out there for your family.

So, we'll be talking more about Thanksgiving next week but until then I leave you with this thought :

I will not gobble till I wobble...

Y'all have a great week!

Friday 11-5-10 290.2 lbs. -11.2 on Weight Watchers

Okay, so I had a bit of a crazy week, but I always say "better late than never"...this coming from "Tardy Tanya" as have named myself in the past.  I had a great last week.  And, I did indeed weigh in  2.6 lbs less than the previous week putting me at 290.2 lbs...it feels awesome to be sneaking away from the 300 lb. mark yet again.  I do feel a different attitude this time, I know that I am being very intentional to make this change in my eating and in my activity level.

So, last week was great... and then Halloween started approaching and with obligations to church, family and home I let the weekend slip away from me.  I am sorry that I didn't get to give y'all an update until now.  We have a busy weekend ahead with the NASCAR boys being at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. I am anxious for next weeks update already so I can tell you how we tailgated and still stayed on plan! That being said, I am going to miss my Saturday morning meeting and so I will be weighing in a day early (if I can make it work today) so I wanted to touch base with you guys first.

I have continued to do the Aqua classes at 24 hour fitness and those are amazing!  I feel so much better ...you can't imagine how great it feels to be more than 10 lbs lighter in 8 weeks unless you've been there and I'm sure that many of you have been.  It's incredible...I can already tell in my clothes significantly!  My work clothes especially my slacks and blouses...just the fact that most are not to little but they look so much better the way they hang.  My feet and ankles can feel the difference and I'm able to stay on them longer when shopping for groceries or even just cooking dinner.  I know this sounds crazy for some of you but yes, cooking dinner is a chore for a fat girl.  Let me tell you ...even though I sit all day and maybe because I sit all day when I get home the thought of standing up to cook dinner exhausts me.  Welcome Hungry Girl 1-2-3
...

My new cookbook is continuing to be a lifesaver.  Not only because of the low calorie ideas but most of the recipes are quick easy fixes.  So what used to take me an hour takes 30 minutes or less and what I used to dread, I actually get excited about....Every night I'm thinking ...Okay now what are we going to have tonight. 
So this week we've tried a couple of new recipes (and remade some of the previously mentioned).  One of them was Pretzel covered Honey Mustard Chicken Strips ( I think that was the name), and Too Easy Mac and Cheese.  Both were yummy...the chicken took  a little more prep work but it was tasty and it's always nice to have something new!

Surviving the Halloween candy?  Yes, let me tell you how I did it....1. I bought treats that I could resist ( a Huge bucket of Double Bubble).  2. At the end of the evening I sent the leftovers home with my nephew who is 4 and loves gum...his daddy will put it up and ration it out to him. 3. I avoided it...for me this is relatively easy because I'm not really a sweets person.  I'd rather eat a whole casserole dish full of lasagna.  (unless we're talking banana pudding) But, candy....not so much...sure I love tootsie rolls, kit cats, milky ways....but that has never been my weakness. 4. I made healthy treats for us at home that made a great substitute.  Pumpkin brownies, chilla n vanilla milkshakes, and it was great...nobody had to feel deprived of sweet or chocolate we just had a healthier option. 

I will update on the events of this week soon.  I will try to do that on Sunday evening but it may be Monday or Tuesday.

Until then y'all have a great week!  And remember this....

Live like no one else so later you can live like no one else! 

--Dave Ramsey

 

....now when Dave said this he was talking about the way you spend money...but think about it ...it really can apply to food as well. I'm thinking of it like this ....If I make better choices today to eat healthy then later I can live to a ripe old age!

Blessings,

Tanya