I Wimped Out

After five days in Vegas and three days at home, I just couldn't bring myself to step on the scale Friday evening at my WW meeting. I knew what the scale here at home said, and I knew I wouldn't like what the "official" WW scale had to say. So, I opted out, but still attended the meeting at least...

And did you know I joined a gym??? Cole thinks it's a waste of money, but I really feel like I'm in the right frame of mind to make it stick. I've been twice since they opened the 24 Hour Fitness down close to us and since we've been home from Vegas. And tomorrow night I'm going to my first class. So far I've just done some cardio and played around on a few weight machines. I like this gym so far because it's not full of hard-bodied men staring at themselves in the mirrors or cute little blondes in full make-up. It's real people. Just trying to burn some calories and improve their health, like me... or maybe they simply wanna become the hottie they know that can be, like me... hehe

Friday evening we're going to see Jerry Seinfeld, so I'll have to go to an early WWW meeting. That means the plan for this week is lots of water, a couple of workouts and keeping my eye on my fork.

Home Sweet Home

We got back from Vegas Monday afternoon. We had a blast, the wedding was very nice, and we're very glad to be home.

See pics here. I'll also share a link to Cole's pics whenever he gets those posted. His are always a bit different than mine, even though we take them in almost the exact same spot.

From what I can tell, I gained about two pounds in Vegas... darn it!!! I won't know officially until tomorrow evening at my regular weigh in though. Two pounds is not too horrible. And my guess is that it's probably water weight as much as anything. We did a good bit of walking, and I tried to make good choices while we were there. It's just hard to be a perfect dieter on vacation. Have you seen the buffets in Vegas?!?! Luckily, we only ate at one of those...

Flavored Water

Getting in enough water every day is tough. By the fourth or fifth glass each day, it's just boring. I'd rather just have a diet dr pepper each hour on the hour, but that's not good for anybody, or any body.

I've decided that if I can get some flavored water into the mix, I'd be more likely to drink enough each day. So one of the last times that I was at our friendly, local HEB, I grabbed several flavored waters to give them a side-by-side taste test.

Of the four that I tried from this shopping trip, two I would rank at the top; one I might try again in a different flavor; and one I would suggest they go back and start completely from scratch on the recipe.

• Fruit2-0. (For this afternoon of testing, I had the strawberry version.) This is one of my top two. It comes in several flavors. Zero calories and light flavor. Not too much of an aftertaste. Sweetened with Splenda.
• Dasani. (Raspberry tested this round.) This is another of my faves. The flavor is very light and there is no aftertaste here either. Sweetened with Splenda.
  
• Clear Fruit Lite. (Strawberry/watermelon.) Okay, wayyyyy too sweet. If they could take the flavor and sweetness down a couple of notches, I would probably try it again. (Just to be fair, I couldn't find a web site for them.)
• 02Go. (Cranberry.) Do not buy this one. This is one of those waters with extra oxygen somehow stirred in. Not to be gross and graphic, but my first sip almost came out of my nose. It tasted -- well, and felt -- like a beverage that used to be carbonated and had gone flat. The flavor was more bitter than sweet. I tried another sip, just to make sure I was giving it a fair share, and I just couldn't stomach it. That bottle was a dollar down the drain.

Just a couple of notes from the manager of the research kitchen (me): I didn't buy any of the bottles of flavored water on the aisle that were more than $1 each. And there are plenty of those to choose from. I wanted to test all like flavors, and buy all four bottles in lime or raspberry or grape, but it just wasn't possible.

I'll definitely let you know when I find another brand/flavor to add to the mix of favorites.

The Bathroom Scale is Your Friend

This news made me very happy today, since this is something I do every day: Stepping on the scale is GOOD for weight loss. Many people say not to weigh yourself daily, that you'll simply drive yourself crazy, focusing too much on the numbers. With my OCD, I've always done it.

But this study says that taking notice of the numbers each day will give you focus. If you wake up one morning two pounds heavier than you'd like, you can adjust your diet, water intake and exercise for a couple of days and take care of it. But by weighing each day, you know.

"'If you do this every day as part of your usual routine, you will notice any weight gain and be able to take early action, rather than getting a wake-up call after you've gained 5 [pounds] or 10 pounds,' said Dr. George L. Blackburn, S. Daniel Abraham associate professor of nutrition and associate director of nutrition at Harvard Medical School."

(Editor's note: Again, those are not my feet.)

Word of the Day: Normal

Finally, after 12 months, two trips to the lab, four phone calls and 20 pounds, Kimberly called today and let me know that the retest of my liver function was "normal."

We hear it all the time, experts say that losing 10 percent of your body weight can drastically improve your health in many ways... it lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk for certain cancers and diabetes, and other good things. But in my mind now, this is documented, scientific proof that losing a few pounds made a difference in my health. My "fatty liver," as Dr. Schneider called it, is gone, better, fixed -- however you want to label it.

So I know/hope this will be great motivation for continuing to eat well and getting my butt some regular exercise, but the challenge will be keeping the guilt away when I have a piece of cake or glass of wine. As long as the good and healthy outweigh the indulgent and gooey, I think it'll be just fine...

Trumped!

Well, how is a girl supposed to follow that?!?! Thank you, sweetie, for two crazy, fun, funny, generous, loving, tearful, joyful, enjoyable, adventurous, great years. I do love you!!!

Happy Birthday, Honey!

Today is Cole's birthday. I'll let him tell you how many he is, but he is taking it much better than I did... five years ago!!!

I weighed in earlier today, two pounds lighter than I was last week, for a total loss now of 14.2 pounds. "Not too shabby," as Cole would say.

So, tonight for his birthday dinner, we ate like four-year-olds: chicken nuggets (the first thing I ever remember actually frying in my whole life), macaroni and cheese, and birthday cake. Luckily we don't eat like that every day, but it's not every day that we celebrate Cole's arrival on this earth either.

How long will the house smell like a convenience store full of fried food???

I Don't Like Peaches

But I think I could down a serving of Wom Kim Peach Pudding from Hyde Park Bar and Grill at least once a day for the rest of my life. This is not pudding mind you, it's a vanilla cake with peach slices at the bottom (think upsidedown pineapple upsidedown cake, but with peaches). A slice of this warm cake is served in a puddle of sweet cream. The more the cake soaks up the cream, the more the consistency changes to feel like the "pudding" from the name.

Now, I don't know who Wom Kim is, but he did a great job on this one!!!

Mom and Dannie took Cole and me out to dinner this evening for our "birthday slash anniversary slash birthday" as Dannie said. Mom, Dannie and I split an order of the every-crumb-is-perfect peach pudding, and Cole had some 1886 chocolate fudge brownie cake thing that looked soft and gooey enough that it probably didn't even need to be chewed.

After dinner, we were heading to the vehicles to get our birthday goodies from Mom's car. Mom and Dannie decided to drive over to the area in the parking lot where Cole and I were parked so that Dannie could check out Cole's new truck. As Cole and I walked closer to the truck, we noticed something on his driver's side window. Was it bird poop? Was it ice cream from the Amy's across the street? Even more random than that: It was a bright pink splatter from a paintball. All. Over. The truck. Luckily, it washed off very easily... but the pink was very pretty up against the solid black.

UPDATE: Find the full recipe here.

My Favorite Seven Points

Well, I stuck to my plan this weekend. My plan of no plan. I didn't eat like a crazed woman, but I didn't count a single point either.

Pecan pie? I had a piece, but not the whole thing.

Fresh ribs that Randy smoked? I had four, but not the whole rack. (Yummy!)

Puffy tacos, refried beans and rice at El Chaparral in Helotes? Oh yes, but I only ate half of what was on my plate.

But today was a whole new day. I counted points, drank my water and will really focus for the next couple of weeks before going to Vegas. I will be so happy to drop below zero (meaning going from, say, 150 to 149). And I'll do that in just four more pounds. That's always a boost!!!

I ate 25 points worth of food today, my favorite of which was at dinner. Cole's famous grilled cheese sandwich!!! Yes, it's bread, cheese and butter, but I can't get them perfectly golden brown and warm (but not hot) like he can. I guess I cook them too fast, and I normally end up tearing or otherwise mangling the bread. Somehow, Cole's version of a grilled cheese sandwich always turns out to be the stuff of what I would imagine would be a food stylist's dream.

I should have taken a picture of it to post, but I couldn't waste a single moment of enjoying every warm, delicious bite.