Lesson Learned

I'm not a drinker, and never really have been. Sure, I'll have a glass of wine with dinner a couple of times a year.

But when I think back to my college days hard enough -- one particular Friday night specifically -- I can distinctly remember the taste and smell of Hot Damn Cinnamon Schnapp's. Mixing it with 7-Up was like drinking liquid Red Hots. Good for a while, but I drank too much and it revisited me for two days if you know what I mean. For years I couldn't even smell the little candies because they reminded me of that weekend and the pink heat that I threw up throughout the weekend. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I'm happy to report it hasn't happened again.

This weekend, I learned another valuable lesson: The worse I eat, the worse I feel.

I know this. We all know this. But this weekend, mad at the scale Saturday morning after a two-pound gain, I went a little nuts. Fresh chocolate chip cookies. Fried chicken. French fries. And on top of all that, I was craving pasta. By Sunday afternoon, I was feeling it. Sluggish, bloated, tired, almost woozy. I had a couple of saltine crackers and vowed not to eat dinner, until Cole suggested a nice, cool salad and a bite of pasta to get it out of my system.

Boy, did that salad hit the spot. Crisp and cool lettuce, fresh Granny Smith apples, roma tomatoes, pecans. It was just what I needed to get past the carb-overload hump. I felt instantly better somehow. I had about six bites of pasta and was satisfied.

I need to remember how bad I feel when I eat poorly, and how well-fueled I feel when I lean toward the healthy side of the food pyramid. I love me some homemade chocolate chip cookies, but I'm afraid they're inching up the list of icky foods in my mind. Not quite up there with cinnamon Schnapp's, but this weekend, they came close.

Today's points:

Breakfast: muffin: 4 points
banana: 2 points

Lunch: Smart Ones ravioli: 5 points
saltines: 1 point
apple: 1 point

Afternoon snack: English muffin w/melted cheese: 2 points

Pre-workout: 100-calorie Balance bar: 2 points

Dinner: chicken-ranch quesadilla: 6 points
chips and salsa: 3 points

TOTAL: 26 points. Not great, but I had a good workout...

Halfway There

Well, I'm officially halfway through bootcamp. And I think I'm gonna miss it when it's over. And while all of the exercises are still fresh in my mind, I should come up with a post-bootcamp schedule. Cole and I could run three evenings a week and then squeeze in some of these weight and resistance exercises another two evenings a week. It sounds good, but I wonder if I can actually make it happen...

I'm going to miss tomorrow evening's class to go see our friend Robyn at the Cactus Cafe, so I'm going to (try to) make it to the 5:30 a.m. class. Yikes...

Today's points:

Breakfast: cereal: 2 points
soymilk: 1 point
string cheese: 1 point

Lunch: soup: 2 points
tortilla: 2 points

Afternoon snack: apple parfait: 2 points
100-calorie Balance bar: 2 points (pre-bootcamp)

Dinner: quesadilla: 6 points
chips and salsa: 3 points
apple: 1 point

TOTAL: 22 points.

The Challenge of a Perfect Day

Kathy issued a challenge last week for today, April 21: Have a "perfect" day. Of course, that means different things to all of us. For me, a perfect on-plan day usually means 20 points on the nose. But with an hour of bootcamp this evening, I'm going to allow myself to eat some of my activity points for the hour, and allow myself 22 points for the day.

Here's how it went:

Breakfast: 3/4 cup Special K cinnamon pecan: 2 points
1/2 cup soymilk: 1 point
banana: 2 points

Lunch: Smart Ones quesadilla: 4 points
pretzels: 2 points
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: yogurt: 1 point
pickles: 0 points

Pre-workout: 100-calorie Balance bar: 2 points

Dinner: one slice pizza: 7 points
spinach: 0 points

TOTAL: 22 points. Nice. Thanks, Kathy!!!

Bootcamp: Day Three

I can't lift my arms to comb my hair. I can barely stand up out of my chair if I've been in it for more than 20 minutes. My abs scream when I sneeze or laugh... but I am loving bootcamp!!!

As painful and uncomfortable these first few days have been to get through physically, it feels so good to be doing something so good for my body. I'm trying to focus on the getting-stronger-and-hopefully-a-little-slimmer-along-the-way part.

And unrelated: I ran a quick errand to the grocery store at lunch today. Everything -- EVERYTHING -- was more expensive today than the last time I went just this past weekend. Diet Coke 12-packs which are normally three for $10 were three for $11. Blocks of cheese I grate fresh: normally $2.78 were $3.19. Bananas are usually $.39 a pound but were $.48 today. A 12-pack of Diet Lipton Raspberry White Tea cost me $6.49 today where it was just $5.99 last week. I know 33 cents here and 50 cents there isn't a big deal, but there was an increase on seriously everything I purchased today...

Is this just my HEB raising prices, or are you noticing this where you are too???

Breakfast: oatmeal: 3 points

Lunch: chicken-pasta salad: 4 points
peas: 0 points
apple: 1 point

Afternoon snack: peanut butter wrap: 4 points

Dinner: grilled chicken nachos: 10 points

TOTAL: 22 points.

Bootcamp: Day One

I wonder if my mom will think I'm crazy if I call her tomorrow and ask her to come over and comb my hair. Seriously. I don't know if I'll be able to lift my arms above my head. Honestly.

Breakfast: banana: 2 points
Fiber One bar: 2 points

Lunch: salad: 5 points
roll: 3 points

Afternoon snack: peanut butter toast: 4 points

Dinner: chicken-ranch quesadilla: 4 points
soup: 1 point

TOTAL: 21 points.

Water: I lost count

Two Days Till Bootcamp

I'm getting excited. And a bit nervous. But I know it will be a great challenge and maybe even fun.

A scale update from this morning: Two pounds gone. I still need to lose about four pounds to be back at my pre-Christmas best, but I'm getting there. Then I can focus on finally getting to goal.

We ran this afternoon. Our third run of the week getting ready for bootcamp. I made it a little longer than 13 minutes into our run before I just had to have 10 seconds to recover. After those 10 seconds, I was good to go. I am even finding that I can run a little further when I picture myself with a flatter tummy and slimmer hips, relaxing in a bathing suit on the boat this summer. Visualization is good, right???

Four Days Till Bootcamp

Nothing to see here this evening, just me counting (too many) points.

Breakfast: mini newtons: 2 points
banana: 2 points

Lunch: pasta-chicken salad: 5 points
cantaloupe: 1 point
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: popcorn: 2 points

Dinner: Chilean sea bass: 5 points
steamed green beans: 1 point
biscuit: 4 points
snack cakes: 1 point

TOTAL: 24. Whatev.

Six Days Till Bootcamp

Breakfast: breakfast bar: 3 points
banana: 2 points

Lunch: Lean Cuisine pizza: 6 points
apple: 1 point
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: yogurt: 1 point
granola: 2 points

Dinner: chicken-ranch quesadilla: 5 points
soup: 2 points

TOTAL: 23 points. Not great, but we did run this evening, so I think I'm okay.

Water: III (before noon)
IIII (2-6 p.m.)
IIII (6-9 p.m.)

Seven Days Till Bootcamp

You've heard it here before, but I am the worst Weight Watchers member ever. It's a wonder they don't just kick me out.

I had another gain when I weighed Saturday, another pound. So I'm very glad that bootcamp starts a week from today. I hope she will just kick my butt!!! In a friendly and healthy way of course...

So this week in preparation of bootcamp, we're going to run three evenings and eat healthier to start gearing up. We had a great "last meal" last night, so I think we have that out of our systems.

Breakfast: Fiber One bar: 2 points
banana: 2 points

Lunch: South Beach wraps: 5 points
cheddar rice cakes: 2 points
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: Fig Newton 100-calorie pack: 2 points
saltines: 1 point

Dinner: Lean Cuisine chicken quesadilla: 4 points
chips and salsa: 3 points

TOTAL: 22 points

Water: IIIII (before noon)
IIII (3-6 p.m.)
II (6-8 p.m.)

Twelve Days Till Bootcamp

Three years ago, I did a four-week bootcamp (three evenings a week) that pretty much kicked my butt. I loved it, and it made me want to take up boxing. But I never did, and three years rolled by.

So, I signed up for another one this week, and I'm dragging Cole along with me. We start April 14, and this one is for three weeks, four evenings a week. I'm really ready for this boost in activity. I hope it will help me get past this four-month plateau and actually get the weight moving again, in the downward direction of course.

You should sign up and join us!!!

Breakfast: Fiber One bar: 2 points
banana: 2 points

Lunch: Lean Cuisine flatbread sandwich: 6 points
apple: 1 point
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: 100-calorie Balance bar: 2 points

Dinner: chicken and brown rice: 10 points

TOTAL: 24 points. Not great. I need to get a grip...

Water: IIII (before noon)
IIII (3-7 p.m.)

Tuesday Food Journal

Nothing much to see here, but it was a better food day than I've had in a week.

Breakfast: Fiber One bar: 2 points
banana: 2 points

Lunch: soup: 2 points
chips and salsa: 3 points
snack cake: 1 point

Afternoon snack: fig newton pack: 2 points

Dinner: pork chop: 4 points
mashed potatoes: 4 points

TOTAL: 20 points. Nice.

Water: IIII (before noon)
IIII (3-7 p.m.)