Getting My Groove Back: Week 1 Recap

A week ago I wrote a post, "It's A New Day" and so far it's been good. 

Here are the results for week one... (cue confetti) In the first week I dropped five pounds! Yippee! 

Pretty unheard of for me!  I am usually lucky if I drop .5 pounds in a week.

To be fair I started off probably artificially elevated a pound or two in water weight because the day before my last week's weigh-in I flew across the country and then ended the day with Chinese food. But still, I'm pretty sure it was at least a solid 2.5 weight loss and I will gladly take that! :) 

For the first time in a long time I feel like not only am I back on track but that I'm not going to fall off track so easily. I know there will be blips and set-backs but not for weeks or months like what has been going on.

In that last post I reported that I was returning to Weight Watchers and focusing on the "Simply Filling" technique. Going that route has proven to be such a great call! I'm not sure why I hadn't thought to go back to that sooner - I did lose most of my weight following "Core" which was Weight Watchers first version of Simply Filling. 

I'm loving it. I'm loving it for all the reasons it worked the first time. The program is basically based on eating healthy foods until satisfaction with a little room for indulgences along the way. If you're hungry, eat something that is on the approved list or use your weekly points. No need to ever feel hungry on this program. It's been great. I also started week one of Marathon training - nothing too stressful - a 4 mile run, two 3 mile runs and one five mile run. Got the runs in and some strength training. 

I just kind of finally had a 'did things right' sort of week. I drank more water, I didn't drink alcohol during the week (I left my wine behind during the week but definitely enjoyed on Friday and Saturday), I wrote down my foods, and made a real effort to make good choices even in tricky situations. 

newest member of my household
silly but it's making me drink more water! 

For example, on Friday I had this thing with work and we had a pre-set menu to choose from for me (as a gluten free person) I could have gf pizza, gf pasta primavera, gf penne with vodka sauce, a cheese burger with no bun and fries, or a grilled chicken caesar salad. Now trust me, this is a really good Jersey Italian place and I know their pizzas and pastas are awesome. In the past even if I was trying to watch it, I would've just jumped for the pizza or pasta but I also know that if I did these meals would eat up most of my weekly extra points. 

I decided to get the caesar salad (no crutons) dressing on the side. I will not lie. As my co-workers received plates of pasta and pizza and I got my little dry salad with chicken, I had pangs of regret and food jealousy. But then I started to eat my little salad and it was tasty and I got full and felt good. No  it was not as tasty as penne with vodka sauce but you've gotta decide what you want in the big picture every once in a while. A mid-day work-lunch was not where I wanted to use 'indulging' points. And I also passed on the cheesecake and requested a plate of fruit. I'm happy I made that choice. 

delicious lentil soup I made for some easy SF lunches
RECIPE HERE 

Those were the types of choices that I used to regularly make years ago (2007-2010) when I lost my weight. Those choices become easier and easier as you make them. I am realizing that this weight crept up because I forgot about doing all that. I got too comfortable going for the delicious choice rather than the healthier one. I had fallen back into the habit of indulging perhaps more than I realized. If this lunch was two weeks ago, I  would've had the pasta and the cheesecake. I would've thought my pretty healthy breakfast and pretty healthy dinner (with a martini) "wasn't so bad" and scratch my head as to why I keep gaining weight. 

So, sometimes an old dog has to relearn old tricks. Guess that's just how it goes on. The journey never ends. :)

How are you doing? 

XO

Jen