Plan Ahead!

"He who fails to plan, is planning to fail." -Winston Churchill

OK folks. This girl is ready to get back on track.  The holidays are over. No more excuses.  I went to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning and had a pretty harsh reality check.  I knew it, and I was ready for it. My reality is, if I don't follow this plan, my weight comes right back.  And I don't mean slowly creeps back up on me, I mean, HELLO, it's back.  Just like that.  Obviously, I didn't gain 50 pounds in three weeks, but I did manage to gain a good amount.  I don't even want to admit what it was (although it will be on my progress chart if you really want to know, can't live in denial).

Let me tell you a couple things I am proud of myself for today:

One.  Today is my husband's birthday, so I made him some ooey-gooey-sticky pecan rolls to take to work.  I KNOW they are delicious, and I didn't even eat one. Heck, I didn't even lick my fingers!!

Two.  I went to my meeting.  That alone was exactly what I needed to get this motivation back!  We shared lots of recipe ideas and thoughts on planning.  I left with a lot of information to think about, and share!

Three.  I got up this morning and played with our new Xbox Kinect.  Just for the workout.  The Kinect is the part I love about it, it's all games that require you to move around, jump, kick and dance. It is fun, but challenging too!  Love it.

So let me tell you a little bit about what we talked about in my meeting today, because I think it is very helpful...

Plan It All Out!

Make The Time:  Every week, I recommend sitting down and making your grocery list.  Only plan on going to the store once a week.  Get everything you need, and it's done. You will thank me later!

Plan It Out:  Plan what you want to make for dinner that week.  Then go through your recipes, whether it is a new one you are trying or an old favorite.  Make your list from your recipes.  I have always done this and I find it SO helpful.  It saves you stress of planning a meal every night, saves you money at the grocery store and saves time!!! When you have a list and you know what you are going into the store for, it is so much easier and faster!

Know What's Ahead:  I liked this one! My leader mentioned that, if she knows something she'll be doing later in the week, that involves high point value foods, she takes it easy on the other days.  For example, she mentioned that her friend wanted to go out to eat at a great restaurant, but she knew she was going to the movies over the weekend.  Like me, she has to have the popcorn if she goes to see a movie! So, she plans accordingly. Especially when using your weekly points.  Don't spoil it on something that isn't worth it, and then deprive yourself of something you know you really want.

Plan YOUR Success Story:  This is one I do.  I love to think that I could be the next Weight Watchers Success Story.  I mean, why not?! The closer and closer I get, the more real that possibility becomes.  I picture myself on the Weight Watchers website, or in the magazine or maybe in a Weekly Topics pamphlet.  I picture how great it would feel to share my story and my success.

So there it is.  And here is my new goal...I want to be down 55 pounds by Valentine's Day.  I think that is a pretty realistic goal.  I am confident I can do it.  Next week, I have a friend coming to visit me in Virginia!  I am so excited.  A little nervous about staying on plan, but I am still confident that I can lose weight at my next meeting.  I'll keep you posted!  Have a great week everyone!!

Until Next Time...

Erin

New Year, New Motivation.

Happy New Year!  Wow, it has been a month since my last post! The holidays were crazy, and so much fun. Chaz and I went to Wisconsin for a week to celebrate Christmas, our anniversary and New Years...all in one week.  We had such a great week spending time with family and friends.  It was a nice relaxing vacation.  We spent Christmas at my parents house (well, we spent the whole week there actually) and all of our family came over on Christmas Day for a Packers party.  We watched the Packers kick the Bears butt, which made for an extra happy day! On our anniversary, we went and spruced up our house (still for sale! ugh.) in Sheboygan and actually spent the night there.  And for New Years we just hung out at my parents' house and had a couple friends come over there to celebrate!  The week flew by, and next thing I knew, we were back here in Virginia.

Up until we left for Wisconsin I was doing a pretty good job staying on track, until we landed.  No, I take that back, until we got to the airport! For some reason, airports are a huge challenge for me.  I think it is just the availability of all the the junk food and candy all around me.  It sucks me in, it calls my name, and I lose control. So naturally, I gained, and I am working on getting rid of that!  Yuck. It was such a crappy feeling, knowing I had just gotten to my 50 pound goal, and now I feel like I have ruined it.  But I WILL get back there and lose even more.  I promise you that, and myself.  

So after snapping pictures while we were home, I wanted to share a couple comparisons with you...obviously, the one above is New Years Eve 2010 vs 2011.  And below is our anniversary picture from 2010 and 2011.

Thought it would be fun for myself to see the comparison, so I wanted to show you too!  These are the things that keep me going.

Until Next Time...

Erin