#winning

Sorry, had to make a Charlie Sheen reference! I've never liked the guy much but I'm loving his crazy. It's hilarious and I'm sorry, if someone was tasked to write a script for him to come off as crazy and hilarious they wouldn't have come close to what he's delivered in interviews. I do feel bad for this family though.

ANYWAY! I ended up getting sick. I was out of work Monday and Tuesday and still felt like crap Wednesday and Thursday. It was a bad cold and I had a low fever and then it turned into possible allergies. I had really bad itchy and watery eyes, no, really bad. I started taking Zyrtec on Friday because I can't function taking Benedryl. It knocks me out.

Long story short, not one workout this week, and even though I felt sick I had my appetite for the most part. I was super worried I'd have a decent gain but by some miracle of god (after the weekend and half-ass counting points while I was sick) I managed to be down .6!

I actually skipped my meeting today so I could sleep in and rest but I weighed on my home scale on Friday for work and again today. Today it says 173.6 and hey, I'll take it.

I'm thinking the previous few weeks of doing well helped me out but I can't mess around anymore. I am going to kick ass this week!

John and I have been talking about playing basketball for a while. We're huge Magic fans and besides that, I played basketball in middle school and high school. I was really into and actually pretty good. I was a really good shooter and really loved but what held be back was my lack of confidence and my sophomore year of HS the coach said I was too short to make varsity so I ended up quitting after that year. I regret it in some ways, I wish I had finished out HS playing. In middle school my dream was to play for the WNBA. I did go on to play lacrosse my junior year but I didn't have the same passion for it.

So yeah, the point of the story, we bought a ball and found a park to go play! It was beautiful out today and we shot around for a bit and then played a game of HORSE. I won! I didn't even get one letter! It took me a while to get my groove back and I'm by no means as good as I was in high school but it was fun! We did a little one on one too but I was so tired and out of breath I quit. I also made the mistake of wearing sandals and my sundress but I thought we were only going to play HORSE! :)

We had dinner out tonight at this Mexican place in Tampa called Algusto's. It's really good and if you're in Tampa I recommend it! We were pretty hungry after basketball so I went a little crazy with the chips but not too bad. We had some salsa and guacamole and then for my entree I got green mole chicken. I estimated the best I could with e-tools help and I estimated my meal to be 19 PP. Luckily I had 15 PP left and earned 1 AP.

We went to Urban Outfitters and then to Target to get some cleaning supplies (apartment cleaning mission tomorrow) and shared a frozen yogurt. When it was all said and done I used my 1 AP and 9 WAP. I don't like having to estimate but I did the best I could. E-tools said 5 PP for 15 tortilla chips (they were small size chips) which sounds low but I'm going to go with it.

Tomorrow I am planning to do an outdoor run while John bikes but it may rain. In that case I'll hit the gym for a run. I got some new knee things, patella bands(?) to try out instead of my shitty knee sleeves. I'll see if they help.

Okay, time for bed, I'm sleepy!

smelly cat

Tonight John and I went to our second official spin class at this new spinning studio in Tampa. The first one we went to (that I'm not counting as official) was an intro ride.

Let me just say, this week was way harder than last week! I was dripping with sweat and man do I smell, I need to hit the shower once I am done posting.

I think I mentioned it, but the spin the bikes they have move so you can "turn." It takes a lot of upper body and core strength to do it. A lot harder than traditional spin! John did great again, I'm proud of him and thankful he's doing it with me. Thanks Groupon! The thing that sucks is this place is way to expensive for us to go once our 10 sessions are up. :(

I'm happy to report I didn't snack at night for the third night in a row! Yay! I feel empowered in the morning when I know I wasn't a bad girl going to the kitchen at 3 a.m.

I've also been doing good since Sunday with points. I've stayed in my dailies every day! I feel really great knowing that I'm doing so well, it's reminding myself that I am capable of being a little more strict and kicking some ass.

In other news, my company is having a Biggest Loser competition! You make a team of 2 to 3 people and it goes from February 14 through April 22nd. The team with the highest percentage of weight loss wins $100 Amex gift card for each member. I made a team with my old co-worker Anna. She used to work on my team but hasn't the past year. We have a lot in common when it comes to diet and exercise so I think we'll make a great team! We're in it to win it!

I don't even care about the $100. To see that I've lose 10, 15, 20? pounds is a reward enough. The best part it is it ends the week after my birthday so it should help push me to be at a great place in April. Not only that, but I will be getting prepared to start my wedding gown shopping in May or June!

I know it's going to take a lot more than three good days to get to my goal, but I feel confident and good about it.

OH! One last thing, John and I had a dinner reservation at a nice steakhouse for Sunday (early V-day dinner) and I talked to him and we decided to cancel it because there would be no way for me to count points and it'd be inevitable I'd use a ton. We made a reservation at Seasons 52 instead where their full nutritional information is online and I can make smart decisions. :)

Ok, now I better really go shower!

Gym over lunch tomorrow, I gotta keep pushing hard so I see the number I want on Saturday!

Hmm...

I've debating stopping my blog a lot lately. I feel like no one really reads it or cares. For now I'll keep it I guess.

Just an FYI to those who do read. If you comment here (even as anonymous) I get notified of it.

I skipped WW this week. On Friday it looked like I'd be down half a pound to a pound but then Saturday it looked like I stayed the same. It really upset me because we event went for a bike ride Friday night to get in a little extra activity.

Yesterday we went out for Daniella's birthday. I went in with a "plan" but they ended up not having the original thing I saw on the menu. It was also a tapas-style place which meant sharing small plates. I tried to not go crazy but I still went over points. I estimated the best I could after but I still felt depressed.

My goal is to only use my dailies the rest of the week. I know it will be a challenge but I have to do it. I also want to earn at least 10 AP 15 AP would be ideal.

Today John and I rode our bikes to Target. It was 8.5 miles and it took us around 55 minutes including stops at cross walks etc. Our average pace was 9.24 mph which was pretty good as far as I am concerned.

We were going to go to Bern's Steakhouse on the Sunday before Valentines but today I told John I think we should postpone it and go after I've lost some weight. If we go I know it will result in me going WAY over points for that week. So we are going to go to Seasons 52 instead where I know I can control and count points a lot easier.

My workout plan for this week is:
-Sunday: bike ride
-Monday: 5k run
-Tuesday: rest day
-Wednesday: spin class
-Thursday: cross train/upper body strength (will have to do over lunch)
-Friday: 30 min. run

If I can stick to that and stay in my daily points I know I'll see a good loss Saturday.

I am really going to try hard to lose 6lbs by our engagement party. I have three weeks which means three weeks of kicking ass is needed.

That's all for now. I hope next time I post it's with good news and it's more positive.

Thanksgiving week is here/weigh-in!

Back to back posts, that is serious.

So I missed last week's weigh-in but I weighed at home and figured I was up about .6 so that put me at 178.

This week I weighed in at 177.8 so that is technically down .2 even though it's a gain on my sticker in my book!

John's birthday is today and last night we went to Ceviche with a bunch of friends. It was really good and fun! Daniella and I made a pact not to go crazy with eating and we did pretty good.

I had to estimate but I think I'm safe saying I used 17 points, plus we danced later at Czar!

Assuming my points calculations are correct, I have 30 WAP remaining. My goal is to earn 11 AP by Thursday too.

I don't love Thanksgiving foods so there is no reason for me to go crazy. We are going to be at my parents house and my mom is a WW member so that helps a lot. I may even make a baked potato for myself as a side so I can avoid higher point sides. :)

I decided to skip the Turkey Trot and save the $60 to sign John and myself up. I'll do a 3 mile run Thursday morning on my own.

There is one more challenge this week! On Tuesday at work we are going to my boss' house at 3 for a "Thanksgiving Fiesta." Crap. I'm bringing ground turkey breast and I think I'll also bring a bag of salad so I can eat it as a salad and skip taco shells etc.

I have to be strong if I want to wear my dress in NYC! I tried it on yesterday and it was closer but still tight.

In other news, I've decided to do a 9-day cleanse. I know, I know...sort of goes against my general attitude regarding weight-loss but with the success I've had with my acupuncturist for pain I trust her that this cleanse will be good for my body (IBS, overall health) as well as help get a few pounds off.

I will keep a detailed story of the 9 days (starting the day after Thanksgiving) and post it after. Hey, maybe I'll find it was legit and recommend it or maybe I'll find I was an idiot. Either way, I'm taking the chance...

Hope everyone has a great week!

The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Taim Falafel & Smoothie Bar in NYC

So if you're a Food Network watcher like myself you've probably caught their show The Best Thing I Ever Ate. They have a handful of episodes with themes such as the best thing that was cheesy etc.

I don't consider myself a foodie per say because I'm not big on trying new and scary cuisines but John and I both love dining out and trying new places, especially in New York City which if you don't know is our favorite place in the world.

I write this post to make a tribute to the best thing I've ever eaten which was at Taim Falafel & Smoothie Bar in New York City.

I love falafel. It's one of my favorite foods but I don't eat it that often because it's not super low in calories but the main reason is that it's hard to find good falafel, especially in Florida.

I only had falafel once when I was in Israel because I had gotten a stomach flu. Tragic, I know...

So moving on, Taim was featured on the Food Network show Throwdown With Bobby Flay a while back and we knew we had to try it. When John and I go to NYC we usually have our line up of places to eat that we collect between visits or places such as Taim that we know we must visit again.

John had gotten the falafel sampler platter (see photo) which had I believe a red, green and yellow falafel.

I got a falafel pita with traditional toppings such as the red cabbage etc. It was hands down the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.

We also got a smoothie on our way out which was a Date/Lime/Banana smoothie and it was so delicious. We tried to recreate it at home and failed miserably.



On our next trip to NYC we plan on visiting Taim at least twice to indulge in their decliousness.

I can't wait until we move up there one day and I can visit much more often.

Now I'm hungry...

Week 4 of 10k training/weigh-in/sad

Hi everyone,

I skipped my meeting today. I got on the scale at home and after what I thought was a decent week I saw I was either going to stay the same or be up/down .2 in either direction.

This week I ran 12 miles. Three days of four mile rules and one day or strength. I missed my strength/short run day Thursday because things got hectic Wednesday night but overall I had a great activity week.

I think something might be going on with my body. I have an appointment for a physical in a week and I'm going to get blood work and my thyroid checked out to check all areas.

John and I are going out to this fancy/yummy steakhouse tonight to celebrate his recent promotion. When I saw the scale this morning I didn't want to go. Now that I know I have to have an amazing week to see what the scale says if I am SUPER strict.

So I sat down and mapped out dinner...

•  French Onion Soup - 7
• salad (no egg or cheese) - 1
• salad dressing on side - 1
• 7 oz of lobster (steamed with no butter) - 4
• melted butter on side (estimate 1tbsp worth) - 3
• 4oz tart frozen yogurt - 2
• fruit topping - 1

I feel in control of the situation before getting into it.

Now I'm off to get ready for the day and try and stay positive.

Week 3 of 10k training/weigh-in/negative thinking

Let's start with discussing week 3 of training. Overall it went good. As mentioned earlier I missed my short run/strength day because I wasn't feeling great but I picked up yesterday and faced my 3.8 mile run. Yesterday was an annoying day for me so I was excited to run because it helps clear my mind.

I started my run at a 5.2. I've noticed the past week or so while my legs get tired from running I wasn't dying out of breath. I think it's because my fitness is improving. I had been starting at 5.0 so I wanted to kick it up.

I ended up passing the 3.8 and went for the 4. I felt good and said, "Oh, why the hell not?" Some days I'm off and some days I'm on and today I felt good enough to do it.

I increased my speed as I went.

Mile 1: 5.2 pace
Mile 2: 5.3 pace
Mile 3: 5.4-5.5
Mile 4: 5.5-6.0

I only pushed to 6.0 the last .3 or so but wanted to finish strong like I would in a race.

One thing I do when I run is try to envision myself at my goal weight. You could envision yourself in your wedding dress looking thin and great (Did I do this? Maybe. Am I getting married? No. Don't judge me.) It really helps me focus on the goal of finishing a run.

When I finished I felt great. I honestly can say I feel in the best shape of my life. Am I at my lowest weight, no. When I was could I run 4 miles, hell no.

So today I headed to Weight Watchers feeling good but also wary because I knew I use all my WAP which is a bad idea for me. I do not have a fast metabolism and over the last five years have learned if I want to lose I can't use them all.

I got on the scale and the woman goes to me, "Up a little, .2."

I just laughed. "Seriously life? Funny joke! I just did something last night that made me feel great and now you have me GAIN?!"

I went to sit in my chair before the meeting began and tried to clear my negative thoughts.

Normally in these situations I turn into the most negative person ever. Honestly, it's quite sad. I think things like, "I'm a fat piece of shit who will never get to my goal." Often times I've come home crying and hysterical.

Today when I was driving home those negative thoughts crept in and I thought NO. I read on a blog about a concept from some book about replacing every negative thought with a positive one and soon you will push them all way.

"You are beautiful and strong and accomplishing a lot. It might take a while but you will get there."

I said it to myself three times. I felt better.

Did it cure me of my negative thoughts? No. It helped though. I think it's a great strategy for me to start using.

What I said to myself is true! Go away negative thoughts, you're not welcome!

So I leave you with that for today.

Tonight I have a challenge. We are going to see the Rays play the Yankees (go Yanks!) and meeting my parents for dinner before. Mexican food...no!!!

My friend Jen helped me make a game plan for dinner and I know what I'm ordering and eating.

I will have three points left after dinner and I am going to bring a snack to the game to tide me over.

Tomorrrow I have another 3.8 (or 4) mile run so today I rest.

I'll leave you with a picture. John and I at the new Yankee Stadium last July. :) Go Yankees!

Week 1 of 10k training/weigh-in!

Hello, hello...


I'll start off with my weigh-in. I went to my WW meeting yesterday morning and was nervous. I checked my weight twice this past week and wasn't seeing any big change despite the fact I did good with points and worked out five days! I went in thinking I'd have a 1lb loss which is good but I wanted more.

I got on the scale and the receptionist told me I was down 2.4!!! I was so happy!

A few hours later yesterday I had a monthly visitor arrive which leads me to believe I may have even lost more so I hope that shows up next week! My goal for next week is to lose 2 more.

John and I went to Ikea yesterday. John wanted to get lunch there. I was worried because I didn't know what healthy options their food court would have. Obviously no Swedish Meatballs for me!

I got some smoked salmon slices over some spring mix lettuce. I love lox so it was pretty good. Hard to say how many ounces so I used the set points value for lox of 5 points. I had one and a half of Johns meatballs. I had also gotten a bowl of vegetable soup but it wasn't good and I was hot so I didn't eat it.

We were at Ikea a long time and when we got done we did our grocery shopping for the week.

Last night we got sushi for dinner and I used 7 of my WAP by the end of the night. Not bad for a weekend. I don't feel guilty.

We saw Inception in IMAX last night and it was awesome! Go see it!

Today is my last day of week 1 of the 10k training. I have a 3 mile run today and should earn 4 activity points which I am banking and not using.

John and I got stuff to make for dinner all week. Here are two photos from this past week.

So overall week one of training is down and went great!

I leave you with a photo of Dakota with the rat you we got him at Ikea on his back. He is indifferent. :)

Time to go run! :)

p.s. Photo of my breakfast this morning! Only four points!

weigh-in day/weekend/injury

So today I was back to Weight Watchers today. I missed a month of meetings. It made me realize one again how fast time flies. That was four weeks I could have been losing weight that I just spent half-way on program and half-way off.

So today I weighed in at 182.6 which was a gain of 3.4 lbs. Sigh. I knew it was going to be that way. That's what happens when you don't follow the program 100 percent.

I've been running a lot and done three 5k's in a month and gained. Awesome.

Must move on. I feel really motivated and like I'm in a good place. Today I think will be the first Saturday I haven't dipped into my WAP.

Tonight we are going to a Seasons 52 which is owned by the people who own Olive Garden but it's a little more upscale and has healthy options and provide full nutritional information on their site. I'm getting edamame to share and the Rainbow Trout entree for 8 points!

After dinner we're going to see Toy Story 3! :) I heard it's sad.

My back is still hurting me and tomorrow will be a week since it started. It's better but still stiff and sore. Tomorrow I still plan to do a light run for at least two miles. The exercise might help loosen things up.

We went groccery shopping today to get it done early and I got lots of fruits and veggies. I tried to pick things that would keep me on program.

After WW today I stopped at this little shop and bought PB2! YES! I love that stuff as an alternative to high point peanut butter.

I also went to a new girl today to do my eyebrows because I've been unhappy with my lady and the new girl did a great job and was super friendly. I'm going to start going to her!

One last thing, I got a little 5k charm from WW for doing a 5k. It goes on my 10% key chain with my other charms (25, 50, 75 and 100 which I need to earn back!).

Okay I am sleepy and I want to nap before dinner.

Can't wait to post next Saturday about my loss! :D

See ya!

The happiest place on earth!

This weekend John and I went to Disney World. We live in Florida so we got these FL resident passes for any four days until the end of May for $99. It's a great deal!

Friday we drove to Orlando and stayed at a cheap hotel outside the Disney area.

Saturday we went to Animal Kingdom. The weather was beautiful! I got a little burnt on my shoulders and chest because I forgot to wear sunscreen there (only put some on my face). We were at the park from 9-4 and because of all the walking I counted that I earned 3 activity points.

For lunch we ate at the park and I got a veggie burger which was on a wheat bun and got apple slices instead of fries! Disney actually has healthier options!

We met my sister and her friends for dinner at Kobe Steak House. Didn't do too bad since I had the extra AP. I had chicken and shrimp and go it "low-carb" style so I had all veggies and no rice or noodles.

Today we met up with my friends at Hollywood Studios and went on some stuff there from 9 to 12 and then we went over to Epcot to have lunch for my friend Jen's birthday! We ate at this French restaurant which was a little high in points. I ate some bread and butter and for lunch had some french onion soup and some salmon that came with ratatouille . I don' have my points book out and my legs are too sore to go get it so I can't give my exact amounts right now.

We all left the park around 4 because it started pouring around 1:30 p.m. and even with our ponchos it was bad. :(

We got back to Tampa around 5:30 p.m. and passed out until around 7. We both weren't feeling well but John has a fever and is getting sick. I hope I don't get it. I'm not feeling too great though so...

Time to go shower and rest!

Weekends always fly by...

It's hard for me to do the "typical" posts over the weekend because I'm not on the computer a lot.

Yesterday was a rough day for points. We went to a brunch celebration for our two friends who just recently got engaged. I got something pretty healthy but spent more points than I usually would on lunch.

For dinner we were going out with those friends to get Indian food. It was delicious but killed my WAPs.

I ended up going 20 points over. My goal is to not touch those other 15 and tomorrow I see my doctor and hope I can get back to the gym this week!

For dinner tonight we are making tilapia and some pea soup. Something nice and light and healthy. :)

I hate that we had to "spring forward" an hour today. Ugh. It's almost 7, super bright out and feels way earlier!

Time to go. I'll be back posting tomorrow. :)

Oscars!

Ok, so I failed to make full out updates this weekend but it was hard being out of town! I expect this to happen every now and then.

Seasons 52 was yummy and everything on their menu is under 475 calories! Def. check them out if they're in your area.

Tonight we ate dinner at John's parents house. His mom made a light chicken curry. It was yummy. I took a pic but the lighting was bad. We had some dessert too.

Considering having some challenges this weekend I only used 20/35 weeklies.

My goal for this week is to not use the other 15 and go for a walk three nights.

I'm excited to watch the Oscars tonight. John and I are going to play a game and whoever gets the most preditions right wins a 10 min. massage. :P

I'll be back in full-force tomorrow!

TGIF!

Man am I glad this week is over! For some reason it was just ROUGH. It was my first week back to work since my surgery so that is probablly half of it but still...

So last night I had some cheese which put me two points over into my weekly allowance. I was hungry though so I think it was a justified snack.

This morning for breakfast I had my 1 point coffee and a 3 point Luna Bar.

I had a follow-up doctor appointment today and was told no big workouts still. Light walking and such is okay though. So next week I am going to go for some walks after work.

For lunch I had a 3 point bag of Baked Lays and a 5 point 6" turkey sub from Subway(the other half from what I ate last night).

 

 

I was super busy at work today, blech! I had an applesauce mid-day for 1 point and some pretzels which I didn't snag a pic of for 2 points.

After work John and I went to look at these really awesome brand new apartments but they are too expensive. :( By the time we got done I was starving so we went to Pei Wei for dinner. I got ginger broccoli shrimp. I ate all the shrimp part for 10 points and some brown rice(not all) for 4 points. I also had edamame for 2 points.

I am nice and full and glad to be home. Went over points which stinks but I didn't surpass those 35 allowance which is good.

I found out we are not going to Seasons 52 with the family but to a Spanish/tapas place which is supposed to be great but it will be harded to stay OP. I still plan to. I'll make sure I eat low points for lunch I suppose.

Time to go finish the first Harry Potter book! Yes, I'm behind most...


29/24 daily points used
10/35 weekly allowance points remaining

A yay and a yawn!

So last night John didn't go to bed until around 1 a.m. I had been asleep since a little after 10 p.m. so this woke me up. I got up to pee and went to get a snack...but John must have known I was up to no good because he came out to stop me! Thanks to him I went back to bed and didn't wake up until morning. :) I need to have the will power to not do it my own but I lived without a night time snack so I don't need them!

For breakfast this morning I made something different. I had a little extra time so I made a low-point Egg McMuffin type creation. I used an bagel thin for 1 point, 1/2 cup of egg whites for 1 point and three slices of Jenny-O Extra Lean Turkey Bacon for 1 point. I highly reccomend this turkey bacon. I like the taste and you can't beat three slices for a point! Also had some ketchup on the side...yum!

I didn't want to miss the chance to get pictures of my meals today so when I got to work I took photos in advance before putting my lunch in the fridge.

For a mid-morning snack I had a Nutrigrain bar for 2 points and my Zevia soda which is all natrual and very expensive. :(

 

For lunch today I made a salad. I use spring mix lettuce, broccoli slaw(love this stuff), onion, cucumber, red bell pepper, cooked ground chicken breast(left over patty from dinner Monday) and Farmer Boy Greek Dressing. OMG. That dressing is so good. My friend Anna introduced me to it last year and I'm obsessed. Two tablespoons is a point and it's delicious! I find it in my local Publix. Anyway...my salad was a total of 4 points and super yummy.

Later on I had my snack of veggies. I know the picture contains an apple but I ended up tossing that because it was rotten. Ew! My veggies were free so 0 points.

 

 Later in the afternoon I had my Luna Bar for 3 points. I like a few of these flavors but one I can count on is the Lemon Zest flavor.

After work I had acupuncture again. Work gave me a huge headache and had me feeling pretty crappy so my session didn't work as good as usual. I am hoping after rest tonight to feel better. I suffer from a-typical facial pain and have been doing acupuncture for relief. It has been helping but it's expensive. :\

For dinner I picked up Subway because I had some money on my gift card. I got the $5 turkey foot long so I can have the other half for lunch tomorrow. So for dinner I had my 6" turkey sub for 4 points. It was only four because I removed a points worth of bread. That is a good way to reduce a point. I also don't usually get cheese. I had a little honey mustard on it and veggies. I also had Baked BBQ Lays for 3 points.

 I ended up eating some additional Baked Scoops for 2 points and just finished eating my 2 point WW ice cream cup. Didn't snag a pic of those, sorry.

This week has gone by fast but it's been a rough week at work. A lot of stress. I am excited for the weekend.

Saturday John and I are going to Orlando to my parents house because my grandparents are in town. We are going to Seasons 52 for dinner so that's good. If you haven't heard of it's owned by Darden (who also own Olive Garden, etc.) and they have very healthy menus and provide all nutritional information on their website. :)

Tomorrow morning I have a follow-up with a doctor from my surgery. I'm hoping I can at least get back into some light exercise! 

Ok. Time to shower and rest and get ready for The Office!

24/24 daily points used

19/35 weekly allowance points remaining 

When cooking doesn't go as planned...

Grr...last night I woke up around 12:30 a.m. and felt hungry. I ate a snack. I had also gone a few points over later in the day so I was down to 25/35 weekly allowance points used. This is a really bad habit I have and I need to stop! Anyway...

This was my first full day back at work since my surgery the 19th of Feb. and what a long day it was.

For breakfast this morning I had a Bagel Thin with WW cream cheese and some lox again. It was good and 3 points. I ate around 8:30 a.m. at my desk. I also had my coffee for 1 point.

I got hungry again around 10:30 a.m. and had a 1 point Sugar-Free pudding.

Two new girls started at work today so we all went out to lunch at this restaurant BJ's Brewhouse. We got chips and salsa for the table (ugh) which I was lucky enough to be sitting in front of so I ended up using 3 points on those bastards. That is a guesstimate though because I don't have a real idea of how many calories were in the handful I ate. :( These are not pictured because they are evil.

For my lunch I got a Southwest Salad with no cheese and no tortilla strips. So it was pretty much lettuce, onion, a little corn and tomato. I am thinking that was 0 points but the avocado on top was 2 points and I think I ate about 3 points worth of chicken. For dressing I used salsa which was 0 points. When the brought my my salad at first it had the creamy southwest dressing and I sent it back. Jerks.

Later in the day at work I ate a snack of baby carrots and cucumber slices for 1 point and before I left work I had an apple for 1 point (not pictured).

I got home and made a Weight Watchers recipe for Chicken Tikka Maslsa. I love indian food and was hoping this would be a good substitute since a regular dish of this at the Indian restaurant is super high.

Let me start by saying WW recipies are hit or miss and this one was sadly a miss. It wasn't gross but I wouldn't make it again. The sauce was more like a spicy tomato and lacked flavor. John thought it was okay and he is having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Here is my portion (served on basmati rice) which I am saying is 5 points as I adjusted the recipe a bit. Looks good doesn't it?

Sadly, if I am being honest with myself and with my readers I snacked on random things when I got home and was cooking. Mindlessly none the less so I am going to force myself to subtract 5 points. This sucks! Another bad habit. I wish I could chew gum when I cooked, but I don't chew gum. Grr...maybe I should get mints?

I am going to have a WW Ice Cream Cone for 2 points before bed. Yum.

Overall today went okay. My goal is to be perfect and stay within my daily points the rest of the week.

Tomorrow I am going to bring my lunch so it will be easier. Not sure what dinner will be tomorrow. Might try another WW recipe and hope for a better result.

Yawn.

27/24 Daily Points Used
27/35 Weekly Allowance Remaining

Day one...hope it's fun?

Okay, so today is the first day! I decided to start on a Saturday because that is my weigh-in day. I didn't go to my meeting today (bad!) because I had surgery last week and have been thrown off. I know it's not an excuse but even though I can't go to the gym for at least another week I am going to be dilligent about tracking points! I believe this week I am around 176-177 which is a little up from the 175 the last time I weighed in. It's okay though, next week will be a success!

I woke up a little after 11 a.m. today so I'm not eating breakfast. I know eating breakfast is good but on the weekends I sleep in so I usually don't!

I did however start my day like any other day with some decaf coffee (I don't drink caffeine):

For my coffee I use Starbucks House Blend in decaf with Truvia (two packets) to sweeten.

If you haven't tried Truvia, do it! I used to use Splenda but Truva(and Stevia) are all natural sweeteners and much better for you!

For a creamer I use Coffee Mate Sugar-Free French Vanilla. I prefer this over the Fat-Free one. Two tablespoons is one point.

Making my cup of coffee a total of: 1 point

For lunch John and I went to Subway since I have a gift card. I got a footlong Turkey since they have the any footlong $5 deal. I only ate half. So I had a 6" turkey on wheat with provolone cheese, lettuce, onion, black olives, cucumber and a little light mayo for 7 points.

We also shared some chips. The amount I ate was 2 points.

After lunch we ran some errands which wore me out since I'm still sore and recovering. We were at Costco and there was nothing I could get for a snack there! John got a churro and I had two small bites. I'm calling it 2 points.

He is making a silly face, obviously. haha.

I decided the other half of my sub was a good snack choice. So I ate it. That half had only the turkey, cheese and veggies. I took off half of the bread (a good thing to do to lower points) so it was a 3 point snack. :)

I had a snack of some turkey pepperoni and bell pepper strips (not pictured) for 2 points.

For dinner we went to Macaroni Grill. Where I met the evil and oh so delicious bread.

I would not let it defeat me! I only had a small piece which I counted for 2 points.

I had a side salad with dressing on the side to accompany my meal for 2 points.

Finally, for my meal I had the Jumbo Shrimp Spedini which is a great choice when you're eating light. Too bad I forgot to take a picture! It was 5 points and yummy. Here is a picture of my empty plate!

Dinner was great and I had a nice time with John. <3

To end the day I had some Soy Dream ice cream for 3 points which I weighed on my Weight Watchers scale. I love that thing. I highly recommend you get one!

Overall today was a success! I went five points over but I had said I was allowed to use 5 of the 35 extras on the weekend and I did.

My goal for the rest of the week is the not touch those extra 30!

Tomorrow night I am going to make "Cherry Chicken Burgers." John is scared of this but it was something I saw on Food Network and want to try to do a low point version on. :)

Goodnight!

Points eaten: 29/24
Weekly remaining: 30/35