Wordless Wednesday: Oh, Boys & their Toys

Week 3 Results

Pounds Lost this Week:  -0.8
Pounds Lost to Date:  -9.0

A loss is a loss, so I’m happy.  I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was slightly disappointed.  But I’m not going to beat myself up over it. I was pissed off at 6 am this morning and now I’m over it and looking ahead to next week.  I just keep quietly chanting to myself.....a loss is a loss is A LOSS!!

I joined Weight Watchers online so I don’t physically attend meetings nor have anyone weigh me – it’s all up to me and the honor system.  So to try and keep the motivation and momentum up, myself and some girlfriends who are also doing the program decided to put together our own support group on Facebook and Pinterest to share recipes, tips and keep each others’ spirits up.  So far it's been a great tool and I'm grateful to have these wonderful ladies for support.

One of my biggest challenges so far has been dinner time.  It's become a very time consuming process the past couple weeks.  My husband is on a different diet and my son won't eat a lot of these recipes so I find myself on most nights making 3 different meals.  I try to prep a lot the night before but I still find myself feeling like I’m always in the kitchen.  I typically get home at 6:30 pm (on a good night) so by the time we’re done and cleaned up it’s usually close to 8 pm.  When meal planning I have to be careful to pick recipes that can be scaled down in quantities since I’m only WW cooking for myself (a few things my husband has eaten).  A lot of the casserole recipes sound delicious but what am I going to do with the leftovers?  I've already frozen some of the extras I made in previous weeks and my freezer can only hold so much....  Maybe I’ll try one once I make room in the freezer.

Here’s this week’s menu:

Sunday 1/27 – Shredded Buffalo Chicken lettuce wraps

Monday 1/28 – small steak with garlic roasted asparagus 

Tuesday 1/29 – leftovers (volleyball night)

Wednesday 1/30 – Shirataki Noodles marinara with meatballs

Thursday 1/31 – Taco Thursday! (using ground turkey & whole grain shells / whole wheat tortillas) with fat free spicy refried beans

Friday 2/1 – Cilantro lime shrimp with fiesta lime rice

Saturday 2/2 – Dijon Pork Cutlets with baked crispy sweet potato fries

Week 2 Results

Pounds Lost this Week:  -1.4

Pounds Lost to Date:  -8.2

 

This is actually better than I was expecting for this week.  I had a client luncheon on Tuesday and I cheated on Saturday night and had 2 glasses of wine.  I did play volleyball pretty hard on Tuesday night and started doing nightly sit-ups, but I knew it wouldn’t completely make up for the extra points.

 

One of the biggest changes I’ve had to make with this program is meal planning.  While anyone who knows me can tell you that I’m a planner in every sense of the word, but I’ve never been much of a meal planner.  My food shopping typically consists buying a few meats, some veggies and winging it.  The last couple weeks I’ve been planning out my meals the week before and carefully planning my grocery shopping.  I will try and share my weekly menus here for some of my fellow WW'ers who are looking for some recipes to share.

Here’s this week’s menu:

Sunday 1/21 – Stuffed PortobelloMushrooms (I adapted this recipe which was meant to be an appetizer/snack recipe)

Monday 1/22 – Chicken braised with apple & pears with garlic brussel sprouts & baked crispy sweet potato fries 

Tuesday 1/23 – leftovers (volleyball night)

Wednesday 1/24 – Sesame Chicken& Bok Choy stir fry with brown rice

Thursday 1/25 – Spicy ShrimpSkewers with asparagus

Friday 1/26 – leftover night

Saturday 1/27 – Mango & jalapeño chicken sausage (store bought), baked crispy sweet potato fries and sautéed zucchini

Week 1 Results

Pounds Lost this Week:  -6.8

Pounds Lost to Date:  -6.8

I’m done with my first week back on weight watchers.  While it may be water weight, I’m still pretty psyched for this week’s loss.  Earlier in the week was a bit tough with some pretty rough hunger headaches but once by body started to adjust they went away.  I don’t think I’ve drank as much water in my life as I’ve drank this past week though.  I’ve been attached to my water bottle at work, bringing it with me everywhere and filling it up at least 6x during the day.  It was pretty easy to stay within my daily points and I barely even touched my weekly points this week, which completely surprised me. 

Winter season of volleyball starts this week so that will help give me a little extra exercise boost and hopefully help me keep up this momentum.

Wordless Wednesday is BAAAACK!

Back on the Hamster Wheel

I’m going to go ahead and be cliché and start a diet right after new years. That’s right….I’m getting back on that hamster wheel and going back on weight watchers.  While I don’t believe in new years resolutions (remember) what I do believe in is fitting into my clothes :)  and it pisses me off frustrates me embarrasses me that I’ve allowed myself to gain back almost all of the weight I worked hard to lose last year.

My husband is dieting too (Atkins) so that should help with motivation a bit.  I may pop in a little Jillian Michaels 30 day shred to boot once I get a couple weeks in (she kicks my butt).  But for now I’m going to jump start myself with a little wii fitness and my weekly volleyball games.

Wish me luck….I think I need it this time around ;-)

2012 Year in Review

2012 was a sad year in terms of current events.  For our family it was (as always) a busy year full of parties, vacations and outings.  I am extremely grateful that we have the means to be able to take these trips and do things with our family.  When I summarized our year in review I was kind of shocked at just how many things we did this year.  I didn’t realize it until I started writing them all down in one place.  (Of course the summer  months are more busy) 

 

Bye-Bye 2012…..Hellooooo 2013. 

January

• Anthony’s First movie theater experience
• Knickerbocker Ice Festival (in Congers, NY)
• Charlotte's Baptism Party

February

• Dominick’s Birthday Party
• Swapping valentines at school
• Visit with my NJ and SI friends & their kids
• Girls weekend away @ Foxwoods

March

• Trip to Florida to visit my mom & stepdad
• Gavin’s birthday party (school friend)

April

• Anthony turns 4!
• RJ’s Birthday Party
• Easter (with 2! egg hunts)

May

• Anthony gets eyeglasses
• Jack & Chase’s Birthday Parties
• Matthew’s Communion
• Our week with Wally Koala (school project)
• Memorial Day Weekend BBQs

June

• Family trip to Sesame Place
• Anthony’s “graduates” from 1^st year of Preschool
• Anthony breaks his 1^st board in Tae Kwon Do
• Gilly’s dance recital
• Matthew’s Birthday Party

July

• Pirates on the Hudson Festival (Sleepy Hollow, NY)
• Sparklers with our neighbors for 4^th of July
• Our niece & nephew's joint birthday party
• Vacation with my extended family to Lake George, NY
• Tuula’s Birthday Party (school friend)
• Natalie’s Baptism Party

 

August

• Anthony’s ear tube removal surgery
• Mommy & Anthony day at NJ Children’s Museum
• Charlotte’s & Aiden’s Birthday Parties
• Lots of swimming & outdoor play

September

• Annual Clam Bake Party (Labor Day Weekend)
• Anthony’s 1^st day of Soccer (local AYSO)
• Anthony’s 1^st day of Preschool (2^nd and final year)
• Anthony’s 1^st Circus (Shriner’s Circus)
• Fisher Price House Party
• Alexa’s Birthday Party

October

• Family vacation to Sanibel, FL
• More soccer practice for Anthony
• Halloween Party
• Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy

November

• Thanksgiving celebration at Anthony’s preschool
• Celebrating thanksgiving with our family
• Christmas picture photo shoots
• I got my first keratin hair treatment (and fell in love!)

December

• Annual outing to cut down our family Christmas tree (Red Hook, NY)
• First ride on the Polar Express (Essex, CT)
• Anthony’s Celebrity of the Day @ Preschool
• Anthony’s first x-rays at the dentist (did great!)
• Christmas Party at work
• Christmas Eve & Day with both our families
• Parent’s night out: dinner & a show in NYC (Rock of Ages)
• New Years Eve party with our closest friends

 

 

 

Our Family Portrait - 2012 

 

The K Word

It brings tears to my eyes just thinking of it….kindergarten.  How did this sneak up on me so fast?!?!  Wasn’t he just crawling and sleeping in a crib??  School applications are available starting today and I have no idea how I’m going to fill it out without it getting tear stained.  I know he has to grow up at some point but I’m just not ready to have my baby get on a bus and head off to school.  You’d think that it would be easier considering he’s been in full time daycare (and now preschool) since he was 17 months old but somehow the K word is hitting me differently than I expected.  It’s the new teachers, new surroundings and a school of 625 kids.  Yes, our district is THAT big – and this school is just pre-K and K!!  Oh and of course the bus ride to/from school. 

 

Educational wise, he's ready and has been for a while.  He's an extremely bright kid so on one hand I'm excited for him to go and start learning new things.  On the other hand, the "mom" side of my brain is worried for him.  Will he easily make new friends?  Will he get picked on?  I have so many thoughts floating through my head already and I know it will only get more intense over the next 9 months.  I’m trying not to psych myself out just yet (since I have plenty of time for that) but now that the process has begun I’m already dreading that day in September.

 

Project 365 – Complete!

I DID IT! I completed my project 365!!  I have to admit that there were a few days where it was a challenge to remember to take a picture or to think of something I haven’t taken a picture of 10x already.   It’s pretty cool to look back on all of these pictures and see where this year has taken me.  There are so many little, yet wonderful, things that happen during the year and these pictures help me remember it all.  I’m proud of myself for keeping up with it throughout this year.  Now I just have to make a book with all of the pictures next time I see a good deal online. 

 

Would I do it again?  Absolutely.  I probably will wait another year or two before doing it again, but it was a great and easy way to document my family and our life over the past year.  Maybe in another year I’ll attempt Project Life, but for now I’m giving myself a year off :)