Exercise finally

I don't like to walk. I don't like to run. My work hours don't coincide with the hours the gym is open. So I decided that there is one thing I can do and count as activity points for Weight Watchers: yard work. I have enough grass to allow me to cut it just as long as I want to every day and count the points. For two days now I have been out in the yard, chopping away. I hope it counts, because it's one exercise I know I will do.

Standing still, moving on

I stayed the same at my weigh-in this week, which I suppose is good - I could be gaining. I had one really bad day last weekend and ate everything in sight - used more than my weekly points. But I was right back on it the next day. That's the good thing about Weight Watchers, I think - it's for life, and if you overdo one day, the next day is there.

Health is going to be doubly important over the next few months, as I am hoping to return to teaching. I have interviewed for a fourth grade position, and it looks as if I will be getting it. If I'm to keep up with a bunch of fourth graders, I need to be on my toes - or my feet - all day long. Time to start walking again.
I am excited about the opportunity and ready to go - I hope.

A week gone

And with it, seven pounds. I'm delighted, and just hope that I didn't read the scale wrong the first day. I won't keep losing this quickly, I'm sure, but it's a nice start.

Saturday night could have been bad. I had to attend a play at a local arts center, and a favorite chef was serving finger food before the show. I managed to get away with four small spring rolls and a fried won ton, using up quite a few of my flex points. But I still lost weight, and it's not as if I will be faced with that chef's cooking very often - she closed her restaurant years ago.

I need to add some exercise to this mix - soon. I thought I'd wait until I felt better - no chest pain, but I'm not having so much of that any more. It looks like the body just gets to a point where it can't take it any more and starts hurting. I'm looking forward to feeling better in every way.

TGIF

Weigh in is Monday, and I wonder if I've lost anything. Honestly, I don't feel like it, but I'm sick so that probably contributes to my bad attitude. Spring has got to go away - my allergies are driving me nuts. I think I'd rather complain about the heat.

Onward and upward.

Checking in

It still seems far too easy, although I did get hungry last night between dinner at work at bedtime at home. Managed it with a my two point favorite - half a pita pocket with one ounce of hummus, alfalfa sprouts and tomatoes. Very good.

Finding it odd that I'm feeling somewhat better - no indigestion at all since I started, and it could be my imagination, but I think my arthritis is better.

My Weight Watchers cookbooks came today, and I'm looking forward to getting into them and seeing what I can find that I can eat.

My husband used to say that I am prone to enthusiasms, and it's true. Right now I'm dedicated to do Weight Watchers. It's what I think about, it's what I want to do and I'm up for it. I'm saving my 35 points for this weekend when I have to go to a buffet put on by my theater group and my favorite chef. I know it's coming and I'll get through it.

But it really worries me - if I lose the enthusiasm, which I'm sure comes with all beginners, how do I keep on going? It's a concern, but right now, it's one day at at time.

This looked good - a WW recipe:

Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken (four servings, seven points each)

• 2/3 cup lite honey mustard dressing
• 1/8 tsp table salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp dill, freshly chopped
• 1 medium scallion(s), finely sliced
• 1 cup cornflake crumbs
• 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz pieces

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
  
  
• In a small bowl, combine honey mustard dressing, salt, pepper, dill and scallions; remove 1/3 cup and set aside.
  
  
• Place corn flake crumbs in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken breasts into dressing mixture, then corn flake crumbs. Place into shallow baking pan coated with cooking spray.
  
  
• Bake until chicken is golden and no longer pink, about 15 minutes.
  
  
• Drizzle remaining dressing mixture (the 1/3 cup that was set aside) over chicken breasts and serve.

First full week

Fairly successful weekend. Stayed within points and so far, this seems rather easy. The boss left me his potato cake thing from McDonald's, which I carefully tossed in the trash, then ate a six-point Lean Cuisine panini sandwich and my allergy and blood pressure pill.

I weighed in today - wish I could see the scales. Monday is supposed to be my regular weigh-in day and I think I'm down two pounds, but since I can hardly see the scale, I may have to do something about that, like try to attend meetings.

I have a show to work on Saturday at the local arts center, and my favorite chef is doing finger food. Sounds like I save my extra points for that.

All this water may drown me. Yuck. I'm having another lean cuisine deal for lunch - it's fast and cheaper AND better for me than going out to some fast food joint.

This still does not feel like it's terribly hard to do. Hope it stays that way.

One thing that I find interesting is portion sizes with the Lean Cuisine dinners. I have always assumed that I just did not eat normally, and that's why I'm overweight. But I look at these dinners and I honestly don't see anyone I know - even the skinny ones - eating such tiny servings. I will certainly not starve, but if this is normal eating, then I don't know anyone who eats normally. Very strange.

Time for a change

I stepped on the scales last week and got the shock of my life: 265 pounds! What is this - I'm not a fat woman. But I am. And it's time to do something about it. I joined Weight Watchers online and am on the Flex program, which allows me to pretty much eat what I want within a certain number of points. At the moment, I'm supposed to have 30 points a day, but that will go down as I lose weight.

Funny, I'm not afraid this time. I have lost weight any number of times, but it always comes back. Excuses? Mostly I like to eat, and it's so much easier to just stop off for something or glop up something quickly rather than really think about what I'm eating. I'm not much of a cook, but I suppose I'd better learn.

At the moment, my favorite quick thing to eat is a half a pita pocket with an ounce of hummus, some alfalfa sprouts and chopped up tomatoes. Pretty good, but then, I like all of those things. I'm hoping that's two points - I did the math several times, and it looks right.

I also ate sugar free fat free Jello chocolate pudding last night made with skim milk. Unless I'm mistaken, and I really do have a lot to learn, the whole box is seven points. I've got a lot to learn about counting points, but I hope this is right.

The second day I was on the program my boss, who is used to feeding me, brought me a plate of fried catfish, potato logs and fried okra - and a big piece of apple pie. The okra is no temptation, but the rest of it stayed on my desk all day, until I finally gave in and ate the potatoes - counted them at 13 points but I really have no idea. I tossed the rest of it in the dumpster in back of the office after he left.

I took my short walk, about ten minutes. I've decided that I'm going to keep it fairly short until my chest stops hurting when I exercise. Lucy (my keeshond) is in shock that she's getting taken on longish walks.

So - today is Easter Sunday - a great day for new beginnings.

Comments welcome.