I'm old school. You can tell I've been doing this awhile. Tracking used to be called journaling. I don't know why the word makes a difference to me, but it seems easier to say "journaling" than "tracking".
Tracking is work. It makes you stop and pay attention and think. It is a job that you have to do to loose weight.
Journaling is relaxing. It makes you stop and pay attention and reflect. It is a moment you take for yourself to ensure progress.
Are they different? Nope. It's the same thing. You wright down in your tracker/journal what you ate, how much it was worth, and how much you have left. So does the word make a difference? For me it kind of does. Journaling sounds friendlier. It could just be me.
No matter what I call it though, it is hard for me. I have been on this roller coaster for what seems like forever, and it never gets easier for me to track. The WW app on my cell phone is slow, so I tend to not use it much (when it was updated and I could use it at all, that is). I loose the paper trackers immediately after I write down the first thing. I'm good for one days worth of tracking on paper, maybe.
So I think a new technique may be in order. I hear a lot of the women in the meeting talk about how they planned their days points. They write in the tracker in the morning or the night before. Then they know how they will be spending their points all day. It always seemed a little too structured for me. After all, I don't cook and my chef (darling hubby) might come up with something wonderful for the evening meal. How can I plan around that?
So, it comes down to making a weekly menu. I think we have to do it. I think I have to have him help me more. So this weekend, I'm going to try to find time to sit down and plan a menu for the week (or two?). I hope that will cut down on the shopping trips and list as well, and possibly save some money at the same time. I have some fabulous WW cookbooks to pull recipes from (though I need to recalculate the PointsPlus). Several of those books haven't even been used.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Back to the drawing board!!
Ok then. I only lost 0.3kg (0.66lbs) when I weighed in tonight. I didn't make my target of 1.2kg (2.64lbs) for the week. I could really beat myself up right now, but I am not going to. I am going to look at the positives. Number 1, I lost weight! A loss is a loss is a loss is a loss! And yes, I didn't make my target this week, but I am still on track so far because I lost 1.1kg (2.42lbs) last week and that wasn't supposed to be counted, so I am actually still a tiny bit ahead. I just don't have as much of a lead as I had before. Now, I have to do better this week and I can definitely do that. Back to the drawing board with the tracking I think. I think there were a couple of other factors as well, such as not enough exercise and I drank a lot of water just before I weighed in because I went to the gym, but I really think the biggest thing is my tracking. It's not that I didn't track or that I didn't track everything - I did. I just think that in some cases I might not have tracked enough points because maybe I didn't get the portion size right. So this week I am going to really make sure that my tracking is spot on and I started tonight by weighing my dinner as I dished it up to make sure that I was tracking the right portion sizes. So here's hoping that next weigh in is much much better!!
Happy losing everyone!!
Shari
Happy losing everyone!!
Shari
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Your weight on other planets
Check it out! I weighed in at 257 lbs last week. If I was on Jupiter I would weigh 607.5 lbs. Holy Moses! And if I was on Pluto (I still think your a planet Pluto!!!) I'd only weigh 17.2 lbs.
Mercury: 97.1
Venus: 233
Mars: 96.8
Saturn: 235.4
Uranus: 228.4
Neptune: 289.1
The Moon: 42.6
If you want to check it out for yourself click here.
Mercury: 97.1
Venus: 233
Mars: 96.8
Saturn: 235.4
Uranus: 228.4
Neptune: 289.1
The Moon: 42.6
If you want to check it out for yourself click here.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Hello from Australia!! Or I probably should say, "G'Day"!!
For those of you who follow this blog and am wondering "What the heck?!!!", I am Shari, Krista's Aussie sister. We are supporting each other on our weight loss journeys and this is one way that we can do that given that I am all the way on the other side of the world!! I am also one of those people that don't like to tell the number. I wish that I had the courage to do it like Krista, but I find that even on here, I still can't do it!! It is a number so high that even I don't know how it got that high. Over the years of being busy with work and kids and life, it just got bigger and bigger and bigger despite the haphazard attempts I made to combat it. I will however, tell you that I have an awful lot of weight to lose, and even if I make my target that I have set for myself this year, I will only be about halfway there, depending on what I decide my final goal will be.
Now to tell you what my goal is this year. That is a number that I will put out there!! It is a big number and at first I was scared every time I said it. I decided to actually put my New Year's resolutions down on paper this year. I have 10 things on my list and one of the biggest to achieve and I really have to say THE most important one on my list is to lose weight and my goal is: To reach 100kg (220lbs - don't know if I wrote that right!!) by New Year's Eve. To achieve that goal, I need to lose around the 60kg (132lb) mark. (I know, I know - the number is out there now - I am pretty sure that people can do the math!!) Anyway, that seems a lot doesn't it? I started to tell people that that was my goal this year and each time I said it, I started to get a little bit more scared because that is a really big number. So then I said to myself, "Ok. Calm down. How many weeks do I have?" so I counted the number of weeks until New Year's Eve, from my second WW weigh in which will be tomorrow, as I went back to WW after Christmas last Thursday. I have 49 Thursdays, which equates to around 1.2kg (2.7lbs) per week. That is actually quite achievable. So now I am not so scared. I do have to lose consistently though, and if I don't lose on any given week or if I don't lose the target, then I am going to make it harder for myself. So I have to really really try to follow the plan and track and exercise and not cheat!!!! I was pleasantly surprised to find that after Christmas, I had still managed to lose 1.1kg (2.4lbs), which is great because I hadn't factored that in when I worked out how much I had to lose each week. It has given me a little bit of a kick start and a little tiny bit of breathing space if I need it.
I have read the rest of the blog and in keeping with what we are learning along the way, my SMART goal is as follows:
Specific - I want to reach 100kg (220lbs) by 31/12/2011
Measurable - I will go to WW and weigh in each week and the result is recorded in my pocketbook
Achievable - It is if I work hard to follow the plan, track and exercise
Recordable - WW pocketbook
Time Bound - 31/12/2011
I decided that this is the year for quite a few things in my life that need attention and also some things that I really wanted to do, which is why I have 10 things on my list to achieve. I also decided that they weren't going to happen unless I make them happen. I have already crossed one thing off my list which is a trip to NZ that I "made" happen. Against all odds, I decided to go on the Friday and we left on the Monday for a one week trip to NZ and I was then able to cross the first thing off my list. I am working this week on crossing the second thing off my list and hoping that by systematically working my way through these things and having successes with the shorter term goals that I have, I will be able to keep motivated and working hard toward my bigger goal of losing weight that will take the whole year to achieve.
I have told the 60kg number to a lot of people now. My workmates are all on board and they have started an incentive plan for me to help keep me motivated and one of my workmates is coming to WW with me each week. I am going to a personal training session for 30 minutes every Friday with another workmate and I go to curves and need to make sure I get there at least 3 times every week.
My gosh - enough about me already!! Now that you know almost everything about me, I hope that at least it gives you a little bit of inspiration and that we can all work together to get this thing done. It just has to happen. I know I have so much I want to do in life and none of it is going to happen unless I get this weight off, and I need all the help I can get. If we can all help each other by sharing our journeys and encouraging each other, then hopefully it will make the task not quite so hard!!
Talk again soon and good luck to everyone on their journeys!!
Shari
PS - It is Australia Day today and Curves isn't open, so I am going to hop on my exercise bike now. Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie - Oi, Oi, Oi!!!
For those of you who follow this blog and am wondering "What the heck?!!!", I am Shari, Krista's Aussie sister. We are supporting each other on our weight loss journeys and this is one way that we can do that given that I am all the way on the other side of the world!! I am also one of those people that don't like to tell the number. I wish that I had the courage to do it like Krista, but I find that even on here, I still can't do it!! It is a number so high that even I don't know how it got that high. Over the years of being busy with work and kids and life, it just got bigger and bigger and bigger despite the haphazard attempts I made to combat it. I will however, tell you that I have an awful lot of weight to lose, and even if I make my target that I have set for myself this year, I will only be about halfway there, depending on what I decide my final goal will be.
Now to tell you what my goal is this year. That is a number that I will put out there!! It is a big number and at first I was scared every time I said it. I decided to actually put my New Year's resolutions down on paper this year. I have 10 things on my list and one of the biggest to achieve and I really have to say THE most important one on my list is to lose weight and my goal is: To reach 100kg (220lbs - don't know if I wrote that right!!) by New Year's Eve. To achieve that goal, I need to lose around the 60kg (132lb) mark. (I know, I know - the number is out there now - I am pretty sure that people can do the math!!) Anyway, that seems a lot doesn't it? I started to tell people that that was my goal this year and each time I said it, I started to get a little bit more scared because that is a really big number. So then I said to myself, "Ok. Calm down. How many weeks do I have?" so I counted the number of weeks until New Year's Eve, from my second WW weigh in which will be tomorrow, as I went back to WW after Christmas last Thursday. I have 49 Thursdays, which equates to around 1.2kg (2.7lbs) per week. That is actually quite achievable. So now I am not so scared. I do have to lose consistently though, and if I don't lose on any given week or if I don't lose the target, then I am going to make it harder for myself. So I have to really really try to follow the plan and track and exercise and not cheat!!!! I was pleasantly surprised to find that after Christmas, I had still managed to lose 1.1kg (2.4lbs), which is great because I hadn't factored that in when I worked out how much I had to lose each week. It has given me a little bit of a kick start and a little tiny bit of breathing space if I need it.
I have read the rest of the blog and in keeping with what we are learning along the way, my SMART goal is as follows:
Specific - I want to reach 100kg (220lbs) by 31/12/2011
Measurable - I will go to WW and weigh in each week and the result is recorded in my pocketbook
Achievable - It is if I work hard to follow the plan, track and exercise
Recordable - WW pocketbook
Time Bound - 31/12/2011
I decided that this is the year for quite a few things in my life that need attention and also some things that I really wanted to do, which is why I have 10 things on my list to achieve. I also decided that they weren't going to happen unless I make them happen. I have already crossed one thing off my list which is a trip to NZ that I "made" happen. Against all odds, I decided to go on the Friday and we left on the Monday for a one week trip to NZ and I was then able to cross the first thing off my list. I am working this week on crossing the second thing off my list and hoping that by systematically working my way through these things and having successes with the shorter term goals that I have, I will be able to keep motivated and working hard toward my bigger goal of losing weight that will take the whole year to achieve.
I have told the 60kg number to a lot of people now. My workmates are all on board and they have started an incentive plan for me to help keep me motivated and one of my workmates is coming to WW with me each week. I am going to a personal training session for 30 minutes every Friday with another workmate and I go to curves and need to make sure I get there at least 3 times every week.
My gosh - enough about me already!! Now that you know almost everything about me, I hope that at least it gives you a little bit of inspiration and that we can all work together to get this thing done. It just has to happen. I know I have so much I want to do in life and none of it is going to happen unless I get this weight off, and I need all the help I can get. If we can all help each other by sharing our journeys and encouraging each other, then hopefully it will make the task not quite so hard!!
Talk again soon and good luck to everyone on their journeys!!
Shari
PS - It is Australia Day today and Curves isn't open, so I am going to hop on my exercise bike now. Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie - Oi, Oi, Oi!!!
A new blogger!
I'd like to welcome Shari to this blog! Shari and I have been friends for many years. We live on two different continents and we are still able to support, encourage, and challenge each other.
This blog started out as a challenge for the Weight Watchers groups in my (Krista) home town, to smack-talk the other groups and encourage a big canned food drive. But it has evolved over time. And now it changes again with the addition of another blogger (Shari).
I encourage comments, tips, and suggestions from anyone who actually reads this page. We can all use a cheering squad.
WELCOME SHARI!!!
This blog started out as a challenge for the Weight Watchers groups in my (Krista) home town, to smack-talk the other groups and encourage a big canned food drive. But it has evolved over time. And now it changes again with the addition of another blogger (Shari).
I encourage comments, tips, and suggestions from anyone who actually reads this page. We can all use a cheering squad.
WELCOME SHARI!!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
All out on the line
I weigh 257.0 pounds. I'm laying it all out on the line. I'm fat, and it's no secret that I am fat. Why is the number kept secret? So many people are ashamed or afraid to tell anyone that number. I am actually one of those people. But I'm not hiding my obesity from anyone. Everyone can see it rolling over the top of my jeans already.
Will it do anything for me to tell you that number? I doubt it. But I did read a blog about someone it did help. She started a weight loss blog and let everyone know how she was doing and she lost steadily.
I don't think it was the fact that she was telling the world her personal information. I think it was probably the fact that she was finally journalling and felt like she was being held accountable. Works for me. It helped her out.
So today I'll set my goal for the next month. I'll lay it out there in cyberspace and let the world know that I am fat, and that I don't intend to be fat forever. (I have already wasted most of my 30's like this. Enough is enough).
For the next 5 weeks (the last week of January and all of February), I will blog at least once a week, but I will aim for twice a week. I'll keep the world (those few of you that follow this blog) updated on my progress, in the hopes that it helps us both. I intend to get back onto my Wii Fit, as I seemed to have taken a week off and will work out 4 days a week on it. I will try harder to keep my tracker up to date and actually plan. I'm shooting for a 10 pound weight loss in those 5 weeks. I don't think that is unreasonable, if I'm doing all the right things.
See you back here again soon.
Will it do anything for me to tell you that number? I doubt it. But I did read a blog about someone it did help. She started a weight loss blog and let everyone know how she was doing and she lost steadily.
I don't think it was the fact that she was telling the world her personal information. I think it was probably the fact that she was finally journalling and felt like she was being held accountable. Works for me. It helped her out.
So today I'll set my goal for the next month. I'll lay it out there in cyberspace and let the world know that I am fat, and that I don't intend to be fat forever. (I have already wasted most of my 30's like this. Enough is enough).
For the next 5 weeks (the last week of January and all of February), I will blog at least once a week, but I will aim for twice a week. I'll keep the world (those few of you that follow this blog) updated on my progress, in the hopes that it helps us both. I intend to get back onto my Wii Fit, as I seemed to have taken a week off and will work out 4 days a week on it. I will try harder to keep my tracker up to date and actually plan. I'm shooting for a 10 pound weight loss in those 5 weeks. I don't think that is unreasonable, if I'm doing all the right things.
See you back here again soon.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Change??
Huh... I was so excited about the change and the new program. I was going to hop on board, learn the new program, and LOSE WEIGHT. Why haven't I done it yet then?
The program rolled out during a really busy time. Which is excuse #1. I was BUSY. I was so busy that my house didn't get cleaned, hubby did *all* of the snow shoveling, no one practiced spelling words or followed up on kids book reports, and I didn't do my own homework. Excuse #2 can only be that I was LAZY. Which is the main reason I am fat. I am too lazy to track my points sometimes. I count on remembering the points values of the foods I eat regularly and keeping a basic count in my head, rather than looking things up and writing them down (which often requires that I find where I wrote it the last time). I haven't even updated my phone app to track on my phone. And I *always* know where my phone is. I loose those little paper trackers before I get home from the meetings.
I lost weight over the Christmas holiday. It only happened because I really was so busy. I was constantly on the move and even though I often gave in to tempting Christmas treats (bakalava anyone?), I also said no to sooo many. I turned down every Christmas cookie offered to me. (I can eat cookies all year long, they aren't special just at Christmas). I gave away several boxes of candy that were given to me as gifts. I only ate the special Christmas treats that I can **ONLY** get at Christmas time. And I moved. I didn't count points and I didn't read my new Weight Watchers books. And I still lost weight.
So this week when I weighed in I was in for a surprise. I didn't eat any treats last week. I did have a sandwich delivered to work with all my coworkers (and I ate every bite of it). I didn't hop on the Wii fit (like I had the week before) at all, because I said I was too busy catching up on everything else. I gained a pound and a half. I cried. I told myself it's because it's the one week of the month that I always gain weight (which is real, and it could be a factor, but realistically I usually only gain about 0.6 those weeks). I know that PMS isn't the reason I gained. I was lazy. I haven't followed the program and I can't continue to guess.
This week I am breaking out the books for the new program and I'm going to read them, understand them, and make a plan for the weeks dinners (with the help of my personal chef, aka: darling hubby). I will also get back into my exercise program. I want to be a looser. I haven't had anything to celebrate at the weekly meetings in quite a while.
Have a great week!
The program rolled out during a really busy time. Which is excuse #1. I was BUSY. I was so busy that my house didn't get cleaned, hubby did *all* of the snow shoveling, no one practiced spelling words or followed up on kids book reports, and I didn't do my own homework. Excuse #2 can only be that I was LAZY. Which is the main reason I am fat. I am too lazy to track my points sometimes. I count on remembering the points values of the foods I eat regularly and keeping a basic count in my head, rather than looking things up and writing them down (which often requires that I find where I wrote it the last time). I haven't even updated my phone app to track on my phone. And I *always* know where my phone is. I loose those little paper trackers before I get home from the meetings.
I lost weight over the Christmas holiday. It only happened because I really was so busy. I was constantly on the move and even though I often gave in to tempting Christmas treats (bakalava anyone?), I also said no to sooo many. I turned down every Christmas cookie offered to me. (I can eat cookies all year long, they aren't special just at Christmas). I gave away several boxes of candy that were given to me as gifts. I only ate the special Christmas treats that I can **ONLY** get at Christmas time. And I moved. I didn't count points and I didn't read my new Weight Watchers books. And I still lost weight.
So this week when I weighed in I was in for a surprise. I didn't eat any treats last week. I did have a sandwich delivered to work with all my coworkers (and I ate every bite of it). I didn't hop on the Wii fit (like I had the week before) at all, because I said I was too busy catching up on everything else. I gained a pound and a half. I cried. I told myself it's because it's the one week of the month that I always gain weight (which is real, and it could be a factor, but realistically I usually only gain about 0.6 those weeks). I know that PMS isn't the reason I gained. I was lazy. I haven't followed the program and I can't continue to guess.
This week I am breaking out the books for the new program and I'm going to read them, understand them, and make a plan for the weeks dinners (with the help of my personal chef, aka: darling hubby). I will also get back into my exercise program. I want to be a looser. I haven't had anything to celebrate at the weekly meetings in quite a while.
Have a great week!
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