Goals Redux

So I mentioned a few posts ago that I was going to reset my goals the week of my birthday. Well, I've looked over the past 25 weeks since I started Weight Watchers (it's gone by so fast!) and found that on average I have lost 1.2 pounds per week. Of course some weeks are up and some are down. So, I've calculated what weight I'd be at for certain milestones if I lost 1.2 lbs. per week. (I'm sorry it's so tiny, I couldn't figure out how to make it any bigger.) I'll write a post for each Goal/Milestone to say whether or not I've achieved it by the goal date. I didn't really have goals before. That's why that cell is blank until this week. I didn't reach 34 by 34, but I'm really happy to be at 32.4! I'm so excited that I could be down 49 lbs. by Graduation!

One Year Older ... and Wiser for It?

Today is my birthday - I'm 34! And I got the gift every kid dreams of ... a snow day! My classes on Tuesdays are at 3:30pm and 7:00pm and school posted a notice that they were closing as of 2pm today due to inclement weather. How cool is that?! Truth is it just means two things for me: (a) I have more time to work on an optional assignment I have due tomorrow and (b) I'm stuck at home alone because the roads are too bad to drive on. But really, what is there to complain about - I have cable TV, the internet, my bath tub and I went to the grocery store last night so I have a full supply of Diet Pepsi on hand!

I don't know if I've made 34 by 34 yet because I don't weigh in at Weight Watchers until Thursday. But, I don't think it is going to pan out because I had a big night out on Saturday - tapas. It was awesome. Six of my friends from school and I had dinner at a place called Jaleo. Shrimp, scallops, salmon ... can you tell I love sea food? Tonight's menu is chicken tacos. I'm allowed to have the flour tortillas because I didn't eat lunch today so dinner is going to be early and a big meal (about 14 points).

Water aerobics started last night. It's in deep water this time. They have us wearing floatation belts so it isn't hard to tread water at all. The class is about twice as big, so it is a little hard to maneuver. It was nice to see my friend from the shallow water class last semester. She looks great. She's lost a total of 26 pounds and her goal is 40 pounds (Go Nancy!). I think she's definitely going to achieve it. My swimsuit looks a little baggie (Yeah!), but I think it is more because it is so old than because of any weight I've lost. I have another suit that is newer that fits that I'm going to start wearing. Unfortunately it doesn't give me as much support, but we'll see how it goes.

Looking over the past year I have a lot to be thankful for. My family and friends are all happy and in good health. I live in a safe, comfortable place. I've almost finished my master's degree and I've lost weight, which is something I feared I'd never accomplish. And I've met all of you! I definitely feel blessed! Here's to being 34!

The Power of Full Engagement

Where to begin? I'm feeling great! I have met a scale goal, an exercise goal and a non-scale goal this week:

• I lost 3.2 lbs. so I am on track to make 34 by 34!
  
• I exercised 5 days this week for a total of 225 minutes!
  
• I can actually button my suit jackets and they don't pull across my chest!

I mentioned my leadership class in a previous post. We have a lot of outside reading to do, but only one required book, The Power of Full Engagement. It is awesome. I'm recommending it to anyone who wants to take a look at how they are spending their energy and what they are spending their energy on. There was one passage that really struck me:

"When we feel challenged rather than threatened, we are more willing to extend ourselves, even if that means taking some risk and experiencing some discomfort along the way."

That passage speaks to me on so many levels, about weight loss, about going back to grad school, and about dating. I've posted a link to the book on Amazon.com at the end of this post.

Thanks to all of you who responded to my last post on flirting and potentially dating in the future. It is so wonderful to be vulnerable and reveal something you are scared of and get support back. It isn't something I'm comfortable talking to my friends about. And to answer a few questions: the only thing I am involved with outside of school is hanging out with my sister and brother-in-law, I graduate in May and I am definitely not staying in this area after I graduate. And to clarify, I actually think Match.com is great. I have many friends who have met their boyfriends/fiances/husbands through Match. I just don't want to seek out advice from Dr. Phil.

The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz http://http//www.amazon.com/Power-Full-Engagement-Managing-Performance/dp/0743226755/sr=1-1/qid=1171048176/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5419621-3385551?ie=UTF8&s=books

DVD Recommendations, please!

It was great hearing about how integral your WW leaders have been in your journeys. This Thursday night meeting also seems more cohesive, like a real group, so it will be interesting to see the personalities come out week after week.

So, I'm looking for recommendations for exercise DVDs. I really like riding the bike at the gym, and water aerobics is starting next week (yeah!), but I think I am going to need another option to keep from getting bored. So, to get you started thinking of ideas, here is my wish list:

1. I need relatively low impact moves. My knees aren't what they used to be. (And I'm sure my neighbors below me would also appreciate low impact!)
2. I love to dance, so anything dance related would be great! (I know, kinda hard to incorporate with #1) p.s. I don't like Richard Simmons.
3. I hate floor work, sit ups are the worst!
4. I'd like something that incorporates weights. That's one thing that is lacking in my exercise regime. I have hand weights right now.
5. I don't have room for a step. (Back in the day I loved my Reebok Step!)

Many thanks in advance for your suggestions. Any and all are welcome (even ones that don't fit my ridiculously narrow parameters!)

Leadership

Good news ... today was my weigh-in day and I lost 4.6 pounds last week! That more than makes up for my wild NYC weekend. I guess all my kvetching about 11 flex points really wasn't that big of a deal. I think now that I'm back under 200 again my daily points allowance changes from 26 to 25. I think that's doable. I was worried it was going to change to 24. I know 1 point isn't a big deal, I think it's just the idea of losing 2 points at the same time that had me scared. A gradual loss of points is more manageable for me.

So, my goal of 34 by 34 is potentially doable at this point. It would mean I'd need to lose at least 3 pounds each week for the next 2 weeks. I think I'm going to go for it. Even if I don't make it, I'll still probably be down 30 by the time I turn 34. Believe it or not the numbers aren't a big deal to me. It's more a game I'm playing with myself to keep myself entertained. After a while losing isn't as exciting. I can't believe I'm actually saying that. In fact it's a little bit of a lie. I was worried after NYC that I had somehow plateaued and I wouldn't be able to get past 200 again. It's nice to see counting points and exercise does works.

I didn't make my exercise goal as you can see from the ticker up top. I went 3 days out of the 5 I had wanted to go. I think it was more of a stretch goal than a realistic goal. But, I like the idea of a stretch goal. I'm going to set the same goal for next week ... 225 minutes in 7 days. School is getting busier now that the semester has started in earnest, but I can read for class on the bike so it's multi-tasking!

I'm taking a leadership development class this semester. During the first class we had a discussion on the difference between managing and leading. Managers focus on getting the staff to accomplish tasks while leaders focus on motivating the staff to achieve the company's higher level strategies and vision or mission. My Weight Watchers meeting leader tonight got me thinking about leadership. (I switched from Tuesday night meetings to Thursday night meetings.) The Thursday night leader, Melvin, is awesome. He is so energetic and actually funny. People laugh at his self-deprecating humor instead of the faint-hearted smiles the Tuesday night group would give our leader when she tried to make a joke. He engages the members and makes it a safe place to share. He is successfully leading the group and fulfilling the Weight Watchers vision. (I know, I have totally drank the kool-aid.) It is great to see that in action. While I have only been a member since August 2006, I haven't had any inspiring leaders until now. I'm looking forward to next Thursday night!

To use Flex Points, or to not use Flex Points? ... That is the Question.

So here's my mid-term report: I've gone to the gym twice, so if I go again tomorrow I will have made my goal of going 3 times by Tuesday! Yeah! My secondary goal is to go five times by Thursday, which includes Thursday in my book, so I am on my way to meeting that goal as well.

Unfortunately I was not as good with my flex points, and yes, my downfall was dinner with my sister on Friday night. I used 11 flex points! I used another 2 Sunday night. I'm disappointed in myself. I let instant gratification win out over my long-term goal. I starting to wonder if not using my flex points and going out are mutually exclusive events. Am I going to be happy with what I eat and drink for dinner at a restaurant if I have to stay within a 26 point limit? I seem to be fine eating out with lunches. This is a theory I am going to have to ponder further. I don't want to give up the goal of not using my flex points some weeks, but I'm going to have to monitor whether or not it is feasible for me to achieve. I'll keep you posted. (P.S. I just looked again at my e-tools for Weight Watchers and my downfall at Friday's dinner was choosing to have both the bruschetta and the beer. If I had just chosen one, and had a little less of it, I would have been within my points. So not using my flex points may be possible.)

I had an unfortunate encounter with an insensitive person today. I took my car into the dealership to be checked out and the in-take representative walked me over to one of her colleagues to hand me and my car off to him. He was looking at a set of 3"x5" photographs. (He doesn't look up when we get there.) She leans over to look at a couple of the photos and proceeds to say "Look how fat John was! Wow, he was so fat." Then she repeats this. Evidently she thinks she's paying this man a compliment. I just happy John isn't within earshot. They finally look up to acknowledge me standing there like an idiot, I mean they are at work and I am a customer. Not to be a b*tch, but at least say, "We'll be with you in a minute." So, thankfully she doesn't apologize to me and my 200.8 lbs. for calling this man fat. But I kinda wish she had. I was ready to simply say, without malice or defensiveness, "It's not nice to call someone fat." It's really that simple. Don't we teach our kids that? Why are adults so insensitive? I, of course, said nothing.

Sorry this was such a long post. I originally meant for it just to be a check-in. I'm switching my Weight Watchers weigh-in days from Tuesdays to Thursdays, so I'll post again later this week.

Take care,

Trixie

Confessions of a Dangerous Stomach

Sorry its been a while. I went to NYC last week and classes started for the spring semester on Wednesday. Truth is that I have been reluctant to post anything since Tuesday because I have some bad news . . . I gained 3.8 pounds last week! Ugh! I can't say I'm all that surprised. I ate badly in NYC - escargot, quesadillas, margaritas . . . I am upset about the amount of time I lost in losing weight. It took a lot of time to lose 3.8 pounds, so now it is disheartening that I need to lose it all over again. I'm no longer in One-derland, I'm at 200.8. I thought I'd never go back to 200. Funny thing is that I didn't cry when I found out. In the beginning of this weight loss journey I gained 0.4 pounds one week and was so upset I couldn't stay for the Weight Watchers meeting that night! I was so naive! :) But, in some ways the gain was a good wake up call that I need to stay vigilant. I had a pretty easy time of it over the holidays so I was due for a gain.

Many thanks to Kimberly, Vickie, Georgia Girl, Amazon Alanna, Angelfish24, Lori, Cynthia and Susan for your comments on my last post about looking for advice on working out. You gave me some great ideas about getting DVDs to do at home, working exercise into my schedule so I do it on autopilot, and taking advantage of working out at the rec center of my university.

I have signed up for water aerobics again. This time I'm doing it in deep water, which I'm excited about. The classes start February 12th. So that is on Monday and Wednesday nights. Tuesday night I have class. So that leaves Thursday - Sunday for going to the gym. I don't think I have the discipline to work out every day, but I do have the time. I think I am going to start coming up with a work out goal for each week. I've seen a lot of blogs with tickers that show how many minutes people have done cardio for that week or month. I think those are great!

My goal this week is to go to the gym at least 3 times before next Tuesday (ride the bike for 45 minutes each time) and to not use my flex points this week. Tomorrow is going to be the true test because I am going out to dinner with my sister. Wish me luck!

Goals

So I have been wanting to set more milestones for myself. My main one is "52 in 52" - 52 lbs. lost in 52 weeks starting from August 2006. I figure 1 lb. a week is a good goal - not too conservative, but not too aggressive. Depending on who you talk to though, some people think I'm crazy to try to lose that much weight that fast. I don't know, it doesn't sound crazy to me, and Weight Watchers is fine with people even losing 2 lbs. per week, so I figure I'll go with my gut.

So, based on the "52 in 52" time line, you will see my interim and long-term goals here. (Sorry its so small, I couldn't get Blogger to make it any bigger!) As you can see, my long-term goal of 141 lbs. is a good distance beyond "52 in 52". But, this chart has helped me stay on track and visualize where I want to be and where I should be. For instance, I am ahead of my goal of being down 25 lbs. by my 34th birthday (February 13th). I actually reached that goal on January 9th. I wanted to make a stretch goal of "34 lbs. by age 34" but I think that is too aggressive. That's trying to lose another 7 lbs. in 4 weeks. Doable, but I don't know if its sustainable, which is what I am all about.

Once I hit my 34th birthday I am going to stop and look at where I am at and then reassess and possibly move some of these goal weights up since I am already ahead.

I'm trying to add exercise into my routine, but the motivation part is difficult. It was great when I was visiting my parents and had my mom to go work out with. But I think that's because I have a great relationship with my mom and I'm comfortable discussing my weight issues around her. I'm not comfortable discussing them with my friends. My friends don't even know I'm doing Weight Watchers. Any tips for motivating to do solo exercise?

Friday Night Lights

So I had an interesting Friday night. I was just going to go out to dinner with my sister, but we ended up going out for drinks afterwards. I guess I hadn't had enough to eat that day (Cherrios, coffee, fish and green beans) and I honestly drank too much. I didn't do anything too embarrassing (the worst thing I did was give my number to a guy who didn't ask for it (who I will never run into again) - embarrassing, but not criminal or mortifying in my book).

But I did notice that all of a sudden I had this tremendous urge to talk to guys when she started getting attention from this one guy. Not just talk, but flirt. I should say attempt to flirt. And normally avoid talking with guys, unless its about school or work. I'm just nervous that they are judging me by what I look like, so I don't really bother talking to them. Even when I weighed less, I've never been that smooth and now most of my material is about 10 years old. That's how long its been since my early twenties when I went out to bars with friends to meet guys. (That wasn't the intention of the night, but that's what ended up happening.) See the thing was, I was able to fit into a jacket I haven't been able to wear in a long while. It made me feel powerful and attractive. And I think that feeling went to my head and I just got really chatty. I'm just so bad at talking to guys. I think it is obvious when I am talking to them that I have no self-confidence. My self-deprecating jokes are just bad. I guess I shouldn't be so hard on myself, but I was wondering if some of you out there in blog land would share your stories of when you first met the guy you are currently involved with. Where were you? Who approached who? Was it a blind date? What did you talk about? Were you nervous? Were you immediately attracted to him? Were you alone, or with a group of people?

I'd like to hear about real success stories because fictional ones on TV leave me feeling hopeless.

Leaving Las Vegas

I'm sorry I disappeared for a few weeks. I was visiting my parents in Las Vegas, but I'm back home now. I had a great time - spent too much money on the penny slot machines - but I actually started working out! I went to the gym with my mom a few times (riding the stationary bike for 45 minutes) and I went on long walks around the neighborhood with my iPod and the Veronica Mars and The O.C. soundtracks (about 3 miles round trip) and I even went hiking a few times. My mom belongs to a hiking group and we saw some beautiful scenery. I've included a picture of my mom and I (I'm on the left) with some of the natural beauty Las Vegas has to offer in the background. We've climbed pretty high up at this point in the hike, but we are only half way to the destination, which was a dry lake bed (a little anti-climatic).

I even managed to get to Weight Watchers weigh-ins while I was gone. I had a little trouble with my eating (and drinking) around the holidays, but I faired pretty well and I'm back to my old ways now that I'm home. I was going to save this news for a separate post, but I can't contain myself - I've made it to One-derland! I am officially 198.6 lbs! I can't remember being this low in like years! I celebrated at home tonight with Diet Pepsi, grilled chicken, green beans and corn. :)

Now that I'm back home, I'll be posting more regularly.

Take care,

Trixie

The Fats of Life

I hope everyone has been having a happy holiday season! Thanks for all your support and comments following my 10% success. It is so great to be a part of such a positive community.

Unfortunately, I must admit that while I counted points last week, I evidently used too many flex points and gained 1.2 lbs. I'm now 0.2 lbs. away from 10%. It's not fun yo-yo-ing so I am working to lose the pound I gained. I've been to the gym twice already this week and I'm going to try to not use all my flex points. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Now for a story. So I'm at dinner with my parents and the waiter says, before I've even ordered, "you look like someone famous". I'm like, "you're talking to me?" I mean I have no makeup on, a sweat shirt and jeans and my hair is in a ponytail. And he's like "yeah, the girl from 'The Facts of Life'". At this point I try to not roll my eyes when I say, "yeah, I know who you mean." And of course he's struggling with the character's name, and trying not to describe her, so I tell him, "Natalie." Of course, he has to pick the big girl on the show. Why couldn't it have been "Blair" or "Jo"! (Not like I look like either one of them.) I really don't look like Natalie either, but I am big. This isn't the first person who has told me I look like this actress. Another man told me this (20 lbs. ago which makes me feel really great about my loss). Do people just not understand that telling someone they look like an 80's celebrity doesn't count as a good thing if that actress is overweight? I like to pretend that I'm not overweight, so when someone holds up a mirror it is silently painful.

10% Filled with Happiness

I did it! I reached my 10% goal! I have my key chain! I put the keys on it during the meeting :)

I got a little misty when I thought about the last few months. I truly feel like I have accomplished something. I've never tried to lose weight before. I've gone to the gym consistently before, but I have never really changed my eating habits or weighed myself on a regular basis. I had no idea what I weighed before I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting. I had been weighed at the doctor's office every year or so, but after I hit 200 lbs. I stopped listening to the numbers.

This has been such a great experience, and I feel so lucky to have this blogging community and be able to visit your blogs and see how well you are all doing and get inspired. And I love it when you visit me! :)

I have another goal coming soon, I'm 0.8 lbs. away from 200 lbs.! I never thought I get so excited about weighing 200 lbs., but I am. It means I can really do this, that its working and that I'm going to be able to sustain my weight loss. I don't think the next 60 lbs. are going to be easy, but if they are anything like the last 23 lbs., I'm sure its going to be an adventure I'm going to look back on fondly in the future.

So I thought I had done really badly today. I ate a good lunch - broiled mahi mahi with seaweed salad and a Diet Coke. But then I went to a German band's Christmas party at a beer hall and had 2-1/2 pints of beer. (I also had a grande cappuccino after lunch.) But the Weight Watchers site says I've only used 16.5 points. How can this be? I still have 9.5 points left for the day? That makes no sense! I'm nervous I totally screwed myself for my weigh-in on Tuesday. And I'm going out for lunch tomorrow (Monday)! AHHHH! The pressure! Some people have a weakness for cookies. I have a weakness for beer, cheese and salty things, and not necessarily at the same time - don't ask me why.

I'm going to try to go to the gym tomorrow to mitigate some of this damage. I knew I was making bad choices, but I just couldn't stop myself. I was uncomfortable at the party and I wanted something in my hand to hold. I should have asked for water. Next time. Next time.

The Christmas party was a mad house. My brother-in-law played Santa to about 150 kids ages 0-12. He is such a good guy.

Okay, it's time for me to edit my group paper and email it to my professor for her comments before it goes to the client. Wish me luck!

Hot Damn!

Are you allowed to swear on blogs? (Of course you are, what am I talking about!) I usually have the mouth of a truck driver, but that's off-line. Anyway, HOT DAMN! I lost 3.6 lbs. last week! I had my Weight Watchers meeting tonight. I'm down a total of 20.6 lbs! I'm so excited. I was good with my points last week. I only used 1.5 of my flex points. But, I didn't really exercise at all. I need to get in the habit of exercising. That's going to be tough for me. Another obstacle to face.

I had a really good day today. I turned in a group paper at 8am, then I had a client presentation from 2-4pm. It went really well. I didn't think it was going to, but the client was pleased, so that makes me happy. And I got my credit card bill and I spent $350 less than I expected last month! I wish all days were like today. But at the same time I'm sorta waiting for the other shoe to drop. I wish I wasn't like that, but I kinda am.

So, I calculated it and I just have to lose another 1.4 lbs. and I'll hit my first major goal of 10% of my original body weight. How cool is that?! I don't know if I'll manage to do it by next week, but that snazzy key chain they give you would make an awfully nice Christmas present. Whatever happens, it's nice to know the goal is in sight!

Nice Pants!

So I discovered two nice things this week. First, pants that didn't fit in April fit now. I tried on a pair of suit pants and they fit. I couldn't sit down in them in April. Now they fit! They unfortunately show my panty line in the front, so I still need to lose more weight before I can wear them without feeling self-conscious, but it is a spring/summer suit so that's not a problem. I also wore a pair of pants Monday night to class for a presentation that I don't think I have worn in about a year. It was so nice to put my legs in them and have them comfortably pass my thighs and button!

The other nice thing I found this week was cheek bones. I noticed them when I was in the bathroom combing my wet hair. I turned my face to the side and there they were! I mean I have cheek bones when I smile, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of them without smiling in months.

I have a confession to make. I don't like my driver's license picture. It was taken in February and I look terrible in it. I mean its embarrassing to show this picture when I get carded (yes, I still get carded at 33). I hate seeing it. For a few days recently I had turned it around so the back of it was visible through the clear plastic sleeve in my wallet. But I found that that made me more conscious of it. So I turned it back around. I shouldn't be embarrassed by the picture, but I am. I'm just waiting for someone to comment on it. I lied about my weight when they took the picture. I really didn't know what I weighed, but I could have easily guessed it was over 200. But I said 200 and that's what is on my license now. Oh to be down to 200! That's my 10% goal!

I lost 0.8 lbs. last week, so I'm down 17 lbs. total (I've added a little ticker because I was jealous of everyone else's! :) I'm happy with that considering all the beer I drank last Friday and the cheese and crackers I had on Sunday (snacks at the group meeting for school).

That's all for me. I better get to bed if I want to wake up before noon. Ahh, the life of a grad student.

Taking A Break

Things have been really busy with school lately. Lots and lots of group projects - meetings, presentations and papers. But, I've been taking some breaks to enjoy myself. Thursday night I decorated my apartment for Christmas. It took me all of 15 minutes since I only decorate inside and my apartment isn't that big. I found a Christmas "radio" station on the Internet and rocked out to golden Christmas oldies while I decorated. It was fun! Last night my mom was in town. She had been in town this week for a conference, which ended yesterday. We went to dinner and hung out in the hotel bar. It was one of those sky bars with windows looking down on the city. It rotated! It was so subtle I almost didn't notice! It is always nice to hang out with mom. I made good food choices - broiled salmon cakes and cucumber salad, but I drank way too much beer. That's why I have stopped keeping it in the fridge. It's too tempting. I love beer. But I have been much better today. No beer. And I haven't used any flex points.

I've done a bunch of work for school tonight, so I am taking a break. But I have more to do. I have a group meeting tomorrow at 1pm that I have to prepare for. I'm not looking forward to it. Classes are done December 12th and all my papers and projects will be done by December 20th. I can't wait! I'm not doing anything Christmas-y, except decorating, until I go to my parents in Vegas at the end of the month. Maybe I'll listen to some Christmas music on Pandora <http://www.pandora.com/> while I prep for tomorrow's meeting. You've got to check out Pandora if you haven't already. It's this internet music radio station that plays songs based on your last selection. They have analyzed half a million songs over the past century and the algorithms search for like characteristics and play songs they think you'll like based on your initial selection. It's great!

Does anybody swim laps for exercise? I've been thinking about starting now that water aerobics is over. The next session won't start until the end of January. I love the idea. I just find it so monotonous. They have music playing under the water, which should help, but it is hard to hear it.

16 Pounds Lost!

I hope everyone survived Thanksgiving. I had a great time with my parents. I even won $27 at the casino! I also went to a Weight Watchers meeting while I was away. They said I had gained 0.2 lbs. I didn't really believe them because I had been super good the previous week. The only big difference was that I didn't go to water aerobics on Tuesday night because I was on a plane. But I didn't get too depressed. I ate well for the first two nights, but it was all down hill after Thanksgiving. It was liberating allowing myself to eat or drink whatever and however much I wanted. I realized how restrictive I have been with myself. But it also felt bad because I knew I was going to pay for it this week during my weigh-in. The funny thing was that I actually lost 2.2 lbs. last week! How the f*ck did I do that? My theory is that I actually lost weight two weeks ago - like 4 lbs., but since the scales were different it didn't show up. Then I think I gained 2 lbs. back last week during my Thanksgiving feast. I was also good on Sunday and Monday and had water aerobics tonight before I weighed-in today so I think that also impacted the scale. Don't worry. I have no illusions that I can eat whatever I want and still lose weight. If anything I'm confused. There are weeks when I am so good and I don't lose any weight and then last week I lose! I feel like I have no control over my weight some times.

I'm nervous for Christmas. I am spending 2-1/2 weeks at my parents house. It only took two days for me to back slide into eating whatever I wanted at Thanksgiving (I was there Tuesday-Sunday). How am I going to hold up there for 17 days?! It was like I had no will power. Because it wasn't my regular routine I didn't make very good food choices. I am going to have to be really vigilant while I am there in Dec/Jan. I was thinking about not going to my Weight Watchers meetings while I'm out there because the local meeting made me pay (they didn't accept my Monthly Pass). I was thinking I could save the money and just weigh myself with my mom's scale. Now I'm thinking that it is imperative that I go to those weekly meetings. I think it will help keep me on track. That and making sure I count points. I did count points last week and it was awful to see how much I ate.

I should be enjoying my loss, but I'm just confused.

You: On a Diet

I was watching television late last night and stumbled on an interesting show on Discovery Health Channel. It was called "You: On a Diet" and it profiled 5 people and how Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen guide these people "to a better understanding of the science of nutrition, while helping them change their unhealthy eating habits."

It was interesting and a positive viewing experience. I learned to look for the words "enriched" and "hydrogenated" on food packages in my pantry and throw them out. It was also a very positive story. By the end of the show (taped over a 3 month period), everyone profiled had lost weight and/or inches around their stomachs. (But that felt a little unrealistic. There were the obligatory valleys everyone hit. I have to admit it was a little cliche, but satisfying nonetheless. I like a story with a happy ending.)

That was another thing I learned, that the size of your waist is supposedly a more important indicator of health than your weight. I believe they said that for men a healthy waist size was 35 inches and for women a healthy waist size is 32 inches. But watch the show to make sure. (In the interests of full disclosure I measured my waist and its 39 inches.)

If you are in the states, I recommend checking out the show. It's on tomorrow - November 19th - at 2:00pm on the Discovery Health Channel. You can also link to the Dr. Mehmet Oz fansite on Discovery Health's website to get more information about him and the show: http://health.discovery.com/fansites/droz/droz.html


Job Search Update

For those of you wondering about the progress of my job search, here it goes. I have applied for a part-time internet marketing position with a local company. I figure they'll let me work flexible hours since I'm a student. I also contacted the company I had a paid internship with this past summer. A number of interns made the transition into part-time work this fall. I foolishly didn't think I would have the time to work this fall. Well, I did and I missed that boat big time. The HR Director, who is a friend of mine, is looking into what they have available. Both of those jobs have offer the largest money earning potential - over $13/hour. If one of those two things doesn't pan out I am going to check out more things locally - like working at Curves (thanks Vickie for the idea!), Target, or temping with an agency in the city. I can't work at the university because I am already technically employed by them as a Graduate Assistant and I agreed not to work any other jobs when I took the position. (Shhh! Don't tell anyone. It will be our little secret.)

Hello, Welcome to Blockbuster

So I had a good week. I exercised. I stayed below my points level and I lost! I should be happier. I'm almost at 15 pounds lost! I don't know, maybe it's because it isn't noticeable yet. My pants are looser. I need a belt now for my biggest size jeans. I don't know, maybe the whole thing is just getting monotonous. It's hard to have big emotions each week whether I've gained or lost. I think I'll really feel a sense of accomplishment when I hit my 10% lost goal. I think its 22 pounds. So, it's within reach. I'd like to reach it before my birthday, which is in February. So I think that's totally doable, even with the holidays.

So, I have a different problem that I need advice on. I need to make money to pay off some credit card debt I've racked up living on student loans (which are never enough). I want to pay some of it off so that next spring, after I graduate, I won't look totally undesirable to a new apartment management company when I want to move. I can only really work from January - April. I wish I could work online, from my home, but I don't know of any jobs you can do remotely like that. I would teach college courses online, but I don't have my masters yet, so I'm not qualified. I will have classes 4 days a week at varying times of the day/evening next semester. And I might have to go out of town for job interviews at different times. I'm thinking about Blockbuster. It's right down the street from me and I think it would be minimal training, whereas Starbucks would be crazy training (who wants to learn how to make all those drinks!) I'm definitely qualified for a job in the marketing/advertising industry, but I just don't have the hours to devote to it during the week. Does anyone have any ideas besides Blockbuster? Do you even think Blockbuster is a good idea? Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Grande Non-fat No-Whip Mocha, Please

Okay, I must confess. I have a new addiction. (The tortilla addiction is under control now.) It is the grande non-fat, no-whip mocha drink at Starbucks. I keep trying to convince myself that it's not that bad for me. I have even started getting the tall (their name for small) instead of the grande. The grande is 220 calories, but it's 5 points. I used to get them once in a while. Then it was a couple times a week. Now it's every other day. Meanwhile, I'm a student, so I shouldn't be spending $3.73 of my loan money on Starbucks! The truth is I love coffee. Not just coffee, but hazelnut coffee. But once I left NYC, with a coffee place on every corner, and my beloved afternoon hazelnut coffee breaks, I have been in search of a sweet replacement. (It may be one of the things I miss most about New York.) The coffee I make at home just isn't cutting it and the coffee at school is some kind of sick burnt joke.

So, there you have it. I have confessed. What made me fess up was my weigh-in today. I gained a pound last week. I think it was the combination of the grande non-fat etc. etc. drinks and the bag of Chipotle tortilla chips and side of guacamole I had. (Okay, so the tortilla chip addiction is not totally under control.) So my goal is to limit myself to only two more grande non-fat blah blah blahs this week (through and including next Monday). That will get me back to only 3 in one week. And I'm not going to get the chips at Chipotle this week. That's my mantra.

Oh, and if you read my "Should I Stay or Should I Go" post a few weeks back about running into someone I worked with this past summer at my Weight Watchers meeting, I have an update. I saw her again tonight, in passing. She was in the middle of a private conversation with someone so I didn't want to interrupt to say hello. And you know what, I feel fine about it. I'd prefer not to know anyone at my meetings, but this isn't so bad. I think it was the initial shock of seeing her that got to me. I think there's room enough for the both of us.

I have a big client presentation on Thursday. I'm hoping I can still make water aerobics that evening. I missed tonight because we had a group meeting to prep for the presentation. I also checked out the hours for lap swim at the gym and they are great. They are basically open from 6am-11pm M-F and they also have good hours on the weekend. My reward for myself for a tough week is to go swimming on Friday (I don't have any classes).

So, that's it for me. I hope you are all doing well.

Cheers!

Trixie


(You can check the nutritional content of all Starbucks drinks and food at this website http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_info.asp. They even have a link to it on the top of their homepage, which I respect.)