Back to basics weekend

Wow...it is amazing how we take little things for granted...and how we don't even think twice about it.

This weekend started off like any other weekend...plans to go to the gym, run errands, church...the normal routine.

It started off with the TV going dark...no problem, I figured something happened to Time Warner and didn't think much about it. When I came home AFTER grocery shopping...I realized now there was no electricity. At this point...I didn't think much about it other than it being an inconvenience. Luckily it was still light...so I was able to shower and get ready for church. I called Edison and then found out that we might not have power until Sunday morning. OK...great- now I need to find the flashlight just in case. Should have thought about getting ice but it didn't even enter my mind. I also thought they gave me the worse case scenario so it didn't dawn on me that this was as serious as it was.

I got home after 9:00 to find about 7-8 trucks lined up in the car port area. Something major...and it finally hit me that I probably wouldn't have power for a while. Asked some guy and he said maybe Sunday morning. Well..Sunday morning turned into Sunday evening. Good thing I picked up some batteries and one of those hand free lights in order to walk my dog, Princess. Sunday...I ran errands again but who really wants to sit in the house alone with a dog? LOL. On the bright side...I did bring her to get her pictures taken at Petco (the picture people)...so in about 3 weeks I will be sharing pictures. I realized while driving around- mainly to charge my cell phone battery...how much we depend on things like electricity and we don't even think about what happens when we don't have it. No TV, no stove, no microwave etc. And to top it off..it started raining on Sunday. I hoped they would continue working...and thankfully they did. Towards the end of Sunday...because it was already getting dark...my neighbors and myself were standing around just waiting with the Edison people...hoping whatever they did worked. Thank God...it did. I was never so happy to see light!! Good news/bad news- I had to throw away a lot of food-including what I bought the previous day...but now I have a fresh start. I am not sure I am at the place where I can eat 100% healthy but I can say at least 75% of the items now will be healthy foods. The rest will probably be little snacks or my baking supplies.

Oh...and because my WW meeting is on Sunday...I didn't sleep well Saturday night because I was worried my cell phone battery would die and I wouldn't hear the alarm. Luckily I did...made my meeting and lost another 2.2 lbs for the week!

Monday afternoon post

Sorry I didn't post yesterday...too many things to do and ran out of time.

Yesterday was my weigh in. Hmmm...not sure if any of you have little routines/obessions when it comes to losing weight. Not sure why this started...but I weigh myself every morning. I know...it's only supposed to be once a week but it's a hard habit to break for me. It also gives me a clear picture how much the body flucuates...because I know that I ate pretty much clean and my weight might go up and then the next day down. So...my indicator is usually Saturday. If the scale is going down...by Sunday I know that I have lost weight. And Sunday morning...I can prepare myself for the actual weigh in. I know that my clothes weigh exactly one lb (although yesterday was a little more) and that my scale at home is off up to a half a lb lighter that the WW scale. So...come yesterday morning..my scale showed that I gained about half a lb. Guess I do it because I don't like surprises...LOL. Sure enough, I gained 4 ounces. Not a lot...but this is the first time in 9 weeks that I gained.

It made me think...well there is nothing I can do about it now...but let me think back to what I could have done different. Went back to my tracking and even if I underestimated, I had about half of my weeklies left. The only thing that stuck out to me was my exercise. I usually have a pretty set routine when it comes to working out...but because of commitments and other things I made it to the gym only twice. And that to me played a major part as to my gain.

Taking this learning experience and filing it away. I need to stay focused and realize that we only have today.

As one of my goals this year...I have decided to try a new recipe each week. Sunday's are the best day for me to do this...and yesterday I made the apple fritters. I will be honest...I wasn't too impressed with them...not sure what I expected but it didn't do it for me. I ate about half of one...and said I would rather use my points on food I enjoyed...so unfortunately for me...I won't be making this again.

Learning so much about myself...

I am making a commitment to blog each Sunday.  Why Sunday?  Because it is my weigh-in day.  Today...I finally was able to get my 10 lb sticker.  In fact I lost 2.2 lbs. 

So what have I learned so far during my journey.  That I can lose weight...and that is a biggie for me.  For years I struggled to lose weight by myself..through exercise and diet.  And in that order.  As I know now...I got it backwards.  And now I believe what others have been saying for years.  I need the support of others and somebody to hold me accountable.  I still need to reach out to somebody local in my meeting...but just the fact that I am weighing in is always in the back of my mind.

I also learned that I am a hoarder.  I was listening to a Christian show in the car this morning and the pastor was saying that it is not good to hoard.  Yes...it is good to plan for the future but not in excess.  And so I thought about WW and how I don't like to use my weekly allowance points.  They are there to use...and it's not like I can save them after the week..so why not use them?  I tend to splurge a little on Saturday...only because I know I can at that point.  But am I really using the program as intended?  Probably not...because I should be using the majority of my allowance points so I can enjoy food and not feel deprived.  My goal now is to splurge every week...but only after I see how many points I will be using.  It's been over 8 weeks since I've been to In-and Out burger, or a good burger and fries.  The only thing now is that I don't crave a lot of things I used to...or after looking at the points I decide it's not worth the points. 

I have become more active in church lately and there is food everywhere I go.  But luckily there are healthy options...and I now seek them out.  Last Sunday was the first small group study I went to...and of course we had snacks and then dessert.  Luckily I had 7 points to spare before the meeting...but now I know I can have my dessert and still stay within points.  It's all about the planning.

It is enlightening to have this revealed to me...and it was only today.  Why am I hoarding my weekly allowance points?  What am I fearful of?  What is the worse than can happen?  I use all my allowance points and have to hit my daily points instead of going over? Hmmm...I have been doing this for the past 8 weeks.  That I don't lose weight?  I need to believe in the system and have faith it works.  OK..to be honest I don't know if I can use all my points only because I want some sort of cushion in case I underestimated during the week. 

Unfortunately this is not the only area where I tend to hoard...and God is revealing this to me.  In the past when stores used to really double coupons...I would get things just because they were free or cheap.  Who needs 10 jars of pasta sauce?  And I don't eat pasta on a weekly basis anyways...LOL  Now...I am trying to plan my meals based more on what I already have at home...and then buy what ingredients I don't have.  I used to collect beanie babies and now they are sitting in a bag in the "junk" room along with crafting supplies that I haven't touched in years.  So...one of my goals is to de-clutter my house and donate things I don't need to a battered women's shelter. 

Hope everyone has a great week and until next Sunday.