Weight Loss.....Thursday: Bad, Bad, Bad and an Idea!

Last week I talked about choices.  We have a choice about what we put in our mouths and how much.  Well, this week, I made bad choices.  I am an emotional eater (anyone else) and this week has been a bit more emotional than most.  Throw in a little a lot of Valentine's candy and it was a rough week.  Amazingly I lost 0.2 pounds.  I wouldn't be surprised if maybe the weight held off until after I weighed in and then caught up.  I suppose we'll find out next week!!

Here are my stats:
Weight: Down 0.2 pounds
Total Loss: Down 2.0 pounds!


Anyways, I was thinking, it would be nice to have a place to talk throughout the week.  To talk about the ups, the downs of the day.  A place to get encouragement.  To vent, to celebrate. I was thinking of creating a Facebook page - a page that would be private.  A place for any of you that are joining me on this journey.  What do you think?  Would you be interested?

Weight Loss Wednesday....Choices

It's Wednesday!!  And I weighed in this morning.....did you?

Here are my stats:
Weight: Down  1.8 pounds
Total Loss: 1.8 pounds

Thoughts:  We have to make choices.  Each choice has a consequence - good or bad.  If I want to lose weight and become healthier, it's about the choices I make.  And I need to make better choices more consistently.
One thing that I think will help in this weight loss journey is to track what I'm eating, drinking, and my activity.  This is one of the aspects of Weight Watchers that really helped me stay on track.  It made me pause and think, "Do I really want to write that down." 

I've considered using My Fitness Pal or Spark People (both are FREE!!!) but I'm really not thrilled with figuring out exactly how many calories, protein, etc, etc is in every single thing I eat.  For those of you that use these sites, what are your thoughts?

Now it's your turn!! For those of you that are joining me, how did you do this week? The good and the bad! 

Weight Loss Wednesdays.....It's Back!!

Well, I've decided to bring it back.....Weight Loss Wednesdays.  When I started this last time, it was right in the middle of the holiday season and food was everywhere!  And it was busy, busy, busy.  So, enough with the excuses.  It's time to get serious.  I, mean, I have to right....it's part of my goals for this year :) But, really, I want to and I need to. 

So, it starts now!  Right now.....today!  And, if you are interested, I hope you will join me. 

Today's weight: XXX.X - Nope, can't do it!  Just can't do it......

And here's where I started last time.  I think this is the biggest thing for me right now.  I need......accountability.  One of the reasons that I was so successful with Weight Watchers was the accountability aspect of the program.  I NEED that accountability.  And, while I love my husband, he is terrible at keeping me accountable!  So that's where this weekly feature comes in.  I'm hoping that you guys will keep me accountable and if anyone else needs accountability (doesn't just have to be weight loss/healthy living habits), we can do that too!

And, to be honest, I'm really not sure where this feature will be headed.  A big part of it is selfish - I need to be held accountable and I don't want to pay for it! (Was that too honest?)  But maybe some of you will join me, too.  I'm hoping to share some ideas, ways to do this without breaking the bank and I hope you'll share some of your tricks, recipes, etc as well!

Weight Loss Wednesday: Build a Good Support System

It's a Thanksgiving miracle.......I lost 0.9 pounds!  With all of the junk that I ate throughout the week, I completely attribute this to the fact that I work retail and Friday and Saturday were BUSY.  And I didn't stop moving through store!  Even though I lost a little, I'm pretty disappointed in my choices.  While they are improving, I know I can do better.  I need to do better!

Here are my stats:
*Weight: Down 0.9 pounds from last week
*Total Weight Loss: 3.9 pounds
*Successes: Sat down with Jeff and mapped out our meals for the week.  So far we've been sticking to it.  Much easier to make sure I have something healthy when I plan ahead.
*What to Work on: Two doughnuts.....really?  We had doughnuts at work on Friday morning and I ate two.  Just last night, we ran and got a pop and fries from McDonald's.  These things are completely unneccessary and absolutely something I need to change.

Frugal Tip of the Week:  Build a Good Support System - I know that this is the same frugal tip as last week but I realized that I gave you a tip with absolutely no ideas on how to accomplish it.  That's not very helpful, now is it! 

::Get Friends and Family On Board:  Make sure that the people that see you on a regular basis know what you are doing.  Ask them to not only be supportive but help you become accountable.  Let them know what you need from them.

::Find an Accountability Partner:  If one of your friends or a family member is looking to make some changes in her eating habits, join forces.  Commit to have a weekly weigh in.  Journal what you eat for the day and share.  Encourage each other with daily texts and emails.  Come up with celebrations when you both reach certain milestones - movie night, meet for coffee, etc

::Online Resources:  Several people have mentioned Spark People not only for its easy online tracking but also for the forums.  Lots of encouragement from people that are going through or have gone through the same thing.  Also, if you are part of a community like Babycenter or Cafe Mom, there are typically forums specifially for weight loss, etc. 

What frugal support systems have you found to be helpful in your weight loss journey?

Weight Loss Wednesday: Build a Good Support System

First I just wanted to say THANK YOU for your support last week.  It was very encouraging!  And with that, I have good news......not only did I lose the weight I gained last week but I lost an additional 0.9 pounds - that's a total of 1.6 pounds this week! 

Here's my stats:
*Weight: Down 1.6 pounds from last week
*Total Weight Loss: 3 pounds
*Successes: Back to limiting my pop intake.  Drank more water. Added more fruits and veggies.
*What to Work On: Planning ahead!  I used to be so good at planning out our menu for the week but I've really slacked off lately!  I end up grabbing something for work at the last minute and don't have time to add enough to fill me up.

This week's frugal tip comes from reader, MLDB.  Here's what she had to say:

MOST IMPORTANT...build a good support system. My husband is doing this with me, which has been huge, but I also have a couple of different groups that I go to that I can talk about whatever issues that I am having, and listen to others. It has been so great and helpful.

This is something I'm working on.  My husband is a sweet and supportive man BUT when it comes to me, he gives in pretty easily.  A friend of mine (Kristi, I'm talking about you) and I have talked about being this for each other but it hasn't gone beyond that.  Looks like we need to change that!  And, of course, I have my readers.  Not only does this keep me accountable but I also have my very own cheering squad!

Now it's your turn!!  For those of you that are joining me, how did you do this week?  The good and the bad! 

Weight Loss Wednesday: Motivation

Well, it was bound to happen.  Especially since I really haven't fully committed.  Yep, you guessed it.  The scale went up this time instead of down.  Just 0.7 pounds but still up.

Here's my stats:
Weight: Up 0.7 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 2.1 pounds
Success: Um.......still trying to figure that one out.  I suppose my success is that I haven't given up. 

No frugal tip from me this week, just a list. A motivational list.....reasons why will commit, starting today:
*To be healthier
*To be a good example for my girls
*To enjoy clothes shopping and looking in the mirror
*The wedding reception I will be going to in January - people I haven't seen in awhile!

I think I might need to post this list throughout my house!  

Thanks for reading my completely selfish post!  Nothing frugal, no deals.  Just accountability!  This week will be a better week! 

Now it's your turn!!  For those of you that are joining me, how did you do this week?  The good and the bad! 

Weight Loss Wednesday: Setting Small Goals

Last week's post was all about writing it down.  So, did I do it? Yep, I did (for exactly one day).  I'm not ready to give it up completely though - I am a paper/pencil person and I know that if I stick with it, it will help.  For those of you that are not paper/pencil people, I have been told that Spark People is the site for you!  So check it out and let me know what you think!  I still may give it a try but I'm not quite ready to jump in just yet!

Are you wondering how I did (so you can cheer me on, of course). Here's my stats:
Weight: Down 1.5 pounds!!
Success: Still limiting my pop intake - just 3 again this week.  I also stayed away from the vending machines at work.  They do tempt me but I firmly said no!  It is a waste of money and just so bad for me!
What to Work On:  I really haven't gone all in yet.  I am more aware of what I'm eating and cutting back on quite a bit of the junk but my evening, after work snack choices are pretty bad.  Definitely not a snack, more like a meal. 

Which brings me to this week's frugal weight loss tip.....make small goals.  I know there are some wonderful sites that tell you all about making goals for yourself.  What to do and what not to do.  And they may cringe at what I'm saying here or maybe applaud it.  I don't know.  I know that what I need are small goals.  I can't do it all overnight.  It needs to be a gradual change for me or I just won't stick with it.  Yep, the weight loss will be slower but I'm hoping it will be more long lasting.  So my plan is to start the week with 2-3 small goals.  Things that I will be working on.  When I'm able to do these things out of habit, I will add some more. 

My goals for this week:
1) Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day
2) Have a veggie at lunch and dinner

Now it's your turn!!  For those of you that are joining me, how did you do this week?  The good and the bad! 

Weight Loss Wednesday: Write It Down

My week included a potluck at work (with some delicious, bad for me foods) and Halloween candy, lots of Halloween candy! Needless to say,  I was more than a little worried this morning when I got on the scale.  To my delight........down 1.3 pounds.  Huge delight because I didn't want to come back on and admit to a weight gain.  Yay for accountability!  Here are my stats:

Weight: Down 1.3 pounds
Success: Cut WAY back on pop.  Only had three throughout the entire week.  Not even telling you where I started :).  No vending machine snacks at work this week (although that was pretty easy with all of the candy around).  Just much more aware of what I was eating this week.
What to Work on: Need to drink more water.  Also want to make sure I am getting a veggie at lunch and dinner!  I make sure my kiddos do but I'm not always great about it!

My Frugal Weight Loss Tip: Write it Down! I will be writing down what I'm eating for the week.  Sure, it can be a pain and definitely not something that I want to do for the rest of my life but, for now, it is a tool to help me become healthier.  I can look back at what I've eaten throughout the day and see where improvements need to be made as well as see the successes I've had.  It also makes me pause and think, "Do I really want to write that down."  Trust me, it works, I have eaten far less candy today because of it!

Now it's your turn!!  For those of you that are joining me, how did you do this week?  The good and the bad! 

Weight Loss Wednesday: Accountability

Introducing.......Weight Loss Wednesday, a new (and entirely selfish) weekly feature on Spectacular Savings.  Gym memberships, trainers, weight loss programs....it can add up quickly.  And, even though I have had success with Weight Watchers in the past, it's just not in the budget.  And this is where Weight Loss Wednesdays comes in.  Each week I will share my successes and struggles, offer support and encouragement if you would like to join me, and share a frugal tidbit on weight loss/healthy living habits - something that has been working for me.

Today's weight: XXX.X - Sorry, just can't bring myself to write it down.  Maybe in a few months.....

Which brings me to......accountability.  One of the reasons that I was so successful with Weight Watchers was the accountability aspect of the program.  I NEED that accountability.  And, while I love my husband, he is terrible at keeping me accountable!  So that's where this weekly feature comes in.  I'm hoping that you guys will keep me accountable and if anyone else needs accountability (doesn't just have to be weight loss/healthy living habits), we can do that too!

Now is the part where you write encouraging comments below.....