Back to It & Weight Watcher Wednesday (a little early) BUT it's all new..

So the pain has subsided and I have returned back to my normal gym schedule.  I am feeling good enjoying being back in a regular workout routine.  I am hoping that I offset any weight gain from the holidays with regular exercise. 

I do however find that sometimes I slack when it comes to tracking what I eat.  Though it is not a requirement of Weight Watchers, most members, and for that matter anyone who is not on WW and trying to loose weight finds it much easier when keeping a food journal or tracker.  Basically all you are doing is keeping yourself accountable for what you eat and drink everyday.  When I don't track it is much easier for me to let little snacks slide as well as loose track of how much I have eaten through out the day.  When I get confident I start to slack off on my tracking. At first its OK, but slowly but surely over time I start allowing myself little extras and treats at first I may just have a small snack a say to myself "that's fine I should have more than enough points"  after a while I am no longer actually even keeping track of the points I eat in my head, instead I gage an estimate of what I have eaten throughout the day which If I tracked it would probably add up to three days worth of food. Also one of the easiest ways to slack when not tracking is by all the beverages you drink and don't account for like coffee, soda, juices etc. Plane and simple, its much easier to stay on track when you hold yourself accountable for what you eat and drink. 

I am also excited for the new changes at Weight Watchers "points plus".  I have yet to be to a meeting this week to be filled in on all the changes but I have check out the etools.  I know some people are dreading this shift in the program but I look at it as a fresh start and a way to jump start my weight loss progress again.  Remember how easy it was your first few weeks on program to see the pounds drop, or on any weight loss program for that matter.  I am hoping to accomplish that same thing when I buckle down into this new plan.  Instead of dreading the change i am looking forward to it so that it doesn't discourage me.  I think there was a meeting about that a few weeks ago lol.  I will be sure to tell you how I feel after I finally get all the info.  I do know that my daily points and weekly points have increased, but so has some of the points values in my favorite foods.  I am excited that fruits are now all free though!  I am not as happy that we have to buy new products but I know they will be on sale in the beginning.  I can tell you that our meeting leader stressed to us that if you like using the points tracker than you should invest the six or so dollars it cost for the new calculator tool since the point sliders will no longer work.  I know that I will definitely be purchasing that this week.

Have you checked out all the new changes? Do you like them? Are you excited? or do you hate it!

You can find out more about Weight Watchers new Points Plus program HERE

Children of the Corn!

This summer my friend Rachel and I were given a great opportunity. We were invited by Tony from Botticello Farms to come down to their corn fields and pick our own fresh corn. While we were there we learned the ins and outs of farming corn, as well as all the other fruits and vegetables Boticello Farms grow on their local farm. I was skeptic at first but eating fresh picked corn really is delicious. It tastes as if there is butter and sugar on it already and doesn't have the "raw" flavor I expected. We had a great time playing in the corn field and learned a lot.  Nothing beats fresh picked locally grown grown produce. Check out the short video we filmed while there.

Visit Boticello Farms HERE

Pain!

I am in pain, lots and lots of pain. I think my body is punishing me for all the time I have spent away from the gym. Though it was due to medical reasons, I don't think my body is accepting that excuse and is now dueling out it's own brand of punishment.

I have finally been able to get back to the gym. I went a few times on my own last week and met once with my new trainer. I was sore after meeting with my trainer on Thursday so I decided to skip the gym on Friday and instead go on Saturday morning after my Weight Watchers meeting (where I lost .8 lbs) Once there I looked in my training file and decided to do an set of leg exercises I had done in the past. Since I was feeling good and pumped to be back in the gym I decided that instead of just using my own body weight as resistance that I would add weights as I went through the exercises. Oh boy! Was that a mistake. I couldn't even get through my third set. My legs had become their own form of human jello. I went to walk down the stairs to go do abs and almost fell down them because my legs couldn't even hold my body weight at this point. I slowly made my way to the locker room thinking I had over done it a little bit, but would hopefully be ready Monday for my next training session.

Well it didn't end there. Over the next few hours my legs tightened up more and more till I was having trouble walking. Going up and down stairs became a loud screaming activity, so I began to beg my boyfriend to run up and down to get me things throughout the weekend. Sunday I realized that my training session on Monday was just not going to happen so I switched them from Mon & Wed to Tue & Thur. Come Monday morning I was still in so much pain that I just cancelled my first session all together and kept my Thursday one on the books.

Today I am feeling a bit better though it still pains me to walk up and down stairs let alone just walk. My boyfriend has been massaging my thighs for me at night while I clench my fists and bear through the pain. Hot baths and ice have also been helping.

Funny thing is it hasn't made me not want to go to the gym, I am actually bummed that I haven't gotten to go now that I am back on a schedule. I did however learn not to push myself too hard. I have to start slow and work gradually up to where I was before =)

HFL Pride!

I show my Hungry For Living pride everywhere! The other night my boyfriend took me Go-Cart racing... check out my racing name!

We move toward and become like that which you think about
-Lou Tice

Getting Back To Basics!

I have to admit like everyone else I struggle and have set backs.  After losing 40lbs I hit a plateau and was unable to see much progress for a while. Naturally this got me distraught and frustrated.  On top of that I was unable to do my regular weekly workouts at the gym due to medical issues I was dealing.  For a while I was doing fine.  I was eating right and doing other things to keep active.  Slowly I started to fall into old habits and allow my self “treats”.  The only problem with this is that I have a very hard time stopping once I start. What used to be me treating myself once a week became a daily thing.  I started to focus less on my meals and became less aware that I was going out to eat a lot and letting my boyfriend cook (which in my household is not a good idea when trying to be healthy).  Like I stated before he is a very meat and potatoes kind of guy.  His meals consist of buttery, saucy, fatty, fried food. While deliciously tempting to the senses, they are not so gratifying to the body.

I don’t want you to think I went and fell off the wagon, which was not the case at all.  I just became so preoccupied in life that I let other little things slide, like going to my weekly weight watchers meetings.  After doing this for so long and being so close to my goal weight I can easily stay on track without going to a meeting every week. The problem comes when I stay away for too long.  The great thing about weight watchers is every week you get to go, talk, relate to others and become re energized for the upcoming week.  You don’t get frustrated and unmotivated as easily when you have such a great support systems of people working for the same goals.  My pants started to not feel as loose and I knew I need to get back on my A-game. 

My friend and I got to a meeting a few weeks ago together.  I had gained a few lbs, but I went in knowing I would be up a little from my last visit.  Since then we have our weekly Saturday routine now of meeting in the morning and going to a meeting together.  I am also able to get back to the gym, which I have, and feel so much better already.  Even after being on this journey for so long it is still important to remember we all need a little help and support to do it.  I do this for myself, but it helps when I can do things with my friends like go to meetings, go on a hike or hit the gym together.  I am sore today after meeting with my new trainer at the gym but I am loving it, I know it means I worked hard!

Woodbridge Farm!

We met Dave from Woodbridge Farm at a farmers market in Greenwich, CT. Take a look and find out what certified organic and biodynamic produce is!

What to do with all that extra Halloween Candy!

If you are like me, you bought way too much candy for Halloween and now you are left with delicious treats just tempting you to devour them!  This is our first Halloween in our new house and living on a busy street we expected a lot more trick-or-treaters then we actually got.  We also had a Halloween party for friends the night prior to Halloween so people brought over lots of candy and sweets.  I have already given away as many baked goods as I could and have brought the rest into the office, but sitting at home waiting for my return tonight are the bowls of excess Halloween candy.  I was actually very good this year and bought candy I did not like to give away to trick-or-treaters so I wasn't tempted to pick at it.  I also bought a bag of Tootsie Rolls because I knew I would want to have something sweet and I can have four mini rolls for 1WW point.  The trouble came when friends brought over bags and bags of my favorite candies like Resses Peanut Butter Cups!!

So what to do with the left over candy? Well I found a few neat ideas that I thought I would pass along to you guys.  

• Send it to Operation Gratitude. It goes into care packages for U.S. troops and to children in the communities they patrol. Ship by Dec. 5 to Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard, 17330 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406. Attn: Charlie Othold.                                                      
• Some dentists sweeten the incentive for kids to give up candy by buying it for a $1 a pound. Find one in your area here.
• Homeless shelters or fire departments in your area might accept candy donations, too. Call and ask.
• You can melt and use chocolate for baking purposes, and save hard candies, gumdrops and M&Ms to decorate gingerbread houses in December. (if you can store it and not be tempted)
• You can make a candy bouquet. You could make a sweet get well gift, birthday gift, centerpiece, thinking of you gift, hostess gift, etc

Have any other Ideas??