Food Journal - Day 1 - Week of Accountability

Here's my Weight Watchers PointsPlus tracker for Day 1 of my Week of Accountability. I still haven't had my snack for later this evening, but I already have it planned and tracked with a few points left over for the day.

How did you do today?  If you wish to do so, please reply with your food journal, calorie count, PointsPlus Values, etc. for today.

(If you are unfamiliar with the Weight Watcher's program, please scroll to the end of this post where I explain what these values mean.)

Daily PointsPlus Allowance: 50
Daily PointsPlus Used: 45
Weekly PointsPlus Allowance: 49
Weekly PointsPlus Used: 0

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Weight Watcher's PointsPlus Program Summary

For those unfamiliar with the Weight Watcher's program, let me explain. On Weight Watcher's you don't count calories, you count PointsPlus Values (PPV). Your daily allowance is based upon your age, weight, height and gender and calculated by Weight Watchers. This number will change as you lose (or gain) weight.  You are also provided a weekly allowance of 49 PPV which you may spend at any time during the week on anything you wish to spend it on.  So basically, this is your budget. You have a set number to spend daily, and a number of weekly PPV's that are optional to use throughout the week.

Of course, all foods have a PPV. The value is based upon how much Fat, Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fiber are in the food. Weight Watchers has a calculator that can be used for these calculations. (Available as a pocket calculator you can carry with you, an Android App, an iPhone app or through membership of etools on the Weight Watcher's website, where my screen shots came from.)

The key is to keep your daily food intake within the budget. For me, this requires planning, tracking and measuring my foods.

You can also earn additional PPV's through exercise. Again, the value of PPV's given to an activity is based upon the persons weight, longevity of activity and the intensity of the workout. These PPV's are also optional on if you spend them or not.

So there you have it, Weight Watchers PointsPlus plan in a nutshell. 

By the way, Weight Watchers is running a special that if you sign up now for a Monthly Pass, you get it for $19.95! The regular price is $39.95 so it really is a great deal. If you have been considering joining, now is the time to get nearly 1/2 off your first month.

Now let me say this, I am not a spokesperson, salesperson or employee of Weight Watchers. I don't make any money by telling you about that special but this program has changed my life. I am just a member using the plan and sharing what knowledge I have after being on the program 46 weeks.

Good Bye Diet Coke!

I've decided the time has come to give up my Diet Coke.

Weeks ago I stopped buying 12-packs of the fizzy beverage to try to force myself to not drink it as often. I bought those little 8-pack mini-cans at first, thinking that I could grab one of those in moderation, here and there, when the craving really hit.  Yeah, that didn't work out so well. I really should know by now that I'm often not a person that does well with "moderation." I'm trying, I am. But mini-can Diet Cokes means you will just grab two!

About two weeks ago I decided that I was no longer buying a supply of Diet Coke to have in the house. If I wanted one, I'd have to go get it.  All I did was create the situation that when I wanted one, I had to leave the house, drive to a convenience store, purchase it for double the amount I would normally pay and then drive back home. Well, that resulted in was a lot of trips out in the car and a lot more money spent on Diet Coke!

So, I'm doing it. Today is Day 1, although, technically, yesterday was since I haven't had my favorite beverage since Friday. But I'm counting today as my official start. 

Yesterday I found something I normally never would have tried. Sweet Leaf Tea: Diet Citrus Green Tea  OMG! It was so good, but a bit pricey (about the same as buying a Diet Coke at a convenience store every time I want one LOL).

I've decided I really want to try to make my own homemade version of this beverage. I'm thinking all I really need to do is brew some green tea, squeeze juice from a fresh orange, lemon and lime into the tea, add a bit of splenda and it would taste close if not better than the bottled stuff. We will see, but I did really enjoy my first venture into actually LIKING green tea.

Now I just need to find a quality green tea.

Do you make green tea at home? Do you brew it just as you would black tea (for summer iced tea)? What brands do you prefer?

Week 46 - Weigh In

All I really can say is Wow! Weigh in this morning was amazing - I lost 3.4lbs! This is amazing after having such a rough week. I can't explain it and you know what, it doesn't really matter. I'm thrilled! There is nothing more motivating than a nice loss.

Several weeks ago I hit my 50 pound goal. However, I had not been able to find my key-chain to take a photo of all my milestone charms together. In fact, I never did find it. My wonderful Weight Watcher's leader replaced it at today's meeting. I'm so thankful to have it back again. It's funny how these little things mean so much, but they do.

Since today's weigh in brought me back over my 50lb milestone, with a total of 53.2lbs lost I think the timing is just perfect!

My week of accountability (part 2) starts today! I'll be posting my food tracker each day this week. Please join me!

This is really going to be a fantastic week. I'm back and I feel great!

Struggling - Time for Another Week of Accountability

I'm struggling. Last week I wrote about how this week was going to be better. I was going to be back on track and I was pulling the car out of reverse. Unfortunately, I can't really say I succeeded. This has been a really rough week. I've been sick and spent nearly three days in bed. That's not an excuse and there is far more to my floundering than just illness.

I've been uninspired. I've been lacking motivation. I've been stressed and allowed it to consume me.

I also broke my own rule. Last weekend I went to a wholesale type store and purchased several things I don't normally purchase, but not only did I purchase them, I purchased them in bulk. Things like pop-tarts and sugary cereal. I honestly bought them for my children and my husband because for some reason I felt guilt that they hadn't had those "treats" in a while. I'm not sure how I guilt-ed myself into thinking I was doing them an injustice by not feeding them crap, but nonetheless, I did.  Naturally, I found myself tempted and I caved, regularly. Perhaps it works for other people to have these items in the house for others' to have - but it doesn't work for me!  I do not have the willpower to avoid the pantry with brown sugar and cinnamon pop-tarts. I thought I had come far enough that I could. I thought I would be able to pass them up and grab my fresh fruit rather than pop that little pastry of goodness in the toaster. But, I'm not there yet and not sure I ever will be. This was an eye-opener. As healed as we think we may be, as strong as we've become, what happens in the privacy of our own kitchens in the wee hours of the night aren't so private when those sins we commit show on our bodies as added fat.

The problem is, when I allow myself to get down like this I feel worse from NOT doing what I need to be doing, which only compounds the feelings of negativity. I know this, but it's so easy to come here, write about how this is it, I'm moving forward and then fall down two steps into the week, flounder on the floor for a few days and then by the end of the week be back up on my feet and ready to go again - only it's too late.  But too late for what really? The scale to give some number that I base my success upon?

No, my success will not be determined by the number on the scale. Certainly it's important, my goal is to lose weight which is measured by a number.

However, when I'm struggling like this I must measure my success in different ways, otherwise it's far too easy to throw in the towel and give up. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP THIS TIME! I've come too far to blow it now.  My success will be going to my meeting tomorrow. My success is planning, again, for what should be a good week. My success will be tracking more than I did this week. My success is coming here writing for the third week in a row of poor choices which have lead me down a path of negativity.

This is honestly one of the most difficult things I've ever attempted in my life. Weight loss always has been. This time it's so much more involved because my goal isn't just to lose weight or be thin - my goal is to change myself FOR LIFE! It's a large undertaking and I have to do it one day at a time.

Several months ago I was struggling and I decided to do a week of accountability. I am vowing to do that again, starting tomorrow. Each day I am going to post my food tracker with everything I consume. At last week's meeting it was brought up to share your tracker with a buddy but I didn't participate in that portion of the challenge. So, I'm a week late but this week you all are my buddies!

Tomorrow I will weigh in and take whatever number the scale spits out. Perhaps, by a miracle, it will show some form of loss, although I wouldn't bet on it. But this is not the end, it's just the beginning, all over again.

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To those that follow me regularly, thank you for sticking with me. There are weeks when I feel like I'm disappointing you with not having a great loss to share. In reality, I'm disappointing myself. However, I'm determined to get back to my losing streak and your words of encouragement during these tough times have meant a lot.

Who else has been struggling for the last few weeks? Would you like to join me on a week of accountability? If so, just reply to the daily posts with your food intake. Perhaps you journal it, perhaps you base it on calorie counts or exchanges - however you track, just respond and together we will have a transparent week. We can do this!

Week 45 - Weigh In

Enough is enough! I'm done floundering! This morning I saw the gain, as I expected. I'm up 3.6lbs. Yep, I went off track big time. But, what is done is done and I'll take it back off. I think this only illustrates how much I NEED to go to my meetings, track my foods, plan my meals and exercise. For years, I ate as I did this week. Flying by the seat of my pants, eating anything I wanted without giving it much thought - running to the vending machine when the chocolate craving hit and eating that Kit Kat whenever I pleased. It's easy to see how one could become nearly 400lbs when gaining 3.6 in one week. 36lbs in 10 weeks. . .72lbs in 20 weeks. . .

I've already gone to the grocery store and purchased all the right things. Today I'm going to sit down and do my normal planning routine, that I missed last week. I'm taking control again.