Second Post-Baby Weigh-in

Ye gads. I knew going into this that babies eat up your day. What they didn't tell me is that they eat up two or three days at a time! Though I'm posting this on Tuesday, I've back dated it to when the actual weigh-in was.

Speaking of which...

I'm down 0.2 lbs. That's about the same amount as Teeny spits up. I kid, I kid. She isn't a spitter-upper. She just projectile pees. But that's another story.

It was nice to see some familiar faces at the meeting. Fewer than I thought there'd be, but then again it has been a year since last I went. One of the gals I'm familiar with made goal and she looks fabulous. We also discussed ideas to jazz up protein (chicken, beef, etc.) to avoid getting in a food rut. I came away with some good tips and will hopefully have more to share later when I try them.

Lastly, I'm thinking of splitting these weigh-ins from the first go round. This time feels different because I already made the grade. I'm simply getting back to where I was. Two separate journeys you know? But whether or not I split them depends on my time. Or lack thereof.

*glances at Teeny Trim*

Ah, the joys of motherhood :)

First Post-Baby Weigh-in

It's only taken me a week and a half to post this but here it is. Teeny Trim has this amazing ability to add days (and weeks) to the most simplest of tasks :)

At any rate, I finally made it to my Weight Watchers centre yesterday to get officially weighed. As you can see, I'm about 21 lbs away from goal. Considering how my first trimester went, I'm actually pretty proud that this is all I have to lose. In fact, I've been back on plan since mid-July and have lost about 5 lbs already. Not too shabby!

Because I'm nursing, I've discovered that I get a schwack of extra points and also need to increase my servings of milk, oil, veggies, and protein. With all that extra food, I'm super stuffed by the end of the day. I love losing weight this way.

My long absence has also brought changes to the Weight Watchers plan as well. There's a new system to learn - this new-fangled-thingamajig Momentum Plan. I noticed it when I started tracking again in eTools and of course I received new materials when I went for my weigh-in. I really like the focus on the filling foods. I gravitate towards those anyways, but it's nice to have extra reinforcement.

So what's my plan of attack now? Going by my new start weight, my 10% goal (roughly 15 lbs) seems rather far away. Therefore, I'm going to go at this in 5 lb increments with a small reward at each stage. I'm also going to put on the enthusiasm of a newbie. Read my materials back to front, try new recipes, and so on. Miss Teeny might have other ideas for her mama, but that's the plan!

Eighty-first Weigh-in

I'm up .4 lbs this week. It would have been a loss I'm sure, if it weren't for the wedding the night before.

*shifty eyes*

Okay, so maaaaaaybe I had a bit too much smoked fish. Just a bit. Okay, a lot. But hey, it was worth it.

The meeting was about setting your ultimate goal and likening it to the athletes of the recently ended Olympics. It takes a lot of practice, hard work, and dedication for them to reach and compete in the Olympics. This is most eloquently explained by one of our Canadian Olympic athletes, Kyle Hamilton of the Men's 8 Rowing Team...

Gold medals are awarded in the summer, but they’re earned in the winter.”

Just like weight loss, practice makes perfect. And like athletes, we should also not let setbacks affect the outcome. During the Olympics, I was struck many times by stories of athletes who battled through personal injury and sickness, as well as deaths in their family. Despite all this, they battled through to the end. A fantastic example of dedication to the end goal. And inspiring, too!

If they can overcome the most crippling of obstacles, we too, can overcome the little ones. The ice cream at midnight, well-meaning food-pushers, emotional setbacks, and yes, even the sneaky buffet of smoked fish at weddings. If we have our sights set on the ultimate goal - whether weight- or health-related - we can overcome anything.

Eightieth Weigh-in

Despite the rough weeks I had, I'm down again this week by .8 lbs. Ironically, that's given me a goal that I initially had in mind when I first started Weight Watchers - to lose 75 lbs. I'll freely admit that the only reason why I had that goal in mind was so I could get the 75 lb charm. Yes, I'm a little superficial :)

Since I didn't think I'd be eligible to receive any more stickers or charms, it was quite the shock when my leader presented me with both this morning. You'd think I'd be over the moon with happiness. I am happy, yes. But in a reflective way. It's a nice thing to have but ultimately, it wasn't the big goal. The big goal has already been and gone and this is a sort of happy dénouement to my journey.

Even still, I'm proud to put it on my keychain and to affix what should be the last five pound star to my bookmark.

Seventy-ninth Weigh-in

I'm down 1.8 lbs this week. I also know what caused my gain last week: my period. It's been happening for over 22 years now, you'd think I'd be prepared for it by now. One of these months it's not going to sneak up on me.

The meeting today was about exercise and how it should be something you enjoy. I couldn't agree more. If I didn't like running or bootcamp or any of the other exercises I do, I'd still be on the couch.

We also discussed physical and mental obstacles to exercise. For me, the hardest part is getting out the door. I still have to trick myself; especially when I'm tired. I begin with the 10 minute rule: I have to go out for at least 10 minutes. If I'm not enjoying myself after the time is up, I give myself permission to stop. It's never gotten to that point of course. That's the trick. Once you're doing it, you're apt to keep going.

The other trick I use is gradually getting dressed. When I'm tired, getting dressed for exercise is a chore. I force myself to get dressed by focusing on one clothing piece at a time. After about 20 minutes of alternatively dressing and futzing around procrastinating, I'll finally be dressed. By this point I'll still be tired and cranky, but once I'm dressed, the prospect of undressing is more daunting than actually going out and exercising.

Hi, I'm TinyTrim, 34-year-old toddler.

But hey, whatever gets you out the door, right?

Seventy-eighth Weigh-in

It's taken me awhile to post this one, but here it is. I was up 1.6 lbs this weigh-in. Which is funny because at the time, I felt like I had lost weight. I must've been feeling the loss of whatever weight it was that I had gained the week before.

As an old hand at the scale, I know that it's feedback and not failure. Nor any reason to beat oneself up about it. You make adjustments as necessary, and keep going.

Speaking of the need to make adjustments. I've been sliding into some old habits. That's another post though :)

Seventy-seventh Weigh-in

Since I didn't make it into weigh-in this weekend, I'm reposting my chart from last week. Even still, I've been keeping an eye on my weight using my home scale and I appear have gained from last time.

I'm not sure the extra points are to blame; I've been feeling rather bloated and yick because of something unexpected I ingested* on Tuesday. The feeling is almost past, but I'm still not feeling quite normal yet. It's good that I'll have another week to get sorted out before a real weigh-in. And, as always, I know that when trying anything new (in my case, an extra point per day), you need to give it at least two weeks.


* I tried a new drink at Starbucks - a blended lemonade. I'd drunk about a quarter of it when I realized that it was filled with bits of unidentifiable plastic. Hurl! I took it back after work. Didn't get much satisfaction from the manager; she didn't seem to care much what it was or how it happened. I received only a refund of my drink for all the hassle. I did try a non-plastic laced lemonade later that week. It was good but much higher in points than I realized. PSA: it's 4 points for a Tall.

Seventy-sixth Weigh-in

I'm down again, this time .6 lbs. It's strange. Since I consciously switched to Maintenance, I've finally gotten what I wished for - to be in the 120s.

I'll be the first to admit that, in spite of the end goal, there's a part of me that still wants to go lower. But I made myself (just now in fact) adjust my daily points allowance. One more point. If I thought 4 points was a windfall, 5 extra points is a bona fide landslide.

This is also known as the "I don't have to pay" edition. I made up a little song with that exact phrase and danced around the house before I went to the meeting.

"I don't have to pay!" *dance*dance* "I don't have to pay!" *dance*dance*

When I got to the meeting, I accidentally went for the box where my folder usually is. After I realized it was in the Lifetime box, I sang the song in my head again and wiggled silently to myself. And when I got home, I sang the song again but with a slight difference.

"I didn't have to pay!" *dance*dance* "I didn't have to pay!" *dance*dance*

Seriously, not having to pay is absolutely awesome. I just did a quick calculation and realized just how much I've spent on Weight Watchers to get to this point - over $1400 at least. It's a shocking figure, but it's small change compared to all the benefits I've reaped. There is no price on health!

Even still. I didn't have to pay. *dance*dance*

Seventy-fifth Weigh-in – Lifetime achieved!

Bodies are mysterious things. I went down 2.8 lbs this week despite having eaten an average of 26 points per day. I know if you lose weight, you're suppose to add another point, but I'm going to give it another week just to see. Despite aforementioned surprise at the scale, usually my body takes two to three weeks to adjust.

In other news, I achieved Lifetime status. That's my charm. I kissed it when my leader handed it to me. It was a heady feeling when, at the end of the meeting, my membership was transferred over into Lifetime. I was also given a new weigh-in book and a Lifetime membership card.

It seems surreal that after all this time I no longer have to pay the weekly fee or even go every week. However, I plan on going as much as I can. It's my Saturday morning ritual and I like being accountable to someone.

I promised myself that on the day I achieved Lifetime, I'd do two things: 1) buy a Lululemon hoody and 2) take my wedding rings in to be resized. After my meeting, I did both. The hoody is so well made, so soft, and so cute. I'm really glad I splurged on it. And my rings? They'll be done around the 25th but that's another blogpost in of itself.

Lifetime feels good. No, it feels GREAT.

Seventy-fourth Weigh-in

I'm down 1 lb and back at my goal day weight. It seems damage control worked. For this week at least, maybe not so much next week!

In other news, I'm considering applying to work at Weight Watchers. There's a couple months before baby making can commence, and I'm thinking it'd be nice to pass forward what I've been given in return. And to make a little extra money on the side though I understand it's not much. Wednesday is the recruiting fair, I'll post if I go.

That's it for me. Hopefully everyone else had a good week. If not, there's always an opportunity to re-commit. Get out there, enjoy the summer weather and don't forget the local strawberries!

Seventy-third Weigh-in

Sorry for the delay in getting this one up. I was away for a mini-vacation this weekend. I went up 1 lb this weigh-in, which is to be expected considering the number of eating blow-outs I've been racking up.

Speaking of which, this past weekend was quite the bender. Remind me why I shouldn't eat until I hurt. Oh, that's right. Because that leads to 70 lbs of weight gain. And it wasn't like it was extremely tasty food either. I just kept trying to find that one meal that tasted so good it was worth all those calories. I never did find that one meal. It was all mediocre from start to finish. Meanwhile, four bajillion calories later and my insides weren't so happy with me today.

Needless to say, this week is damage control. Which is rather ironic because I've been working up to a particular decision for a few weeks now. Yep. Maintenance. I had pretty much decided to start on it this week. After this weekend though, it'll have to wait until next week.

In the meantime, I'll be doing lots of reading and research while I do laps around the block trying to work off two days of excess.

Seventy-second Weigh-in

I'm down 1.2 lbs and back to where I was at goal. It's been three weeks since goal and as you can tell I haven't done anything about Maintenance. I'm a little lost, to tell the truth. I've had more than a few bad eating choices. Ah, how I wish the stories about life after goal were not true. It is hard. I still keep scrabbling back on the wagon so that's something at least.

I did receive some encouraging news though that's made me feel better. A couple of my husband's acquaintances through work lost weight using Weight Watchers and have been very successful at keeping it off. Though I know many people over on the WeightWatchers.ca forums have been successful, it still really helps to know someone close at hand who's done it. It's an uplifting thought.

Seventy-first Weigh-in

Down .8 lbs this week. And that's partly because I wore capris. Otherwise, I'd be a stay-the-same or a little up this week. Perhaps May is finally catching up with me? I also haven't been exactly saintly since I got to goal. No, I haven't been having all-out eating fests but will admit to two meals that weren't exactly on plan. Even still, two bad meals in the span of three weeks isn't terrible by any stretch.

Seventieth Weigh-in

I knew some weight-rebound was bound to happen because I was sick last week. Fortunately, it didn't put me past my goal weight. I gained 2 lbs this week, making for a nice even 135 lbs. I'm completely cool with that. I can breathe through both nostrils, my side ache isn't as bad as it used to be, and as a result I've been running and Bootcamping again. It feels good to move without pain.

During the meeting we talked about motivation and how it comes and goes. I think it's really important to remember that it's okay if your motivation wavers. Motivation can be strong or weak and it can change as the months go by. If it does weaken, it's just time to reassess and perhaps look for new motivation elsewhere. Make a mini-goal or look for other ways to get inspired. Just don't think you're broken somehow. It's normal and it's okay.

And as my meeting leader said, motivation is like a toilet seat. It can be up and down all within the same day!

So there's your profound bathroom thought for the weekend. Hopefully your week went well and you're proud of something you've done (even if it's a small something, they count, too!) I'm off for another shopping trip. It's time to empty the closet of my transition clothes and get some new duds in earnest.

Sixty-nineth Weigh-in :)

A picture is worth a thousand words...



I lost 3.2 lbs this week, putting me past my goal of 135 lbs and then some.

Goal goal goal goal goal goal omigosh I MADE GOAL!!!!!!!!!



That's me, my goal charm, and a big goofy smile on my face. When I received it at the meeting I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. I thought it likely that I'd cry, but surprisingly, I didn't. I had practiced my speech for a month and I managed to deliver it without nary a sniffle.

After the meeting, I had a nice heart-to-heart with my leader. She has been my rock throughout the whole thing. She's kind, funny, supportive, and personable. She's the kind of leader I wish everyone had. I'm not a huggy person and go out of my way to avoid it, but I freely gave her one. It felt so good to acknowledge the energy and strength she gave me through that one embrace.

When I got out of the meeting, I was so gosh-darned proud you couldn't drag me off the cloud. I called my husband immediately to let him know the good news. He congratulated me and told me to look in the trunk of the car. When I got to the car, I found a bouquet of flowers and a card telling me how proud he was of me. For the first time that day, I started to cry. And then I noticed that he was parked behind me on the scooter. He'd come out to be with me on my special day.

This leads me to my special accolades section. I'll be posting my before and after pics, but I really need to thank a whole lot of people first.

First and foremost, to my husband. I really couldn't have had a better partner in all of this. He has loved me no matter what my size was. He never pushed, never belittled, never suggested that he didn't love me one ounce less. During all my past diet attempts, he always supported me, no matter how crazy the diet I'd chosen was. And when I decided to go on Weight Watchers again, he was by my side. He made me breakfast, he'd hide his treats, if he wanted fast-food he'd have it outside of the house. When I wanted to start exercising, he started, too. I never asked him to do these things. He just did them. Every step of the way he's been with me. Words cannot describe how much I love you, my dear. You are the best friend I've ever had.

Next, to Weight Watchers, my leader, the receptionists, and the meeting members. For just about every Saturday morning for the last year, I've been up bright and early to the meetings. The support, smiles, and inspiration I've received during the weekly meetings are a cornerstone of my success. Weight Watchers has made this whole thing possible.

Last, to my blog readers and to all the gals and guys on the WeightWatchers.ca forums. I love each and every one of you. For reading my blog, giving me props when I was down, supporting me through tough times, cheering me on and even suffering through some of my more long-winded posts. Let's not forget the kicks in the bum. I've received those, too, and though it smarted at the time, it was what I needed most.

Okay, so now that I'm crying like a baby, how about some before and after shots?





Holy fricken wow. I look at those pictures and it's hard to imagine that's what I used to be - 211 lbs at my highest. There was a time when I couldn't remember what it was like to be thin. And now look at me.

It has been one year and four months since I started this journey. To say that it changed my life is an understatement. I am a new person inside and out. As the layers melted away, I found someone worthwhile inside.

Thank you, Weight Watchers. You gave me the tools to take back my life.

Sixty-eighth Weigh-in

I'm down .2 lbs this week. Not too shabby after the wild birthday weekend and the crazyness that was May in general with all the eating out. I had started to get overwhelmed and lose my way with all that was happening, but now that things have settled down, I'm ready for the final push.

In fact, I've been waffling whether I knew it or not. I've been prolonging getting to goal because I didn't quite feel ready. But I'm done with waffling. It's time to get this done and power-slide across the finish line.

I'm even more inspired now to stay the course because a friend just found out she needs to lose weight. I will show her that it can be done - that it is possible to make healthy choices in social situations - and hopefully it will inspire her in turn.

Sixty-seventh Weigh-in

I guess eating more has been agreeing with me. I'm down another .8 lbs this week. I had a panic moment at the scale when my regular receptionist said that I had only 1.4 lbs to go. Yikes! I know it's been close for awhile, but this is getting extremely close.

At the meeting, I had nice chats with a bunch of regular members. First, I told one fellow that he really needed new pants. I couldn't help but notice just how baggy they'd become when he stepped on the scale. His sister then said that they'd been telling him for weeks the same thing and hopefully my comment would inspire him to finally get around to it, haha!

I also spoke with a fantastically inspiring lady who's been at goal for a few months now and we both encouraged each other to sign up for the marathon in October. We're going to check in with each other in a few weeks to see if we actually did it.

The rest of my day was full of birthday fun, but that's another post. I'm actually writing this the day after and am getting ready to work off some birthday cake. I'll write more later about my Clinique appointment, my new iPod nano, my soon to be purchased Nike+, and my scooter. Yes, scooter. Two wheels, gas engine, goes "meep!" and all that :)

Sixty-sixth Weigh-in

I'm down .8 lbs this week. Yep, I'm surprised. I even went back to wearing my regular (heavier) jeans. Ah well, after all this time I should know better than to try and predict what the scale will do. Maybe next week it'll catch up with me, and maybe it won't. I'm not going to worry about it though. Having an extra few weeks to get to goal is fine by me.

Speaking of which, I've been finding it hard identifying with myself nowadays. For the longest time I knew myself as a person who was obese. Now that I'm no longer obese, it feels like it happened in a blink of an eye. For ten years I was overweight, the next day...*poof*...I wasn't.

It's weird, I know. I've been working towards this for over a year now and yet it feels like my "new" body emerged within a month. I'll be walking and notice that my stomach isn't hanging out or my thighs aren't rubbing together and wonder "when did that happen?"

I've heard before that this is normal to feel this way and that it takes awhile for the brain to catch up with the changes in your body. I sure hope it happens soon. It's strange being a stranger in your own body.

Sixty-fifth Weigh-in

I knew I wouldn't be in the 140s for long but didn't figure on getting through it so quickly. I'm down 2.2 lbs this week and am now in the 130s. I lost a point from my daily allowance, gained a star for my bookmark and I'm so close to goal that I'm having a hard time believing it.

I'm not celebrating quite yet, though. This past week has been terrible in terms of eating and exercising. I also wore different (lighter) clothes to weigh-in because my normal outfit is in the wash. That 2.2 lbs is feeling rather unrealistic.

So next week I'm expecting a gain as this past week catches up to me. I did the best I could, but there's only so much you can do when every other night you're going out to dinner with friends to celebrate something. I did damage control as much as possible, but I don't think it was enough. I've also been feeling rather down about my friend, so some emotional eating has been getting the better of me.

Ah well. It's a new week now. Since I have absolutely nothing to do this weekend (bliss!), I'm going to sit down and make some menus and plan on trying new recipes. I also bought the new Weight Watchers magazine this morning so hopefully there's some good info in there.

Have a great weekend everyone. Hopefully you're doing well, celebrating some NSVs, and kicking butt at the scale :)

EDIT: What the heck. I might as well be happy about today and get out of my funk. I ran a 10k, I'm no longer overweight, and I've earned another star for my bookmark. What's not to be happy and excited about? This past week was just a blip and I can hit the ground running again just like I've always done. I'm going to head out today and buy myself a water bottle and maybe a new Webkinz as a reward.

Sixty-fourth Weigh-in

I'm down 1.8 lbs this week. With this loss, I've reached a major milestone. My BMI is now within the normal range. I am no longer overweight.

I am no longer overweight!!!!!!

:) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I am so freaking proud of myself right now. This day has been long in coming. Today there is no better number than my BMI. It represents a promise I made to myself not only to lose weight but to become healthy at the same time. Any other weight I lose on the way to goal is just low-point gravy.

I feel like making an appointment with my doctor just so I can dance around in the examination room and high-five her.

I am no longer overweight!!!!!