Strategies for 2010

I went walking on Sunday...it was a rainy miserable day...but what a view of the valley between the Washington border and Idaho...until we reached the dog track...then the scenery was less awesome...but while walking I talked about strategies for 2010. I won't make losing weight a resolution this year...but I do want to work on it. I was 183 in August and now I am close to if not over 200 lbs. I want to get back to that August weight. I had been doing Weight Watchers...and I feel I was pretty successful in doing it. Year one I lost 50 lbs...year two I lost 16 lbs...and now I am just not doing it at all. Starting January 2 I will attend my first WW meeting in several months...and I plan to get back on track. Mostly my goal is to be healthier. I am not sure if I will ever be THIN...in the since of looking glamorous...but as I age...and next year I turn 40...I think I should be more concerned with my body's well being. So...here is my list of strategies

• Meal plan - I can't say enough about this...if you spend Sunday mapping out your week, you are less likely to eat just because. I pour over cookbooks and pick yummy and new recipes to try
• Less processed foods - they just aren't good for me. Even if I am on a diet and should be eating low fat or light foods...even fat free...they really aren't good for me in the long run. I will try to avoid them!
• One day of abandon - I will crave things...and I will write down what I am craving...one day a week I will revisit the list....and have the things I crave. It is my hope that once some time has passed, perhaps I won't crave what I wanted so much
• More activity - I need to think how I will add more activity into my day. I need at least 30 minutes a day...and I need to get over thinking it needs to be 30 consecutive minutes...so I will do 10 minutes at a time or less if needed
• Hiking or snowshoeing - I want to add this in as a regular occurrence. Depending on weather, I want to do a major hike every week as well...at a minimum of 4 miles and more if necessary...and if time allows...at a quick pace so I can burn and tone things!

Well, I think all of this seems reasonable! I am already thinking of what I need to do and how I will do it. The question is am I ready. Obviously my first year of WW was easier for me...I really seemed to stick with it. The second year was a series of ups and downs and it was very hard for me...and frustrating. Now, I can only hope and plan and try to make myself not love food as much!

Baking Cookies

So...every year I bake cookies. This is probably the one time of the year that I make and consume cookies without even thinking about the consequences. All of the other times of the year I think about consequences. I have already felt my waistband tighten. I have sworn I will NOT buy new clothing. Once I can't fit into my clothing...then I will just have to stop eating...

So I made chocolate crinkles, oatmeal craisin chocolate chip, sugar, chocolate chip and I will make buckeyes. I will also say that 90% of the cookies will be shipped to others...to help with their struggle to battle the bulge...actually I end up sending cookies to my unmarried brothers and then some of my friends who have come to enjoy my cookie treat. I don't send many...in fact this year I made a lot of 1/2 batches...and will send enough to sample...rather than stuff I hope this helps.

After this baking...I will go on to candy...my husband requires gluten free...so I will try my hand at making candy! Hopefully we can come up with some new favorites and maybe by next year I will only make the candy that makes the cut!

Happy Holidays!

PS Not too worried about holiday parties this year...but a co-worker brought fudge to work and that was my undoing!

Eating out...

Last night I decided to eat out...and went for the whole thing...appetizer, dinner and dessert. Wine too...I shared a portebello mushroom cap with artichoke and crab cheesy dip with toast, I had a grilled chicken small Caesar salad with dressing on the side...I probably only had 1/3 of the small container of dressing...and then topped the evening off with flourless chocolate cake with a small scoop of ice cream. In and of itself that isn't horrid...but I did power walk for an hour today...and had some wine (my other downfall sometimes). Usually I can stop at 1 or 2 glasses...when I get beyond that it is ridiculous! I wasn't drunk...and by the time I went to bed I couldn't tell I had any...but still!

This weekend I will be eating out again...the thing about eating out is having something you really like that is quality! I haven't done it a lot lately...but I guess when I do I need to learn that I could have had a salad and a glass of wine and that would have been fine, satisfying, and enough.

Next week I am planning my meals...trying to keep things under wraps...and finding things that aren't too bad for me. I am definitely making a type of soup next week...maybe I will make two kinds!

Weekend fun!

So...had many opportunities to eat well this weekend...finished off my chocolate chip cookies today...EEK...and managed to go to Frank's Diner for some yumminess there. I love their breakfast food but had to get their turkey dinner...which is yummy too! I didn't clean my plate...but I was HUNGRY enough to! I walked about 2-3 miles on Friday...and then about 4-5 miles today. If I can keep up the walking I may be able to keep things in check. I guess I have kind of resigned myself to the fact that between now and new years...well not a lot of weight loss will be happening. However, January 1...I plan to attack WW with new fervor...maybe by then I will be sick of the pounds I have gained and ready to get down to serious business. In the meantime I plan to still watch what I eat (even if that is watching me put it in my mouth) and trying to do some exercise to keep things in check!

Food coma...

So yesterday I ate a lot...shockingly I managed to stay away from the sick feeling...but this morning I am actually not really even hungry for breakfast. And...I was worried and stressed...so I ate. Maybe my emotions DO have something to do with my eating. I had breakfast...which was chocolate chip cookies....lunch was a turkey sandwich and a bowl of soup....dinner was two slices of veggie pizza...three glasses of wine, more chocolate chip cookies...and a box of Amy's Pizza Snacks...EEK! Things went downhill quickly! I was in bed by 11pm...and felt fine...but knew I crossed the line when I ate the pizza snacks...usually I am good about eating a serving...but ate the whole box! UGH! Today I will try and do better!

Turkey Soup

I am FINALLY making the turkey soup today...of course I have NO MEAT to put in it...I bought something on Monday but checked it today and it said use or freeze by 12/1/09 and it looked grey and disgusting! So...I still need meat. But in the crock pot I put park of the turkey stock, three red potatoes diced with skins on, two carrots, celery, some seasonings (rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic)...and later I will add a roast chicken from Safeway I guess...I will probably eat this for the rest of the week...

I did cave and get a pizza last night...but a 10 inch, I ate half...and it was veggie...so, not too bad!