Staying on Track

Its happening - I feel like I'm getting off track again!  Do you have those days?  I'm sure some of you are nodding your heads in agreement.  As I was thinking about it - frustrated at the numbers on my bathroom scale being stuck - I realized that many of these feelings come about because of my expectations being too high.  I'd love to be having the 5lb losses that some of the newer members at our WW meeting are having.  I'd love to see the bathroom scale drop a pound every day!  Reality is that a safe way to lose weight is to lose up to 2lbs per week...so the scale will only move a fraction every day, regardless of how much I love whole numbers.  Reality is, perhaps I need to stop stepping on the scale every day.  So, I am planting my feet in the real world and here is where I'm going to try to stay.  I think I'll be happier here.

If you want to join me in the real world - here is how I am starting out.  Pull out your WW weight record - where the receptionist records your weekly weight.  Go ahead...take it out.  Take a good look at  your numbers. My husband, Chuck, is a numbers kind of guy...so that helps.  He noticed that for the 12 weeks we've been doing WW, most weeks I had a loss greater than a pound.  There were 4 weeks where I lost only a fraction of a pound, one of which the loss was 0.8lbs (almost a pound).  Also, 5 weeks were greater than 2 lbs each  so my average weekly loss is greater than a pound per week.  I can deal with that.

Another thing I got from re-visiting that record, was that there is a pattern I want to explore.  Not all of my 'big weeks' were in the first weeks.  That means that perhaps some weeks I just did a better job of food choices and tracking.  So - as much as I want to provide a great variety of recipes and ideas to all of you, I think for now I will repeat some of my 'best choices' a litte more often...so forgive me if I get a little redundant.  I am by no means an expert here...I'm learning along side of all of you.  I plan to check out my past weekly trackers to see what exactly a good week looks like!

What else can I do a better job of?  Drinking more water thoughout the day.  Getting out for a 20 minute walk most days.  Track every little thing (I admit I get a little sloppy at that).  What about you, what will you work on this week?  Any ideas you care to share?  Don't forget to comment below.

On to meals and photos!  Breakfast started out with my eggs...a few chopped red onions, green peppers, and 1/2 a cooked potato...

Add the egg, scrambled...

And some Ketchup (this was for my sister Mimi, who puts Ketchup on nearly everything!)...Mmmm.  Really filling breakfast for 4pp (egg-2/half a potato2pp).   I followed this up with a banana a little later for "0" points.

Lunch - well, I felt so bad I forgot to take a photo yesterday of my salad at Panera Bread - that I made Chuck go there with me for lunch again today ('you just have to try their salad!').  So here you have it...

Their "Pick 2" Thai Chopped Chicken Salad -5pp -with Low Fat Garden Vegetable Soup with Pesto- 3pp (see the swirl of pesto on top - that is what really makes this soup sing!)...and they forgot to ask me, but I would have chosen the apple instead of the bread.  I picked out some of the inside of the bread...but ate only about half of it...by Chuck's calculations, about 2pp.  Total for my lunch - 10pp!

Chuck ordered from the "Pick 2" menu also - but instead of the salad, he chose 1/2 a smoked ham and cheese on Rye bread

and a cup of really yummy Broccoli Cheddar soup

...total for his lunch - 12pp!

Don't forget...Panera has a great meal nutrition calculator...

http://www.paneranutrition.com/NutritionCalculator.aspx

You have to try it - you'll love it!

Dinner: Pepper Steak and Onions with Cilantro Rice. 

6 pp for the main course and 5 points plus for the rice...and you have a really lite meal at just 11pp total.  I could easily have added a salad, but was just too tired to bother (keeping my feet in the real world).  I just wish I had waited to have this the night before a weigh-in. ;0)

So there you have it - a day in the life of living the Points Plus way.  Don't forget to take a hard look at your Weight Record and remind yourself of how far you've come.  Make any necessary attitude adjustments to get back on track and be sure to share your thoughts!  Remember, other people who read this blog may benefit from your experiences, too!  Have a great day!!