I Believe

I haven't blogged since Wednesday!  When that happens it either means I'm veering off course, I'm too tired to blog or that I'm too darned busy.  In this case it's the latter.  I've been going this week and I've also made a fairly big decision.

First, to catch you up on my gym progress.  I have several "rules" for my gym attendance.  Maybe rules isn't the best description, guidelines might be more accurate.  They are:

1.  Ideally, attend the gym 5 days per week.  4 if that isn't possible.  3 is the bare minimum (unless I'm *really* sick).
2.  Do not go to the gym more than three days in a row (because I've learned that 4 days in a row does not make my body happy).
3.  If I do something strenuous outdoors (long run, long bike ride), that usually counts as a gym day.

Items 1 and 2 sometimes cause problems and they did this week (and last too actually).  So, for the second week in a row I broke rule #2 and went to the gym four days in a row. This decision included my gauging how my body was feeling and thinking I could do it without much consequence.  And I think that's true.  So this week I went to the gym on Sun, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri.  I am taking today (Sat) off and plan to get back to my somewhat normal schedule of Sun, Mon, Tue, Thur Fri starting tomorrow.  I'm supposed to go on a long ride tomorrow but rain is in the forecast so that's not likely to happen.

Anyway, to catch you up on my gym progress this week...on Thursday I started out with a 25 minute run on the treadmill. Set to 1% I rotated between 5.0, 5.5 and 6 mph.  In all I did just over 2.2 miles and felt happy with how I felt.  After that I did chest/triceps/core work.  Pushups, tricep presses, dips, dumbbell flies - you get the idea.  Core work included the plank and decline crunches.

Yesterday, Friday, I started with the upright bike for 25 minutes.  Level 7 felt a smidge easier so I'm moving in the right direction.  Then I did legs/shoulders/core work.  I had fun doing the jackknifes, I still really like those.  And lunges felt particularly good, my balance and strength have come such a long way since I started.  Ok, enough about all that...on to the big news!

A tiny bit of back story first...earlier this week it occurred to me that it's actually getting pretty close to the mother's social.  This is the big shindig my mother's club puts on every year and it's where I won the year gym pass last year.  And I'll need a dress.  And I want to look my best.  Soooo, I was newly motivated and inspired to work hard in the next 7 weeks (now 6.5 weeks).  As the days went by I decided what I really need is something to nudge me when I'm tempted to make poor choices.  And that led to me going back to Weight Watchers!

I went to a meeting on Friday and I have to tell you, it was like going home.  It was familiar and comforting, motivating and inspiring.  My official starting weight is 173.2 (I think) but I decided that for my blog's weight log I'm going to keep with my morning weight on my home scale.  That way I don't have to worry if I go to a meeting on another day, etc.  More important, my weight first thing in the morning, sans clothes, is better :) 

So I started tracking yesterday and I am quickly seeing why my weight yo-yo'd this month.  I've been eating too large of portions and the snacking was sort of indiscriminate and unmonitored.  Now that I'm entering it all in e-tools, and have to want to stick to the allotted points, it's hard!  I get 26 daily points plus 49 weekly extras.  Yesterday, on my first full day, I used 37 points.  I swapped 7 activity points (APs) so I ended up using only 4 "extra" points.  But I think if I always "eat" my activity points that makes it harder to lose.  On the other hand, I know I'm eating less than I was before so I expect I will lose in spite of eating my APs.  The only thing to do is wait and see what happens with the numbers and make adjustments.

Anyway, that's the big update.  I went to a kiddo birthday party this earlier today and WW helped me stick to one indulgence, a super yummy mini cinnamon roll.  And tonight I'm going to dinner at a friends.  She's making her famous risotto that I LOVE.  I think I'll stop off and buy a veggie plate to bring.  I plan to stick to one cup of the risotto and double up on the veggies and salad.  Let's see how that goes.