tra la LAAAAA!

So, remember back in February?

"You talkin' to me?"

Yeah, you. Who else is around here?
I know that February was two months ago, depending on where in the month you're talking about, of course.
I'm speaking of that third week, though, and the offer I could not refuse.

"That deal with Weight Watchers?"

Yep, that's the one! Well, I lost 4.4 pounds this past week!

"Good for you! Considering your Easter repast and popcorn dinner last night, you did rather well."

Yes, I did! That rather surprised me, but I did feel different yesterday and it has continued to today.

"Major kewlniss! And what is the grand total lost so far?"

Are you ready for this?

"Yeah! Hit me!"

TEN POINT FOUR POUNDS!!!

"Woot woot!!! That means WW is going to have to pay up!"

You got that right! I've ditched the two sacks of sugar well within the time frame allotted, too. I had not realized that I only had three months, or 13 weeks, to make good on the bet.

"Really? I had thought you had six months?"

No, the six months is how long I have to be a member before they'll make good on the bet. The first three months was the allotted time for losing the ten pounds.

"And you've gone above and beyond and lost 10.4 pounds! How long did it take?"

Six weeks. I received my "10 pounds" Award at today's meeting.

"Most excellent! I am so proud of you!"

Thank you so much! I wasn't the only one who earned their "10 pounds" Award today. The other went to a woman who has been on the program for eleven weeks.

"And you lost your weight in almost half that time? Good for you!"

To be fair, she is not nearly as heavy as I am. She could not be expected to lose the weight as quickly as I could.

"Not necessarily... Excuse me, I believe that WW advises to strive for an average of 0.5 to 1 pound, weekly, to keep from stressing your body out. Your average is a little high."

Again, I'm a big girl, so there are a lot more fat cells to shed a little. That is especially true in the beginning, as I have seen in past memberships with WW. It'll slow down, but I'd still like to try for at least an average of 1 pound gone per week.

"And what are you going to do to help with that? Weren't you supposed to start exercising? I know you got that "Do What Moves You" book a couple of weeks ago."

True, I received it after my third week.

"And...?"

Well, you'll be pleased to know I just cracked it open today and began seriously reading it. I had glanced at it when I got it, as I have with the "Shift Your Mindset" book received the following week.

"But...?"

But, nothing. I was not yet ready, mentally, to take on anything other than the learning of the rules about food for this Eating For Life game.

(right eyebrow raised, pursed lips)

I am absolutely serious! I needed to be sure I felt comfortable with making healthier food choices, but also comfortable with incorporating some of my favorite meals, so as to not feel deprived. You know what I mean, right?

"Sure, I do. Your 'chips and salsa with cheese' dinner or having popcorn for lunch, that sort of thing."

Exactly! I needed to be able to KNOW that I could still have those, as well as pizza at Cici's with my first niece, and that those are all foods on my program. They are not necessarily foods on anyone else's program - just on mine.

"Oh, my goodness! Did you eat all of that???"

Hey, don't be a hater. You know darn tootin' that I ate evey last bite...and a big salad, too, and a little of that chicken noodle soup they have.
And it was GOOD, too, and well worth the Smart Points for the pizza crust. The toppings were all part of the zero points food group - that meant I chose mindfully and not just willy-nilly. making those kinds of choices is what I meant about my learning the rules of food for this Eating For Life game. :-)

"And you can still eat pizza?"

And I can still eat pizza. And I can still have chips and salsa for dinner. But here's the difference with that: I count the tortilla chips. Then I write down the Smart Points used. Sometimes I mix in some black beans, or corn, or chicken, or tuna... but those all have zero points.
So, you see, I am becoming a bit of a meal planner, but I still have a ways to go.

"You're planning out your meals?!?"

That's not what I said. If I were doing that, it would make me go crazy...

"...er, right? Crazier?"

Ha ha. You are soooo funny. But you are correct. The thought of having to plan out all of my food intake is anathema to me. Yeah, sure, I'm a bit of a control freak...

"You got that right..."

... but the sheer amount of time involved in doing that would be exhausting. When I say I am doing "a bit of" meal planning, I meant that I am essentially scheduling in my favorites, then tracking to make sure I keep within my points usage ranges.

"That's 'ranges', plural?"

Correct-o-mundo. I have 42 Weekly Smart Points, to spend on making life more enjoyable. That means on glasses of milk, for example. As you know, I really do enjoy drinking milk, that's why the diagnosis of lactose-intolerance for my 50th birthday was so devastating... though not as much as it would have been thirty years ago. Now, there's Lactaid milk to satisfy that thirst. And I have found that a six-ounce glass of milk is very satisfying and only 'costs' 2 SP, whereas a full glass will set me back 3 SP. Trust me, that flexibility with the points is very important.

"Well, alrighty then. You sound like you've been doing your homework."

Oh, I most assuredly have. I also listen up at the meetings and ask questions. For example, I learned a few weeks ago that I can reallocate up to four of my Daily SP into my WSP budget.

"And...? Four extra points over the course of a week doesn't sound like a big deal."

Maybe not. But here is the kicker: I can move that four-point maximum per day for all seven days if I so desire. That would mean an increase of up to twenty-eight SP per week!

"Wow! So you could potentially have 70 as your WSP budget! Now, THAT is definitely living!"

Indeed, it is.

"But... there's a catch, right? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Au contraire, mon ami. When I eat a big salad topped with grilled chicken breast, black beans, and salsa verde, that costs exactly ZERO of my SP, making it a free lunch. :-)

"Ha ha. Look who thinks she's funny now. :-) "

But I am! I'm a hoot and a half!

"Yes, dear. Back on topic, please?"

And that was...? Oh, yes, the 'catch'. Well, quite simply, if I choose to move 4 SP from my DSP budget to my WSP budget, then those 4 points are no longer consumable on that day. Should it turn out that I want to use them that day after all, I simply move them back into my DSP budget. Meanwhile, looking at that great lovely pool of points in my WSP budget is reassuring to me. I know that if I want pizza, I get it. If I want tortilla chips, I get them. If I want milk and cereal, I get it.

"Oh, I totally get it! You know you can have these foods you enjoy and that keeps you from craving them and feeling deprived!"

Exactly.

"What about that exercise part?"

Well, I have finally begun reading the "Do What Moves You" book. One of the women at the meeting talked about breaking down the thirty minutes a day of exercise into 10-minute chunks. I'm thinking that dancing to two songs at a time would equate to one ten-minute chunk. I can't promise that I'll dance to six songs a day, but that is a goal to strive for during the next four weeks.

"Okay... but why four weeks?"

Because it takes a month of a new action to turn it into a habit...

"True that. Okay, you dancing queen, I'll leave you to it. Congratulations, again, on winning your bet with WW! You go, g'friend!"

Thanks!
Now I have a class on enzymes to teach...
later, 'gator!
(smile)