A Question for the Weight Watchers

I’m curious – if you follow the Weight Watchers Points+ Plan, I would like some feedback on how you divvy up your Points+ balance everyday. 

Do you simply eat willy-nilly – just picking up and eating whatever floats your boat, regardless of the Points+, whenever you’re hungry?   

Do you allot a certain number of Points+ for each meal? 

Do you eat your Weekly Points+ Allowance? 

Do you eat your Activity Points+?

Also, what are the challenges and/or benefits that you find with the way you utilize your daily Points+?

I'm an online member of WW, but I miss the interaction with the people at the meetings.  And because of this, I don't get the same kind of feedback regarding WW tips/tricks that those do who actually go to the meetings.  Your thoughts on these questions are greatly appreciated - I'm looking for a way to revamp my eating plan! 

Eat What You Love: One-Pot Turkey Sausage Dinner

Dinner for Monday night was this DELICIOUS take on a traditional St Patty's Day favorite - basically meat/cabbage/potatoes. 

The meal came from my Eat What You Love cookbook by Marlene Koch. 

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is "delicious/I would totally make this again" and 1 is "gross/bland/boring - never making this again", my rating is:

 5 out of 5!

One-Pot Turkey Sausage Dinner (7 Points+)
Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, thickly sliced
• 1 cooked turkey kielbasa sausage link (1 pound pkg) sliced into 1" slices (I used Butterball turkey kielbasa)
• 5 medium red potatoes (3/4 pound), sliced thick
• 1 Tbsp brown mustard
• 1 c. light apple juice (1/2 c. apple juice with 1/2 c. water) (I used Mott's for Tots - comes in a smaller size bottle than the generic brands, but is the same exact nutrition stats!)
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 6 c. shredded cabbage

Directions:

1. Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 min.  Add the kilebasa and cook for 2 more minutes, or until kielbasa and onions are browned.  Add the potatoes to the pot.
   
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and apple juice.  Pour over the sausage mixture.  Sprinkle with the caraway seeds and stir.
   
3. Pile the cabbage on top of the sausage, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.  Makes 6 servings.

Weigh In & New Gym

After a week of not weighing in, I finally bit the bullet and hopped on the scale on Friday to find a gain of only a pound.  I'll take this gain of only a pound after allllll the eating out I've done and the lack of gym attendance as well.

Joel and I made it to the gym twice last week and as of today we're officially members at Gold's Gym!

I'm happy to not only get myself back into a routine, but I'm ELATED that Joel is going with me!  I'm happy for him that he can start making positive changes for his health, and I'm happy that the person I love will be spending these grueling moments with me as well.  

The HilJoe competition is not over by any means either.  Joel has an unusual work schedule, and getting him to weigh in at the same time as me has been a llittle difficult.  So we're going to work something out to ensure that our weigh in's continue to be as fair as possible.  Stay tuned as we're going to revamp our competition now!

Why Hello There :)

I'm baaaccccckkkkk!

(Warning: this is a long one - I didn't intend for this to go on and on but alas, that's what happened... read on if you wish :) )

Hello friends!  I hope you don't think I fell off the wagon, because I didn't!  Here's a little catch up for ya:

Last Wednesday Joel & I finally moved!  Need I explain anymore as to why I've been absent??  :)  Those of you who have moved know how busy your life becomes when an event like this occurs.  

Not only did I move, but I'm still in school and that has also been keeping me extremely busy.  If I wasn't unpacking, then I was doing school work.  If I wasn't doing either of those two during my blogger absence, then I was making a trip to PA for my little cousin's high school graduation party.  I spent less than 24 hours in PA - I had so much to do with unpacking and schoolwork that I could hardly afford any more time away from home.

I finally made it back to work on Tuesday and have been busy at work ever since.  My evenings have been spent hitting the new gym and trying to blow through this school work.  But the fun doesn't stop there folks!  This weekend I'll be making another trip back to the "Motherland" for a wedding, and this time the trip will be 6 hours rather than 4.  *sigh*

ANYHOW, what is this blog supposed to be about?  Oh yeah, my weight loss shenanigans. :)

I knew this move would be tough on the eating habits.  With every move comes eating out - lots and lots of eating out.  You're spending so much time unpacking, there isn't time to hit up the grocery store.  And so Joel and I ate out a LOT over the last several days, and I'm SO happy for that to come to an end!  I finally have my own kitchen again, and I'm looking forward to planning meals again and cooking at home and getting back in to some sort of routine.  I'm craving routine and healthy food ASAP!  I'd like to get some rough meal plan established in the next several days so that come Sunday (when returning from the wedding)  I can get to the grocery store and get some things purchased and made for the work week.

Joel and I got a free 7 day pass to Gold's gym, which is the closest gym to our condo.  I've been there twice so far and I like it.  It's certainly not my cute, personable gym from Maryland where they call you by name, but it will do the job for sure.  There is no shortage of machines and there is a larger variety, which is nice.  Joel is going to start attending regularly now and that is also an added bonus.  

Even though I've been attending a gym regularly since November, I still found myself extremely intimidated when even THINKING about walking in to Gold's.  In fact, I wasn't even pushing the issue with Joel to get there immediately following the move because I was nervous.  Isn't that odd?  I mean, almost every gym has the same basic equipment and layout - it's not like it's a foreign concept to me.  Cardio equipment over there, weights and machines over here.  Bada bing, bada boom - no big deal right?  I developed such a comfortable routine at the MD gym, and I wasn't self conscious when I walked in there, despite all the meat-heads walking around.  But walking in to Gold's, even with Joel by my side, was still, quite frankly, frightening.  The gym is huge, WAY more people attend there, and they're all skinny minnies and I feel that all they look at when they see me is another overweight person who will most likely fail.  :(  They don't know that I've been diligently working out since November!  They just don't know me... 

The first day was hard, and I made it through.  I hopped up on the elliptical, same exact one as I've been using since college and at the MD gym, and got to work - same routine, different location!  I just kept telling myself "Hilary, it's just a different surrounding - you know what you're doing!"  When I went back yesterday, it was a little bit easier - the nerves weren't AS strong as they were the first day.  I hope that as each visit passes, the nerves become less and less until they are nonexistent. 

I have to remember why I'm working out.  It's not just for weight loss, it's to change my life for the better so that I can hopefully have a long and healthy future ahead of me.

Your thoughts?

Friend Making Mondays: If You Lived in a Movie, Which One Would It Be?

Good Monday Morning Friends!

Today is Friend Making Monday sponsored by Kenlie at All the Weigh.

The question, as you may have already guessed, is which movie would you be if you lived in a movie?  And what character?

I would be Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail.  This is one of my favorite movies ever, AND I LOVE LOVE reading!  I love the romantic storyline and I also just love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.  Plus, I also met my boyfriend online and I like that aspect of it too.  It is one of my dreams to own a book store, but I don't feel like I could ever compete with online and giant commercial retailers. Anyway, that's who I would be!

Tell me your favorite movie and character! 

June 2011 Goals

At the beginning of May, I published the goals I wanted to accomplish for that month: 

1. 10K a Day in May Challenge: I failed.  I tried to keep up with this but I found it floating to the way side as I quickly became overwhelmed with school, and annoyed with my pedometer that kept shifting on my waist-band and not counting my steps accurately.  Now that I own a MyTrak, I realize how severly innaccurate my pedometer was - probably mostly do to the unsecure attachment to my clothing.  The MyTrak stays snuggly against my waist and in a given workday I almost always go over 10K steps (providing I go to the gym as well). 

2. Stay On Plan:  I did not do this perfectly either, but I still managed to lose some weight this month and I'm grateful and content with that.

3. Move: While I didn't meet the goal of moving by the end of May, we did find and secure a place of residence by the end of May and we are set to move on June 15!

My goals for June:

1. Pass Anatomy/Physiology:  I really want to pass both classes (lecture + lab) with an 'A'.  So far, so good. I also want to do so while maintaining that little thing called sanity!

2. Plan Meals: By doing this, I should be able to meet May's goal of 'staying on plan'.  Now that I'll be in my own place in just a few more days, I know this will be so much easier!  I missing cooking like I used to - I love spending hours in the kitchen...

3. Find a New Gym: It will most likely be Gold's, which will be right down the street from me.  It was a sad day on Tuesday saying goodbye to Stanley.  Stanley is the manager of the gym I go to now - I love this gym.  It's large in size, but small in the amount of people who are members there, and many of the people who go there regularly are so personable and friendly.  This gym will always hold a special place in my heart - it was the place where I was finally able to get myself refocused on removing this weight once and for all, especially after such a long period of time of not having that focus.  I hope that the new gym will develop a special placeholder in my heart as well! 

4. Meet My First Weight Loss Goal: I want those shoes so badly, and I want so badly to say I've reached the first goal I've set for myself! Meeting goals are such great motivators!

Tomorrow is weigh in day and I hope I can report back to you with a loss - Happy Thursday :)

The Adorable Blog Award!! :)

On June 1, I received an exciting little blogger award - my first ever!  I received this awesome award from Spoonful of Me - Thank You So Much for thinking of me here at The Big Weight!

The Rules:

• Thank the person who gave you the award with a link to their blog. 
• Tell us 10 things about yourself.
• Nominate other bloggers and let them know about the award.

1. I LOVE to read. (And also have a blog devoted to my book reviews.)
2. I own a very adorable (read: spunky), all-black cat named Charles.
3. I have dated my boyfriend Joel for 4 years.
4. I am back in school again, for the second time, to become a nurse.
5. I'm originally from western Pennsylvania.
6. I love me some Vera Bradley - hardcore!
7. Chai Tea is my morning drug.
8. Keystone Light is my beer of choice... unless some Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier is available - then I'd have to go with that!
9. Country music is my preferred genre :)
10. My favorite condiment ever is HEINZ ketchup - not Hunt's - HEINZ!!!!!  If it ain't Heinz, it ain't sh*t!

I would love to share this award with some others (who most likely have no clue who I am and/or have never even viewed my site! - no hard feelings :) ):

Sam @ Momma on a Mission to Get Healthy
Faith @ I'm Too Sexy For This Fat
Jodie @ Bigger Than a Baby Elephant
Jennifer @ Watch My Butt Shrink

I really enjoy reading your blogs ladies, and I look forward to following along with you on your respective journeys!

Making Good Choices

Last Friday, I found myself reading Sam's post about having a choice.  I'm glad I did!

It was a Friday afterall, I actually had to go into the office (I typically either work at home on Friday's or I have that day off), and so a large part of me really wanted to nix the workout for the day.  I wanted to get the weekend started!  (Why was I so anxious, when I knew all I'd be doing was studying, afterall?)  Anyhow, Sam's post helped me realize that even though I was tired from a grueling work week with with not only work itself, but also school work, and TOM as well.... that it was ultimately my choice for doing or not doing a workout.  I knew I'd feel badly if I skipped the Friday workout and I knew the after effects of skipping a workout could cascade throughout my weekend. 

As I was making the drive home, I realized I didn't have any reading material for the gym with me.  I didn't want to stop and buy any magazines because I have SO many at home I need to catch up on.  I also didn't want to drive home, get the reading material and then drive back to the gym.  I also was in no frame of mind to attempt to suffer through a workout while doing nothing...I was having a hard enough time as it was convincing myself to do something in the first place.  Then a light bulb went off!  It was an absolutely beautiful day - I could go for a bike ride!  So once I got home, I quickly changed and loaded up my bike into the Equinox and took off for the Indian Head Rail Trail.   

I love this trail so much, and I'm sad that I'll be moving further away from it next week :(.  I'm so glad I decided to go for a ride though - what a perfect ending to a hectic week...

Mattawoman Creek

I love rail trails - flat and scenic!

The end is in site!

Me @ the end - you can see where the train tracks start up again in the background

Pieces of old track

My bike and the tracks :)

Hopefully I can grab another ride or two on here before Joel and I move to Virginia next week.  It's not like we'll be living that far from this, but it won't be a mile down the road anymore :(.  

P.S. I had been meaning to check how far I rode that day, since I don't have a gauge on my bike, and it turns out I rode 6.4 miles!  Yay!

HilJoe Competition - Week 5

I'm going to have to forgo sharing Joel's weight because neither him nor I can remember exactly what it was - doh! 

Joel (6'): 237ish
Hilary (5'8"): 254.6

As you can see, I did manage to remove some weight this week and for THAT I am grateful!  It was not a super great week for me, especially after a weekend of celebrating our 4 year dating anniversary (March 27).  I tried to eat as best I could while we were away over Memorial Day weekend, but it was tough.  Also, I think what helped me out was the shear amount of walking and sweating I did all week long!  Holy cow was it hot in the nation's capital this week - a freaken heat index of 100+ degrees almost every single work day!  I sweated.... a lot.

Regardless of how those pounds came off, they came off and I hope to keep those numbers going in a decline pattern.  I'm SO close to meeting my first goal :).  Just 1.6 pounds away!!

I'm repeating this mantra every single day this week:

"One day at a time Hilary, just one day at a time."  

As it's no surprise by now, I'm very busy with school.  Joel & I also move in 9 days.  I want to get this work week over ASAP so I can devote time to packing so I can regain some of my sanity and actually start to feel like I'm somewhat prepared for when the movers show up next week... 

Eat What You Love: Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal

Since Joel and I are moving in 11 days (yay!), we're trying HARD to eat up a lot of our food.  I had some rolled oats left over from the first time I made this oatmeal months ago, so I decided to use them up this week and make it again.

The oatmeal is adapted from Marlene Koch's Eat What You Love and is called Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal:

Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal (7 Points+)
Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. rolled oats
• 1 c. water (you made need more depending on your box's cooking instructions - read those instead)
• 2 packets of sweetener of your choice (I only used 1 packet of Sweet 'n Low this time)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp table salt

Optional Ingredients:

• raisins
• banana

Instructions:
Cook oats according to package directions.  Once cooked, mix in remaining ingredients. 

I also added raisins and a banana to mine, which made it delicious and very filling for me.

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend!  I'm spending mine studying at Starbucks and hopefully getting a chance to enjoy some of this amazing weather we're having in Maryland - no humidity for the weekend after a week of upper 90-degree weather with a heat index of over 100!

I haven't decided what I'll be making this week for breakfast and lunch.  Do you plan your work-week meals?   

Weight Watchers Walk-It Day Challenge

As you can see, I'm a little behind on the posting :).  Again, please bear with me these next few weeks - my life is consumed by anatomy right now. 

On Sunday, May 22 I participated in what I think has been my favorite 5K so far!  The Weight Watchers Walk-It Day Challenge took place in College Park, MD at Lake Artemesia.  

so pretty - a perfect 5K around this lake!

What I liked about this 5K was the scenery!  We did 2 laps around the lake as part of the 3.1 miles.

The rest of the 5K took place through woods

The path was perfectly paved and wide enough for people to pass one another.  Also, because this event is related to the eating plan I follow, it made it that much better!  The snacks at the end were calculated with the Points+ values, and they were ALL healthy snacks - no pizza & pop afterward like most of the 5K's I've attended.

The event organizers were also amazing - very encouraging and positive!  There were several of them along the route at various intervals cheering us on.  I also enjoyed the fact that in order to do this challenge, you had to be a WW member.  This made it extra special for me because it felt like you were really doing those 3.1 miles as a team.  Also, everyone there has been through the same struggles I'm going through.  Having Weight Watchers be the commonality between all of us was absolutely perfect - no one was looking down upon the next person for not being as fit or fast as they are.  In other 5K's I've done, people are strutting around in their skimpy running gear and everyone seems to be trying to outdo the next person.  I <3 Weight Watchers members!

I was also happy with myself because I think this was the most distance I've jogged during a 5K.  I have no real way of knowing that for certain, but I felt really strong that day and I felt like the running was easy for me and it was not hard for me to keep going.  That almost NEVER happens.

At the finish line they greeted you with what was my very first race medal! *Tear*

That made my day!  It was as though I was being rewarded not just for completing this 5K, but for all the others I've done over the last few weeks.  Also, at the finish line they gave us a bag of WW friendly treats.  After everyone finished the walk, they gave away 50 prizes - I was so close 2 times!  They called numbers 301 and 303 :(!

Oh, and we got this AWESOME shirt for signing up for the walk:

This is blurry because I didn't want someone to walk in and see me doing a self-photo shoot!  But, that t-shirt I'm wearing is that silky, moisture wicking material.  It's SOOOOO nice!  I've never owned a shirt like this before and it is now my favorite exercise shirt.  I never understood the thrill with this type of athletic clothing because I really felt like my cotton t-shirts did the job just fine.  But man, these shirts suck the sweat away from your body and then you don't feel so disgusting! 

If you're a WW member, I would highly recommend doing this walk next year!  Ours was so well put together and I just loved all the people who participated.

My next and final 5K is this Saturday on the National Mall in Washington, DC.  It is the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure.  I'm kind of excited that this will be the last 5K for awhile.  I'm not currently committed to any others as of yet, but I'm going to hold off for the month of June until after we get moved and I'm done with this hell... or, I mean, school!

Weight Watchers Tracker Cover

I was an E-Tools Tracker for years and years.  I liked the online convenience and the ability to see charts/graphs of the progress you've made.  I like how you can mark favorite foods and how it automatically remembers what you've tracked previously.  

However, I recently switched over to the paper tracker and I've been having more success with it.  When I'm at work, the online tracker is great because I'm always at my computer.  However, when I get home, the last thing I want to do is turn on my computer to log Points+.  I feel the same way on the weekends - I'm not always online.  I have the WW E-Tools App for my phone, but I still find it somewhat cumbersome to log the Points+ that way too. I found that my logging was lacking!

The paper tracker has been working out so well for me, but I was finding that it was getting worn out pretty quickly due to the constant toting to/from work or to/from the grocery store (or any other place other than at home).  In my search for buying the paper trackers online, I came upon this Ebay Store called My Whimsical Hearts.  The lady is a sewing expert and she makes tracker covers that perfectly fit the Points+ trackers!  I thought this was such a genius idea and so I bought one.  I am VERY pleased with this purchase because not only does it protect the tracker, but it's very well made, very cute, and I like the bookmarks that come with it.  They are also available in other patterns.  These covers range in price from either $14 to $26 plus shipping.

Pen not included :)

I like the elastic strip on the left side that holds your papers down

cute bookmark - very handy!

inside pocket - also very handy!

By the way, I do not know the owner of this Ebay store at all, and she has in no way influenced me to market her product to you, other than the fact that I love this thing!  It's just that when I find awesome, functional things that help me out in my weight loss journey, I was to pass them along to you as well!  Please go check her out!