Weighing In

As you can see from my just-updated weight ticker, I hit a Weight Watchers meeting today, with happy results: 

Week one back on the program, and I'm down 4.4 lbs.  

Ah, I love the first week back at weight watchers - if only they were ALL that great!

Here's what worked:

1) Through the lips and over the fingertips. Last week, the leader challenged us all to journal every day up until New Year's Day.  While I didn't perfectly count every point, I did genuinely write down what I was planning to eat each morning, and then updated it if necessary at the end of the day.  So, most of it doesn't have points values, but it shows that I was cognizant about what I was putting in my mouth.

2) Slightly better choices, over and over again.  Brought my lunch 3 days this week and cooked dinner almost every night.  While I almost always make dinner, I was getting in the bad habit of grabbing lunch in the skyway or at the Target cafe -- the calories add up, even when trying to make healthy choices. 

3) "You can have it tomorrow" mentality -- several times that I felt the urge to grab a cookie or a handful of chips, I said "no, don't do that, you can have it tomorrow if you still want it."  Usually the craving went away and didn't come back.

 4) Focused on persistence and patience, not perfection.  I had plans on Wednesday night that involved beer and appetizers.  I didn't cancel them, I just had a little less of everything than I normally would have had if I wasn't being mindful.

Last, and CERTAINLY not least (maybe most!):

5) Made a commitment to a friend.  My friend Gabby emailed me last week after reading that I'd returned to WW to see if she could buddy up with me -- since Gabby and I rarely see each other, this worked out great, and without hesitation, I told her "absolutely!"  The Hubs and I had a late night last night, so under ordinary circumstances, I might have skipped the meeting today.  But knowing that Gabby was going to be waiting in that lobby for me meant that ditching out wasn't an option. 

Since I'd gotten the meeting time messed up (I told her 8:30, when in reality it was 8), we both arrived around 8:20, weighed in, and then quickly dashed over to The Good Earth for a breakfast of coffee, catchup, and egg-white omelets and whole wheat toast.

By 10 AM, I was home and back in bed with my sweetie, nearly 5 physical pounds -- and about fifty metaphorical ones --  lighter than I was a week ago.

This week poses many challenges, namely in the form of "Plans Almost Every Single Night," and since I didn't get to stay for a meeting, I am thinking about hitting one sometime this week, just to keep things top of mind.

Off and running,
~Jessica