Okay…so I made it through another week. I seem to be having a crisis of motivation, of late. I can’t get things moving in the right direction, nothing to really blog about this week, and all of this is coming from the person who usually can’t shut up! Maybe to help things along, I should just come out with it. To come clean with everyone…it’s been a rather stagnant couple of years along the weight loss journey. I am basically up and down the same 10 pounds since the end of 2009. Lose a few, gain a few, lose more, gain a bit…it’s been sort of a cycle for me, and quite frankly I am getting tired of it. There. I said it. It’s on paper, so to speak. At this point, I am going to deal with this, learn from what I am doing (or not doing) and make progress.
I did mean it when I said that I wanted THIS to be the year that I get the rest of the weight off. I just need to get my head back in the game. I have been doing a much better job getting down to the gym, and I have Jenna to thank for the wonderful training sessions, lately. I miss Dwayne, but I think I will be just fine and in good hands with my Irving coaches. I resumed my running (or whatever it is that my feet have been doing lately). I am doing treadmill intervals (2 walk/2 run) on Mondays and Tuesdays, along with some circuit training. Thursdays, I have been out on the fitness trails at the office with Jenna, doing a once-around there. Again, we have been focusing on intervals (2 walk/2 run and then toward the end, 1 walk/1 run). I made it down all three days this week. This morning, I had the usual 5K at Parker Square with my ladies…THEN when I got home, I actually went out for a short run around the neighborhood, and actually ran most of it! Tomorrow is the March Madness 5K with the Fort Worth Runners’ Club. The only thing that stinks is that my trusty pedometer is acting up again. It hasn’t reset since Thursday, and according to it, I have logged over 20K steps just today. Would be NICE, but it just ain’t true! LOL…
I think I know what I need to do in order to get things moving downward along the slope of the losing journey. I need to get back into tracking with FitDay in addition to what I already do with Weight Watchers. I think that this program did a fantastic job helping me to stay on course and for whatever reason (work, laziness…), I seem to have let the FitDay slide, and I need to NOT let that happen any more. This program is terrific—allows measurement tracking, calorie intake, and also allows you to track meals you create. Now I am on a mission to get back to the place and feeling that I was in before the great funk set in. Will keep you guys in the loop there.
This week’s meeting topic dealt with getting the most of what you eat; more specifically avoiding feelings of deprivation. For me, this very concept, NO DEPRIVATION, is the very one that keeps me on plan (most of the time…). To me, Weight Watchers is the only plan that allows you to eat what you like, in moderation, with no feelings of deprivation. They tout themselves as not being a diet. I believe that. I do still enjoy my favorite meals. I still eat my pasta, in reasonable portions, and I even enjoy my frozen yogurt.
Here’s what Weight Watchers has to say about the topic: You can avoid feelings of deprivation by investing time in preparing your meals. For example, if you just throw your lunch together, and it isn’t really what you want, you’ll have trouble. When your co-workers are eating pizza and hoagies, you probably won’t feel enthused about eating the boring lunch that you had tossed together the night before. Take some time to think about what will satisfy you, and prepare the night before. Never deprive yourself of something you truly want. You have that power with this plan.
I feel satisfied by keeping lots of color in my meals. I scour the produce section every time I shop. I don’t limit myself by my shopping list. If a dish calls for eggplant and it’s not nice looking or not in season, I will make substitutions. I like bulking up my meals with different veggies. They add volume and color and help add to the satisfaction quotient. I also find that whole grains help as well. Whole what pastas, barley, brown rice? All good and satisfying. Also beans and legumes. Mind you, these are not zero point items, but they ARE power foods, and are VERY filling. I also take liberties in dishes calling for veggies. I have a favorite lasagna that I make that calls for one 10-oz package of spinach. Forget that…I went ahead and used two 12 oz bags. The spinach is free, bulks up the dish, and adds no additional PointsPlus™ Values to the meal. Those are liberties I love to take.
“This one step – choosing a goal and sticking to it -
It changes everything”
~Scott Reed,
African-American author of poetry, essays, and satiric novels
RECIPES
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
Serve this classic Italian stew plain or over whole wheat penne (to add another Weight Watchers Power Food to the meal). For a spicier flavor, add a pinch of red pepper flakes at the start of cooking.
PointsPlus™ Value: 5
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 8 hours
Yields: 4 servings – 1 cup each
Ingredients:
1 pound(s) skinless chicken thigh(s), cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup(s) mushroom(s), sliced (fresh, frozen or canned)
1 cup(s) green pepper(s), sliced (fresh or frozen)
1 cup(s) onion(s), chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
1 Tbsp canned tomato paste
14 1/2 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted
1/4 cup(s) red wine, dry-variety
3/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
Place chicken in a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker. Add mushrooms, green pepper, onion, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes and juice, wine, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and black pepper.
