Roni's Weight Watchen Page

Early Week Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:43:00 +0000

Last week of classes is OVER!! That's right, OVER! **Breathing a sigh of relief**

Oh geesh, I have so much to tell you I don't know where to start. I think I'm going to have to do a list. It's just how my brain works...

The new weight loss community, Blog to Lose is going GREAT! I am having so much fun reading and participating it's my new favorite past time. (Now that I'm not dealing with an influx of automated SPAM , thank you very much!).
Food this week hasn't been so great for me. If you remember I had the pizza incident early this week and tonight I fell apart after dinner. HOWEVER...
On the workout front I'm kicking A$$! Running, spinning, lifting and even attempting the steep inclined wall a few times (didn't make it yet, but I'm close). I'm sore as sore can be but I FEEL GREAT!
I tackled a kitchen fear tonight and cooked a tuna steak at home! So glad I did! I'll be making it again!
One of my GreenLiteBites videos is being played on Cooking Light for Mothers Day! The toddler submitted it in a contest they had. Wasn't that nice of him? ;~P
I'm reading Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir and Jennette (aka as PastaQueen) will be stopping by here on her blog book tour May 23!
I have some big decisions to make career wise (Hmmm maybe this is why I'm excessively snacking?? - there's that stress thing again) My plans were to leave the college and embark on my own business adventures but now I have a long term project opportunity and the college may be offering me a really good position to stay. I know my problems could be worse but it's a little nerve racking when you have to make such big decisions. At least it is for me. I tend to obsess, over-analyze and freak myself becuase I think I'll make the wrong decision. I know this about myself and I still stress. However...
My home office is complete! I finally have a place of my own and a new computer. I so feel like and “official” blogger now. :~)
Oh! and MizFit linked to me (I'm glad she reminded me because I forgot!) on her Link Love and a Friday FREEBIE! post. She always has the most fun links!

OK, I think I touched on everything. I'm going to head over to the chat room and see if anyones in there.

Have a great night!

Choice Ramen Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:37:00 +0000

Oh boy! If you are anything link me you lived off Ramen Noodles in college. They were cheep, fast and the perfect midnight snack!

The problem with them? Well let's see, deep fried noodles. Ummm yeah, enough said.

So shortly after college I stopped buying them and honestly, I forgot about them until a couple of weeks ago. Someone mentioned in an email they saw a healthy version at the grocery store and wondered if I tried them. Sure enough, there they were! Right above the regular version in all the flavors I remember, chicken, shrimp and beef.

I bought one of each!

So how much healthier are they? well the bag (that's right, the whole bag) is 280 calories, 2 g of fat and 4 g of fiber! That's only 5 points for the whole bag!

That's a HUGE serving, a real quick lunch and they taste e-x-a-c-t-l-y like I remember them!

Check GreenLiteBites tomorrow as I'm planning to make them for my weekly video posts!

Have you guys seen them already? Anyone else try them? I'm normally pretty late on these types of things! ;~)

What causing you to (over)eat?

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Wed, 07 May 2008 02:07:00 +0000

This weeks question is the direct result of my pizza incident yesterday. Although I've been considering this topic for awhile.

I think there are a few different reasons why we eat. That sounds stupid, but really let's things about what situations cause us to put food in our mouth.

We are actually hungry: This is a given, of course. And I think we really know when our bodies need food. Stomach growling, low energy, emptness.
Celebration: Let's see, it's someone's birthday... we eat cake. Graduation? More cake. Anniversary? Go out to dinner. Holiday? Forgettabout. It seems that an easy way to celebrate any event involves food.
Bored: Yup, sometimes there is just thing else to do but eat.
Peer Pressure: I'm eating so you should be too!
Sad/Depressed: Food comforts a lot of us.
Smells: Ohhh we've all done it. The smell of bread from a bakery or my personal demon, Cinnabon!

I could go on and on. It's seems we may turn to food for many reasons besides just being hungry.

For me stress definitely causes overeating. I used to think I was an “emotional” eater but when I really look back at times I shove food in my mouth it's normally at times I'm feeling overwhelmed, overworked, under appreciated and overall stressed out! For example I find myself shoving bread in my mouth when the toddler is acting up at a restaurant or scoffing down pizza when I have just too many tasks on my plate. I truly think this is the last hurdle I need to overcome.

So how about you? What causes you to eat? Or overeat for that matter.

Feeling Totally Out of Control but Excited!

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Let's just say...

Stress + Pizza + PMS + 12 Hours at Work = DISASTER

Ummmm let's see....

I lost my cell phone today. I don't really care about the phone itself but all those numbers. AAACK! I don't even want to think about it.

It's the last week of classes. Which should make me happy but it's a super busy time.

I have an inbox full of messages I just can't get ahead on.

3 client projects that are starting to fall behind.

A house that is in constant state of messiness.

Oh and I'm a mom to a very active 3 year old (well, almost 3) who is showing all signs of potty train readiness and I have NO idea what I'm doing.

Now, if all that wasn't enough I launched my new weight loss community this weekend! I am SUPER excited about it but it has been a wee bit stressful as well.

It's been going well so far and I've been having a lot of fun welcoming and orientating everyone to the new system. If you are interested there are new forums, a blog feature for users and even a chat! I plan on doing some scheduled meet ups there when everything calms down a bit.

So, on top of all that I haven't worked out since Saturday (I'm missing it) and I ate (OMG I can't believe I'm going to confess this) 6 slices of pizza over the course of 4 hours.

** Sigh ** No I don't turn to food for emotional support at all, nope not me, not at all.

Right now it's yet again after midnight, because I can't sleep after a long day at work without unwinding first. At least I'm not snacking. Oh yea, that's right, it's because I feel like a bloated overstuffed pig.

YUCK!

Tomorrow will be better.

PS Notice the new link in the top bar to the new community and GreenLiteBites.

Visit Blog to Lose

Breakfast Tip for Moms

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:43:00 +0000

Well, you don't have to be a Mom but Moms would more then likely have toddler bowls hanging around!

I don't know about you but when I weighed out a serving of my favorite breakfast cereals for the first time, I almost cried. It was an eye opening experience to actually see what a serving size was! I mean a ½ a cup of cereal is really not that much and it's gone in a just a few bites. Plus is looks ridiculous in big bowls and really, you don't feel like you ate anything afterwards.

That's why I started using the toddler's bowls. You'd be surprised but an one of those little bowls just fits an adult serving of most cereals.

So every morning (well the mornings we aren't eating eggs) I pull out two toddler bowls and the toddler and I sit down for breakfast. It's fun, he gets a kick that I'm using one of his bowls and I don't feel deprived seeing my controlled portion in an oversized soup bowl.

In case you're wondering we are eating Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Strawberry Delight this morning. It's our new favorite!

Breyer's Free

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Sun, 04 May 2008 04:18:00 +0000

Ummmmm...... “Creamy” fat free ice cream. Yea right? You say. But seriously this stuff is good! A friend brought it to my attention a few days ago so I was on a hunt at the grocery store. Sure enough there it was, 1 POINT ice cream!

Unfortunately my store only carried Vanilla so I wasn't able to try the Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Mint Fudge, Strawberry, or the Chocolate Cookies & Cream but I'm sure I'll have a chance sometime this summer! (note: Some flavors are 2 points)

Now some ice cream connoisseurs may be skeptical but even consumer reports said...

Comments about the texture were that the fat-free ice creams were smooth, slightly gummy, and had a texture like gelato, a pudding pop or fudgsicle. All testers thought these products were decent ice creams (not the best, but definitely not the worst). When told that they were fat free, the panel was very surprised and commented that these ice creams are a big improvement over the fat-free ice creams that we've tasted in the past.

So keep an eye out! Nothing beats a sweet treat on a summer night. Add some berries or even a brownie and you've got a 2 point splurgy dessert!

"That was a good run Mommy!"

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Sat, 03 May 2008 04:48:00 +0000

That's exactly what the toddler said to me when I walked in the door from a 30 minute run today. He looked so genuinely excited and interested in the run that I had a tear in my eye (I told you, a sap!). It was just so darn cute and I love the fact that I'm teaching him to be active and that exercise is fun. He watches me from the window and cheers me on and I love it!

Other news today, let's see... I've been spending a lot of time getting my new home office set up. Now that may sound sooo official, but it's just a new desk in my extra bedroom. But a desk I desperately need. Every night I work on my laptop in the living room. I have tripods and cameras all over the kitchen and more power cords then I can count on the couch next to me. I think I finally need my own space to work on my sites and my other projects.

Speaking of projects I'm working on a bunch of fun web site, which really, is my favorite thing to do. My semester is wrapping up soon and I'm counting the days, probably more then the students themselves!

Ok, I'm rambling now. Overall, I had a great day on all fronts, eating, exercise and getting things accomplished. I LOVE days that that!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Food
orange and a few bites of the toddler's banana
Cheese & Crackers (Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge, turkey pepperoni and Triscuit thin crisps)
carrot sticks
Provolone Pita Pizza
apple with peanut/almond butter (See, I'm taking your advice ;~)
McDonald's hot fudge sundae
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skewers, baked sweet potato and corn on the cob
94%ff popcorn
strawberries
New Fat free ice cream find (Just about to have a small bowl - I'll fill you in later with a food find)
Activity
30 minute run

Thank You and Good Night

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:56:00 +0000

This is really real quick. I just wanted to...

post my menu,
thank you for all the FABULOUS comments on yesterdays post (I'm trying to take a lot of your advice-see the hummus?),
and say, good night (I'm falling asleep typing this).

Food
8 oz light flavored yogurt
Cinnabon Cinnamon Crunch Cereal (dry in a baggy)
carrot sticks
apple
Chocolate Lollipop
Pita Chips and Simple Homemade Hummus
Roni's Chicken Surprise New Video Post
Potato crisps and more Simple Homemade Hummus
Activity
Nothing. :~( I really wanted to run but I couldn't squish it in.

Patterns are Emerging

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:29:00 +0000

A few people mentioned it in comments and now I definitely see the pattern. The day after I run, I'm STARVING! I mean nothing satisfies me. I just want to constantly munch. I'm trying to increase my protein but right now all my go to snacks are carbs. I have to start changing my habits, I think, and pack some cheese sticks and nuts. Any other ideas? You'd think I can come up with others. I mean, I was an Atkins girl at one time but I've since turned into such a fruit freak.

So this pattern isn't a bad thing, per say. I can deal with it. However, I have to listen to my body on the days that I do run.

I feel as if I'm not explaining myself correctly let me start at the beginning...

Yesterday I ran 2.5 miles. For the rest of the day I wasn't actually hungry. I mean I needed to eat but I didn't have the constant hunger pangs as I did today (now). However, I still ate a lot. Why? because mentally I was telling my body I should/could eat because I ran. Like it gave me some kind of permission to eat anything I wanted.

That's kind of stupid, isn't it? Why do I look for excuses to eat?

I mean if I'm not physically hungry and I have no desire to eat why force (maybe force is too strong of a word) myself. Especially when the next day my body is going to tell me to eat! Maybe I need a day to recover?

Who knows.

All I do know is after almost 3 years on this journey I STILL have to tell myself to listen to my body and be aware.

Food
1/2 banana split with the toddler
2 egg Mommy and Me Omelet overstuffed with veggies
cantaloupe
watermelon
granola bar
leftover 7 Layer Mexican Casserole Idea
8 oz light flavored yogurt
Fruit Leather
grilled turkey and Veggie Kabobs
94% ff popcorn
Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Flavored VitaBrownie with a glass of milk
Activity
45 minute spinning class!

Do You Visualize Your Weight Loss?

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:49:00 +0000

Travel with me back in time, will you? (I seem to be doing this more and more the older I get.)

The date is July 27, 2005, just a few days after my 29th birthday. I have a 6 week old baby boy. I’m 191 lbs, embarking on yet another weight loss attempt. I've been attending Weight Watcher meetings and I start a small web site to track my progress.

One of the first things I do on this new site is post an image of my virtual model. Click here to read my old posts from the first year!

Why? Well it was a great motivator for me to see what I may look like at my goal weight. Sometimes it’s easy to lose site of our goals, especially when we may not be able to see the big picture.

So I used a 3D model to do it, some people may use old photos of themselves or maybe even a picture of an outfit they really want to wear. There's also a new online tool at WeightView.com where you can upload one of your own photos and Weight View will show you what you may look like after losing 20lbs. Pretty cool!

As always this long winded intro brings me this weeks question(s). First do you think visualizing weight loss is important and if so, how do you do it?

P.S. Posting this link brought me back and I ended up reading all of my old journal entries. I had tears streaming down my face, My gosh! I’m such a sap.

Ask Roni - Exercise Weight Gain

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:13:00 +0000

I notice as I look at your weight progress that, if I am not mistaken, you didn't gain ever. You consistently lost at weigh ins....so my question would be during your time on plan, did you excercise? I had a 3 pound gain the first week I started excercising and my leader told me about muscles holding water..(which has no consolation somehow)..did you not have this issue ever or has excercising been something that you have started after your loss? Thanks so much...honestly, your site keeps me picking myself back up when I fall!

Talysa,

Great question and I think your leader is right. Did you see my recent post on exercise? It gives you my complete workout history.

But long story short I did NOT workout while I was losing and now that I am hitting the gym hard I am experience exactly what she is talking about. My trainer confirmed that it is true. I know it isn't a consolation but it should be. You are doing wonders for yourself! I think we both have to learn that the scale is not the only way to measure success. The fact that you staying on plan and started a exercise routine is FABULOUS! Don't let that scale tell you otherwise!!!

Keep it up and that scale will catch up, or better yet... your clothes will!

-Roni

Insatiable

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:17:00 +0000

I mean really, hunger pangs all day.

Food
2 egg Mommy and Me Omelet
leftover 7 Layer Mexican Casserole Idea
Multi Grain Mini Crisps
apple
granola bar
handful of pretzels
leftover Tortilla-Less Tortilla Soup
orange
light yogurt
granola bar
baked chips and homemade Black Bean Dip
Activity
nothing, 12 hour day (only 2 left!!!)

And I Ran...

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:57:00 +0000

...I ran so far away.
I just ran, I ran all night and day…

Ok, sorry. That was stuck in my head all night. The reason you ask? Well, you guessed it, I RAN! Not only did I run but I did it outside in my hilly community. I’m not quite sure how far. I’m estimating about 2.5 miles but I never stopped to walk, not once! I held a nice steady jog pace. I think I started out too fast at first and then I slowed down and took my time. Based on my new iPod mix (see below) I ran for about 33 minutes. Not to shabby for this recent exercise convert and running newbie! ;~P

On the food front, I’m not as proud of myself. Ever since this weekend, I’m having a hard time shaking off the munchies. I swear when I eat more refined carbs and sugar (what I ate all weekend) fending off cravings is really tough for the next few days. I truly believe our diets really affect the way our bodies run and react which affects what we crave. I caved into some of those cravings today but I’ll be right back on track tomorrow. Especially because I’m totally prepared with a kitchen full of produce and a fridge full of leftovers for lunches. I made an experimental casserole today and I still have tons of watermelon leftover from last week.

So here’s the new running mix. Be warned some of these selections are explicit, but boy did it keep me going. And my favorite Smashing Pumpkins song got me sprinting for the last 1-2 minutes of the run! Hope you find it useful. :~)

Song	Artist	Album	Length
Eleanor Rigby	The Beatles	The Beatles 1	2:07
Keep the Car Running	Arcade Fire	Neon Bible	3:29
Peace Frog	The Doors	Morrison Hotel	2:57
Just a Girl	No Doubt	Tragic Kingdom	3:29
Guerilla Radio	Rage Against The Machine	The Battle of Los Angeles	3:26
Sabotage	The Beastie Boys	The Sounds of Science	3:00
Gone Daddy Gone	Violent Femmes	Add It Up (1981-1993)	3:05
Kick Out the Jams	MC5	Big Bang: Best of the Mc5	2:54
Crazy	Gnarls Barkley	St. Elsewhere	2:58
X.Y.U.	Smashing Pumpkins	Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness	7:07
Total Running Time:			34:30

Note to self... (Back from AC)

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:12:00 +0000

You went. You played. You ate (and ate, and ate). You drank. You had FUN!

Now you’re home and it’s time to make better choices, hit the gym and prepare for the week!

(AC = Atlantic City – the husband’s and I favorite gateway)

Journal Time (with some fun news!)

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:41:00 +0000

Sorry I didn’t post yesterday. It was a long day. All my days seem long anymore. I can NOT WAIT until the end of the semester. Spreading myself too thin is getting old and I’m getting tired.

However, I FEEL good. I’ve been eating good, getting to the gym and I’m really starting to see results from my workouts (it only took 8 months!). I’m noticing muscles tone in my arms, my cardio capacity seems up (is that a term?) and I think I’m ready to start running outside to train for the 5k race.

Tuesday I spend the day at an Earth Expo. I had a booth to talk about healthy recipes and I shared GreenLiteBites. Everyone was super friendly and they seemed to like my ideas and food photos. I brought a few squash and showed how easy they were to prepare. It was the first time I really did any kind of face-to-face marketing for the site, any site for that matter. It was fun.

Yesterday I spent working on my classes and projects. I have a few client projects I’m developing while working on a new community platform for us. I also created a new recipe as the husband was away on business and I had a ton of spaghetti squash from the expo.

Tomorrow promises to be just as crazy. I’m planning a surprise trip for my 7 year wedding anniversary. I can probably tell you what I’m planning because the husband normally doesn’t read the blog. But knowing my luck he’ll glance at this post and ruin the surprise. So you’ll just have to wait. ;~)

My surprise does involves as overnight stay (that he knows) so I won’t be posting for a few days. I did record a video with the toddler today but it’s taking me awhile to get it online. I hope to post it before I leave.

Right now I’m off to bed. It’s before midnight which is a miracle!

Have a great weekend!

oh Oh OH! I forgot I may FINALLY be reaching my last original goal (scroll down to 2005). Weight Watchers called today to tell me they may use my story for Mother's Day! I may actually be a success story!!! How cool is that?

Alright now it’s time for bed. :~P

Night.

Food
Quaker Mini Delights
Kashi TLC® Chewy Granola Bars
Multi Grain Mini Crisps
strawberries
Sweet Salmon & Peas over Spaghetti Squash(leftovers)
watermelon
4 small slices of pizza
more watermelon, A LOT of watermelon
Activity
cardio kickboxing class with some ab work and I climbed the medium wall (fast!) The spotter actually told me I'm getting better!

What 5 things would you tell yourself?

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:20:00 +0000

I can’t take credit for this question as I know there was a meme going around awhile back asking bloggers to write a letter to their younger selves. Like, if you went back in time what would say to the high school version of you? I thought it was an interesting activity but I didn’t have time to participate then, so I’m stealing the idea for this weeks question and changing it up a bit. Instead of a letter, I want us to think about 5 specific things we would tell ourselves if we could go back in time.

They don’t all have to be weight related but I think we’ll discover even the non-weight issues are relevant to self-esteem, confidence, body image and a host of other things that may manufacture themselves as “weight issues”.

So travel back in time with me.

The year is 1991 (HOLY CRAP) I was 15, wearing my cuffed jeans, hot pink BUM wind breaker, listening to Def Leppard and Boyz II Men. Don’t believe me? Look at this… (Sorry Jen - Don't Kill me :~P)

The sad thing is, I was already “dieting”, not happy with my body and envious of my skinny friends. Notice I was hiding myself in the picture, that’s a pretty common theme in my old photos starting at about age 12.

What do I tell myself?

Stop being so preoccupied with your body. You are young, fit, active and beautiful (that was really hard for me to type) Love who YOU are and stop comparing yourself to others, it’s not worth it, life is too short.
Wear clothes that FIT YOU!! I know you don’t believe it but baggy is not better and it makes you look much bigger then you are.
Stick to the salads at McDonald’s! (I worked at MickeyD’s for 5 years and ate WAY to many quarter pounders on my lunch breaks)
HAVE FUN! Life is too short to miss out on things because you are worried what you look like. Throw that bathing suit on, get in the ocean and SWIM! Enjoy it now before you are running after a 2 year old on the beach
Don’t wait until your junior year of college to take a computer class. Get into it early, you have a knack and one day you’ll make a career out of making web sites. Oh! you don’t know what a web site is, don’t worry you will soon enough. :~)

Your turn. :~)

Snapple Antioxidant Water - A Review

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:20:00 +0000

Last week Snapple contacted me asking if I’d review some of their new Antioxidant Waters. Of course I said yes! I mean who doesn’t like Snapple?

Well their new line of drinks comes in seven unique flavors inspired by nature’s “superfruits,” including pomegranates and acai berries. The antioxidants, vitamins and electrolytes in each flavor provide one of four distinct benefits for the body:

The Power to PROTECT:, Vitamins A and E, electrolytes and a complete dose of Vitamin C help protect the body against free radicals. Available in Tropical Mango and Orange Starfruit flavors.
The Power to DEFY: Vitamins A and E, Grape Seed Extract, plus electrolytes assist in refreshing the body and mind. Available in Raspberry Acerola and Grape Pomegranate flavors.
The Power to AWAKEN: Vitamins A, E and B, Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng and Ribose, plus electrolytes will awaken your senses. Available in Strawberry Acai and Dragonfruit flavors.
The Power to RESTORE: Vitamins A and E, plus a double dose of electrolytes assist in restoring the body after any endurance and strength activity. Available in Agave Melon flavor.

I was able to try four different flavors and each one was delicious. It’s not overly sweet and has a great refreshing taste!

The Dragonfruit with the “Power to Awaken” was my favorite. Not being a coffee or a soda drinker, I don’t really have a ‘pick me up’ drink. So I particularly saved the “Awaken” for a time when I needed a bit more energy and it did deliver.

I really did liked it but I have to admit the name bugs me a bit because it’s not only “water”. Water implies (to me anyway) a calorie free beverage but the Snapple “Water” does contain sugar and has about 50 calories per servings (130 per bottle). Not too too bad but it’s something you may not realize if you don’t glance at the nutritional information.

Overall, I recommend giving some a try. Sometimes I even get sick of water and this is a fun, tasty alternative.

Has anyone else tried it?

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Really Real Quick!

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:32:00 +0000

Today I didn’t do much except work but this weekend I took a step class, ran 5k again and cooked some good food (see my leftovers below). Now tomorrow I’m doing this green eating thing at an Earth day event on my campus. I’ve been making a slideshow of my favorite recipe from GreenLiteBites to have on display. Whatca’ think?

Food
Mommy and Me Omelets
carrots
Sausage & Pepper Skewers
a handful of the office mates kettle corn
orange
2 servings of Southwest Chicken Salad Topper (I didn't have any greens so I ate it straight up with some baked tortillas
light favored yogurt
Quick Tortilla Pizza (Video Post)
Multi Grain Mini Crisps
1 peanut butter chocolate egg
Activity
nothing formal - 12 hour work day

House Plants and Dieters – More in Common then you Think?

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:46:00 +0000

I wrote this yesterday while taking a break from all my Sensational Sunday activities. I hope it makes some sense. ;~P

I’ve never been a gardener (not until recently—stop laughing mom) so I can’t believe I’m about to make this correlation. This morning I received an email from a reader...

I am just so frustrated because I keep trying different weight loss programs...i guess that's my problem...and i just need to stick with one. what makes any of them different? I go between Weight Watchers, Richard Simmons, and the Biggest Loser...I guess it'a all so OVERwhelming because i need to stick to just one, but I think one is easier than the other then I switch.

I’ve received many emails from her, I can feel the pain, frustration, and overall hopelessness through here words…

I've just been so frustrated. I just keep going from one weight loss program to another because i think it will work better...sigh! I just need to lose this weight. any tips...I know i have asked this before tons of times.

I’ve been there, I really have and that’s why I feel her pain. So all day I’ve been thinking how I can response. What is it that I can say to easy here pain? To show here that it IS possible to over come this unhealthy cycle?

A few hours later, I found myself replanting some houseplants. All three of my plants are out growing there homes and they are starting to suffer in there little pots. So I pulled out the potting soil, plant food and got to work.

While making a mess on my kitchen floor it hit me. Houseplants are not very different then dieters (I hate the word but bear with me).

On one hand, if we keep a plant in one pot forever it grows and it survives but it never lives to it’s full potential. We need to respond to the plant, move it to larger pot, change it’s soil or it starts to become drab. One the other hand we can’t continually move the plant. By changing it’s pot and soil every week the plant is never given a change to grow it’s roots and learn how to survive. In essence we stunt it’s growth while trying to meet it’s needs too rapidly. The plant needs time to grow, flourish and learn.

For those of use who struggle with weight, who don’t necessarily know inherently how to eat healthy. Those of us that have bad habits and are ready to change we are not that different from my houseplants.

We need time to grow and learn. We need a plan. That plan may be Weight Watchers, it may be South Beach, Jenny Craig, Biggest Loser, or our own healthy approach to eating but whatever it is but we need a plan. We need to find the plan that works for us much like the plant needs to find it’s ideal pot. Then we have to follow that plan, learn it, and give ourselves time to grow roots. Once we do that, we may out grow out if it and move to a larger pot but we have to START somewhere.

The moral of my very convoluted story is simple. Switching pots –oops I mean plans– too early on your weight loss journey may not give you the foundation you need. Remember it’s not a quick fix. You need to stick to a plan and give it a chance to not only work but a chance to teach you good habits. Once you grow those roots you may find yourself moving to a new pot as I have.

Ask Roni - What is the "Key"?

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:53:00 +0000

Roni,

I have started several times, but never stayed with it, what is the key to sticking to WW for such a long time and how can i do it?

-Darlene

Hi Darlene,

That's a great question! I wish I knew the answer. I really do. But, unfortunately, all I can do is speculate.

I truly think it has a lot to do with mindset, readiness, commitment and the right plan.

Weight Watchers gave me the tools that made it easy to stay on plan. It wasn't hard to journal and keep track of points. I treated them like money and that worked for me. I made the commitment to stay on plan no matter what. Others find the same simplicity in the CORE plan, and still others find plans like South Beach or Jenny Craig to give them most logical approach.

My suggestion is to research the right plan for YOU! Maybe Weight Watchers isn't it. Or maybe you aren't ready. And I say that in the most non-condescending way possible. I wasn't ready for 15 years and if I tried Weight Watchers in the past it may not have worked for me either. I know (many) other plans did not.

If I have to pick one thing, the “key”, if you will. I would have to say it’s the realization that I was making a lifestyle change and I was NOT on a short term diet. Once I realized that everything else started to fall in place.

Last year I wrote a post about weight loss motivation you may find it applicable to your situation.

I hope that helps a little.

-Roni

Apparently I was HACKED!

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:22:00 +0000

HACKED?!?

SERIOUSLY?!?!

COME ON PEOPLE! What are we 10, here?

I know you are all smart, and web geniuses and all but why do you have to mess with people who are just minding there own business. I mean, PLEASE! I go to the park with the toddler only to return home and find THIS MESSAGE on all of my web sites. COME ON DUDE! I barely have time to keep up and now I have to deal with your immature ass. If you are that good and that bored then go out and get a job and leave me alone. Don’t you have anything better to do?

Some people.

GEESH!

Why am I up?

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:50:00 +0000

I don't know. I get on this computer and then hours FLY by. I had a great day but now at almost 1AM, I'm hungry.

Bed or snack? ummmm bed! Well maybe I'll have a fruit leather on my way up.

Food
generic wheat chex with strawberries and skim milk
orange
2 fig newtons (I was starving and it was the lesser of the vending machine evils)
Southwestern Turkey Burgers
a nugget and a handful of fries from the husband's value meal
handful of pita chips
chinese take out - steamed chicken and mixed veggies with my homemade dipping sauce. (soy sauce, ground ginger, ground red pepper and a bit of sweetener) 1/3 of an egg roll I split with the toddler and a couple of forkfuls of the husbands fried rice.
frozen yogurt with fresh strawberries
Activity
45 minute cardio blast class with a great ab workout

Killer Ab Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:38:00 +0000

Tonight (after mustering enough energy to get out of the door) I hit a cardio kickboxing class. The instructor always ends with 15 minutes of ab work and tonight she did such a simple effective routine I have to share. I still feel like I have a rock in the pit of my stomach!

Ok so here’s the routine… (I’ll link to the a description of the exercises as they do a much better job of describing and illustrating then I ever will!)

Start with 10 Reverse Sit Ups
Then 10 Basic Crunches
Then do 10 of them together (aka a Full Crunch)
The end with a Modified Plank for as long as you can hold it (at least 10 seconds)
Rinse and Repeat 3 TIMES!

It’s so simple and the exercises varied enough I didn’t get board. Midway through the second set my stomach muscles were on fire! Try it and let me know what you think.

How did/do you choose your goal weight?

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:33:00 +0000

I almost forgot about this weeks question! I can't believe it. I normally look forward to it but I've been so distracted by new new MAC! ;~P

A-n-y-w-a-y (I'm feeling a bit goofy tonight, please forgive the over the top voice inflections that are going through my head.)

Chatting with my friend Anne today, we came up with this question. It's actually something I've wanted to ask for awhile as I know many people are curious. I mean, really how do you pick a goal weight? Is it something you weighed before and want to get back to? Or a weight you heard is a good number for your height? Maybe it's goal your doctor recommended?

For me, it was a number I've never seen, at least not in this adult body. I remember clearly the day I found out I weighed 150 pounds I was 13 years old. I'm not going to go into all the hairy details, I talk about it a bit in My Story but let's just say that was the start of my 15 year yo you dieting fiasco.

So when I had to pick a goal weight for Weight Watchers I thought about that 150 and how I would LOVE to be that “chubby” girl once again. Then I thought, “heeey, w-a-i-t a min-ute (see... crazy voice inflections – think Mater in Cars) wouldn't it be cool to see a 4 on the scale. I've never seen a 4 on the scale!” And so my goal weight was born!

Not as scientific or magical as you thought? Hey, I'm still shocked I not only saw a 4 on the scale, but for some times I was in the 3's!

How about you? How'd you pick THE number?

Music, a Movie and a MAC at Midnight

noreply@blogger.com (Roni) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:23:00 +0000

So much for the early to bed concept, it’s just about midnight and I’m up playing with my brand new toy! I can’t believe I’m a MAC user now. Well, almost. I’m still writing this post on my PC but only because the new MAC isn’t completely set up yet. It will probably take me a few day, but I’m super excited!

Besides the new computer, I accomplished a lot today. First the toddler and I had a little fun in the kitchen making fruit kabobs. Then, it was off to the gym where I actually ran for 5K on the treadmill. I’m still in a state of shock! I mean, me, a runner. HA! When did this chubby, lazy computer geek with the short spiky hair turn into a skinny, active MAC user who runs for fun with a long ponytail flapping in the wind?? I mean seriously, it’s just crazy.

Ok, back to these M’s. We covered the midnight, the MAC, the Movie so onto the Music. A few people have asked what’s on my iPod for workouts. WOW that’s tough for me because I have SO much. I could probably do a weekly workout mix post. Hey, w-a-i-t a minute, that’s not a bad idea! I’m not making any promises but when I make a new mix, I try and post it. For now this is my running mix, and I’m happy to report it was just about long enough for my 5K!

Just so you know I always start and end with slower songs for a warm up and cool down.

Song	Artist	Album	Length
Mad World	Michael Andrews & Gary Jules	Donnie Darko - Original Soundtrack & Score	3:08
Debaser	Pixies	Wave of Mutilation: The Best of Pixies	2:52
Into Action	Tim Armstrong	A Poet's Life	3:42
Go, Go, Go	The Backyardigans	The Backyardigans: Born to Play	1:18
I'm Not Okay (I Promise)	My Chemical Romance	Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge	3:09
Party Up (Up in Here)	DMX	And Then There Was X	4:29
Sly	The Cat Empire	Two Shoes	3:54
I'm Shipping Up to Boston	Dropkick Murphys	The Departed	2:34
Bomb the Twist	The 5.6.7.8's	Bomb the Twist	2:26
Baby Brother	The White Stripes	Icky Thump	2:11
The Story	Brandi Carlile	The Story	3:59
Total Running Time:			33.30