It’s windy and overcast in my part of Florida and has been since I arrived. That’s a bit out of the ordinary for this time of year. I’ve been coming here for over 30 years and have tried every season, most of the time hitting sunny weather.
When I was in my 20’s, I used to travel here from my home in Manhattan, especially during the winter months. There was a frantic dash to the beach when the sun came up that usually culminated in a painful sunburn. But, at least when I went back to freezing cold New York, it looked like I had been somewhere.
Now that I am older and live in California, I don’t really care about the weather or getting a tan when I visit Florida. Today, for example, the family sat around the living room for most of the day, except during the napping part, and had a great time reminiscing. Then, we all headed out for dinner at Seasons 52, a restaurant that has constructed a menu that has no item that exceeds 475 calories.
The counting of calories thing is “so yesterday” for me, but I knew that the menu offered me many fish choices and lots of fresh vegetables, so it was a winner in my book. And we continued to reminisce.
It’s supposed to be windy and overcast for the rest of my visit. There will be no sunburn in my future here. But there will be a lot of reminiscing, which is much more rewarding than thinking about my next meal and a lot less painful.
Talk to you soon.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Too tired to eat
Have you ever been so tired that you can barely string two words together? Well, that’s me, right now. Let me tell you what happened.
In addition to visiting my Dad in Florida, I had a business meeting today. Yesterday, my husband and I hopped in the car, drove four hours to Tampa and spent the night in a hotel so that I could go to the meeting at 10 a.m.
The problem with all of this was the hotel. Without going into a lot of detail, I had about an hour of sleep all night, went to the meeting, and got back in the rental car for the four -hour trip back to my Dad’s house. Somewhere in there, the front tire went soft, and we ended up in an airport en route exchanging the car for a “fresh one.”
What does any of this have to do with Weight Watchers? Plenty. The “old me” would have stopped at every mini-mart I could find on the trip home looking for junk food, filled with sugar, to keep me awake. With over seven weeks under my belt, I now know myself well enough to avoid that mistake. I stopped at a grocery store and picked up fresh sliced pineapple, and it kept me together as we worked our way south.
And with that revelation, I’m heading to bed.
Talk to you soon.
In addition to visiting my Dad in Florida, I had a business meeting today. Yesterday, my husband and I hopped in the car, drove four hours to Tampa and spent the night in a hotel so that I could go to the meeting at 10 a.m.
The problem with all of this was the hotel. Without going into a lot of detail, I had about an hour of sleep all night, went to the meeting, and got back in the rental car for the four -hour trip back to my Dad’s house. Somewhere in there, the front tire went soft, and we ended up in an airport en route exchanging the car for a “fresh one.”
What does any of this have to do with Weight Watchers? Plenty. The “old me” would have stopped at every mini-mart I could find on the trip home looking for junk food, filled with sugar, to keep me awake. With over seven weeks under my belt, I now know myself well enough to avoid that mistake. I stopped at a grocery store and picked up fresh sliced pineapple, and it kept me together as we worked our way south.
And with that revelation, I’m heading to bed.
Talk to you soon.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Report from seat 20D
Yesterday morning, Alex was waving good-bye to us again as he began his dog/house sitting gig and my husband and I headed out to the airport for a trip to Florida to see my Dad and Washington DC to visit our son, daughter-in-law and our almost six months old grandson.
It’s Thanksgiving time for our family with its “traditional celebration” occurring in early November. As I have gotten older and cheaper, I have taken a stand on getting on an airplane during peak holiday periods because of the crowds, the unpredictable weather with predictable delays, and, most importantly, the spike in airfares that show up at a time when you are already strapped for cash with gift-buying in full swing. So, Thanksgiving is this Sunday, the 8th.
Last time I told you about a flight, it was a “quickie” to LA which required one Nature Valley Oats n’ Honey Granola packet to ward off the fear of hunger en route. Well, the trip to Florida is a whole other story. There is no direct flight to where we are going, so the trek is an all day affair and our arrival in the Charlotte, North Carolina for our plane change occurred at 4 p.m. PST.
The solution to this lunch predicament, other than spending money to buy plane food (more annoying to me than the inflated price of holiday airfare), was to pick up a fresh meal in the airport and bring it on-board. Keeping with the Thanksgiving theme, one homemade turkey sandwich sat proudly in my carry-on bag.
I know what you’re thinking. Why didn’t she make a sandwich at home and bring it with her. The answer is…next time I will. I cleaned out the refrigerator in preparation for the trip and neglected to save anything interesting to make that sandwich.
I laughed heartily when the food cart drove down the aisle offering $7.00 salads and heard disgruntled passengers complaining that all the salads seemed to be missing the salad dressing. My sandwich, however, was perfect and my half; since I split it with my husband, cost $4.00.
So, all is good. The skies were clear across country, the plane was empty, my airfare and lunch were relatively cheap, and I had mustard dressing on my sandwich. Thanksgiving weekend is starting out with a bang.
Talk to you soon.
It’s Thanksgiving time for our family with its “traditional celebration” occurring in early November. As I have gotten older and cheaper, I have taken a stand on getting on an airplane during peak holiday periods because of the crowds, the unpredictable weather with predictable delays, and, most importantly, the spike in airfares that show up at a time when you are already strapped for cash with gift-buying in full swing. So, Thanksgiving is this Sunday, the 8th.
Last time I told you about a flight, it was a “quickie” to LA which required one Nature Valley Oats n’ Honey Granola packet to ward off the fear of hunger en route. Well, the trip to Florida is a whole other story. There is no direct flight to where we are going, so the trek is an all day affair and our arrival in the Charlotte, North Carolina for our plane change occurred at 4 p.m. PST.
The solution to this lunch predicament, other than spending money to buy plane food (more annoying to me than the inflated price of holiday airfare), was to pick up a fresh meal in the airport and bring it on-board. Keeping with the Thanksgiving theme, one homemade turkey sandwich sat proudly in my carry-on bag.
I know what you’re thinking. Why didn’t she make a sandwich at home and bring it with her. The answer is…next time I will. I cleaned out the refrigerator in preparation for the trip and neglected to save anything interesting to make that sandwich.
I laughed heartily when the food cart drove down the aisle offering $7.00 salads and heard disgruntled passengers complaining that all the salads seemed to be missing the salad dressing. My sandwich, however, was perfect and my half; since I split it with my husband, cost $4.00.
So, all is good. The skies were clear across country, the plane was empty, my airfare and lunch were relatively cheap, and I had mustard dressing on my sandwich. Thanksgiving weekend is starting out with a bang.
Talk to you soon.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Evading Grazing
After yesterday’s meeting, it was time to replenish supplies at Costco. Alex and I made the trek at about lunchtime, which I had forgotten was also the time that there are a lot of very friendly ladies and gentlemen handing out free food. I passed the “clam chowder guy,” the “Bisquick and maple syrup lady” and an outpost with cranberry juice before realizing that the old me used to stop at most of them for a snack.
I know it’s only one bite, unless you keep your head down and go in for seconds, which I have been known to do when faced with the “cake lady.” But, the one bite used to lead to buying the product, even when I didn’t go to Costco for anything remotely like the thing that I ended up purchasing.
I remember a day, not too long ago, when the “gelato lady” was there and I went home with three pints in different flavors…not my finest moment. Everyone knows that you can’t go to Costco and get out with just one or two items. But, when you leave with gelato instead of paper towels, it’s time to get a grip.
So, Alex and I cruised past the free snacks and left them for other grazing customers. We actually got out with almost only what we came for…if I don’t count the four rainbow trout that are staring at me when I open the refrigerator. Not as exciting as that gelato, but way less points.
Talk to you soon.
I know it’s only one bite, unless you keep your head down and go in for seconds, which I have been known to do when faced with the “cake lady.” But, the one bite used to lead to buying the product, even when I didn’t go to Costco for anything remotely like the thing that I ended up purchasing.
I remember a day, not too long ago, when the “gelato lady” was there and I went home with three pints in different flavors…not my finest moment. Everyone knows that you can’t go to Costco and get out with just one or two items. But, when you leave with gelato instead of paper towels, it’s time to get a grip.
So, Alex and I cruised past the free snacks and left them for other grazing customers. We actually got out with almost only what we came for…if I don’t count the four rainbow trout that are staring at me when I open the refrigerator. Not as exciting as that gelato, but way less points.
Talk to you soon.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
10-50-20
How’s that for a title that means nothing to anyone but me. But, now I’m going to break the code for you.
Today is weigh-in day, and I’m proud to report that I have lost 10 pounds in 50 days, which represents 20% of my 50- pound goal. And, if you have been following my blogging, you know that at every 20%, I plan on rewarding myself with a small gift.
I’m not sure what that gift is going to be, and I might just savor the moment for a few days before running out to find it. For now, I’m staring at my second gold star from Claudette, our meeting leader, and giving myself a high five.
Thanks for sharing my adventures with your friends, and I greatly appreciate the support that my fellow meeting attendees provide to me.
Talk to you soon.
Today is weigh-in day, and I’m proud to report that I have lost 10 pounds in 50 days, which represents 20% of my 50- pound goal. And, if you have been following my blogging, you know that at every 20%, I plan on rewarding myself with a small gift.
I’m not sure what that gift is going to be, and I might just savor the moment for a few days before running out to find it. For now, I’m staring at my second gold star from Claudette, our meeting leader, and giving myself a high five.
Thanks for sharing my adventures with your friends, and I greatly appreciate the support that my fellow meeting attendees provide to me.
Talk to you soon.
Monday, November 2, 2009
How to lose 33 pounds on popcorn
Today on the Today Show is Joy Fit Club Day. If you don’t have a clue as to what I am writing about, let me explain. Every Monday, a person who has lost a lot of weight is featured, and the viewers get to learn a bit about how the featured weight-loss star has accomplished their goal.
The woman I watched this morning has lost 168 pounds, dropping from 296 pounds to 128 pounds and from size 32 to size 6. She is a 46 year-old grandmother and looks amazing. We didn’t learn exactly how long it took her, but by my calculations, it was about two years. The really cool part is that she did it on Weight Watchers and has kept it off for over three years.
There is also an attention-getting twist to these segments focused on the person’s former eating habits. What caught my eye was this woman’s “before “Weight Watchers consumption of popcorn loaded with butter and Parmesan cheese. Now, she still eats popcorn, but is hooked on the same stuff I’m eating which has 1 point per serving. Just making that switch saved her something like 116,000 calories per year, or about 33 pounds. I yelled a big “WOW” at my television during this part.
I have been finding that substituting lower point “treats” for my former out of control habits has been a tremendous help in feeling like I’m not being deprived of the “fun stuff.” Try it…you will be pleasantly surprised.
Talk to you soon.
The woman I watched this morning has lost 168 pounds, dropping from 296 pounds to 128 pounds and from size 32 to size 6. She is a 46 year-old grandmother and looks amazing. We didn’t learn exactly how long it took her, but by my calculations, it was about two years. The really cool part is that she did it on Weight Watchers and has kept it off for over three years.
There is also an attention-getting twist to these segments focused on the person’s former eating habits. What caught my eye was this woman’s “before “Weight Watchers consumption of popcorn loaded with butter and Parmesan cheese. Now, she still eats popcorn, but is hooked on the same stuff I’m eating which has 1 point per serving. Just making that switch saved her something like 116,000 calories per year, or about 33 pounds. I yelled a big “WOW” at my television during this part.
I have been finding that substituting lower point “treats” for my former out of control habits has been a tremendous help in feeling like I’m not being deprived of the “fun stuff.” Try it…you will be pleasantly surprised.
Talk to you soon.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
My little sister
My family members do out of the ordinary things. We aren’t afraid to put ourselves out there just to see if whatever we’re trying to do will work. Earlier this year, my husband and I got a backyard makeover on HGTV’s Colorsplash, and now, we get to see ourselves almost monthly on our big screen TV, where we look even bigger than we are.
Which brings me to today’s project. My sister has made it through some rounds to appear on a new TV show and is up to the part where she has to make an audition video. She made the video at her house and sent it to my husband for editing because neither she nor I have any talent in that department.
So, today, I have been looking at this video, over and over, as my husband edits it down from 15 minutes to 10. In the beginning, I was paying attention to her words. After a while, I started paying attention to her face. My sister is five years younger than me and at 5’6” and 115 pounds, much thinner. I remember when she went to college and gained 10 pounds her freshman year. I tormented her, because it was fun back then, about her weight gain that seemed to have settled primarily in her face. Sorry, Jill.
As I looked at her face today, I began to imagine what my face would look like after 50 weeks. It would be great if it starts to resemble hers. At 52 years old, she is really an attractive woman and only owns one chin. One can only hope….
Talk to you soon.
Which brings me to today’s project. My sister has made it through some rounds to appear on a new TV show and is up to the part where she has to make an audition video. She made the video at her house and sent it to my husband for editing because neither she nor I have any talent in that department.
So, today, I have been looking at this video, over and over, as my husband edits it down from 15 minutes to 10. In the beginning, I was paying attention to her words. After a while, I started paying attention to her face. My sister is five years younger than me and at 5’6” and 115 pounds, much thinner. I remember when she went to college and gained 10 pounds her freshman year. I tormented her, because it was fun back then, about her weight gain that seemed to have settled primarily in her face. Sorry, Jill.
As I looked at her face today, I began to imagine what my face would look like after 50 weeks. It would be great if it starts to resemble hers. At 52 years old, she is really an attractive woman and only owns one chin. One can only hope….
Talk to you soon.
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