I bet I look happy today. I feel happy today. I lost 2.8 pounds this week, for a total of 5.4 total since beginning WW again about a month ago. I ran 3.75 miles today in 42 minutes, on my new favorite route. I had time to sit for an hour and talk to the barista at my favorite coffee house. I don’t have a headache today (like I did all day yesterday) and my knee doesn’t hurt at all. And this is all before 10am.

And I still get to go home and relax for 3 hours before I have another obligation. What a terrific day.

Holiday party told so I’m trying to fill up on fruits before I go down and am tempted by cookies, cake, and whatever else they’re fattening us up with. I ate half of my weekly points in pizza and wings last night, so if I plan on having a good week, I have to start today.  It’ll take strength of mind to get through this party.  First step will be:  no alcohol.  Everyone knows that your judgement is clouded when you drink.  My judgement:  completely obliterated. So none of that for me.  Second step:  stay away from the cookies and cakes.  Carbs = disaster for me.  If I can do those two things, I’ll be good for the day and hopefully on track to lost at my next weigh-in.

Speaking of treadmills:  I sent in my half-marathon registration.  I have about 22 weeks until the marathon happens (May 6) so I have plenty of time to go from my 3 mile runs to my 13.1 mile runs.  I need to get in one 13.1 mile run by about three weeks before so that I can taper back down to a 8 run so that I healed and ready to run the long run on the 6th.  I’m nervous, but no matter what I’m going to do it.  I don’t care if I run, walk or crawl it:  I’m getting through the 13.1 miles.

Yesterday I learned that almond milk doesn’t count as a dairy serving, even though soy milk does (which I hate.  Hate.)  That totally bums me out as I don’t think that the Points in real milk are worth it.  I eat yogurt all the time and cheese occasionally, but I think I’m just gonna have to be under my daily servings of milk, because I refuse to drink regular milk.  So there.

I have been getting all of my “liquids” daily, all in water, plus getting activity most days.  Regardless, I feel pretty great and feel like my clothes fit better already.  My goal is to have a total of 10 lbs lost by Christmas and another 5 by mid-January.  Ambitious, I know, but I’m giving it my best.

I’m about two and a half weeks into program and I”m happy with it.  Points Plus still confuses me and to add insult to injury, they took three points away from everyone in the recent plan update.  I guess they’re trying to compensate for all of the free fruit they’re letting us eat.  But it is working (I a pound my first week and 1.4 pounds my second) slowly but surely. But I already see a difference in the way my pants fit (bloat-loss, I’m guessing) and I feel healthier, thanks to the large amounts of fruit and veggies I’m pounding every day.

I’m running too:  someone gave me a free half-marathon registration for the spring so I’m running  just two or three times a week to gear up for training.  Also gives me a few activity points to play with so that’s good too.

• I lost 1.4 pounds this week.
• I ran 16 miles
• I journalled my food everyday, even though I overate on a few days.

This week I remembered what it is like to be hungry.  It had a been a while.  It is a familiar feeling to me and it is a sign that I am eating correctly on that day.  I’m not talking about being famished.  I’m saying that if you eat lunch at 1 pm, at 5 pm when you’re driving home, you should be hungry.  It’s how a healthy body works.  I don’t believe what WW says about always feeling satisified and never feeling hunger.  They say that hunger makes you overeat.  I disagree.  I think that hunger is a signal telling you that you are operating at a calorie deficiency.  And what makes you lose weight?  Calorie deficiency or burning more calories than you take in. 

At a recent engagement, someone asked if I had eaten a piece of cake.  An observer said to them, “She’s not allowed to eat that.”  To which I said, “I am allowed and I have already eaten two.”  It’s not easy to lose weight and eat two pieces of cake, but this week I can proudly say that I have done just that.  I also ate the rest of the meal offered at the same function and some other snacks and things throughout the week.  But I also know that those pieces of cake and the pasta salad and the other items that I ate (half a can of mixed nuts, a fundraising hoagie, a steak, a big chunk of chocalate) all count against me in the game of weight loss and that I have to write those foods down and count them.    The rest of the week was full of fruits and veggies and whole grains and lean meat and fish.  If it had all been full of those good Weight Watchers “Power Foods” I would have lost more than the 1.4 pounds that I did lose.

I’ll be going to the Farm to Table Conference on March 25 or 26 and will hopefully be motivated by the cooking lessons and farm fresh veggie offerings to get my dinners back in shape.  I’m not planting many things this year, so I’ll probably get a CSA.  Please let me know of your recommended CSAs (Not Penn’s Corner, I had one from them a couple of years ago and was really disappointed with the quantity of food that I got for the money.) 

Other spring goals:  get my driver license already and take a knife skills course.

But so I’ll head back to a WW meeting tomorrow (I’ve missed quite a few weeks and there is nothing like the embarassment of weighing in publicly to make you pay attention to your diet.) And I’ll keep on trekking on the treadmill (I’m running a 10K in April and possibly a 5K before that!)  And I’ll get it together yet again.

I’m also now registered to run a relay leg in the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 15.  So my running schedule for this year is coming together nicely.

April 16 — Genesis 10K

May 15 — Marathon Relay

June — Riverview 5K or Greenfield Glide 5K

August  — Run Around the Square

September 25 — Great Race 10K

I was supposed to start a running training program this week.  I didn’t.  Instead I’ve watched TV for the last two mornings.  Not a good start, but I have a big cushion of slacking built into my training for this very reason.  I know I’ll start on time if I give myself a couple of weeks to really slack off at the beginning.  

Stay safe out there, friends.  Get to the grocery store for your whole grain bread and fat free milk to get you through the big winter storm that is upon us!

The most important two from last year I have completed:  I bought a treadmill and not only ran a 5K, I ran three of them and a 10K (and in pretty decent times!) 

This year I’m gonna keep it simple:  I’ll continue to run and will run five 5Ks and two 10Ks this year.  I will weigh 15 pounds less at this time next year.  And thanks to Weight Watchers, I will be able to do this.  Anyone with me on the running or the weight loss?