Set Back

Well, last week was a rough week for dieting.  I knew I was cheating but I kept going.  Call it a binge, you wouldn't be wrong

So, when I got on the scale on Monday, all progress I had made in the first week had been washed away.  And I wasn't surprised.

As I was binging, I thought about 2006 when I went on Weight Watchers and lost 45-50 pounds during that year.  What is different now than what was going on then?  How was I able to stick to a diet plan than allowed me to eat whatever I wanted, so long as I stayed within certain guidelines?

Several things came to mind.  First of all, I was working.  There was food available to me at work but not as readily available with things I personally picked out / up from the store.  It's very easy to go into the kitchen and grab something to eat, whether I need it or nor and whether or not I'm actually hungry.

I thought about accountability because I was being weighed every week but had assumed blogging about it provided that here.  

But the big one, I think, was the fact that I was shelling out a lot of money to go to Weight Watcher meetings at work.  It was easier for me to stay focused on losing weight because otherwise the money I was spending was being wasted.  Once I reached my goal weight I didn't have to pay anymore - I just had to weigh in once a month.  When I started gaining weight, I stopped going to meetings, planning to lose the weight and go again.  That never happened.

One other thing occurred to me though, I allowed for snacks and had them ready and available to me. I almost always had bananas, yogurt and hard boiled eggs on hand for snacks.  I also had the Weight Watchers ice cream almost every single evening, which helped me feel like I was able to indulge while on the diet.

To that end, I have stocked my house with low calorie snacks in the hopes that it will help eliminate binges like I had last week.

So, it's back to square one on the goal to lose weight but I think (hope) identifying the obstacles will help going forward.

Pounds desired to lose: 50

Pounds to go: 50

Net loss:  0   :(

Book Review Club - April 2019

I didn't think I would be reviewing a book this month and then I came across this one on amazon. 

Here's the thing, Kim Gruenenfelder is one of my favorite authors and I've reviewed several of her books already and had even waited three years for her last book to come out.  So I was surprised to find she had another book out that I didn't know about.  Happily surprised.  :)

This month I will be reviewing Hangovers & Hot Flashes by Kim Gruenenfelder.

As with several other of her books, this story is told from the viewpoint of three main characters (and best friends) who tell their story from their own point of view in alternating chapters.  All of the women are in their mid-to-late forties.  They are:

Alexis (Alex):  Alex is in television (show creator), lives on the beach and has more money than she knows what to do with. Her "boyfriend" of twelve years shows up when it's convenient and then seems to go into hiding for weeks on end.  But the sex is great so she's reluctant to kick him to the curb.

Michelle: Michelle is a high end real estate agent who has been married to Steve for 20+ years.  She feels so unappreciated at home that she literally parks her car a couple of blocks from her house to brace herself for she'll have to face inside.  She feels she gets no help from Steve at home so she's questioning why they're still together.

Zoe:  Zoe has been married to Carlos for 20+ years.  She loves him with all her heart but she misses the "zing" you feel when a romance is new.  The electric feeling you get when you have your first kiss.  She wants to feel that again so she suggests trying an open marriage to her husband, Carlos.

One of the things I love about Gruenenfelder's books is that she really taps into the human emotions we all feel and she doesn't hold back.  But she does it in such a way that it is funny.  SO funny!  I laughed so hard while reading this book.  I also couldn't put it down - I read it the same day it came in the mail!

I also saw myself and my friends in these characters.  Some of the things told were things I'd actually experienced!  To the point I might have wondered "how did she know?"  ;)

One experience that mimicked one I'd had myself was when Alex took the dog her boyfriend had left with her to the vet.  She asked the vet what kind of dog it was and the vet told her he was a mutt.  So she asked what mix of dogs did the vet think he was.  The vet responded "cute and adorable".  It made me laugh because the first time I took my dog, Harley, to the vet I asked what kind of dog he was.  My vet looked at him and gave it consideration before he answered "brown".

In any event, I thoroughly enjoyed Hangovers & Hot Flashes and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys books about love, friendship and who need a good laugh.

For more reviews click on the link below or go to barriesummy.blogspot.com.

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@Barrie Summy

One Week In

First off, dieting is hard.  HARD.

I find myself sitting on the couch watching TV and I'm unable to concentrate on the show I'm watching because I'm thinking about the food in my kitchen.  This isn't new to me dieting but it does make the dieting harder.

In fact, I haven't been that good on the "diet" this past week.  To be totally honest, I've gone way over my allowable calorie intake more days than not.  I did walk five out of the seven days, so that is a good thing.

But, when I got on the scale this morning (the official one, not the many unproductive ones I did during the week!), I had lost 2.5 pounds!

I've already eaten about two days worth of food today and it's not even dinner time yet!  (I'll probably skip dinner, for what it's worth.) But I've just got to keep plugging along until I reach my goal!

Pounds desired to lose: 50
Pounds to go: 47.5
Net pounds lost: 2.5