I did it. Re-joined Weight Watchers. It is slightly embarrassing when I walk in to the meeting room and the receptionist and the leader recognize me and in my head I'm thinking "Yep....failed again, back again." But I try to think of it not as a past failure, but as a continuing journey. I stepped off the road for a little while, stopped to smell the flowers (or eat the ice cream and french fries etc.), and now I'm back on my bicycle. I know my WW leaders see it the same way. They are always welcoming and really, I should be pleased they recognize me. I like to think I make a positive impact when I go places and give people a reason to remember me. So that's that.

Here is a new recipe I tried out for lunch today. I edited it from Laa Loosh. Here be my Two Pepper Alfredo (for 1).

"What do I need?"
Non-stick cooking spray
2 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 c. Ragu Light Alfredo Sauce
2 peppers, 1 red and 1 green
Salt, pepper & garlic to taste

"How do I do this?"
1. Preheat the oven to 425*.
2. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (I used canola oil spray) and place pepper strips on it. (I used about 1/2 of the red pepper and 1/2 of the green pepper, putting the rest aside for a snack later). Allow to cook for about 20 minutes.
3. Turn peppers and add any desired garlic. Return to the oven until peppers begin to blacken (took mine about 10 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cooled, peel off skins if desired.
4. Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and put back in pot.
5. Heat jarred Alfredo sauce in a sauce pan until thoroughly warm (about 7 minutes).
6. Combine all indredients in pasta pot and stir together. Add salt and pepper as desired. Mix well to combine. Serve immediately.

((Yields 1 serving - though obviously easy to double, triple, etc. 8P+))

Long time, no write. Life has gone on, as has my struggle with my own self-image and body weight. In the months since my past blogging, I have tried a couple different things:

• Over the summer, I basically just lived life and without thinking much about my weight. I worked at a camp which served not-always-low-fat-or-healthy meals and was conscious about portions for the most part (YAY for me!) but then any ground I may have gained during the week I probably drank away during the weekends. Whoops!
• Then, starting in late August, I tried these little shakers from a company called "Sensa." Theoretically, one is supposed to "sprinkle" all of one's food at each meal and the little salt/sugar crystals theoretically activate your sense of smell to tell your brain that its full faster than normal. Yeah, I liked the concept but I am too self-conscious to ever "sprinkle" in public so half the time I didn't use the things, and when I did I was just bad about obeying my body's signals. So another plan in the can.
• Most recently I started counting calories and using a couple free websites (Sparkpeople and Shape) but these didn't do it for me either. I did discover, however, that I did find these very motivational and I love them for their articles and fresh, exciting ideas. I am just not a calorie-counter apparently, because this did nothing for me in the way of tracking. I even food journalled! But alas, back to the drawing board.

So here I am. Mid-October a month and a half after my birthday (my original goal deadline). I was discouraged, maybe a bit disappointed, and rather disoriented from having tried things that failed me....but I am still not giving up. I know what has worked for me in the past and it is not out of my reach. Weight Watchers is running a promotional deal right now, as is the YMCA. I can pick back up where I left off and be successful like I have been in the past. And why shouldn't I be? Here is to living another year of my life working to be fit, healthy and happy. Join me as I move forward, trying to reach my new goal of losing 26 lbs by my 26th birthday: August 31, 2013.

Day 25.

Okay, this is a quick post without a picture because I'm on the run today. But imagine any strawberry smoothie in a cutesy little spring-time glass and it looks just like that. :)

So for me, I LOVE a good smoothie post-workout. Its a cool treat and when made right (whatever your opinion of "right" is) its good nourishment for your body. So here's what went into my Strawberry Apple-Aide Smoothie:

"What do I need?"
1/2 c. strawberries, hulled and halved (could be frozen)
1/2 c. non-sweetened applesauce
1 t. lemon juice
1 Fiber One "50 calorie"-sized vanilla yogurt
approx. 1/2 c. crushed ice

"How do I do this?"
Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smoothe. Enjoy!!!!
((Weight Watchers PointsPlus Values: 1))

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out because I've never put lemon juice or apple sauce into a smoothie, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Guess that goes to show even without your normal smoothie ingredients (pineapple, more berries, peaches, etc.), you can still make something delicious and healthy happen. Sweet!

Day 22.

Weigh in #3. Down 1 lb!!! That makes a total of 6.2 lbs. lost! Huzzah! You know I'm excited to move another marble from "Pounds to go" to "Pounds lost." (see my first entry from February 29th)

Tonight is the premier of "The Hunger Games" movie and I am SOOOO excited. I can't mention enough how big of an impact this story has on me--personally and physically as well. It makes me want to be a more selfless person and a person who has an opinion and will fight for that opinion. Also, it makes me want to be in better physical shape. Part of this comes from the story, and part from the actors. I found out Josh Hutcherson does triathlons....I think that's a great idea! It is now a lifelong goal of mine to do a triathlon. I can swim, I can ride a bike, and I can run. I will have to train like hell, but it is possible! Some day. Some how. I will. The story makes me want to climb trees and learn how to fight and defend myself. It makes me want to eat healthier and be at peak performance. And hello! I can do that too! So why not just do it?!

So here I am. Another moment of excitement and re-committment. I think everyone needs these. So, until next time, "May the odds be ever in your favor."

Day 20.

I'm doing better. Trying to keep a balance of busy and recreation. Today I cancelled my "busy" (a voice lesson--been too preoccupied to practice and too stressed to sound decent anyway) and took the evening to relax and MAKE SOMETHING. Well, we're three days away from the premier of The Hunger Games so what better to do than make myself a t-shirt. I hate the assembly line shirts that every 14 year old modern-day teenie bopper has so I'll put some time, thought and effort into mine. The story of The Hunger Games is one that I love for so many reasons: the concept of people providing for themselves, and idea of rebellion and independence against an oppressive government, and of course the strong love story. So here's my project: "I Love the Boy With the Bread" t-shirt

"What do I need?"
A t-shirt idea/design written out on a piece of white paper
Plain tank, t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc.
Freezer paper (find with the aluminum foil & plastic wrap in a grocery store)
Fine-point permanent marker
X-acto knife
Scotch Tape
Iron
Fabric paint
Paintbrush
Cardboard or poster board

"How do I do this?"
1. Start by drawing your design on a piece of paper with a pencil. Mistakes are ok because you'll be transferring this to the Freezer Paper.
2. Place your design sheet under a piece of Freezer Paper (the Freezer Paper should be shiny side down). Tape them together lightly so your tracing will be consistent and unmoved. Trace your design onto the Freezer Paper with a permanent marker. Coloring in your letters will be helpful in giving you width to later cut out your stencil.
3. Remove your design sheet (save for later if you plan to use it for multiple tee's). Place your cardboard underneath the Freezer Paper, lightly tape together, and begin to carve out your stencil with the X-acto knife. IMPORTANT: Be sure to keep track of the little pieces that may be inside the letters (Ex: the middle parts of e's or o's or d's etc.). You will need these!
4. Once you have cut your entire stencil, trim down the paper around your design. Place the stencil on your t-shirt and once you have it positioned where you want it, iron onto shirt. I then added the inner pieces and ironed them in last.

5. Place a piece of cardboard in the t-shirt to prevent the fabric paint from bleeding through. Use a semi-stiff brush to apply the paint. It took me about 3-4 coats to feel confident that the white would show up on the dark grey/black. 

6. Carefully peel of stencil while paint is still wet. Allow to dry according to directions on paint bottle. 

7. Show off your fancy-schmancy tee at your local Hunger Games midnight showing or just around town. 

Day 11.

Yeah, weekend was rough. Fish fry & German beer on Friday. Croissant sandwich & ice cream sundae on Saturday. A little restaurant egg salad, chili and macaroni salad this afternoon with my hike. Ouch. But overall, could have been worse. I did pretty well staying away from the fried foods (except for Friday obviously). I left some things on my plate each time, and shared some of my lunch this afternoon. Our hike was beautiful and it was good to spend some quality time together. Another thing I love doing with Fil: cook!

Here is what we came up with for tonight, since it was actually warm enough to grill outside (yay!!!!): Tropical Chicken Kabobs


"What do I need?"
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T butter
1 tsp. ginger root
1 oz. rum
1/2 medium pineapple, cut into chunks
1 medium green pepper, cut into chunks
1 medium red pepper, cut into chunks
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
12 wooden or metal skewers

"How do I do this?"
1. Combine brown sugar, butter, ginger and rum in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter is melted and mixture is combined. Reserve a small amount for later. Place remaining sauce into a small bowl or ziploc bag and add chicken. Allow to marinade, covered or sealed, in refrigerator for two hours.
2. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
3. Thread chicken, vegetables and pineapple in alternating pattern on skewers (if using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water first so they do not burn). Brush the remaining marinade onto the kabobs. Grill over medium-high heat about 15 minutes (7-8 on each side) until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
((Makes 12 kabobs. Weight Watchers PointsPlus values per kabob: 3))

This is my new absolute *favorite* recipe. Very easy and SO good!

Day 8. Weigh in #1.

Results for today's weigh-in: -1.2!!! Yay!!!! I get to move a marble over from "pounds to go" to "pounds LOST"!!! I love collecting my bravo stickers and moving my marbles. Positive reinforcement! Really, its the little things in life. I believe this.

Tomorrow marks the start of the weekend. What's on the schedule? Brother is coming home for spring break so out to dinner with the family Friday night. Boyfriend is coming home for spring break so out to dinner with boyfriend Saturday night. Voice student is lead in her school's musical so out for lunch on Sunday. This is a lot of "out." I don't tend to do well with "out." I have come to accept this. So really, my goals and strategies are:

• Try to leave food on the plate. Serving sizes in the US are way too big, and we think that in order to "get our money's worth" we have to eat everything. False. Its called GET A BOX AND TAKE HALF OF IT HOME.
• Go for water in stead of soda or alcoholic beverages.
• Salad w/ dressing on the side where possible. Stay away from fried foods when possible. 

Hopefully I will find some time to run. Or at least do some crunches and arm work. Sunday Filip and I are going hiking and I am SO excited for this. I wish I lived in a forest so I could just go for leisurely strolls/hikes/jaunts every day. I feel so at home and so empowered when I'm out in nature, like I can accomplish anything no matter how big or how small.