A little Wii in the Morning

I finally got my Wii out yesterday morning.  It's been sitting in a trunk in my living room for exactly 122 days. (Which I know because the little smart aleck lady that lives in the Wii fit told me. She said, and I quote, "Well...if it isn't K.  It's been 122 days since your last visit."  She then went on to inform me that my deadline for meeting my goal was passed and that "it looks like you didn't quite make it." She's a helpful sort, really.)

But at least she keeps me honest...and maybe I'd prefer her brand of honesty to the honesty of the pair of jeans that decidedly did not fit when I put them on this weekend.

I realized that I've missed the Wii.  Some of the activities really make me smile--even while upping my heart rate.  I don't even mind that I look pretty silly flapping my arms to convince a chicken to fly towards a goal.  I like to "run" on the Wii as I make my pudgy little avatar cycle around a cartoony island trying to hit  flags.  I can take a step class without royally embarrassing myself as I would do if I were anywhere else but in my living room.

And besides all that, I got in 4000 of my 10000 step goal--and that was before the sun even came up.  (Not to mention, I sang really loudly to some of my favorite songs.  Good thing my husband was at work, especially since this Pudgy Parson can't sing...at all.)

It's not a bad way to start the day.  I'm hoping it won't be all the exercise I get each day, but sometimes, that might just be the case. Do I think it's as good as going to the gym? Probably not.  Do I think it's better than getting no exercise at all? Definitely so.

Besides, I'd never Zumba in public--but breaking a sweat while grooving to music I'm embarrased to even listen to...well, that's priceless.  Maybe tomorrow morning will be a "Shake Your Groove Thing" morning. This Pudgy Parson likes to bust a move. (If no one is watching.)

One Year

I have no idea why date was important enough to stick in my head, but it was a year ago that Weight Watchers revealed its new "Points Plus" plan.  I had been getting emails (and thinking it mildly amusing that they chose to launch it on the Monday after Thanksgiving) and was super excited about it.  I put the launch date on my calendar and signed up that very day.

I expected that a year later I would be skinny, healthy, and athletic. But instead, I'm ten pounds heavier.  I'm slower.  I'm more tired.  And I'm $216 dollars poorer ($18/mo for 12 months) on just Weight Watchers alone.

Helloooooooo! That's a poor return on investment by anyone's standards!  But maybe that's just the wakeup call I need.

Turns out the program only works if you actually follow it.  Huh.

Love the Size You're In

The song says "Love the one you're with.  That's not bad advice, but maybe it's also good to "Love the size you're in." Or at least to make peace with it.  Not complacent, self-bashing "Whatever will be will be" sort of peace, but the peace that means you can appreciate who you are while working to be better than you are right now.

I was a little proud of myself. When I went shopping on Black Friday, I picked out some very nice pieces of clothing that made me feel fabulous.  Not things I squeezed myself into, not in sizes that I wanted to be...but things that I feel fabulous in right now.

I don't love the shape my body is in right now, but it sure helps to feel and look your best in the meantime.  I may not be ready for skinny jeans, but at the very least, I can buy things that flatter who I am right now.  It's a start.

Black Friday Finds (a.k.a. the right accessories make all the difference)

It's the little things that make a difference, really--especially when it comes to eating healthier and losing weight.  I'm not talking about getting more steps in throughout the day or finding ways to trick yourself into eating more vegetables.  I'm talking about accessories. You know...the really important stuff.

I found these fabuloso finds at Belk and they just make me happy.  It makes me smile to drink water from my happy little cold beverage cup.  I feel stylish carrying my lunchtote.

I suppose weight-loss experts haven't given much thought to these things. But this Pudgy Parson knows that when you're excited, it makes all the difference in the world.  I'm drinking more water and I'm packing my lunch when I know I'm going to be out-- and those can't be bad things.

Sure. Spend the money on the gym.  Get the right clothes. Buy fabulous vegetables.  But don't forget the accessories!

Where were you at 6 a.m.?

I was having a hot, sweaty time at the gym, because I knew if I didn't then, then I wouldn't.  And I can't say I've regretted the decision.  Since I exercised early, I have more energy, more focus, and more willpower. And I used the time to read a book (ipads are amazing!) which I won't have much other time to do in the next few weeks.  I used to run to a loud playlist, which was the only way I thought I could survive it.  But today I did the elliptical at a pretty good clip and enjoyed the reading.  Then I got on the treadmill and only ran for a little while.  Instead, I backed off the speed, and upped the incline considerably...and burned a heckofa lot of calories.  In less than an hour, I earned 12 Weight Watchers points (which would be awesome if I was actually following the WW program).

This week is my birthday, then next week is Thanksgiving...and then we're just in full fledged holiday mode.  Ask me how I feel as they get closer, but the last few days I've not been craving rich foods very much.  I'm still making the whole shebang, but since I'm not a thanksgiving-food lover, then maybe I won't go overboard too much.  The plan is to do as much exercising as possible these next few weeks, and enjoy what I want to in moderation.  Besides, exercise may just be what keeps me sane these next few busy weeks!

Make Mine Skinny...?!

Let's be honest here.  I LOVE Starbucks, but definitely not for their regular cup of joe.  That's way too strong for me. But I really love things like the Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Salted Caramel Mocha, and my favorite this time of year, the Peppermint Mocha.

But fitness magazines and the like constantly remind me that these loves of mine will slow down weigh loss at a crazy rate--the reason these drinks is so good is that they are PACKED with calories. I feel guilty about having them at all, but not guilty enough to quit having them all together.

So when a friend of mine posted something on Facebook about Starbucks having a "skinny" peppermint mocha, I thought it was worth a shot.  At first I didn't love it...it definitely didn't taste like the amazing thing I was thinking of.  But as I had a few more sips, my brain tuned out and it brought the same smile to my face as the regular version. This may be a compromise I can live with.

Besides, I've lost ten pounds in the last few weeks by not eating out and watching my portions and trying to sneak in excercise where I can. It kinda makes me want to continue to do good things for my body, and if the words "Make mine skinny" translate into more than just my coffee, I will be a happy pudgeless parson.

Throwing it away...

Our church homecoming is Sunday, and Thanksgiving is coming up...so I'm in a state of pure craziness. I'm proud that I've gotten in as much exercise as I have, though hope to do even better next week. I've made a conscious decision to go to the gym at least two days, and have taken walks some of the other days.  I'm coughing my head off today, so I'm kind of staying planted-- but I suppose even that comes under the category of "self care."

Today is baking day.  I've baked two apple pies and will bake two pecan pies (one each for homecoming, and one of each to go in the freezer for my thanksgiving meal.)  The pies weren't a temptation because I've never much cared for pies in general, and especially not the apple or pecan varieties.  But I love frozen pie dough.  In my mind, it's almost as much fun as raw cookie dough.  Pie dough loses something for me once it's cooked--and I'll even go to great lengths to eat around it.  But you can't beat a hunk of gooey pie dough.   Usually, I would have done more than my fair share of tasting the would-be crust, but today I threw it right in the trash.  Gotta start somewhere, right?

I tried on clothes earlier this week, and was not at all pleased by what I discovered.  If I don't watch it, I'm going to go up a size, which will make the Pudgy Parson a very grouchy parson...