Vision (Inspiration) Board

I decided to make a vision board today. It's summer, I need a project, and I need something to keep me going with all of the setbacks I have had lately.

A vision board is based on the idea of the Law of Attraction, which basically is the belief that when you bring positive thoughts and beliefs into your life, your life will change and become what you want it to be. If you want to be healthy, and truly believe you can be, you will. A vision board is basically a collage of magazine clippings, inspirational quotes, pictures, and really anything that will help you every day to think more positively and to truly bring that positive energy into your life.

So tonight I sat on my basement floor with my foam board, some magazines, and some scissors and glue. I made a mess :-)

My dog was bored:

But I think I got a good start to my vision board!


Clearly it's a work in progress, as it should be. I plan on letting it grow as I come across things I find that inspire me or make me feel good. I'm having fun with this!

Gain, Loss, Gain, Loss....

I'm up 2.5lbs this morning. Another week, another gain.

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong? I can't seem to lose any weight. No matter what I do. I've been hovering around the same 5lbs for 4 months and I'm fed up. I had a perfectly on-plan week this week (even with Memorial day!) and I was excited to see a loss this morning (at least I thought I would have a loss). I even felt skinnier when I hopped on the scale.

It's just frustrating. I eat my WPs, I don't eat my WPs, I eat half WPs, I eat WP's and APs... nothing seems to really help. I'm stuck. I'm at a complete loss.

I'm not saying I'm the perfect WWer (I don't think anyone is), but I see so many others having success and I wonder why I can't be successful. There's something blocking the road in front of me, I just don't know what it is. I want to give up and call it quits. But that wouldn't get me anywhere either. I just wish I could make this program work for me.

I might start the Wendie plan this week. I just hope I'm not setting myself up for yet another disappointment. Wish me luck!

I feel... blah

Hi! This will be a short one. I know I have been MIA and I apologize... not that anyone is really that concerned with my blog, haha. I finally finished my first year of grad school! *big sigh of relief!* Of course, the stress got the better of me before I could escape it. I have been in so much pain, I actually thought I was coming down with shingles. But, it's been a week... no outbreak, still in pain. I also have been grinding my teeth at night and my jaw is pretty angry with me (I sound like I'm 80, I know). It's been hard staying OP when all of this pain is making me miserable (but there I go again, making excuses). But I've been doing a decent job at at least tracking.

Anyway, I started C25K this week finally. It was actually my first experience running outside instead of on a treadmill or a track. I like it! It's kind of relaxing, and it lets me explore. I think the change of scenery helps me stay motivated. Now I just have to get used to running in the summer heat.

Strawberry Pie

Hi! I've been sooo busy! Like I said previously, it's crunch time for this grad girl. I have about 1500 things to do. But I wanted to post about my yummy strawberry pie. You may have heard of it. I got it here but modified it a bit to make it yummier, as well as a bit more WW friendly.

I used:1 Oreo pie crust (that's the yummier part, I love chocolate!)
1 tub of lite (or fat free) whipped topping (such as cool whip)
1 .3oz package of sugar free strawberry jello mix
2 cups of strawberries
2/3 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water (with enough ice to bring it up to 1 cup)

then followed the directions exactly as they were in the recipe:

SLICE 1 cup strawberries; refrigerate for later use. Chop remaining berries; set side. Add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to make 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice.

WHISK in COOL WHIP. Stir in chopped berries. Refrigerate 20 to 30 min. or until mixture is very thick and will mound. Spoon into crust.

REFRIGERATE 6 hours or until firm. Top with sliced berries.

MMM! Very sweet, but yummy.

Just wanted to share! Now back to work for me!

Busy Busy Busy!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted! I need to be more consistent, but with the semester nearing the end, I've never been busier! Summer vacation starts in a few weeks, so hopefully I will be able to post more often.

Anyway, I woke up today with a semi-sore throat and a wicked headache. I swear I have the worst timing. I can't be sick now... I have too much to do! In an effort to soothe my throat (I always like something hot) I made delicious apple cinnamon oatmeal this morning. So yummy and point-friendly (for a lot more than a packet would give you!)

Just take 1/2 cup water, 1/2 large apple chopped up, a pinch (about 1/2 tsp) of sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon to taste and bring those to a boil. Then add 1/3 cup of oats (I used quick oats) and cook until done! Add a tsp or two of brown sugar at the end and you get a delicious breakfast! (4 points, according to my recipe builder)

Anyway, today I (of course) have class. I am tutoring before that. Last Monday I forgot to bring lunch, which is a WW no-no, can't get too hungry! This week I hope I don't forget the premade sandwich I have in the fridge (pb & j because I really need to go shopping), because bad decisions come from being too hungry.

For now that is all! I hopefully will be posting again soon!

Goals

I need to start setting some goals. Yes, I have a goal weight in mind. But the fact that it is 60lbs away and I've been fluctuating between the same few pounds for what seems like forever, that goal seems nearly unachievable right now. I know, that if I work hard, stick to the program, and be honest with myself I will get there... eventually. But in the mean time, I need to look at the smaller picture. What short-term goals can I make that I can work toward? What can I do right now to change myself for the better both inside and out?

Short-term goal #1: I love (or used to love) running. It was something I would do not to lose weight or to be in shape, but it was my way of getting away from everything. If I had a bad day, or was just overwhelmed, running would be there to save me. I always felt better after running and never regretted it. But something in me just snapped and I stopped... and I gained 40lbs. I don't even remember why or if there even was a reason behind it. I just know that one day I was a runner and now I'm not. So, clearly I want to get back into running in the worst way. My goal is to start and finish C25K. I have started it before and given it up. I need to stick with it.

For now, that's the goal I have in mind. I will try to come up with a new short term goal every week. Hey, if I can make one small change at a time, those changes will add up quickly. And who knows, maybe that 60lbs I need to lose will come off faster than I realize.

Emotional Eating... and Brownies!

So I have to confess that I'm a really bad emotional eater. I blame 99.9% of my weight on emotional eating. Whenever I am faced with a situation that is upsetting or stressful, I turn to food. Sometimes I may not even be aware of what I'm doing. I know how bad this is, but it's a difficult habit to shake. I've been in this pattern for years. And what's worse is that the sadder I am, the more I eat, which makes me even sadder. It's that "vicious cycle" rearing it's ugly head again.

These days I could not be more stressed. As a grad student, I am under constant pressure to get things done and push myself further and further beyond my comfort zone. On top of that, I think I may be depressed. I know as a psychology student, my professors have always said not to self-diagnose, but I pretty much have every symptom in the book (yes, I have a copy of the DSM lol). So as you can imagine, my emotional eating has been really getting the best of me lately. I wake up in the morning with every intention to stay on-plan, and then I fail as soon as something happens that upsets me, which is every day these days.

Anyway, this has been one of the most stressful weeks ever. Every assignment for the semester is due pretty much in the span of a couple of days, so it's crunch time. I have to say, I've been doing pretty well. I really have been staying on-plan for the most part. And everything has been tracked this week, which is great.

I did have a major chocolate craving today though, so in an attempt to make a healthier choice, I made brownies with squash (I couldn't find pumpkin anywhere!). They came out pretty good! A little rubbery and dense, but they definitely helped with my craving. Here's a picture. I tried to capture how dense they are lol. The only thing I didn't groove with was the fact that I could still taste that *squashy* flavor.