Weight Watchers

When I first started my running journey, I had hoped that it would help me lose some weight.  While I did lose some weight, I still have a ways to go.  I do a lot of running, plus Turbo Fire and Chalean Extreme.  All that working out makes me hungry!  I try to make good choices, like Shakeology and lots of fruits and veggies, but it’s time for some help.  I joined Weight Watchers today! 

I did Weight Watchers a few years ago with some success.  The plan was different then.  We still counted Points, but back then the points were calculated from calories, fat and fiber.  Now, PointsPlus values are figured with carbs, protein, fat and fiber—not calories.  That is about all I know about the new PointsPlus, for now.  Oh, and fruits and veggies are all zero PointsPlus!  I am off to read my new program materials. I will keep you updated about how I am doing on the plan. 

Have you tried the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus plan?  How did it work for you?  What did you think of the plan?  Any tips for a newbie? 

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

***I did my first Run Like a Fool virtual 5k run tonight with a friend.  When are you doing yours?

Supermarket Challange!

I have been looking into ways for my family and me to eat healthier....but how?  In our world of fast food on every corner, high fructose in everything, carbs are evil culture…how does a mom know where to start?

 I started to think about my local grocery store, Giant.  Where in the store is the healthy food?  What part of the store should I avoid?  It occurred to me, for the most part, that the healthiest foods are around the perimeter of the store.   Fruits and veggies in the produce depart on one side wall, meat and milk on the back wall, eggs, other dairy products (proteins) and whole grain breads along the other side wall.  Eating healthy would be easy if only I made good choices while shopping only the perimeter of the store.  So, I decided to challenge myself!  I would go grocery shopping for the family and try to buy at least 75% off our food from the perimeter of the store.  Wish me luck!

Pushing my cart through the doors of the store, with my daughter Andrea in the seat, I was ready!  First, we start at the produce department.  I pick up carrots and cucumbers to snack on. We then head toward green beans and broccoli for dinner sides.  We finish up in produce by getting some apples.  Next, I pick up a rotisserie chicken and half a pound of turkey at the deli.  Now it’s time to enter the forbidden zone, the center aisles.  My husband favorite dinner is Spaghetti with meat sauce, so we head down the pasta aisle for a box of whole wheat pasta and some spaghetti sauce.  I also make a stop in the cereal aisle for a box of oatmeal. 

Now it’s time to hit the meat section.  I start out by picking up some lean ground beef for Mike’s spaghetti.  I also choose some chicken breast and pork chops.  Andrea and I keep moving across the back of the store to the milk section, where we get some skim milk.  We turn the corner to the other side wall of the store and pick up some Chobani Greek Yogurt (my favorite!!!) and some fat free regular yogurt.  We continue toward the front of the store to the bread section and grad some Weight Watchers Whole Grain bread to go with the deli turkey for lunch.  Now it’s time to round out the shopping list and head into the forbidden zone one last time.  This time, on the agenda is apple juice for the kids and almonds for my snack. 

I look over my list one last time.  I have enough here for three healthy dinners for my family, plus breakfast and lunch for me while Mike is at work and Nathan is at school.  The big question is:  did I meet my goal?  Did I get 75% of my grocery purchase from the perimeter of the store?  Here is a list of what I got:

From the Store Perimeter	From the Forbidden Center Aisles
Carrots	Whole wheat pasta noodles
Cucumbers	Spaghetti sauce
Broccoli	Oatmeal
Fresh Green Beans	Juicy Juice
Apples	Almonds
Deli Turkey
Chicken Breast
Lean Ground Beef
Rotisserie Chicken
Pork Chops
Skim Milk
Chobani Greek Yogurt
Fat free yogurt
Weight Watchers Whole Grain Bread

So, how did I do?  I got a total of 19 items, five that did not come from the perimeter.  That means only 74% of my purchase came from the perimeter.  I did not meet my challenge, but I think I did a pretty great job!

Now, I challenge you!!!  Try to get a majority of your food from the perimeter of your grocery store.  How did you do?  Tell me what you found easiest and most difficult about shopping this way?  Do you have any tips or advise for others about healthy grocery shopping?  I would love to hear from you!

Anchoring

Anchoring is a technique that can be used for your weight loss or training goals. When anchoring, you use a physical item or image to create a mental triggers to remind yourself of your goals. When sticking to your plan is tough, look to your anchor to bring you back to what is important to you.

To use this technique, you will chose an item that holds significant to you. As my anchor, I have chosen a cloth bracelet with the words princess printed on it, along with tiaras. This anchor holds importance to me because every time I look down at my wrist, I am reminded of the marathon and how important this goal is to me. Seeing my anchor keeps me motivated to workout and eat right.

Examples of an anchor can be a song, a photo, jewelry….anything that is significant to you. Connect to your anchor when you're having a hard day and it will remind you of your goals. Anchoring can help you achieve your goals by helping you remember what is important to you.

A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy


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Turbo Fire!

Today, I began week three of Turbo Fire. Turbo Fire is hard core and very challenging, but I am enjoying it so far. Chalene is very motivating. It seams like when ever we hit a partially challenging part, Chalene says something that picks me up and keeps me going till the end! I have been a fan of hers for many years now, since I tried my first Turbo Jam DVD.

After three weeks, I have done all of the workouts at least once. Included in the Turbo Fire system is 10 workouts. The “Fire” workouts are intense cardio classes, ranging from 30 minutes to 55 minutes. The DVD’s also include stretching, toning and sculpting. The genius of the Turbo Fire series is the HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts. These HIIT workouts range from 15 to 25 minutes. Yes, they are short, but affective. Chalene promises that the HIIT sessions burn nine times more fat than a regular aerobic workout. I can believe it! The HIIT workouts are just that…high intensity! After a brief warm-ups, the intensity builds quickly. The routine is one minute of high intensity, followed by a minute of low intensity cool down. They are hard work, but doable.

The program comes with an eating plan and a workout schedule. I have not been following the included eating plan, as it is to restrictive for me. I really like the workout schedule. It seams to alternate Fire classes with HIIT classes, with a little stretching and toning mixed in.

I am very happy so far with my Turbo Fire workouts. The foot work is fun, but not to challenging--even for someone as clumsy as me. It’s like going to a dance party every day in my living room. Chalene keeps it fun and she makes the time fly by.

A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy

http://www.turbofire.com/