Foods

There are a lot of new things I'm learning on my weight loss journey… but one concept that I've been trying to wrap my head around is trigger foods. This isn't something that Weight Watchers talks about -- one of the cornerstones of their plan is that you can eat everything and anything sometimes (just not anything and everything all the time!). But trigger foods are something that I've seen many health and weight loss bloggers talk about -- especially Fit and Free with Emily (the I-hope-we-become-friends blogger on my feed). Every time I read one of her posts, I struggle with the idea of trigger foods in my life.

At first it was hard for me to recognize that they existed -- Weight Watchers wasn't talking about them, and their plan was working for me. Then it was hard for me to identify what mine were -- I pretty much like all food… I don't discriminate. (Except for vegetables on pizza… ew!) I was in denial. If I decided not to be honest with myself about what foods I shouldn't have as part of a healthy life, I didn't have to give those foods up. I could continue to eat anything and everything I wanted, most of the time in moderation.

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Then yesterday happened.

I have been having one of those weeks where I want to EAT ALL THE FOOD, but have been able to practice self control and stay within my points. Then I stopped at the store on the way home from work last night for milk and accidentally walked out with a Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie. (For those of you who aren't Little Debbie connoisseurs, the individually wrapped ones are also gigantic compared to the ones they sell in the box.) Once I got home I couldn't believe it, how did I let that snack jump into my hand? I don't even remember thinking about it…

Luckily, I was able to get control of myself and when I got home. I put the brownie in a cupboard, did a 30-minute workout video, and read two chapters of graduate school homework. I did not eat the brownie. What I did instead, was identify my trigger food one of my trigger foods. It is scary and empowering all at the same time. The brownie is gone, and Miss Debbie is not invited back to my house anytime soon.

High Five for Friday!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday! 

1. Is it possible to have a healthy week? Good, because I had one! I had a great weigh-in at Weight Watchers and reached my goal of exercising 4 days! I am looking forward to keeping these positive habits in place!

2. I took one -- ONE picture this week. Here it is. (Please ignore the fact that it immediately follows how healthy I was this week -- the cookies weren't all for me and the one I ate was deliciously worth it.)

3. We had another round of cold, cold weather this week. Kasey got to have an extra day off school while I bundled up and headed north. His accomplishment after a whole day home alone? Cleaning out the DVR!

4. My nerdy-self is loving what my students are currently working on -- we are reading The Diary of Anne Frank, and it is so awesome to see it spark their interest in history and World War II. So many have been visiting the library for additional reading -- WIN!

5. My final High Five is how excited I am for this weekend -- more basketball watching (HS girls tonight and our niece Kylee tomorrow), and several family meals our (our favorite weekend activity)!

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful week!

High Five for… Saturday!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for… Saturday! This week has been even more chaotic than a normal holiday weekend -- so my post is a day late this week. But, when I decided to become an active part of the blogging community, I promised myself that I would commit to at least one post a week. So, here it is (even a day late!)...

1. Basketball season has started -- and, as my first season as an official head coach's wife, I am feeling the commitment! I am working on another post about our little family's commitment to coaching, but so far I am just enjoying getting to know this year's Columbus Wildcats -- they are such a fun group to watch already!

2. My weight-loss journey is back on track -- I am feeing really confident (even through the holidays) and have added an additional challenge for the next month. I signed-up to complete the Skinny Snowman Challenge with Brooke: Not on a Diet. I am so excited to be a part of this group and to have a support system of 'friends'.

3. When I married Kasey I got an awesome group of nieces and nephews -- they are already teenagers, and a blast to hang out with! I also got an awesome group of not-really-nieces that call us Uncle Kasey and Aunt Jen. We had a play-date last Saturday, they helped me make banana muffins and taught me new games (on my own iPad!).

4. I-O-W-A! The Hawks beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers yesterday for the first time in years (maybe decades!). This was especially wonderful for me -- a Hawkeye fan and Cyclone graduate. The saying goes that the one thing both Iowa and Iowa State fans can agree on is that everyone hates Nebraska!

We watched the game at our favorite place to eat, the Vine in Iowa City (the place where Kasey really developed his love of wings!).

5. It has been an unexpectedly busy holiday week, but we still have found many opportunities to spend time with family. Starting on Wednesday night, we had dinner with Kasey's mom and step-dad, then spent Thanksgiving with my extended family on both sides, had lunch with Kasey's sister and dinner with Kasey's brother on Friday. We are looking forward to two more extended family meals this weekend! We are truly blessed with families that take the time to be together.

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful week!

My Get-Back-On-Track Goals

This is the first time I've ever publicly discussed my weight or weight loss journey on the internets -- but my love for the community and need for support outweighs the fear. Here we go…

I am really good an expert at the first few weeks of any diet or fitness program… I am especially excellent at the first two months of the Weight Watchers program (I've done it 3 times in the past two years). All the tracking, working out, and going to meetings is great… for the first 9 weeks. Then I start to fail...

• in April and May 2011 I trained (program, diet, everything) for my first 5k -- rocked it -- and decided that running wasn't my 'thing' anymore.
• in January 2012 a friend and I started a 9-week boot camp with a friend and we lasted about 6 weeks… then we started meeting at the Starbucks next door to the Y. 
• in May 2012 I started Weight Watchers online for the fist time, but quit a few weeks later after a food-filled family vacation.
• in April, May, and June of 2013 I started the 'great wedding diet' -- including Weight Watchers online again -- but couldn't keep up the workouts or diet amongst all the summer fun.
• and in September 2013 I re-started Weight Watchers -- this time by attending meetings and forcing my husband to get on board with healthy eating and meal planning...

But. Here is my confession:

This past week I have been snacking. Hardcore snacking. Snacking after school in my classroom on reward candy -- alone so I don't have to track the points. I'm even scared to count up the number of not-so fun size candy bars I've eaten for fear that it will equal an entire days worth of points. 

I don't think it's all been bad -- I have been in great control of my meal planning and meal points, I have been attending weekly meetings religiously, and I have reached my goal off 100% on Activelink 10+ days in a row. I'm not sure why I can't keep to a program… it's frustrating when I feel like I was doing everything right this time. I felt like attending meetings would keep me accountable and honest and that having a great support system of husband and friends would keep me excited about the change. I also was careful not to go to extremes -- I have been choosing to eat things that stay within my range and are healthier alternatives and portion sizes than before, but still allow myself to indulge sometimes and to eat meals that work for our little family.

But frustration still got the best of me -- after two weeks of doing everything 'right' I still only lost .2 pounds in two weeks (ugh!) and the snacking and self-destruction started. And I'm not really sure where to go from here… but here are a couple of my small goals.

What about you? What are some goals and advice my blogging experts have to share?!