Apple Pie Deliciousness

Here it is ladies and gentlemen... the most gorgeous apple pie creation to ever come out of my kitchen. We just stuck it in the oven a few minutes ago, but I couldn't resist taking a pic before we put it in, just in case it bakes up funny or something... Will post pics of finished deliciousness later... MMMM....

Eating Clean

It was not a good weekend for me. My grandmother is very sick and I spent the majority of my weekend at the hospital with family. We thought she had taken a turn for the worse on Saturday, but yesterday she had a good day, and today we have gotten even more encouraging news with regards to her condition.

Needless to say though, healthy eating and exercise were non-existent for me. Today is a better day though. I had some yogurt, kashi, and oatmeal for breakfast, and a nice greek salad and a banana for lunch - very satisfying and delicious.

I've recently become intrigued by the whole "eating clean" theory and I'm really going to try it out. To lose my weight on WW, I will admit that I relied a lot on chemical replacements for sugar and other natural foods. I am going to start to make changes so that I am not eating these chemicals anymore. The first changes I'm going to make are to start having real sugar in my coffee again as opposed to Splenda or some other sweetener, and to stop drinking diet pop. I'm trying to find a natural alternative to drinking pop, and I think what I'm going to do is just replace it with natural iced tea. Both DBF and I have decided this would be a good change for both of us, so I'm going to try to make my first brew tonight to see how we like it. I love iced tea, but I'll admit that I've never made it naturally and I'm looking forward to trying it. I'll let ya'll know how it goes...

Recipe Review - Isn't She Loafly?

Isn't She Loafly? - from Crazy Plates

Haven't tried it yet, but it looks delicious. I couldn't resist taking a picture of it to post.

Found a new blog today. This girl posts beautiful pictures of all of her recipes - I think I'm going to start doing that too. Hence, picture #1...

Wow, I can't believe it...

I forgot to weigh in this morning! I can't freakin' believe it! Me, the girl obsessed with the numbers (now formerly-obsessed) forgot to weigh myself this morning! Yay for me! That's a huge deal!

Sparkpeople and I are getting along fabulously. It's so much more forgiving than the Weight Watchers program, but it still works. And I pay attention to a lot more things than just calories when I use it. I track all of my nutrients and vitamins, so I can tell when I've had too much sodium, not enough fibre, B-vitamins, or whatever. It's great. Yay Sparkpeople!

So Far, the Same

Well things have gone well since I decided I'd stop counting points. I didn't exactly quit cold turkey though, and I've gotten back on the Sparkpeople train. I love that program too, and it also works. I also find that it is much more forgiving than Weight Watchers, or so it leads you to believe. I think by the end of the week though, both programs work out to be about the same.

I think I've stayed the same this week, although I'll confirm that tomorrow morning. I know my weight was a little less on the weekend, but I'm usually lowest on the weekend and back up a bit by my weigh in day. So I expect this week to be no different.

I've been enjoying lots of foods (in moderation) that I had chosen to seriously limit during my WW journey, which has been nice. I actually made myself a homemade breakfast sandwich on Saturday morning - I thought it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted!

Stephen and I also indulged in a habit we had managed to stay away from for the summer - cheese at the Farmer's Market. We picked up some shropshire (a blue/cheddar mix), some dutch butter cheese (which was delicious on my egg sandwich), some good crumbly white cheddar flavoured with sour cream and chives, a brie called Rustique (with a good sharp taste, surprising for a brie), and some derby cheddar (old white cheddar made with sage, so it looks green - so good with chicken). They are all so delicious. We also picked up some smoked bacon, some cheddar smokies, fresh corn, brown eggs, and some spoon bread. Needless to say, we'll probably go back to the market again next Saturday.

After the trip to the market we went home and made a fabulous breakfast, then it was off to enjoy the day at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival - a huge weekend here in Fredericton. I was lucky enough on Thursday to win an ultimate pass for Saturday's shows. With the pass we managed to catch Matt Mays & El Torpedo on Friday night, and enjoyed shows by the Homemade Jamz', Lil' Brian and the Zydeco Travelers, Dr. John, and David Myles. What a fabulous time! We're already excited about going again next year.

I'm Throwing Myself Out of the Nest...

and into the big world, without my points tracker.

I made the decision on the weekend to stop tracking points, maybe not forever, but definitely for a while. I think I've finally mastered maintenance, and that I've made lasting changes in my life that will allow me to maintain my weight loss without always thinking about the point value of a food. So it is time for me to cut the ties from my points tracker and cancel my online Weight Watchers account.

I know that weight management is a life-long process for those of us who have a history of weight problems, but I think that my weight loss journey taught me enough about moderation and balance for me to make a go of it on my own. The problem I have found that I have developed throughout this journey is that I have become obsessed with the numbers. I have lost much of the enjoyment that comes with life and eating because I am focusing too much on the numbers. I don't want to live my life that way. Even though I am living a physically healthy lifestyle, I have to begin to live a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally. I feel like I have become trapped mentally, and this is not a healthy way to be.

I am going to take the lessons I've learned, the healthy habits I've developed, and the healthy foods that I've grown to love, and I'm going to live my life the same way I do now, without focusing on the numbers. I will treat myself, and I will not allow myself to feel guilty for any of the choices I make. I will continue to keep exercising regularly. I will make good food choices - I will eat proper servings of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats and dairy - the same thing I do now. I will live a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle, without the mental trap I've allowed myself to develop.

I will weigh in regularly to ensure that I stay on track. I will maintain my lifetime status with Weight Watchers, weighing in at a meeting at least once a month. I will continue to frequent the Weight Watchers message boards, as I would miss the support and the friends I have there. Not to mention the crazy conversations I often don't dare to comment on...

I have chosen a 10-lb weight range that I will stay in. If I stray out of this range, I will begin counting points again until I am back to where I would like to be.

I'm scared to death, but I know I'll be fine, nothing will be any different, except that I will feel free from the number crunching. It will make me ultimately happier than I have been. This is the last part of my weight loss journey, and I'm going to go conquer it now...

*GULP*