Today's #WeightWatchers Weigh-In #12PoundsIn12Weeks Challenge January 20, 2015

Here's where I posted how I signed up for 12 weeks of Weight Watchers (not my first rodeo with them) and hope to lose 12 pounds in 12 weeks. The first few weeks loss is fast but after that it gets harder to maintain and treats are super tempting sometimes and willpower does fail. I love how I have the extra 49 points per week built in to my plan for times I am dying for a cookie, cake, burger, whatever.

So I set out this morning to weigh in for the 2nd time and knew I could not stay for the meeting because we have our 2nd or 3 homeschool testing days at our house so I had to get home fast. I bought some popped BBQ crisps and some maple brown sugar oatmeal because sometimes having those things that are already counted up points-wise for you and are quick and easy really helps when you are nearing HANGRY (hungry + getting angry because you are so hungry = HANGRY).

And when you are SUPER HUNGRY you tend to eat whatever you can find. That's why I like to keep a little bag of things in my purse and car like almonds already counted into baggies at 5 points per baggie, chips that I know are 2 points per bag, protein bars, 2-point chocolate snack bars, and fruit. Yes, for now I am eating processed foods that are probably not fantastic for me, but they are helping me to get a handle on my food issues and learn about portions and when I am truly hungry. We can talk about going Paleo or something like that once I know what I can deal with realistically.

Photo from playbuzz.com

Weight loss for this week = 2.8 pounds (probably b/c I had 34 activity points from my ActiveLink and also ate very well, making sure to ALWAYS eat all 26 of my points per day even if it was 10 p.m. and I wasn't really hungry. I don't want my body to think I am trying to starve it.)

Total weight loss since January 6 = 4.8 pounds (159.4 to 154.6)

Goals: to walk a half marathon this fall because I have always loved to walk and for my knees to not crack when I do squats or walk down the stairs

Books I Bought Today by Authors Like Gillian Flynn

Let me start by saying THANK YOU, DAD AND NANCY for the Half Price Books gift card with $5 bonus coupon that you gave me for Christmas ... the perfect gift! I also sold a few books I had around the house and got another $1.50 to spend and I came away with about $6 left on my gift card so I will be going back to check for the other 3 books on my list! In case you're wondering about those other 3 books, they are:

1. The Never List by Koethi Zan
2. #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso
3. Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado

I'm on my third Gillian Flynn book and never thought I would like a creepy, twisty, suspenseful genre, but other stuff was leaving me bored, so I was hoping to find more stuff like Gone Girl, Dark Places and Sharp Object. Here is where I found my initial list.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Totally wrote this off in the past but have high hopes for it now

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

What Aron sometimes wishes I would be: The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

#12Poundsin12Weeks Challenge #WeightWatchers

So I joined Weight Watchers ... again ... last week. I wrote some about it back here on the post called No Excuses Exercise: Matt Ross Community Center in Overland Park #DoItAnyway. My first weigh-in was Tuesday, two days ago. I lost 2 pounds exactly, which is kinda cool because my husband and kids take bets. Eva, our 4th kid, just moved into a room to sleep with her sister and is NOT happy about it. So the person who guesses closest to my weight loss each week gets to Sleep With Mommy and Daddy gets displaced. Anyway, the kids were guessing and Eva had no clue what to guess and I told her to guess 2 and SHE WON!

Note how Daddy guess in OUNCES and Sam guessed in METRIC TONS ... these people I live with are insane

So today I was checking out my new Weight Watchers weigh-in/meeting pass and noticed that, of course, it ends 12 weeks from when I signed up because I signed up for 3 months this first time so I would stick with it and I got a killer deal, too. I was thinking how I could realistically lose 12 pounds in those 12 weeks. I've already lost 2 of them; just need to stick with it.

How?

By tracking my food online so I make sure I am staying within my points range. I get PUH-LENTY of points, don't worry. This is not like a DIET DIET at all. It was easy to fall back into because it's a lifestyle change, not a restrictive diet. I get 26 points in food each day and if I go over, I borrow from my weekly 49 extra, which I can use some of, all of, or none of. If I eat 26 per day plus kill those 49, then I have to rely on my activity points. I wear an activity monitor and it synchronizes with my points online, so I can see it all on my laptop daily.

Also, I can do 12 pounds in 12 weeks by continuing to move. Monday night I went to treadmill at the gym. Tuesday night my entire family walked/ran the track. Last night I swam ferociously and played with my kids at the indoor pool. Today was a break. Tomorrow night is more fun, active pool time. Saturday I'll try to go to the treadmill again. Or walk outside because it's going to be gorgeous! Or take my kids to a park and walk the track there!

Always happy to talk Weight Watchers with you! I have so many great ways I stay on this plan.

I started at 159.4 and am shooting for 147.4 by the end of Marchish weigh-in. I got sick of my knees hurting when I came down 7 stairs in the morning so here we are again!

No Excuses Exercise: Matt Ross Community Center in Overland Park #DoItAnyway

I have started Weight Watchers once again ... I am entirely powerless over food. The good news is that last year I got somewhat of a handle on it ... I have all the tricks down but not giving in to temptations and stress eating and emotional eating is the problem. Plus I sit a lot for homeschooling and for my at-home work and I don't move as much as I should be moving for a woman in her 40s.

So back in November I also joined our local community center. I mostly joined because the weather was getting super cold and getting outside was not working out most of the time and I know we love to swim ... so I got a 3-month membership, which also includes the exercise room and gymnasium privileges.

Every now and then I would get to the gym alone to treadmill. Sometimes Aron would play in the Explorer Room or pool with the kids while I would treadmill. Sometimes I would play with the kids or go to the pool while he would do the bikes. Last night we tried out the gymnasium for the first time and they had a blast. I was just sitting there reading a book when I realized the walking track goes around the gym ... and I grabbed my music player and earbuds and went walking for about 15 minutes.

The thing is: I was in jeans. I had on a long-sleeved shirt. I had on shoes that were not good for walking. I had not planned on exercising.

Excuses.

I did it anyway. Do it anyway!

This is part of the track that goes 1/10 of a mile around the basketball courts and exercise room

At the top of the pic you can see the windows to the exercise room

This is the exercise room looking out into the pool area. I love to watch my kids on the slide when I'm on the treadmill!

Just part of the Explorer Room ... this pic does not do it justice!

Have Your Next Birthday Party at Sky Zone Kansas City!!!

**Please check out my full review here where I talk about our experience!

Once again I must say I love being a mommy blogger! Thanks to Sky Zone Kansas City, Callie is going to get a super fun birthday party there for free! I get to review this awesome place we have been dying to go! The birthday party package includes 10 jumpers for an hour and a half, sky socks, pizzas and unlimited drinks! I can't wait to go and report back to you how awesome it is! Here's some info about Sky Zone:

Sky Zone is the world's first indoor trampoline park. We're the inventors of "fun fitness" and the makers of trampolines as far as the eye can see. We give you one of the greatest workouts ever combined with awesome, healthy fun. We've been voted the number one "out of the box" workout and the "best party ever." Experience WOW - the weightlessness of bouncing, flipping and landing in a pit filled with 10,000 foam cubes. 

We are dedicated to providing you with the pure joy that comes with flying. We are sky lovers, thrill seekers and people who believe that jumping is freedom. We believe fitness can be fun and play can be smart. We are healthy and bursting with energy. We fly high and keep it safe. We are Sky Zone. My Readers Save $3 Off Open Jump at Sky Zone and 10% Off a Supreme Birthday Party. Click on the Sky Zone coupon here for more information and to redeem.