Day 16 Weigh Day!

I know you've all been waiting in anticipation, so here it is....

According to my old scale, I'm down 6 lbs. Remember that's the scale I first weighed myself on at 242. A loss of 6 pounds. I'm at 236...according to my old scale.

Now on my new Weight Watchers scale...which I happen to believe is much more accurate than my old scale...I'm at 239. I'd really LOVE to take the 236, but since I'll be weighing in each week on my new scale (and tossing the old one), I'm going to have to go with that. 3 pounds. I'm happy with that. I have to admit I sort of had my heart set on a huge loss...but I'm so determined this time, I'll happily take the 3. After all, slow and steady wins the race, right?

So what have I learned from this week?

1. I don’t really need a full cup of orange juice in the morning. 110 calories are just too much for a drink that's not exactly filling my belly and making me feel full. I know an orange is the better choice, but unfortunately they've been crap lately...and soon to be very expensive I guess with the freezing temps in Florida. This morning I diluted it with water to make my usual one cup. I know you're thinking why do I need a cup when half will do? I take a plethora of vitamins each morning and I can down 'em all with one cup. Silly I know...

2. Even 1 tbsp. of salad dressing is too much! I LOVE my Stonewall Kitchens Cilantro Lime Dressing, the flavour is to intense I can get a way with using less, but that 1 tbsp. is 90 calories. That makes my favourite salad meal almost a hundred calories more than it needs to be! I could search for a great tasting low fat dressing, though I've never been terribly happy with the choices out there. I'm also convinced that all the diet foods, etc. plastered in our magazines, flashed on our television screens and pushed in our supermarkets are making us fatter. I'm all about eating "normal" foods and not depending on light/low-cal/fat-free everything. What I need to learn is portion control, not finding that low-fat food I can "eat more of" Don't get me wrong. There are definitely some things I use that are "light"...feta cheese, mayo, yogurt, to name a few. My solution to the excessive calories I'm using on my salads is to cut the tbsp. down to 1 tsp. and use a little lime juice as well. Voila!

3. Exercise really is the answer. Maybe it's because I'm feeling so positive, but I have to admit that I am really enjoying my 30 minute walking workout. Burning 133 calories (according to my "Lose It!" app) can make the difference in breaking my calorie bank or saving it. Jack from Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit make a good point though. He says "You may come to find what I did: that a piece of cake simply isn't worth 45 minutes on an elliptical or bike". I concur, though I suppose it's nice to have that option should the occaision arise.

4. I am totally suprised by the world of weight loss blogging! Who knew that like-minded bloggers could be so amazing. The solidarity here in blogland is second to none and never in all my calorie counting/point logging years...not though any program I’m squandered my money to...have I ever received such encouragement and support....and remember I've only been here a short time! Thank you to everyone!

And finally...I am accountable for my eating habits.

I am really looking forward to my second week!