Mamavation Monday

Yes, I know it is Tuesday, but I am on my own schedule this week. Speaking of which, it is hard to get the motivation to get up early to work out when I don't have to get up to go to work. The flip side of that is it can be a challenge to work out with the kids up. They generally do a good job entertaining themselves, so why is that as soon as I start to exercise (or get on the phone) they suddenly have a hundred questions, can't agree on a show, can't agree on the rules of the game or respect the other's personal space. I have been getting up, with some sleeping in, and I have been exercising this week - so I am proud of that. I must say that doing Ab Ripper X in the morning, immediately following my strength training is a challenge. I'm tired after the strength training and barely have the strength to muster my way through the workout. I also have decided I have been "cheating", when I do Ab Ripper X in the evening, I'm not wearing shoes and I don't think to put them on. The added weight on the feet is definitely a different workout experience. I think I am still getting the benefit, even without the shoes, but I never would have guessed how much harder it makes it.

I was doing really good at tracking my PointsPlus values last week, right up until I wasn't. It was a busy week at work with carry-in day and the company Christmas luncheon. That was followed by a weekend with family, which wound up including 3 meals out and dessert and treats and wine and lots of pop. I'm not normally a big pop drinker and I guess that I consumed it at all three eating out occasions. I also indulged in a glass of Eggnog, no alcohol. Love the stuff, rarely consume it.

The good news is that I didn't let it set me back and even as I stood in line at Wendy's on Sunday night, I looked at the nutritional chart hanging on the wall, looking for the item that minimized fats and carbs and maximized fiber and protein. I miss my slide for figuring Points on the run, but I guess with four metrics, it would be a challenging slide to configure and use for PointsPlus. Some would say that I could have used my mobile phone and accessed the Weight Watchers Mobile site, but I didn't.

Speaking of technology and tools, I'm really excited about the upcoming release of Kitchen Companion I-Pad App from Weight Watchers. It is due out soon and will allow you to access new recipes and to modify your recipes to be healthier. It is supposed to provide you ideas on what to cook and how to cook it as well. "It's the ultimate interactive healthy cooking tool". It will include featured recipes and videos on cooking techniques. Plus, if you are a subscriber to the online tools, you would have access to thousands of Weight Watchers recipes and can also use the Recipe Builder tool to create and edit recipes.

I attended my regular Weight Watchers meeting this week for the first time in a long time. My husband's class schedule had me busy during my regular meeting and sports had me too busy to find an alternate time. I have no problem with completing the program online, but was reminded of how great it is to have a support network and others to talk to about my experiences and theirs. I liked the quote that they had displayed, I don't know exactly what it was, but it was something to the effect that we didn't get where we are by eating too many bananas. It, of course, refers to the fact that fresh fruit is all 0 PointsPlus value. For me, I think this is one of the things that I like best. I enjoy fruit and I feel more free to include it as part of my routine again. Not that I was avoiding it before, but now it is less stressful to include - I don't need to measure it and I know it will fill me.

As for this week, my target is to continue to be vigilant about not only making healthy decisions in my eating, but also to track it. I hope to continue to meet my morning exercise goal (especially after having read this article about the benefits of exercising before breakfast). But, I also plan to play with my kids. We are planning some ice skating, roller skating, bouncing and bowling over the time that we have off from work and school.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider and will be receiving tools from Weight Watchers to help me in my journey using the new Points Plus program. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.'