Preparing for the Holiday Vacation

Another 2.2 pounds down! Maybe I should change my weekly weight loss goal to two pounds instead of three. Maybe two pounds is more realistic for me.

I've only got about three pounds to go before I'm back to my all-time low weight from earlier this year. It's a little depressing to look back over the year and think about where I could be right now if I hadn't messed up so much, but you can't dwell on it. I've just got to keep building on the successes that I've had recently.

The youth retreat last weekend went pretty well. I was actually surprised at the food they served. Breakfast was a little iffy -- biscuits and gravy one morning, pancakes the next -- but lunch and dinner was actually pretty good.

For lunch they served spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans and salad. For dinner it was barbecue beef, corn, beans and salad. Not the best choices, I know, but I was expecting much worse. Plus, I was away from my computer and Weight Watchers Online for Men all weekend, so it was hard to keep track of what I was really eating.

That weekend away made me realize what my routine is all about. I typically eat every two to three hours during the day. This isn't a conscious decision, it just falls out that way because I get hungry. I'll have my oatmeal first thing in the morning, then some fruit or yogurt a couple of hours later. Then I save some of my lunch for later in the day when I get hungry again. It's not like I'm eating five or six big meals a day but just having little snacks to keep me going.

But at the retreat, there wasn't any snacking. So by the time the meals rolled around I was pretty hungry. This led me to probably overdo it a little bit. So I think little snacks during the day is a good way for me to control my portions during the main meal. I didn't even know I was doing it, but it looks like I'd figured something out all on my own!

I was able to get to the gym about three times last week, and I really enjoyed it! I've missed being able to go to the gym, but my schedule just hasn't allowed it. I'm about to be off for the holiday break, but my gym is at work so they shut down when we shut down. So I've got to get back into using the Wii Fit. I'm really going to try to really focus on getting to the gym every weekday next year because I really do like it.

That sounds like a New Year's resolution. Yuck. I'm not a big fan of resolutions. I think it's a good idea to have the, and I always seem to always make them. I also seem to always fail them. That's the part I don't care for. But maybe this time will be different. Since I'm ending the year on a good note healthy living wise, I should be able to just roll that into next year. But I do want to commit to logging my food and making exercise a priority.

Weight Watchers has invited me to become a "Weight Watchers Insider." I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I think they'll be giving me advanced notice on their programs that I can pass on to you. And I get to keep my Weight Watchers Online for Men membership going as long as I'm an Insider, so that's pretty exciting!

My goals for this week are just to stay on target. I'm home from work for a few weeks, and it's going to be very easy for me to not eat healthy food, to skip exercise and to not drink all the water I drink every day. I could very easily lose a lot of weight over the break, or I could undo all the good I've done so far. It's crucial that I keep my focus and goals in mind during this holiday break.

After decades of dieting only to gain it back, two That's Fit readers have decided to finally rethink their relationship with food and exercise over the next year to move toward a lifetime of fulfilling, healthy living. Come by every week as Ashley and Lee share their successes and challenges as they tip the scale.