I edited yesterday's post a bit. There's such a thing as oversharing, and although I'm obviously pretty public about my depression and use of medication to help even things out, some things just don't need to be said here. I'm still getting my sea legs with blogging, and I need to remember that everything that goes through my head doesn't necessarily need to end up on the internet for everyone to read.
Okay, now that bit of housekeeping is taken care of, I got my ten pounds lost award at Weight Watchers today -- yay! According to the WW scale I'm down to 173.8, which is precisely 10 pounds from my initial weigh-in, and this morning at home (pre-clothes and pre-coffee), my scale said 170.8. So obviously I was hopeful it would reflect at Weight Watchers, but I was also concerned that my massive coffee consumption would negatively affect the scale. Thankfully that was not the case :)
I know, I know, a simple solution to that worry would be to curtail my coffee consumption prior to heading out for the weigh-in, but y'all... coffee. 'Nuff said.
My food intake has been pretty good overall. I will admit that Boar's Head deli meats -- specifically the turkey and chicken breast options -- have been a huge help with this. I don't operate well from a position of deprivation. I doubt anyone really does. And having food that tastes good is important to me. I'm sure there are some out there who would say I'm weak or fooling myself or whatever, but I'm a pretty good expert on the subject of me, and although others might feel that it's a slippery slope from that to faceplanting into a pizza, it's not for me. For me, feeling as if I'm in a deprivation situation is what leads to a binge cycle. If that can be staved off by simply eating foods I enjoy, that are quick to prepare and fit within the Weight Watchers parameters, I'm all for it.
I've done the deprivation thing. I've run a couple of Whole 30's, I've tried the 5:2 "Fast Diet", and I whole-heartedly believe that those particular experiments partially led to the weight gain I've been dealing with for the past four years. They may work for some people, but they do not in any way work for me. The fastest way for me to suddenly start craving a food with little nutritional value and/ or a high calorie count is to tell me I can't have it, even for a month. I remember reading the intro to Whole 30 and seeing something along the lines of "Don't complain that this is hard. Kicking drugs is hard, item X is hard, but eating nutritionally sound non-inflammatory foods is not hard." Yeah... you know what? I'm sure it works for the Whole 30 folks, but it doesn't work for me, and my sample set of one confirms that, when it comes to my personal weight management, no food or groups of foods are entirely off the menu. Moderation actually is a thing. It's a legitimate practice. Personally, I can eat just a single serving of potato chips if I want. I can eat a single donut hole. I can have just one piece of cake, one cookie, one scoop of ice cream and not have it lead to me consuming the entirety of what's left over.
If others can't manage that, fine. They can do what works for them. As for me... I shall eat cake.
Ten pounds down. It's working for me. I'm going to continue on with what works.
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Friday, June 29, 2018
Day 11 Lexapro
The scale cooperated today and once again spewed forth the delightful 171.8 reading. Yay! Here's hoping it drops a bit more for tomorrow's weigh in at Weight Watchers. Although if I have a loss similar to last week's Friday to Saturday drop, I'll have lost a whopping half pound or perhaps less than that. Still, it's something. I'm also noticing that my stomach and backside have become smaller, which is a huge plus when it comes to wearing the clothes I already own. When I hit the mid-160's, most of my clothes should fit me pretty well.
My current short-term weight goal is to go below 170, and I'll reach that in two parts as I'll doubtless hit it on the home scale well prior to the Weight Watchers scale. After that, it will be 165, and so forth. Five pounds at a time, that's all. It's do-able. I hope.
Speaking of the potential fly in my ointment, I seem to be falling asleep more quickly than I had been on the Lexapro, although I'm still not entirely sure if it's the wine or just the growing accustomed to the medication that's doing the trick. Still, sleep is good so I'm not going to complain about it. Also, my cold appears to be improving slowly but surely. I took the stupid wedge off my bed last night and actually managed to stay asleep without any noticeable coughing. That's a relief, as if things hadn't started to improve I would have gone in to the doctor with a potential secondary infection. Antibiotics aren't going to do jack with a cold virus, but with actual for-real bronchitis or sinusitis, they're quite helpful.
My plan to actually lose the weight and keep it off, which I've been working to accomplish for some time, is to kill off the emotional eating (hence finally biting the bullet and moving to an anti-depressant as counseling alone didn't cut it), and get to a place where my food intake and energy output are equalized at a level I can reasonably sustain for the rest of my life. Part of that right now involves tricking my feeble brain with "points" rather than calories. I'm good with that.
Sometimes I wonder if it's smart to keep putting this all out there. I mean, if I truly didn't care about anyone reading this, I'd still be keeping my sad little musings in a Word document like I have been for the past three years. For some reason, though, the thought that this might drift out onto the internet somewhere and give someone either a moment of laughter, thought, or even the realization that it's freaking OKAY to use medication to alleviate depression, and it's not necessarily an automatic pass to obesity-ville makes the decision to actually hit "publish" worth it to me.
Or not. That's fine too. Regardless, weigh-in day is tomorrow so fingers crossed!
My current short-term weight goal is to go below 170, and I'll reach that in two parts as I'll doubtless hit it on the home scale well prior to the Weight Watchers scale. After that, it will be 165, and so forth. Five pounds at a time, that's all. It's do-able. I hope.
Speaking of the potential fly in my ointment, I seem to be falling asleep more quickly than I had been on the Lexapro, although I'm still not entirely sure if it's the wine or just the growing accustomed to the medication that's doing the trick. Still, sleep is good so I'm not going to complain about it. Also, my cold appears to be improving slowly but surely. I took the stupid wedge off my bed last night and actually managed to stay asleep without any noticeable coughing. That's a relief, as if things hadn't started to improve I would have gone in to the doctor with a potential secondary infection. Antibiotics aren't going to do jack with a cold virus, but with actual for-real bronchitis or sinusitis, they're quite helpful.
My plan to actually lose the weight and keep it off, which I've been working to accomplish for some time, is to kill off the emotional eating (hence finally biting the bullet and moving to an anti-depressant as counseling alone didn't cut it), and get to a place where my food intake and energy output are equalized at a level I can reasonably sustain for the rest of my life. Part of that right now involves tricking my feeble brain with "points" rather than calories. I'm good with that.
Sometimes I wonder if it's smart to keep putting this all out there. I mean, if I truly didn't care about anyone reading this, I'd still be keeping my sad little musings in a Word document like I have been for the past three years. For some reason, though, the thought that this might drift out onto the internet somewhere and give someone either a moment of laughter, thought, or even the realization that it's freaking OKAY to use medication to alleviate depression, and it's not necessarily an automatic pass to obesity-ville makes the decision to actually hit "publish" worth it to me.
Or not. That's fine too. Regardless, weigh-in day is tomorrow so fingers crossed!
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Day 10 Lexapro
I had to take my Lexapro a little early today, since one of our dogs had to go in to the vet for a glucose curve test. Poor baby's diabetic, which means my husband and I are going to have to learn how to give shots. Yipes.
I've noticed that mornings I'm the most "spacy" on the Lexapro. By the time I leave for lunch/ leave in the afternoon, I'm pretty much back to myself. Sleep is still moderately fractured, but it's better than it has been. I'm not sure if it's the wedge or the wine, but tonight will be a good test as we're not going out and I generally don't keep wine in the house.
The scale is still stubbornly reading 173.2, which is aggravating as all getout. I'm hopeful it experiences a bit of a drop before weigh-in on Saturday. I'd also like it to go back down because it seems 172-ish is where my bras fit, and the current shade above 173 is just on the edge of having me dealing with overflow issues. I'm still wearing my bras (I've done my time washing that one almost on the daily), but it's frustrating how close I was to being able to wear them, and then having to deal with more retention again.
Oh well, I'll keep eating appropriately and drinking water and hope that does the trick. It's really all I can do. It would be nice if I'd start getting a wee bit more energy so I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed at the thought of adding exercise to my daily routine. I know that at least 30 minutes 5x a week is good for health, and that's certainly do-able, I'm just so damned tired.
I'll have to make it happen.
I've noticed that mornings I'm the most "spacy" on the Lexapro. By the time I leave for lunch/ leave in the afternoon, I'm pretty much back to myself. Sleep is still moderately fractured, but it's better than it has been. I'm not sure if it's the wedge or the wine, but tonight will be a good test as we're not going out and I generally don't keep wine in the house.
The scale is still stubbornly reading 173.2, which is aggravating as all getout. I'm hopeful it experiences a bit of a drop before weigh-in on Saturday. I'd also like it to go back down because it seems 172-ish is where my bras fit, and the current shade above 173 is just on the edge of having me dealing with overflow issues. I'm still wearing my bras (I've done my time washing that one almost on the daily), but it's frustrating how close I was to being able to wear them, and then having to deal with more retention again.
Oh well, I'll keep eating appropriately and drinking water and hope that does the trick. It's really all I can do. It would be nice if I'd start getting a wee bit more energy so I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed at the thought of adding exercise to my daily routine. I know that at least 30 minutes 5x a week is good for health, and that's certainly do-able, I'm just so damned tired.
I'll have to make it happen.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Day 9 Lexapro
Oh blessed sleep! I actually managed to stay under most of the night last night. My cough is improving (I think), plus I had a glass of wine to assist with matters. Shoot, at this point I'll do whatever I can to remain unconscious. But then I had to pry myself out of bed at 4:30 AM, which wasn't helped by the fact that my husband was, erm... having an "extended stay" in our master bath, and I needed to go. Of course we do have a second bathroom, but it's the boys' bathroom and unless it's just been cleaned... erm, yeah. I don't go in there. They're 15 and 19 and pretty well domesticated -- in fact, they're the ones in charge of cleaning their own bathroom -- but if I go in there I start scanning for deficiencies in their housekeeping and honestly, who has time for that? As long as it's not a health hazard, I need to just let it go unless we're having company.
All that to say I had to wait to get up to go potty :P
Anyway, the scale landed at 173.2 this morning, a .8 pound difference from yesterday. Still about a pound and a half off from my current all-time low, but whatever. It's within range. I'm just hoping for a scale loss on Saturday to keep my trend going and prayerfully keep my motivation up.
That said, talk about motivation being up: I can cross my legs without discomfort again, yay! That's a huge NSV. I'd just gotten to the point where it was decidedly not awesome when I weighed in for the first time at Weight Watchers, and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer. I still remember my high weight over ten years ago, and if I'd just let things go on like they were, I'd have reached or surpassed it again.
Oh, also! I was down to one bra (TMI-fest today, I know), but I'm now back to having several I can wear. This is a gigantic plus, because seriously, washing that bra every day/ every other day was getting old.
As for the Lexapro, side effects appear to be minimal. There's the insomnia factor, and to offset that I'm strictly cutting off caffeine after my lunch beverage along with a decided limitation in caffeine consumption in the morning as well. I don't know if it's the caffeine limitation, the red wine, or the lessening of my coughing (likely all three play a part), but as I mentioned upon opening, my sleep was almost decent last night. I do remember getting up once, but that's not terrible by any means.
Of course, I also slept on my stupid bed wedge, and that may have played a factor in cutting down the coughing as well.
Anyway, so far, so good. I'm not thrilled with the uptick on the scale, but that could be caused by the change in dosage or just some non-related water retention. I know my calorie consumption as well as my points consumption right now, and it's on target regardless of how I record foods.
We'll see how it goes :)
All that to say I had to wait to get up to go potty :P
Anyway, the scale landed at 173.2 this morning, a .8 pound difference from yesterday. Still about a pound and a half off from my current all-time low, but whatever. It's within range. I'm just hoping for a scale loss on Saturday to keep my trend going and prayerfully keep my motivation up.
That said, talk about motivation being up: I can cross my legs without discomfort again, yay! That's a huge NSV. I'd just gotten to the point where it was decidedly not awesome when I weighed in for the first time at Weight Watchers, and I'm glad I didn't wait any longer. I still remember my high weight over ten years ago, and if I'd just let things go on like they were, I'd have reached or surpassed it again.
Oh, also! I was down to one bra (TMI-fest today, I know), but I'm now back to having several I can wear. This is a gigantic plus, because seriously, washing that bra every day/ every other day was getting old.
As for the Lexapro, side effects appear to be minimal. There's the insomnia factor, and to offset that I'm strictly cutting off caffeine after my lunch beverage along with a decided limitation in caffeine consumption in the morning as well. I don't know if it's the caffeine limitation, the red wine, or the lessening of my coughing (likely all three play a part), but as I mentioned upon opening, my sleep was almost decent last night. I do remember getting up once, but that's not terrible by any means.
Of course, I also slept on my stupid bed wedge, and that may have played a factor in cutting down the coughing as well.
Anyway, so far, so good. I'm not thrilled with the uptick on the scale, but that could be caused by the change in dosage or just some non-related water retention. I know my calorie consumption as well as my points consumption right now, and it's on target regardless of how I record foods.
We'll see how it goes :)
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Day 8 Lexapro
Holy crap, I'm tired. I know a lot of it's because I kept waking up in the night with a stuffy nose and coughing, and I can't help but wonder if it's exacerbated by the insomnia I've already experienced as a side effect with the Lexapro. Chances are it is, but regardless of the cause I'm flat-out beat. If this doesn't improve soon, I'm going to have to head in to the doctor. I hate to pester (and I'll probably just use the express care clinic part of the practice my GP belongs to), but this stuff is just dragging on so it's probably time to see if there's need for an antibiotic or something.
Anything that would stop this cough would also be really great. I just want to sleep.
My home scale is not reflecting data that thrills me, but I know I'm on track with my food intake so I'm chalking it up to water retention. I did have more sodium yesterday (again) due to my Chipotle intake, so I'm sure that has an impact. Plus, I'm sick and perhaps that's having something to do with it? Also my Lexapro dose has gone up, so there are a number of possible causes. My only plan at this time is to ensure I'm not eating out, drink enough water, and stick with tracking my food intake.
On the plus side, my face is looking better than it has been, and I can also cross my legs comfortably once more. Oh! And I can wear my "regular" bras, i.e., not the one single bra I've been stuck washing near daily for the past couple months. When I get down in the 150's and below it starts getting annoying because I lose more up top than I'd really like, but at this point the deflation of the girls is definitely a positive. I'll be very happy to see the 160's again, even, whenever that happens. Definitely by the end of July, and hopefully within the next two weeks.
Okay, time to get to work. Have a good one, my utterly non-existent readers!
Anything that would stop this cough would also be really great. I just want to sleep.
My home scale is not reflecting data that thrills me, but I know I'm on track with my food intake so I'm chalking it up to water retention. I did have more sodium yesterday (again) due to my Chipotle intake, so I'm sure that has an impact. Plus, I'm sick and perhaps that's having something to do with it? Also my Lexapro dose has gone up, so there are a number of possible causes. My only plan at this time is to ensure I'm not eating out, drink enough water, and stick with tracking my food intake.
On the plus side, my face is looking better than it has been, and I can also cross my legs comfortably once more. Oh! And I can wear my "regular" bras, i.e., not the one single bra I've been stuck washing near daily for the past couple months. When I get down in the 150's and below it starts getting annoying because I lose more up top than I'd really like, but at this point the deflation of the girls is definitely a positive. I'll be very happy to see the 160's again, even, whenever that happens. Definitely by the end of July, and hopefully within the next two weeks.
Okay, time to get to work. Have a good one, my utterly non-existent readers!
Monday, June 25, 2018
Day 7 Lexapro
Today is my first dose of 10mg of Lexapro, so I foresee another resurgence of the side effects I previously experienced (dry mouth, headache) and/ or an increase in those I'm still experiencing (insomnia). Y'all, I am so tired I'd give almost anything for a solid full night's sleep, but between the side effects from Lexapro and the lovely case of bronchitis I'm fighting I just don't see it happening any time soon. It may actually be unfair for me to blame my sleep issues on the Lexapro at this point, as what seems to keep awakening me is the endless damn coughing. Yucko.
In the world of weight loss, I'm down another 1.4 pounds (per Weight Watchers) putting me at a grand total of 8.2 pounds lost. Or if you look at my home scale it's over 10 pounds, but whatever. The WW scale put me at 175.6 down from 177 the week prior, and I'm tickled to have dropped weight during my first week of this medication. My weight at home tends to be lower (clothes, shoes, different scale, etc.), but as long as the scales are moving in the right direction I'll deal. To be frank, this morning my weight was up which surprised me a bit until I considered that I'd had a bit more sodium yesterday than usual, so this outcome isn't out of line.
All in all, at the moment I'm happy with the way things are going. I like that my weekly FlexPoints gives me room to have foods that are higher point values (brownies! wine!) that I otherwise avoid, but still put a limit on consumption. I know I can only eat so many brownies or drink so much wine (especially now that I'm limited to a single glass of wine with the Lexapro, per my doctor), but it's good to have that FlexPoints balance decrease so I know when to put the brakes on. I used to be really good at that, but after some ridiculous elimination diets and crazy food restrictions, my "normal meter" for eating got a bit off-kilter, and I've spent probably the past five years trying to recalibrate that sucker. If it means I need to use a tool like Weight Watchers to do so, fine. It's worth it.
In the world of weight loss, I'm down another 1.4 pounds (per Weight Watchers) putting me at a grand total of 8.2 pounds lost. Or if you look at my home scale it's over 10 pounds, but whatever. The WW scale put me at 175.6 down from 177 the week prior, and I'm tickled to have dropped weight during my first week of this medication. My weight at home tends to be lower (clothes, shoes, different scale, etc.), but as long as the scales are moving in the right direction I'll deal. To be frank, this morning my weight was up which surprised me a bit until I considered that I'd had a bit more sodium yesterday than usual, so this outcome isn't out of line.
All in all, at the moment I'm happy with the way things are going. I like that my weekly FlexPoints gives me room to have foods that are higher point values (brownies! wine!) that I otherwise avoid, but still put a limit on consumption. I know I can only eat so many brownies or drink so much wine (especially now that I'm limited to a single glass of wine with the Lexapro, per my doctor), but it's good to have that FlexPoints balance decrease so I know when to put the brakes on. I used to be really good at that, but after some ridiculous elimination diets and crazy food restrictions, my "normal meter" for eating got a bit off-kilter, and I've spent probably the past five years trying to recalibrate that sucker. If it means I need to use a tool like Weight Watchers to do so, fine. It's worth it.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Day 4 Lexapro
I know I've mentioned I'm enjoying the totally non-stressful naming convention I've got going on here, but lest it be lost: it's freaking awesome not to have to stress over post titles :P
And yes, I emoticon. I try not to because we've been communicating via written word for hundreds of years without inserting little comics into the page, but sometimes I'm lazy/ it's faster and I just go for it. Sadly, I was an English major... so yes, there's the tiniest twinge of reflexive guilt that I'm not using all my descriptive skills appropriately, but when I reflect on how often there are some people who are determined to misunderstand you no matter how well you use your words, I get over it really quickly.
Anyway! For the Lexapro report, many of the side effects seem to be dying down at the moment. Dry mouth isn't as obvious, my head isn't as squirrley (although I'm still a bit fuzzy), and my snark level has dialed up significantly since Tuesday. Sleep is still fractured, with difficulty falling asleep as well as difficulty staying asleep. On the plus side, I may wake up multiple times during the night, but at least when I collapse back into bed I'm out like a light again rather than blinking my eyes at my clock for hours. It's far from the worst it could be.
My eating this week has been good since the weekend passed, and even over the weekend it wasn't atrocious. I still have 3 of my weekly points left, and I've been eating appropriately. The scale this morning still reflected 173.8, which is fine. I can't expect a loss every day. I've calculated the calories I'm consuming as well as points, and I'm consistently between 1200 and 1400, which is one of my best ranges for losing weight. I usually just deal with the points, but I like to check in on the actual calorie count of the foods I eat also, lest I go crazy with fruit or something. The SmartPoints program is nice in that I really don't feel as if I'm suffering at all; however, it's good for me to keep a finger on the pulse of my actual energy intake.
Tomorrow is my official Weight Watchers weigh-in, so here's hoping! Then Monday I start on the full 10 mg of Lexapro... which means an uptick in the stupid side effects. Oh well, I'll deal -- they're far, far superior to my brain going into overdrive. It's well worth the price.
And yes, I emoticon. I try not to because we've been communicating via written word for hundreds of years without inserting little comics into the page, but sometimes I'm lazy/ it's faster and I just go for it. Sadly, I was an English major... so yes, there's the tiniest twinge of reflexive guilt that I'm not using all my descriptive skills appropriately, but when I reflect on how often there are some people who are determined to misunderstand you no matter how well you use your words, I get over it really quickly.
Anyway! For the Lexapro report, many of the side effects seem to be dying down at the moment. Dry mouth isn't as obvious, my head isn't as squirrley (although I'm still a bit fuzzy), and my snark level has dialed up significantly since Tuesday. Sleep is still fractured, with difficulty falling asleep as well as difficulty staying asleep. On the plus side, I may wake up multiple times during the night, but at least when I collapse back into bed I'm out like a light again rather than blinking my eyes at my clock for hours. It's far from the worst it could be.
My eating this week has been good since the weekend passed, and even over the weekend it wasn't atrocious. I still have 3 of my weekly points left, and I've been eating appropriately. The scale this morning still reflected 173.8, which is fine. I can't expect a loss every day. I've calculated the calories I'm consuming as well as points, and I'm consistently between 1200 and 1400, which is one of my best ranges for losing weight. I usually just deal with the points, but I like to check in on the actual calorie count of the foods I eat also, lest I go crazy with fruit or something. The SmartPoints program is nice in that I really don't feel as if I'm suffering at all; however, it's good for me to keep a finger on the pulse of my actual energy intake.
Tomorrow is my official Weight Watchers weigh-in, so here's hoping! Then Monday I start on the full 10 mg of Lexapro... which means an uptick in the stupid side effects. Oh well, I'll deal -- they're far, far superior to my brain going into overdrive. It's well worth the price.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Day 3 Lexapro
The nice thing about running through titles marking days of taking Lexapro is that I don't have to get at all creative. This is an added bonus due to the fact that currently my head is fuzzy as all get-out, either due to the antidepressant in my system or the cold I'm working on.
Yep, I've got a cold in addition to wrangling side effects from a new medication. Lovely :P
Anyway, yesterday went well. I've noticed the anti-anxiety effects of Lexapro show up between 40 and 50 minutes after I've taken the medication. It's as if this little switch in my head gets thrown, and it shuts down the endless negative loops that I otherwise have difficulty silencing. Now if I want to concentrate on an unpleasant situation, I still can, but right now if I do it to excess it's on me rather than my brain's weird circuitry.
I'll be starting the full 10mg on Monday; up until this point I've been taking half a pill per my doctor's instructions, so I'm sure there'll be another adjustment period as the new dosage ramps up next week. An interesting side effect is my dreams are beyond weird. I had one last night that we got a new thermometer (we needed one) and my fever was at 99.9. Imagine my disappointment when I woke up to realize there was no new thermometer and unless I felt several degrees more shitty that I had to go on into work! Oh well, it's all good. When I go in, I don't use up sick hours; it's just that I'm currently exhausted due to the insomnia from the Lexapro, and I can't exactly call in tired.
In other news, I got on the scale this morning and it read 173.8, which is a new low for my weight since I restarted Weight Watchers. Yay :) So at this point at least I'm not seeing any verifiable scale effects from the Lexapro. I feel good about that. We'll see what the verdict is tomorrow and Saturday, when I weigh in on the WW scale.
I just want it to be down. I'm good if it's not even a pound (especially since I'll likely be wearing something heavier than I was last week), I just want that scale moving in the right direction.
Yep, I've got a cold in addition to wrangling side effects from a new medication. Lovely :P
Anyway, yesterday went well. I've noticed the anti-anxiety effects of Lexapro show up between 40 and 50 minutes after I've taken the medication. It's as if this little switch in my head gets thrown, and it shuts down the endless negative loops that I otherwise have difficulty silencing. Now if I want to concentrate on an unpleasant situation, I still can, but right now if I do it to excess it's on me rather than my brain's weird circuitry.
I'll be starting the full 10mg on Monday; up until this point I've been taking half a pill per my doctor's instructions, so I'm sure there'll be another adjustment period as the new dosage ramps up next week. An interesting side effect is my dreams are beyond weird. I had one last night that we got a new thermometer (we needed one) and my fever was at 99.9. Imagine my disappointment when I woke up to realize there was no new thermometer and unless I felt several degrees more shitty that I had to go on into work! Oh well, it's all good. When I go in, I don't use up sick hours; it's just that I'm currently exhausted due to the insomnia from the Lexapro, and I can't exactly call in tired.
In other news, I got on the scale this morning and it read 173.8, which is a new low for my weight since I restarted Weight Watchers. Yay :) So at this point at least I'm not seeing any verifiable scale effects from the Lexapro. I feel good about that. We'll see what the verdict is tomorrow and Saturday, when I weigh in on the WW scale.
I just want it to be down. I'm good if it's not even a pound (especially since I'll likely be wearing something heavier than I was last week), I just want that scale moving in the right direction.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Day 2 Lexapro
Well, yesterday went well on the Lexapro front, more or less. The good thing is that it appears to shut off the endless loop in my brain that ratchets my anxiety higher. Is this how normal people area? If so, I totally get the appeal. I don't like to dwell on negative things, but sadly my brain doesn't cooperate with me in that regard so I find myself mentally wallowing in an absolute cesspool about which I can do nothing, and frankly being able to remove myself from it is freaking fantastic.
Current side effects are notably insomnia (I couldn't fall asleep for probably two hours last night, and then I woke up repeatedly through the night), reflux (annoying, but livable at the moment), and a bit of light-headedness that seems to just about verge on turning into a headache. Oh, and dry mouth. That's fun (not :P ).
Also there appears to be a bit of a digestive impact as well. Not to get too detailed, but I weighed myself this morning and when it showed up as 176, I wasn't shocked. I know my food intake this workweek has been good, and I know exactly what has caused it: fluid and food retention.
My doctor says all these obnoxious issues should resolve themselves within the month, so we shall see. Regardless, for the peace of mind I'm currently having, no matter how cloudy it happens to be, it's worth it.
Current side effects are notably insomnia (I couldn't fall asleep for probably two hours last night, and then I woke up repeatedly through the night), reflux (annoying, but livable at the moment), and a bit of light-headedness that seems to just about verge on turning into a headache. Oh, and dry mouth. That's fun (not :P ).
Also there appears to be a bit of a digestive impact as well. Not to get too detailed, but I weighed myself this morning and when it showed up as 176, I wasn't shocked. I know my food intake this workweek has been good, and I know exactly what has caused it: fluid and food retention.
My doctor says all these obnoxious issues should resolve themselves within the month, so we shall see. Regardless, for the peace of mind I'm currently having, no matter how cloudy it happens to be, it's worth it.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
First Dose Lexapro
According to the official Weight Watcher's scale on Saturday, I lost 6.8 pounds, which is probably par for the course for a first week of weight lost.
I used up most-to-all of my new weekly allowance this weekend, but I can live with that. I knew I'd have to be cautious this week, and cautious I will be.
On another note, today did mark the first day I took a dose of my Lexapro, so I'm watching out for side effects. Right now I'm noting a dry mouth and a slightly detached feeling, which I can live with. I'm only taking a half dose at the moment though, and am due to ramp up next week. My hope is that this first month won't be too rough to get through, because I have a feeling it will be really helpful.
Now if only I can keep losing weight on this. We shall see.
I used up most-to-all of my new weekly allowance this weekend, but I can live with that. I knew I'd have to be cautious this week, and cautious I will be.
On another note, today did mark the first day I took a dose of my Lexapro, so I'm watching out for side effects. Right now I'm noting a dry mouth and a slightly detached feeling, which I can live with. I'm only taking a half dose at the moment though, and am due to ramp up next week. My hope is that this first month won't be too rough to get through, because I have a feeling it will be really helpful.
Now if only I can keep losing weight on this. We shall see.
Friday, June 15, 2018
Let the Weekend Commence
Especially because I get my weekly flex points bank refilled :P
Seriously, this weekend is going to be insane. Our local Pride has been running all week, and the big events are tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night. YIPES. Thus far I've done well and adhered to my points budget, even at events where alcohol was included. As a side note, a drag beauty pageant is still hilarious, even with just one glass of wine to lubricate the evening.
Also, the points are a good thing because once I go on the Lexapro, a single glass of wine in an evening is all I'll be able to manage. Apparently mixing alcohol with Lexapro can cause an increase in anxiety and depression, which is hardly the effect I'm going for.
The scale report this morning was 175.2, which is unsurprising considering my standard weight fluctuations. It's still a huge drop from last Saturday and Sunday -- between 7 and 8.5 pounds, depending on what measurement you want to go by.
I'm still quite curious to see what the Weight Watchers scale will weigh me in as tomorrow. Considering I'll be dressed and wearing shoes... well, we shall see. At any rate, tallyho! It's off to the weekend. Have a good one :)
Seriously, this weekend is going to be insane. Our local Pride has been running all week, and the big events are tonight, tomorrow, and tomorrow night. YIPES. Thus far I've done well and adhered to my points budget, even at events where alcohol was included. As a side note, a drag beauty pageant is still hilarious, even with just one glass of wine to lubricate the evening.
Also, the points are a good thing because once I go on the Lexapro, a single glass of wine in an evening is all I'll be able to manage. Apparently mixing alcohol with Lexapro can cause an increase in anxiety and depression, which is hardly the effect I'm going for.
The scale report this morning was 175.2, which is unsurprising considering my standard weight fluctuations. It's still a huge drop from last Saturday and Sunday -- between 7 and 8.5 pounds, depending on what measurement you want to go by.
I'm still quite curious to see what the Weight Watchers scale will weigh me in as tomorrow. Considering I'll be dressed and wearing shoes... well, we shall see. At any rate, tallyho! It's off to the weekend. Have a good one :)
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Interesting Development
So I got on the scale again this morning. Actually, I've weighed myself every morning after last Saturday's oh-so-interesting weigh-in at Weight Watchers, and every day the number has dropped.
At Weight Watchers, the exact scale weight I had was 183.8. This morning on my home scale, it was 174.4.
Now yes, these were two different scales. That said, my Sunday weight on my home scale was 182.somethingorother, so it's not as if the scales are that far off each other.
No one drops 10 lbs. of fat in a week. No. One. Especially no one at my size. But it does go to show how much water weight I was holding onto, thanks to my massive Dorito Fest last week.
It also shows that compliance with an eating plan tends to be super helpful with the scale, all other things being equal. Unfortunately, I'm quietly freaking out this morning because I have had such a good week, scale-wise and food-wise, and next Monday I start taking my Lexapro and I'm bloody terrified that will reverse my progress on the scale, or at least halt it.
It needs to happen, though. I'm in a good place at the moment -- literally at this exact moment in time, a condition that's subject to change without notice -- but I can feel the stupid clinical depression beast in the background. It's likely not helped by the fact that my ex-husband decided yesterday was just a fabulous day to call me after years of radio silence.
Of course he called the office phone, I'm assuming because he figured I wouldn't pick up on my cell if I saw who was calling. He's right, but not for the reason he thinks. I actually deleted his number from my phone last year, as I have no need to get in touch with him directly anymore (no minor children between us, all financial entanglements are resolved), so it would have shown up just as a random number from his state and I would have assumed it was another of those ridiculous spam calls and just let it go to voicemail.
At any rate, I answered, blah blah blah... it appears he wanted to just chat. Like, socially. All. My. Whats. Really, dude? Seriously? Our marriage was a nightmare (he's an alcoholic, abusive, and likely bipolar but never medicated), he behaved horribly during the divorce, he behaved horribly after the divorce, he paid a whopping ONE month of child support over the ten years he was ordered to pay it, he moved out of state and contacted our children via telephone literally twice... nope. I have no respect for a parent who can just ignore his or her children like that. The child support was annoying, but the part that hurt most was that he completely ignored our kids. He supported them in no way at all -- not emotionally, not psychologically, and obviously not financially. He had it within his power to do all three, but he'd rather play "woe is me" than be a parent.
Bite me, jerkface. Also, lose my numbers -- all of them. The only ones you need are your kids' cell phone numbers, and I made sure you had those because I wasn't going to be your excuse for not contacting your kids. Sorry, asshole, it's all on you.
Ahem.
So anyway, yes, obviously the beast is lurking close to the surface :) Moving right along, I think eating food from home rather than takeout/ drive through likely had to do with the near four pounds difference in scale weight from yesterday to today. I'm not sure what the scale will say at Weight Watchers on Saturday, but I'm eager to see! I just hope the nice ladies don't freak out if it's too much of a drop. I'm sure they know that the first week someone is deliberately eating at a deficit it can show a greater loss due to water weight and less food volume in the body, but I don't want anyone freaking out, LOL
I say that as if there's going to be an insane drop, but remembering back to my first week on NutriSystem over 10 years ago, ten pounds is about right for me for the first week when I'm this heavy.
Fingers crossed :)
At Weight Watchers, the exact scale weight I had was 183.8. This morning on my home scale, it was 174.4.
Now yes, these were two different scales. That said, my Sunday weight on my home scale was 182.somethingorother, so it's not as if the scales are that far off each other.
No one drops 10 lbs. of fat in a week. No. One. Especially no one at my size. But it does go to show how much water weight I was holding onto, thanks to my massive Dorito Fest last week.
It also shows that compliance with an eating plan tends to be super helpful with the scale, all other things being equal. Unfortunately, I'm quietly freaking out this morning because I have had such a good week, scale-wise and food-wise, and next Monday I start taking my Lexapro and I'm bloody terrified that will reverse my progress on the scale, or at least halt it.
It needs to happen, though. I'm in a good place at the moment -- literally at this exact moment in time, a condition that's subject to change without notice -- but I can feel the stupid clinical depression beast in the background. It's likely not helped by the fact that my ex-husband decided yesterday was just a fabulous day to call me after years of radio silence.
Of course he called the office phone, I'm assuming because he figured I wouldn't pick up on my cell if I saw who was calling. He's right, but not for the reason he thinks. I actually deleted his number from my phone last year, as I have no need to get in touch with him directly anymore (no minor children between us, all financial entanglements are resolved), so it would have shown up just as a random number from his state and I would have assumed it was another of those ridiculous spam calls and just let it go to voicemail.
At any rate, I answered, blah blah blah... it appears he wanted to just chat. Like, socially. All. My. Whats. Really, dude? Seriously? Our marriage was a nightmare (he's an alcoholic, abusive, and likely bipolar but never medicated), he behaved horribly during the divorce, he behaved horribly after the divorce, he paid a whopping ONE month of child support over the ten years he was ordered to pay it, he moved out of state and contacted our children via telephone literally twice... nope. I have no respect for a parent who can just ignore his or her children like that. The child support was annoying, but the part that hurt most was that he completely ignored our kids. He supported them in no way at all -- not emotionally, not psychologically, and obviously not financially. He had it within his power to do all three, but he'd rather play "woe is me" than be a parent.
Bite me, jerkface. Also, lose my numbers -- all of them. The only ones you need are your kids' cell phone numbers, and I made sure you had those because I wasn't going to be your excuse for not contacting your kids. Sorry, asshole, it's all on you.
Ahem.
So anyway, yes, obviously the beast is lurking close to the surface :) Moving right along, I think eating food from home rather than takeout/ drive through likely had to do with the near four pounds difference in scale weight from yesterday to today. I'm not sure what the scale will say at Weight Watchers on Saturday, but I'm eager to see! I just hope the nice ladies don't freak out if it's too much of a drop. I'm sure they know that the first week someone is deliberately eating at a deficit it can show a greater loss due to water weight and less food volume in the body, but I don't want anyone freaking out, LOL
I say that as if there's going to be an insane drop, but remembering back to my first week on NutriSystem over 10 years ago, ten pounds is about right for me for the first week when I'm this heavy.
Fingers crossed :)
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Dining In
Today I actually brought my food to work. I ate the same thing yesterday and Monday (Subway breakfast, Chipotle lunch, both scaled for my current weight goals), but honestly I'm tired of having to get out of my car every morning or drive to Chipotle every afternoon. Plus, outside of my petty time considerations, there's gas to consider as well as the cost. Eating out for breakfast and lunch on a daily basis costs around $15.00 for me, excluding the fuel expense. That's fine here and there (sometimes life gets hectic), but as an every day financial commitment it's not sustainable for my budget.
This morning it took me about an hour and forty minutes to get ready for work rather than my standard hour-ish, but considering I put two meals together during that extra forty minutes, I'll take it. For breakfast I consumed a whopping three SmartPoints, compared to Subway's 11. I used a La Tortilla low carb high fiber wrap for one point, a thin slice of Boar's Head picante provolone cheese for two points (it's just shy of half an ounce), and the remainder of the ingredients (two eggs, tomatoes, onion, etc.) are all zero point items. All in all, calories come out to a maximum of 350 which is also a break over the 405 from Subway. Lunch will be another La Tortilla wrap (1 SP, 50 calories), along with four ounces of Boar's Head Salsalito Turkey (0 SP, 120 calories), another 1/2 ounce of the picante provolone cheese (2 SP, 50 calories) with a smear of Gourmaise (2 SP, 50 calories) and more random vegetables (tomatoes, onions, etc.) for a total of right at 300 calories.
That makes my breakfast-and-lunch total calories 650, as opposed to the eating out variant which totals 920 calories. It's definitely easier to control intake when eating from home rather than eating out. That said, if I'm eating my restaurant meals during the workday, I know I simply stick to very low SmartPoint diners in the evening, like fish or lean poultry with vegetables. I usually have 4 SmartPoints left at dinner when I do my Subway/ Chipotle stuff, which would cover any oils for cooking/ dressing my food and then some.
I'm going to see how it goes. I don't mind taking the time to fix some food in the mornings, and I also don't mind spending less. Although Boar's Head meats and cheese are hardly cheap, the quality is good and it's still a considerably smaller expense than eating out.
In other news, I'm staring at my Lexapro prescription, worried about starting it. I even caught myself thinking, "I'm worried it will mess with my brain!"
Which... I'm clinically depressed. My brain actually needs to be messed with. I'm just scared of not being me anymore.
This morning it took me about an hour and forty minutes to get ready for work rather than my standard hour-ish, but considering I put two meals together during that extra forty minutes, I'll take it. For breakfast I consumed a whopping three SmartPoints, compared to Subway's 11. I used a La Tortilla low carb high fiber wrap for one point, a thin slice of Boar's Head picante provolone cheese for two points (it's just shy of half an ounce), and the remainder of the ingredients (two eggs, tomatoes, onion, etc.) are all zero point items. All in all, calories come out to a maximum of 350 which is also a break over the 405 from Subway. Lunch will be another La Tortilla wrap (1 SP, 50 calories), along with four ounces of Boar's Head Salsalito Turkey (0 SP, 120 calories), another 1/2 ounce of the picante provolone cheese (2 SP, 50 calories) with a smear of Gourmaise (2 SP, 50 calories) and more random vegetables (tomatoes, onions, etc.) for a total of right at 300 calories.
That makes my breakfast-and-lunch total calories 650, as opposed to the eating out variant which totals 920 calories. It's definitely easier to control intake when eating from home rather than eating out. That said, if I'm eating my restaurant meals during the workday, I know I simply stick to very low SmartPoint diners in the evening, like fish or lean poultry with vegetables. I usually have 4 SmartPoints left at dinner when I do my Subway/ Chipotle stuff, which would cover any oils for cooking/ dressing my food and then some.
I'm going to see how it goes. I don't mind taking the time to fix some food in the mornings, and I also don't mind spending less. Although Boar's Head meats and cheese are hardly cheap, the quality is good and it's still a considerably smaller expense than eating out.
In other news, I'm staring at my Lexapro prescription, worried about starting it. I even caught myself thinking, "I'm worried it will mess with my brain!"
Which... I'm clinically depressed. My brain actually needs to be messed with. I'm just scared of not being me anymore.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Going Out
Last night, after eating out all day, I had to go out in the evening due to various community ties and whatnot. I had four SmartPoints left, so I had a zero points dinner (turkey breast and broccoli), used my points on a single glass of wine, then drank water through the remainder of the event.
Considering the whole anti-depressant thing, a single glass of wine is likely all I need.
Anyway, it went well :) Granted I'm about to faceplant into my keyboard because the event wasn't over until midnight and, due to having to wash my hair, I didn't even make it to bed until 1:30.
Y'all, my alarm goes off at 4:30 AM. Let's just say there isn't enough caffeine in Colombia.
All that said, it'll do. I'm tired as blazes, but I've run on less sleep -- usually not at a hairsbreadth from the age of fifty, but I'll make it. Also, I got on my scale this morning and it said 177.8, which is far superior to the 183.8 it was at Saturday's weigh-in. Of course, the high weight was recorded on Weight Watchers' scale and not my scale at home, but even so it's good to see the numbers coming down even from what they were saying on my home scale on Sunday and Monday.
It's moving in the right direction... likely because I'm actually following the plan. We'll see how it goes with continued exposure to the Lexapro, because I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned.
Regardless, have a great day everyone! I'll be going to bed around 7:00 tonight :P
Considering the whole anti-depressant thing, a single glass of wine is likely all I need.
Anyway, it went well :) Granted I'm about to faceplant into my keyboard because the event wasn't over until midnight and, due to having to wash my hair, I didn't even make it to bed until 1:30.
Y'all, my alarm goes off at 4:30 AM. Let's just say there isn't enough caffeine in Colombia.
All that said, it'll do. I'm tired as blazes, but I've run on less sleep -- usually not at a hairsbreadth from the age of fifty, but I'll make it. Also, I got on my scale this morning and it said 177.8, which is far superior to the 183.8 it was at Saturday's weigh-in. Of course, the high weight was recorded on Weight Watchers' scale and not my scale at home, but even so it's good to see the numbers coming down even from what they were saying on my home scale on Sunday and Monday.
It's moving in the right direction... likely because I'm actually following the plan. We'll see how it goes with continued exposure to the Lexapro, because I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned.
Regardless, have a great day everyone! I'll be going to bed around 7:00 tonight :P
Monday, June 11, 2018
Eating Out
I eat out more than I would like to at this point. However, having done the math between a) taking time to prep my food for the week, and b) running out and grabbing something, option "B" has been taking the big win as of late.
In... what looks like about two weeks, actually, I'll start doing some basic food prep once more. This means making something for me to pack for breakfast rather than stop off for a to-go order, and also something for lunches. Or at least one of those things.
Today, though, it's All Takeout All the Time, and unless some weird energy surge hits tomorrow evening (I'm booked tonight until probably something awful like midnight), that will pretty much sum up my week. So! For breakfast, I stopped by Subway and got a Black Forest ham, egg, and cheese multigrain flatbread. I got egg white which drops the calories to 370 rather than 410, and I also got a bag of apple slices which pushes calories back up to 405. It's tasty, filling, and I have to admit that avoiding the saturated fat bomb that is a McDonald's hash brown is likely a step in the right direction.
Are there chemicals in it? Sure. Is it ideal? Not in a perfect world, nope. But it serves its purpose and provides, to my thinking, more real food than not.
Lunch today will be courtesy of my all-time favorite, Chipotle. I swear, if they served breakfast I'd be there by 5:00 AM just to ensure I was at the front of the line; but alas, they do not. Anyway, lunch today will be chicken, double fajita veg, double mild salsa, medium salsa, and guacamole. No rice, no beans, and the protein along with the massive amount of vegetables and the fat content from the guacamole makes it a meal that sticks with me for only about 500 calories.
Here's an interesting tidbit with SmartPoints vs. calories: The Subway breakfast is 11 SmartPoints (7 for the flatbread, 2 for the cheese, and 1 each for the egg white patty and the Black Forest Ham) and 405 calories, whereas the Chipotle bowl, although 515 calories, is only 8 SmartPoints (solely due to the guacamole). This is part of how Weight Watchers is encouraging the eating of more whole foods rather than processed.
Also, egg whites should never be a "patty". I know this. That said, in light of how insane my life is lately? Not caring either :) Compromise is a thing, even with nutrition. If I'm trying to eat so "perfectly" that I can't keep up with the rest of my life, there's no balance. Balance is key.
P.S. Somebody read my less-than-a-week-old blog? From Alaska, no less? Huh. Well, howdy there!
In... what looks like about two weeks, actually, I'll start doing some basic food prep once more. This means making something for me to pack for breakfast rather than stop off for a to-go order, and also something for lunches. Or at least one of those things.
Today, though, it's All Takeout All the Time, and unless some weird energy surge hits tomorrow evening (I'm booked tonight until probably something awful like midnight), that will pretty much sum up my week. So! For breakfast, I stopped by Subway and got a Black Forest ham, egg, and cheese multigrain flatbread. I got egg white which drops the calories to 370 rather than 410, and I also got a bag of apple slices which pushes calories back up to 405. It's tasty, filling, and I have to admit that avoiding the saturated fat bomb that is a McDonald's hash brown is likely a step in the right direction.
Are there chemicals in it? Sure. Is it ideal? Not in a perfect world, nope. But it serves its purpose and provides, to my thinking, more real food than not.
Lunch today will be courtesy of my all-time favorite, Chipotle. I swear, if they served breakfast I'd be there by 5:00 AM just to ensure I was at the front of the line; but alas, they do not. Anyway, lunch today will be chicken, double fajita veg, double mild salsa, medium salsa, and guacamole. No rice, no beans, and the protein along with the massive amount of vegetables and the fat content from the guacamole makes it a meal that sticks with me for only about 500 calories.
Here's an interesting tidbit with SmartPoints vs. calories: The Subway breakfast is 11 SmartPoints (7 for the flatbread, 2 for the cheese, and 1 each for the egg white patty and the Black Forest Ham) and 405 calories, whereas the Chipotle bowl, although 515 calories, is only 8 SmartPoints (solely due to the guacamole). This is part of how Weight Watchers is encouraging the eating of more whole foods rather than processed.
Also, egg whites should never be a "patty". I know this. That said, in light of how insane my life is lately? Not caring either :) Compromise is a thing, even with nutrition. If I'm trying to eat so "perfectly" that I can't keep up with the rest of my life, there's no balance. Balance is key.
P.S. Somebody read my less-than-a-week-old blog? From Alaska, no less? Huh. Well, howdy there!
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Food Today
With Weight Watchers SmartPoints Freestyle, many of the foods are zero points. Obviously this doesn't mean zero calories, but what it does is encourage me to eat these zero point foods rather than, say, a food of equivalent caloric value but with much less nutritional content (i.e., a banana vs. a 100-calorie bag of snack food, etc.)
I got up late today with precious little motivation to eat, well, anything. Finally though, I was hungry. And of course, I haven't been to the grocery store for a decent shopping trip lately because, well depressed. Fortunately I have a plethora of canned vegetables (beans of varying types, tomatoes, corn) in the pantry and eggs in the fridge, so I heated up two cans of tomatoes (one with jalapenos, one with oregano/ basil/ garlic seasoning) along with one can of rinsed garbanzo beans. Cooked that with a few more seasonings in a skillet until it was simmering, then cracked four eggs into it and made a variant of what I've seen called Eggs in Hell.
I then remembered I had some frozen riced cauliflower in the freezer, so I nuked that, divided it into two bowls, and then when the bean/ tomato/ egg mess was done, I divided it into the two bowls. One went into the refrigerator for tomorrow or later this week, the other I topped with half a Haas avocado.
Not bad for digging through what's in the pantry :) The whole thing (okay, half of it because I only ate half) was a whopping 4 SmartPoints. Calculating for calories, it was about 100 calories for the tomatoes, 250 for the garbanzo beans, 140 for the eggs, 140 for the avocado, and 60 for the cauliflower. That adds up to just under 700 calories, which is a pretty big punch for a mere 4 SmartPoints, but when you figure it pretty much was "brunch", i.e., for two meals, it worked out well.
That said, it's also a good reminder to me to not simply count SmartPoints. The benefit to the SmartPoints is it lets me eat a variety of nutritionally dense foods with no "penalty", with a set amount of foods with points values I can consume over the course of a week.
Weight Watchers isn't a cure-all, and it certainly is a business. But I'm finding it helpful to encourage me to make wiser choices with my food. Yes, I'm a grown-ass adult and intellectually I know these things... but it still helps.
I got up late today with precious little motivation to eat, well, anything. Finally though, I was hungry. And of course, I haven't been to the grocery store for a decent shopping trip lately because, well depressed. Fortunately I have a plethora of canned vegetables (beans of varying types, tomatoes, corn) in the pantry and eggs in the fridge, so I heated up two cans of tomatoes (one with jalapenos, one with oregano/ basil/ garlic seasoning) along with one can of rinsed garbanzo beans. Cooked that with a few more seasonings in a skillet until it was simmering, then cracked four eggs into it and made a variant of what I've seen called Eggs in Hell.
I then remembered I had some frozen riced cauliflower in the freezer, so I nuked that, divided it into two bowls, and then when the bean/ tomato/ egg mess was done, I divided it into the two bowls. One went into the refrigerator for tomorrow or later this week, the other I topped with half a Haas avocado.
Not bad for digging through what's in the pantry :) The whole thing (okay, half of it because I only ate half) was a whopping 4 SmartPoints. Calculating for calories, it was about 100 calories for the tomatoes, 250 for the garbanzo beans, 140 for the eggs, 140 for the avocado, and 60 for the cauliflower. That adds up to just under 700 calories, which is a pretty big punch for a mere 4 SmartPoints, but when you figure it pretty much was "brunch", i.e., for two meals, it worked out well.
That said, it's also a good reminder to me to not simply count SmartPoints. The benefit to the SmartPoints is it lets me eat a variety of nutritionally dense foods with no "penalty", with a set amount of foods with points values I can consume over the course of a week.
Weight Watchers isn't a cure-all, and it certainly is a business. But I'm finding it helpful to encourage me to make wiser choices with my food. Yes, I'm a grown-ass adult and intellectually I know these things... but it still helps.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
What?
Well, I had a heck of a wake-up call when I headed into my first Weight Watchers meeting in years today... 184 pounds.
Uhm, ouch.
Before anyone asks, yes I know how weight loss works. I know that if your caloric intake exceeds your energy expenditure, the pounds pile on. And anyone who wants to say I'm weak, well, have at it. It's not as if I can stop you. And frankly, you can bite me if you want to get all judgmental on my ass... not that there isn't room, apparently.
In addition to having put on a crapload of weight (fifty pounds from my all-time low, forty pounds from my current long-term goal), I've recently been diagnosed with clinical depression. That's a thrill in and of itself (not), since it requires that I start anti-depressants for medication and one common side effect of anti-depressants happens to be... you guessed it, weight gain. Obviously, this is a side effect I don't exactly need, especially at this moment.
Thankfully, the relationship between anti-depressants and weight gain isn't as clear-cut as our many visits to Dr. Google might have one believe, so I have hope this whole "let's try eating reasonable foods rather than faceplanting into a bag of Doritos" method turns out to be helpful. Let the battle of Weight Watchers vs. Lexapro commence.
Next weigh-in will be coming to you in a week, and I'll post sooner if I have anything more to add.
Before anyone asks, yes I know how weight loss works. I know that if your caloric intake exceeds your energy expenditure, the pounds pile on. And anyone who wants to say I'm weak, well, have at it. It's not as if I can stop you. And frankly, you can bite me if you want to get all judgmental on my ass... not that there isn't room, apparently.
In addition to having put on a crapload of weight (fifty pounds from my all-time low, forty pounds from my current long-term goal), I've recently been diagnosed with clinical depression. That's a thrill in and of itself (not), since it requires that I start anti-depressants for medication and one common side effect of anti-depressants happens to be... you guessed it, weight gain. Obviously, this is a side effect I don't exactly need, especially at this moment.
Thankfully, the relationship between anti-depressants and weight gain isn't as clear-cut as our many visits to Dr. Google might have one believe, so I have hope this whole "let's try eating reasonable foods rather than faceplanting into a bag of Doritos" method turns out to be helpful. Let the battle of Weight Watchers vs. Lexapro commence.
Next weigh-in will be coming to you in a week, and I'll post sooner if I have anything more to add.
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