Many New Things

I have four new topics that I'd like to pursue, but I don't want to write about four things on the same day. It would be too much for me to write or you to read. I will mention the four topics, so I don't leave you wondering all day what they were, but I'm not going to go into any details now. OK, here are my four burning topics:
1. picking up my compression sleeve with some fear of developing lymphedema,
2. being a cancer survivor,
3. becoming Younger Next Year, and
4. joining Weight Watchers online.

I will start at the bottom. As you know, my weight has been fluctuating around the 250 mark for months and months, ever since I have been back in Florida. I guess it means I've learned to maintain my weight, which I never was able to do before, but this is NOT the weight I would like to maintain! So, yesterday I saw another of the many ads for Weight Watchers Online. I looked into it, decided it wasn't that expensive, and signed up. I thought that it might be just the jolt I needed to get me back on track. I also liked the idea that there is a WW App for my phone to help me stay on track in restaurants, a real pitfall for me. Once I did it, I spent hours trying to learn to use the program.

I was very successful going to Weight Watchers two times in the past, once in 1984 ( going from 281 down to 200) and again in 1989 (going down from 275 to 199) . Both times, I regained the large amount weight I lost, plus more, when I stopped going. The first time I stopped going because I was pregnant with Evey. The second time I stopped going after the freak accident in the mall when the wall collapsed on me. I also joined it about seven other times when I just "pretended" to be doing it and finally quit when I realized I was spending money to show how much I gained each week! If I find that I like this program but miss the meetings, there is a weekly meeting right here in Solivita one morning a week.

Of course, the program has changed a lot over the years. I never used the point system. It's weird not to think about calories and carbs. I can't get Mark interested in any of their recipes because they never give any nutritional breakdowns for calories, carbs, fiber, etc. They only tell the points. I might write them asking for the nutritional information. I do like the computer app that allows me to put in all the nutritional information and it will tell me the points. This means I can keep using the Hungry Girl recipes and translate them into points.

I'm also SHOCKED that FRUITS are FREE!! Yes, fruits have ZERO points. How can that be? I could eat hundreds of calories every day in fruit. Couldn't you? How can they not count? Well, I'll see if that really works. I ate a banana and an orange yesterday for no points. I am committed to three months, and then I can cancel. I should know if I like it or not by then.

So the program asks for your info like height, weight, age, etc. then it tells you how many points you can eat each day plus an extra weekly amount of points that can be used anytime in the week. My daily points are 31 and my weekly extras are 49. Yesterday, I ate 40 points, so my weekly allotment now has 40 left in it. I also counted up my calories, including the fruit, and it came to 1675, which I would normally consider to be a reasonable day.

This is going to be a challenging week to stay on points because of our trip to Maryland. I used the restaurant app to try to figure out how much my fish tacos, brown rice, and black bean dinner at the Grille cost me. It's still hard to do restaurants. At least we said, NO BREAD!! I also did not order my own dessert, but I ate one-third of Mark's sugar free chocolate mousse cake. We have had that dessert many times because it is the BEST cake anywhere with or without sugar. If you come to visit, you MUST try it!! You will not know it is sugar free by taste, only because I told you!

Anyway, I am down another pound this morning, 247.1. I walked 34 minutes yesterday again at the indoor track. I shaved two minutes off my time for the mile and a half over yesterday, then I walked four more times around the track. That was good exercise! Today we will do our weights and walk again. I'm also picking up that compression sleeve.

Tomorrow I'll talk about getting the sleeve and why I'm worrying about lymphedema now. It's also Cinco de Mayo tomorrow. We're spending it in Mexico! Ha ha! The Mexican pavilion at Epcot, but I bet you knew that's what I meant! Sooner or later I'll write about being a survivor and some news I've heard recently as well as the Younger Next Year program here at Solivita.

Have a great day!!