Me Minus 20

I stepped on the scale at Weight Watchers this week. I'm down 20.2 pounds! I think that's worth celebrating. Noticeable changes include:

• My face looks a little thinner in pictures. (Unfortunately, the double chin is still there.)
• My jeans are sagging. The crotch hangs lower, allowing my thighs to rub together. This has caused a bit of a rash that my husband calls "Chub Rub." I had to buy a belt.
• My work shirts are more comfortable.
• I can take off my wedding ring.

And the numbers are:

Starting Weight: 214
Current Weight: 194

Hubby and I took the dog to St. Augustine today. (Trying to get those steps in!) Here's a picture of me, Jedi and a random pirate. → I still don't like the way I look in pictures. But . . .

Baby steps, Kelley. Baby steps.

Vacation Challenges

Times Square!

I just got back from an awesome vacation. Three friends and I went to New York City for the Westminster Dog Show. This was one of my bucket list items and I saved for two years to go.

NYC was overwhelming. We were there 5 days/4 nights and barely scratched the surface. In addition to a couple days of dog shows, we saw Wicked on Broadway, a comedy show in a dive club, ate dim sum in Chinatown, rode the subway, met a rude cab driver, visited the 9/11 Memorial, got a hot dog from a street vendor in Central Park and so much more. Our hotel was in Times Square and it's true that the city never sleeps. I didn't sleep either. I averaged 4.5 hours a night and tried to get in a 20 minute nap daily. I'm still catching up!

One of many!

As much fun as the trip was, there were a few challenges. Food was very expensive. There is nothing low fat in NYC. Portions are larger than I'm used to, and I didn't track anything in my Weight Watchers app. I shared food when I could, but I still ate like crazy (hot dogs, bagels, pizza, cheese cake and the world's best Rueben sandwich top the list).

Surprisingly, I gained less than half a pound. My Weight Watchers leader gave me kudos. My Fitbit said I walked 31.37 miles in 5 days, so I think that helped.

Next time I go to NYC (and yes, there will be a next time!) I will make sure to see the Statue of Liberty, the Natural History Museum and the Bronx Zoo. And I will definitely bring a good pair of walking shoes!

Bread

Remember my melt down in the bread aisle at Walmart? (My husband does!) I wish I could say I've gotten over that. I haven't. Bread still gives me problems. For the past few months I've been sticking with Arnold Sandwich Thins. They come in different varieties (the honey wheat is my favorite).

They're 3 WW points each and a decent source of carbs. However, I'm looking for something new. Hubby braved the bread aisle with me last week and he found a couple things worth sharing.

Ole Mexican Foods Xtreme Wellness tortillas are the bomb. These are a good size and quite flavorful. AND they're only 1 WW point each. I made burritos with extra lean ground beef, fat free refried beans, salsa, fat free cheese and light sour cream. They were sooo good and fit into my healthy eating plan. Very encouraging.

Here's another 1 WW point surprise, Joseph's Flax Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Flour Pita Bread. It doesn't exactly roll of the tongue, but it does make the taste buds happy. I like to stuff them with oven-roasted turkey, field greens, tomatoes, purple onions and fat free ranch dressing, Yummy!

So I can walk down the bread aisle a little easier now. And I can eat a sandwich or make a quesadilla without freaking out. I can be healthy and still eat like a "normal" person.

I Did It!

Saturday was the Chariots of Fur 5K. I walked the whole 3.1 miles.

In the cold.

In the sand.

In an hour.

And yes, I got a freakin medal! See? →

Mark that one off the bucket list.

I'm not nearly as sore as I thought I'd be. The legs are fine. It's my lower back that aches.

I'm so proud of myself that I'm going to sign up for another 5K next month. Let's see if I can do the next one in under an hour.