"Never put food in your mouth with food in your mouth!"

I decided today, while in my Weight Watchers meeting, that I should write on here weekly at least.

I am enjoying my meetings here. Seriously, the leader makes a big difference and I have been lucky to have great leaders wherever I have been. The leader here always does parody songs. This week it was a parody of "Frère Jacques". You know the one: "Are you sleeping, are you sleeping? Brother Jack, Brother Jack?" Anyway, she came down the middle isle today singing: "Are you hungry, are you hungry?" And I piped in with "Of course I am, Of course I am." Because, seriously, this girl is always hungry. Food addict, I am!

Basically, we discussed hunger and how we know when we are truly hungry. This really is tricky for lots of people, because we are accustumed to eating ALL. THE. TIME. So we never even have the chance to be hungry. I remember being in tears over some eggs I was frying back when I first started my weight loss journey because it was the first time I actually remembered feeling hungry. I kept saying: "Oh, this is what it is like to be hungry. I feel bad for starving people!" Quite a perspective isn't it? I have learned to listen to my body signals(even if I don't always listen to them!) and feel like I have a better manage on when I am truly hungry and also when I am truly full.

Here are some tips fro me, Little Old Alice, who is still learning lots about herself. If you think you are hungry, take a moment and analyze. Are you willing to eat carrots rather than the potato chips? If you are truly hungry, you will want to carrots. Also, slow down when you are eating. I noticed that my body takes a bit to communicate that it is full and I am often eating really fast. If you eat too fast, your body goes from being hungry to holy cow being majorly full! Listen and be aware of what your body is communicating to you.

So there are your tips of the week that came to mind as I was at my meeting.

I am traveling to Chicago this weekend for a few day visit to the city. I will be seeing two pro baseball games in two days. I will be in heaven, but I am still having a bit of anxiety about food. I know I will be tempted to eat too much. I better pack my running shoes and some healthy snacks! Life is always a challenge when you are trying to be in control of your weight. What a great journey! Cheers!

Fun Quotes and a Summer Hello!

It's been a long time since I posted on here so I thought I would write a little something-something. (I am planning a ten steps to being successful at weight loss, so stay tuned for those posts!)

Here is a favorite quote from my Weight Watchers meeting today: "If you bite it, write it. If you snack it, track it. If you drink it, ink it. If you put it in your smacker, put it in your tracker."

Really, writing down everything I eat makes me accountable and helps me to know what I can eat to maintain my weight and what I cannot eat to maintain my weight.

I am a little stressed about this weekend because it will be a party for my parents 45th wedding anniversary. As with any parties, there will be lots of eating. I may actually let loose a little bit. It is okay to do that sometimes, but I do also have to remember that letting loose all the time is what got me 60 pounds overweight!

I had a really nice complement from my dad today. He said to my brother: "Don't you think Alice looks a little gaunt?" In dad language that means I am looking quite skinny. My brother and sister-in-law saw me for the first time in 2 years and also said very nice things to me. It is times like that that make me remember where I have come from and it also reminds me that I do need to keep working at maintaining because it is totally worth it. Skinny does really feel better than anything tastes...although s'mores are really doing it for me lately. :)