1st Weight Watchers Update this time around

Well, I finally feel like I've dug out from underneath all of the stress the last year and I'm ready to take control of my life again. With that, and central goes my weight. I've been making bad choices and blaming them on stress, but I'm owning up to the fact that I've gained 20 pounds or so in the last year and it's time to get rid of it. I'd really love to be able to breathe in my clothes again, especially my civil war corset. :)

And with that, Mark and I joined Weight Watchers again. I'd made lifetime last summer but I quit going, I quit being accountable, and I quit watching what I was eating nor even having a clue what went into what I was eating. When I joined again yesterday my weight in jeans and a tee shirt and socks was 163. I'm planning on weekly blog entries to update my progress with this until I get to my goal weight again of 145 or lower. I hope that will help me remain accountable to myself and to my clothes as we go into the fattening "grandchild Hawaiian visit - Thanksgiving - Christmas - putting on weight for the winter" season.

I do have a story to relate on how easy it is to lose sight of what a person is eating. My points (weight watchers assigns points to all foods depending on the calories, fiber, and fat content of them...very sensible program!) that I aim at per day are 20. I can use 35 extra per week, but I know from the past that if I use too many of them, I won't lose weight so I try to stick to those 20 per day. Well, my favorite place for lunch lately has been Q'doba. It's Mexican fast food that tastes better than most upscale Mex resteraunts. They're building one right by me. My favorite dish is called "Mexican Gumbo" and I went on the web to find the nutritional information for the way I've been ordering it with rice, black beans, sour cream (lite), and cheese and chicken and it amounts to a whopping 18 points per bowl! Add to that the Raspberry tea that I love that is full sugar at 3 points per 8 ounces (a medium drink is about 20 ounces, I'll let you do that math!) and I'm way over my daily points. Add to that the 2510 mg of sodium and then tell me why I've gained back 20 pounds of the weight I'd lost. Geesh.

Here's also what I learned, just in case I just HAVE to have my Q'doba fix, because I know if I tell myself I can't have it, I'll be bellying up to the bar for a double. Here are options for my mexican gumbo that I love:
18 points for cheese, sour cream, chicken, pico, rice, and black beans.
16 points for sour cream, chicken, pico, rice and black beans (no cheese).
14 points for chicken, pico, rice and black beans (no cheese nor sour cream).
12 points for sour cream, chicken, pico, rice (no cheese no beans).
10 points for sour cream, chicken, pico, beans (no cheese no rice).
SO, I can have a nice lunch at Q'doba for 10 points if I'm willing to watch what I eat for breakfast and supper.

Of course, a better option is to take half of it home and have a large green salad with spray salad dressing that will be less points. I'm learning. Hopefully the amnesia won't set in again, it's too darn hard to lose again. :(

Have a great week, you'all...I'm working my buns off this week, I'll update next weekend. :)

Battle of Hanover 2007

What a busy weekend after several busy weeks! I've been flying a really full schedule of over twice the hours I usually fly per month, and we've had a reenactment event already last week, plus I am taking a class this weekend on Evening bodices at Genteel Arts in Gettysburg. I left class early and dressed in a period day dress to come to the Battle of Hanover where Mark and Jon had been all day. There was a camp dance planned and several couples that I really enjoy dancing with were going to be there, so I brought my dance dress and changed for the camp dance.
We got several people from our unit to dance that had never tried before, it was really fun. It was a different dance caller than we have at our monthly dances at Fairfield, but the dances are pretty much the same so we were able to help the new folks. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and we hope we've interested new dancers for the dances in Fairfield during the fall and spring.
Jon had gone to do an errand with the Artillery Commander, and while he was gone, some of the Artillery members had plans for him to go to the dance too. Nina decided that he would look good in Blue Eye Shadow and her dress. Needless to say, the Artillery group took more pictures of him getting dressed that I can't show here. But I do have them for blackmail later! lol
Little did Mark and I know as we were enjoying the dance what was going on back at camp. Eventually this new dance partner appeared at the camp dance. My friends that hadn't met him figured that he had lost some kind of bet, but he was actually just being good natured in going along with this. Since some of the women that are regular dancers also take sewing classes in Gettysburg, there was a bit of discussion about my son/daughter Sunday morning in the class I was attending.
Here we are in the dance tent with Colleen who also was a new dancer that night. It wasn't that crowded in the tent so we had room for 2 lines for the Reel which is one of my very favorite dances. Jon participated in the Virginia Reel before he had to go change out of the dress for the artillery demonstration.We had so much fun doing the Virginia Reel with everyone, I think I have Jon talked into going to the Fairfield dances with us in the future. I'm working on a cotton camp dance dress that will be off the shoulders and short sleeve for coolness and comfort, and so that I won't have to wear a silk dress outdoors. Anything goes for dances from day dresses to fancy ball gowns, that's part of the fun of doing Civil War dancing.
Of course, our millitary commander, Dan, was so proud of this member of the unit he had to pose and have his picture taken with Jon. Jon's last event before he went into the Military last year was Hanover, so this is always going to be a special event for him and us.