Expectations: Met

Last week started off super strong on the nutrition front, and then it kind of tanked.

This may fall under the realm of TMI, but if you're a long-time reader of my writing, you know that we're past that point. I mean, remember these posts?

If you didn't click on that link yet, go ahead and do so now: you will see that nearly five years ago, I opted for an IUD. As a result, I haven't had a "real" period since, and it's been glorious. However, likely because my body is realizing that this device's time is nearing its end, the ol' monthly visitor has been slowly but surely making a reappearance -- and has been bringing all her baggage right along with her.

Cut to this weekend: all I wanted was pizza and French silk pie.

Pizza, I can understand: it's seriously one of my all-time favorite foods, and prior to Weight Watchers, I bet we ate it once a week (or at least once every two weeks). I haven't had pizza since prior to Thanksgiving, and I was craving it something fierce.

French silk pie, though? I don't know where the heck that came from. Sure, I like pie, and yeah, I like chocolate, and I suppose French silk used to be my favorite (like, years ago). But I haven't had a craving for pie ever, nor have I even eaten French silk pie in probably ten years.

Nom Nom Nom

Cravings are weird, y'all, and they're something I haven't missed in the last five years.

The intense desire for pie started on Thursday or Friday, and I kind of brushed it away: I did not need pie. By the time Saturday rolled around, though, and the craving hadn't dissipated, I acquiesced -- and picked up a frozen pie on my weekly grocery run.

So for dinner on Saturday? We had pizza, French silk pie, and -- wait for it -- salad. I mean, we couldn't be totally unhealthy, right?

I also had two pieces of pie yesterday: one for breakfast and one for after-dinner dessert. And yep, I finished off one slice this morning. (And now the whole thing is gone, THANK GOD.)

So needless to say, I gained weight this week.

Even though this was a direct quote out of my mouth a few hours ago -- "I ate the last piece of pie and now hate myself" -- I'm actually okay with it.

I know that a few factors contributed to the weight gain: the aforementioned nutrition, a few days of not getting enough water (and too much sodium), and missing a day of working out. (I know realistically that one day of missing a workout isn't going to kill me, but...I still wish I would have been able to make it happen.)

I'm trying hard to be optimistic about this week, but there's a lot of lack-of-routine happening: we had a snow day today, and tomorrow and Wednesday are already cancelled due to crazy-low temperatures. And honestly, I will not be super surprised if we don't have school on Thursday either. Time will tell.

I thrive on routine, which is why weekends are kind of hard for me on the nutrition front -- which is also why I really wish I would've chosen any day but Monday to weigh in. :) So, the fact that we have what is effectively a five-day weekend right now is tough.

Today could have been better on the nutrition front (hello, pie), but I'm going to refocus and start anew tomorrow morning. Although, all I want to do during Polar Vortex 2019 is drink wine and eat alllllll the carbs.

Accurate photo of me preparing for hibernation.

Stay tuned, y'all! And stay warm! :)

Living

A few days ago, I was reading something -- likely via Instagram, Facebook, or a blog -- and it really stuck with me. Essentially, the author was talking about the tremendous success she had had over the past year regarding healthy eating and that she wasn't going to let the three pounds that she'd gained over the holidays negatively affect her; after all, she wasn't dieting, she was living. 

This is so, so true and, as I mentioned, has really stuck with me over the past few days.

As I wrote in my previous post, I was unsure how the past week would go regarding Weight Watchers, as I had an eventful day full of festive food on Wednesday, December 19th, and then Jesus and I headed out of town for the weekend. 

When we got back to town, I weighed myself, and lo and behold, I was pleasantly surprised:

If you're following along, this makes for a total of 10.2 pounds in four weeks (and one day).

Now, I have to say that I am confident that Monday's weigh-in is not going to show a decrease. After all, I have been living.

When we got back to Minnesota, we celebrated Christmas with Jesus's family on Tuesday, and then on Friday we had brunch at a friend's house as well as drinks with friends (at a brewery -- so no low-calorie options) in the evening. And, I will say that I also ate my weight in gingerbread cookies, way too much macaroni and cheese, and likely several other things that I have since forgotten -- and I didn't track any of it.

I took a break from Weight Watchers for about a week.

Honestly, though, I think that's a good thing for me. When I have focused so heavily on nutrition in the past, I have become really, really obsessed with it, and truthfully, it has been quite disordered. So for me, taking a brief respite from Weight Watchers and not feeling guilty about it is such a huge step in the right direction.

(I will not, however, be taking frequent breaks; after all, I have goals to reach. But, I think it's super important to remember that living -- and enjoying all of the good food and festive celebrations that come with it -- is a necessity, too.)

I mean, just look at these faces:

With my love -- at our tasting event.

My newest nephew, Andrew Benjamin.

My first nephew, Brody James. 

My middle nephew, Sawyer Drake.

This is why living is important.

Merry everything, friends!