Eating at a Chinese Buffet

I went to a Chinese Buffet tonight!! I'm pretty sure this is the first time since joining WW that I dined at a buffet. I ADORE Chinese food...it is my choice of food whenever my hubby and I go out to eat. Thankfully he doesn't mind Chinese.

I felt like a contestant on Biggest Loser when they have a challenge, like having to eat out all their meals every day for a week. When I have gone to a Chinese buffet pre WW I loaded up on stuff like fried egg rolls, fried chicken, fried biscuits, and all the good food like sesame chicken or orange chicken and dumplings....lots of dumplings...yum

But not tonight....I had to do good, especially since I blew through my points yesterday.

It was probably good that the food selection looked "sad". Very dry and most of the food wasn't even warm. I thought I'd try the sweet and sour soup, which I've never eaten before and the lady next to me in line was telling me how good it was but as I was standing there I smelled a most disgusting smell...like a combo of rotten food and socks. I didn't know where the smell came from but when I went to eat a spoonful of the soup I found out....blech!!! It tasted like it smelled. Awful!! It was so bad it about spoiled my eating of anything else. Thankfully I had some wonton soup and that tasted good and took the yucky taste out of my mouth.

I sit here recalling the less than pleasant experience of dining at this establishment and my stomach is feeling a bit queasy....hope it's not because of the food. The best part of the meal was sitting across from my husband. One thing I can guarantee it that it's the last time we will be going to this particular restaurant.

Oh yeah....I stayed within my daily points. I had 1/2 c.steamed rice, 2 non fried chicken on a stick, broccoli, 1/2 serving of baked fish, 1/2 c. of wonton soup and two cookies. I also had a bite out of two different egg rolls but I didn't like either one so I didn't eat any more.

We are planning on going out to a different Chinese Buffet for Christmas Eve but somehow I don't think it will be as easy....cause the food is much, much better. But at least I have an idea now of how to tackle that when it comes.

***added the next day-
just in case you are concerned...I did not get food poisoning...I think just remembering is what made me queasy...:-)****

A Lesson Learned

If last night is any indication.....this week is going to be tough.

We had "home group" last night. We meet once a month at a friend's house from church and they ALWAYS provide fried chicken while the rest of us bring a side and/or a dessert. I make allowances for one piece of fried chicken because I love it and I know the point value and can work around it and it's only once a month.

I did good in bringing a salad for a side dish. But I did horrible in bringing an apple cake as a dessert. I had bought some Macintosh apples a week ago but didn't know they were soft apples until I bit into one. I like my apples crisp, crisp, crisp. Well, I didn't want my apples to go bad and I didn't want to throw them out so I thought..."I'll make an apple cake." I've made it before and it's very yummy.

So, I make the cake and then I sit down to figure out the points. OH MY!!!

I piece [about 2x2] was 7 points.... Good thing I made a salad too. I figured I'd eat my chicken and salad and have a piece of cake. My points we going to be higher than usual for dinner but not too bad.

My plans did not turn out the way I thought....

I've traced my evening and have decided that this is where they "went bad". I ate lunch at 1 p.m. but we didn't eat dinner till 6:30. I was hungry when we left the house and had planned on eating some carrots to tide me over, but in our rush out of the house I forgot them and the caramel topping for the cake. [thank goodness my son drives and was willing to bring the topping to us...it "makes" the cake] So, by the time we ate I was very hungry. Too hungry if you know what I mean. I was starting to show signs of low blood sugar and that's not good for one trying to control what she is eating because when low blood sugar hits I could eat a house.

As I went to go get my food I realized they did not have the fried chicken I knew the points of....they instead had bought fried chicken tenders. Hmmmmm....how many points are in one? In my head I figured two tenders probably equaled one fried chicken breast. WRONG!!!

I made a salad, had my two chicken tenders and about 1/4 c. of mashed potato's and decided that I'd "splurge" on a roll. I don't mind using up some of my weekly points. After I finished eating I was still hungry....like seriously still hungry...so I went back and got one more tender and some cake. But instead of one piece of cake, cause they were so small and I was hungry, I decided I'd "splurge" on two. It's the beginning of the week for me so I knew I had weekly points I could use.

Well I am happy to say that after all that I felt satisfied and my low blood sugar symptoms had diminished. And the food was very good.

Then I went home to track my points....and I was SHOCKED!!!!!

My dinner had more points than what I ate for lunch and dinner on Thanksgiving combined. WHAT!!!!! How can that be??? Apparently each chicken tender was 7 points....times that by 3 and it came out to 20 points.....[ww's math] Will I be eating tenders again? I don't think so.... I had figured they were around 4 or 5 points because they were not that big....whatever....

Of course I had splurged on the roll and extra cake so add on another 18 points.....4 for the roll and 14 for the cake.

Lessons learned....

• next month I will go better prepared
• I will grill a chicken breast to take with me just in case they don't have my fried chicken breast.
• I will take a side of veggies worth 0 points that I like to eat.
• I will NOT make an apple cake...or I will look at trying to make it lower points.
• I will eat a snack between lunch and dinner so I won't be so hungry

It's a good thing that each day starts anew.....I still have a birthday breakfast and lunch for a friend to get through this week but I am going to combat that with getting more exercise and building up my activity points....cause I only have 12 weekly points left.....[sigh]

My Thanksgiving Strategies

Wow!!! 2 posts in one day....how unusual. But since I didn't blog about Thanksgiving I thought I would jot down what helped me make it through Thanksgiving without gaining weight.

Besides gearing myself up mentally, my "best friend" was the measuring cup.


We were only going to have one Thanksgiving meal and since I was cooking it I wasn't too concerned...and then we were invited to my oldest daughter's grandparents family get together. It was pot luck style and I wish I would have taken a picture of the dessert table because it was loaded down with goodness. Pumpkin pies, chocolate meringue pie, apple caramel pie, a variety of cheesecakes and a pumpkin roll.

I used one of the strategies mentioned at our last WW meeting. If you are going to eat/indulge then do it with foods you don't usually eat or make. That's what I did at the afternoon meal at the grandparents. And of the food I took I only took enough for a bite or two and by the time I was finished I was satisfied.

Later that night at my house we had our big meal. I had gotten on etools and recorded my points before I ever ate them. When the time came I waited till everyone got their food and then I pulled out a 1/4 measuring cup and went around to all the dishes and only served myself what would fit in the cup. At first I thought it wouldn't be enough but considering we had 5 or 6 side dishes it all added up to enough. A fourth of a cup of potatoes by themselves would have been a joke but sitting next to stuffing and sweet potatoes and green beans and corn....it was plenty.

I liked that I waited till the end of the line because there was no one asking me why I was using a measuring cup...or making comments about how that wasn't very much...it's nice to just go about my business without the questions sometimes.

The best part of the day...I never once felt deprived. I ate whatever looked appealing but I ate it in a smaller quantity.

I even took this approach at the dessert table. At the grandparents I didn't even bother with a piece of Pumpkin pie since I was serving that at our meal later that night. I perused the selections and which ever dessert caught my fancy I just took a bite size piece....just enough to get a taste. And it was enough.

Some Patterns Aren't Forever

I have been weighing in each Saturday since July 25th and I noticed a pattern. About every 5th week I don't lose weight. I usually have a very small gain of .2 or .4.

But NOT this week....this week I expected to "maintain" since it's my 5th week and it was Thanksgiving. However, I broke my pattern....I did "maintain" but I had a -.2 loss....

When one loses or gains only .2 of a pound you can see why I call it a maintain, especially since it usually doesn't make the whole number change. I happen to like having a maintain with a negative number much better than one with a positive number.

Curves in the journey

Originally we were only going to have one Thanksgiving meal but my oldest daughter's grandparents invited us over and since we won't be eating our meal till late we figured we'd pop in since we haven't seen them in a few months.

One Thanksgiving meal was something I could handle but two.....eeekkk!!

And on top of dealing with tomorrow... today was a challenge. Originally I was going to stay at home and do some cleaning and baking. But a friend was celebrating her son's birthday and since her husband was out of town she asked me to help. So, being the good friend I am...I said yes. The only problem is that we were taking the boys to....

Amazing Jakes....along with being a fun place to play it has a buffet. And there aren't a lot of good choices. We were there for 5 hours...I wish I would have been more prepared but I wasn't. Let's just say it's a good thing I have weekly points. I am trying to save them for tomorrow but used up a few today.

Looking at the buffet and seeing how many points I used for such a small amount of food was another reminder of how my eating is changing. I ate a salad and two slices of pizza, choosing the smallest slice available. I had two small oatmeal cookies with about 1/4 cup of soft serve ice cream. If I would have left that's all I would have eaten, but we stayed for 5 hours and since we ate the first hour by the 5th hour everyone including myself was hungry. I ate two more small slices of pizza and two more small oatmeal cookies. I used 27 points...and I didn't really eat a lot, at least in comparison to what I would have eaten pre WW. I can't even begin to imagine how many points I would have eaten in this 5 hour period in the past. And let's not forget the drinks. I do know that I would have drank coke and many refills, but this time around I drank water or unsweetened tea with sugar free lemonade. That save me points.

I came home tonight and around 9 I had a strong urge to go walk. Thankfully my 18 yr. old son agreed to go with me since it was dark and we live on a road with not much light. I only walked a mile but we walked at a quick pace and I feel so much better getting that little bit of exercise.

So, even though my day didn't go as I originally planned...and I ate a lot of points at lunch...I enjoyed playing with my boys and spending time with my friend.

I keep reminding myself....this is a journey I am on and there will be many curves in the road but I am learning how to safely make it around the curves and while some curves may slow me down they won't stop me from reaching my destination.

Thanksgiving Potluck.

Our church had their Thanksgiving potluck this past Sunday. Potlucks are not the best place to be when one is wanting to lose weight.

But I preplanned this event which is something I NEVER would have done in the past. I was in charge of cooking two of the turkeys so I was able to weigh out my portion of meat. I also cooked up some green beans because I love green beans and they have no points.

This would allow me to indulge a little in some of the good stuff.

I was in charge of the potluck so I was busy from the moment I got to church until we left. I did get a little reprieve when I sat down and listened to the message. Otherwise I was on my feet and moving, which was good because it kept me from wanting to eat.

After we got the tables set and the food out I went ahead and made my plate. Besides the green beans and turkey [2 oz] I added a small amount of corn casserole and a bite size amount of sweet potatoes.

Once everyone had gotten their food I proceeded to sit down across from a couple to eat my food. The husband said..."you should have made a plate." My reply..."I did." He then says..."you should have made your plate before everyone went through the line." My reply..."I did" I know he was looking at my food and feeling sorry for me...lol!!! But I was perfectly content with what I had. I then told him that I was willing to eat less so that I could indulge in some of the desserts which seemed to make him feel better. I didn't mention points or that I am working at losing weight and adopting a healthier way of eating. And I don't think it would have mattered because at special holidays like this most people expect you to over indulge in the goodness.

I must say that it would have been easy to do and I did see many doing just that...over indulging. But I am not the same person I was and I was actually repulsed a little to see some of the over indulgence of others, knowing that in meals past I was that person.

My indulgence was the desert table. But even there I made conscious choices. I wanted some pumpkin pie and pumpkin pie is what I got....but only a sliver...just enough to enjoy but not so big that I would regret the points used on it. The lady across from me was commenting on the cheesecake so I went and tried some...about a 1x1 square...just enough to get a taste.

After everything was cleaned and we were leaving I was completely satisfied with my choices and amounts. I didn't leave stuffed and I didn't leave hungry. I left knowing that I made wise choices and that it is possible to go to a potluck, enjoy the company and enjoy the food without over indulging.

Feelings are not facts

Today was weigh in day and I really didn't want to go. I still haven't gotten a swimsuit so I haven't been getting the exercise lately that I normally get. I have gotten out and did some walking but in comparison to what I have been doing it just didn't seem like enough.

I woke up on this gray, cloudy, misty day feeling very tired and "fat". The alarm went off and I thought it was part of my dream. When I realized it wasn't I hurried and turned it off and then made myself get out of bed. And as I do every morning I stepped onto the scale. My scale very rarely ever shows the same weight twice in a row so I have a general idea of my weight, but not precise. The weight reflected back to me was not the weight I was feeling. It was showing the same weight as last week but I was feeling so much heavier.

Anyways, I got ready and made my way to my weekly Weight Watcher meeting. Feeling fat, feeling bloated and feeling extremely tired I stepped onto the scale and once again I am shown that I can not base reality on my feelings. Because in reality I did lose -1.0 pound this week. But based on what I am feeling I would have said I gained at least 5 pds.

There is more I'd like to ponder on in regards to feelings vs. facts but honestly, I am too tired to think straight and am off to take a nap. Once I wrap my brain around this then maybe I'll be able to share.

A smaller pants size

A month ago I was blessed with some smaller sized clothing from a friend. Today I realized that I am in need of new, smaller sized pants. So, while I was out with the family I tried on some pants.

The last time I tried on pants in Wal-mart, I wore a size 24-26. And I could barely get them buttoned. Actually I was so disgusted because this was the largest size they carried and I couldn't believe they almost didn't fit.

Well tonight I grabbed a couple of size 20 jeans. Took them into the fitting room and tried them on. When I first unfolded the pants my first thought was....these are too small...they don't look like they will come up past my thighs....I was so convinced, I almost didn't even try them on....

But I put both feet in and pulled...and viola....I got them past my thighs and around my hips and buttoned. Whoo-hoo!! But then I thought....these are the stretchy kind and they just fit...but I am losing weight and I'll be out of these in a flash....and I really don't have the money to buy lots of clothing....so, I decided to try on a size 18 with the thought that even if they are a little small, I'll be wearing them soon.

Out I go, giving the size 20 to the lady and proceeding to find some size 18's. Once back in the fitting room I was a bit apprehensive about trying them on because I didn't want to discourage myself if they were way too small.

But instead of being too small they were only a teeny, tiney bit snug. Then I stood in front of the mirror and did a happy shuffle. I would have squeeled with glee out loud but since I didn't want to scare anyone I just squeeled in my heart.

Now, when I can fit into a size 18 that are not stretchy....well that will be newsworthy too....

Progress Picture for November

I weighed in on Saturday and was shocked when they told me I lost -3.8 pds. I was expecting around a half a pound but I'll take a three pound loss any week.

I have now lost a total of 40 pds. on Weight Watcher's and a total of 47 pounds from the beginning of trying to lose weight.

Here is my November progress picture as well as last months picture. One thing is for sure...I need to teach my daughter how to take a picture...:-) And these pictures are odd because I look thinner in my heavier picture. I'm going to have to figure out a better way of documenting my progress....hmmmmmm

More weight bites the dust

I am happy to say that my suit held up at the Natatorium but sad to say that it was the last time I could wear the bottoms. They have now found a new home in our trash can.

And "Aunt Flo" came to visit so working out in water isn't an option right now. Looks like I will be doing lots more walking....glad the weather is so nice!! I might even get my bike out cause it's not as hard on my joints. Either way, I do have other types of exercise I can do until I get a new suit.

Saturday was my weigh in day and I am happy to report that another -2.8 pounds has left me. And I also made it to my 16th week which means I received special recognition and a charm. The disk represents 25 pounds.

A dilemma

Now, in the scope of life and all the issues I could have, what I am about to post is actually pretty minor. But in my trying to lose weight life it is a big problem.

One of the ways I get in my exercise is to go to the Natatorium and participate in their water aerobic classes. And the most important thing you need to wear is what's causing my dilemma.

I need a new swimsuit. I bought a swimsuit three years ago that lasted me till this summer. I am now on my 3rd swimsuit. The chlorine is killing them.

I spoke with my instructor to see how she keeps hers from falling apart and she told me about a website where I could go and order a swimsuit that will hold up in chlorine. Yay!!

So, I went there and I like that they are suits designed for exercise and not flaunting body parts. The cost isn't too bad but right now it might as well be $1000. I am learning more and more to live by faith and this is one of those times.

I don't know how many more times I can go swim before my suit exposes parts of my anatomy that was not meant to be seen in public. It makes me nervous. But working out in the water is better on my joints right now and I really need the exercise.

So....how long till this suit totally gives out? Do I keep up my exercise schedule and risk exposure or do I stop doing the water aerobics until I can get a new suit? I am leaning towards the second option but I am taking my children to the Natatorium for p.e. tomorrow. I really want to enjoy it with them instead of watching on the sidelines. Pray I can get at least one more wear out of this suit.

A new goal

In Weight Watcher's you are given two goals initially. First is 5% of your body weight and the second is 10%. After you reach your 10% it is then up to you to pick your next goal. Some choose 5 pds. , some less and some more. I've been pondering what my next goal should be.

And I've come to a decision....

My next goal is to lose another 10%. That means I need to lose 27 pounds to meet that goal. And I have the holidays to get through....I'm up for a good challenge. It took me 3 months to reach my 10% and I'm hoping to reach this next 10% loss in at least 3 months.

I'm also hoping this goal will keep me focused through the holidays. More on that later...

Overdue good news.....

This is a little over due since my last weigh in was two days ago. I have been thinking of posting but I've been super busy working on a power point for my daughter and three of her friends who are celebrating their 16th birthday with a group party. I volunteered to put together a power point for each one of them...yes, I'm a little stressed.

Anyways, I weighed in on Saturday and I am thrilled to say that I have lost -3.8 pounds. I also lost a daily point because this weight loss took me into a new, lower "decade". What do you call it when you go from the 270's into the 260's??

I had gotten to this weight 31/2 years ago and then got pregnant. I ended up miscarrying and my body went into a tail spin and I ended up gaining 40 pounds.

I am hoping with all that I've been learning that I will NOT see those higher numbers ever again.