My Journey Update

August 28, 2023 by GmasPhoto 15 Comments

My Journey Update

Hi, I have been visiting other blogs and see many recipes. Many of those recipes look and sound very delicious, however- I do not cook. My husband and I have different eating schedules. For me this will be a post on what works for me while on the Weight Watchers program.

During the week, I have 30 minutes for lunch break. Now my husband is retired and he is on his own schedule. I require quick and simple. The Healthy Choice dinners are very Weight Watcher (WW) friendly, either 5 or 6 points. Plus, the ones I have tried (see the above collage) are pretty tasty!

I am not limited to eating the frozen dinners. That is what I like most about the WW program. Nothing is off limits. The question is, ‘How do I want to eat my points?’.

What I discovered, is the individual portion sizes. This is perfect and very simple. The portion size has already been measured and points assigned. I have a healthy choice meal with a snack. Several snacks I found are pictured in the collage above. No need to measure or weigh. Fruits and vegetables are free, no point value.

The weekends are the challenge. This is the time my husband and I will eat our meals together. Those times are generally at a restaurant. Which is not easy to calculate point values. The WW app does have a list of the more popular restaurant menus and point values. However, Kevin’s favorite places to eat are the mom and pop locations. I stick with the vegetables, limiting bread. For protein, either egg, chicken, turkey or beans, my go-to’s.

Weight Watchers will acknowledge and reward my milestones. I am working on my 20lb charm! 🙂

I enjoy stopping by my folks house for a visit after my Saturday WW meetings. Being a photographer, taking pictures with my family is important. Especially now that my parents are in their upper 70’s. Side note, I recommend getting family pictures, at minimum, every 5 years. Families with young children, every other year.

Weight Watchers does not pay me to write about their program. Simply, it is working for me. Anyone who has a question about the program, I will gladly share my opinion and what works for me. It is in my opinion, loosing weight in a healthy manner will most definitely make you feel better. And as a person who takes her ‘happy pills’, feeling better is important!

The following links are prequels to My Journey Update.
My Journey
Follow Up

WW Update:
Since Start Date; -16lbs

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Follow Up Post

August 2, 2023 by GmasPhoto 6 Comments

Follow Up Post

Hi, generally I schedule my posts for Monday’s. However, this week I wanted to have a post with a follow up to a few of my ongoing goals. And in doing so, I will be able to provide a photography tip I discovered just this weekend and would love sharing with you! Let’s begin with the photography tip.

It was while working with the picture to the left. It could be the image at the top if you are reading this on your phone. It is my selfie taken in the grocery store! 🙂

The following screen shots were taken on my iPhone 14 ProMax. The Portrait Mode is available on the iPhone 11 and up. I am not sure about models before the 11. I recommend the Portrait Mode in your camera for selfies or when your subject is two to eight feet in front of you. The Portrait Mode is available in the built-in camera app. Once you have the camera open and the Portrait Mode selected, frame the subject to take the shot. When the camera screen displays Natural Light, you can then take the picture.

Notice the background on both pictures. In Portrait Mode, the background is blurred. Looks pretty nice doesn’t it! The Portrait Mode is one way to emphasize the subject. This is especially handy when your background is busy or unattractive. There is more to the photography tip I wanted to share.

Let’s say after you take the picture, you decide you do want to see more details of the background. You can change the background to see more detail. Yes, you heard me correctly. The background can be edited after the image was taken. Let me show you how.

Open the picture you want to see more details in the background. Click the Edit button.

At the top center you will see the word Portrait that is highlighted yellow. Click it. When it is no longer highlighted, the background will not be blurred. Click the word Portrait again, and the background goes back to blurred. Pretty nifty!

Remember the rule of thirds as well. Both of these tips will make your images look better!

Ok, now for the follow up 🙂 This picture is the whole reason for the post today! I have now been an active Weight Watchers member for seven weeks. And yes, I am loosing weight, yippee! However no one seems to have noticed. I notice small changes like today getting in and out of my husband’s truck is easier. My rings seem to be spinning more on my fingers and it is hot outside!

After getting home from the grocery store, I was looking thru some of my past selfies. And lo and behold, I ran across a picture taken just this past May. It was the day I went to the KC Zoo with my daughter and her family. Visit the KC Zoo here!

My very first week, I had signed up for Weight Watchers (WW) in the phone app. The service I selected was the online option. Any classes I wanted to take would require me to upgrade services. And eventually I did just that. The meetings have been very instrumental for me. After seeing the two pictures above side by side, I wonder how much weight I lost that very first week. I never weigh myself at home. My weight was only checked when I went to the doctor and now at my weekly WW meeting. In the post, Looking my Best tells the story of my WW discovery.

And with my WW journey I am successfully implementing #69 of my 101 in 1001 goals, avoid or eat less junk food. That’s a win, win for me!

Loosing weight is not easy. Never has been for me. However, the WW point system and the ability to scan bar codes while at the grocery store makes this process for me easy. I will continue with Weight Watchers and post my progress, good or not good here. I need accountability!

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Celebrate Independence Day

July 4, 2023 by GmasPhoto 3 Comments

Celebrate Independence Day

Hi, we celebrated this past Saturday with family and friends. The weather couldn’t have been any better. There was a short bout of wind that cooled the evening down and made watching the light show very nice and comfortable. Below was one such firework that was beautiful. The guys were down at the pond dam shooting the fireworks while the girls were on the other side of pond watching the display. The fireworks in air and the reflections in the pond were absolutely stunning.

Wishing you a safe, fun Fourth of July!

WW Update:
Since Start Date; -6.6lbs

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

My Journey

June 27, 2023 by GmasPhoto 13 Comments

My Journey

Hi, I am just beginning to comprehend my weight loss will be a journey, a long journey. I never really thought about Weight Watchers. As I mentioned in the previous post it was a friend who returned to the program and that is what prompted me to join. Saturday I went to my meeting. The meetings are for support. And I have come to understand I need this support.

The first person I met at my meetings is sitting behind me in the bottom right picture, Patty. She has lost 85 pounds since she began the program. That was a year ago. At these meetings I was advised that during my journey I will loose some weight and there will be times I will gain. This past Saturday was a week I gained 1.4lbs. My all time weight tally to date, -3lbs.

my journey

Knowing my personality, this will need to be kept real simple. Measuring out my foods is not simple. I have been giving this some thought. Rather lots of thoughts. Here are a few ways I found to help me with measuring.

measuring

The jars are 8oz. I will be using this jar for all drinks, water will be the exception. Simple to measure, if only 4oz I can eyeball that pretty close! The clear cups are 2oz. This will be for food items like salad dressings and cheese. I am sure I will be able to use with other foods as well. When I order my deli meat, once sliced I request the clerk to show me how many slices is 4oz.

I was discouraged to say the least with my gain. With the encouragements from fellow members, I will continue to track my food, stay within my points. My journey is a work in progress.

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Looking My Best

June 19, 2023 by GmasPhoto 6 Comments

Looking My Best

Hi, I took the plunge and joined Weight Watchers. For the past year I have tried cutting back on calories and walking. Not much success. A friend, Linda, returned to the program. She had fabulous results and then waivered from the program. It was during one of our virtual walks she had mentioned her return.

Saturday I went to my first meeting and signed up with Weight Watchers. With Linda doing the program and our virtual walking, I feel like I have the needed support and accountability to be successful. I do want to mention that I am not being compensated, endorsed for this post. I am merely explaining what I am trying to do to meet a few of my 101 in 1001 goals, #’s 66, 68 and 69.

Counting calories wasn’t working. One day using the tracking method with weight watchers I discovered is more convenient. The Weight Watchers app is very user friendly. The foods I thought I was eating that were ‘good’ was not. For example, I would eat yogurt with granola for breakfast (and still be hungry) for a calorie count of 300. On a 2000 calorie diet this isn’t bad. But that’s 8 points with Weight Watchers. My daily point count is 29. Even with tracking calories, the point method brings more light on weight loss. Most of what I was eating were high points. As long as I can stick with my daily points, I should see 1-2 pounds loss each week.

One thing I will need to do more of, drink water. I do not like the taste of water. Kind of funny, does water have a taste? 🙂
I do have a plan to conquer my dislike of water taste. flavor water

After my first Weight Watcher’s meeting, I did my grocery shopping. Kevin went with me and he did not complain about the time it was taking me to scan each item I placed into the cart. And I did, scan each item. Quite a few items I used to get, I had to choose an alternative. I expressed my concerns about the water with Kevin. We went to the water isle and it was here that Kevin pointed out the flavors. Some of the guys Kevin works with uses flavors in their water. I thought I’d give it a try. Water is 0 points and the flavor is 0 too! I selected the berry flavor this time.

One of my main concerns is how my diet for Crohn’s will work within my 29 daily points. I remember telling my doctor I could not be diabetic. All I can eat is potatoes, pasta and meat! I’ll give an update on what I discover for meals that work for me.

I’m embarrassed with my current weight. So I will not share. But, what I will share is my weight progress with you here. Another accountability measure to help keep me on track.

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

Influenza or Salmonella

May 1, 2023 by GmasPhoto Leave a comment

Influenza or Salmonella

Influenza or salmonella Hi, I must confess something I allowed my adult children do as kids. Please keep in mind, my husband did not want to live in town and we have been living on our ‘farm’ for the past 30 years. Kevin has always had a garden, cattle and chicken.

After leaving work, I would pick the kids up from after school care. We would go home and I began cooking dinner. The kids would do their chores and then they would come in and want to have some of the hamburger or whatever I was preparing as a small snack. I would let them take a piece or two.

The kids were always wanting to have samples of the food I was cooking. This included desserts. Cookies and cakes were the main desserts. After mixing the batter and dough they were right there with their tongues sticking out ready to lick the spoon/bowl. Kevin said our home eggs were better than the store bought eggs but even still would tell me to not let the kids eat the batter/dough. Bad mom was I. Not only did I let them lick the spoon, I would too! A few years we made homemade ice cream using raw eggs. Never had issues. We transitioned to recipes that the eggs were cooked or did not require eggs.

Influenza or salmonella
This past weekend I was down right sick. It started Saturday morning. I had a brunch date with my friend at Perkins. I ordered from the senior menu! All was good until after we ate. My stomach was beginning to feel not right, a bit achy. I suggested we go to the second hand store. Getting up and walking made my stomach feel better.

I did not do my usual go to the library and getting groceries. Instead, I went on home. Once home I got the chills and I climbed into bed. It was downhill from there. It ended up lasting the whole rest of afternoon/evening throughout the night. Every two hours going to the bathroom to sit on the throne with the trash can between my knees. Sunday I stayed in bed all day resting and sleeping.

I was trying to think of the possibilities of where I could have caught the flu. I work from home, only leaving on the weekends to go to library and pick up groceries. My husband did not get sick. Then it dawned on me. When I baked the brownies I made for my neighbors, I did lick the spoon…..

I panicked. My Google search was on. Most people with Salmonella infection have diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. These were the symptoms I experienced.

Symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days. I licked the spoon Friday evening. However, some people do not develop symptoms for several weeks after infection and others experience symptoms for several weeks. I am suspecting I had the influenza. My symptoms were the weekend only, thank goodness.

This grandma learned a hard lesson. I will not allow my grand girls to lick the spoon or bowl after making brownies, cakes or any dessert. Influenza or Salmonella, whatever I had, I will not chance it again!

Take Care. Best wishes, Debra

My Journey Update

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