Lifestyle Challenge | Week 21 & 22 Update & SUCCESS!!

You guys... YOU GUYS... I DID IT!  I actually lost 50lbs by Christmas.  I know, I have been absent from the blog but I promise it isn't from lack of activity or because I have fallen off the wagon.  I have been working my little(ish) tail off and staying on plan and this past weekend, I was rewarded with that elusive FIFTY POUNDs lost mark.  OH MY GOODNESS... I was so shocked to see it that I stepped on the scale 3 times to make sure and then sat on the bed for a few minutes to let it sink in... I DID IT!

One of the questions that I get asked the most is How Did I Lose the Weight? 

To be honest, there is no special secret behind it.  I was challenged by one of my friends, Tracy, back in June, to lose 50lbs by Christmas... two pounds a week and we could easily get it done.  For some reason, that lit the fire and I strapped on my Fitbit (was a Charge HR then, now a Blaze) and started walking and watching what I was eating.  I also upped my water intake and tracked my calories.  It's been that basic formula the entire time... calories in vs. calories out.  I try to have a calorie deficit of 1000 per day which SHOULD equal the 2lbs a week... sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't but that's what I try for each day.  Clearly it's working and I will be staying with this plan until my body decides it's at it's natural weight... until it doesn't want to lose anymore and I am officially balanced and healthy!

WINS and CHALLENGES for the week:

I am actually going to stop posting this section as it's been 6-months (almost to the day) of this lifestyle journey and I don't necessarily have WINS or CHALLENGES anymore... just everyday living and that comes with both but unless it's something special to note, like Halloween, Christmas or some vacation, I don't think it's necessary to put them down on paper anymore.

HAPPY NOTE for the week:

It's SNOWED today... anyone who knows me knows that I love winter and snow and Christmas and ALL THINGS that relate to that!  YAY!  

While we are at it... can I just say that Tim Horton's has stepped up their holiday game as well...

WOOHOO!  Let's bring it on!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week 20 Update & Tackling Halloween

Whoops... guess I went a little AWOL there for a bit, eh?  I kept meaning to post an update but sometimes life gets in the way and you need to just take the time to do what you are loving.  Lately, for me, that is reading.  Yep, I feel like I have come full circle and am back into loving life with my nose in a book.

Here is the update for the past couple of weeks... As I said, I moved my weigh-in days to Sundays because of my rest day and I have been loving it.  Not wearing my Fitbit on Sunday's has been wonderful... I can read, watch tv, hang with the boys and not worry about how many steps I am getting.  This past Sunday, I weighed in and lost another 2lbs which brings my new weight loss total to 45.5lbs.  YEP... we are less than 5lbs away from my original 50lbs by Christmas challenge.  WOWSA!!!

WINS for the week:

1. Halloween - this may be a longer WIN but it was Halloween on Monday and as a mom with a young child, I ended up with a LOT of candy in my house.  In fact, there were multiple stops to drop of more and more candy that included full size bars (Crunchies... YUM) and pop and chips and OMG... so much candy.  However, I didn't have a single piece... at all!!  Instead, as each pillow case of candy was dropped off, I dumped it out, sorted it (literally) and moved on.  Instead of eating candy, I drank a cup of amazing Peppermint Tea (a new favourite), watched Halloween (a fave movie) and walked around the house.  It was a TOTAL WIN!!!
2. Cooking - Yep... I have been cooking more and more, including making hamburgers from scratch.  I love it... creating (or re-creating) recipes and finding new favourites for the family!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Halloween - while I was able to tackle Halloween like a beast, I still have to say that it was a challenge.  I could have given myself an allowance of candy that I was able to eat but I honestly didn't feel the need!

Here's hoping that I can get back into the regular groove of blogging and keeping my updates coming at you on the weekly basis!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week 17 Update

Happy Monday... it's a dreary, warm day here and it's supposed to be 26 degrees (31 degrees with the humidity) tomorrow and I am NOT a happy camper.  My life has moved into full fall mode and the warm weather doesn't work... I can't believe that I am actually thinking about flipping the switch on the air conditioner for the day.  GRRRrrrr.

On to better things... I changed up my weigh-in day to Sunday (but will still continue posting updates on Monday) to coincide with my rest day.  It felt off taking Sunday as my rest day and then weighing in on Monday's.  Not that I cheat on my diet, it's just not something that interests me, but I was feeling guilty about not doing anything right before stepping on the scale.  So, yesterday was my first official Sunday weigh-in and I am happy to report that I lost another 3 pounds!  My new weight loss total is 41.5lbs!!  WHOOP WHOOP... start the happy dance!!

It's safe to now say that the week before I get my period is definitely a good weigh-in week.  Not sure if there will be any bounce back next week because of such a large drop but hey... I am enjoying it while I can!

WINS for the week:

1. StepBet - DONE!  I completed the Step Through September challenge and am an official winner.  We haven't heard what the official winners are yet but I will add that in once I find out!  Also, I have already joined a new StepBet that kicks off today... it's only the warm-up week but I am going to just keep on keeping on.  My new daily goal will be 13,283 and the stretch days are now 16,972.
2. Flying Solo - The boys went away for the weekend so once again, I was flying solo.  Didn't really have any challenges and even made myself a BBQ Chicken Caesar salad for dinner... who does that when they are alone?!
3. Jeans - I bought a pair of new jeans in size 34 and not only did I fall over from shock that they fit but they are comfortable ALL DAY LONG!  Seriously, so excited!!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Period Woes - Once again, I had a 'hungry' day and I know that I have mentioned it before, but it seems like I get one, once a month, right before I get my period... it sucks!  I handled it but I'm telling you... I was ready for dinner at about 3:30 on Saturday.

Lastly... while the boys were away, in Buffalo, I was able to get them to swing by Target and stock me up on some Luna bars that aren't available here in Canada.  WOOOoooo!  I am nicely stocked up for a while and excited to have some new flavours to throw into the mix.

I am still in shock that I have lost over 40 pounds and have less than 10 pounds to go until my initial "Lifestyle/Diet Challenge" goal.  Insane!!!

Lifestyle Update | Week 15 & 16 Combined Update

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian peeps.  I hope that you had a wonderful weekend and were able to spend some time with family and friends... and remember to think about all the things that you are thankful for!

First off, sorry for not posting last week, the week got away from me as I was dealing with a stomach bug and before I knew it, it was just easier to wait and post the two weeks together.  SOooo... For the last two weeks, I have lost a combined 3 lbs for a new weight loss total of 38.5 lbs.  Yep, I am now just 11.5 lbs away from my Christmas goal of 50 pounds total.

As I hit the 4 month mark of my lifestyle overhaul, I also took some pictures to show the differences in my body... it's really remarkable how the body works and I am loving the changes.  There is one week left in my StepBet and then I am hoping to add weights (arms) and ab work into the routine to start tightening things up!

I had already lost 13.5lbs in the first set of pictures!

WINS for the week(s):

1. StepBet - I don't know if this counts as a win but I'm still going strong with the steps so, to me, that makes it a win!
2. Thanksgiving Dinner (see picture below) - I decided that I wasn't going to worry about calories at dinner because it really makes it so hard when you aren't the one prepping the food.  Happy to say that I had a full plate of food, stopped eating when I was full, and didn't feel the least bit guilty.  #WIN

CHALLENGES for the week(s):

1. Being Sick - I mentioned it above but I had a bit of a stomach virus/bug this past week and even with that, I was able to stay on plan and still got my steps in... not easy when all you want to do is lay on the couch but if I could do it, I was going to get it done!

So, that's the story for the last couple of weeks!  Nothing too exciting or too challenging BUT, I foresee some temptations coming up with Halloween... hoping to breeze through as I have with most of the challenges thus far!

Lifestyle Update | Week 14 Update

Happy Fall!!  I am so excited that it is officially fall... last week was warmer than I liked but over the weekend, it cooled off and now, I am thrilled!  Candles burning, thriller books out and YES, I am ready!

Today was weigh-in day and I can't believe that I lost another 2lbs... usually the week of my period ends up with a lower than normal weight loss (I am backwards and lose more weight before I get my period and then less after it... not sure why!).  So that means that I have now lost a total of 35.5lbs!  WHAT?!?!  How friggin exciting is that?  I am less than 15lbs away from my next goal and totally on track for hitting it by Christmas (not that I am setting any official goal dates but hey, one can hope).

StepBet Update for the week:

Not much to report but did just want to check in and let y'all know that I made it through another week.  Got my two stretch days done on Monday and Tuesday and then legged out the active days on Wednesday thru Saturday.  Literally did NOTHING yesterday and loved it.  I actually decided that I wouldn't wear my Fitbit so that I wasn't thinking about how low my step count was and that seemed to make me feel better about taking a rest day!

WINS for the week:

1. Smaller sizes - WOOOOOOO!!  I cleaned out my closet and have a GIANT bag to donate full of plus sized clothes.  FULL!  I will have a separate blog post about this so stay tuned!
2. Fall TV - totally not weight loss related BUT, you guys... FALL TV is back!  I loooove watching TV (is that something to be proud of?) and most of my fall shows are once again back and I am loving it!  I don't generally watch them live because I am always watching baseball BUT, having something to toss on the boob-tube is always appreciated!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. None!

I feel like this wasn't the best post but I really enjoy the weekly update, even as something to look back on so, for now anyways, I will keep em coming!  

Lifestyle Update | Week 13 Update

Happy Monday... no?  Too early?  I don't know about everyone else but I have started to look forward to Monday mornings because it's the start of a new week.  I get to see the progress that I have made and start the new week ready to conquer more goals!  Today was the weigh-in for week 13 (insane) and I am beyond excited to share that I lost another THREE POUNDS.  How does that even happen??  So my new weight loss total is 33.5lbs and I can honestly say that I feel the weight loss now... clothes feel better, my legs look thinner(ish) and I just feel more alive.

Yesterday (or today depending on how you look at it) also marked the end of the first official week of StepBet.  Yep, if you missed goals this lasts week you were eliminated from the challenge.  Happy to report that, not only did I kill my goals, but I did so with style and was able to sit on my behind ALL DAY yesterday and take a proper rest day.  Kinda loving the new Sunday rest day thing... I'm debating taking off the FitBit so I don't actually see how lazy I have been but one step at a time.

I've also found myself really enjoying reading again.  Not that I ever stopped reading but I was pretty much only reading at bedtime and was so tired that I would get through 3-4 pages and literally fall asleep while holding up my book.  I spent a good part of yesterday with my nose in my book (okay, iPad) and loved it.  It's so relaxing... maybe a couple of book reviews will pop up here and there because, hey, this blog is about what makes ME happy!

WINS for the week:

1. Family Dinner - we had a family dinner this weekend (roast beef, mashed potatoes, veggies, gravy... the whole nine yards) and WOAH, so good!  It was the first meal in 13 weeks that I didn't count my calories for because it would have been too hard to figure everything out.  So, I just ate a healthy portion of each dish and stopped eating when I was satisfied.  I think I nailed it!!!
2. StepBet - Already touched on it but I nailed my StepBet goals and am ready to kick butt again this week.  Also happy to see that 90 people have already dropped out so we are getting close to making MONEY!!  Whoop!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. PMS - I have come to realize, three months into this journey, that the Thursday before my cycle begins is the worst day of the month for me.  I can't say there are any definite cravings but more the feeling of being 'unsatisfied'... wanting more of whatever.  Thankfully I haven't given into the feelings yet but I have definitely noticed the pattern... now that I am aware of it, I think it will be something I have to plan for.

Well, that marks the end of week 13 and now we move on to this week... back to baseball try-outs so the meals are a little tricky for the week but we will make it work.  Thankfully, this should mark the end of ball, for this year anyways, so we can officially be back to normal (for us!).

Lifestyle Challenge | Week 12 Update

Happy Monday... hope all you Football Widows made it through opening weekend.  My hubby is a 49ers fan and they start tonight so here's hoping the house is a happy one!

Today marks the official end of the first quarter of my new lifestyle... can you believe that it has been three months already?  I am shocked!  For my week 12 weigh-in, I am happy to report that I lost 1.5lbs for a new weight-loss total of 30.5lbs.  THIRTY POUNDS!!!

I just love getting new badges from FitBit... it really makes the journey so much more fun and rewarding.  Can you tell I am a competitive person?!  HAHAHA

Along with another month passing, it was also time to take some progress pictures.  I haven't shared them anywhere before because I was too self-conscious and it felt like such a personal thing BUT... it's time.  I am loving the changes that I see but because I don't have any new clothes (yet), most of the things I am wearing are too big so you can't really see any major changes.  The 'before' picture is actually already a month into this new lifestyle so I had already lost 13.5lbs and likely some bloat and maybe even a couple of inches but it still shows a dramatic difference between 4 weeks and 12 weeks.

WINS for the week:

1. StepBet - I did an entire blog post about joining StepBet but today is the official start of the elimination rounds and I am soooo excited to have some extra 'step' motivation.  I kicked the warm-up rounds butt so I am confident that I can kick the regular week's butt too.
2. Rest Day - I finally did it... I had a rest day!  No goals were met yesterday and it was planned that way.  I still went for a walk and did my normal daily things around the house but I also didn't stress the steps.  It was great... yes, slightly guily inducing, but well needed!  My plan is to take every Sunday, during StepBet, as a rest day to recover from the extra activity during the week.

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Mid-Week Weigh-In - Stoooopid me decided to step on the scale mid-week and it showed a gain of 0.5lbs... so of course I stepped on it again the next day... same... and the next day... up a whole pound.  The way it affected my mood was insane!!  At the end of the week, I clearly lost weight so the moral of the story is STAY OFF THE DAMN SCALE!!!

Loving life right now... I know that as we near Thanksgiving, Halloween and the Holidays that there will be some new challenges but I find that every day I put under my belt is another day closer to conquering these old 'diet' demons!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week 11 Update

Whoops... I totally forgot to post because weigh-in day was a holiday and we got busy doing things.  Hey, life happens, right?!

Monday was the end of week 11 of my new lifestyle challenge and I am happy to report that I lost another TWO pounds this week.  Yep, that means I am now down a total of 29 pounds!!  HOLY CRAP!  I know that I say this almost every week but I am still shocked with the ease with which I have been able to stay on plan... at how the cravings for sweets and eating out are basically gone now.

My husband and I talk about eating out and how it would feel like such a waste of both money and calories.  We can now look back on our past habits and see how 'gross' we would feel after splurging (read binge) on a GIANT bag of candy.  I used to get a huge bag of Malteasers and about 2/3 into it would feel full and starting to feel gross... would I stop eating them?  Nope, I would finish the bag because I felt that leaving 1/3 of the bag would be a waste... as if the treat wouldn't be enough the next time I ate them.  Did you know that a huge bag of Malteasers is over 900 calories?  NINE HUNDRED?  #dead

How Awesome is the 10% reward?!!?

WINS for the week:

1. Emotional Eating - Yes, this is a win... because I didn't do it!  This past weekend I found myself in an emotional/family drama moment and am happy to say that I laced up the running shoes and headed out for a walk instead of eating my way through house and home.
2. Clothes Fitting - One of my biggest wins so far is being able to wear clothes that I hadn't been able to before.  Murray bought me a size XL women's fitted shirts for Christmas and I knew on site that it wouldn't even go over my head.  Well, this Sunday, I wore it out for breakfast and it was totally fine.  In fact, more people noticed my weight loss than ever before.  LOVED that feeling!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Emotions - It hasn't happened often, which is great, but I do have very strong emotions and being an emotional eater, I have had to re-direct my feelings.  As mentioned in my wins, I seem to be okay with doing the right thing BUT am always on watch.
2. Lazy Day - Over the last 11 weeks, I haven't missed my step goal once and am finding it really hard to take a 'rest day' or a 'lazy day'.  I don't know if it's because I am afraid of failure or afraid that it will send me into a tailspin, but I just can't seem to let myself have a day where I do absolutely nothing.

Still on track and still totally motivated to keep going.  I am not setting any goals with dates attached to it because I don't want to miss and feel like I failed but I am so excited about seeing how far I can go!!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week Ten Update

WHOA... we are into the double digits now... still in some disbelief that I am still going and not only that but still on plan!  I can honestly tell you that I haven't had a slip up yet.  I know that with the upcoming Halloween and Holiday seasons, that likely won't stay true for long BUT... as of 10 weeks in, I am still going strong.

Today was also an awesome day on the scales because I dropped another TWO pounds which put me over my 26.5lb goal for 10% of my body weight lost.  Yep, I am officially down 27lbs, effectively SMASHING the first goal outta the water.  WHOOP WHOOP!!!

In other news, my boys have been away since last Tuesday so I have been flying solo at home.  Now, in years past (this is an annual trip they take), that meant sitting on my duff and ordering all kinds of fast food, snacking of every kind of junk food and drinking all the pop.  This year, I wasn't even tempted to do those things.  It actually caught me a little off guard because I planned the menu for when they were gone and we grocery shopped as per normal and then the first night they were gone, I cooked and worked out.  Simple as that!  It wasn't until I was chilling out, watching the Jays game, that I suddenly realized what I had done... I had survived my first night alone without even thinking of cheating!  WHAT???!!  Who am I?

WINS for the week:

1. Cooking - No, not a standard win because I cook most weeks BUT... with my boys out of town, I am more than impressed with myself and the fact that I cooked three times, with plenty of leftovers, so I didn't eat out once!  A new record for me when flying solo!  I didn't even have Subway...
2. Walking - While I didn't get to the gym, no real excuse, I did a ton of extra walking.  I was in early to work each day so got a good 20-30 min walk in and then another at lunch.  After work, I took Joey, our Golden Retriever, for a 30 min walk so all in, I was getting over an hour of walking each day!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Gym - For some reason I have been slacking on the gym lately.  While I am still getting my steps in every day and doing lots of walking, I don't want to go to the gym.  I think because the weather is nice and I am able to do it throughout the day, I don't feel the need... maybe as the weather changes (if it ever does), I will want to move indoors.  We shall see... in my mind, as long as I am getting it in, it really doesn't matter where.

I'm shocked that there was only one main challenge this week, because the boys were away, but I am struggling to think of anything else.  Thankfully we will be a full family unit again tomorrow night so things can get back to normal... until school starts next week.  UGH!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week Nine Update

Every time I title one of these update posts, I am amazed by the time that has passed since I started this challenge... it's been NINE weeks!  Insane!

For today's update, I am happy to announce that I am down another 2.5lbs for a new total of 25lbs... TWENTY FIVE.  That's only 1.5lbs away from my first goal of 10% body weight lost.

Each week that I step on the scale, I am so thrilled to see a change but something else has become clear to me... I am so much happier.  When I started blogging, I was on a 'quest' to become a healthier, happier version of myself and I can actually say that I am there... while still working on the healthy aspect, I am doing things that make me happy... smiling more, spending quality time with my family and just enjoying life.  Old habits that felt like a weight on my shoulders, like YouTube, are now something I do for entertainment.  I only watch videos when I am walking or working out and even then, I sometimes forget to see what's new.  WOW... such an awesome change in such a short period of time!

WINS for the week:

1. Water Intake - I don't know if I touched on this before but I guzzle my water like it's my job BUT, I decided to focus on increasing it to 120oz a day and did that everyday last week.  Not only do I think that's helping me eat less (thirsty not hungry) but my skin is so much smoother. However, I don't think that the nightly pee-breaks are as fun... hahaha!
2. Walking - While the gym was lacking this week, I was able to spend some great quality time with Steven going on almost nightly walks to catch Pokemon... sure, it's a silly game but we have a great time catching them and hatching eggs.  Family time plus activity is a bonus in my books!!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Hunger - I had a couple of days this week where I couldn't stop the feeling of needing to EAT ALL THE THINGS!  I didn't cave and now that I think about it, it was likely period cravings but it was sure a challenge to push through.  
2. Gym - Not sure what was up but I wasn't into heading to the gym at all this week.  I did go twice so that's still a win but my plan of 2 days on, 1 day off sure didn't happen.  While my steps each day are totally fine, I feel like I should be doing a little more.  Here's hoping that I can get back on the gym bandwagon this week!

Last up... I have to share my new nails!  I did another declutter (post to come) and actually went and got acrylic nails on Saturday.  Yep... I have travelled over to the dark side and am in love!  HAHAHA... who knew?!?!

Eek... now to Pinterest to find my next nail design!!

Lifestyle Challenge | Week Eight Update

Today is a bit of an up and down emotions day for me.  On one hand I have my weekly weigh-in results and on the other, the baseball playoffs story... either way, let's get started!

This weekend was the end of the Rookie Select season for the Clarington Colts.  Playoffs started on Friday night and continued through a rain soaked Saturday (including many tornado warnings) and on into Sunday.  Sadly, our guys didn't come in at the top of the league so our season has come to and end... bittersweet as I didn't want it to come to an end BUT I also didn't want to have another weekend away in London for the Provincials.  Either way, I feel a little blah today knowing that the team we cheered for all season will never be the same... BOO!  However, they did amazing and it was so much fun being on the sidelines with great parents and watching some fantastic kids do what they love!

2015/16 Rookie Select Clarington Colts (second place finishers)

As for the weekly weigh-in results, well, WE HAVE A VICTORY on the scale!!  I lost another 2.5 pounds this week for a new weight loss today of 22.5 pounds.  WHOOP!  We are now officially 4 pounds away from my first goal of 10% body weight lost (26.5 pounds).  So happy to see the weight continue to drop and the efforts that I am putting in be proven on the scale... yes, I know it's just a number but it's still nice to see it drop each week!

WINS for the week:

1. GYM - Still making the gym a priority in my schedule.  Now that baseball is over, scheduling will be a little easier, but I have gone 4 times per week for the last two weeks and I am really happy with that.  
2. Cravings - Odd win, I know, but last night was our 12th anniversary and we actually talked about how we would have been eating, pre-lifestyle change, on a weekend with baseball AND an anniversary.  Neither of us even has the cravings for fast food or junk like we used to.  It's so funny to picture eating a McDonald's meal now because I don't have any desire to get one.  Even things like Dairy Queen or a simple chocolate bar, the cravings are gone!  Will they come back, I have no idea but for now, I just don't want them!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Shin Splints - OMG... I am not even kidding when I say that shin splints are some of the worst pain that I have had.  SO MUCH OUCH!  I had been getting them here and there since starting this journey but this past week it was beyond my abilities to even walk.  I got them so badly on Thursday that I ended up skipping the gym to go and buy new running shoes.  Thankfully, they seem to be working and I have been able to walk at a slightly increased speed without any issues.  Fingers crossed that was the cause of the problem.
2. Baseball - Last weekend for this one (at least this year).  We had playoffs this weekend so I wasn't able to get to the gym and even though they were planned days off, the guilt factor still crept up.  I was able to get in all my steps (10,000 a day) and even had some nice longer walks with my parents but, missed my hourly goals and was a little less active than normal.

Asics Gel-Kayano 21's

All in all... a great week!  I took some new progress pictures yesterday to show the difference between one and two months but I am still a little 'shy' to show them here... maybe when I lose a few more inches I will be comfortable posting them!  

Diet Challenge | Week Five Update

Happy Monday... no really, it's a HAPPY Monday!!  But before we get started... need to do a big Happy Birthday shout out to my amazing hubby, Murray!

Okay, enough talking about other people, let's bring the focus back to me ;)  I am SUPER pumped to report that this morning's weigh-in was successful and I lost another 4-lbs for a new weight loss total of 17.5-lbs.  I can't even express how happy it makes me to be down FOUR pounds in one week.  As I have said before, I am not expecting major drops and am happy with not gaining but seeing all the hard work that I am putting in, paying off, brings a GIANT smile to my face and makes me want to keep going!

My newest Fitbit badge!

WINS for the week:

1. First 'Eat Out' Meal - Yep, it was bound to happen, the dreaded restaurant meal.  However, if you read my blog post from last week, you will know that I did it with flying colours!  I planned it all before leaving the house and stayed totally on plan for the meal and didn't feel the least bit guilty with my choices!
2. Steppin' Up - Killed it with the steps this past week.  I did close to, or over, 12,000 a day and made sure to get two walks in each day.  Not sure if I will ever increase my step goal beyond the 10,000 but am more than happy to knock it out of the park every chance I get.  

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Making Cupcakes - I happen to be the cupcake queen of my family so for most occasions, I am asked to make some version of cupcakes.  Saturday was my niece's 5th birthday and, of course, I made cupcakes.  Usually my routine is to fill the cupcake wrappers and leave enough batter in the bowl for me to enjoy a super yummy, and horribly fattening, batter snack.  Add on top of that, the licks and tastes of icing and sprinkles and whatever else goes into making them look pretty and it's basically an all-out schmorgishboard (no idea how to spell that).  Not only did I not eat any batter, but I didn't even have a lick of the icing!  WOOHOO!
2. Birthday Party - Same day, different challenge!  My niece's birthday party was on Saturday and it ran right into when I would be having lunch (late, as usual) so instead of being tempted by snacks, I just brought along my salad and ate it instead.  WIN!!

This upcoming week is loaded with challenges so I am going to have to do some MAJOR planning to stay on plan, as much as humanly possible.  We have a baseball tournament this coming weekend, out of town, so that means staying in a hotel ALL WEEKEND long.  I plan to bring snacks (fruit and whatnot) to fill in the gaps and eat at Subway as much as possible.  There is also a gym at the hotel (I know, I actually checked... who am I?!) and I will be bringing gym clothes to work out each day in hopes that any extra calories I do eat are burned off!  Fingers crossed that next week's weigh-in, is at worst, a stand still!  My goal is for NO GAINS!