Her Weigh-In (6/4/2013)

Hello again! Happy Tuesday and Weigh-In Day for me! Here are the results...

Weigh-In: -2.1
Yay!!!! This makes me very happy. :) Here's hoping that I can continue on this path.

I talked in last week's post about how I have switched from WW to myfitnesspal. I am still loving the switch and am so grateful that I made that choice. Here's what I have found to be true -

Weight Watchers chooses Points Plus values based on four criteria - 

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Then based on your age and current weight, they determine how many points you get each day. Everyone gets a separate set of points for the week that can be used whenever/how you choose. Sounds good right? Well, let's do a comparison...

A typical day on WW would have me running over my daily points and needing some weekly points. Each workout would only provide between 3 and 5 additional points for the day. (For those who are not on WW, the nutrition bar I ate to give me energy for a workout is 5 points so I was working off what I ate so I could work out. A vicious cycle!) I put my normal day into myfitnesspal (remember, that would have had me over my points) and found out that I had eaten only 1,490 calories that day. With my workout, my total caloric count was 1,094. Wow!! No wonder I am always hungry at the end of the day.

Another example --- According to Weight Watchers, a lunch of a WW friendly pasta dish, carrots, and 1 tbsp of Fat Free Ranch Dip was 12 points. Sounds like a lot right? Well, I put that whole meal into myfitnesspal and it is only 488 calories. Seeing that shocked me to the core. Those two numbers seem like polar opposites. How can 488 calories be 12 points?!?!

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A final example -- My workout of 30 minutes of cardio and a few strength machines used to get me 5 WW points (that's not even half of my lunch). I had a hard time wanting to go to the gym when I wasn't even going to work off half of my lunch. When I put in the same information to myfitnesspal it said I had burned 527 calories. That means I worked off my lunch and then some. That's motivation right there!

I'm not saying that WW is a flawed system. It works for millions each day and it worked for me for a while. What I am saying is that with the issues I talked about above, I decided that the program was not for me anymore. Counting calories is proving to be much easier and more motivational. 

Have you tried myfitnesspal? What did you think?

Happy Losing,

Her Weigh-In (5/28/2013)

It is Tuesday so I am going to share my weigh-in results...though I am a little nervous to do so because the past two weeks have not been my best.
**I really have been saying that a lot, haven't I? I know that the excuses runneth over and I am truly trying to change that. I can and will be confident that this week will be different!*

Weigh-In Results: See, what had happened was ---- I forgot it was Tuesday and I forgot to weigh in. Oops! I'm still going to post this and I will weigh in tomorrow. I just cannot keep days straight when I miss a day of work.

I decided about two weeks ago that I was tired of spending $30 a month on Weight Watchers when I wasn't losing weight. It has been 11 months of me hovering in the same 5 pound range. I know that I am to blame and that all my excuses are simply holding me back - or holding me steady I guess would be the correct phrase - but I also know the definition of insanity ---

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I thought long and hard about it and though I will be eternally grateful to Weight Watchers for getting me started and helping me to lose my first 60 pounds, it was time for us to part ways. I cancelled my subscription and account and moved on. 

I found a calorie counter that is free that does all the same things as Weight Watchers, but in my opinion does it better. I joined the same day I cancelled WW.

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I fell in love from the moment I clicked the "Join" button. It is simpler than WW -- they have over 2 million foods in the database so everything is already entered -- they count more than just calories so it is helping me also watch my sodium, which is a problem for me -- I have the app on my iPad, phone, and I can use the site on my computer so it goes everywhere with me, literally -- and I have several friends who are using the app/site so we can encourage each other through this process. 

I find it incredible that the FREE myfitnesspal app/site works better and is easier to use/manipulate than the $20 a month WW app/site. I am not sorry I switched, I feel more motivated and determined, I do not feel as deprived or restricted (more on that next week), and I feel like this new app/site is going to be how I lose the next 60 pounds.

If you are a member, let me know. I would love for us to be friends so we can encourage each other! 

Happy Losing,

Her Weigh-In (5/14/2013)

It is Tuesday so I weighed in this morning. Here's what happened...

Weigh-In: +/- o.0

Teacher Appreciation Week was last week and we had many in our school and community who wanted to say thanks. I appreciate all the gifts and kind words. I also appreciate all the goodies - they were yummy! I did try to make some good choices but it was hard and I went over my points. I also, because of being so sick and busy, have not been to the gym in two weeks. 

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I pinned this months ago, but I am revisiting it today because I know I need this. It is OK to have setbacks and to feel discouraged. It is almost normal to feel that way. What is not OK is to give up - and I am refusing to do that. I know what I need to do and I know the choices I need to make. It's time to chill and get it done!

If you are on the same weight loss journey I am, how do you deal with excuses?

Happy Choices,

Her Weigh-In (5/7/2013)

If you did not have a chance to see yesterday's post about how last week went for us around here, please take a look - it will explain a lot about the weigh-in. Here's what happened.

Weigh-In: -2.6
I did not weigh-in last week because of all of the stuff going on. I have not tracked anything on WW since the day my grandmother passed. Life was chaotic and crazy and then I was so sick and stressed. Excuses - excuses - but that's just how it went down.

Goals for this week:
~Track all 7 days
~Drink more water (I have been drinking a lot of soda and hot chocolate to make my throat feel better while I was sick)

Recipe to share:
I am not someone who thinks that soup is only a winter food. I will eat soup all year long because it is yummy. With all that has gone on here in the last two weeks, I have been craving comfort food. This Chicken Pot Pie Soup by SkinnyTaste is just the ticket. It is so yummy and so easy! As always, if you try it, let me know what you think.




*fingers crossed for the coming week*

Her Weigh-In (4/23/13)

Weigh-In Day is here! I was really hoping the 5K on Saturday would help get me a loss this week after a horrible gain last week. Here's what happened...

Weigh-In: +0.6

I said last week that I wanted to have some courageous conversations with myself. I really tried to do that this week. "Do I really need this?" "Am I really hungry?" "Could I drink some water instead of eating?" I think it helped, though I know I have a long way to go. It is becoming so apparent to me that I have a food addiction. It is what I turn to when I am mad, sad, frustrated, etc. It is what I look to for comfort, to make a bad day better, or to celebrate something good. Knowing is the first step to fixing I hope!

Last Week's Goals:

~Earn 15 Activity Points
       I did it!! I finally earned 15 APs in a week. Here's hoping I can do it again!
 ~Walk the Color Me Rad 5K in under an hour
       They do not time you at the 5K because it is meant to be for fun, so I am not sure of my official time. However, Sean and I know that it was under an hour so I am a happy girl!

Goals for the Week:
~Earn 15 Activity Points again this week
~Eat less than 60 points on Saturday

Recipes to Share:
Baked Ranch Chicken on Laa Loosh

Sean and I both love chicken and we build at least three nights of chicken dinners into a weekly menu. This means we try to be creative so we are not eating the same things over and over and over and over. When I found this recipe on LaaLoosh, I thought it would satisfy my love of fried chicken and Sean's love of easy recipes all in one dish. It did not disappoint. The flavor of ranch is subtle and the sour cream adds a great creaminess. I love the crunch factor and Sean loves how easy it is. Check it out here. As always, if you try it, I would love to hear what you think.

*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weigh-In (4/16/13)

Weigh-In Day is here! Let's see what happened...

Weigh-In: +2.7

It is time for some courageous conversations with myself. I am eating too many snack foods, making too many excuses about gym time, and losing motivation. It is time for some changes!!

Last Week's Goals:

~Earn 15 Activity Points
       I got 10 - that's close right? Must do better this week.
 ~Stay within my points
       Nope. :( Went 10 over.

Goals for the Week:
~Earn 15 Activity Points
~Walk the Color Me Rad 5K in under an hour

Recipes to Share:
I'm going to do this a little differently and share how I prep for my week's meals on Sundays.

For breakfast: 
~Using a scale and five Tupperware containers, measure 6 oz of Greek yogurt five times.
~Cut a container of strawberries. Add some to each container.
~Using a scale and five Ziploc bags, measure 1 oz of granola. Keep separate from yogurt so it does not become soggy.
**In morning, take out one tupperware container and one bag of granola. Mix and enjoy!
       I started this meal last week and am in love. It keeps me full, it is super tasty, and I find myself looking forward to having it. Yum yum!

For lunch:
~Follow Skinnytaste recipe for Egg Salad. Put into five Tupperware containers.
~Put five Deli Thins in five Ziploc bags.
~Using a scale and five Ziploc bags, measure 1 oz of Baked Lay's. Put in pantry with Deli Thins.
**The night before, put one carton of Egg Salad, one Deli Thin, and one bag of chips into the lunch bag. This way it is in the fridge and I just have to grab and go in the morning.

I know I am seriously letting my OCD show by telling you all about my prep work. It is a lot to do on Sunday but it is a huge time saver for the week. I am never sorry during the week that I did all that work on Sunday.

*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Spring Break Weigh-Ins

Happy Tuesday! I always find Tuesdays after breaks to be harder than Mondays - harder to get up, harder to find energy, just plain harder. Anyone with me on that one?

Tuesday around here also means weigh-in day. I weighed in last week also but didn't blog about it so I will share both. Here goes...

Last week's weigh-in: +1.8 (EEK!!)
This week's weigh-in: -0.3 (EEP!!)

If you saw my post yesterday (click here if you missed it) we had a very busy but very fun Spring Break. We ate dinner out quite a bit so it was hard for me to stay on plan. I did watch what I was eating and made better choices while out at the restaurants. I also made a conscious decision to drink more water and less soda which I am proud of myself for. 

I will forgo the goals recap for last week since I know I did not accomplish either. This week's goals are:
~Track all 7 days
~Go to the gym 3 times this week

Recipe to Share:

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I love, love, love Fettuccine Alfredo but I know how disastrous that dish can be to anyone who is trying to lose weight. All the butter and cream can do in any diet. You can imagine my excitement when I found this recipe from Point-less Meals for a "skinny" Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken. It was every bit as good as the original and I think this is going to be a new fave in our household. 


*fingers crossed for a good week*

Her Weigh-In (3/26/13)

Hello Tuesday - aka Weigh-In Day! Here's what happened this week...

Weigh-In: -0.4

I was careful and tracked six days. I watched what I ate and tried to make some good decisions. The only meal that went way over points was our anniversary dinner on Saturday (we went to The Melting Pot). I tried the Intermediate level of Wii Zumba and went to the gym. I tried really hard to not make excuses for why I can't do things. Instead I tried to focus on all the reasons I should eat well/work out and how it would benefit me in the long run.

Last Week's Goals:

~Make better choices on Saturday

     I did OK with breakfast and lunch. Dinner, as I said above was at The Melting Pot.

~Go to the gym at least three times

     I went to the gym once and then did a 40 minute Zumba class on the Wii.

Goals for the Week:
~Earn 15 Activity Points

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~Stay within my points

Recipes to Share:
I used to hate Chicken Cordon Bleu - probably because I hated swiss cheese. However, I have converted and Sean and I have several variations that we work into our menus every other week or so. This one is new to us but delish! It's from SkinnyTaste where everything is amazingly good. It is fairly simple to put together and isn't too many points for what you are getting. Try it, I know you will enjoy it! Click here for the recipe.


 

*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weighin (3/19/13)

Howdy Weigh-In Day! After not such a great week last week, I was hoping I could turn things around. Here is what happened...


Weigh-In: -3.1

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**That number completely shocked me! I don't know how I did it but I will happily take it. I am almost to a new middle number (in my three digit weight, a new number in the middle). I have been stuck for so long that I would be over the moon if I could reach a new number.**

What I did...

Right - I tracked 6/7 days. ---- My food choices were not terrible (with the exception of Saturday). ---- I had plenty of water. ---- I earned 4 APs this week.

Wrong - Saturday was my horrible day again. *sigh* ---- I went over points - again! ---- I didn't track on Saturday because I knew it was going to be so bad. ---- None of my APs were earned at the gym or by doing Zumba on the Wii.

Goals for the Week:
~Make better choices on Saturday
~Go to the gym at least three times

Recipes to Share:
In true Southern girl form, I love Chicken & Dumplings. Yum! Yum!! Yum!!! It can be very damaging to my points though. That's why I was so excited when I found this recipe from Polish the Stars. It is very easy and very delicious. It tastes a little more like chicken and biscuits (because the dumplings are biscuits) but I don't care. When I was feeling crummy on Sunday night, this totally hit the spot. Click here to check out the recipe.

*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

 

Her Weigh In (3/12/13)

I was dreading this weigh in, that's for sure. Much damage was done by poor choices. Here goes -

Weigh-In:+1.1

What I did...
Right - Ummmmm...I honestly am not sure I did a whole lot right this week.

Wrong - Saturday, Saturday, Saturday! Brekkie out, lunch out, dinner out. I have got to work on this. --- I went over points - again! --- I didn't track each day and I skipped tracking some things that I knew were bad. --- I only earned 3 APs and I didn't go the gym at all or do any Zumba.

See what I mean?? I was a great, big WW slacker this week.

Goals for the Week:
~Eat right - focus on eating within my points and not going crazy on the weekend
~Earn APs - it is time to make time for the gym and Zumba
**I'm going to stick with that for now. This past week was so bad that I feel like I need to get back to basics.**


Recipes to Share:
Skinnytaste is my absolute favorite foodie blogger. I have never made a recipe of hers that I didn't like. Tonight we made Cheeseburger Casserole. Pasta, ground beef, tomatoes, cheese - what's not to love?? It really was delicious, easy to throw together, and I think it's going to make great leftover lunches. It's a good alternative to ordering cheeseburgers from Five Guys (and way less points too). 





*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weigh-In (3/5/13)

Hello Tuesday and Weigh-In Day! Here are my results...

Weigh-In: -0.4

What I did...
Right - I stayed within my points. --- I did not do any over-snacking. --- I avoided an over indulgence of soda on the weekend. --- We ate out but I tried to make good choices and I tracked all that I ate.

Wrong - I only earned 7 APs this week (lower than I have been lately). --- No gym days this week; my APs were earned at home doing Zumba on the Wii (not bad but it isn't as intense a workout as the one I get at the gym). --- I made a lot of excuses for why I couldn't go to the gym. 

Goals for the Week:
~No excuses!
~Make time for the gym
~Eat at home on Friday night

Recipes to Share:
Sean and I are big fans of meatloaf. We make several variations -- like a Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf that I blogged about here. This past week I found a Mexican Meatloaf on the SkinnyKitchen site. We tried it on Sunday night and it was delish! It had all the Mexican elements that you would expect, but still tasted like a meatloaf. You can find the recipe here. If you try it, I would love to know what you think. 

We served the meatloaf with this Fiesta Lime Rice by Skinnytaste. It was super easy to pull together and it was very tasty. 

Combined, this dinner was 11 points and extremely filling. Loved everything about it!!



*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weigh-In (2/26/13) -- A Milestone is Reached!

It's Tuesday so that means weigh-in day for me. :) Here's what happened...

Weight: -1.6

That means I have lost another 5 pounds and hit the milestone of losing 60 total pounds!!! I am so excited to be able to say that I have lost over 60 pounds!!!

    

                                        Source                                               Source

What I did...
Right - I tracked everything (even when I didn't want to). ----- I drank more water during the week than usual. ----- I earned 17 Activity Points. (Thanks to a coworker on the trip this weekend who is a fellow WW. She encouraged me to take the stairs at the hotel and I earned bunches of APs for the effort.)

Wrong - I ate at Red Robin, McDonald's, Papa John's, and Wendy's (the convention I went to this weekend meant lots of fast food). ----- I drank a lot of soda this weekend (see restaurant list above).

Goals:
~Eat at home more
~Drink more water and tea on the weekend (to avoid so much soda)

Recipe to share:
I love pasta - all pasta! This dish, Baked Shells with Meatballs, is my lunches for this week. I made the whole casserole and then portioned it out into Tupperware. It is delicious and it keeps me full all afternoon. It tastes a little like lasagne or stuffed shells. If you try it, let me know what you think.




*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weigh-In (2/19/13)

It's Tuesday, aka Weigh-In Day. Here's what happened this week...

Weight: -0.4

What I did...
Right - I earned 10 Activity Points (not as many as I wanted but it's still a good amount). --- I tracked everything 6/7 days this week. 

Wrong - I did not track on Saturday. --- I drank way too much soda over the weekend. --- I only went to the gym once during the week. --- My food choices were not always great.

Goals for the coming week:
~Earn 15 APs
~Track 7/7 days
~Make better food choices 7/7 days


Recipe to share:
Sean and I did not make any new recipes this week. We went back to some of our oldies but goodies. We have had this as a staple of our menu for a few months now. It is a cross between Chicken Parmesan and meatloaf, called, not surprisingly, Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf. Try it - I am certain you will love it. You can find the recipe here.

*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weigh-In (2/12/13)

It's Tuesday so that means it is Weigh-In day. Here's what happened...

Weigh-In: +/- 0.0

What I did...
Right - I tracked my food. --- I went to the gym/worked out three times. --- I earned 16 Activity Points (one more than my goal for myself). --- I drank more water, cutting back on my soda and coffee (another goal achieved). --- I controlled my eating on Friday and Saturday (another goal checked off). --- I did some training for my Color Me Rad 5K.

Wrong - I skipped three workouts this week. --- I am drinking more water than I used to, but I know I am not getting as much as I should. 

Goals for the coming week:
~Train for Color Me Rad
~Earn 15 Activity Points
~Eat more fruits and veges each day

Recipe to share:

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Sean and I love enchiladas and tacos so it is normal for us to need to buy one packet of taco seasoning a week. One week, Sean forgot to pick one up and we had to improvise with a "from scratch" taco seasoning using spices on our spice rack. I am so glad that this happened because what we made is so much more flavorful than the store-bought packet. The recipe is here and I think once you try it, the packets will be a thing of the past in your household as well. 



*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weighin (2/5/13)

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Another week - another weigh-in. I bought a new scale so this week I can weigh-in in the morning and not have to push "A" fifty times to weigh-in on the Wii. *fingers crossed* Here goes...

Weight: -2.2
**Disclaimer - I weighed in on the new scale so there will be a weird curve this week. Next week will be a better judge of weight because it will be the second week on the new scale.

What I did...
Right - I tracked my food. --- I did not miss my daily soda. --- I earned 9 Activity Points for the week! --- I drank a lot more water than I usually do.

Wrong - I went way over my points for the week. --- Sean's birthday (Saturday), I ate 70 points. --- I allowed myself to skip two workouts this week (not a good trend.) --- Two visits to Sweet Frogs. --- Four meals out and away from home.

Goals for the coming week:
~Earn 15 Activity Points
~Continue drinking water, cutting back on soda and coffee
~Control eating on Friday night/Saturday
~Train for the Color Me Rad 5K

Recipe to share:
Comfort food is always delish and can make you feel better at the end of a long day. (Is that just me???) Mac and Cheese is a very comforting and delicious dinner. This recipe that I found on Pinterest for Gnocchi Mac and Cheese seems like it should be a points killer. But I was surprised! It is as tasty and comforting as you would imagine it is ---- and only 9 PPV per serving (if you divide into 4).


*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weigh-In (1/29/13)

Here we go again. It's Tuesday which means Weight Watchers Weigh-In Day. I was so not excited for this one after the gain last week. 

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Weigh-In:  -2.2
**Disclaimer: I switched from weighing in at night to weighing in first thing in the morning. That accounts for some of the loss. Some is an actual loss that I am very happy about!**

 


What I feel I did...
Right: I did not go completely crazy on Friday and Saturday (as I have in weeks past). --- I went to the gym 5 times. --- I earned 16 Activity Points (so proud of myself for this one!!). --- I participated in Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K. --- I did not buy sodas for the house, and I did not miss having them.

Wrong: I ate over my points by 10. --- I ate a medium popcorn at the movie theater...all by myself. ---  I am still not eating as many fruits and veges as I should. --- I did a lot of "picking" on Saturday and Sunday (meaningless eating where I pick up a handful of something in the kitchen when I am not hungry).

Goals for the coming week:
~Continue going to the gym and earning those APs
~Incorporate more fruits and veges as snacks during the day
~Cut back on the morning cups of coffee so I will drink more water during the day
~Complete another 5K this weekend on the treadmill (on my own, for "fun" --> haha, that's funny...5Ks are not fun, but they are good exercise)
~Sign up for the Color Me Rad 5K in April

Recipe to share:
I love chocolate! It is my absolute favorite snack and dessert food. It is rare to find anything chocolatey that I do not like. When I saw Skinnytaste had a Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding, I knew I would love it and I was so right!!! The serving size is 2, perfect for Sean and I, but the comments show that people doubled and tripled the recipe and it wasn't a problem. I definitely recommend this chocolately, gooey, and scrumptious dessert!!

*fingers crossed for a good week coming up*

Her Weigh-In (1/22/13)

It's Weight Watchers Weigh-In Day for me. I was not looking forward to this one - but I never am lately because I have been stuck and stalled for so long. Here are my results...

Weigh-in Results:+1.3 :'(

What I feel like I did right/wrong:
Right - I stayed within my points - barely. --- I drank more water. --- There are no more sodas in the house and I am not buying any more (I hope I can keep this up!). I will drink a soda if we are out at a restaurant, but I would like to keep them as a sometimes drink rather than a daily drink. --- I went to the gym three times (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday).

Wrong - I ate way too many points on Friday and Saturday (again, that's two weeks in a row). --- I didn't eat as many fruits and veges as I should - especially when choosing snacks.  
*Honestly, I can't think of many other things that I feel I did "wrong". The fact that I had such a huge gain this week is disheartening and depressing. The old, beat-up-self feelings are coming back and they are packing a wallop.*
           
Goals for the coming week:
~Go to the gym! I've gotta earn those APs.
~Drink more water; Keep up with the whole "No Sodas in the House" idea
~Stop going so over my daily points on the weekends
~Complete Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K (It's best if she explains it to you - click on the race name for more details)

ActiveLink: 
My goal (set by the ActiveLink) is 2 Activity Points a day. Seems doable but there is one hiccup with this ActiveLink that I do not like. It will not count APs until I hit my "baseline" (which is what it was calculating during my Assessment phase). This is so confusing because I cannot simply go to the gym and get APs; I have to go to the gym and make sure my baseline is reached and then I earn APs. I know they did this so I will work out more and exercise harder but it's a big pain in the butt! I wish it just gave me APs as I do an activity and be simple!!

Recipe to share: 
I did a blog post earlier this week about our dinner plans. I found some really good recipes that I pinned (on this board) and we have been trying them out. Sunday night's dinner, the Pulled Barbecue Chicken from Skinny Kitchen was delicious. If you are looking for a new take on pulled pork or for an easy dinner that can also be leftovers for lunches, I recommend this recipe.

*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her Weighin, 1/15/2013

Rather than do a Resolution Recap weekly (we need time to accomplish our goals afterall), some Tuesdays will be just a simple "How was Amanda's Weight Watchers weighin?" I am hoping that, by using the blog, I will create some accountability for myself and will see some of the results I was seeing last year. I have been stalled for too long!

Weighin: -0.9

What I feel like I did right/wrong:
Right - I tracked what I ate and made some good choices. I drank more water and cut back on my soda intake.
Wrong - I ate WAYYY too many points this weekend. I ended up going over my total number of allotted points for the week (daily and weekly). I also didn't go to the gym at all.

Goals for the coming week:
~Earn Activity Points - at this point I just want some (I am so quick to make excuses about not going to the gym!)

ActiveLink: 
I am still in the assessment stage. By this Friday, I should have my first Activity Points goal. I'm excited to see what it says!

Recipe to share: 
There are several bloggers whose recipes have been weekly additions to our menu. I check their sites daily and pin the ideas that seem too delicious to pass up. When I told Sean about this recipe from "Point-less Meals", we both decided we had to make it - and soon! Pizza Meatloaf combines the idea of a meatloaf with the flavors of a pizza -- ground beef with flavorings (onion and peppers) with cheese rolled inside, topped with marinara sauce and baked. It was crazy good! You will not remember that you are eating something that is WW friendly.

*fingers crossed for a good coming week*

Her 2013 Resolutions Linky Parties

                 
Yes, it's another linky for me (Amanda) but it's all about New Year's Resolutions and half the fun of making resolutions is learning what others have decided to work on in their upcoming year. 

This linky is with Amanda (hey - we have the same name! haha) at Teaching Maddenness and Jen at The Teacher's Cauldron. Both blogs are a new find for me but I think they are great, so click on the buttons above and check them out!

My Resolutions:
Personal - 
1. Be a better Weight Watcher! 
    I have lost exactly one pound since June. Horrible -- seeing as how the year before that saw a 50 pound weight loss. I have got to go back to being a good Weight Watcher and all that entails - focusing on making good food choices and exercising regularly to start!

2. Practice Knitting
     I know how to crochet and cross stitch, but they aren't for me. This past weekend I decided that I wanted to learn how to knit. I'm hoping to practice enough to become an "OK Knitter" or even - needles crossed - a "Good Knitter". 

3. Read More Nonfiction Books
    I am an avid reader of fiction novels - chick lit mostly. I know there are incredible works of nonfiction out there and I should be reading them. The first I found through a linky we did Sunday (click here for that post) and I am excited to read it.

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For School - 
1. Stop Procrastinating!
    I really only have the one resolution for school. It is the same resolution I set every year at the beginning and half way. I need to stop procrastinating! I always leave the papers that need to be graded until the last minute and I don't use my time wisely when at school. I am more than willing to "chase bunnies" (a phrase borrowed from a teacher I work with meaning I am distracted by other projects) and am not focused on what needs to be done. It is time to work smarter, not harder (again, a phrase stolen from someone I used to work with)!


For the blog - 
1. Blog more!
     I want to be able to continue posting even during the school week. Life gets so hectic and crazy busy that I let blogging slip to the back burner. Maybe if I can master my school resolution, it will carry over to this one.

So there you have it - my 2013 New Year's Resolutions. Here's hoping - *fingers crossed* - that I will be able to see them through to 2014. 

Happy 2013 Everyone,