happy 4th of July

Actually, I'm not really feeling this as a special holiday other than I got the day off from the family I nanny for. YAY!

I've had 2 extra little girls here since last night. They are really close to my 2 youngest girls, but being the ornery 3 year-old that she is, Kelli is being terrible to her friend so there is constant conflict there. And going to bed last night was an issue. They all fell asleep eventually, but Kelli and her friend Ju-Ju were up till like 10-which means Jack E was also up till almost 10. He was up early and was a WRECK!!! I put him back to bed at 9:20.

**sigh**

So I was the good mama host this morning and made chocolate pancakes...from scratch. They really are as good as they sound. Cocoa powder and chocolate chips. YUMMY! I did make them small for all the little kiddos. And I only ate 2. And a half. They are really sweet, too sweet for me. Then I also made a batch of Roni's Multigrain Pancakes to freeze for a quick breakfast for me later. I'm not sure I liked how they turned out. I put it through the WW recipe builder and it was 1 point for each small cake even if I double the amount of whole wheat flour. I think I might try them again that way.

So, I had a comment yesterday about my experience with Weight Watchers. I have truly loved the program. It has been really easy for me to follow. And for me the best part is that it's not a quick fix. I have had issues with overeating all my life. I remember coming home after school in 3rd grade and eating 3 or 4 Ho-Ho's as a snack. One just wasn't enough. And my mom wasn't home from work to monitor me, so I overindulged. I think that was the beginning of my overeatng in private. I found some strange comfort in that I guess.

I have inherited a great metabolism from my dad. He was one of those guys who ate anything he wanted and drank lots of beer and stayed totally slim...until he was about 35 or so. I have always been able to really watch my intake for a few weeks and lose a few pounds. I could do slim-fast or diet pills and do great for about a month. I even did really well with a low-carb diet. The problem for me was always maintaining. I couldn't live like that.

I remember getting pregnant with Emma after losing about 20 pounds on a low-carb plan. After I found out I was pregnant, I decided to abandon my low-carb ways. I had suffered 2 miscarriages just before that and always wondered if my eating was part of it. So I started eating carbs again...with abandon. I thought, "I will never eat muffins again...I better have one or two every day. I will never eat doughnuts again...I better have them a few times a week." And what happened? I gained 13 pounds before my first prenatal visit at 12 weeks. I gained 41 pounds with that pregnancy (my biggest pg gain) and was soooo miserable.

Weight Watchers has helped me learn how to be better balanced. I still have issues, trust me. But I am learning to balance the big slip-ups with healthier choices. After losing 15 or 20 pounds, I started going for walks a few times a week. For me, it's not so much about the exercise making me lose more weight, but it's about the way I feel after I walk in the morning. It's endorphis, yes, but it's also my time. I listen to my music and can be alone inside my head. I have time to think without being interrupted by the kids. I have time to pray and reflect.

And I know I am doing a good thing for myself. I think I am toning my legs and booty, too. But that's not my primary reason anymore.

As for cost. There are several options with WW. You can check them out online or go to a local office. Meetings have been a big help to me. But the support I have found from other bloggers has been great too. Roni has also set up an online community on her blog for others to share their stories and struggles.

I have LOVED the program. I have always followed FLEX because it allows me the FLEXibility (ha ha-sorry!) to have treats and then balance my day or week and still see losses. I have really considered CORE this summer becuase I could eat TONS of fruits and veggies and hardly any meat. Then again, I totally love my breads, too, so I have never made the switch.

Anyway, I've gone on a long time. And now I being begged to go to the water park. And I need to run to the store since we are completely out of milk-AGAIN! Dang kids! :P