Natalie, Version 5.2

Inspired. Driven. Excited. These are all of the features of Natalie, Version 5.2, in homage to my 5.2 pound weight lost in 7 days. WHAT?! Yes, this is correct. This is not a typo: 5.2 POUNDS, 7 DAYS. I lost nearly a pound a day my first week back on the Weight Watchers plan and this version of myself excites me and challenges me to truly commit to Natalie, Version 30, and then my ultimate goal of Natalie, Version 60!

With that said, was my first week hard? I would say it was a bit of a challenge at times but I prepared myself by stocking my refrigerator and pantry with healthy items (fresh fruit, brown rice, fiber-rich whole grains, vegetables, fat free dairy products, lean meats, beans, etc.) and not denying myself to occasional goodies, which for me is the single serve Twinkie, 100 calorie mini brownies, and Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches.  I had at least one (sometimes two) of these delicious goodies a day.  While I am changing my lifestyle/eating habits-I would be kidding (and depriving) myself if I cut out the things I love, like Twinkies and ice cream. lol. Everything in moderation is the key. Who said you can't eat what you love in lose weight? I made delicious meals: chicken burritos (think Chipotle), turkey burgers, southwestern chicken salad, fish (by Mrs. Paul's) with brown rice and veggies. I ate oatmeal (a lot), turkey and cheese sandwiches, and maybe two boxed meal, like Smart Ones Chicken Teriyaki Stir-fry, which I added an additional cup of broccoli...it was very filling. I worked out (once)- Zumba on Wii. Umm, I need to workout more this week...every week.

My version of a Chicken Burrito (after one bite)

 Okay, so now I am in the midst of week two, striving to lose at least 1.5 pounds this week. Challenges? Yes. Valentine's day. Ray made me about 30 chocolate covered strawberries and Raina (with my aunt's assistance) made me cupcakes, cookies, a bouquet of heart-shaped lollipops, and a small box of chocolates.

On one hand I was thinking "how sweet," and the other side of me (the I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT side) was like "seriously? I mean seriously!" So I decided to take a page out of my mother-in-laws book and be grateful (which I truly am), eat  maybe one, and give the rest away. I ate the tops of the small cupcakes over the past two days and the heart-shaped lollipops and box of chocs remain closed.

If this was a test, I would pass, which is great...considering I'm sleep deprived. Cole is on his own sleep schedule for now. I don't expect him to be on a good schedule until June. Gotta love the babies. #UpAllNight:)

-Natalie