Finding the Old Me in the New Year with Weight Watchers!

Just to give you a little history on me, I used to be one of those thin gals (size 4) who ate a lot of junk and it didn't matter.  My mother always said that it would catch-up with me.....and it did.  After I had my son (9 years ago), I lost most of the baby weight right away, but found it increasingly difficult to keep it off.  Combine a lack of activity, hypothyroidism, and poor eating habits, and I ballooned over the years. 

BEFORE:  This was me (on vacation) 10 days before I joined WW Online
July, 2011

I love to cook and I know how to make healthy meals; however, I also love snacking and eating out.  I also got lazy about it all....buying lunch at work everyday and fast-food on the way home at night.  Before I knew it, I was 180 pounds and a size 16.  I gave away all of my "thin" clothes last Spring and decided that I was just going to be fat (because obviously I wasn't doing anything about it).  Then, my aunt joined Weight Watchers and started losing weight...she looked fantastic!  I had not seen her that thin since I was a teenager.  I was inspired. 

BEFORE:  This was me in August, 2011.....
I was already down over 10 lbs and feeling good about wearing a size 14.

So, on July 17, 2011, I joined Weight Watchers Online and downloaded the app for my iPhone.  I figured I would give the free trial a chance and if I hated it, I would quit.  Well, I loved it.  The mobile app made it so easy to track my eating and I was surprised how quickly the weight started coming off just with moderation and portion control.  I soon realized how out-of-proportion my serving sizes had been and how much I was snacking and grazing throughout the day. 
 It is now January 04. 2012, and I am 35 pounds lighter and a size 8!  I am half of who I was almost 6 months ago. 

AFTER:  This is me (a size 8) in December, 2011!

An old teacher saw me last month and said: "You look like you did in high school!"...what a compliment!  My new friends and coworkers never knew me as a thin person and they have all been amazed watching the transformation.  The best parts:  I feel great!  I have more energy and confidence.  My feet do not hurt like they did at the end of a 12 hour shift.  And, I am healthier and am setting a much better example for my son!  So, from time-to-time, I may post some great recipes I have found that are low-fat and conducive to a healthy diet....hopefully, you will be inspired to try a few.

My ultimate goal is a total of 50 pounds...so I have 15 more to go.  What a great way to start 2012!  

AFTER:  Me wearing a "little black dress" to a Christmas party! 
December, 2011

Winter Decorations

I took down all of the Christmas decorations yesterday and cleaned up all the glitter and faux snow, et cetera.....only to find that my house looks like it has been robbed!!  It is so sadly naked after the holidays, isn't it?  Then, I realized that I didn't know what to put back in place?!?  I moved into the house in the Spring and pretty much decorated for Easter, then Summer decorations, Fall decorations, then Christmas decorations,.....I needed WINTER decorations!

So, I told my son to put his shoes on and we made a Hobby Lobby  and Walmart run.  Well, Hobby Lobby was a great trip because all of their Christmas was 80% off...yes, 80% off!  I picked up a beautiful wreath, some more garland for next year, and a few other items on sale.  I found this awesome piece for 50% off and couldn't pass it up....I just loved it!

My "had to have it" 50% off sign for my entryway.

Then, I dug out some of the stuff that I just put away yesterday (i.e. pine cones, snow, branches).  I put together a little something wintry for the dining table centerpiece and then started on my "nook". 

I have a "nook" in my entryway...it is the first thing that you see when you walk in the house.  As soon as I saw this house, I knew that this "nook" would be my seasonal spot!  Here are the ones I've done so far (sans my summer/spring one...can't find a pic):  

Our first holiday in the house:  our Easter "nook"

The Fall "nook"

The Christmas "nook"

I started off this afternoon by making paper snowflakes....white and glittery blue in a couple of sizes. 

 

Then, I made a "Welcome" sign with a canvas I purchased (40% off) at Hobby Lobby today.  After seeing several projects using canvas and puff paint on Pinterest this past Fall, I already had white puff paint in my craft room and had not used it!  I painted the edges of the canvas with blue acrylic paint and a sponge brush and wrote my message free-hand in puff paint.  The snowflakes were free-hand in puff paint as well.

I think the sign turned out pretty cute for a quickie project!

After it dried, I hung it in the "nook" along with a cute little icicle garland (another 80% off HL find).  I strung my paper snowflakes on invisible thread from my sewing box and hung them from the "nook" ceiling.  I added faux snow, some pine cones, greenery, branches in some of my glass jars and vases, and viola....a whimsical winter "nook" in an afternoon!

Happy Winter!

The Winter "nook"