Talking to Myself

So, some who spend lots of time around me may think that I've gone crazy, but I'm actually trying to talk to myself more often these days. Not in my head- actually talking aloud to myself. Now why would I want to do this? To annoy the guy who sits next to my office at work? To entertain my husband? Nope. Rather, I think that my little Weight Watchers catch phrases are actually a lot more effective for me if I actually say them out loud.

Over the years I've picked up a few sayings about staying motivated, on plan, and to help out in those precarious moments when faced with a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie. Sayings such as:

"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"
"One moment in the mouth= a lifetime on the hips"
"Is it really worth it?" (that simple one is my favorite)
"Am I really (actually) hungry?"

There are plenty more out there- try exploring the message boards on the Weight Watchers website and you'll stumble across many different sayings, appropriate for a variety of situations.

For years I've been using these sorts of phrases- in my head- with some success. Recently however, I've tried actually saying things a loud. Honestly- I've noticed a difference! Example: this morning I overdid it at breakfast and had a pumpkin nut muffin. I knew that I could keep within my POINTS (by using some of my Weekly Points Allowance) if I was focused for the rest of the day. Mid-afternoon rolls around and I start to get antsy for snacky foods. I truly wasn't hungry- and there really weren't all that many exciting snack options available anyway- so when I asked myself out loud if I was actually hungry, I responded (to myself) with a resounding "no"! That did it! No more snacking urge for the afternoon.

Think of talking to yourself like having a conversation with your best friend- give it a try. You can ask the hard questions, and give the candid responses that only you can give yourself. Plus, I'll vouch for you if your family, friends, or coworkers attempt to have you committed! :)

Millions of peaches, peaches for me

...anyone remember that song from the 90's? It was by that band "The Presidents of the United States of America"- they were a random band. In any case, peaches (and not "the peaches come from a can,they were put there by a man" kind as the song lyrics go...) are WONDERFUL right now! I've had this little rephrase from the song in my head ever since I bit into my first truly ripe and juicy peach of the season on Sunday afternoon.

**Public service announcement: Colorado Palisade peaches are currently on sale at Denver-area King Soopers for $.99/lb.**

Back to the regularly scheduled blog: We talk about fruit quite a bit in the meeting room, and I love a good piece of fruit as much as the next Weight Watcher- but I'm telling you- these peaches are out of this world. They are not just fruit- they are truly divine. If you have not yet had a ripe peach this season run- do not walk- to the nearest place where you can get your hands on these juicy orbs!

I've been enjoying them as-is (be sure to have plenty of napkins hand), sliced in fruit salads (with raspberries in particular), with a dollop of low fat ice cream in the center (slice in half, pop out the pit, fill with a mini scoop of frozen goodness- great built in portion control in the cavity of the pit), and I've even grilled them, as we discussed in a meeting earlier this summer. YUM!

So, get 'em while they are fresh, and savor this summer sweet the last few weeks of the season. True to the lyrics, "If I had my little way,I'd eat peaches every day".

I'm baaaackkkk...

Well- it is official- I'm married! We had an absolutely incredible few days surrounding our wedding- and the day of was just as we had wanted. We lucked out with gorgeous weather for our spectacular outdoor setting (which we learned quickly to appreciate, as the day following the wedding we awoke to a torrential downpour). We came back to Colorado on Thursday of that week and on Friday morning embarked on our honeymoon hike. I'll share the details later- but in short, I'm very proud to say that we did it! We walked just around 100 miles- from the top of Kenosha pass to the Mt. Elbert/Mt. Massive trailhead outside of Leadville. We averaged around 12 miles/day with our 25 pound packs, and were up between 9,000 and 12,500 ft. for the whole trip. Whew! Needless to say, I'm still catching up on my relaxation. I got to do a bit of sitting around this weekend, which was very nice. I'll be back to my semi-regular posting here now too.

I though that I'd share a few photos from the hike (wedding photos to come later...). The first photo here is somewhere between Kenosha Pass and Breckenridge. This was the typical scene on the trail. The second one (with the very blue sky) was between Breckenridge and Copper Mountain. This was probably one of our most challenging days- as we were up above the treeline for a good portion of the hike (and we had to go up, up, up to get there)! The final picture of me by the sign is at the very end (proof that I made it)! This is where the trail continues on towards Durango. We've already discussed the possibility of doing a similar hike from this point forward for our anniversary...