Tools For The Trip

"As I mentioned previously, the tools that allow for optimum health are diet and exercise"

~ Bill Toomey

Hi y'all! I think I'm channeling a bit of my WW leader, Tex, with that opening. She says "y'all" a lot...makes me giggle every time.

So how's everyone doing this week? There's been a lot of you out there who have been struggling in the same way I have. I'm curious to know how you've been managing lately.

Me? I'm still struggling....but I'm on my way. Let me introduce you to some of my Tools For The Trip:

This here is my planning board. I used a permanent marker to divide it into days and write the days on and then I use a whiteboard marker for the dates and the planning. At the top of each day I write any evening commitments that might affect what we have for dinner and then underneath I plan out our dinner meals at least. During the school holidays I try to plan out lunches too, but it doesn't always work.

Part of this tool is my ever growing collection of Weight Watchers cookbooks and any other cookbook that has the nutritional info listed so that I can work out the points. I don't always use my cookbooks in my planning. Sometimes we have a week where convenience is going to be key and that's where meals of spaghetti, sandwiches, eggs & toast and salad come into play.

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This is my latest haul from the most awesome fruit & veg shop here in town - and it's only part of it. I couldn't fit everything on the table.

I used to buy my fruit & veg from the supermarket, and still do occasionally, but this new shop is the bomb! This haul only cost me $30...which, in this country, is amazing.

The kids and I are back to our "try a new fruit or veg every fortnight" gig, and pumpkin & persimmon are it right now.

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Um. If you haven't tried these things yet, then I highly recommend you get off your ass and go to the store for some. Right now.

I'll wait.

Ok.

Are they not the best things ever? And only ONE ProPoint each! Yummy!

These have many benefits: they cure my craving for something sweet, they're cold and seem to curb any hunger pangs & they also keep my hands busy. Win, win, WIN! Try 'em!

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Ok. So I can't claim any great insight into any of the things I've listed so far or will continue to list...and this is just the same. Water. Duh. We all know that water is an essential thing in this journey towards a healthier us.

BUT!

The wonderful SuzieQ had one of these bottles at a meeting and I loved it, so I went searching. Finally found one yesterday.

It's called a "bobble". It's BPA free, recyclable, has replacement filters and the filters last for about 300 bottles worth of water. I love it. And I'm getting a TON of water into me right now.

My back teeth seem to be a bit confused right now, what with all the floating around, but I imagine they'll adjust eventually.

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Ahhh the evil pedometer. Have you got one of these?

I have a love/hate relationship with my pedometer. On the one hand, I can earn extra ProPoints to use and track how active I haven't been during the day. On the other hand, it seems to do its darndest to keep that step goal away from me.

A few weeks ago, I was all talk about winning this step challenge we were starting at WW and then, Murphy's Law being what it is, I hurt myself. And then I got sick. So, while I've been racking up some steps, it hasn't been nearly enough to even come CLOSE to winning the step challenge. Instead, I've challenged myself. Instead of 10,000 steps a day, I am aiming for 15,000 a day.

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Last, but not least, is my beloved Points Calculator. I take this thing everywhere.

I get some funny looks when I am standing in the aisles at the supermarket, busily calculating the points in cans of baked beans or bags of rice, but it is totally worth it. By taking this bad boy with me, I know there are less points in Basmati rice than in white rice. I know the budget beans are less than the pricey ones.

This way, I can buy something and be safe in the knowledge that I'm not going to get it home and find out it's going to use up a huge portion of my ProPoints allowance. I have one in my purse and one at home.

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So those are the basic tools that I find essential to my journey. Do I always make use of them? No. But I'm learning to. There's also my wonderful bike, Greta, and my feet for walking...not to mention my iPod and my friends.

But the most important tool that any of us has in this whole thing, as corny as it sounds, is our brain. If we can't wrap our brains around the way things should be, if we can't come to terms with the things we need to cut out, tone down, amp up or bring in....then we'll never succeed. This is exactly the problem I've had for so many months now. Aside from becoming complacent, I don't think I ever really FULLY invested in the process. I talked a big game, but I never played by the rules. That's all changing. Right NOW.

"I think the hard thing about all these tools is that it takes a fair amount of effort to become proficient."
~ Bill Joy

So....what are YOUR tools for success?