Fitness Friday: The scale isn't happy

Happy Friday droolers!

Friday is my normal weigh-in day and so this morning I wandered downstairs to face the music. The scale wasn't happy, and neither was I!

I gained about two pounds. You might tell me it's no big deal; that it's only two pounds. But, I tell you this - two pounds can quickly lead to five pounds. It's a slippery slope.

This is where I take a step back and repeat "Know thyself."

Backsliding when it comes to weight loss is dangerous because it often leads to giving up - at least for me. I vow not to let this happen!

For the past two weeks, I could feel my dedication to diet and exercise waver. Maybe it's the colder weather, or the fact that I am working full-time, taking two classes, working a part-time job and raising a happy 15-month-old son.

When life gets busy, the first thing that falls off the table is healthy eating. More take-out and quick meals, means higher calorie counts.

How to stop the backslide

For inspiration and affirmation that I will stay on my weight loss plan, I turned to Andie Mitchell, the amazing voice behind Can You Stay For Dinner, a blog about food, weight loss and living your fullest life.

Here is how Andie describes herself: "I am a 27-year-old passionate cook, baker, and friend to chocolate. Cooking and baking have always held a special place in my life- from the creation to the consumption. I am home in my kitchen."

Andie lost 135 pounds and has kept it off for many years.

Here's what she says about getting started on a weight loss journey:

"I started on Weight Watchers for the first six months of my 135lb weight loss and then I transitioned into calorie counting. Weight Watchers was a blessing in the ways it taught me proper portion sizes, the breakdown of food in terms of nutrition- fiber/carbohydrate, fat, protein. I learned to read labels and pay attention to what I was buying and biting. For these reasons, I would recommend Weight Watchers to many people as they start their journey to losing weight."

Andie integrated running and walking during her weight loss journey, but she said, mostly, we are what we eat.

"Eating well, eating in a proper calorie range for you, that is almost all of the weight equation. Know that what you eat will influence and account for 85% of where you find yourself on the scale. I walk because I love it. I walk because it sets off a domino effect of healthy choices in my life- I feel good, I’m energized, I’m motivated to do more, I’m peppy about eating wholesome foods, I’m wanting to maintain a feeling of health and vitality."

Take some time to learn more at Andie and Can You Stay for Dinner? at www.canyoustayfordinner.com.

Bottom line

The key is finding what you love to do. Go for hikes in the wilderness. Go for jogs around your community pond. Sign up for every yoga class within a 10-mile radius. Do what makes you feel happy and healthy.

That's the bottom line droolers. I hope I inspired all of you to get back on the weight loss train if you have lost it like I have. Here's to a great weekend and a happier scale next Friday!

Here's Andie's latest recipe for a warm and satisfying vegetable lunch.

Autumn Butternut Squash Salad

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-2 inch chucks

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large apple, peeled and chopped in pieces roughly the same size as the squash

2 tablespoons oil

salt and pepper

1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

1/4 cup chopped scallions (green onions)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the butternut squash, apple, onion, and oil in a large bowl, using your hands to coat the fruit/vegetables well with oil.

Spread the fruit/vegetables on a large baking sheet, salt and pepper them liberally, and roast for 1 hour. Check the vegetables after 40 minutes and flip them as best you can to ensure they do not burn on one side.

When they are tender and able to be pierced with a fork, remove the fruit/vegetables to a large bowl. Toss with the dried cranberries and scallions.