Planning for a Challenging Weekend

[theresa925]

This weekend I have a few challenging events coming up that I am already planning ahead for in order to remain OP and successful!

On Friday night, DBF and I are going to dinner at a friends apartment. I volunteered to bring an appetizer: spinach dip with some lower point modifications and vegetables for dipping (I'll calculate the points tonight). I've already asked what she was thinking of making, which is a "white winter chili". Knowing the cook, it won't be an unhealthy recipe, so I feel alright with that as my dinner. We volunteered to bring some drinks over, but I'm not really ever that interested in drinking beer, so if anything I'll have a few sips and then stick to water. Since we are going straight to their apartment after work, I won't have time for my usual evening workout. My ideal plan is to get up before work and hit the gym, but I'm not sure if that will happen, as I am not really a morning person. I weigh-in and my flex reset on Fridays, so I'm not terribly concerned if I miss one day of working out.

On Saturday evening, we are having a 60th birthday dinner for my dad at my aunts house. I also volunteered to bring an appetizer (more spinach dip and veggie dippers). I'm already working on a game plan for dinner because I know there will be many high point items, and probably less of a selection of things that are really ww-friendly. I know my mom is baking a ham, I'll have my appetizer, and there should (hopefully) be some kind of salad or green vegetable. I'll plan for a few bites of higher point items by doing my workout in the morning. I also think I might also whip up some pumpkin fluff, since I know there will be cake, and I'd rather not spend points on that. After the dinner, I'm spending the night at my parents house and DBF is spending the night at his mom's.

On Sunday, I'm going to stay around with my parents for the day. They rarely have anything I am interested in having for breakfast, so I'm going to bring home an oatmeal packet, some applesauce, and some other items like fruit and granola bars to keep with me. I also plan on bringing a WATP workout video home with me so that I can get some exercise in. We'll probably go out to lunch or eat leftovers, so I will be able to navigate that pretty well. DBF and I should be back at our apartment for dinner, and (if I've gotten all of my homework finished) I can maybe sneak in a workout at the gym after that.

What do you think buddies? Is there anything else I should be thinking about that I might have forgotten? Thanks!

[Kait617]

Looks like a good plan, Teresa! Can you maybe offer to bring a salad, too, so you know that Saturday will be doable? Can you get the rest of the menu from your mom?

My weekend has the potential to be a little challenging but shouldn't be too bad.

Friday
I am going out Friday night with some friends from law school. The biggest challenge will be not drinking too much. I plan to stick to light beer, alternate with water, and make sure I eat a filling but low-point dinner before I go out so I am not tempted to eat. I'd really like to not use any flex points, just dailies + APs.

Saturday
During the day, I am heading to the Metropolitan Cooking Show in D.C. There will be lots of samples of beer, wine, and food - hence the saving of my flex points. I plan to really think about what I want, enjoy those things, use the points, and not go crazy. Sometimes I actually find little samples easier to deal with than whole meals.

Also, A and I might get up and workout. We both had long weeks though, so I am not going to feel guilty if we sleep in instead.

Sunday
Only plans are to go see Up at a second run theater around here (that serves beer and food). I'll offer to drive and pick something healthy from the menu for lunch. If we don't work out Saturday morning, we will Sunday.

[Bianca]

Theresa - Your plan sounds like a good and well thought-out one. You mention working out and using your APs for some of the things out of your control. Do you have any flex left for the week? If you do, you could also allot yourself XX amount of those for whatever you encounter that you haven't planned for.

Good planning buddy!

[theresa925]

Thanks for the help ladies! I asked my mom to confirm the rest of the menu with me, and it was almost worse than I thought. Warning, don't read ahead for some food p0rn: including cornbread pudding, homemade macaroni and cheese and spinach quiche. Knowing my family, there will be more than these tempting items there. I volunteered to bring a salad with me to the party. My plan is to fill most of my plate with salad, a few slices of ham, and maybe one taste of one of the less figure friendly items.

I should be ok for the weekend because I weigh-in on Fridays and my flex reset as well.

Kait: It seems like you have a good plan set up for this weekend. We used to have a movie theater like that near us in College Park, MD, but it closed recently. That is so cool that you are going to the Cooking Show in DC. I was interested in going to that, but wound up not being able to go. You'll have to let us know how it goes!

[Kait617]

Yup, I am heading to the Arlington Cinema 'n Draft, owned by the same people as the one that closed in MD! It's a fun time.

I would look up the points now for anything you think you might want to eat that is higher in points so you are not guessing day of. Having small bites for 1-3 points of a couple of things is usually a great strategy!

[goddessRu]

Wow Kait we're like on the same boat today! I too am going to the Met Cooking show this weekend!

My weekend plan to come later.

[Kait617]

Funny! Are you going to any of the shows or just walking around?

[Kait617]

Bumping up! What are people's weekend plans? How will YOU stay OP?

[momof2inillinois]

Sounds like you have really thought your plan through. Great work.

[theresa925]

Just wanted to check in with an update on how things were going so far. Last night was successful! I decided to have a beer with dinner, and used the flex points for it. We didn't wind up getting home from dinner and such until after midnight, so there was no workout done on Friday.

As for today, I worked in a quick 30 minutes on the elliptical before the rest of the busy day begins. I have to put together the dip, vegetables and salad for dinner tonight, pick up a birthday gift for my dad, get packed to go home, and venture off on the hour-plus drive home to get there in time! I have my plan in place for tonight and know that I can be successful! I think I might take Bianca's advice and allot myself a certain number of flex points to use for any non plan items tonight so if I want them, I can have them. Like Kait said, I'm also going to look up points now so I'm not guessing tonight. There are certain items that just won't be worth it. This is one of the bigger challenges I've had since starting back on WW, so I'm glad I have a plan in place. I also feel good that I got in a workout this morning, even if it wasn't as long as I'd like. I've got to do what I can with what I've got sometimes!

Alright, I'm off to tackle some items on the to-do list today! Hope you are having a great weekend so far!

[Kait617]

Great job, Theresa!

I indulged (using WPA) more than I planned on last night so I need to be extra cautious today at the festival. I have my dailies + 18 WPA/AP to work with so I should be fine!

A and I got up and worked out this morning, too, which helps put me in the right frame of mine for the day.

[theresa925]

How did it go yesterday Kait? I hope you had a great time and got to try some interesting things while you were there.

As for me, I'd call last night a success. I had some of my appetizer while we were all chatting, and stayed away from the other items that I hadn't known were going to be there and didn't really have worked into my plan. When it came time for dinner, I filled most of my plate with salad, a serving of ham, and then one spoonful of a few of the less point-friendly items. I figured that each taste of those was about 2 points. For dessert, I avoided the cake, and instead had one small cookie that my grandmother had made. I was satisfied, and kept my hands and mind busy by taking pictures for my dad with his camera.

I woke up before my parents this morning and had some oatmeal and applesauce. My plan was to workout this morning, but I think I might just jump straight into homework and do my workout this evening. I don't like things hanging around on my to-do list, so I know I will be able to enjoy my work out more once I get my assignments done.

Being home makes me realize that when it comes time to be home for the upcoming holidays, I need to keep making plans like this one. There are too many items in this house on an average day that are not OP that I know the holidays will be even more challenging. My mom knows that I am doing WW, so she said for the holidays she would have some more WW-friendly items around. It makes it easier that she completely understands what I am doing, so she doesn't try to push anything on me.

Alright ladies, just had to check in and keep myself accountable! Hope you all are having a great, OP weekend.

[creen]

Just wanted to pop in and say to you guys for planning ahead for a difficult weekend! Congrats, Theresa on your successful Friday evening! How did the rest of the weekend go?

Kait - WTG on being flexible AND earning some more AP's!! You ladies are rockin' it!

[theresa925]

The weekend was an overall success! I wound up using a few extra flex points for dinner at Bertucci's last night (the DBF took me out to dinner after we left my parents house), but was OP and accountable for what I was eating. I'm so glad to be back to a normal schedule this week and back at my own apartment! I hope everyone had a great weekend!