This is the first Weight Watchers Wednesday of 2019 and it's already the end of March! I decided that I wasn't going to make this a monthly series anymore because truthfully, there isn't that much to update on. I have been yoyoing with my weight and I'm not proud of it.

I decided that I was going to just share a Weight Watchers Wednesday post when I had something to share, and here we are!

In the past, I've shared low point recipes and my favorite Trader Joe finds but I don't think I ever touched on my go-to's in a normal grocery store.

My mom does a full grocery shop for the house every week but then I usually go at least once on the weekend to pick up a few things or see what is new and low in points. It's easier if I go because I can scan the food I'm curious about...

These are items that have become staples for me and are constantly on the weekly food shopping list.

Steamfresh Veggie Pasta

Mini Synders Pretzels

Light Whole Grain Bread

Babybel Lite Cheese

Honorable mentions include veggie sticks, Thomas Lite Multigrain English Muffins, Sargento Low Fat Shredded Cheese, Skinnypop Popcorn, Oscar Mayer Ready to Eat Bacon, Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding.

Let me know what your favorite WW products are at the grocery store!
xoxo
B

Buckle up for a long, long post! There's a lot to discuss.

I wanted to a do bit of a different Weight Watchers update because my weight is still up and down. Meal prepping and pilates are still helping but my willpower has just not improved. If I do cheat, I have been using my weekly points no matter how high the food is worth.

I need to be more inspired and maybe if I drop a few more pounds, and see some improvement I'll be more motivated. I'm stuck in this 3-4 pound ladder and I'm tired of it. UGH.

So, instead of the typical update, I'm going to break down what I eat in a week, but first... Weight Watchers announced HUGE changes on Monday Morning.

The company is no longer 'Weight Watchers' - it's now called WW USA. They have now rebranded as a wellness company because they are on their way to becoming one of the top wellness companies in the world. They've always been the top weight loss company in the world so it was time to change direction.

I'm unsure how I feel about the change; it doesn't seem like it will affect our weight loss journies too much but only add to it, which is exciting! Read here for more info!

Now for what I eat in a week... 

Breakfast: 

Snacks

Well, I made it to a milestone I never thought I would.

I completeled 1 year on Weight Watchers and I'm down 25 pounds.

*I was down 28 but gained 3 pounds back within the past 2 weeks. It's very discouraging but I'm doing my best.

When I started Weight Watchers last year I don't really know what I was expecting. I just knew that I had looked at myself in a bathing suit and had a breakdown. I was ready to lose the weight, to commit to something and better myself.

Me in May 2017

I wasn't sure if I could stick to it but I was determined to at least try; once I started losing weight, I was shocked at how proud of myself I was. I was shocked at how happy I was from seeing the number on the scale decreased.

October 2017

December 2017

I was very strict with myself for the first 3-4 months and then my birthday and Christmas rolled around and that strictness went out the window. Then the Freestyle program threw a wrench in my system and I was discourgaged.

For a solid 3 months I didn't lose any weight, or gain any but I was very hard on myself and kind of stopped trying. I was still counting points but I was cheating and eating things without counting them; skimming on the measurements and eating candy and chocolate that went uncounted in my app.

I saw that I was able to maintain my weight by cheating so I figured it was ok. Then, all of a sudden I dropped a few pounds and was ready to get motivated again.

I started following all different Weight Watchers accounts on Instagram, meal prepping, and really taking hold of the program again. This was only a few weeks ago and I dropped four pounds. I got cocky again and gained 3 back so we're at square one.

This week was a fresh start and I've been meal prepping and haven't cheated. I'm determined to get to the 30 pound mark, and then the 40 pound mark and the 50. I want to keep going until I'm happy with myself.

I can say that I am much happier with myself today than I was a year ago. I've never committed to a diet/lifestyle change in my life and the fact that I completed my first year with a 25 pound lost and haven't gained any of it back is incredible.

Every day is a struggle because I crave everything from crossisants to chocolate. I can definitely eat those things but then I'm left with no points and I'll be starving. I'm trying to make good choices without restricting myself so much to the point that I want to binge.

I still give myself a cheat day (usually Fridays after I weigh in) and treat myself to a crossistant (that's honestly all I care about ... crossistants LOL) but it's all about balance.

If I could just get back on track, meal prep and work out the way I was when I first started this I think I could make great progress in the next few months.

Here's to one year on Weight Watchers and a strong journey ahead!

*If you want to learn more about weight watchers, I have an article coming out soon about it. I also wrote this article a few months ago for Popsugar. You can also see all my Weight Watchers posts from the blog here. 

xoxo
B

For the past month or so I've been going to Trader Joe's at least once a week to pick up some Weight Watchers approved foods. After feeling very discouraged because I wasn't losing weight I did some research and discovered the world of Weight Watchers Instagrams. I don't know why I didn't think of that before because well, there's Instagram accounts for everything and everyone under the sun. 

Another month on Weight Watchers has come to a close ... and next month it's my 1 year anniversary. That is super crazy to think about because it feels like I just started this journey a little while ago.

My progress this month was better than previous; I lost a few pounds and gained one back. I don't stress out anymore when I gain a pound because I know I have a plan in place to lose it. As long as I'm maintaining the majority of the weight I did lose, I'm good.

However, I did figure out what works for me: meal prepping.

Before my new found discovery I was eating the same things for breakfast and lunch every day, and wasn't satisfied so I was snacking (and non-weight watchers snacks too). I changed it up and started to meal prep instead of grabbing oatmeal & a Lean Cusine frozen lunch.

I usually make breakfast muffins on a Sunday for the entire week, and then make some cauliflower rice and spring rolls for lunch. I'm really full and don't feel the need to snack so much.



Just last night I made myself Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi with a touch of Lite Alfredo Sauce for lunch today and it's low points, super filling, and satisfying.

Meal prepping has really worked for me and I advise everyone trying to lose weight to at least try it. Knowing what you are going to eat and actually eating what you want (in moderation, in line with your diet) is key.

If I can keep up the meal prepping and some pilates during the week I'm hopeful I can get down to more of a goal weight.

I really want to lose another 30 pounds, making the total close to 60 but I have a feeling it's going to take me a lot longer than I think. It's taken me almost a year to lose 26-30 pounds and while that is frustrating I know it's because I haven't been as regimented as I was in the beginning.

I need to get back into the proper mindset, keep meal prepping and keep exercising during the week as well as the gym on the weekends.

Next month is the big 1-year update so stay tuned for that!

xoxo
B

Trader Joes Hashbrowns; 2 egg muffins

I've been doing Weight Watchers for nine months and have lost a total of 25 pounds. However, it has been a real struggle the past two months.

I haven't been losing weight and at a complete standstill. It's really discouraging and I'm honestly getting fed up with it.

Partially, I blame the freestyle program. I had a hard time with it when it was first introduced back in December and it's only gotten worst. I know that there are more zero point foods but not having as many points as I used too is a real problem.



I'm just always so hungry and truthfully, I cheat a lot more than I used too. I'm not as regimented as I once was because I know that if I cheat, and eat just a little of what I want that I'll still lose weight or maintain it.

I'm just not in that mindset anymore and it's really bad. I think I'm discouraged because I'm losing weight and then I eat how I want.

I am also exercising more; I go to the gym at least twice a week and then I try to do my pilates machine every night for a half hour. That is really helping and making a difference.

It's important to note that I haven't gained any weight so that is very, very good. It means that Weight Watchers is still worth it and still working, it's just that I'm not in the best mindset. I do think I am losing inches because I look skinnier and look like I'm still losing weight.

Sometimes it's not all about the number on the scale.

I think if you're looking for a change of lifestyle and a healthy way to lose weight, Weight Watchers is still the way to go. I would've never lost this much weight without this program.

I am trying my best, and I am going to try to be better in the coming days and weeks.

xoxo
B

It's been 6 months since I started Weight Watchers and the most I've lost is 23 pounds. This was before Christmas... during my little Christmas vacation, I definitely indulged and gained a few back.

However, I'm on the right track and am on my way to losing more and getting back to the pre-Christmas weight. Hopefully, within the next 2-3 weeks, I can lose even more weight.

Weight Watchers has been going really well and it has allowed me to change my lifestyle without really restricting myself. I mean, I ate a lot over Christmas but because I've learned the 'right' way to eat I didn't gain a ridiculous amount of weight. I'm also able to drop it quickly because of what Weight Watchers has taught me.

Weight Watchers allows me to eat what I want (I know I sound like Oprah) and not over indulge. It's all portion control and that was really what was my vice. I overate everything from carbs to sweets to chicken. I don't eat fruits or vegetables (I know, very bad) and work out 1-2 times a week (nothing great) but I've been able to lose weight I never thought possible.

I covered most of this in the Popsugar article a few months back and it really has continued to show me results.

But now I'll get to the real update...

The first week of December, Weight Watchers changed their program. I thought this was going to be a good thing... Freestyle made a lot of foods 0 points (and some foods were lowered in points because of the change). The foods included in this change were eggs, egg whites, chicken, and turkey.

I was thrilled, over the moon, because this meant I'd be able to eat more without using my points and honestly, I felt that certain foods were too much in points value.

Also, the Freestyle program allowed you to roll over up to 4 daily points that weren't used. For example, I have 41 Weekly Points to use throughout the week and on Friday I ended the day with 2 points... those got added to the weekly points bank.

This was a good adjustment mostly because of what happened next...



When the change came into my account, I was shocked that I lost 7 daily points. I went from 30 to 23 and that has been a real struggle.

Yes, now I can eat as much chicken, turkey, and eggs that I want but sometimes that is always not doable. I got into a routine with how I ate and what I ate and now that was just taken away from me.

I reached out to Weight Watchers to see if there was a way I could opt out of Freestyle and keep my 30 daily points but they said no (in a nicer way of course).

I think it's really hard to switch up a program like Weight Watchers out of nowhere and not give people the option to stay with the old program because people who have been on Weight Watchers for years are going to have a really hard time with the change and may even opt out (I definitely considered it).

If you were just starting Weight Watchers or joined after the change, then I don't think you'd have a hard time with the adjustment.

I can't say whether or not the Freestyle program has been affecting how I gain or lose weight because I haven't had a true week on it yet. The week before I get my period, I PMS super hard and don't lose any weight, and then Christmas came along and it screwed me up. January will be the first month I really use Freestyle the proper way.

However, I have figured out a way to make it work for me -- I just use my weekly points more. They are there to be used and before Freestyle, I never felt the need to use them and deplete the bank. Now, I use them because I need to but like I said, some days I do have points leftover.

So in conclusion, I'm still enjoying Weight Watchers, it helped me not gain a ton of weight over the holidays, and I'm struggling with the new Freestyle program.

Stay tuned for more updates in the future! I have a feeling I'll be posting them at least once a month!

xoxo
B

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Beauty and books are the two things I religiously review here so it was easy to put them in their own category for 'best of 2017'.

This post is all about my ultimate favorites of the year... the items I couldn't live without and just loved to the moon and back.



These are the items that made 2017 a standout year, the items that I used the most, the items I talked about the most and the ones I just couldn't get enough of!



1. Kate Spade Olive Drive Bridgette: When I saw this item in late summer, I knew it was a bag that had to be mine. I can say that this was my favorite purchase of the year, my favorite handbag of the year for sure. I bought it off Ebay because $400 was just a little too much for me and the leather on the 'older' version is pebbled but I love it all the same. It's a bag that can be an everyday bag or a work bag; it's chic, roomy, and very comfortable. It's the ultimate bag for any gal!



2. Evil Queen Candles: These candles (and essential oils) took over my life in 2017. I loved them at the end of 2016 but this was the year I had them for every season. These are the candles that I burned in the Spring & Summer and really made me a 'candle' person all year round. I love that they're a small company, that they're handmade candles, and how sassy the brand is. Also, Ida Sofia (the owner) is the sweetest person ever. She really cares about her customers and even sent me my favorite essential oil (free of charge) after my bag got stolen.



3. Louis Vuitton Cosmetics Pouch: This was the year of the pre-loved items and my favorite was by far my Louis Vuitton Cosmetics Pouch in the multi-color noir. The exact color is no longer available from LV but you can find it on the pre-loved market. However, I really loved this pouch. It's high quality (obvi) and held everything I could ever need. It made me so happy to use it and have it displayed in my room, it was just such a good purchase!

4. Weight Watchers: This isn't a tangible object but this was the highlight of the 2nd half of the year for me. I've lost 23 pounds (the holidays are kicking my butt) on Weight Watchers and I truly never thought that was possible. It has changed my life and really made me happier than I ever have been. I am so proud of myself that 2017 was the year I finally decided to take control of my body and Weight Watchers helped me do that.

What were your favorite products of 2017?
xoxo
B

I used to have something on the blog a few years ago called Recipe Wednesday where I shared the latest recipes I was trying out.

Also, have you noticed how much I love having a series on Wednesdays? i.e Wishlist Wednesdays, Book Review Wednesday... I guess I just love Wednesdays!

Well, now I changed the series because well, I love alterations and want to branch out from Wednesdays.

If you missed my post from a few weeks ago, you missed the fact that I was published on POPSUGAR. I submitted my weight loss story to them and they decided to publish it! It was honestly a dream come true because POPSUGAR has always been one of my favorite websites and it's been a dream to see a byline on there.

I have mentioned it in passing multiple times here but I started Weight Watchers in July and I've lost 20 pounds. I'll let you read the article (shameless plug) but basically, I've never lost weight in my life and it's a huge accomplishment for me to say I lost 20 pounds.

That being said, it has been difficult because I hate feeling restricted in what I eat. I can, however, eat whatever I want on Weight Watchers and the internet has helped immensely because there are so many recipes out there.

And that brings me to this post... I'm going to be sharing these healthy recipes that are Weight Watchers approved.

My first post is my FAVORITE recipe to date, and that might be because it revolves around sweets and sometimes I really just need that sweet fix.

I found multiple recipes for different, low point cupcakes but these are the easiest to make as well as the lowest point intake.

This recipe calls for two ingredients: 12oz of soda and a box of cake mix.

Now, I know this isn't the healthiest recipe because soda=bad but they're still only 1 Weight Watcher point so they're ok for me right now!

You may also be saying: soda? and cake mix? GROSS and that's what I thought at first but my goodness I was wrong!



Here are the very simple steps:

1. Combine 12oz of diet soda and the box of cake mix
2. Spoon the mix into the cupcake tins (make sure you make 20 cupcakes because then they'll be more than 1 point)
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes (I usually don't time my baking and just stick a fork in the middle to see if any cake mix is still wet)
4. Viola! You are DONE and you have 20 delicious 1 point cupcakes to eat!




Now, there is a bit of rhyme and reason to baking these; basically, you combine a dark soda with a dark cake mix and a light soda with a light cake mix.

I've baked a few different versions of these cupcakes: vanilla cake mix and diet Sprite; chocolate cake mix and diet coke; and the ones pictured here, red velvet with diet coke.

Pro tip: let them cool completely before eating because since there is no egg or oil, they fall apart easily so being as firm as possible after baking is key.

They taste delicious and aren't too sweet, but also aren't bland. You can't taste the soda and you'll wonder why you haven't tried these sooner!

Happy tasting :) 
xoxo
B

It's no secret that I love a good activity/fitness tracker. I've done multiple posts on different ones over the years, and even though I love my Kate Spade one, I felt like I needed a change.

The thing about me is that even if I love something to the moon and back, I get rather bored very quickly. That is probably why I buy so much stuff because I get bored with everything. That is not a good habit to have and I definitely need to get better at loving what I have.

A few months ago I started to get annoyed with my Kate Spade activity tracker. I started to feel like it was a little too big and it clashed with so many of my outfits. I felt silly wearing it when I was out at night or in a fancier setting but I was obsessed with tracking my steps.

I wanted a fitness tracker that was a little chicer, something that would go with everything and looked more like jewelry than an actual tracker. Kate Spade definitely has those but they are a little more expensive and I wanted to try something new.

I had my eye on Ringly for a while. An activity tracker that was in the form of a ring? Yes! It was stylish, practical, and seemed to be what I was looking for. But then I got to thinking, would I want to wear the same ring every day? Rings are my favorite piece of jewelry and I wear them every.single.day.

They also had a nice little price tag and rarely go on sale so I ultimately decided against it.

However, Ringly recently came out with Ringly Go, which is a cheaper version of their original bracelets (aside from rings, they also have metal bracelets) that have a leather strap.

These seemed to be exactly what I was looking for and I ordered one with a coupon code I found online.

Now, Ringly does not track sleep which I didn't realize until I received it in the mail. If I had known that, I might not have ordered it.





The cool thing about Ringly and what I really liked was that it sent you alerts from your phone. You can set it up to vibrate and flash a certain color when you get a text message (you can personalize colors for specific people in your phone book), phone call, email, or any other app on your phone that Ringly syncs with.

I really loved this feature and it remains probably the only reason I'm still wearing it.



Another incredible feature? Guided meditation! This is a relatively new update that came about a month or so after I had my Ringly. I like that feature and think it's a nice touch. You can even set up alerts to remind you when to meditate throughout the day.

Those are two features that I love, aside from the fact that it doesn't look like a fitness tracker.

Now, the cons...

It may just be me but I feel like the steps are very inaccurate. I feel like I'm taking a lot more steps a day than Ringly tells me.

It also has a lot of glitches, at least that has been my experience. It takes forever to load steps and some days, when my Ringly is fully charged, it doesn't load my steps at all and I lose an entire day.

The last con is that the battery life is horrific. When you buy a Ringly, it says that you need to charge it every night or every other night but I had no idea that it would be this bad, that the charge literally dies immediately.

So, my conclusion? I'm very indifferent. I think that if you want a tracker that almost acts like an Apple Watch and you need something that is super chic and stylish, I'd go for the Ringly. However, if you want a tracker that does everything, including track sleep, then this might not be for you.

Remember when purchasing that the constant charging might be a deal breaker.

All in all, I think I still prefer my Kate Spade tracker but I LOVE the alerts feature and wil continue to use Ringly mainly for that!

What is your favorite activity tracker right now?
xoxo
B
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We're seeing athleisure everywhere now and it's not just at the gym. It's a trend now but I've always loved athleisure wear. Give me a pair of yoga pants & a decent t-shirt and I'm all set!

I've never been one to be really into my fitness. I've been excerising pretty regularly since I was in high school but never set my mind to it. I still ate like crap and thought that excerising was enough. Well, for the past month I've been working in a totally different direction.

I don't consider myself fat & I'm pretty happy with how I look, but I know I could and need to do better. I've had a gym membership since July but wasn't using it as much or as seriously as I should.

Well, this has all changed within the past three weeks and I've lost four pounds, so I'm really proud of myself.

That's not what this post is about; weight loss and that journey is something I'm not truly comfortable sharing just yet... right now I'm talking about what to wear to the gym.

I want any excuse to shop and buy new items for a new fad in my life, so when I decided I want to gym it up, I looked for some new threads.


*I usually have worn short sleeve shirts to the gym but I wore a long sleeve shirt during a snowstorm or particularly chilly day and it was LIFE CHANGING. I don't want the summer to come just so I can continue to wear long sleeve shirts to the gym.

*I also almost exclusively wear old sorority shirts to the gym, and even though I have some new gear,  I still wear sorority shirts on laundry day.

Under Armor Long Sleeve Knit Shirt Nike Sneaker (similar) Nike Sports Bra Kate Spade x Beyond Yoga Leggings

I also buy all of my leggings for the gym & everyday wear from American Eagle. They have the best leggings that are really well made & aren't see through. I think we're at a point in fashion when all the companies stopped making cheap, see through leggings because leggings are pants!!

I also have a few sports bras from Victoria Secrets; I got them a few years ago and they're still in great shape. They really hold up well.

Below are a few of my other picks for great fitness wear & accessories that I really want to get my hands on.

I've been on the fitness tracker game for a few years now, on and off. My Jawbone UP stopped working a few months back, and they've been experiencing some business issues, so I didn't want to repurchase.

When I saw that Kate Spade was releasing fitness or "activity" trackers I immediately jumped on board. I ordered it as soon as I got the email, and fell in love.

This is a stylish fitness tracker, that is comfortable to wear and pretty much goes with any outfit or arm party. It doesn't cramp your style, which is what I always hated about regular fitness trackers. They always ruined the entire look, but I wanted to wear it because I needed to account for my steps!

The Kate Spade tracker is very easy to use; it has only a few features and to me, the most important ones. It tracks your sleep, steps, and water intake. For that reason, it's very easy to use and follow. Sometimes, fitness trackers have a lot of useless features, well useless to me.

I'm not a fitness buff, I don't need a lot of fancy features in my fitness tracker. I use it to manage my steps & mostly my sleep. It's not a necessity to my lifestyle, so that's why the Kate Spade tracker was the ultimate fit for me.

The app is super cute, I mean, it's Kate Spade! Of course it's going to be chic and cute. It was right up my alley...



That is, until I went to College Fashion Week and got a FREE FitBit.

I never liked FitBits because the look of them was always so bulky. I know that they were basically the original fitness tracker but I didn't care, Jawbone was always more delicate and my speed.

But, the FitBit Flex 2 looks like a Jawbone Up, but is not nearly as nice as the Kate Spade one. The FitBit is also a bit more complicated that Kate Spade; it has more features; it tracks your food, weight, and exercise. You can also do challenges, and it tells you how many calories you're burning.

The FitBit is truly those who live and breath fitness and need something more intricate and detailed.

At first, I hated it; the app was annoying me, and I just couldn't get used to it. I much preferred the Kate Spade app and look of the tracker.

I struggled with the decision for a bit, but I ultimately returned the Kate Spade one because, well, the FitBit was free.

As I'm writing this, I'm being reminded of how much I loved and enjoyed the Kate Spade tracker and I'm thinking I may have to repurchase it as a birthday or Christmas present to myself.

Do I prefer the Kate Spade tracker  to the Fitbit? Yes, I do. For what I use it for. I think if you just want to track your steps & sleep, you're better off with a simple tracker. If you're really into the gym and health and fitness, you're better off with the FitBit.

What are your thoughts on fitness trackers?

As I stated last week, I joined the gym. I've been meaning to for a WHILE and I finally did it. I feel pretty good since going but my body definitely needs to get used to exercise  I am a true wimp when it comes to physical activity.

With a gym membership comes accessories & clothes. If you know me at all, or have read this blog at all, you know I love a good accessory piece. I love having things... it's how I've always been. When I would go away to family reunions in Long Island for THREE DAYS, I would bring about 4 bags with me, filled with stuff.



That's why joining the gym is an excuse to have new sparkly things: everything from clothes to sneakers to fun gym things.

I've been loving all things Victoria Secrets athleisure but below you'll find a few other of my favorites: