That old spring thing

It must be nearly summer if I'm joining weight watchers, going on a no-carb meal plan, or found sobbing over a pile of swim suits.

This spring: Weight Watchers. I had some great success with WW back in 2008. Of course I did. I had gotten married the year before and wasn't able to lose a single pound before the wedding. After I was deported to the suburbs with no social calendar *BAM*. 25-30 pounds lost. Perhaps it was WW plus depression. Either way, I got down to a weight I hadn't seen since college. Having a baby and going on a hormone based BC has packed on the pounds. Specifically on my freaking hips.

Instead of joining WW officially, I am using my friend's online profile that she doesn't use. She goes to the meetings and faces real people. She is far braver than I. Because yesterday I found a chocolate, marshmallow, caramel square I had bought on vacation a week ago in Willamsburg, VA. It had melded to a beautiful dark chocolate peppermint patty. And I ate it of course. It was delicious. However, it was the size of my palm and definitely more than the 26 points I'm allotted each day on the WW points plus program. Even though I made up for it by walking 2 miles and chasing a toddler around the playground for an hour, plus having a seriously healthy dinner of broiled fish, I know I ate it.

But here is my problem with WW. I don't think it was made for athletes. Yeah, I said it, I'm an athlete. Not an Olympic one, but I run a lot and do yoga and try to do pull ups. I'm running my 3rd half marathon of the year in two weeks, so I'm fairly comfortable with calling myself that word. When I track my exercises in the system though, I find that it's giving me a lot of points back. I went running on Saturday for an hour and a half. I did over 8 miles, but it gave me 10 points. Over a third of my daily allotment. How do they expect me to lose weight if I am allowed to eat the exercise points? Not only that, but they carry over all week. So that caramel, marshmallow, chocolate, peppermint patty-square I had? Probably covered between that one run, my 4 mile run on Tuesday morning, and my gym class Tuesday night [I did no exercise after eating the heavenly confection].

There goes the guilt.

In the past week I think I've lost a few pounds. I don't own a working scale so I'm not sure, but my hips stuck out less over my pants this morning.

Pretty much, I just want to be able to wear a t-shirt and jeans without looking like a lumpy hippo. A smooth silhouette. And some ripped arms. Yeah, I'd like those too while we're at it.  

Something I've been meaning to say

This winter I have been wearing a wool coat. Now, I usually wear wool coats so it hasn't been too big of a deal. Sure, the past two years I bought into the down parka deal, but from 2002-2009 I wore the same black wool pea coat. My coat this year is a Kenneth Cole gray, belted coat. With a hood. Now, I really like hoods. A sweatshirt isn't worth wearing if it doesn't have a hood.

But the hood on this coat is the best hood ever.

It comes out a few inches in front of my face, allowing me to hide from people at the train station. The rain rolls off the fabric. It's warm.

And, it makes me think of one of my favorite books from my childhood, the Witch of Blackbird Pond. I the book they all wear wool hoods, which are pulled up over their heads when they are running away, kissing, leaving huffily.

I just love leaving work every day, pulling the hood up, and rushing out the door. Even if I take it down again once I get out into the sunshine.