One with the Scale

Hi Again

2012-01-29T13:26:00.000-08:00

I know it's been forever since I've last written and most people have probably left and forgotten about me completely. I understand. I've been trying to find me. Yes, you read that correctly... find ME!

This year has been the year of transitions. Have I ever mentioned that I do NOT like transitions?

I actually pretty much hate transitions.

I also LOVED what I did as a career. As unhealthy and strange as it sounds... being an Athletic Trainer was who I was.

I guess when you know what you want to do in elementary school and actually set out to do it... and succeed, that thing becomes a huge part of you. So, being an Athletic Trainer and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist was WHO I was.

I thought that I would still feel good becoming a Physical Education Instructor for the Regional High School in the area, but I felt lost. Then my amazing hubby ran for City Council and actually won the election to become a Ward Councilor for our city. Amazing, right?? Oh wait, so that means I'm also the wife of a politician.

hmmmm.... yeah. That was a little weird too.

Now, don't get me wrong, none of this was bad. It was ALL awesome! Except that I somehow lost ME!!

Seriously, what the hell?? How does that even happen??

Thanksgiving was very, very bad, as I had explained. I think that was my low. Well, not the day but the days following. The day that my brother text me from across the country to make sure I was OK and the time my mom sat me down to say she missed me (did I ever mention that she lives downstairs).

Well, I'm finally finding myself. I'm not perfect.

This stupid transition let me gain 21lbs! NOT cool!!

My husband made a comment a month or so ago and I keep picking on him. I was having trouble keeping things together. I would put laundry in the wash and forget about it. I would start the dishes and walk away and not think twice. I couldn't organize ANYTHING!! I kept apologizing for not doing things or forgetting to finish things and instead of getting upset or frustrated, he said "It's ok, Babe. Right now you just have a low threshold for responsibility".

He thought it was helping me. He figured putting it that way made it a temporary thing. I got angry... at first.

Now, I'm figuring out ways to increase my "threshold". I started working out again, and eating better and I even started taking a Stress B Complex Vitamin. Feeling more like myself. Getting confidence back.

Do you know the really weird thing. I never thought I HAD lost myself. I thought I was tired or hungry. I thought that it was the running around. I just "knew" it wasn't ME!!

Hopefully, things will continue to be on the up and up. I was gonna say wish me luck, but I don't think luck is going to cut it this time ;)

Pathetic

2011-11-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

I ended up heading back to WW AGAIN!!!

Yes, I am pathetic.

Does anyone have some extra motivation I can borrow???

I want to look cute in my clothes again.
I want to be able to run again.
I want to not jiggle in front of the mirror.
I want to feel accomplished again.
I want to feel more in control.
I want to look at a picture of myself and smile.
I want to buy a new dress for the Inauguration Ball, in a size 10 or smaller (without being stretchy)
I want to fit into my "cute butt" pants again... hehe!
I want to not feel self conscious having sex with my husband!!
I want to not have to wear a body smooth whenever I dress up.
I want to show my kids a good role model.
I want to practice what I preach as a PE teacher
I want to sleep better again.
I want to be an inspiration to others.
I want to want to get on the scale and see my accomplishments.
I want to be excited to buy clothes - not just shoes.
I want to be a HOT First Wife ;)

These are just a few of the things I want... so why does "But it tastes good" always seem to keep winning lately??

So sad :(

We finally freaking did it!!!!

2011-09-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

This morning we did 5.3 miles which means that we officially completed the Summer 2011 Run Challenge with 101.5 miles completed between Memorial Day and Labor Day!! Woohoo!!

Our plan had to be modified a little and we ended up walking several of the miles, but we kept going. We didn't stop even though we had plenty of excuses.

We kept getting up WAY too early to speak of during summer vacation... oh and weekends! Man oh man, the sleep lost in finishing this damn challenge.

Oooohhh... and pain! Lots of pain.

YUP - my legs hurt so much that one night I actually woke up because I had to pee and tried to convince myself that it wasn't that bad, so I didn't have to get up and walk to the bathroom. I have taken more advil this week than after any surgery. uh huh! We worked for this!

BTW - I haven't been blogging much lately, but in case you didn't notice - we did 28.5miles THIS WEEK!!

So, yes, this challenge rocked because it showed us...

We are stronger than we even knew

How much we can accomplish

That even when we think we can't make it to that stupid gate, or tree, or pole...

we can actually surpass it!

That getting out and away from the kiddos, and hubbies, and housework

just plain helps

We deserve it!!

We can do anything, as long as we have our friends and family to support us :)

Thank you guys! And especially Elizabeth :) This summer has been amazing! I feel like our friendship has grown even more... lmao - if that was even possible. You rock lady!!

Wanna Cry...

2011-08-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

I pretty much gave up about a year ago. Occasionally I would start watching what I ate and maybe do some running, but for the most part, I've been going through the motions.

I'm sooo frustrated with myself!!

I'm almost ashamed... ok, I AM ashamed!!

Why did I throw away all of my freaking hard work??

What was I thinking??

SERIOUSLY!!

This morning I got on the scale. I looked down and I saw something frightening. I saw the number 170.0.

A year ago... ok, closer to 15months ago, I saw 151.8. I remember that number. I was sooo proud of that number. That meant that I had worked hard, eaten well, and I felt awesome!! Not just because of the number, but because when you are working out and eating well, you end up sleeping better, feeling better about yourself, feeling better about life.

Right now, I feel like the Pillsbury Dough Girl.

I HATE getting dressed! I HATE looking in the mirror.

I feel like such a hypocrite when I tell my athletes about good nutrition and fueling their bodies. So today I need to change. I need to start making better decisions. I need to start moving more.

Today is the day!

So, I have to go figure out what we will be having for lunch and dinner, because planning is the key!

The 6 P's:
Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!!!

I was almost going to say "Wish me luck", but I don't need luck. I NEED to work at this.

I NEED to make ME a priority again!

When I make myself a priority, everything else works better. So, once again - I'm pulling out the Nike Quote:

"Training is the Opposite of Hoping"

Frustration

2011-07-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

I've been having some issues with injuries lately. Elizabeth and I signed up for a 5K on July 17th. I was excited and terrified.

I HATE hills!!

There was a big hill in the middle of this race.

We started the run strong. We ran up the hill, and then we ran DOWN the hill... it was much bigger running down. I felt great!

The rest was flat and easy going. We were going to finish in 30mins or less!

We were a little under 20mins at the 2 mile and that was WITH the HILL... then...

I stepped down and felt my calf cramp up. I couldn't put my heel down!

It was a balled mess :(

Elizabeth ended up finishing on her own and I got to walk the rest. I didn't want. I cried a lot. I was so frustrated... annoyed... bummed... ANGRY!!

So I gave it a week's "rest".

We did some trail hikes and swam in the pond while we were camping, but no running. So Monday when we got back. We headed out to the same route... I was going to finish this time!

NOPE!!! WTF??!?! My other calf cramped up and I was in pain AGAIN... seriously??!

We tried to run again yesterday and my leg was NOT going to let that happen.

So this challenge is seriously becoming a CHALLENGE and I'm the reason we are so far off our goal. Between gall bladder surgery/recovery and these stupid injuries, we've already lost almost 5.5wks!

Anyway, I am resting the area... feeling like crap and mentally preparing to seriously crush some pavement as soon as I feel better. Even if that means a short run in the morning and then a slightly longer run in the pm... we will finish this!

We started a goal of running the half marathon... and nothing is going to stop that!

So, wish us luck and watch us go. This isn't the end.

The 99/100 Challenge! Still Going Strong!

2011-07-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

We have been busy, but staying strong as far as our mileage. I have to say... Elizabeth is one strong Chick! We went out for a run yesterday, knowing that we have a 5K on Sunday. That meant that no long run today or tomorrow, so she decided we were kicking ass. I totally agreed and mapped out a run that was 3.7miles. Hell, it's longer than we've ever done, so I figured "Why not".

Well... she knows we can do better.

I get paid lots of money to push other people through their potential. Pushing them past the hurt, and the whining, but I can't seem to make myself work that hard. BUMMER!!

BUT - I have Elizabeth :) Yeah, we were running my "mapped route" and then she kicked it's ass to the curb and made us keep running! We ran 4.6miles (she ran 4.67 miles) Yes, I'll admit. I wimped out. I didn't know when we were going to finish and I thought I couldn't make it and I gave up. WHY!??! I have no idea.

I think too much!!

I totally had it in me. How do I know?? Because after we run, we always do a "Dunbar Dash". Basically, we walk back to the street we start at and run the .13 miles to the house. I was almost sprinting! That makes me so sad :(

Why did I stop myself??

Why can't I push myself??

It makes me sad.

So for now, I am just going to run however long Elizabeth tells me I have to keep running and I'm not going to stop. We have that 5K on Sunday and the hill in the middle scares the crap out me, but we're going to do it! We are going to be strong and we are going to finish it.

I can't wait!!

Thanks Elizabeth!! I couldn't do this without you :)

2011-07-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

I know I've been awful about posting, so I figured I would write an update regarding our progress on the Summer 99/100 Run Challenge. We had started running again a couple weeks back and we were both VERY sore... and tired... and well, it was hot and we used it as an excuse... ok! lol

So this week we decided we can't do that anymore because, well, it's summer! It's going to continue to be hot and get even hotter, so the running commenced. We have run for the past 2 days... 3.12 miles on Tuesday and then the longest, hottest, most miserable 2.5 miles EVER yesterday. Actually, we were told by 3 individuals throughout our run that "we were crazy", "we were insane", and "it's too hot to run". I totally agreed with each one of them, but Elizabeth (my super motivator) kept saying, "Hey, how about instead you give us a cheer or something??" To which, they looked at us unamused.

BUT there was one set of ladies walking a dog who called us "Troopers". That was kind of cool :)

I did learn some lessons...
1. NEVER ever ever run without my mp3 player... it's miserable to run without music!!
2. NEVER ever ever ever run when it's so hot you can feel the pavement through your sneakers and socks, and think your skins burning off your body.
3. ALWAYS hydrate very well... especially when running in previously stated circumstances... lol
4. Finally, no matter how bad a run is... walking directly into a pool immediately after makes everything OK!

So that's what I learned yesterday. We are almost a quarter of the way done or challenge, which sounds awful since we only have half the summer left BUT we lost about 4wks between post surgery and our little running avoidance week. When you look at it that way, this is going to be cake!

We actually signed up for a 5K this Sunday AND we plotted out a 5 mile route to do soon :) If we can do it, so can you!! It's not too late... OR you can help us raise some money for The Shepard's Pantry by clicking the "donate" button on the upper left of the blog!

I am off to complete another item on our summer list!

I'm freaking running again!!!

2011-07-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

I was cleared this week!!! YAY!!!

So Elizabeth and I kick started our return to the 99/100 Summer Run Challenge and we've run a little over 5 miles in the past 2 days back. Woohoo...

Here is today's run:

&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/39529654"&amp;gt;99/100 run #2 7/1/11&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt; &amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=New Bedford, MA"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in New Bedford, MA&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt; 

Can I just say... my legs are killing me!! 3wks off kicked my ass... ugh! But we started again. We didn't give up :) I would totally tell you the Cadence that Elizabeth came up with except, I cannot remember for the life of me what it was. It was AWESOME, I remember that much.

So excited! We're running again... oh, and I'm eating healthier again. Feeling so much better, now hopefully the pounds will start dropping again. Hey, at least I have an entire year before I have to look cute in my bridesmaid dress :)

Woohoo!!

2011-06-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

Worked out again this morning... but I have to admit, I stretched the doctor's recommendation just a little. I did the treadmill again - at 3.0 mph which never seems like anything, but hey, I'm moving, right?! While I do the treadmill, Elizabeth does the elliptical. We did this for 30mins. THEN we switched!! Yup, I got on the elliptical for 15mins... woohoo!

I did NOT push it. I was going slow. I kept the ramp down. I held onto the stationary rails (we don't have the moving arms) and I felt it! Boy oh boy, we are dying to get back to running. We keep talking about it. I have my follow-up with the doctor in less than a week. I am wishing, and hoping, and thinking and praying that he will clear me!

I know, I know. it's only been 17days, but I feel perfectly fine. No pain. No digestive issues. No anything!! I am fine... hear that, Doc?? Let me RUN!

I am soo signing up for the Spooner 10K this year. I canNOT wait to complete my first 10K and then I will be conquering the New Bedford Half Marathon. Yes, I might die. BUT a girl needs a goal and 2 chubby chicks can do anything... lmao :)

2 Weeks!

2011-06-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow make 2 weeks following the surgery to remove my gallbladder. I feel good.

I thought I tore something the other day when I sneezed.

Now, I feel better.

BUT - now I have this stupid itchy rash... that the doctor says sounds unrelated to the surgery. YAY!

Man, oh man. I can't wait to run!!! I want to run and run and RUN!! I want to finish the 100 miles... hehe :)

I have a list of things to do this summer but I've decided that the biggest thing is to have fun!! I have to figure out how to stop eating the stupid things I've been eating!! UGH... I swear, I'm so excited that I'm not having pain anymore with food, that I've been trying EVERYTHING that used to cause pain. I mean, seriously, I have had Ben and Jerry's, mixed drinks, fried foods, whatever I feel like.

This is definitely not the way back to the healthy lifestyle I was aiming for. I've decided that I will be making small changes this week and gradually returning to the good life. Next week, I will returning to my weekly WW meetings. Next week, I will hopefully be given the OK to start jogging. Next week, I should be able to start doing normal stuff again - even lifting more than 20lbs!! woohoo.

But RIGHT NOW... I have to stop eating like crap. It's something that I can do! It's an achievable goal. It's something that will improve the way I feel. The way I look. The way I experience life.

So why is it so hard??

Thinking Back...

2011-06-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't been on the computer much this week since the surgery. I was too drugged (me and my 1/2 a pill) or too tired laying on the couch, or just too damn lazy to just read anything. But today I got up started catching up on some of the blogs I read. One of the blogs I've recently started to follow is The Anti-Jared. He is very similar to my husband in many ways and I love the passion in his words.

Today he wrote about another blogger's post and it was soo interesting to me. This is what he copied:

Last week, she asked a question…..

What do you think… what do you *honestly* think… when you see a very obese mother with her very obese young child? What do you think? Do you make any assumptions? How do you feel towards the mother? Towards the child?

I thought about it for a minute and I felt a little sad. I think that I would feel bad for the mom. I've been obese. Actually, at my current size 10, 160 lbs, I'm still technically obese by BMI standards. Although, most people, especially those who've known throughout my journey feel that I look healthy and should be proud of my accomplishments, I'm still worried everyday when I get dressed.

I get a twinge of fear when I am folding my clothes and they look too small for me to possibly fit into them and I'm amazed each time that I pull one on and it isn't bulging. I'm afraid that I will pass that awful pain of being overweight to my children.

I hate the stages that they go through when the first grow "out" then "up". I'm constantly comparing my daughters to their classmates hoping that they never become the 'big girl" that I was. I've had conversations about eating in moderation. Discussing healthy snacks and choices. Trying to workout out and play with my kids to get them excited and active, but it scares me.

I remember my mom putting me into modeling school in 8th grade. I was 141lbs and maybe about 5 feet tall. That was the year that I started my slim-fast diet. I would bring a thermos to school each day and say that I was just drinking chocolate milk and that I would eat when I got home. It worked. I was down to 126lbs and looking pretty cute... even got myself a boyfriend. lol

I remember Terry - the program director- telling me I still had to get down to 108. There was no way! I was already down to an 8 and I am not a small framed girl no matter how you looked at it. It was never enough. When I got to high school, I stopped the Slim-Fast and the 7day diet that had me eating spinach salad, and a cup of cottage cheese with 6 saltine crackers. Or even dry tuna fish on a piece of dry toast. Aren't you tempted to try this one??? I was 13 yrs old!!

I was up to 162 lbs by the time I graduated high school and then I started working out with my brother. I was running, lifting, sprinting, plyometrics, all the good stuff and lost almost 20lbs before entering undergrad. I was once again, HOT. I scored another boyfriend and once again, started my journey back up to 160lbs.I was still comfortable because he loved me and no one ever said anything.

When we broke up, I spent all of my time in the gym - studying, avoiding the dining the hall, trying not to just sleep the day away. I lost the weight and we started dating again. Damn it! Then I stopped going to the gym, started eating again, and building up to 160lbs - when I graduated I was 164lbs. Isn't it amazing I can tell you all of these weights?!?! I remember them all... they are burned into my brain.

I graduated grad school a whooping 181lbs and met my hubby when I was 185. Now, I wasn't trying to impress. On our first date, I wore my overalls with a t-shirt that had a pocket on my chest big enough for a quarter. But he loved me... instantly :)

He was a chef and in that first year I gained 35 lbs!

It's embarrassing now to think about it. I can remember ordering my dress for my brother's wedding and calling my SIL and telling her that they charged my for a plus size dress even though I wasn't that big. I can only imagine what she was thinking on the other side of the phone.

I remember feeling angry that these people were trying to make me bigger than I was. What was I thinking?? I was over 200 lbs and couldn't see how big I was.

I remember about this time, my husband (soon to be, at the time) and I were walking to the Chinese Restaurant near our apartment and a car drove by and someone shouted out the window "Fat Asses!!". I was hurt and embarrassed, but never said anything. I pretended like I hadn't heard them.

6 months later it was my turn to get married. We had decided on a Medieval Wedding, which was great. I had my grandmother make my dress and it was beautiful. It was satin and velvet and layers upon layers. It was a BIG dress!

I'm still so sad that I was never able to try dresses on for my wedding. I wanted to have her make it and I found the perfect one, but I think I was always afraid to not fit into any. I never got the opportunity to have people ooohhh and aaahhh. I never got to have the girls go with me to try to help find the right one.

I don't get much joy looking at my pictures anymore. I look and see the memories and LOVE that feeling, but I feel bad for the girl I see when I look at me.

I never felt big that day. I did feel like a princess... with my prince who loves me no matter what.

I am going to lose the rest of the weight I need to lose.

I am going to make sure that my kids never have to go through what I went through. I will make sure that they understand how to avoid that. I will help them LOVE their bodies... no matter what!

I've already told my husband (who's already lost 60lbs) that we will be renewing our vows and I WILL be trying on dresses... even if I will be renting it for the day. I will be the beautiful bride (with only 1 chin) and I will be healthy!!

So to that obese mom with an obese child... I am thinking... Don't give up! You aren't alone and it's not impossible. To that mom in the spandex with an obese child... you need to find balance, and to that mom who appears to be "normal" and struggles everyday, just remember that it's a journey with ups and downs. As long as you love yourself and you teach your child to do the same, you can overcome anything!!

***BTW - Payton asked me the other night who that person was in the picture. The picture of me for my brothers wedding. That tells me that I'm still on the right path... and I am not going to give it up!

Speed Bump

2011-06-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's what we're calling it.

I had a little surgery yesterday. Nothing major... just had my gallbladder removed. Apparently, the procedure went well and I should be feeling better soon. BUT I was given the awful news of vigorous activity for 6wks. I talked the nurse down to 3-4wks based on pain, etc. But that still means we will be losing 21-28days from our 99 day challenge!

Thankfully, we kicked ass last week and managed to log 14miles in 7 days. If we get back into that rhythm when I'm cleared we should have no problem completing our "challenge"! It's just going to be more of a challenge.

So that gives you even more incentive to join us, right?? You can start now and let us know how your challenge is going. Remember we are doing this to help the Shepard's Pantry... we can't let them down! And heck, I'm not ready to let myself down.

We will be walking together. Plus I will be biking at home and Elizabeth will be jogging with a friend to keep up (but we aren't counting any miles until we can run together again). It's not too late to start!! Let us know how you doing :)

Right now, I'm under doctor's orders though... so nap time it is :)

First Week - 99/100 Summer Run Challenge

2011-06-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today was day 7 in the 99/100 Summer Run Challenge. That's right... one week down and 92 days left to go before Labor Day. We worked our butts off and logged 14 miles this week. That's almost twice what is required to meet our goal, but with surgery, camping trips, and the general unknowns, we are trying to get pretty ahead of the game to ensure victory over this challenge!

Here's our running map for today. It was actually not that bad. Elizabeth mentioned while we were walking home, that I didn't even grunt once! lmao. Yes, I literally run and say stuff like "AAAaaahhh" and "Ggrrrr". It's better than swearing, or even worse... walking, right?

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/36494534"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;99/100 2.7 miler&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/?location=New Bedford, MA"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in New Bedford, MA&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Part of this journey is funny to me because I make a living getting people into shape. I am an Athletic Trainer. I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. I am also OUT OF SHAPE!! I hate to have to say that.

I hate that I worked so hard with a personal trainer and got pretty darn fit... and abandoned it. Why? Because it was hard! So now, I am working to get strong again. I am working to get in shape, and be happy, and make a difference.

I am DONE!

I am done settling because it's easier. I am going to start proving to myself that I am worth it and I am going to get this done.

Ok - before I do all that, I will go settle down with hubby and watch some tv and go to bed. I have surgery on Tuesday and figure by Thursday I should be ready to at least walk again. I am not going to let this be another excuse to throw in the towel.

Who else is going to step up to our challenge?? Come on, there are 92 days left and even if you are starting from the beginning, that's only a little over a mile a day. It's an easy challenge. You can do it with your kids. You can bike, walk, jog, swim, rollerblade... whatever! Just get moving and let me know how it's going.

Good luck!

Another amazing run

2011-06-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

4 days of running and we have completed 11.2miles!! That's pretty good for chubby chicks, huh?? LMAO. Sorry, we were running today and a nice guy was walking. We passed him once and he said "Good Job, ladies". Then we crossed and went our separate ways. On the top of the hill, we met again and said "Looking good". To which I replied (under my breathe) to Elizabeth "AKA, wow, they're not dead yet" and she replied "Yeah. Or 'Not bad for 2 chubby chicks'". Love it!!

Sorry, the chub isn't going away, but I have no one to blame but myself. I will be getting my gallbladder out on Tuesday and started reading stuff about what my diet should look like following the procedure.

It's AWFUL!!!!

It says no ice cream, no chocolate, no cauliflower....

OK... so maybe I'm not upset about the cauliflower, but CHOCOLATE and ICE CREAM!?! That's like wiping out 2 Food Groups?? No??

So I quickly texted (I'm not sure if that's a word, but I'm using it!) my hubby and had him bring me ice cream. He did NOT disappoint. He brought me home a pint of Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. Uh huh, the worst possible ice cream for you! It has 4 servings in that little container with 24g of fat and 350 calories per serving... see... chub is sticking around for a while. BUT I made him share it. hehe.

Funny thing is, after eating that I had a little stomach discomfort, that's it. If had eaten the non-fat cottage cheese in the fridge though, I would have been curled up into a little ball. Suspicious, that's all I have to say.

Anyway, so we ran again today and did 3 miles... after doing 3.1 miles yesterday! Yay :) We are trying to get some mileage in fast because I will be down and out for a couple of days and don't want to get behind. Remember 100 miles in 99 days... for a cause! We are raising money to donate to the local food pantry, The Shepard's Pantry! So if you would like to help us, please feel free to click the little donate button on the top side bar... any little bit counts :)

Also, it's not too late to join us! It's only 100 miles and there are still 94 days left which means you still only have to walk, jog, run, bike, swim, or scoot a little over a mile a day to complete the challenge by Labor Day... and feel amazing while doing it!!

So check out the information and join us for our 99/100 Summer Run Challenge! Yes, I think I caught Elizabeth's exclamation addiction today... hehe :)

The 99/100 Challenge!

2011-05-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Day 2 is done and we were able to complete a little over 2 miles today. I'm not going to post a new map for every run... unless you want me to. LMAO

This means that we've completed 5 miles in the first 2 days! We aren't anything amazing... well, maybe Elizabeth is :) She's the one who gets me out and running. I have to be honest, I HATE to go workout. I love the feeling of working out and like when I'm actually doing, but GOING to do it... not!

Anyway, we upped the ante AGAIN! Now we have a donation button. We wanted to make this mean something. We wanted to make it more important than us getting out and running. She we decided to run to help our community. We will be having a fundraiser for the Shepard's Pantry in Fairhaven, MA.

So, please, join in the run at anytime... there's still time to catch up. It's still only a little more than a mile a day to reach the end. Remember... 99 days between Memorial Day to Labor Day and only 100 miles to complete! Have a fundraiser for something you believe in.

We are also doing a 5K with our friends and family on a little path we know on Labor Day weekend to kind of make a big deal of the whole thing :) Face it, it would look really bad if after all this running, we couldn't run our very own 5K, right?

Check out the details here. I hope that we get you inspired! I hope that we get you moving! Get the kids out on their bikes. Get on your roller blades, heck get in the pool... whatever you want to do :) If you'd like to help, click the donate button. Thanks!

Oh and like Elizabeth always tells me "It doesn't have to be fast. It doesn't have to look good, but you can't stop!" Isn't that inspiring?? You don't need fancy clothes or cute outfits... hehe. Just look at us!

The 99/100 Challenge!

2011-05-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Anyone up for a challenge?? Actually, in terms of challenges, this one is rather small.

There are 99 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and in that time me and Elizabeth will be running 100 miles. Yeah, yeah, yeah... I'm sure all you runners out there are thinking this is a pathetically small distance to complete in 99 days, right? Well, not for us! It works out to be a little more than a mile a day... 7.14miles per week actually. However, when you factor in jobs, kids, vacations, dogs, and well... just about anything else; getting out to run everyday is tough. I know, I feel better when I run and I know I like the results of toning my body, BUT seriously, it's just EASIER to do nothing!!

So we are going to be posting about our runs, distances, epiphanies (ummm... yeah), and maybe a little whining... but we're hoping that you might join us! So grab the link at top and post this challenge on your blog. In the end, we will be wrapping it all up Labor Day weekend with a 5K for our family and friends to help benefit a local food pantry... more details to come :)

I will set up a sidebar so we can all keep track of each others' progress, because seriously, isn't a lot more of a challenge/motivation when you aren't doing it alone??

Now, for those of you still hesitant about this challenge... you don't have to RUN! Heck, get the kids involved and walk to the park everyday. Break out the roller blades, scooters, or bikes. The idea is to get moving and you never know, maybe your friends have been looking for a reason to get up and going as well.

Good luck and let me know when you decide to join the challenge! We're starting tomorrow at 7am... who's in?!?

Weight Loss Challenge

2011-03-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Doing it together! Now I'm on a mission... I'm up for the challenge :) I am officially entering into a Weight Loss Challenge with some of the other parents at the kids school. We have approximately 100days til the end of the competition and I am going to win. hehe

Our Rules are simple. We weigh-in each week and send it our "secretary" who will be keeping track of our progress. We are using percentages to keep it fair and we're using measurements as well as weight. The men will be doing the percentage weight loss plus the percentage of loss on their waist size. The women will be doing the percentage of weight loss plus the average of the percentage of loss from both the hips and waist. Face, we've got junk in the trunk and that needs to be accounted for :)

So I started back at Weight Watchers at 163.6. I lost 2 lbs in the first week and now I have even more motivation to keep it going. I've been trying new foods to try to make sure I get in all of my Healthy Guidelines (ie, water, milk, lean protein, fruits and veggies, healthy oils, and exercise!) and not hit a rut. I'm still sooo excited that Hubby is joining me in the journey. We are both getting healthier and hopefully passing that attitude on to our kids.

On your mark. Get Set. Goo....

Week 2

2011-03-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today was the 2nd weigh-in at Weight Watchers and I'm down 2 lbs!! Yay :)

This is the first time that I'm doing WW with my hubby on board as well, and it's awesome! He gets it... he really really gets it :) Before if I wanted him to bring home "bad stuff" he would. Now he brings home something that's healthy but will get me by. Now don't think that I'm making him do all of the work. We are definitely doing this as team.

Some of the "treats" I've been going with this week...
1. cottage cheese with jell-o powder in it mixed with fresh strawberries
2. "fried" bananas - toss a chopped banana in a nonstick pan with cooking spray and cinnamon, then when it gets all soft and yummy, throw in about a tbsp maple syrup. Doesn't even matter what kind
3. Vegetable spring rolls from Market Basket... OMFG!! awesome isn't even the word
4. whole wheat pasta with a low calorie sauce made with love... added olives, peppers, garlic... yummy!
5. Frozen broccoli with cheddar - anything! Even mixed it with egg whites and peppers for an omelet.
6. Taco Meatloaf. Have a small slice but put it with a full salad and salsa can be the dressing.
7. Dannon light and fit yogurt. I love this stuff!
8. Biscotti!! I bought a box of these things. I got the "Decadent" kind... dark chocolate "cookie" with dark chocolate on the bottom and almonds. WOW - that's all I can say. Low in points and oh sooo worth it :)

I am going to make it to my goal weight this time!! Right now I am about 29 lbs away. Gonna get it done!

Once again

2011-03-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

I've gotta to the point where I need to start doing something... AGAIN!! Why is it that I can't just keep going and maintain a healthy lifestyle like so many other people. Why is it that I feel so good and can't imagine myself not taking care of my mind and body and then all of a sudden I jump off and can't see how to get back on track??

I'm not in a good spot right now. I'm sooo proud of my hubby right now. He's begun his journey to get fit and in about 4 wks he's already lost almost 25lbs! Isn't that amazing?!? So if he's doing so well, how come in that same time have I lost 2lbs?

Yesterday, I worked out and I tracked for a full day. Today I started tracking again and I think I'm going to head down to the basement to jump on the elliptical soon. I have to just make the effort. I have to put me first - ok maybe second... right now I am making DESSERTS, of all things! I have to make a variety of desserts for my husbands campaign fundraiser tomorrow night. None of them will be points friendly... lol

OK- I'm signed up for a 5k in May and I am debating on signing up for the one in April. I need to do this. I need something to focus on. I need a reason!! ugh.

Is anyone else struggling??

Wicked Light Sausage and Egg Bake

2011-01-20T07:13:00.001-08:00

It was a success!! The egg bake came out AMAZING yesterday, if I do say so myself. And 1/4 of the 8x8 casserole dish is only 5pts... it doesn't get much better than that :)

Recipe:
1 3oz link turkey sausage
1 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic
1 medium red pepper
1 cup mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
2 frozen hash browns - crumbled
3 wedges laughing cow cheese
2 cups liquid egg whites (approx 8 egg whites)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Put the oil in the hot pan over med-high heat. Add the garlic, red pepper and sausage. Break or chop up the sausage as much as possible. Once the sausage is browning and the pepper is softening, add the mushrooms and then the tomato. When these are looking tender, add the hash browns and then chop the cheese wedges. Turn off the heat. Mix the milk, basil, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl and add to heated mixture. Stir until mixed. Pour into a greased 8x8" casserole dish.

In 350 degree oven, cook covered for 40-45 mins. Remove the cover and cook for another 20 mins. Make sure that it is firm when you remove it. Replace the cover and let stand 5-10 mins to completely set. ENJOY!! I added some fresh fruit to make it even better. Hope you like it.

And Away We Go....

2011-01-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

I've become involved in a lot of things this year... one of which is Bookclub. Now, we do discuss the books, but for the most part it's a way to get out and chat and drink wine and basically have fun!! I think that every woman should be in a "bookclub"!

Well, we are each other supports, as well. We keep each other sane, share laughs, cries, oh and did I mention the FOOD?!?! Yes, we do a meal that is associated with the book we choose. It's so much fun. This year, however, we've decided that we should also help each other reach the goals that we've all been putting off... the weightloss goals! So, enter the Bookclub Weightloss Challenge!! heehee

The initial weigh in is today and I got on the scale... wow guy, it was worse than I thought. BUT let me be honest, I earned each and every one of those 165lbs :( It wasn't a sad face when I was doing it though. Oh no... it was AWESOME!! But now that I think about it, was it really 13 lbs+ awesome?? I'm not thinking so.

So today is Day 1 of getting back on track. I'm still doing WW, but only online. My girls are going to be my support group this time. I am only using the website. The cool thing about the website... anyway can use the message boards! They are sooo useful. They have boards based on age, amount of weight loss, challenges, recipe reviews, etc. You just have to register to enable you to post to them. Check it out.

Now, I don't know about you, but I LOVE breakfast! It is my absolute favorite meal... ok, after dessert, maybe. But seriously, I love to eat breakfast. So I just made my "light sausage egg bake" into a "WICKED Light Sausage Egg Bake"... hehe. It's in the oven right now, but I will post the recipe if it tastes half as good as it smells :)

Now, gonna go do some exercises from my "Couch Potato Workout" while I wait. Next weigh-in is only 7 days away.

Spooky 5K - complete!

2010-11-02T06:17:00.000-07:00

So I finished the 5K with Jenny... it was awesome because I didn't walk! It was also a big bummer because I actually ran the same time that I had run previously when I was doing the walk/run thing. Then again, the walk/run thing wasn't as fulfilling... I felt like a slacker. So now I need to work on my endurance and speed. Not too much to ask, right??

My husband thinks I'm funny for even trying to say that I "trained" for this 5K. He keeps telling me, "You didn't train... you ran like 3 times before you ran the race". Well, that shows how much he knows... I ran like 3 times more than I had prior to any other 5K!! :P

It's all good... I'm still looking to the bigger picture. The half marathon that I want to do in March. Let me be honest when I say that I am scared to DEATH! I've told soo many people hoping to motivate myself... or scare myself into doing it, and truthfully, I'm not sure if I can finish it. Don't get me wrong... I am going to try with every ounce of my being to complete this task, just so that I don't look (and feel) like a quitter. BUT - I think that I might have set myself up for a failure.

Which actually is going to bring me off topic for a minute...

Last night, some of my friends and I got together for our little book club meeting and the idea of failure not being such a bad thing came up. The idea that "Failing" is just a learning experience. I'm trying to grasp this concept, because I know thats what I tell my kids. I know the little song on one of those kids channels... "practice makes progress". I know in my head that if you set out to do something and then miss; doesn't necessarily mean that you "failed", but that you just haven't succeed - YET.

In my hypothetical world. In my mommy world. Heck, even in my career, that's what I say to people. That's what I use to motivate, but I don't know if I completely believe it. I don't deal well with failure... or missing the mark. If I think back through my life (jobs, school, relationships) the things that stick out are the mistakes... and I gotta be honest, I don't see them as learning experiences. I feel like Earl... I need to make a list and start apologizing.

Anyway, so now I am trying to tell myself that even if I don't "run" the whole 5K... I just have to not walk off the course. Then, I will have at least succeed to finish. I need a goal that I can attain! This week's goal will be to run 4 miles. Not today though. Today I will be working out on the elliptical because I'm tired! and sore...

So, on the other side of this life style change was the weight loss, right!? Here's a recipe for Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (quick style)

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic - pressed or minced
4 cans Tomato condensed soup
1 cup fat free half and half
2 cups water
1 1/4 cups fresh basil chopped fine
1 tsp black pepper
1- 1 1/2 oz manchango cheese - finely grated (sharp cheddar, provolone... cheese with backbone)
salt to taste

Add olive oil to hot pan and reduce heat to med-low. Add garlic and stir til brown. Add the soup, cream, water, pepper and some salt. Up the heat to med-high and bring to a boil while stirring, to prevent burning. Grate in the cheese and add the basil. Simmer on low for 15mins. Taste to check seasonings. Enjoy with some bread, wine, and awesome friends! Makes plenty :)

Speed Bump

2010-10-28T09:51:00.001-07:00

I was doing so well, and then hit a little speed bump. All of a sudden my knee swelled up and I couldn't bend it. It also felt very unstable because of the swelling so I couldn't really run... BUT thanks to my Chiropractor friend... I am all better!! OK, not quite all better since I haven't actually seen him yet, but damn close!

That means that I will definitely be all set to run the 5K on Sunday :) I am soo excited!! Did you know that issues in your back can actually cause symptoms in your extremities (ie... legs, arms, hands, and feet)?? Well, I have to be honest... I did know this, but not to this extent.

I wasn't having ANY actual pain anywhere... not even in my knee where it was swollen. But he told me to stretch out and ice my low back (won't get into specific areas or directions) and seriously, almost instantly after applying some trigger point pressure on a spasm... knee effusion - GONE!!

It was like a freaking magic trick!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Brian!! I so owe you... see you tomorrow morning for my adjustment :)

Getting There

2010-10-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did not feel like going to the gym... all this workout after pretty much being a slug for 4 months, is kicking my ass! But thankfully I have my workout partner now. I was supposed to meet her at the gym, so I HAD to go. Well, on my way back from dropping off the kids at school, I got a call saying she was going to have to wait til her hubby got back before she could go cuz the baby had a cold and can't go into Child Care... bummer :(

I had to make a choice. We're training for a 1/2 marathon and we are motivating each other, right? So if I stayed at home and text her and told her that I wasn't going in, does that give her a pass? maybe, right? I mean, at the end of the day with a sick baby do you want to leave when hubby comes home? Let me rephrase that... do you want to leave and go workout? probably not... now head over to Target, that sounds awesome (especially cuz we have a Starbucks in it... hehe)

Anyway, I headed over and I needed to make it count. I got on the treadmill and set the weight (yuck), the program, the level, the time... then I had to do the speed. I decided right then and there I was just running. No matter what. So 30 mins later I ran a little more than 2.5 miles. Longer than I've ever run before. I was soo excited!! And I gotta tell you, it's because my partner :) I am sooo glad that she asked if I minded having a training partner!

On the other side of things, I've been eating sooo much better this week. Back on Weight Watchers and hoping to get down to the goal weight this time. I am 29 lbs over goal, but heck I've already dropped 61 so its about time to just do it. I have to say that I am in LOVE with PB 2
For the past 2 workouts, I've come home to a ginormous bowl of oatmeal which I learned how to make by Hungry Girl. Here's the basic from HG and I'll tell you what I've done to it...

It's a serving of oats (1/2 cup) prepared with twice the recommended amount of liquid (1 cup water and 1 cup UVAB -Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze) and cooked on the stove for at least twice the suggested time (10 minutes or more). A packet or two of no-calorie sweetener, a dash of salt, and a drop of vanilla extract join this duo on a pretty regular basis

Now, what I've been doing since I need more flavor is I take the oatmeal, water, and almond breeze and cook it up, but I through in a Tbsp of PB2 chocolate peanut butter mixture and a tsp of sliced almonds and OMFG... it rocks!! Then yesterday, I decided to do the regular PB2 peanut butter and shopped apples. I am seriously in heaven!! Oh, did I mention this recipe yields 2 full cups of oatmeal?? Yes, so you aren't sitting there looking at 3/4 cup of oatmeal saying, oh yeah, this is a meal :(

Well, that's my new addiction... that and the egg white omlets filled with veggies and a hashbrown warmed without oil! Getting a filling breakfast for virtually no points... it's awesome :)

OK... heading out now... gotta go make breakfast!

Easier with Company

2010-10-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

So this morning was crazy. I had to get the kids dressed, fed and out the door, pack up clothes for the Big Brother Big Sister pick up, finish signing all of the paperwork for Take Home Tuesday from the kids school, make and pack lunches, and get to the gym. I know I did it to myself because half of that list could have been done last night, but I didnt feel like it.

I've been lazy lately. I don't want to do anything. I just want to lay in bed and sleep and ignore everything else. But since we know I can't do that, I decided to train for a 1/2 marathon. Yes, I keep bringing it up! I am driven by this right now. I am going to get to my goal weight. I am going to do this race. I am going to succeed, DAMN IT!!!

Anyway, this morning I didn't feel like going. I wanted to drop the kids off and come home and go to bed. BUT - I have workout partner and I couldn't let her down, right? Funny thing was... she didn't want to workout either! Today was just a bad day. We didn't leave though. We wanted to and discussed the possibility, but it was never really an option. So we worked out.

Today was a cross training day so I didn't have to run... Thank GOD! We did 30 mins on the stairstepper at Level 5 and then the 30 mins on the elliptical at Level 4, I think. I burned a bunch of calories and can't wait to start dropping weight! I decided this morning to weigh myself. It's only been 2 days but I figured that I've been staying on track with my points, working out hard, and just overall feeling good... NOT a good idea!! I gained!!

So I'm not going to weigh myself til next week. I'm going to get past this point and continue doing what I am doing. Wish me luck!

On my way

2010-10-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

I made it to the gym today :) I think that in itself is an accomplishment so I'm giving myself a few gold stars today. Yesterday, I stayed on track as far as points and that's without even using any of my activity points. I know I could have made some better decisions, like having some healthier snacks, but hey I'm just getting back into the swing.

Today I ran on the treadmill for 2miles... without stopping! For me, this is a huge success because I have an amazing way of talking myself out of doing things. I actually would have been able to run almost 3 miles but I decided to up the speed and then I started sucking wind. Not a good thing. I realized that I need to look at the whole running thing differently.

I was envisioning the pounds melting away and listening to the songs on my MP3 player. I remember someone on a talk show saying that he would workout to a certain number of songs each day and just up the number by 1 more song whenever he felt strong enough... I think that's how I will be conquering my running thing. I can't walk until I get to a certain song. Today it just so happened to be "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel.

I spent about 4-5 hrs on Sunday building 2 playlists for running and I think I need to tweak them a little to be totally set. I gotta tell you though, Eminem and Lady Gaga... good workout music!! lmao.

OK... I keep forgetting to weigh myself in the morning BEFORE I eat, and I have a fear of weighing in after I eat anything, so I think I might actually just hold off til next week and keep my fingers crossed that I will finally be back under 160. Yep, that freaking number again!! I have issues!! lmao

Day 1 - Training!!

2010-10-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

So I decided that I will, in fact, be running the local 1/2 marathon! The kids at the high school I work at think I am completely insane, but it's all good. I've been looking into training programs and even got a friend of mine to commit to doing this with me! Yay :)

Here's what I've found...

There are some crazy workouts... ok, maybe they aren't the crazy ones, but seriously, the Beginners in this are supposed to be running 15-25 miles per week! Apparently, I am not ready for the Cool Running 3 month program... lol! I realize most people think that I'm crazy to try to do this with only 5months to go from nothing to 13.1 miles, but I honestly believe I can do!

So this is the program I will be using to get me prepared to run to this damn thing! I will be using the next couple of months to actually work up to the 8-10miles per week start distance that they recommend. So far, I have 1 whopping mile under my belt. Yes, 1! I ran that one mile today and thought that my lungs were going to pop out of my chest.

I've decided that I need to take this time to work on my strength and endurance. I will be working on my breathing and my mental toughness. BTW - I talk myself out of the damn 5Ks so I can only imagine how I'm going to be feeling at mile 8 :) I am so ready for this! This is my everest!!

I have 1 mile done for this week. I spent 28 minutes on the treadmill (11:15 of that running and then the rest was a very brisk walk - all with HILLS!!) followed by another 25minutes on the elliptical and some free weights. Day one is complete... now day 2 I'm coming for you!! hehe

Motivation

2010-10-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Motivation is a funny thing, isn't it?

Dictionary.com defines it as:

mo·ti·va·tion –noun
1. the act or an instance of motivating.
2. the state or condition of being motivated.
3. something that motivates; inducement; incentive.

Well, I haven't been very motivated in the past few months. I've been off the wagon as far as eating, haven't been exercising, and even avoided this place because I didn't want to admit it publicly... not that this is very public. lol

Over the past 6 months I've participated in three 5K road races. The first 2 I actually ran (at least most of it) and the most recent, only a few weeks ago I walked. I walked for a couple of reasons... because I hurt my foot and it hurts more when I jog, because I wanted to walk with my hubby and kids, and mostly because I couldn't run the whole thing. Heck, I would've been lucky if I made it the first mile without walking... and I didn't want to admit that either.

So, I've admitted it. Now, I am going to conquer it! I am going to motivate myself and maybe even a few other people to do something. I am signing up for a local half marathon that takes place on March 20th. I'm thinking of having people sponsor me to help the local food pantry and keep me going. Seriously, how do I back out on race day when people are actually paying me to run???!?! I can't!!

There are a few other reasons I'm doing it. Some are... to show my kids that anything is possible, to prove to MYSELF that I can do anything, so help a charity that I seriously believe in, to get back into shape and feel good when I get dressed in the morning... and maybe even when I'm not dressed with my hubby ;)... oh and... so I can still have those little treats that I can't seem to avoid.

Anyway, I'm motivated. I created a playlist for my training runs. I set up some running paths on Running Maps even though I think I will be doing a lot of my running on the treadmill with a LOT of additional cardio on the elliptical and stairstepper... and after a few weeks of proving that I will seriously stick with this, I might even buy myself some nice new running shoes :) Wish me luck!

Light and Simple Recipe for Easter Sunday

2010-03-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

I am having Easter Dinner at my house this year and have been seriously debating what to make for dessert. Hopefully, tomorrow I will make the 60lb (70 in real life) mark and I don't want to blow it just because I have a house full of company! I've already decided on some basics to keep me in line as far as food, without letting anyone know its healthy, so I needed something good for dessert too!!

Well, I was surfing the posts on one of my weightwatchers.com message boards and someone was trying to find a pistachio pudding cake recipe. This sounded amazing and I couldn't believe I'd never thought of it, so my search began!! lol

I was seriously disappointed to find that every recipe called for at least 1/2 cup of oil!! There was no way... I would make it work damn it! I went into the kitchen and found what I needed, mixed, cooked and tasted... OMG... it rocked!!

Pistachio Pudding Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 small box fat free sugar free pistachio pudding
3 egg whites
1 can sprite

Mix completely, let sit for about 5 mins, then scoop into cupcake liners or a cake pan. Cook as directed on the box of mix. Hubby wants me to top them with cream cheese frosting, but I think I'm going to use cool whip.

I hope you enjoy!!

Not quite there

2010-03-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

When I weighed in this week, I had a big disappointment. Although I had worked my butt and stayed within my points, I only managed to lose .6 lbs :(

So not cool!! That means that I have to lose at least .8lbs this week and I WILL do it!! As usual, I've been cooking up a storm and have so many recipes that I want to share. I made some crab stuffed mushrooms, another Oven Baked Apple Pancake... and at this very moment, I am waiting for Sausage and Egg Bake to come out of the oven. OMG... it smells sooo good! I wanted to eat it before I even mixed in the eggs.

Well, I have a Swap Party to go to in less than 2hrs and I have to eat, get me and the girls dressed and find items to swap. I will be posting the recipe for the Egg Bake though because it has to taste good and it's extremely low in points... yay!

Hope that your day is great!

Big day

2010-03-22T08:15:00.001-07:00

So 2 in days I will be weighing in at my WW meeting. The thing that makes this week different is that hopefully, for the first time in almost 12yrs I will be under 153 lbs. I am living by my t-shirt motto of "Training is the opposite of hoping" but I indulged on Saturday... pizza (2 large slices) and doritos... and 1 Pomegranite Smirnoff. Now the scale says I'm up, but I am hoping that it's just because of the sodium. **fingers crossed**

Today I worked out pretty hard on the stair stepper and then the elliptical. Right now I have some eggplant cooling on the stovetop. I made some crispy patties by marinading the eggplant in some balsamic vinegar, and coated it with ground and seasoned fiber one. I seared it in a pam sprayed skillet and finished it up in the oven at 400 degrees. I cannot wait to bite in!!

I am starting to countdown to my first 5k too! So, as of today, I have 27 days!! 26 training days left!!

Almost to my first goal!!

2010-03-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

OK, so I've been slacking for a long time now. I mean seriously, once I got past the 160 mark I've pretty much hung out here for a few years. Recently, I was motivated to actually get to my goal... 133. I know, it's a weird number, but that would make it an even 90 lbs lost (80lbs at WW). I've gotten down to 155 before and then I just float between that and 162. It's weird but the "2" is the part that freaks me out and flee from the 160s relatively quickly.

I decided though, this summer is going to be different. This is the summer that I will wear a bathing suit and feel good. This summer is the summer of running and 5ks. This is going to be the first summer of my new life... Ok, I might have gotten a little into the moment, but you get the idea.

So anyway, I started going back to WW and I've been working with my trainer. I've even been hitting the gym without an appointment which was something that I stopped doing AND I've been walking at least once a week with a very good friend :o) Hopefully, she enjoys our walks as much as I do, but I think her ear might just fall off. I just talk and talk and talk... I even think to myself "you really need to shut up" but no! more stuff comes out... lol.

Anyway, last week I was so upset that I had worked so hard, stayed on track, and only lost 1.2 lbs, that I ate an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream that night!! I figured that I started everything too suddenly and my body was in shock - it needed junk food... lmao! See how I rationalize these things.

So I asked hubby to go and get some ice cream. He's smart enough not to tell that I shouldn't eat it :o) I love my husband. I even ate it in front of my mom which is usually something I'm too selfconcious to do. Or I'll it and feel bad the whole time, but this time was different. I deserved this pint!

I hit the gym Wed and Thursday with my trainer and then followed up the ice cream Wednesday with a little pizza and a Pu Pu Platter (with veggie lo mein) friday night, at Girl's Night! Oh and did I mention the Sunday Brunch with my grandparents?? Yeah, but I worked out... a LOT! And guess what... I lost 1.4lbs!!! I think I kicked up my metabolism alright. Don't worry, I'm not going off the deep end. I did what I wanted. I realized that I need to eat a little more food to accomodate for the increased activity, but I need to do it with healthier foods.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE pulled pork with coleslaw! Well, just like with the crab cakes, I made it "safe" to eat...

Healthified Pulled Pork and Coleslaw

Pulled Pork

1 2lb trimmed pork loin
1 cup ketchup
1 can diet coke
1 tsp Pampered Chef Smokey BBQ Rub (substitute cummin)
1/2 tsp Pampered Chef Chipotle Rub (substitute chili powder)

Bring the ketchup, diet coke and spice mixture to a boil and dump over the pork loin in the Deep Covered Baker (or crockpot) and cook at 275 (low) degrees for at least 5hrs. It's done when it pulls apart easily.

Coleslaw

2 Tbsp 1% low-fat milk
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
8 cups packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
1 cups fat-free mayonnaise
4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Combine all of the ingredients, seal in air tight container and toss back into the fridge until the pork is done.

It's amazing! I hope you enjoy!

Healthified Crab Cakes

2010-03-15T14:43:00.001-07:00

Healthified Crab Cakes

6 oz lump crabmeat
1/2 cup dijonnaise
1/4 cup(s) fat-free mayonnaise
2 serving(s) Pankow Crumbs
4 item(s) egg white(s)
1/8 cup(s) roasted red peppers
5 second sprays Cooking Spray
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup(s) General Mills Fiber One

Finely grind Fiber One Cereal and dice red peppers.Combine crabmeat, dijonnaise, mayo, cereal crumbs, red peppers, and 2 egg whites.Divide into patties and allow to set in fridge for 30-60 mins.

Place flour, egg whites, and panko crumbs in seperate bowls. Dip patties in flour, then egg, then panko. Spray one side with cooking spray for 2 secs and place that side down in skillet on medium-high heat for approx. 3-5 mins, to brown. Finish in oven for 10 mins at 350 degrees.

These are an adapted version of my husband's amazing crab cakes... and they are soo yummy! Oh... BTW, I realized after I ran to the store and bought the Fiber One Original cereal, that I probably could have just used the bran flakes instead. It's just a filler instead of the bread crumbs.

My week

2010-03-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

I weighed in today and I only lost 1.2lbs :o(

I know. I know. It's a loss. I should celebrate. But I'm bummed. I seriously worked my ass off this and all I lost was 1 stinking pound!?! I guess that I could be gaining muscle, cuz I definitely feel "tighter", especially my core. I know I could have drank more water throughout the week. I know that my mom making a brunch, including homemade donuts, was not a huge help. BUT I counted everything I ate and I logged it, and I still stayed pretty darn close to my daily points.

After thinking about it, I think I might actually need to eat a little more. Yes, more. I don't know. It easy for me to tell someone else to eat more because of significantly increasing the amount of activity and seriously downsizing the portions I've become accustomed to, but in my head, for me, thats seems silly.

Oh well, another weigh in down, and at least a little loss, so I guess I just keep doing what I'm doing. I hit the gym this morning and went on the elliptical for 35mins. Then weight training for 30mins. Finally, walked with some friends for about 4.5 miles. Now I need to eat lunch and pick up the kids.

I have to focus on how my clothes fit... that will be my mantra for this week. Going to make a smoothie! Have a good one!

Making Me a Priority...

2010-03-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks I made a decision. I've been "pretending" that I want to get in shape, that I want to eat right, that I am motivated to get it done. But the thing that was missing was the actual motivation! Funny how that works, isn't it?? I mean, don't get me wrong, I wanted to do all of that stuff... I just also wanted to eat the pizza, chinese food, chocolate, peanut butter, cake, ice cream... did I mention chocolate! lol

Finally, a couple of weeks ago I realized that my pants were getting tighter and I haven't been wearing any shirts that even remotely touch my torso since at least December. OK, so maybe it wasn't that I just realized it, but more that I finally admitted it. I mean, seriously, I know what I need to do. That's what I've been telling myself. I am a highly qualified individual when it comes to fitness, but that just means I know what exercises hurt the most (and I should avoid... oopss!) I am responsible for discussing/educating my athletes regarding nutrition, weight loss, body shaping, etc daily. It is definitely an entirely different thing to know how to do something and actually doing it.

I have books on how to fix the wiring in my house, how to change a tire on my car, and how to train my dog. Want to guess how many of those I've successfully conquered! EXACTLY!! I can have all the freaking knowledge in the world but with nothing behind it, it's more like a book on your bedstand.

So... I recommitted myself. I'm back at the meetings at Weight Watchers and I have 3 months of sessions with my trainer. After week 1 I'm down 2.4 lbs and feel like I'm on my way to getting to my goal. I have 24lbs to go. How am I going to keep myself focused? I'm signing up for a 5k scheduled for April 18th... the day before my birthday. I have a goal to run the whole thing... no matter what! Wish me luck!!! Let me know what your goals are. Having any struggles?

Healthy Stuffed Peppers

2010-01-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

It's funny that I am writing about making stuffed peppers because prior to weight watchers, I wouldn't touch a pepper. Actually, I wouldn't even try a recipe with a pepper in it!! My aunt makes a lasagna that is supposed to be really good. Never tried it! lol

Well, I have been seriously pushing myself beyond my comfort zone with veggies and I've found that I like a lot of the ones that I've always "hated". I remember hating spinach, asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, oh, and eggplant! HATED THEM!! lol... now they are regulars in my meals, and my shopping list. Amazing, isn't it??

So this recipe comes from the same magazine as the Oven Baked Apple Pancakes that I posted a few weeks ago...

Mexican Beef and Bean Stuffed Peppers... mmm mmm mmm. I know, they sound awful for you, don't they?! Well, the recipe makes 8 servings, which is half a pepper and an 1/8th of the mixture and it's only 170 calories, 3g fat (1g saturated) and 9g fiber!! I have to say, that is pretty damn good, even if you end up eating a whole pepper!

Mexican Beef and Bean Stuffed Peppers
1 1/2 cups Fiber One (original cereal)
4 medium bell peppers - I will be using orange!
1 can (15oz) tomato puree
1/2 lb extra lean beef (90% ff)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chopped green chilies, undrained
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven 350 degrees. Crush cereal in baggy with a rolling pin or in a food processor. In a medium bowl mix the cereal and tomato puree, let stand about 5 minutes
2. Cut bell peppers lengthwise, in half. Remove seeds and membranes. Place peppers, cut side up, in ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish (I will be using my PC stoneware!!)
3. In skillet, cook beef and onion, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in cereal mixture and remaining ingredients, except cheese. Divide beef mixture evenly among peppers.
4. Cover; bake 40-45 minutes or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tsp cheese, let stand for 5 minutes!

Notes: I season my beef with salt and pepper while browning to give it a little more flavor in the end. Also, if you can't get the peppers it stay upright you can use the PC fluted pan, or even an upside down muffin tin! Just make sure to put a sheet pan under to catch the drippings!

I hope you enjoy! I can't wait to make these!!

Uh Oh... another bump

2010-01-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

So I was doing sooo well and then I hit a BUMP! ugh

It really sucks that I've absolutely come to love cooking and baking. If I see a recipe that looks good and we have the ingredients... I make it! Not good when at 10 o'clock on sunday night I am making the Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, that I found while searching the web during "Big Love" (not a favorite of mine).

OR today when I wasn't feeling the whole laundry thing and decided to make some Portugese Natas (custard tarts)... by the way, they all came out freaking awesome, if I do say so myself!! If you want the recipe, I will be posting it on my other blog later tonight... Tee's Closet.

These are not good for you. They only pack on the pounds and make me feel guilty for eating them, so what the heck is my problem!?! Does anyone else struggle with this?? People think I'm crazy and tell me to just stop baking, but seriously - it's not that easy!!

The Movies

2010-01-17T06:41:00.001-08:00

Friday was Hubby's B-day. We didn't do much because we both had to work until 8:30, but he managed to grab a bottle of Amaretto on the way home for a little celebratory drink. That was yummy! So all was well, until lunch yesterday... oopps!

We went to lunch with the kids because we had a gift card for a new restaurant and figured we should try it out. I had the Mediterrean Burger, with Feta Cheese, tomatoes, and kalamata olives. It was very yummy, but came with a TON of fries that I had trouble pushing away. Then the dessert cart came... uh oh!!

I ended up having a banana tart topped with cinnamon ice cream, baked fresh for the individual. I shared it with the kids, but OMG... I didn't want to!! Since it was almost 5 by the time we finished "lunch" - the service was SLOW - I decided it wasn't that bad since we were going to have dinner. However, when we got home, my mom offered to take the kids overnight so we could go out to a movie.

Henry had been really wanting to see AVATAR and we very rarely got out, so we took advantage of this time. We got the tickets and our 3D glasses and headed over to the dreaded concession stand... this is an even BIGGER UH OH!!!! We got a LARGE popcorn... I don't remember the last time I ate that much popcorn - without butter though! See, at least I made "better" choices, right?!? and a diet pepsi... lmao!! oh yeah, and Watermelon Sour Patch candy.

The movie was great! The popcorn was soooo yummy, and I am sooo bloated today... lmao! BUT... now it's time for breakfast and I think that my egg white omlet is calling. My new favorite is egg whites with tomato, spinach, black olives chopped to make em go a little further, and a wedge of laughing cow cheese! Yummy... and only 2.5 pts. Wrapped with a fat free tortilla (1pt) or a frozen hash brown (1pt) baked on the side, this meal makes it feel like I am pampered without the guilt.

I am also going to try to get in a workout today! And I'm off...

Achieving the goals

2010-01-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

OK... so I posted my goals and although no one responded on my blog :o( I did have 2 people say that they shared my view in setting them and one actually wants to do the 5K with me... yay!! So that means that 1 friend and my mom want to do a 5K with me... hmmm.

Of course, with me, things aren't that easy, right?! Well, I'm thinking what if I can get a bunch of people together and walk/run, whatever, a 5K. OK... then what? Then maybe we can start raising money for the local food pantries!! Maybe I can ask people to sponsor us and maybe even make it a goal where if I run a certain time, they will give me more. hmmm

I'm just nervous that I will let people down. I am probably way over thinking these things, right? It could just be that we do the 5K and THEN decide if for the next one, we get people to sponsor us. Maybe I will work on just getting my friends to run with me... or walk. Whatever. As long as we drag our butts off the couches that they've been so comfortably plopped over the past few face numbingly cold weeks!!

Whatcha think?? Hope that you are on your way to a healthier you. This can be by parking a little further away, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or maybe as simple as eating a piece of pizza instead of the entire pie!! Whatever changes you are making to get just a little healthier... stick with it!! I'm trying like hell to do it too!

Reasons to Continue...

2010-01-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

OK, so I haven't been as good today. I'm still within my points, but it doesn't "really" count if I've only had 1 serving of fruits or veggies, right? So I decided that I need to remind myself why I am trying to lose these last 25 lbs... yes, only 25! I weighed myself today it said 157.8... yay!! Especially since last week I started at 162 point something. lol. It was so horrible, I can't even remember the tenths!

I didn't do anything drastic. I just started following my points again. I started drinking my water again. Heck I even managed to eat chinese food and 1 1/2 portugese egg rolls over the weekend... hehe. BUT, I made better choices. Instead of eating the kung pao chicken with fried rice, or the pork lo mein that I LOVE with the mega sized bowl of wonton soup. I ordered beef and broccoli with white rice and only had a half cup of rice, and then I splurged and had a shrimp egg roll. They totally rock! So I really didn't have to kill myself to make a better choice.

Anyway, today I cooked a LOT! A very dear friend had her baby this weekend and is supposed to be coming home tomorrow. I know how tough it is to settle into the new baby cycle and all that fun stuff associated with it, I figured I would make some dinners for her and her hubby. So this morning I was able to throw together 2 shepards pies, 3 chicken shepards pies, and 4 lasagnas... sounds like the partridge and a pear tree, doesn't it?! I'm also going to make a banana bread for them, but not just any banana bread. I am making the Banana Dream Muffins into a loaf... these are amazing! So I figure I can't steal a piece of the loaf, right??

With all of this temptation, I've been trying to tell myself why I want to lose the rest. It's tough. I go from the shallow... Wanting to look hot! To the deep... want to feel better, sleep better, etc. Figured if I made my list, it would help. What keeps you going?

Me...

Fit in my size 8 cargo pants
Look the part at work
Prove to myself that it can be done, damn it!
Not have to suck in my stomach for every pic
Sleep better
Run a 5K without walking
Not feel so tired all of the time
Feel sexy... lol - sorry, it's true!
Teach my girls better eating habits
Motivate more people to get in shape

That's my list. I know that there are a hell of lot more, but some are too petty to write. I hope that this help a little. Have a great new year!! So far, I am liking it!!

Dinner Guest

2010-01-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

So last night a very good friend of mine came over for dinner. My hubby was working so it was a girl's night. My mom, Laurie and her daughter and my little princesses... lol. Since we were all very "bad" this holiday season, it was important that we didn't completely blow it with dinner. Although it's very tempting when having people over, it is possible to stay on track while having tons of flavorful, delicious food!

I started with my new favorite... Brussel sprouts. Laurie and my mom both love them, but are used to soaking them in butter after boiling them. I figured that it was my chance to show them how to eat them guilt free, with the roasted brussel sprouts version. They loved them!

Next, I moved onto chopping my veggies for a stir fry. I know that there is no real rule for a stir fry, but I'm pretty new to this area so I was a little nervous. I chopped a red bell pepper, an orange bell pepper and about 1 cup of baby carrots julienne style. Then I sliced about 1 cup of white mushrooms, chopped the ends and halved 1 cup of snap peas, and chopped a head of broccoli. I cooked them all up in about 1/2 cup of fat free chicken stock. Seasoned with some salt, pepper, and onion powder. I was going to make a sauce to go on this, but realized I didn't have any teriyaki sauce. Oh well, it was super yummy all on it's own.

I seasoned my pork tenderloin with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Then seared all sides and put it in the oven with the brussel sprouts for about 10-12 minutes. I used the thermometer and took it out when it was about 150-155 degrees at the middle. While sitting on the table to rest it will continue to cook to the 160-165 and this will allow all of the juices to redistribute. OMG... it was perfect. Just slightly pink in the center, almost melt in your mouth tender... mmm mmm mmm.

Not having a sauce was a little bummer, but I had some Thai Peanut Sauce from the Pampered Chef that adds tons of flavor with just a little sauce. This helped to keep the points down... yay!!

In total, this was a very low points meal. The stir fry was completely free with the fat free chicken stock instead of oil. I used just 1 tsp of oil with the entire 2 cups of brussel sprouts which means that side was free of points as well!! The pork tenderloin was browned in my 12" nonstick skillet so no oil required. That means that for 1 pt per oz, it was about 4 pts per serving. The sauce was 3 pts for 2 Tbsp and thats significantly more than you need!!

I made some white rice in chicken stock and chicken breast with baby corn for the kids. So with a half of a cup of the rice and a glass of 1% milk the entire meal only "cost" me about 9 points. Not bad!

So Laurie felt bad not bringing anything. She decided on some pineapple and grapes with a dipping sauce made with fat free cream cheese and marshmallow creme. This means that with 1/2 cup of the sauce (2pts), 1 cup of pineapple and 1/2 cup of grapes (1.5 pts), it brings our entire evening up to 12.5 pts!

That might seem like a lot when you factor that I get only 23 pts per day, but for an extravagant evening that I knew about it is very doable!! Hope that this gives you a little incentive to try to entertain while staying on track. I know that it might be hard to relate to the points if you don't follow Weight Watchers, but the idea is it keep it "healthier" while keeping all of the flavor!

Have fun. Play with flavor combinations! Add spice! Worst case scenario... you end up eating soup... lmao! Good luck!

Apple Oven-Baked Pancake

2010-01-07T06:05:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was able to take some time and spend it on me. I went to Barnes and Noble bookstore and got a magazine to read while I had my 6" turkey and ham sub from Subway. I found a bunch of healthy cooking ones... Weight Watchers, Light Cooking, etc, but they seriously cost more than most of the reduced price cookbooks!! OMG. So I settled with one called, Simple Healthy Meals. It's by Betty Crocker and it's little claim is "Your favorite recipes healthified".

Skimming through it I found some pretty interesting dishes that I wanted to try. The awesome thing is that most of them were using ingredients that I already had in my house! Don't you hate it when you are going through a cookbook and everything requires at least one thing from the grocery store... seriously?!

OK... tell me these don't sound good...

"Healthified" Classic Potato Salad

4 pts for 3/4 cup (and I can lower this even more!!)

"Healthfied" Cashew Chicken and Broccoli

9 pts total for 1 cup chicken mixture and 3/4 cup of rice

Mexican Beef and Bean-Stuffed Peppers

3 pts for 1/2 pepper with mixture... OR 7 pts for a 2 servings... yeah baby!

"Healthified" Buffalo Chicken Dip

3 pts for 1/4 cup... you can even use this as a spread on a sandwich!

"Healthified" Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

2 pts for 3 mushrooms... put it on a large portabella and make it a meal!

So keep watching because I am soooo going to be making these! BUT, this morning I tried my first recipe for the magazine and OMG... soo yummy! It's called the Apple Oven-Baked Pancake. I was a little nervous because it's made with the Fiber One Pancake Mix and only 1 1/2 tsp of sugar and cinnamon. I'm thinking dry and flavorless, but I was hopeful. My mom had picked up a box of the pancake mix last week, at a local discount store so we could try it. Perfect right?

It was sooo good and we put the syrup into little containers on the side and dipped using about 1/8 cup of the syrup because it came out so moist! It was cake like. Gotta try it! So, here's the recipe...

Apple Oven-Baked Pancake - makes 4 servings

2 Tbsp of butter - yes butter!!

1 egg

3/4 cup Fiber One Pancake Mix

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 small apple, very thinly sliced (I got to use my Pampered Chef Apple Peeler, slicer, corer... hehe)

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon-sugar
Serve with warm syrup if desired (we used toasted pecan... perfect!)

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. While it's heating up, melt the butter in a 9in pie pan in the oven.

2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat egg. Beat in pancake mix, milk, and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the melted butter in the pie pan. Arrange the apple slices on top and sprinkle the sugar mixture.

3. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the edges are deep golden brown. OMG... so yummy, so moist. Try it! Oh yeah, for one serving it's only 4 pts and we didn't even use 1 pt of syrup! Enjoy!

go me!!

2010-01-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

I am happy to report that after only being OP (on program) for Weight Watchers for 2 days, I have already lost 2.5 lbs!! YAY! That means that I have only 17.5 to go before April 10th. I think that I am going to try to get to 140, which would mean almost 23 lbs, but we'll see how it goes from here.

I am very excited and very motivated at this point. Then again, at this point, isn't everyone motivated?? I think about Valentine's Day when all of the chocolate is around, staring at me, that's when I will start hitting the wall. So... I'm preparing!

Hope that you're doing well with your new years!! Have a good one :o)

And.... again....

2010-01-05T05:43:00.001-08:00

So I went back onto Weight Watchers online for this week. I was going to go to a meeting, but I can't get on the scale at 162 and look someone else in the face!! It's bad enough when I get on the scale and that number is looking ME in the face! ugh.

Anyway, so I signed up a 20 lb challenge. It's 20 lbs by April 10th. I like that. It gives me 3 months, which is more than enough time to do it, but not too much that I lose focus. I started tracking again yesterday. Man, I feel like I am in control when I track. I don't know why I stop doing it... well, I do know... it's because I don't want to track that I ate 50+ pts in one meal! So I'm on the right track again now. I am going to fill the punching bag that my mom bought me for christmas and just start hitting and kicking til I get tired... lol.

My brother is going to send me a program at some point, but if I wait it's just another reason to put it off. I hate the way my clothes fit right now. It sucks. They aren't too tight, but I'm too flabby! So not cool. I bought the cutest little dress for the holidays and refused to wear it! I didn't feel comfortable in it at all. All I could see was my belly bulging everywhere. Ok, maybe I'm being a little over dramatic, but trust me, it wasn't good.

Well, I'm off to portion out my pineapple for snacks. I tried brussel sprouts last night and found out that after all of these years of avoiding them, I actually LOVE them!! lol. Well, at least the way I made them anyway. I had a about 1-2 cups. I think it was about 15 of them. I put them in a bowl and drizzled them with about 1-2 tsp of olive oil and then sprinkled kosher salt and pepper. Spread them on a sheet pan and baked them for 40 mins at 400 degrees. They were so good! I didnt even dress them with anything... just ate em like that.

I have so many new things to try now. I found out recently that I even like raw red and orange bell peppers. Still not a huge fan of green ones. They seem more bitter. Oh well, I'm off. Good luck on your journey!!!

Holidays are over... almost

2010-01-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

So you would think that after almost dying last night, I would smarten up and start eating the healthy stuff that I have stashed in the fridge, right? Ok, I didn't really almost die, but it felt like it. We went to my hubby's aunts' house last night for her annual New Years Day Party. She had homemade french meat pie, homemade chicken tenders, meatballs, cakes, cookies, and fudge... and I had at least a little of everything. Not cool!!

Anyway, all seemed well when we got home. Kids went to bed, we started to watch a movie. I fell asleep on the couch... BUT when I woke up to move to the bed I did not feel well. Figured I would just go to sleep and be better. NOT! To put it bluntly I was a Pepto-Bismo commercial and ended up having to sleep on the couch to get any relief.

This morning I had a coffee and 4 mini pancakes that were leftover from the kids. Not what I would call the best breakfast. Oh well. At least I feel like a human being again. Is anyone else struggling with getting it started? I haven't had this much trouble since I started Weight Watchers over 4 yrs ago. Gotta kick it into gear though... there's no way I'm going back to what I was. That is not an option.

Basically, I think that at the end of the night tomorrow. I am going to have hubby and the kids go through our "stashes" of holiday crap and start trashing it. I'm not the only one who needs to start getting fit. My kids love the healthy stuff too, it's just not half as tempting when it's sitting near chocolates or chips, right??

OK - this blog is going to keep me honest. So feel free to post your experiences. I am going to start being brutal about workouts, eating habits, and just plain, how I feel. Wish me luck!!

Here we go again...

2009-12-27T10:18:00.001-08:00

I know that I'm not the only one who has problems controlling myself during the holidays, but it seems that it's definitely an all or nothing attitude. This is really not cool because it makes it that much harder to get back on the wagon at the end of the season. Oh well...

So I was wondering if anyone was interested in a challenge. I need to lose 25 lbs and I need some bonus incentive!! I'm kind of broke right now, so the whole money motivation is gone because if I lose, I'm screwed. I'm not sure what else it could really be. I'm sort of motivated right now and I'm hoping that after this week, I will have cleaned the basement enough to start getting down there and kicking my butt into shape!!

My mom got me a Wavemaster punching bag for christmas and I'm headed out to get some sand later this afternoon. She also bought a ton of new workout videos, which I think is kind of silly since we already have well over 20 that aren't getting used. Whatever, it's her money. Hubby and I own a 2 tenament and my mom lives downstairs. Its definitely got its positives and negatives. I can get into that in another post.

Anyway, anyone up for the challenge??

Getting Ready for the Holidays!!

2009-10-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I stayed away from weight watchers for a few months, but when I stepped on the scale last week I was excited to discover I had only gained 1.4 lbs since June!! Yay! BUT - I ended my sessions with my personal trainer and the holidays are coming so I need a plan...

My plan is to start eating healthier, start working out more regularly, and just generally not being an idiot when it comes to food and the holidays!

Now, after saying that I am currently planning a cookie swap AND a holiday pastry party... think I'm setting myself up? Got any healthy options that would work with my plan? Good luck on your endeavors!!

Oh btw... this 1.4lbs means that I am currently at a total loss of 68lbs. Still trying to reach the big 9-0!! Continuing to repeat the "Training is the opposite of hoping" quote from my nike t-shirt.

Here are some recipes...

2009-07-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we got back last week and I have been BUSY!! lol... as usual.

I'm going to start with the stirfry because I've made it a few times this week alone... I get a little addicted to recipes, if you haven't noticed. Chef Hubby and I had a cookout and decided to make this for a side dish. He actually grilled some bread on the grill to serve this on, so people could eat it a little easier - it rocked!! I cooked it on the side burned we have so it was super fresh for the festivities.

"Stuffed Portabella" Stir-Fry

4 medium portabella mushroom caps
1 red bell pepper
1 can black olives (drained)
1 can artichoke hearts (drained)
5 cups baby spinach
Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/4 Balsamic Vinegar

Clean and chop the mushrooms. If buying the presliced, just cut the slices in half. Chop the Red pepper, olives, and artichoke hearts.

Add the Balsamic Vinegar to a heated nonstick skillet. I used a 12" so that I could put all of the spinach in at once. Then add the red pepper and allow it to soften a little... about 2-3 minutes). Add the mushrooms and cook for another minute or 2. Then add the olives and artichoke hearts, toss until everything is coated. Finally, add the spinach until it's wilted. I transfered it to a bowl and topped some of the breads with it. I allowed the guests to add the feta as they liked, because a few aren't big cheese eaters, but it's sooo yummy, mixed in!!

I hope you liked this one!

Rhubarb and Peach Sauce

2 stalks of rhubard, cleaned and chopped into 1-2" pieces
4-5 peaches,pitted and cubed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2-1 cup water

Add the rhubarb, peaches, sugar, and about 1/2 cup of water to a small sauce pan, on medium-low. If necessary, add more water as it cooks. This takes about 30 minutes to really break down the rhubarb and get the true blend of flavors, but it is sooo worth it! BTW - it's thick and rich and it isn't necessary to use a lot of it. This was awesome on grilled Pork Chops, but I can see it on chicken and steak... it's so flavorful!

Oh, wanna know the secret to a perfect pork chop?? Brine it before you cook it. You won't have to worry about a dry piece of meat again! How do you brine? It's super easy!

Brine Mixture

1 gallon water
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 cup salt

Heat the mixture just until the salt and sugar melt completely, then remove from heat, add the meat of choice (making sure that everything is completely covered) and then cover and place in the fridge for 1-24 hrs. This is going to give you a juicy, tasty, perfect piece of meat!!

Have fun grilling - it's finally summer!

Keep Watching!!

2009-06-19T14:05:00.001-07:00

OK - so right now I am in Kansas visiting my brother, SIL, and 3 month old niece! Yay! Unfortunately, there are sooo many different food joints here so I haven't been doing very good watching what I'm eating for lunches, but we have been cooking dinners while we've been here. This means that as soon as I get back home, I will be posting a bunch of new, yummy, easy, and nutritious meals... wanna see what we've made so far....

Grilled Pork Chops with a Peach/Rhubarb Sauce
Sauteed Zucchini
Sweet Potato Fries

and Tonights Menu:

Steak - lean
"Stuffed Portabella Mushroom" Stir-fry
Grilled Corn on the Cob

mmm mmm mmm... I can't wait!

So check back next and I'll explain - especially the stirfry, OMG!!!

Hope your week is going as well as mine :o)

Healthier Food Options...

2009-06-07T18:15:00.001-07:00

So it's summer and the fruits and veggies are looking good! Now, if you actually know me, I mean, really know me... you'll understand that this statement is sort of strange coming out of me! Until only about a year and a half ago, my definition of veggies was lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers. Other than that I would eat corn - yes, that would be the vegetable with zero nutritional value!

Anyway, I'm still on Weight Watchers and I'm now eating veggies... lots of veggies - and liking them! Now, I just have to figure out how to cook them. I'm kind of spoiled in the fact that I can pretty much tell Chef hubby (AKA, Henry) what I want thrown together and he makes it taste soooo yummy! But, I've had to figure out how to incorporate more of them into my routine all on my own.

A big favorite is the Greek Omelette... Egg whites, 3 olives chopped, 1/2 tomato chopped, Spinach chopped, and only about a teaspoon of feta cheese... mmm mmm mmm. I have this at least 3 times a week. Do you think I might have a problem?

I also love the WW smoothies! You can get the mixes at the centers and you don't have to be a member. I know that you can get protein smoothie mixes at other stores, but I like these and they are only 1pt! My new favorite is the Wild Berry... with frozen strawberries, blueberries, and either milk, or a yogurt with some water to thin it a little. OMG - I've actually started to crave these!!

I also love the stuffed portabellas that I blogged about last week. And the topping can be made in "bulk" and thrown on top of a salad or some whole wheat pasta.

Finally, although it's not a fruit or veggie, it has become more new go to, travel snack... Kellogg's Jumbo Multi-grain Rice Krispies. These little babies are packed full of nutrition and an entire cup is only 1 pt. I can throw a baggy of these into my bag and it gives me something sweet to munch on without the guilt of the extra calories!

I also just want to share my new favorite website Hungry Girl. This website totally rocks, with it's help hints and up to date information for healthy eating. Just remember that even little steps make a big difference! I'm still going, trying to reach my goal! Good luck with whatever you are reaching for! It's a new week and now is the time to make the jump!

"Training is the Opposite of Hoping!" ~Nike

Couch Potato Workout

2009-06-03T12:31:00.001-07:00

So, some of my friends have been requesting a workout that they can do at home with the kids running around, without equipment, and with a small area of space. I've been thinking of this for a while, and then I saw that Jillian Michaels was starting with it, so I know it's not an original idea, but I still think it's worth sharing...

The Couch Potato Workout!!

Basically you will be doing a "circuit" of exercises during the commercials of your favorite tv shows. Now, if you don't watch tv... how the heck are you not in shape?!?! If I was motivated enough to get away from technology, I would be a freaking buff bunny!! lmao

So you can rotate the exercises in any order you want, just make sure that do one exercise throughout the entire commercial break. Do as many as you can, taking a break if necessary. You can keep track of the length of time and the number of repetitions you get done, if you'd like. Your choices are:

Push ups: If you are a beginner, feel free to do them on your knees, but otherwise, maintain a straight line through your head, shoulders, hips, knees (and if you are doing normal push-ups, your toes). Hands even with your shoulders and thumbs pointing towards your body.

Couch Dips: Sit on the edge of the coach cushion, place palms on the couch frame just outside your hips, being sure that your elbows are pointed back, not out to the sides. Now skoot your butt forward off the couch and drop it down towards the floor. You want to keep your feet out away from the couch so that when you press down your knees stay behind your toes. You can make this more difficult by moving your feet further away or even lifting one foot off the ground.

Lateral Raises: Use anything you have for weights (start with soup cans, work out to water bottles, then even milk jugs!) With your arms straight, sit or stand with back straight and head forward, lift your arms out to the side up until they are shoulder height (AKA... parallel to the floor).

Forward Raises: Same as Lateral Raises, only you are lifting your arms straight out in front of you.

Chest Press: Use anything for weights, including your child!! You are going to lay flat on the floor and with arms straight out, elbows bent, press whatever you are lifting up towards the ceiling.

Plie Squats: With toes pointing out to the sides and feet apart slightly wider than your shoulder width, squat down. Be sure to keep your shoulders back and head up. You can even use the kids or a backpack for added resistance. If you want to make it more difficult, you can do it with one heel up and alternate OR you can lift your heels each time you come up from the squat.

Lunges: Stand one foot forward and one foot back. Make sure that toes are pointed forward and press your body down (NOT FORWARD!!). Your back knee does not have to touch the floor, but be sure to keep the head, shoulders, hips, and back knee in line when pressing down. You can do each side 10 times and keep switching. Also, feel free to use your child or backpack again!!

Crunches: Basic abdominal crunch is when your back is flat on the floor, knees bent with feet flat on the floor, with hands behind head for support (do NOT pull head up with your hands). Now lift your shoulders towards the ceiling.

Reverse Crunch: Back flat on floor, hands down by your side, keeping knees bent at 90 degrees, lift feet off the floor. Remember that slow and controlled, don't just speed through it.

Heel Touches: Get into reverse crunch position, keep feet flat on floor, lift your shoulders off the floor and bend to the side trying to touch your heels with your finger tips.

Bridging: Get into reverse crunch position and lift hips off the floor, squeezing your butt and hamstrings (the back of your thigh) at the top. To add more of a challenge you can have your kids sit on your hips... lol! Also, you can bring your hips up, hold, then do a marching motion with your feet. If this gets too easy, you can even lift one leg and bridge single leg.

Well, I think that's a good start! Let me know what you think. One more thing... If you want to make any of this even more difficult, add a pulse! With the raises, presses, bridging, and crunches perform the motion 10-15 times, then bring it up, hold it and then a very little motion (pulse) pretty fast. Be sure to throw your arms or body around. This is all a controlled motion, just very small. You can do the same with the squats and lunges, but perform the pulse when you drop it down.

Hope that this helps you in your quest to get that beach body... lol! OK - or at least just get you off the couch! Good luck!

Miss me?

2009-06-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... I've completely lost any people who ever read this but I wanted to say "I'm sorry". I didn't abandon the blog; I've just been trying to get back into my groove. It was frustrating trying to write something motivation while thinking about eating a hot fudge sundae, right?!

So I'm doing well. Proud to say that I've lost a few pounds and well on my way to my goal - FINALLY! I've actually been following weight watchers again and let trust me when I say, it's so much easier to stay within my points and not get bored, now that I actually eat veggies. I've been scouring cookbooks again and I've used a TON of post-it flags marking recipes that I "MUST TRY"! I'm so excited for the summer and the fresh flavors and smells that I can pick up at the local farmer's market.

Well, since it's the summer and grilling has started, I figured that I would share a very simple recipe that can be done indoors or out. It's something I've actually come to crave...

"Stuffed" Portabella Mushroom Caps

4 Portabella Mushroom Caps – stems removed
1/2 cup Balsamic vinaigrette with olive oil or Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup diced sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
1/4 cup black olives
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
1/4 cup feta cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Marinate the cleaned portabella caps in the balsamic vinaigrette for at least 2hours. This can be done up to 24 hrs before preparing.

Place caps on a lightly greased baking pan tops down. Chop the tomatoes, peppers, olives, and artichokes. Layer spinach, tomato mixture, and feta cheese. Drizzle a little olive oil on top. Salt and pepper for seasoning.

Place in 350 degree oven for 25 mins.

** These can be placed in foil packets and prepared on the grill. 12 mins at 400 deg.

** Use the small Bella Caps instead and you have a super easy appetizer anyone would love!!

Hopefully, this will help get you motivated to eat healthier! I got me through our first cookout of the season. No one was wondering why I wasn't eating the burger while I was chowing down on one of these... lmao. Actually, it was the only thing that we didn't have left over!

Hello Again!!

2009-03-01T04:58:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've changed my post, but it's been crazy again. Chef Hubby is now working his normal teaching job during the week and also is working in the kitchen at a local Bar/Pub Monday and Fridays til close - ugh. This is the same place that he helped launch by creating the menu. Anyway, the girls and I have been spending lots of quality time. I also started on my own as a Pampered Chef consultant a few weeks ago. It's a great opportunity and I am hoping that I can make a little extra money to help pay off some bills a little faster. I'm still working as an Athletic Trainer at one of the local high schools, but this gives me a little time to talk to "big people"... lol. Anyway, I now have 2 cooking demos under my belt and I'm more than halfway to my fulfilling my "obligation" to company so I'm pretty excited.

Lately, the girls and I have been working a bunch of new things. We've been crafting, cooking, and creating! We created some peanut butter the other day. I didn't have a recipe so I referred back to chef hubby. Who knew, all you need is a little peanut oil or soybean oil and a bumch of peanuts. I was going to add a little sugar, but the kids seem to like it anyway, so why bother?

We also are continuing with the muffin tin adventures, but I haven't actually been doing the "assignments" for Muffin Tin Monday over at Her Cup Overfloweth. It's not that I like them any less, there just never seems to be one I can pull together when I think of doing it. I think that the breakfast muffin tin is the most requested, snack tim coming in a very close second... lol! My Grandparents actually babysit 2 days a week while I work and she always makes them a snacktime Muffin Tin. I'm an getting everyone into this... hehe. Here are 2 of our recent Muffin Tin attempts:

(ketchup for dipping, diced peaches, strawberry yogurt, eggs, toast with purple sprinkles)

I got these plates at JCPenney during the holidays so they were cheap, but I really do love them. The spot where the eggs are holds a bowl and where the yogurt is has a round indent to hold a cup. The kids love them!! I should have gotten 2 princess ones though, don't know what I was thinking!

Fudge Cookies, cheese, Cheetos, twizzlers

peanuts, PB&J on wheat bread, pretzel sticks

goldfish crackers, star marshmallows, cheese, grapes

This is a snacktine Muffin Tin. I make a big one so both girls can share, but usually they end up liking different things anyway... lol

Then we went to the New England Aquarium during school vacation. The kids are actually too little to have to worry about the whole vacation thing, but as a teacher, my hubby can tell you the amount of time between any vacation... if you thought the kids counted down, you have no idea!

Anyway, both of the kids loved the penguins and the turtles (They are looking at a turtle in a "rehab" tank, in the pic below). But they were not very excited about the octopus or the LARGE tank in the middle with sharks, etc in it. I tried to get a pic of them sitting on the ledge in front of the window and you would have thought I was trying to feed Payton to the darn shark!! I'll say, it was definitely an experience!

Well, I think I caught you up on a few of the things we've been doing. Today we are going to be hanging out and watching some tv. We're having some friends over for brunch (I say it's lunch, because it's at noon, but Chef Hubby keeps saying brunch - what do you think the cutoff time is?) for some delicious food! So far we are serving up:

Savory Egg Bake

(rosemary focassia bread, sweet sausage, a variety of cheese, fresh garlic and some other seasonings)

Fresh Pineapple and Grapes

Eggs to Order

Tossed Salad

(arugala, nuts, starwberries, raspberry vinegarette, and the best part - Kilchurn Estate Wensleydale with Cranberries)

I can't even describe how amazing this cheese is!! I could sit there with some graham crackers and a wedge and just eat. It's sweet, smooth, crumbly, amazing!! I will let you know how it goes!

Have a great day!!

Motivation

2009-01-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

So one of the tools that I've learned through Weight Watchers is something they call "Anchoring". This is a way to maintain focus for your success. Now I've been a little lost lately. I think after being on my little "journey" for so long, I lost my drive to continue. Now I'm not saying that I've thrown in the towel and wanted to let go of what I gained, but I will say that on my trip to California from Massachusetts, I found Vegas... lmao!!

As soon as my butt fit into my size 10 jeans, I started to let the reins go a little. So I decided that I needed a new anchor! My mom told me about Newport News and said they had some really cute clothes, so I checked it out. I found two bathing suits, both 2 piece, in the clearance section, and I bought them! hehe

I know that I've worn a 2 pc before... I'm pretty sure that at the time, I probably should not have, but hey whatever. This time, I want to flaunt it! So now I'm waiting the 7-10 days before I get them. Henry can't wait. I think he might be more excited than I am to have them come in. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed! My fear is even when I lose the weight, I'm still not going to have a beach going bod. I guess we'll just have to see, right?!

I can honestly say that there probably will not be any pics posted of me in the swimsuits... but hey you never know. I never thought I would actually like to wear 4inch either!! It's amazing what can happen!

Little Changes...

2009-01-24T19:07:00.000-08:00

So we all start the new year with the highest of hopes, right? We're going to eat better, work out more and never ever ever cheat. This time is going to be different and there's nothing that's going to throw us off course. Sound familiar? Well, so will this... the next morning you wake up late, starving, and unprepared to start the way you planned. You grab some leftovers or a maybe just a coffee, beginning the cycle of downward spiral that lasts until the ball drops the next year.

Well, this year can be different!!! The winning approaches...

1. Make reasonable goals
2. Start small
3. Log progress
4. Acknowledge the successes and the setbacks
5. Allow yourself to let continue on the path, even if you stray a little
6. Accept that this is going to be a lifetime, not a vacation

OK, so are you set? Now I will go into a few ways for you start your "healthier" lifestyle right now! I'm not going to profess that I have all of the answers, that I am my ideal body size, shape, or composition, or that it's easy everyday. I will say that I am a person who has struggled my entire life with imagine problems. I have always been an athlete (albeit, not always a well trained one... lol) and have very high standards that I am trying to make more reasonable for everyday life. It's a challenge for me everyday and it doesn't seem to get easier, no matter what all of the books say about routines. Make you feel any better? We're probably in the same boat, so feel free to vent!

Some baby steps...
1. Try drinking one cup of water an hour. Chug it if you have to. Proper hydration can help prevent that mid-afternoon crash. Also, if you are hydrated you won't mistake the thirst sensation for hunger, which helps prevent overeating.
2. Move more. Whatever you are doing, double it. If you aren't working out at all, start using the stairs, parking further away, or even sit and stand more from the couch - MOVE!
3. Journal. This is where people lose interest. But you can log anything that will help show a change. Write about your mood during your "journey", log your food intake, track your training program (weights, sets, reps, or even intensity and time), record your measurements. Whatever works for YOU. This gives you your starting point. Something to look back and remind you where you have come from. Do it!
4. Eat more... fruits and veggies. If you feel like a sweet, grab some fruit. Need a crunch, grab a veggy. If you still need something to kill the extra urge after you've tried this, keep some miniatures around and allow yourself one. Don't eat the whole bag. BUT, if you do... live with it and move on. Please don't throw in the towel. It's not worth it!!

I know I said that I would be posting the Couch Potato Workout and I haven't forgotten. I will throw out the basics for right now and I'll post specific exercises a little later. The general plan would be to understand that at the end of the day you want to enjoy your favorites, and there's nothing wrong with that, but we need to get in some exercise. So during each commercial, get up and do something. ANYTHING. Dance with your kids, do some crunches, squats, leg lifts, push-ups. Go with the anything is better than nothing motto and say it in your head. When your show starts again, you get a break.

Hope this helps a little. Let me know how you do! I'm going to try to reach my goal of getting into a two piece this summer. Wish me luck... or not. I guess it's all up to me. My hubby bought me a Nike t-shirt for Christmas that says "Training is the opposite of hoping". I love it! That's my new mantra, right after "I've worked too damn hard to throw it all away for a piece of _____". You know what I mean! So... let's "JUST DO IT"!

New Years is a new start...

2009-01-02T11:14:00.001-08:00

So I started this blog with the intention of putting some useful stuff including recipes, workouts, and inspirational to keep us all going. I'm sorry for dropping the ball! BUT... It's a new year and I'm going to start fresh. I have a workout program I've been working on. I call it the "Couch Potato Workout" and I'll explain it soon! Right now I am just going to leave you with a quote that I fell in love with...

It's MORE stressful to continue to be overweight

than it is to stop overeating!

That's it for today, but I will be back... Happy New Year! Let's do this together!

I'm starting to hate the holidays!!

2008-12-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

I got on the scale today and OMFG!!!! I am now over the 160 mark. This is the first time since August, which probably doesn't seem that long, but it is! I've been working so hard in the gym, but it seems that the more I work, the more I eat. That wouldn't be so bad if I were grabbed the carrots, grapes, etc... BUT when it's all those yummy pastries I told you about - it doesn't work!

So today I was blog surfing and found someone who had a weight tracker on their sidebar. I'm on a hunt to find one. I think it along with a bunch of signs all around my house reminding myself that I've worked too hard to let it go, will help. I hope!!

I doubt that I'm the only one suffering through the holidays, how are your's going? OK - going to get myself a tracker...

Holiday Party Preparation

2008-12-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

So this weekend is our HUGE holiday open house!! I'm so very very excited and yet so very very nervous! My mom and I always get worried that we won't have enough food, while at the same time stressing that not enough people will show up... lol. So this weekend we have a ton of creations in the works, food, dips, spreads, and DESSERTS!!!

I actually realized last week that I was completely sabotaging myself with our menu, so we revised some of the items and I can now say, I can eat at our party!! I figured that I would share some of our food ideas... you may want to look away if you are feeling particularly weak this morning! lol

Some of our healthy offerings:
Veggie Lo Mein
Seasoned, Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Turkey Meatballs with Sauce
Buffalo Wings (skinned and made w/o butter)
sound yummy? If only we stopped there, but we couldn't...

Gallons of Clam Chowder, homemade by Chef Hubby
Mini Meat Pies - family recipe
BBQ Wings
and then the desserts (I'm not going to list all of them, well, because I don't have the time... lol!)

A few favorites...
Kids Sushi (Rice Crispy Treats with Aquafish gummy treats tied to the pieces with licorice)
Scotcharoos (PB rice crispy treats covered in chocolate)
Homemade Truffles (check out the carrot cake ones at my other website)
Apple Streusel Tarts
Cream Cheese Bars
Homemade Marshmallows for the hot cocoa... mmm mmm mmm

Wish me luck!!! I know, why would I set myself up? Well, face it, although everyone keeps saying that you should make the holidays revolve around something other that food, is there really anything that brings so many people together? And seriously... it's FUN!! I love creating this stuff. I love watching people eat it and I love sharing my recipes... so if you would like any, let me know and I can post some of them.

Enjoy your weekend! I know I will!! Happy Holidays!

The Biggest Loser...

2008-11-25T19:14:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I have to admit, this past week was not my best. Unfortunately, to top it off, I over slept and missed the weigh in at Weight Watchers. Oh man... but the scale at home says I gained about 1.4 pounds, so this week is going to be tough. I can't over indulge on Turkey day!

On that note, did anyone see The Biggest Loser tonight?! Was it at all shocking to anyone that Vicky voted for Amy? Of course not!!! Why the heck didn't she vote Vicky off last week when she had the chance? Some people just don't know how to play the game... by the way, Vicky doesn't either.

I am all about the game, but I think that the game includes something called Sportsmanship! I think that these days it's something that many people are forgetting. When the game is done, I want to be able to hold my head up high and tell my kids that I did my best. I would never want them to think that it's ok to bully or harrass another person, or even animal, for that matter!

OK, anyway, just wondering if anyone else noticed... lol!

Pork Lo Mein... Healthy!

2008-11-17T17:28:00.000-08:00

I know, it's another asian recipe, but that's what I've been craving!! Today is my anniversary and I decided that I wanted to surprise Chef Hubby with something tasty while trying to get back on track with my eating. This weekend was far from the healthy eating I've been trying to return to.

I explained my amazing weekend in detail on my other blog, but the short sweet story is... Chef Hubby surprised me with dinner, an overnight stay at a nice hotel, and then breakfast, this weekend. Man, it was yummy!! But definitely NOT the way to lose the last 25 pounds!!

So back to today... I found a basic recipe on Weight Watchers again, but as usual, I had to make it my own. That basically means that I removed the onion, added some extra veggies, a little extra garlic and mmm mmm mmm, it was good!!

Pork Lo Mein

8oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
1 1/2 pounds of pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup baby corn, cut in half
1 cup snap peas, cut in half
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Cook the pasta as directed, drain, rinse, and set aside. Also, bring a quart of water and 1 Tbsp salt to a boil. Add the baby corns and snap peas. Cook until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

In a sprayed large non-stick skillet, on medium-high heat, cook garlic and ground ginger for about 1 min. Add the cubed pork and cook until all sides are golden brown. Add the carrots, baby corns, and snap peas. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes to allow the flavors to absorb. Add the broth and soy sauce. Bring back to a boil and be sure that all of the pork is cooked through. Now add the pasta and toss to mix evenly. Allow to simmer for 1-2 mins.

Let the eating begin!! I did realize while I was eating it, that edamame would have been a perfect addition to this dish as well. Oh well, maybe next time! It was a meal in itself and it was a hit with the whole family. How can you beat that?!

Chicken Teriyaki and Broccoli

2008-11-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

OK - so if you're anything like me, you are always looking for something to kill that urge to order some takeout! I am currently doing the Core Program through Weight Watchers and to explain it simply, it's high fiber, low water, low density foods. Anyway, most of the recipes I post will probably fall into this catergory, but no promises. Today's recipe is almost exactly from the WW website, but I mix everything together at the end... it makes it easier!!

Chicken Teriyaki and Broccoli

2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 pound uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 medium scallions (I don't use these... I used some dried minced onions)
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 cups cooked brown rice
4 cups broccoli florets, steamed

In a coated pan on medium high heat, cook in the garlic, stirring, for about 1 min. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides. Add scallions and cook for about 2 minutes. Add broth and teriyaki sauce (if using dried onions, throw them in with the broth). Simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in broccoli and rice and toss to coat.

Now, the best part about CORE is that you don't actually have to measure this out to eat it!! Of course I would recommend taking one serving (about 1/4 of the mixture) and reassess your hunger following consumption... lol!

I hope you enjoy! Let me know if there are any recipes you are interested in... I have a bunch of recipes and check out MANY websites. I might actually be able to find it for you! Oh yeah, and hubby is a chef, so that helps a little too!! Then again, he told me yesterday that he prefers to be the "Fattening Chef" because things taste better that way. Oh well, that explains the 35 pound gain the year we met, huh!?!

Happy eating!

Almost there...

2008-11-15T09:31:00.001-08:00

To get this started, I figured that I would include some pics for you to see where I'm coming from. The first photo, which was very difficult to find in our thousands of pics, is from Phoebe's 1st birthday party. Phoebe is now 4 yrs old and at this point, I can happily say that I've lost more weight than almost both of my kids combined!!!

It's actually a little weird looking at this photo because I can remember that day vividly. I remember the day I bought those shorts (a size 20) and thought, "Wow, I look pretty cute in these". Looking back, I can't understand how I could have possibly thought I was cute. It's actually scary how far I let myself go before pulling it together. So this was me...

When I developed those pictures, I was bummed and I knew I needed to do something to fix it. I started trying to eat a little healthier, and I joined the YMCA. In a few months I has lost 10 pounds but the difference was barely even noticable in my clothes.

My mom decided the week before Thanksgiving that she was going to join weight watchers. She only needed to lose 25 pounds, but she couldn't do it alone. As soon as she told me, I wanted to join!! I had been thinking about joining for a long time, but figured with my background (I'll fill you in in a minute) people would think I was crazy! I didn't care... I started the Tuesday after Thanksgiving 2005.

So there I was standing at the scale before my first Weight Watchers meeting. It was intimidating. I was proud of myself because I had already lost 10 pounds and now I was on my way to "looking hot"... lmao!! It was my turn, so I stepped on and waited... 213 pounds!! How the hell did that happen?!

Now, the history... I am a certified athletic trainer. No biggy, right? I mean all I have to do is evaluate injuries, treat and rehabilitate the injuries, educate the athletes regarding injury prevention, conditioning, and... nutrition. YES! That's the funny part! I would be sitting at my desk in a meeting with an athlete saying things like, "You can't be wasting your calories on Gatorade or simple sugars", while I had two mountain dews sitting on my desk near the sour cream and onion chips and footlong deli sub with ham, cheese, pickles and mayonnaise!!! Can you picture it?! Can you imagine what the kid was probably thinking?!?! I can!!

Then to add insult to injury (no pun intended), but I'm also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. I get people fit! I get athletes strong! I can do... and I'm pretty darn good... lol! I can do it, for everyone but me!!

So, I've been at WW for almost 3 yrs now, with the exception of when I was pregnant for Payton, my 2 yr old daughter. They actually kick you out when you're pregnant, even if you have a doctor's note. I was so upset! I somehow managed to only gain 11 pounds though. I "rejoined" 11 days after I had her though, aren't you impressed? I was terrified to do it on my own.

This all brings me to today. The day that I decided I needed to keep motivating myself, and maybe help someone out there who's also hit a little plateau. I've been maintaining my current weight of about 158 pounds for almost 8 months now. I've done it mostly through the eating and decided that I needed some additional help.

Henry, my hubby, joined Workout World and as soon as I heard, I made him sign me up. Have you noticed that I have this thing about doing stuff for myself?! Well, I broke that pattern very shortly after joining. I actually signed up to work out with a personal trainer for 1 full year! This means that 2 times a week for 30 minutes, I officially pay someone to kick my butt!! It's awesome!!

There's a downside though. Now that I'm working out, I kind of started veering of the eating part and well, once again, I'm maintaining. I know it's because I stopped going to meetings every week. I don't have that accountability. Thankfully, though a very good friend of mine wanted to join and now I have a meeting buddy again! Thanks JP!!

This blog is help push me, and maybe you! Feel free to fill me in on your updates, challenges etc. I'm going to try to add some exercise tips, recipes, and all that fun stuff. But, as far as accountability goes, I figured I would include an updated photo. This is actually from this morning... at 158 pounds and in my little size 10 pants (well, little for me anyway!!)

BTW - my mom was horrified that I wanted to take the pic with my hat on, but hey, it's me!! I hope that you have a great weekend. I'm going to look through my recipes to what I have to share. Be sure to check back soon!