Let me tell you ladies, a Very short dress and a pint of Orange Vodka aren't the greatest combo!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
P. I. M. P.
Let me tell you ladies, a Very short dress and a pint of Orange Vodka aren't the greatest combo!
Halloween Plan
Ok Ladies, it's Halloween Eve!
What are you plans for Halloween? How are we going to make it through the night?
I have held off this long before I have bought any Halloween candy. I didn't trust myself 
to have it in the house. I'm finally going to have to break down today and go grab a few things for the kiddos who will be Trick or Treating in the neighborhood. I asked our Neighbor how many kids we usually get since we were clueless being first time homeowners and he said usually between 35-45. I'm SO glad I asked him because when Scott and I were talking about it last week, we figured we'd get around 60 or more kids so we were going to buy a big bulk box of Chocolate bars! Good thing we didn't. Leftovers on Halloween = trouble trouble.
to have it in the house. I'm finally going to have to break down today and go grab a few things for the kiddos who will be Trick or Treating in the neighborhood. I asked our Neighbor how many kids we usually get since we were clueless being first time homeowners and he said usually between 35-45. I'm SO glad I asked him because when Scott and I were talking about it last week, we figured we'd get around 60 or more kids so we were going to buy a big bulk box of Chocolate bars! Good thing we didn't. Leftovers on Halloween = trouble trouble.I think my plan is going to be to allow myself (save up my points of course) ONE treat for the night. I will pick out my favorite thing and put it aside (in a visible area) for the end of the night. That way while I'm passing out my candy, I will keep that treat in the back of my mind and I'll know it's waiting for me. Who knows, by then end of the night, I might not even want it. (Who I am I even trying to kid here?) That's my plan. Also towards the end of the night, I'll start doubling up on my treat giving if I think there will be any leftovers. I don't want anything left at the house! Too dangerous! I feel for you ladies who have little ones that come home with bags upon bags of yummy candy. How do you resist when they leave for school? That would be rough! Be Strong ladies! Be Strong!
I'll be posting pics of the Halloween Partay tonight so stay tuned!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Christmas Challenge Week # 5!
There are a few ladies who forgot to send me in their results. Make sure you get them in!!!
Help!
Ohhhhhh ladies. Where do I even begin?
I was doing so good until Friday at 4:30 when I got off work and decided to skip the gym in lieu of shopping with Hubby. I was all determined to go to the gym and get in a quick workout before date night with hubby. Then hubby decided to leave work early and meet me at my work at 4:30. He didn't have his gym clothes so we ended up at Walmart instead of the gym. (NOT that this is his fault in ANY way! I know he would have occupied himself for 40 mins if I had insisted on hitting the gym.) But I didn't. So we shopped a little and then hit Swiss Chalet for supper (I love this place!) I stuck with my menu plan and ordered the Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich with a baked potato. We also ordered Chicken Spring Rolls as an appetizer (YUM!) Then came the end of the meal. That dreaded time when the waitress comes over and asks you if you want dessert? Why didn't I say no??? WHY?
Instead I followed Scott's lead and ordered a Sundae. To my defense I tried to get it with frozen yogurt but they didn't have any. Luckily it wasn't huge and the amount of ice cream was limited but it was soo yummy! I should add that I also stuck to my movie plan and got a 100 calorie Aero bar and a bag of Baked Doritos. On a positive note, we had such a great date night!
Saturday came and I did great until the party started. I'll be posting a few pics of the party tonight since I have them all saved at home. The party was SOOO much fun! Everyone who came, dressed up and the costumes were really great!! I had such a great time and it was one of those nights where you just have the best time with all of your friends. It ended up turning into a dance party and we were all rocking it out until about 3:00am! So at least I wasn't sitting down all night. I was on my feet from about 6:00-3:00 in the morning. I don't think I sat down once. My legs and feet were so tired by the end of the night! I was also so busy mingling that I really didn't have TOO much time to eat. I did manage to indulge in 1 cupcake, two bites of taco dip and tostitos, 3 peanut butter balls (they were decorated like eyeballs, how could I resist??) and 2 sugar cookies. All in all, I don't think it was TOO awful. AND I managed to stick with my Raspberry Crystal Light and Orange Vodka (Yumm!) all night so the calories were pretty limited on the drink front.
Then came Sunday.
Scott and I had to get up and ready to get to a course we are taking by 11:00am. So we woke up at 8:00 (I don't even know why) to a house with people sprawled out everywhere, empty glasses and bottles everywhere and floors were disgusting (all the signs of a great party right?). Ugghh. I didn't even know where to start. Surprisingly, once people started to wake up, we all chipped in and it was decently tidy by the time we left the house at 10:30. Then after our course, I had a Christmas Craft Day with Scott's Mom, Aunt and Cousin. We all made Christmas wreaths (I will post a picture of my creation later tonight or tomorrow) Even though I wasn't feeling the hottest and I was super tired, it was a lot of fun. Scott's Mom had lunch all ready for us that consisted of Cabbage Rolls and Potato Salad so of course I dove right in. We got home just before supper and I spent about an hour sweeping and scrubbing the grime off the floors. By 5:00, the woodstove was going strong, the house was clean again and we were tired and hungry. BAD combination ladies. Pizza Shack was involved. Caesar Salad and Garlic Fingers. Ugh.
But I'm over it. I've been thinking about it all morning and I think I know where my problem lies. I've just gotten too comfortable. I like the way I look. If I stayed this weight for the rest of my life, I would be ok with that. But then I get this rise of panick in my stomach and I think.....what does that even mean??? What happens now? What do I do with myself now? I know I'm not ready for maintenance. I don't know why, I just don't feel like I am. I would like to lose another 5 lbs. But the motivation is hard to find because honestly, I like the way I look most days. I like the way my clothes fit, I like the fact that I'm a size 9 and sometimes even a 7. It's where I've always wanted to be. and now I'm here. What now?
I think I need to a few days to re-evaluate what I'm doing on this journey. Have any of you ladies gone through this before? I need some perspective.
I was doing so good until Friday at 4:30 when I got off work and decided to skip the gym in lieu of shopping with Hubby. I was all determined to go to the gym and get in a quick workout before date night with hubby. Then hubby decided to leave work early and meet me at my work at 4:30. He didn't have his gym clothes so we ended up at Walmart instead of the gym. (NOT that this is his fault in ANY way! I know he would have occupied himself for 40 mins if I had insisted on hitting the gym.) But I didn't. So we shopped a little and then hit Swiss Chalet for supper (I love this place!) I stuck with my menu plan and ordered the Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich with a baked potato. We also ordered Chicken Spring Rolls as an appetizer (YUM!) Then came the end of the meal. That dreaded time when the waitress comes over and asks you if you want dessert? Why didn't I say no??? WHY?
Instead I followed Scott's lead and ordered a Sundae. To my defense I tried to get it with frozen yogurt but they didn't have any. Luckily it wasn't huge and the amount of ice cream was limited but it was soo yummy! I should add that I also stuck to my movie plan and got a 100 calorie Aero bar and a bag of Baked Doritos. On a positive note, we had such a great date night!
Saturday came and I did great until the party started. I'll be posting a few pics of the party tonight since I have them all saved at home. The party was SOOO much fun! Everyone who came, dressed up and the costumes were really great!! I had such a great time and it was one of those nights where you just have the best time with all of your friends. It ended up turning into a dance party and we were all rocking it out until about 3:00am! So at least I wasn't sitting down all night. I was on my feet from about 6:00-3:00 in the morning. I don't think I sat down once. My legs and feet were so tired by the end of the night! I was also so busy mingling that I really didn't have TOO much time to eat. I did manage to indulge in 1 cupcake, two bites of taco dip and tostitos, 3 peanut butter balls (they were decorated like eyeballs, how could I resist??) and 2 sugar cookies. All in all, I don't think it was TOO awful. AND I managed to stick with my Raspberry Crystal Light and Orange Vodka (Yumm!) all night so the calories were pretty limited on the drink front.
Then came Sunday.
Scott and I had to get up and ready to get to a course we are taking by 11:00am. So we woke up at 8:00 (I don't even know why) to a house with people sprawled out everywhere, empty glasses and bottles everywhere and floors were disgusting (all the signs of a great party right?). Ugghh. I didn't even know where to start. Surprisingly, once people started to wake up, we all chipped in and it was decently tidy by the time we left the house at 10:30. Then after our course, I had a Christmas Craft Day with Scott's Mom, Aunt and Cousin. We all made Christmas wreaths (I will post a picture of my creation later tonight or tomorrow) Even though I wasn't feeling the hottest and I was super tired, it was a lot of fun. Scott's Mom had lunch all ready for us that consisted of Cabbage Rolls and Potato Salad so of course I dove right in. We got home just before supper and I spent about an hour sweeping and scrubbing the grime off the floors. By 5:00, the woodstove was going strong, the house was clean again and we were tired and hungry. BAD combination ladies. Pizza Shack was involved. Caesar Salad and Garlic Fingers. Ugh.
But I'm over it. I've been thinking about it all morning and I think I know where my problem lies. I've just gotten too comfortable. I like the way I look. If I stayed this weight for the rest of my life, I would be ok with that. But then I get this rise of panick in my stomach and I think.....what does that even mean??? What happens now? What do I do with myself now? I know I'm not ready for maintenance. I don't know why, I just don't feel like I am. I would like to lose another 5 lbs. But the motivation is hard to find because honestly, I like the way I look most days. I like the way my clothes fit, I like the fact that I'm a size 9 and sometimes even a 7. It's where I've always wanted to be. and now I'm here. What now?
I think I need to a few days to re-evaluate what I'm doing on this journey. Have any of you ladies gone through this before? I need some perspective.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Christmas Challenge Week # 5! and a BIG Thank You!
Good morning ladies
Finally It's Friday!
First of all...you ladies have NO IDEA how much your support meant yesterday (even Randi's, who literally threatened to kick my butt if I didn't get back on the wagon). I'm feeling back on top of the world after a great OP day yesterday and I owe it all to you guys. I could see myself slowly slipping away from the plan and I don't even think I realized how bad it was until I spelled it all out for you guys. But yesterday was a great day - Not that it was without temptation because there was a lot of them. But I managed to fight them all off and make it to the gym for a great workout. 15 minutes on the treadmill on an incline, 20 mins on the elliptical and 10 mins on the bike. I felt great afterwards. I went home and made a nice supper and then sat down on the couch. Thought about staying there for the rest of the night....Then I got thinking, it's only 7:00, I still have lots of time to get some things done around the house. So I went outside and raked for 45 mins. What a workout! I was working up a sweat by then end of it! Then I came in, made lunches for hubby and cleaned the house for a while before finally resting on the couch around 9:30, just in time to get ready for The Office.
So...Christmas Challenge Week #5 is already here!
Make sure you e-mail me your results this week
I weighed in this morning to see a 0.5 gain. I really wasn't upset about it at all. It actually gave me more motivation to do great this weekend. It's going to be a tough weekend but I know I can do this and I've already changed plans a few times in order to help me out with my flex points. Here are my plans for the weekend:
Friday Night
Date night with hubby (I've been looking forward to it all week!) - Dinner/Shopping/Movie
Original plan: Appetizers at East Side Mario's Nachos, Pizza, bread and salad-approx 40+ pts
Start Christmas Shopping and buy new artificial tree for the house (our one from last year is so small, it was perfect for our little apartment but now it will look too Charlie Brownish)
Movie theatre - Mars Bar, Baked Doritos and diet Coke and possibly something form the Bulk Barn if I'm going to be perfectly honest with myself.
New and Improved plan: Dinner at Swiss Chalet - Grilled Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich with baked potato - 15 points
Christmas Shopping still a go, I'm thinking of hitting up the new Starbucks for the first time ever...I'm nervous though, it looks so complicated! What do I order???
Movie Theatre - Cadbury Thin, Baked Doritos and Diet Coke (We're going to see Rendition..MMMmm Jake Gyllenhaal)
Saving me approx 29 points AT LEAST. Yikes! When you put it that way!
Saturday Night:
Halloween Party at our House!
Original plan: purchase 2 bottles of red wine to sip on throughout the night - probably about 20-30 points depending on how much wine I actually get into
Make Taco Dip with Tostitos
Make Halloween cupcakes
Get a few bags of chips and dip
New and Improved plan: Buy Crystal light in a new flavor and have that with a flavoured vodka - This would be around 10-15 depending on how much vodka I actually get into
Still making Taco dip but I plan to use extra lean ground beef, fat free cream cheese, low fat sour cream, tons of salsa and extra veggies and low fat cheddar cheese on top. Serving with crackers and mutigrain Tostitos
Still making Halloween cupcakes but I plan on letting myself have one and that's it. I will save it until later in the night too so I have something to look forward to.
Instead of getting chips and dip which can be a big trigger food for me, I bought some pretzels and veggies with dip so I feel like I can have one or 2 and not feel guilty.
Save approx 20- 30 points. The big save here I think will be the Crystal light and vodka instead of wine. How many calories are in a glass of wine anyway?? I don't think I've ever tried to find out. Ahh I just looked it up and it says a 1/2 cup is 2 points! YIKES!
Anyway those are going to be my weekend saves. I feel great about my decisions. Especially about hitting the gym after work for a quick workout before my date.
Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend. Anyone who is hitting up a Halloween party this weekend don't forget to take pics and post them up! I'll be posting some on Sunday or Monday of Scott and I all dressed up!
Make sure you let me know what to order at Starbucks! I'm clueless! I like sweet drinks like Vanilla Cappachino's and stuff like that but I don't want anything crazy high in pts!
Have a great weekend ladies and Happy Halloween!!
Finally It's Friday!
First of all...you ladies have NO IDEA how much your support meant yesterday (even Randi's, who literally threatened to kick my butt if I didn't get back on the wagon). I'm feeling back on top of the world after a great OP day yesterday and I owe it all to you guys. I could see myself slowly slipping away from the plan and I don't even think I realized how bad it was until I spelled it all out for you guys. But yesterday was a great day - Not that it was without temptation because there was a lot of them. But I managed to fight them all off and make it to the gym for a great workout. 15 minutes on the treadmill on an incline, 20 mins on the elliptical and 10 mins on the bike. I felt great afterwards. I went home and made a nice supper and then sat down on the couch. Thought about staying there for the rest of the night....Then I got thinking, it's only 7:00, I still have lots of time to get some things done around the house. So I went outside and raked for 45 mins. What a workout! I was working up a sweat by then end of it! Then I came in, made lunches for hubby and cleaned the house for a while before finally resting on the couch around 9:30, just in time to get ready for The Office.
So...Christmas Challenge Week #5 is already here!
Make sure you e-mail me your results this week
I weighed in this morning to see a 0.5 gain. I really wasn't upset about it at all. It actually gave me more motivation to do great this weekend. It's going to be a tough weekend but I know I can do this and I've already changed plans a few times in order to help me out with my flex points. Here are my plans for the weekend:
Friday Night
Date night with hubby (I've been looking forward to it all week!) - Dinner/Shopping/Movie
Original plan: Appetizers at East Side Mario's Nachos, Pizza, bread and salad-approx 40+ pts
Start Christmas Shopping and buy new artificial tree for the house (our one from last year is so small, it was perfect for our little apartment but now it will look too Charlie Brownish)
Movie theatre - Mars Bar, Baked Doritos and diet Coke and possibly something form the Bulk Barn if I'm going to be perfectly honest with myself.
New and Improved plan: Dinner at Swiss Chalet - Grilled Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich with baked potato - 15 points
Christmas Shopping still a go, I'm thinking of hitting up the new Starbucks for the first time ever...I'm nervous though, it looks so complicated! What do I order???
Movie Theatre - Cadbury Thin, Baked Doritos and Diet Coke (We're going to see Rendition..MMMmm Jake Gyllenhaal)
Saving me approx 29 points AT LEAST. Yikes! When you put it that way!
Saturday Night:
Halloween Party at our House!
Original plan: purchase 2 bottles of red wine to sip on throughout the night - probably about 20-30 points depending on how much wine I actually get into
Make Taco Dip with Tostitos
Make Halloween cupcakes
Get a few bags of chips and dip
New and Improved plan: Buy Crystal light in a new flavor and have that with a flavoured vodka - This would be around 10-15 depending on how much vodka I actually get into
Still making Taco dip but I plan to use extra lean ground beef, fat free cream cheese, low fat sour cream, tons of salsa and extra veggies and low fat cheddar cheese on top. Serving with crackers and mutigrain Tostitos
Still making Halloween cupcakes but I plan on letting myself have one and that's it. I will save it until later in the night too so I have something to look forward to.
Instead of getting chips and dip which can be a big trigger food for me, I bought some pretzels and veggies with dip so I feel like I can have one or 2 and not feel guilty.
Save approx 20- 30 points. The big save here I think will be the Crystal light and vodka instead of wine. How many calories are in a glass of wine anyway?? I don't think I've ever tried to find out. Ahh I just looked it up and it says a 1/2 cup is 2 points! YIKES!
Anyway those are going to be my weekend saves. I feel great about my decisions. Especially about hitting the gym after work for a quick workout before my date.
Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend. Anyone who is hitting up a Halloween party this weekend don't forget to take pics and post them up! I'll be posting some on Sunday or Monday of Scott and I all dressed up!
Make sure you let me know what to order at Starbucks! I'm clueless! I like sweet drinks like Vanilla Cappachino's and stuff like that but I don't want anything crazy high in pts!
Have a great weekend ladies and Happy Halloween!!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
I let it slip away...
My motivation and determination. I let it go. I got a little overly confident and I've been resorting back to my old (& bad) ways. I was seeing such big losses on the scale! I was doing so well! That extra muffin, or little bag of pretzels isn't going to hurt me right?? Right? WRONG!
I'm coming clean ladies.
It's the only way....
Warning: Following admissions may shock and possibly disgust.
Saturday started off wrong with Omelette's and Chicken bacon for breakfast. I missed my cereal so I had some for lunch. Supper was eaten at my brother's and was a mix of egg rolls, rice, stir fry and meatballs. Apple crisp and Crispy Crunch ice cream may have also been added. The night was capped off with a Snickers bar and a bag of Baked Doritos. Did I need these? NO. But it was Saturday and I wanted to use all of my flex points! Ugh
Sunday it was a piece of Graham Cracker Pie and Crispy Crunch Ice Cream that I SO did NOT even remotely have the points for. Oh and don't forget the black bean dip and mutigrain Tostitos! I had already used ALL of my 35 bonus points before I even made my way over to dinner at my brother's house. But there I was scarfing down chips and dip and pie and ice cream. Loving every minute of it.
Monday it was an extra 2 muffins (Yes 2!) and as Angie so nicely pointed out, those 1 point muffins aren't really one point when you are cramming in 2 or 3 at a time. I had already used up my points for the day but I couldn't resist. In total, I had 3 muffins on Monday night. 3 Muffins!!! That's probably about 5 or 6 points if I added it up correctly instead of trying to convince myself that it's only 3 points!
Tuesday I found myself wandering dangerously close to the vending machine at work around 3:00 when I usually get the munchies. I had the Rold Gold Honey Wheat Pretzel twists. They were three points. I only counted them as 2 on my journal. Why??? I don't friggin know. I'm only lying to myself! Then there was the end of the day when all points had been used. (Also I must admit that 2 points were spent on Fat Free frozen Whipped cream right out of the tub) and I wandered over to the fridge for no reason and cut off about an ounce of low fat cheese and scarfed it down. I NEVER eat cheese right out of the fridge. This is NOT like me.
I should also mention that Saturday through Wednesday I consumed well over 2 L of diet pop, which again, is NOT like me at all. I usually have about 2 glasses of diet pop a week and I always save it up for the weekend, like Friday night with my homemade pizza.
Wednesday things are starting to look brighter and I start coming to my senses. Kind of. I had a mini melt down at the gym because I forgot my elastics. My hair is really long and thick and working out with it flying around it not even an option. When I start sweating it feels like I am having a heat stroke. Well I ran over to the store across the way to buy some elastics and of course they didn't have any, not even a rubber band! So instead of staying calm, I storm off to go get groceries. However, I did have an NSV yesterday. We had a unit meeting after lunch and I was in charge of picking up some munchies. So I went and got a veggie tray (that will teach them to send the WW girl to get munchies!) but I also bought some Cherry danishes for the people who like sweets. Well as they were being passed around I took out a small Danish and placed it on my plate. I must have stared at that thing for about 10 mins before deciding it wasn't even worth it. Threw my napkin over it and smooshed it up. ANd I stayed within all of my point yesterday.
Thursday I am feeling good DESPITE seeing a 1 lb gain on the scale this morning but I deserve it right? I mean look at how my week has gone so far??! It just really helps to spell it all out n here so I can really see where I've been going wrong. Lots of "empty points" seem to be finding their way back into my plan as well. Have to kick that habit. No way am I straying from my points today. No. WAY.
As far as Kelly & Sarah's exercise Challenge I have 2 workouts in so far, another one will be added tonight after work and yet another tomorrow after work. Yup. You heard me. I'm going to the gym on Friday. I've never been to the gym on a Friday. Hmm I wonder what it's like. I guess I'll find out. Saturday I plan on either A) going for a walk or B) spending 2 hours raking leaves. That should round off my 5 workouts.
Thanks for letting me vent ladies (not that you had a choice) but you have no idea how much it helped me re-focus!
I'm coming clean ladies.
It's the only way....
Warning: Following admissions may shock and possibly disgust.
Saturday started off wrong with Omelette's and Chicken bacon for breakfast. I missed my cereal so I had some for lunch. Supper was eaten at my brother's and was a mix of egg rolls, rice, stir fry and meatballs. Apple crisp and Crispy Crunch ice cream may have also been added. The night was capped off with a Snickers bar and a bag of Baked Doritos. Did I need these? NO. But it was Saturday and I wanted to use all of my flex points! Ugh
Sunday it was a piece of Graham Cracker Pie and Crispy Crunch Ice Cream that I SO did NOT even remotely have the points for. Oh and don't forget the black bean dip and mutigrain Tostitos! I had already used ALL of my 35 bonus points before I even made my way over to dinner at my brother's house. But there I was scarfing down chips and dip and pie and ice cream. Loving every minute of it.
Monday it was an extra 2 muffins (Yes 2!) and as Angie so nicely pointed out, those 1 point muffins aren't really one point when you are cramming in 2 or 3 at a time. I had already used up my points for the day but I couldn't resist. In total, I had 3 muffins on Monday night. 3 Muffins!!! That's probably about 5 or 6 points if I added it up correctly instead of trying to convince myself that it's only 3 points!
Tuesday I found myself wandering dangerously close to the vending machine at work around 3:00 when I usually get the munchies. I had the Rold Gold Honey Wheat Pretzel twists. They were three points. I only counted them as 2 on my journal. Why??? I don't friggin know. I'm only lying to myself! Then there was the end of the day when all points had been used. (Also I must admit that 2 points were spent on Fat Free frozen Whipped cream right out of the tub) and I wandered over to the fridge for no reason and cut off about an ounce of low fat cheese and scarfed it down. I NEVER eat cheese right out of the fridge. This is NOT like me.
I should also mention that Saturday through Wednesday I consumed well over 2 L of diet pop, which again, is NOT like me at all. I usually have about 2 glasses of diet pop a week and I always save it up for the weekend, like Friday night with my homemade pizza.
Wednesday things are starting to look brighter and I start coming to my senses. Kind of. I had a mini melt down at the gym because I forgot my elastics. My hair is really long and thick and working out with it flying around it not even an option. When I start sweating it feels like I am having a heat stroke. Well I ran over to the store across the way to buy some elastics and of course they didn't have any, not even a rubber band! So instead of staying calm, I storm off to go get groceries. However, I did have an NSV yesterday. We had a unit meeting after lunch and I was in charge of picking up some munchies. So I went and got a veggie tray (that will teach them to send the WW girl to get munchies!) but I also bought some Cherry danishes for the people who like sweets. Well as they were being passed around I took out a small Danish and placed it on my plate. I must have stared at that thing for about 10 mins before deciding it wasn't even worth it. Threw my napkin over it and smooshed it up. ANd I stayed within all of my point yesterday.
Thursday I am feeling good DESPITE seeing a 1 lb gain on the scale this morning but I deserve it right? I mean look at how my week has gone so far??! It just really helps to spell it all out n here so I can really see where I've been going wrong. Lots of "empty points" seem to be finding their way back into my plan as well. Have to kick that habit. No way am I straying from my points today. No. WAY.
As far as Kelly & Sarah's exercise Challenge I have 2 workouts in so far, another one will be added tonight after work and yet another tomorrow after work. Yup. You heard me. I'm going to the gym on Friday. I've never been to the gym on a Friday. Hmm I wonder what it's like. I guess I'll find out. Saturday I plan on either A) going for a walk or B) spending 2 hours raking leaves. That should round off my 5 workouts.
Thanks for letting me vent ladies (not that you had a choice) but you have no idea how much it helped me re-focus!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Biggest Loser and Kelly & Sarah's Exercise Challenge
Can you guys even believe the episode of Biggest Loser last night?? First the whole Kim and Amy thing. Which I think is a little ridiculous. I do think that Kim gets out of hand sometimes when she is training her team. Why all of the swearing? I don't think I could handle someone screaming in my face and swearing at me. But the whole Neil thing??? I can't believe that he threw the WI so that his blue team would be able to stick together. Hello! Did he not get the Memo that they are there to lose weight and learn how to live a healthy lifestyle?? Poor Jez had to go home. I would be furious if I was him, at least he handled himself with integrity and honor. I may have jumped over the table and attacked Neil UFC style. But that's just me. At least a good ol fashion butt-kicking would be a good workout for him :)
If you haven't checked it out already, Kelly (fellow Christmas Challenger) and Sarah are starting up a little exercise competition. They've challenged each other to get their butts moving and exercising 5 times each week. I think this is a great challenge especially since lately I have only been dragging my butt to the gym 3 times a week. I know I can kick it up to 4 times AND I should be logging some sort of activity on the weekends to so I was thinking that this challenge may be just what I need to get my butt to the gym and on the elliptical or maybe pick up another class or take an extra walk on the weekend or spend an extra hour our in the yard.
Tonight is grocery night which means we stop at Subway for supper (YAY!) I need some suggestions ladies. I'll be walking into the door at Subway with about 9 points left. Since I am trying to stay away form "empty" points and calories I've already decided to skip the combo with the baked lays and just get a sandwich or wrap. Any suggestions??? What do you ladies get at Subway??
If you haven't checked it out already, Kelly (fellow Christmas Challenger) and Sarah are starting up a little exercise competition. They've challenged each other to get their butts moving and exercising 5 times each week. I think this is a great challenge especially since lately I have only been dragging my butt to the gym 3 times a week. I know I can kick it up to 4 times AND I should be logging some sort of activity on the weekends to so I was thinking that this challenge may be just what I need to get my butt to the gym and on the elliptical or maybe pick up another class or take an extra walk on the weekend or spend an extra hour our in the yard.
Tonight is grocery night which means we stop at Subway for supper (YAY!) I need some suggestions ladies. I'll be walking into the door at Subway with about 9 points left. Since I am trying to stay away form "empty" points and calories I've already decided to skip the combo with the baked lays and just get a sandwich or wrap. Any suggestions??? What do you ladies get at Subway??
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Body Sculpt Class and my new friend....The Scale.
So last night Scott and I hit up a Body Sculpt class last night and to our surprise it was actually quite fun and it was really nice to be able to workout together. Usually when we go to the gym, I immediately go to the cardio machines and Scott goes to the weight section so we are separated the whole time but this class was great for both of us since he could do the more intense weights and exercises and I could use the lower weights since I'm just starting out on my strength training journey. For the past few months I have been cardio only. I know that strength training is important and I need to do it but honestly, I find it kind of boring and maybe a little intimidating. The weight area at my gym is full of big muscular guys and I wouldn't even know the first thing about using any of the machines! But then I discovered that they have strength training classes at my gym Mon-Friday at 5:00. So my new plan is to go to 2 strength training classes Monday and Wednesday (Body Sculpt and Body Ball) and on Tuesday and Thursday I will do 45 mins of cardio on the machines. On the weekends I usually stay pretty active and since I live about 25 mins from the gym, I usually get my exercise from working around the house, walks, yard work etc. You know the drill. I think this new plan would work out good for me. Any other suggestions ladies??
So I decided to jump on the scale today and face the music. I overindulged on the weekend, I had a little too much ice cream and too much chocolate on top of that. I honestly didn't FEEL like I gained any weight at all so I thought I may as well face the music this morning, get on the scale and see what the evil thing has in store for me. To my utter shock and pleasant surprise....I'm exactly the same as my WI last Friday not an ounce more or less! I couldn't believe my eyes and even got Scott to come in and look at the scale to make sure my eyes hadn't failed me. This morning's run-in with the scale has only given me more motivation to crank it up a notch this week and see a loss on Friday (which I really didn't think was possible before this morning!) I'm hoping for one pound, or even half a pound. I'm back down to my comfort zone now and about 5 lbs from the lowest I've ever been ( I still can't believe I put on almost 10 lbs over the summer!) What was I thinking?!?! Obviously, I wasn't.
On Tap for me tonight:
Gym right after work for 45 mins of cardio
Home to make up some yummy BLTs with my chicken bacon (I didn't get to have them last night as I was craving WW pasta)
Checking out new recipes to try
Happy Tuesday Ladies!
So I decided to jump on the scale today and face the music. I overindulged on the weekend, I had a little too much ice cream and too much chocolate on top of that. I honestly didn't FEEL like I gained any weight at all so I thought I may as well face the music this morning, get on the scale and see what the evil thing has in store for me. To my utter shock and pleasant surprise....I'm exactly the same as my WI last Friday not an ounce more or less! I couldn't believe my eyes and even got Scott to come in and look at the scale to make sure my eyes hadn't failed me. This morning's run-in with the scale has only given me more motivation to crank it up a notch this week and see a loss on Friday (which I really didn't think was possible before this morning!) I'm hoping for one pound, or even half a pound. I'm back down to my comfort zone now and about 5 lbs from the lowest I've ever been ( I still can't believe I put on almost 10 lbs over the summer!) What was I thinking?!?! Obviously, I wasn't.
On Tap for me tonight:
Gym right after work for 45 mins of cardio
Home to make up some yummy BLTs with my chicken bacon (I didn't get to have them last night as I was craving WW pasta)
Checking out new recipes to try
Happy Tuesday Ladies!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Weekend Recap and Product Review
Ugh. My weekend review.
It was necessarily a horrible weekend but it certainly wasn't great. But I did make a new discovery. 2 Dinner's at my brothers house + company in town = not a great weekend foodwise. My weekend involved chocolate bars (Yes 2!!!), Graham Cracker Pie which is an old family tradition, Crispy Crunch ice cream (This stuff should be outlawed. Why is it sooooo good??) Black bean dip and Multigrain Tostitos (Don't let the look name fool you ladies, these multigrain chips had pretty much the same amount of fat and calories as the regular Tostitos.) Apple crisp and baked Doritos. Why oh why? Guess I'm going to have to hit the gym twice as hard to scare off a gain on Friday. I do NOT want to see that scale go up this week.
On the bright side I did have a fantastic visit with my Mom. We have a great time shopping on Saturday and spent about 4 hours wandering through the stores and getting some Christmas shopping started. She even bought me a great Ski jacket for Christmas. I tried it on and fell in love. *Please note I've never skiied before in my entire life but I'm going to have to try it out this winter now that I have a trusty ski jacket. So even though I don't count or use activity points, 4 hours of shopping must give you something right? Plus, I did rake the lawn for about an hour last night so that has to be worth something. We have a 1/2 Acre lot and literally, you cannot see the grass anymore anywhere. It is COVERED in dead leaves. It was really pretty at first but now the leaves are starting to turn all brown and gross so we decided to start tackling the lawn and get all the leaves raked up. I did about 1/12 of the lawn last night and it took me over an hour so we have a big job ahead of us.
Onto my product review. Saturday morning Scott and I decided to make everyone omelette's and bacon for breakfast. Scott was in charge of the omelette's and I in charge of the bacon. Since we had bought but never tried a package of Maple Leaf Chicken Bacon, I thought now was our big chance. Surprisingly when I opened it up, it smelled just like Bacon (I don't really know what I expected it to smell like but I was apprehensive to say the least) To my surprise, it was absolutely delicious!!! I loved it. It tasted just like bacon only without all the grease and fat. Here is how it measures up Nutrition wise:
Regular Bacon- Cal: 369 Fat: 35 grams Protein: 12 grams
Chicken Bacon- Cal: 183 Fat: 12.5 grams Protein: 16 grams
It was great alone or in a sandwich. My plan tonight is to have BLTs made with Tomatoes, spinach and Chicken bacon with a smear of low fat miracle whip on a new bread that I just found in the grocery store. It's from Dempster's and it's called BodyWise. It's 1 point for two slices so I'll let you know tomorrow what I think of it. I don't know, maybe you other Canadian ladies have already found these great products and tried them out but they are new to me!
On the agenda tonight:
Body Sculpt class at 5:00 and Scott is actually coming with me! YAY!
Baking a batch of Banana Bran Chocolate Chip Muffins
Possibly whipping up some Polenta to try it out
How are all the other Christmas Challengers making out? Make sure to check out Randi's post later today for Week # 4 Results!!
It was necessarily a horrible weekend but it certainly wasn't great. But I did make a new discovery. 2 Dinner's at my brothers house + company in town = not a great weekend foodwise. My weekend involved chocolate bars (Yes 2!!!), Graham Cracker Pie which is an old family tradition, Crispy Crunch ice cream (This stuff should be outlawed. Why is it sooooo good??) Black bean dip and Multigrain Tostitos (Don't let the look name fool you ladies, these multigrain chips had pretty much the same amount of fat and calories as the regular Tostitos.) Apple crisp and baked Doritos. Why oh why? Guess I'm going to have to hit the gym twice as hard to scare off a gain on Friday. I do NOT want to see that scale go up this week.
On the bright side I did have a fantastic visit with my Mom. We have a great time shopping on Saturday and spent about 4 hours wandering through the stores and getting some Christmas shopping started. She even bought me a great Ski jacket for Christmas. I tried it on and fell in love. *Please note I've never skiied before in my entire life but I'm going to have to try it out this winter now that I have a trusty ski jacket. So even though I don't count or use activity points, 4 hours of shopping must give you something right? Plus, I did rake the lawn for about an hour last night so that has to be worth something. We have a 1/2 Acre lot and literally, you cannot see the grass anymore anywhere. It is COVERED in dead leaves. It was really pretty at first but now the leaves are starting to turn all brown and gross so we decided to start tackling the lawn and get all the leaves raked up. I did about 1/12 of the lawn last night and it took me over an hour so we have a big job ahead of us.
Onto my product review. Saturday morning Scott and I decided to make everyone omelette's and bacon for breakfast. Scott was in charge of the omelette's and I in charge of the bacon. Since we had bought but never tried a package of Maple Leaf Chicken Bacon, I thought now was our big chance. Surprisingly when I opened it up, it smelled just like Bacon (I don't really know what I expected it to smell like but I was apprehensive to say the least) To my surprise, it was absolutely delicious!!! I loved it. It tasted just like bacon only without all the grease and fat. Here is how it measures up Nutrition wise:
Regular Bacon- Cal: 369 Fat: 35 grams Protein: 12 grams
Chicken Bacon- Cal: 183 Fat: 12.5 grams Protein: 16 grams
It was great alone or in a sandwich. My plan tonight is to have BLTs made with Tomatoes, spinach and Chicken bacon with a smear of low fat miracle whip on a new bread that I just found in the grocery store. It's from Dempster's and it's called BodyWise. It's 1 point for two slices so I'll let you know tomorrow what I think of it. I don't know, maybe you other Canadian ladies have already found these great products and tried them out but they are new to me!
On the agenda tonight:
Body Sculpt class at 5:00 and Scott is actually coming with me! YAY!
Baking a batch of Banana Bran Chocolate Chip Muffins
Possibly whipping up some Polenta to try it out
How are all the other Christmas Challengers making out? Make sure to check out Randi's post later today for Week # 4 Results!!
Friday, October 19, 2007
WI Week # 4 Christmas Challenge
Oh this is going to feel good......making it official!
Randi, put me down for losing 2 LBS for Week #4 of the Christmas Challenge!!!!
My digital scale was on the fritz this morning (aka batteries dead) so I had to resort to old faithful. Which wasn't a big problem anyway because I weighed myself on both the digital scale and old faithful last Friday (to make sure that my big 3 pound loss was actually accurate and not just a figment of my imagination!) SO I jumped on the scale this morning and I was down a solid 2 lbs. I even made Scott come in to see it since I was so excited! I think cutting out all those empty points and eating a better breakfast, along with getting to the gym at least 3 times a week is starting to pay off. This loss puts me at 50% of my Christmas Challenge goal so I'm even thinking of upping my goal. I'm going to wait and see how next week's WI goes though before I make any final decisions. What do you girls think?
The Sheppard's pie turned out well last night, although I didn't get to actually try any since it wasn't done until about 8:00 and I had long since had my supper but when my Mom and her Bf arrived from Ontario they sat down to 2 big helpings and had nothing but rave reviews. I'm definitely going to try out a nice big piece for supper tonight. I'm thinking about freezing a few pieces for lunches/weekday suppers too. Do you think it would freeze well? I'm not sure about the potatoes??
I also ended up making yet another batch of Anne's Banana Bran Chocolate Chip muffins and they were a HUGE hit with the family. They finished up my batch from Wednesday night AND the batch from last night only has 1 or 2 left. I'm proud to say that while Scott scarfed down 3 muffins last night, my Mom had 3 and her Bf had maybe 4 or more, I had ZERO! None for me! I actually picked one up and was about to take a nice big bite but hesitated for a second and put it back in the container. Nice NSV eh?
So this weekends plan is to stay within my 35 flex points which really shouldn't be a problem. No homemade pizza tonight for supper so that will save up quite a few. I really have no excuse this weekend to overindulge so I have a feeling it's going to be a good one!
Don't forget to e-mail Randi your WI results for Week #4 of the Christmas Challenge!!
Have a great weekend!!
Randi, put me down for losing 2 LBS for Week #4 of the Christmas Challenge!!!!
My digital scale was on the fritz this morning (aka batteries dead) so I had to resort to old faithful. Which wasn't a big problem anyway because I weighed myself on both the digital scale and old faithful last Friday (to make sure that my big 3 pound loss was actually accurate and not just a figment of my imagination!) SO I jumped on the scale this morning and I was down a solid 2 lbs. I even made Scott come in to see it since I was so excited! I think cutting out all those empty points and eating a better breakfast, along with getting to the gym at least 3 times a week is starting to pay off. This loss puts me at 50% of my Christmas Challenge goal so I'm even thinking of upping my goal. I'm going to wait and see how next week's WI goes though before I make any final decisions. What do you girls think?
The Sheppard's pie turned out well last night, although I didn't get to actually try any since it wasn't done until about 8:00 and I had long since had my supper but when my Mom and her Bf arrived from Ontario they sat down to 2 big helpings and had nothing but rave reviews. I'm definitely going to try out a nice big piece for supper tonight. I'm thinking about freezing a few pieces for lunches/weekday suppers too. Do you think it would freeze well? I'm not sure about the potatoes??
I also ended up making yet another batch of Anne's Banana Bran Chocolate Chip muffins and they were a HUGE hit with the family. They finished up my batch from Wednesday night AND the batch from last night only has 1 or 2 left. I'm proud to say that while Scott scarfed down 3 muffins last night, my Mom had 3 and her Bf had maybe 4 or more, I had ZERO! None for me! I actually picked one up and was about to take a nice big bite but hesitated for a second and put it back in the container. Nice NSV eh?
So this weekends plan is to stay within my 35 flex points which really shouldn't be a problem. No homemade pizza tonight for supper so that will save up quite a few. I really have no excuse this weekend to overindulge so I have a feeling it's going to be a good one!
Don't forget to e-mail Randi your WI results for Week #4 of the Christmas Challenge!!
Have a great weekend!!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
MMMMMMMMMuffins!
So I tried out Anne's Banana Bran Chocolate Chip muffins last night and they are FANTASTIC! 1 WW point/muffin. Where else are you going to find a muffin WITH chocolate chips in it for 1 point?? No where else. That's where. Definitely worth a try. I didn't have any vinegar so I left that out but I don't really think you need it. AND these aren't those little itty bitty half a muffin tin cup muffins. Nope. I filled those tins right up. They aren't huge, but for one point?? These are getting thrown into my rotation! Love em! Scott had two of them before they were even out of the oven for 5 minutes. He loved them too!
So tonight in my Quest to Become Queen of my Kitchen, I am tackling Sheppard's pie for the first time. It seems pretty innocent so I can't see there being a problem. I'm wanted to try to limit the potatoes so Thank You Eurydice for the suggestion about subbing in some steamed cauliflower for the potatoes! Nice idea! I didn't get to take a picture of my muffins because I left my camera at a bridal shower I went to 2 weeks ago and I'm still trying to get it back. You'll just have to use your imagination ladies.
Do you ever have those days when you absolutely feel on top of the world? I'm having one of those days today. I feel fit and happy and I feel like nothing could go wrong. I have a beautiful house, a amazing hubby AND it's getting close to Christmas. Let me tell you ladies, if you've ever met a Christmas Fanatic, it's me! I'm in love with Christmas and for the whole month of November and December I'm obsessed with Christmas. I'm also one of those weird people that don't wait until December to put up their tree. I usually have it up at the end of November. Last night we went to the in laws for supper and then Scott's Mom and I headed down to Michael's Craft store because we heard they had a sale on Christmas wreaths. I don't want to toot my own horn but last year I made a really pretty Christmas wreath for my door. This year I decided to make a few for friends and family as part of their Christmas present (I hope they aren't reading my blog today!!). I bought 4 wreaths and I'm heading to the dollar store this weekend to load up on ribbons and bulbs and bells and bows! I love Christmas! It's almost to the point that I can't wait for Halloween to be over so I can start my 2 month long celebration! It's probably more of a present for me to make the wreaths than for my family to get them because I get to spend the afternoon being crafty with the Christmas music blaring in the background!
But speaking of Halloween... We are hosting a party this year on Oct 27 and I need some food ideas for the party. We've been buying up so many cheesy decorations (spiders, mice, bats, black lights, pumpkin lights etc) and I haven't really put any thought at all into the food. I don't want to get into anything that's going to take me hours and hours to make but I was thinking of making some chocolate cupcakes with orange tinted icing and then topping them with Halloween sprinkles but that's about all I've come up with. Anyone else hosting a party? Randi may also be hosting one so we are trying to bounce ideas around. I was also thinking about making a punch (spiked of course!) with floating bugs and eyeballs in it. Any good punch recipes?
Thanks so much for the great ideas yesterday with the recipes! I'm going to try them all and I can't wait!!!
That's it for me today ladies! WI day tomorrow!
So tonight in my Quest to Become Queen of my Kitchen, I am tackling Sheppard's pie for the first time. It seems pretty innocent so I can't see there being a problem. I'm wanted to try to limit the potatoes so Thank You Eurydice for the suggestion about subbing in some steamed cauliflower for the potatoes! Nice idea! I didn't get to take a picture of my muffins because I left my camera at a bridal shower I went to 2 weeks ago and I'm still trying to get it back. You'll just have to use your imagination ladies.
Do you ever have those days when you absolutely feel on top of the world? I'm having one of those days today. I feel fit and happy and I feel like nothing could go wrong. I have a beautiful house, a amazing hubby AND it's getting close to Christmas. Let me tell you ladies, if you've ever met a Christmas Fanatic, it's me! I'm in love with Christmas and for the whole month of November and December I'm obsessed with Christmas. I'm also one of those weird people that don't wait until December to put up their tree. I usually have it up at the end of November. Last night we went to the in laws for supper and then Scott's Mom and I headed down to Michael's Craft store because we heard they had a sale on Christmas wreaths. I don't want to toot my own horn but last year I made a really pretty Christmas wreath for my door. This year I decided to make a few for friends and family as part of their Christmas present (I hope they aren't reading my blog today!!). I bought 4 wreaths and I'm heading to the dollar store this weekend to load up on ribbons and bulbs and bells and bows! I love Christmas! It's almost to the point that I can't wait for Halloween to be over so I can start my 2 month long celebration! It's probably more of a present for me to make the wreaths than for my family to get them because I get to spend the afternoon being crafty with the Christmas music blaring in the background!
But speaking of Halloween... We are hosting a party this year on Oct 27 and I need some food ideas for the party. We've been buying up so many cheesy decorations (spiders, mice, bats, black lights, pumpkin lights etc) and I haven't really put any thought at all into the food. I don't want to get into anything that's going to take me hours and hours to make but I was thinking of making some chocolate cupcakes with orange tinted icing and then topping them with Halloween sprinkles but that's about all I've come up with. Anyone else hosting a party? Randi may also be hosting one so we are trying to bounce ideas around. I was also thinking about making a punch (spiked of course!) with floating bugs and eyeballs in it. Any good punch recipes?
Thanks so much for the great ideas yesterday with the recipes! I'm going to try them all and I can't wait!!!
That's it for me today ladies! WI day tomorrow!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
My Quest to Become Queen of my Kitchen!
So I got thinking last night about how Scott and I basically eat the same 5 meals on a rotation every single week and I also got thinking about the lack of time I've actually spent in the kitchen since we got married. Sure I make one killer roast beef but I only make it when we are having company or for a special occasion. Although I couldn't really tell you why. When Scott and I first got married we ate one of 5 things every single night for supper. They included:
Nachos (Topped with loads and loads of cheese - non low fat of course!)
Tacos
Fajitas
Frozen Pizza or homemade pizza
Stir Fry
That was it. That's all we ate for supper. Lunch for me was either French fries and grilled cheese or a box of Kraft Dinner. I went through that stuff like crazy. Looking back it's hard to believe we ate so poorly for so long. We both gained quite a bit of weight after we got married (we didn't live together before we were married since we only lived about 5 mins from each other and we were saving up to pay for the wedding) I put on about 30 or more lbs in the first year of our marriage and Scott put on about 25 or so. We didn't exercise and we spent a lot of time eating and watching TV. I can't believe how much our lifestyle has changed. It's literally like we are two different people now. It's hard to believe. Anyway my point in all of this was that although we are eating healthy and we both lead a healthy lifestyle, we seem to be stuck in that same rut. We eat the same 5 meals every single week. They include:
WW Pasta with Basil Pesto and Brussel Sprouts
Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich (made with WW bread and low fat cheese)
Tacos (Leaner version than before with extra lean ground beef, double the veggies and fat free sour cream)
Wait a minute. We only have 3 regulars! Yikes. It's worse than I thought. Last week I decided to spread my wings a little and mix things up on a few nights of the week. I realized that we were eating pasta at least 3 times per week for supper. That is a lot of pasta! Although it's good to have maybe once a week, three to four times is a bit much! It's easy and so convenient when we get home from the gym. 15 mins and it's ready to go. So I bought some pork chops last week and we had them with a side of salad and another night we fried up some chicken with some red and green peppers and onions and stuffed them into WW pita pockets. Which was a nice change but it still doesn't solve the problem I am having with the kitchen. Our meals are BORING. Plain and simple. There's no variation. I want a relationship with my kitchen and right now I have been avoiding it. I just bought a new house with a beautiful kitchen and I haven't cooked anything. My oven barely sees any action at all!
When I was younger and living at home, my favorite thing to do was look through cookbooks and try new recipes. Of course it was always cookies or cakes or squares but I loved it. (guess we know why I had a weight problem eh?) I had so much fun. I would spend hours in the kitchen baking. Does any one else miss baking just plain old regular chocolate chips cookies?? Mmm raw cookie dough. Ahhh those were the days.
So....where is all this going you ask????
I'm challenging myself. That's right, a challenge I'm going to get my husband and I out of this rut and I'm going to explore the wonders of our new kitchen. I'm going to try at least 1 new recipe every week. At least. I'm going to spend Saturday or Sunday morning cooking and I'm going to learn new recipes. I'm going to try out some new ideas and I'm going to take pictures and post them on here for anyone who is in the same rut as me. I went to the grocery store today to get started.
Tonight I am going to try Anne's Banana Bran Chocolate Chip muffins
Tomorrow night, in preparation for my Mom coming into town, I'm going to make my first attempt at making Sheppard's pie. I figure it can't be that high in points right? I will use extra lean ground beef and lots of veggies. I'm also going to try to limit the potato content.
Saturday is Polenta Pie day. I picked up some cornmeal today (which I've never had in my entire life) at the grocery store and I'm going to try out a recipe that Angie tried and loved. So this is my mission. AND it would be a great way to freeze lunch size portions and mix up my lunches a little as well. So if any of you ladies have a great recipe for me to try, pass it along!!! I could use all the help I can get!
Nachos (Topped with loads and loads of cheese - non low fat of course!)
Tacos
Fajitas
Frozen Pizza or homemade pizza
Stir Fry
That was it. That's all we ate for supper. Lunch for me was either French fries and grilled cheese or a box of Kraft Dinner. I went through that stuff like crazy. Looking back it's hard to believe we ate so poorly for so long. We both gained quite a bit of weight after we got married (we didn't live together before we were married since we only lived about 5 mins from each other and we were saving up to pay for the wedding) I put on about 30 or more lbs in the first year of our marriage and Scott put on about 25 or so. We didn't exercise and we spent a lot of time eating and watching TV. I can't believe how much our lifestyle has changed. It's literally like we are two different people now. It's hard to believe. Anyway my point in all of this was that although we are eating healthy and we both lead a healthy lifestyle, we seem to be stuck in that same rut. We eat the same 5 meals every single week. They include:
WW Pasta with Basil Pesto and Brussel Sprouts
Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich (made with WW bread and low fat cheese)
Tacos (Leaner version than before with extra lean ground beef, double the veggies and fat free sour cream)
Wait a minute. We only have 3 regulars! Yikes. It's worse than I thought. Last week I decided to spread my wings a little and mix things up on a few nights of the week. I realized that we were eating pasta at least 3 times per week for supper. That is a lot of pasta! Although it's good to have maybe once a week, three to four times is a bit much! It's easy and so convenient when we get home from the gym. 15 mins and it's ready to go. So I bought some pork chops last week and we had them with a side of salad and another night we fried up some chicken with some red and green peppers and onions and stuffed them into WW pita pockets. Which was a nice change but it still doesn't solve the problem I am having with the kitchen. Our meals are BORING. Plain and simple. There's no variation. I want a relationship with my kitchen and right now I have been avoiding it. I just bought a new house with a beautiful kitchen and I haven't cooked anything. My oven barely sees any action at all!
When I was younger and living at home, my favorite thing to do was look through cookbooks and try new recipes. Of course it was always cookies or cakes or squares but I loved it. (guess we know why I had a weight problem eh?) I had so much fun. I would spend hours in the kitchen baking. Does any one else miss baking just plain old regular chocolate chips cookies?? Mmm raw cookie dough. Ahhh those were the days.
So....where is all this going you ask????
I'm challenging myself. That's right, a challenge I'm going to get my husband and I out of this rut and I'm going to explore the wonders of our new kitchen. I'm going to try at least 1 new recipe every week. At least. I'm going to spend Saturday or Sunday morning cooking and I'm going to learn new recipes. I'm going to try out some new ideas and I'm going to take pictures and post them on here for anyone who is in the same rut as me. I went to the grocery store today to get started.
Tonight I am going to try Anne's Banana Bran Chocolate Chip muffins
Tomorrow night, in preparation for my Mom coming into town, I'm going to make my first attempt at making Sheppard's pie. I figure it can't be that high in points right? I will use extra lean ground beef and lots of veggies. I'm also going to try to limit the potato content.
Saturday is Polenta Pie day. I picked up some cornmeal today (which I've never had in my entire life) at the grocery store and I'm going to try out a recipe that Angie tried and loved. So this is my mission. AND it would be a great way to freeze lunch size portions and mix up my lunches a little as well. So if any of you ladies have a great recipe for me to try, pass it along!!! I could use all the help I can get!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Christmas Challenge Week # 3!
Sorry for the delay ladies. It seems like it's that time of year again when everyone around you is sick and that includes me! I went to the doc yesterday though and got some antibiotics so hopefully I will be better in no time. I'm still stuck in the fog though for now but I am back to work today at least. Thank you so much for all your well wishes ladies. You guys know how to brighten a girls day! I can't say much for my exercise so far this week. I'm hoping to at least get in Wednesday and Thursday though, even if it's just a walk on the treadmill. I just have no energy! I have been doing good though foodwise so hopefully I will still see a loss this Friday.
Update later in the night: I went to the gym today!! YAY! I felt awful when I got off work but I knew I had to wait for Scott to get done at the gym before I could go home. I was planning on going to the grocery store and wandering around for an hour but when I went to drop off Scott's gym clothes for him, I though why the hell not? I can at least get on the treadmill and try it out. 40 mins later, I felt so much better!!! YAY me! I was so proud of myself. I didn't let my sickness get the best of me!
My weekend went pretty well and I did pretty good staying within my points. I think I may have went over on Sunday by about 3 or 4 but other than that I did good. Not great but good. This weekend should be a test since my Mom is in town this weekend from Thursday to Monday. We don't really have any definite plans yet but hopefully we'll just be spending time together and catching up. I probably won't see her until at least February after this visit so I want to make it a good one!
Scott and I went to see "We Own the Night" on Friday night. It was actually a really good movie. It was kind of like "The Departed" so if you like those kind of cops and robbers/mob movies, I would definitely recommend it. Don't bring the kiddos though. Vulgar and the opening scene is a steamy one ladies!
Check out Angie's blog today, she's got a recipe that looks VERY yummy! I might give it a try this weekend while my Mom is in town. I'm going to swing by and get the ingredients tomorrow!
Ok on to the Christmas Challenge. Here are the results for Week #3. There are a few ladies who forgot to send in their WI results. If you did send them in and I missed them, just give me a shout and I'll add you on ladies. Or if you just plain forgot, let me know and I'll update the spreadsheet.
Big congrats to Bridget, Cory and Noelle who made our top 3 this week! They are all rocking it! Congrats girls! Keep it up!!
A big Thanks to everyone who is participating. Randi has Week #4 (Sorry I robbed you of a day Randi!!) so don't forget to start e-mailing her your results for Week # 4! I know some of you have already weighed in this week! Randi also mentioned in her post today that there is 10 weeks left of the challenge as of today so time to get those numbers rolling ladies!
Keep it up girls...think of how hot we are going to look under that mistletoe!! We'll have the men lining up!
Update later in the night: I went to the gym today!! YAY! I felt awful when I got off work but I knew I had to wait for Scott to get done at the gym before I could go home. I was planning on going to the grocery store and wandering around for an hour but when I went to drop off Scott's gym clothes for him, I though why the hell not? I can at least get on the treadmill and try it out. 40 mins later, I felt so much better!!! YAY me! I was so proud of myself. I didn't let my sickness get the best of me!
My weekend went pretty well and I did pretty good staying within my points. I think I may have went over on Sunday by about 3 or 4 but other than that I did good. Not great but good. This weekend should be a test since my Mom is in town this weekend from Thursday to Monday. We don't really have any definite plans yet but hopefully we'll just be spending time together and catching up. I probably won't see her until at least February after this visit so I want to make it a good one!
Scott and I went to see "We Own the Night" on Friday night. It was actually a really good movie. It was kind of like "The Departed" so if you like those kind of cops and robbers/mob movies, I would definitely recommend it. Don't bring the kiddos though. Vulgar and the opening scene is a steamy one ladies!
Check out Angie's blog today, she's got a recipe that looks VERY yummy! I might give it a try this weekend while my Mom is in town. I'm going to swing by and get the ingredients tomorrow!
Ok on to the Christmas Challenge. Here are the results for Week #3. There are a few ladies who forgot to send in their WI results. If you did send them in and I missed them, just give me a shout and I'll add you on ladies. Or if you just plain forgot, let me know and I'll update the spreadsheet.
Big congrats to Bridget, Cory and Noelle who made our top 3 this week! They are all rocking it! Congrats girls! Keep it up!!
A big Thanks to everyone who is participating. Randi has Week #4 (Sorry I robbed you of a day Randi!!) so don't forget to start e-mailing her your results for Week # 4! I know some of you have already weighed in this week! Randi also mentioned in her post today that there is 10 weeks left of the challenge as of today so time to get those numbers rolling ladies!
Keep it up girls...think of how hot we are going to look under that mistletoe!! We'll have the men lining up!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Shop closed today. Come back tomorrow.
Sorry it's taken me a while to get to the computer today ladies. I came down with an awful cold/flu that has put me out of comission for the past 72 hours. I didn't go to work today so I didn't get a chance to update the Week 3 of the Christmas Challenge (it's saved on my work computer and I don't have access from home) but you can rest assured that it will be up tomorrow for sure!! Sorry ladies!!!
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
I'm going to bed with my box of kleenex, my cold medication, my anitbiotics and my Vicks Vapor rub. Uggh.
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
I'm going to bed with my box of kleenex, my cold medication, my anitbiotics and my Vicks Vapor rub. Uggh.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Finally...we see the pay off!!
Finally, after a few weeks of absolutely nothing it's time for the pay off.
This is a HUGE motivation for me! This 3 lb loss comes much needed after 3 weeks of maintaining. I was starting to go insane there for a few weeks. I think the reason I was so successful this week was because I tried to cut out any "empty points" and I got to the gym three days in a row. I've also pretty much doubled my protein and fiber everyday so I'm sure that is helping too. So to say the least, even though it's pouring down rain out, I'm feeling great today and I just KNOW that I am going to continue this roll and see a loss next week too. My goals for the upcoming week are as follows:
1. Count ALL of my flex points this weekend and BEHAVE at the wedding I am going to tomorrow.
2. Keep my breakfasts full of protein and fiber so it keeps me full longer.
3. Get in 4 40-45 min sessions at the gym (1 of them may be a Yoga or BodySculpt class)
4. Keep an eye on those empty points and stay away from sweets during the week.
What goals do you guys have for Week #4 of the Christmas Challenge?? Let's hear em!!!
Thanks for all the feedback on the flex point issue! It was so comforting to know that I am not the only one splurging on the weekends with chocolate and goodies. I especially loved Angie's thoughts. "I have always eaten every single point ever available to me. There's no friggin way I'm letting them go to waste! " I am the SAME way!! I am seriously counting down my points every weekend. Although I STILL haven't gotten through ONE weekend basically since JULY where I haven't gone over my flex points. So here it is ladies. I'm making a promise to myself and to all you lovely ladies. I'm NOT going over my flex points this weekend. NO WAY. I've started planning them out to help myself stay accountable so here is the breakdown.
-3 lbs ladies!!
This is a HUGE motivation for me! This 3 lb loss comes much needed after 3 weeks of maintaining. I was starting to go insane there for a few weeks. I think the reason I was so successful this week was because I tried to cut out any "empty points" and I got to the gym three days in a row. I've also pretty much doubled my protein and fiber everyday so I'm sure that is helping too. So to say the least, even though it's pouring down rain out, I'm feeling great today and I just KNOW that I am going to continue this roll and see a loss next week too. My goals for the upcoming week are as follows:
1. Count ALL of my flex points this weekend and BEHAVE at the wedding I am going to tomorrow.
2. Keep my breakfasts full of protein and fiber so it keeps me full longer.
3. Get in 4 40-45 min sessions at the gym (1 of them may be a Yoga or BodySculpt class)
4. Keep an eye on those empty points and stay away from sweets during the week.
What goals do you guys have for Week #4 of the Christmas Challenge?? Let's hear em!!!
Thanks for all the feedback on the flex point issue! It was so comforting to know that I am not the only one splurging on the weekends with chocolate and goodies. I especially loved Angie's thoughts. "I have always eaten every single point ever available to me. There's no friggin way I'm letting them go to waste! " I am the SAME way!! I am seriously counting down my points every weekend. Although I STILL haven't gotten through ONE weekend basically since JULY where I haven't gone over my flex points. So here it is ladies. I'm making a promise to myself and to all you lovely ladies. I'm NOT going over my flex points this weekend. NO WAY. I've started planning them out to help myself stay accountable so here is the breakdown.
Tonight's agenda: Dinner and a movie night with my amazing hubby. We are either going to see Good Luck Chuck or We Own the Night. Any recommendations?
Homemade pizza for dinner - 9.5 flex used
1 Mars Bar for movie (6pts) - 15.5 flex used
1 Bag of Baked Doritos (4pts) - 19.5 flex used
Saturday's agenda: Wedding. Great thing about this is that it is a wedding for a guy I went to high school with. Soo...I will get to see a ton of people that I haven't seen in years and I can't wait for the compliments to just start flying haha! It's been a while but I know it will be a great ego boost and will probably help me stay on track at the wedding. Plus a lot of my girlfriends are going (more than a few of us have actually dated the Groom!) and I can't wait to catch up with everyone and just spend the night mingling! I love my girlfriends.
My plan for this is to eat a normal breakfast and lunch and save any leftover flex points for the dessert and wedding cake that is inevitable (and usually tres yummy!)
What are you ladies planning on using your flex points on this weekend???
That's it for me today. I leave you with a VERY cheesy, but super cute picture of Scott and I that my brother took last weekend in their yard on Thanksgiving. I love it!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
I'm rocking it!
It's not often I get to post about how AWESOME I'm doing so I'm soaking it up today girls and braggin myself up! This week has been so great! Unfortunately this week follows a weekend of splurges and massive over eating due to the Holiday so I'm really not expecting much on the scale this Friday but it doesn't really matter. Did you hear that ladies? It doesn't matter if I see a huge loss on the scale because I KNOW that I'm making the right decisions and I'm doing the right thing.
Ok....
I lied a little. But just a little.
It matters. But not THAT much! I would like to see a loss. Even a really small one.
I feel great about the decisions I'm making this week.
1. I've gone to the gym twice so far this weekend and I'm going today after work.
2. I've been eating great meals and have been eating veggies and fruit like they are going out of style.
3. I'm eating more points for breakfast and lunch and having smaller suppers.
4. I'm bulking up my breakfast and having high fiber/high protein so I'm staying full WAY longer than I did with Special K.
5. I preplanned all my lunches and cooked them all on Monday so I'm not making rash unhealthy decisions.
Wanna know the best part? Hubby and I went out to dinner last night at Subway and I was tempted to order the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap. I know it's 10.5 points but it's so yummy. I thought about and instead I ordered the turkey breast wrap with tons of veggies and sweet onion sauce and it was so good!!! I loved it! Only 6 points for the whole thing (with cheese!) The best part came after dinner when Scott started munching on those darn Ruffles Baked Sour Cream and Cheddar chips. They are my favorite but I made a quick decision before he even opened the bag that I wasn't going to have even one. He even offered me some but I said no thanks! SWEET! I think I found my zone ladies! I've also started planning out my entire weekend and flex points. We have a wedding to go to on Saturday and a date night on Friday night so the flex points will definitely come in handy.
Speaking of flex points... Do you ladies use all 35 points every weekend? I've been reading your blogs now for weeks and honestly, sometimes I feel like I am the only one using them! I know some of you save them up for one big splurge meal on the weekends but I'm just curious as to what you use them on? Lately my vice on the weekend has been chocolate. This week I'm planning on using my flex points on the following:
Friday night Date night includes:
Homemade pizza (Usually takes up about 10 bonus points) -10
1 Chocolate bar of choice for the movie - 6
1 bag of baked Doritos Nacho Flavor for the movie - 4
That's 20 bonus points in one night! But it's SOO worth it. I never use BP on Sunday so that still leaves me with 15 for Saturday night. We are going to a wedding so the standard dish is always chicken and veggies but I want to save some flex points for the dessert so I'll keep my 15 points for that I'm sure.
What are you guys using your flex points on?????
Today Recipe is from Cory... Maybe I'm the only one, but I've never ever tried green bean casserole! Don't forget to send in your recipes girlies! Also start e-mailing me your week #3 WI results for the Christmas Challenge!! Results will be posted on Monday, October 15 on my blog.
As for a recipe, I just love an ordinary green bean casserole.
1 can green beans
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
Mix these together and put in a casserole dish.
Cover with crumbled bread or crackers.
Bake at 350 degrees until warm. Approximately 20 minutes?
You can make this with fat free soup and barely tell the difference!!!!
-Cory
Ok....
I lied a little. But just a little.
It matters. But not THAT much! I would like to see a loss. Even a really small one.
I feel great about the decisions I'm making this week.
1. I've gone to the gym twice so far this weekend and I'm going today after work.
2. I've been eating great meals and have been eating veggies and fruit like they are going out of style.
3. I'm eating more points for breakfast and lunch and having smaller suppers.
4. I'm bulking up my breakfast and having high fiber/high protein so I'm staying full WAY longer than I did with Special K.
5. I preplanned all my lunches and cooked them all on Monday so I'm not making rash unhealthy decisions.
Wanna know the best part? Hubby and I went out to dinner last night at Subway and I was tempted to order the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap. I know it's 10.5 points but it's so yummy. I thought about and instead I ordered the turkey breast wrap with tons of veggies and sweet onion sauce and it was so good!!! I loved it! Only 6 points for the whole thing (with cheese!) The best part came after dinner when Scott started munching on those darn Ruffles Baked Sour Cream and Cheddar chips. They are my favorite but I made a quick decision before he even opened the bag that I wasn't going to have even one. He even offered me some but I said no thanks! SWEET! I think I found my zone ladies! I've also started planning out my entire weekend and flex points. We have a wedding to go to on Saturday and a date night on Friday night so the flex points will definitely come in handy.
Speaking of flex points... Do you ladies use all 35 points every weekend? I've been reading your blogs now for weeks and honestly, sometimes I feel like I am the only one using them! I know some of you save them up for one big splurge meal on the weekends but I'm just curious as to what you use them on? Lately my vice on the weekend has been chocolate. This week I'm planning on using my flex points on the following:
Friday night Date night includes:
Homemade pizza (Usually takes up about 10 bonus points) -10
1 Chocolate bar of choice for the movie - 6
1 bag of baked Doritos Nacho Flavor for the movie - 4
That's 20 bonus points in one night! But it's SOO worth it. I never use BP on Sunday so that still leaves me with 15 for Saturday night. We are going to a wedding so the standard dish is always chicken and veggies but I want to save some flex points for the dessert so I'll keep my 15 points for that I'm sure.
What are you guys using your flex points on?????
Today Recipe is from Cory... Maybe I'm the only one, but I've never ever tried green bean casserole! Don't forget to send in your recipes girlies! Also start e-mailing me your week #3 WI results for the Christmas Challenge!! Results will be posted on Monday, October 15 on my blog.
As for a recipe, I just love an ordinary green bean casserole.
1 can green beans
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
Mix these together and put in a casserole dish.
Cover with crumbled bread or crackers.
Bake at 350 degrees until warm. Approximately 20 minutes?
You can make this with fat free soup and barely tell the difference!!!!
-Cory
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Randomness & The Christmas Challenge Week # 3!
Yesterday and today have done wonders for bringing my confidence back! I'm absolutely amazed that after doing a little reflection on last week, it's so easy to see all the areas where I went wrong! I was eating so many "empty" points. WW Cakes everyday, high sugar cereal, popcorn every night. Yikes! No wonder I wasn't losing. Also the little problem called...WEEKENDS! I seem to lose my restraint on the weekends and last weekend was no exception ladies. I ate more chocolate than I even care to think about and that was on top of the 3 pieces of pumpkin pie, the multiple cups of chocolate frozen yogurt and the Tbsp upon Tbsp of whipped cream! I'm the first to admit that I used the Holiday as an excuse to let loose and eat whatever I wanted. But you know what? I would have felt much better about myself if I'd only had one small piece of pumpkin pie and a little low fat whipped cream. I only ate the extra piece because I'd already given myself permission to eat it since it was "The Holiday". I didn't need it and I didn't even really want it. I only ate it because I could. And if I don't eat it now than who knows when the next time will be that I can have a big ol piece of guilt free pumpkin pie. Except it's not guilt free, I've just convinced myself it is. You girls know what I mean? Such self destructive behavior. I think I'm starting to realize that Weight Watchers isn't all about counting your points, it's about making the right decision for YOU, not for the plan.
So I'm on the right track. Yesterday & Monday I stayed away from foods with little to no nutritional value and tried to stick with lots of veggies and fruits. Although last night I did indulge in a low fat Nestle Hot Chocolate. It was one of those cold nights when you're cuddled up with your hubby on the couch and you just need something warm and cozy. Well that was it for me. At least it was a low fat variety and was only 1 point. I had a supper that was pretty high in fiber and protein so I wasn't hungry and the hot chocolate was my only after dinner snack.
On to the Christmas Challenge! Congrats to those of you who lost last week. A huge CONGRATS to Bridget, Candace, Dizzy, Glossy and Hazel who are all over 30% of their goal! That is great!! You guys are definitely a great motivator! We can do this girls!
Ok so it's my week for the challenge this week and I've been thinking...since we are all approaching the Holiday season, we should really be thinking of great ways to get through the season and still achieve our goals. I don't know about you girls but I always find the fall and winter to be the hardest. It's cold out, it's snowing, your snowed in. What better way to pass the time than to eat eat eat?? Of course the biggest problem for the holidays is the food. More importantly, not for all of us but for most...it's DESSERT! That dreaded dessert! I was thinking that we could share recipes that will help get us through this difficult season. Doesn't have to be a dessert recipe, could be for a casserole, a side dish, a salad. Anything that helps you get through the big Holiday dinners, the Christmas baked goods, the office Holiday lunches. So bring on the recipes Christmas Challengers! E-mail me your favorite holiday, or non-holiday recipe! What gets you through the holidays?
Here is one I received from Christy and it looks absolutely delish! Thanks Christy!
Ingredients
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz carton lemon yogurt (I used Source Fat free Lemon Meringue, about 1/3 of the big container)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 tub low fat whipped topping, thawed
1 angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, yogurt, lemon juice, and peel. Fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping. In a 3 qt trifle bowl or deep salad bowl, layer a third of the cake, a third of the lemon mixture and all the strawberries. Repeat cake and lemon mixture layers. Top with blueberries. Repeat cake and lemon mixture. Top with all the raspberries. Spread remaining whipped topping over raspberries; sprinkle more lemon zest (the recipe called for toasted almonds.. but I left them out) Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
Also, Anne has just posted a recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bran Muffins and they are only 1 point per muffin!! Check it out at her post here. Thanks for the great recipe Anne!
Sounds so yummy! Who's got a recipe for me to post tomorrow??? E-mail it along with your WI results for Week 3 of the Christmas Challenge if you've already weighed in this week!
So I'm on the right track. Yesterday & Monday I stayed away from foods with little to no nutritional value and tried to stick with lots of veggies and fruits. Although last night I did indulge in a low fat Nestle Hot Chocolate. It was one of those cold nights when you're cuddled up with your hubby on the couch and you just need something warm and cozy. Well that was it for me. At least it was a low fat variety and was only 1 point. I had a supper that was pretty high in fiber and protein so I wasn't hungry and the hot chocolate was my only after dinner snack.
On to the Christmas Challenge! Congrats to those of you who lost last week. A huge CONGRATS to Bridget, Candace, Dizzy, Glossy and Hazel who are all over 30% of their goal! That is great!! You guys are definitely a great motivator! We can do this girls!
Ok so it's my week for the challenge this week and I've been thinking...since we are all approaching the Holiday season, we should really be thinking of great ways to get through the season and still achieve our goals. I don't know about you girls but I always find the fall and winter to be the hardest. It's cold out, it's snowing, your snowed in. What better way to pass the time than to eat eat eat?? Of course the biggest problem for the holidays is the food. More importantly, not for all of us but for most...it's DESSERT! That dreaded dessert! I was thinking that we could share recipes that will help get us through this difficult season. Doesn't have to be a dessert recipe, could be for a casserole, a side dish, a salad. Anything that helps you get through the big Holiday dinners, the Christmas baked goods, the office Holiday lunches. So bring on the recipes Christmas Challengers! E-mail me your favorite holiday, or non-holiday recipe! What gets you through the holidays?
Here is one I received from Christy and it looks absolutely delish! Thanks Christy!
Ingredients
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz carton lemon yogurt (I used Source Fat free Lemon Meringue, about 1/3 of the big container)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 tub low fat whipped topping, thawed
1 angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, yogurt, lemon juice, and peel. Fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping. In a 3 qt trifle bowl or deep salad bowl, layer a third of the cake, a third of the lemon mixture and all the strawberries. Repeat cake and lemon mixture layers. Top with blueberries. Repeat cake and lemon mixture. Top with all the raspberries. Spread remaining whipped topping over raspberries; sprinkle more lemon zest (the recipe called for toasted almonds.. but I left them out) Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
Also, Anne has just posted a recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bran Muffins and they are only 1 point per muffin!! Check it out at her post here. Thanks for the great recipe Anne!
Sounds so yummy! Who's got a recipe for me to post tomorrow??? E-mail it along with your WI results for Week 3 of the Christmas Challenge if you've already weighed in this week!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Re-evaluating
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Hope everyone had a great Turkey day (or days as in my case) Two Thanksgiving turkey's, two pumpkin pies, two huge dinners with all the trimmings and I'm ready for detox. Oh Vey. Time to get serious ladies.
I've spent a wonderful weekend with family and now it's time to get back to reality and realize that pumpkin pie is not on the dessert menu tonight. Or any other night. I really want to get this 10 lbs off before Christmas and I'm determined to do it. I'm going to take a few hours today to cook up some lunches for the week and to plan out my dinners as well. I studied my journal for last week and tried to figure out why I maintained last week when I really thought I was going to see a loss. There were a few things I noticed that definitely could have changed. I think I was eating a lot of "empty" points. More than I need to. Here are the areas that I think I need to improve on this week.
1.I had Special K Vanilla and Almond everyday for breakfast. Although it's pretty low in points, there is basically no nutritional value to the cereal and I'm left feeling hungry only an hour after eating a big bowl of it. I think I should stick with a breakfast that has more protein and fiber in it to help[me feel full longer and it will give me more energy throughout the day. They do say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
2. I had a WW Carrot cake everyday with my lunch. Again, empty points. I shouldn't just be eating sweets because I have the points and - where's the nutrition???
3. I had a huge portion of pasta 3 nights of the week last week. Granted it was whole wheat pasta but the portion size was huge, I was full after eating only half of it but I still kept going because it was on my plate. I even had a side of salad. This week, I will cut my pasta portion in half and double up on the salad.
4. 3 days of the week I did not pre-plan my lunch and ended up making 2 Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches for lunch on WW bread. That is a lot of bread! 4 Pieces!! and AGAIN, Where's the big nutritional value?????
5. After supper snacks....I had popcorn 4 nights last week and of course I loaded it up with Kernels Sour Cream and Onion topping. This week I'm going to pick up some extra fruit so that I can sub it in for an after dinner snack.
6. I used the "Holiday" as an excuse to overindulge in my old time Holiday favs such as pumpkin pie and frozen yogurt. Everyone else had seconds, why shouldn't I? It's only Thanksgiving once a year right??? (I would have been perfectly satisfied with only 1 piece of pumpkin pie!!)
Goals for this week:
1. Eat a more balanced breakfast with fruit, protein and fiber
2. Get in 3-45min cardio sessions at the gym before Friday
3. Pre-plan my lunches and make ahead of time to avoid quick, unhealthy decisions.
4. Cut portions down and up portions on fruits and veggies.
5. Pre-plan flex points to avoid going over.
Alright ladies, this is one of those weeks that I really need your input. What do you think of my plan? Any other suggestions??
Don't forget to send Randi or I your WI results for last week if you haven't already. She will be posting the results today so check out her site!!
I've spent a wonderful weekend with family and now it's time to get back to reality and realize that pumpkin pie is not on the dessert menu tonight. Or any other night. I really want to get this 10 lbs off before Christmas and I'm determined to do it. I'm going to take a few hours today to cook up some lunches for the week and to plan out my dinners as well. I studied my journal for last week and tried to figure out why I maintained last week when I really thought I was going to see a loss. There were a few things I noticed that definitely could have changed. I think I was eating a lot of "empty" points. More than I need to. Here are the areas that I think I need to improve on this week.
1.I had Special K Vanilla and Almond everyday for breakfast. Although it's pretty low in points, there is basically no nutritional value to the cereal and I'm left feeling hungry only an hour after eating a big bowl of it. I think I should stick with a breakfast that has more protein and fiber in it to help[me feel full longer and it will give me more energy throughout the day. They do say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
2. I had a WW Carrot cake everyday with my lunch. Again, empty points. I shouldn't just be eating sweets because I have the points and - where's the nutrition???
3. I had a huge portion of pasta 3 nights of the week last week. Granted it was whole wheat pasta but the portion size was huge, I was full after eating only half of it but I still kept going because it was on my plate. I even had a side of salad. This week, I will cut my pasta portion in half and double up on the salad.
4. 3 days of the week I did not pre-plan my lunch and ended up making 2 Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches for lunch on WW bread. That is a lot of bread! 4 Pieces!! and AGAIN, Where's the big nutritional value?????
5. After supper snacks....I had popcorn 4 nights last week and of course I loaded it up with Kernels Sour Cream and Onion topping. This week I'm going to pick up some extra fruit so that I can sub it in for an after dinner snack.
6. I used the "Holiday" as an excuse to overindulge in my old time Holiday favs such as pumpkin pie and frozen yogurt. Everyone else had seconds, why shouldn't I? It's only Thanksgiving once a year right??? (I would have been perfectly satisfied with only 1 piece of pumpkin pie!!)
Goals for this week:
1. Eat a more balanced breakfast with fruit, protein and fiber
2. Get in 3-45min cardio sessions at the gym before Friday
3. Pre-plan my lunches and make ahead of time to avoid quick, unhealthy decisions.
4. Cut portions down and up portions on fruits and veggies.
5. Pre-plan flex points to avoid going over.
Alright ladies, this is one of those weeks that I really need your input. What do you think of my plan? Any other suggestions??
Don't forget to send Randi or I your WI results for last week if you haven't already. She will be posting the results today so check out her site!!
Friday, October 5, 2007
The impact of the scale.
I wake up this morning and instantly I feel a little glint of anticipation. What am I excited for? Weigh In ladies. Weigh in. You heard me, I'm actually excited for my weigh in this morning. I have stayed within my points all week and so far this week I have gotten in 3 really intense cardio workouts. I've pushed myself on the elliptical until I thought my legs might actually fall off. I haven't gone over my points at all and I'm feeling good. No, not good. Fantastic. My wedding ring feels a little looser and my clothes are feeling good. I even noticed that I start to see more room in my dress pants and over all I just feel great. I walk with my head held high and even an extra little swing in my hips. I know I look good and I feel good. I'm confident and sure of myself and I'm proud. I know I'm going to see a nice loss this morning, I can feel it. I look in the mirror and I feel so proud. I've come such a long way. I can say that I love my body. I don't cringe when I see an odd angle in the mirror or when I'm getting dressed and see a glimpse of myself in the mirror with no clothes on. Sometimes I even strike a pose. I cross my legs confidently at work knowing that I couldn't do that 1 1/2 years ago. I love the fact that my closet is filled with size small and medium tops and the jeans are 10's or 8's. I'm happy in my own skin for the first time in a long time. I love catching my husband checking me out and I know it's because I've worked so hard. I know he's proud of me and that gives me unbelievable motivation. I'm confident. I'm sexy. I'm proud to be me and I love the person I am. I love me.
I'm on top of the world.
10 seconds pass.
I get on the scale with eagerness and sweet anticipation.
Instantly my whole world falls apart. My confidence is broken, I feel nervous and self conscious and ashamed. I forget how hard I worked at the gym all week and I avoid looking in the mirror. I forget that I've counted all my points this week and I forget how great I look in my clothes. I look in the mirror and see my imperfections. I see arms that are not toned like they should be, I see my big thighs. I see all my problem areas. Somehow my size 10 pants look enormous and I'm instantly upset that I'm not wearing an 8 by now. My size medium shirt feels tight. I start to dread the shopping trip with my husband that I had been looking forward to all week. I don't want to try on clothes. None of them will fit. I will look awful in everything I try on. I suddenly remember the guy who checked me out yesterday at the store and I start to think that maybe he was only looking at me because my jeans were too tight or my stomach was visible due to my shirt riding up under my jacket. I throw my hands up and wonder why the universe is against me losing these last pounds. I'm utterly disgusted with myself. I've failed. I would be so happy if only I could lose these last 10 lbs. My world would be perfect. I would be confident and sexy and happy. I could finally be me.
Wait.
What just happened?
I take a few minutes to really put things into perspective.
In a matter of minutes I turned from a proud, confident, sexy woman into a disgusting overweight mess. My body has not changed at all in the last 10 seconds but somehow my whole perspective has been altered. I'm still me. I'm still the same person I was when I woke up this morning. I'm still that confident, sexy woman who is sure of herself and feels like she can take on the world. Except my thoughts have been clouded by doubt and insecurity. I'm unsure and frustrated. I slowly start to examine myself in the mirror. I start to realize that I am still the beautiful woman I was when I woke up this morning. I'm still confident and sexy and proud to be me. My judgement was only temporarily clouded. I can do this. It might not be today or next week but why am I waiting to lose 10 lbs before I can really start living my life? Why aren't I accepting myself as the beautiful woman that I am?
Take a minute today to stop and appreciate your own beauty. Don't wait to be happy or feel sexy and confident. Do it today. Feel it today. Love the person you are today, not the person you will be 10 lbs from now.
Sorry for the dramatic post ladies but I think I'm coming to a revaluation today. It's been a long time coming.
I'm on top of the world.
10 seconds pass.
I get on the scale with eagerness and sweet anticipation.
Instantly my whole world falls apart. My confidence is broken, I feel nervous and self conscious and ashamed. I forget how hard I worked at the gym all week and I avoid looking in the mirror. I forget that I've counted all my points this week and I forget how great I look in my clothes. I look in the mirror and see my imperfections. I see arms that are not toned like they should be, I see my big thighs. I see all my problem areas. Somehow my size 10 pants look enormous and I'm instantly upset that I'm not wearing an 8 by now. My size medium shirt feels tight. I start to dread the shopping trip with my husband that I had been looking forward to all week. I don't want to try on clothes. None of them will fit. I will look awful in everything I try on. I suddenly remember the guy who checked me out yesterday at the store and I start to think that maybe he was only looking at me because my jeans were too tight or my stomach was visible due to my shirt riding up under my jacket. I throw my hands up and wonder why the universe is against me losing these last pounds. I'm utterly disgusted with myself. I've failed. I would be so happy if only I could lose these last 10 lbs. My world would be perfect. I would be confident and sexy and happy. I could finally be me.
Wait.
What just happened?
I take a few minutes to really put things into perspective.
In a matter of minutes I turned from a proud, confident, sexy woman into a disgusting overweight mess. My body has not changed at all in the last 10 seconds but somehow my whole perspective has been altered. I'm still me. I'm still the same person I was when I woke up this morning. I'm still that confident, sexy woman who is sure of herself and feels like she can take on the world. Except my thoughts have been clouded by doubt and insecurity. I'm unsure and frustrated. I slowly start to examine myself in the mirror. I start to realize that I am still the beautiful woman I was when I woke up this morning. I'm still confident and sexy and proud to be me. My judgement was only temporarily clouded. I can do this. It might not be today or next week but why am I waiting to lose 10 lbs before I can really start living my life? Why aren't I accepting myself as the beautiful woman that I am?
Take a minute today to stop and appreciate your own beauty. Don't wait to be happy or feel sexy and confident. Do it today. Feel it today. Love the person you are today, not the person you will be 10 lbs from now.
Sorry for the dramatic post ladies but I think I'm coming to a revaluation today. It's been a long time coming.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Puppy Fever
It's hit me. I can't stop thinking about it. I am constantly researching it. I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful house, now all I want is ............ a puppy.
Scott has never owned a dog in his life. His family are cat people. I've never been huge on cats. 
(Sorry cat fans!) I am mildly allergic to cats but still, I'm a dog lover at heart. Always have been. Probably always will be. But I've never had my own dog so this is both exciting and scary. I have NO idea what kind of dog we should be looking for. We also live about 20 mins away from where we work so I wonder if it will be ok for us to leave our dog at home all day alone? What will she do to fill the time? Chew our furniture? Pee on everything? Will she 
be ok form 8:00am to 5:45pm without us? Is it even fair for us to leave her alone all day? Would we be bad doggie parents? These are the questions that run through my head and start to worry me. So dog owners, I'm looking for some advice. I know Angie just recently bought a puppy and the pictures are absolutely adorable! Randi is always walking her dog so I know she has one too. Scott and I are thinking that we would like to have a medium sized dog, one that doesn't shed an insane amount but we don't even know where to start. We'd like to have kids in the next few years too so we need a dog that is good with kids. Any suggestions??
(Sorry cat fans!) I am mildly allergic to cats but still, I'm a dog lover at heart. Always have been. Probably always will be. But I've never had my own dog so this is both exciting and scary. I have NO idea what kind of dog we should be looking for. We also live about 20 mins away from where we work so I wonder if it will be ok for us to leave our dog at home all day alone? What will she do to fill the time? Chew our furniture? Pee on everything? Will she 
be ok form 8:00am to 5:45pm without us? Is it even fair for us to leave her alone all day? Would we be bad doggie parents? These are the questions that run through my head and start to worry me. So dog owners, I'm looking for some advice. I know Angie just recently bought a puppy and the pictures are absolutely adorable! Randi is always walking her dog so I know she has one too. Scott and I are thinking that we would like to have a medium sized dog, one that doesn't shed an insane amount but we don't even know where to start. We'd like to have kids in the next few years too so we need a dog that is good with kids. Any suggestions??On another note, WW Whole Wheat wraps are finally available in my local Superstore! YAY! I've tried them out and although they don't compare to the Flatout Light Wraps (grab these if you can find them! YUM!), they aren't too bad. Only 1 point for each wrap but they are pretty small. I made a Quesadilla with them last weekend and it turned out quite good. I'm trying to come up with some different meal ideas because I don't want to get stuck in a rut of eating the same thing all the time. Monday night Scott and I tried out Classico Alfredo and Roasted Garlic sauce. Although it's a bit high in fat, it's only 2 points for 1/4 cup. To bulk it up, I added broccoli and spinach to the sauce while I was heating it up. It was nice for a change. We tossed it in with WW pasta and had a garden salad for a side.
For some reason lately I've been craving Shepard's Pie, Does anyone have a good WW friendly recipe for this? I have a great recipe that is really simple. It includes extra lean hamburger, green peppers,onions and mushrooms as the bottom layer. Top that with a large can of creamed corn and then throw some mashed potatoes on top of that. I can't imagine that it would be that high in points. What do you guys think? Any other recipes out there? I'm also looking for casserole recipes because I want to start cooking more on the weekend and then freezing portions for lunches throughout the week. Any ideas? I'm hoping to try a new recipe this weekend. For some reason the fall always makes me want to cook. Last night I made fat free carrot muffins which was a bad idea. Luckily I only made 6 and I had one. Scott devoured a few and maybe hid the rest (or ate them) They weren't huge but they were too good and they were calling my name. Glad I only had 1. Won't be making those again for a while.
Anyway that's it for me today ladies!
Off to the gym tonight for the 4th day in a row!
Don't forget to e-mail me or Randi your Week 2 WI results!!!! She will be posting the results on Monday so hurry up! :) check out Randi's post today, it's a good one. (Aren't they all)
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Thanksgiving Plan, Product Review, Halloween & Why I Hate Bra Shopping
How's that for a title?
I'll start with my product review. I was dropping by Walmart the other day to check out the Halloween costumes (more on that later...this may be a long post ladies, bear with me) and I saw a sale on Special K Vanilla and Almond cereal. I've never tried it before and I checked out the nutritional info and it looked pretty comparable to my regular Honey Cluster WW cereal so I decided to give it a whirl. I tried it out yesterday and this stuff is fan-friggin-tastic! It's light and sweet and crunchy and it's about 2 points for 3/4 cup (Same as the WW cereal) The only difference I found with this cereal is that I found that the last 2 days, I have been hungrier earlier in the day after eating this cereal as opposed to my WW cereal. Usually I hold off until 10:00am before I have my morning snack but yesterday I was starving by 9:20. Maybe it's the higher sugar content or the lower protein content but I would still recommend it. Especially if you see it on sale. (Walmart has it one for 2/$5 this week)
This year Scott and I decided, since we have a new house (yay!) that we are going to throw a Halloween party this year, costumes mandatory. Just like in Junior High only with a little alcohol mixed in. We have been having so much fun with it and buying up decorations right left and center. We have also been looking around for a really good couples costumes idea. I'm counting on you ladies to throw out some really great ideas here! We've looked at a few things and unfortunately while we were at Walmart yesterday, Scott stumbled across a Pimp costume that actually looked really good/funny on him. Now he has been trying to convince me to be his...how shall we put this? "Lady of the night"...aka Hoe. I'm just not feeling it. The other idea we had was to be Gangsters. Get a few pinstripe suits from the second hand store, a couple fedoras and a few plastic guns from the $Store. I also saw a really cute French Maid costume at Walmart that I would love to get too. Ideas ladies???
Randi is challenging everyone to make a Thanksgiving Plan for this weekend (for us Canadians) and I think it's a great idea! We have 2 Thanksgiving dinners to go to. One on Saturday with my family and one on Sunday with Scott's family. We are hosting the one on Sunday. It's going to be a rough weekend BUT I'm going to stay within my 35 flexies and there's no way in hell I'm going cheating! No way! Here are my goals for this weekend:
1. No seconds. I don't need them. I always eat way too much anyway and if I have a no seconds rule then I should be able to portion control. I mean how much food can you fit on one plate?? I'm also going to get inspired by Randi and leave space on my plate.
I'll start with my product review. I was dropping by Walmart the other day to check out the Halloween costumes (more on that later...this may be a long post ladies, bear with me) and I saw a sale on Special K Vanilla and Almond cereal. I've never tried it before and I checked out the nutritional info and it looked pretty comparable to my regular Honey Cluster WW cereal so I decided to give it a whirl. I tried it out yesterday and this stuff is fan-friggin-tastic! It's light and sweet and crunchy and it's about 2 points for 3/4 cup (Same as the WW cereal) The only difference I found with this cereal is that I found that the last 2 days, I have been hungrier earlier in the day after eating this cereal as opposed to my WW cereal. Usually I hold off until 10:00am before I have my morning snack but yesterday I was starving by 9:20. Maybe it's the higher sugar content or the lower protein content but I would still recommend it. Especially if you see it on sale. (Walmart has it one for 2/$5 this week)
This year Scott and I decided, since we have a new house (yay!) that we are going to throw a Halloween party this year, costumes mandatory. Just like in Junior High only with a little alcohol mixed in. We have been having so much fun with it and buying up decorations right left and center. We have also been looking around for a really good couples costumes idea. I'm counting on you ladies to throw out some really great ideas here! We've looked at a few things and unfortunately while we were at Walmart yesterday, Scott stumbled across a Pimp costume that actually looked really good/funny on him. Now he has been trying to convince me to be his...how shall we put this? "Lady of the night"...aka Hoe. I'm just not feeling it. The other idea we had was to be Gangsters. Get a few pinstripe suits from the second hand store, a couple fedoras and a few plastic guns from the $Store. I also saw a really cute French Maid costume at Walmart that I would love to get too. Ideas ladies???
Randi is challenging everyone to make a Thanksgiving Plan for this weekend (for us Canadians) and I think it's a great idea! We have 2 Thanksgiving dinners to go to. One on Saturday with my family and one on Sunday with Scott's family. We are hosting the one on Sunday. It's going to be a rough weekend BUT I'm going to stay within my 35 flexies and there's no way in hell I'm going cheating! No way! Here are my goals for this weekend:
1. No seconds. I don't need them. I always eat way too much anyway and if I have a no seconds rule then I should be able to portion control. I mean how much food can you fit on one plate?? I'm also going to get inspired by Randi and leave space on my plate.
2. Measure everything! This may seem impossible but luckily for me both my family and Scott's family know that I have been working hard on WW and they have been totally supportive of me (How lucky am I???) so even though they might make fun of me for hauling out the measuring cups, in the end they will admire me for my devotion to the plan!
3. Fill up on veggies. At the dinner hosted by Scott and I, we are going on Veggie overload. We are having Potatoes, turnip, squash, corn and carrots. so I will have my pick. I usually don't eat too much Turkey. I like a few pieces and then I am done (all white meat too of course!)
4. Provide a low fat alternative to dessert. Although we HAVE to have pumpkin pie due to tradition, plus Scott's Mom is a pumpkin pie fanatic so I don't think she'd ever come back if we didn't have it. But I'm also going to have low fat frozen yogurt and I'm going to try Angel Food Pumpkin Cake. Has anyone made this?????? I'm really hoping it's good.
Pumpkin Angel Cake
1 package angel food cake mix, F. F., Betty Crocker -- (1 step)
1 (15 oz) can canned pumpkin -- solid packed
1 cup water
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1. In a large bowl combine cake mix, canned pumpkin, water and the spice.
(DO NOT OVERBEAT, batter will get thin.)
2. Bake it as directed on box, either using an angel food pan, bundt or 9-by-13-inch pan.
Makes 12 servings. 1 serving = 3 points
I figure it may be good with a little fat free Cool Whip on top and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Any thoughts?
Last goal:
5. Send home leftovers with our guests. I don't want any stuffing, gravy or heaven forbid, pumpkin pie lying around my house the next day. I want it out. If the guests won't take it home, it's going in the compost about 30 mins after we are done the meal. I know it sounds like a waste but it 's better for it to be in the compost than adding pounds to by butt!
Last but certainly not least...the dreaded Bra shopping. Am I the only one who has this problem?? Let me tell you ladies, I love good day of shopping like nobody's business but when it comes to bras.....I hate it! I bought 2 nice new bras 2 weeks ago which I thought were comfortable...can you really tell after trying them on for 30 seconds in the store??? I had to get them in a 36 D because they didn't come in a 34. When I got home, I realized that I had them on the tightest clasp and that once they stretch out a little as bras always do, they were just too big for me. I'm a D. Plain and simple, well you think it would be anyway. I've actually gotten a lot smaller since I've lost weight. The thing that gets me is that you cannot find a 34 D anywhere. All of the 34s are all As and Bs. It's even hard to find a C in a 34. It's like all the bra companies got together and decided that if a woman has a D cup, they MUST be at least 36 inches around, if not more! Why is it hard to find nice, YOUNG and comfortable bras WITH support in a 34 D?
I give up.
ok enough ranting. Had to get that off my chest. Hope you ladies are having a wonderful week!
Ps. I'm back to the gym full time. Monday I did 30 mins on the elliptical and Tuesday I went 45 mins. YAY!
Also any of you Mon, Tues, or Wed weighers can start e-mailing myself or Randi your WI results for Week 2 of the Christmas Challenge! Who's going to be top three this week???
Monday, October 1, 2007
Christmas Challenge Week 1 Results!!!
Here it is ladies, the moment you've all anxiously been waiting for. It's time to size up the other challengers, see how everyone is doing this week and check up on your own progress. Randi and I are so excited about this challenge and we never thought that we'd get this many people in on it. It's such a great way to stay motivated and it has been so much fun to work on! I honestly think the Christmas challenge kept me from my arch enemy this past weekend....Pizza. Not one bite for me! This is probably the first weekend since May that I haven't scarfed down an over sized portion of homemade pizza. You'd think I'd be sick of it by now right? WRONG!
Ok back to the Challenge...I've bolded the top 3 biggest losers (sorry ladies, no prizes unless you count praise and recognition??) These ladies did great on Week 1 and I think they deserve to be recognized as doing a really great job! You girls did awesome. Actually we all did pretty good! And if you didn't get em this week, them give em hell next week girls! I know we can all do this.
After playing around with blogger, and almost throwing my computer out the window 4 times, yelling at my poor hubby about 5 times, and coming close to a nervous breakdown 7 times,the picture below might not be perfect but honestly, it's the best I can do right now. I will work on it more throughout the week and by next week, Randi's Results Week 2 post should be darn near perfect. I hope it's big enough for everyone to see! Thanks ThickChick for introducing me to Photobucket, it's the only thing that kept me out of asylum tonight. :)
That's it for me tonight ladies!
Ok back to the Challenge...I've bolded the top 3 biggest losers (sorry ladies, no prizes unless you count praise and recognition??) These ladies did great on Week 1 and I think they deserve to be recognized as doing a really great job! You girls did awesome. Actually we all did pretty good! And if you didn't get em this week, them give em hell next week girls! I know we can all do this.
After playing around with blogger, and almost throwing my computer out the window 4 times, yelling at my poor hubby about 5 times, and coming close to a nervous breakdown 7 times,the picture below might not be perfect but honestly, it's the best I can do right now. I will work on it more throughout the week and by next week, Randi's Results Week 2 post should be darn near perfect. I hope it's big enough for everyone to see! Thanks ThickChick for introducing me to Photobucket, it's the only thing that kept me out of asylum tonight. :)
That's it for me tonight ladies!
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