Off to work I go!

I think I used my son's surgery as an excuse to fall off the wagon. Looking back, my head was full of stupid excused that were not valid. Well, I can't go back and change it so I am going forward. Faced the scale this morning. Only up 1 lb. I can handle that. I had it coming! So, back to tracking! (Ironically, the Seven Dwarfs are singing "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go!" in the background right now!)

So, how do I climb back on?

I think I am going to start with that fresh pineapple in my fridge. It is ripe and ready to eat but I have been opting for the chips ahoy instead! Off to cut it up and fix myself some breakfast!

A Big Day

While I usually try and keep this spot slightly impersonal, this post is just the oposite. Impersonal isn't working for me. Weight loss is personal. I think I have always known this, but Jillian seems to be throwing it in my face as I watch Biggest Loser and read Master Your Metabolism. So, here I go...




This day I have been dreading and looking forward to at the same time.

My little guy has taken us on a rollercoaster ride this year. Last October he surprised us at birth with a cleft lip and palate. Shocking but wouldn't have changed a thing except we would have been better equipted to deal with his issues.

After he was born, I felt like they couldn't fix it fast enough. They closed his lip at 3 months. At that time, I was used to my wide smiled baby and questioned if I should really let my baby out of my arms and trust the doctors. Was it necessary? The doctors assured me that it wasn't just cosmetic. There were feeding and speech issues that needed to be addressed. I knew but didn't make it easy. I worried I wouldn't recognize him, he wouldn't be my same baby. He was and he wasn't. He looked different. I had to rememorize his face.

He didn't heal well. His lip wasn't a good fix, under-rotated. His seam pulled up. His right nosteril became swollen and scarred, leaving it very small and hard to nereath out of. Different and disappointing but at the same time nice to be on the way to finding his new smile. I guess it is best described as confusing.

Special bottles, lots of bacitracin, neutosurgeons, geneticists and a helmet. Lots of stares. Sweet baby, lots of Smiles, loving big sister and proud parents. We were making it. I think that Heaveny Father knew I needed these things to make it through this past year.

Next step, palate closure, allowing him to swallow normaly and have positive air pressure (This means he will soon be able to say dada. I think my husband is tired of being called "mama"). This is usually around 9 months but the little guy also needed some revisions and a lot of scar tissue. Better to do it all at once. We waited until 11 months, when the doctors said the scar tissue would be ready to be removed.

That day is here. Were waiting. He went in for surgery about 3 hours ago. He now has new tubes in his ears and his palate has been closed. They just started the lip and nose revisions. All updates indicate that things are going well. Relieving! He has to stay in the ICU tonight. Lots of bleeding and risk of choking on his tongue. I am staying with him because I can't imagine leaving him alone. He is old enough to know the difference and no one knows a child like their mother. One comfort, a good family friend is one of the head pedatricians at the neighboring military hospitals and just happens to be on duty here this week. Nice to have someone who knows us personally. (His 4 kids are also our babysitters.)

There will be many more surgeries in the future but we will have at least a 3 year break. Thank goodness. It has been a tough first year.

Why do I write this? A little reflection perhaps. Maybe, just the need to share it. Far to personal for my family blog. Funny how that works. Not for pity! We were blessed with an amazing little boy that Heavenly Father trusted me with. I am very thankful for that!

On My Way

I weighed in on Tuesday. Down 10.4. Yeah! I know some of that was junk my body was holding onto from vacation but I'll take it. It feels good to be going in the right direction. Just shy of 5%. Maybe this week.

Making good decidions with food is getting easier. Craving crap less. Getting creative in the kitchen again.

As I have mentioned before, my husband is a sabotuer. Drives me nuts. He knows I am doing something and probably figures it is WW but I'm not talking to him about it this go round. I am trying to fly under the radar. I am not taking a million pictures while cooking when he is around and dinner gets captured on my little 3 mp iPhone instead of my wonderful DSLR Nikon. Bummer but worth avoiding the rift that forms when I count points.

Yes, I Shower!

I swear that my husband thinks that I never shower. While this is NOT the case, I can see why he thinks this. I look worn down and I am almost always in lounge clothes because on days that I try and get ready in the morning I usually end up getting slimed by the baby or spilled on by the toddler and throw my hands up and end up back in the same pants I had on when he left that morning.

I know it bothers him. Heck, it bothers me!!!

Today, I didn't shower. I got up and exercised and then between the two kids and the house never made it in the shower. My husband was home a little early because it was a Friday, but that didn't make me feel any better about the situation. He took the baby and I tossed the toddler in the shower with me. (Not my favorite person to shower with since she chanted "Shamu, Shamu" while we were in the tub together. I know she is 2 and it was innocently but still.) Shaved my legs for the first time in over a week and when we got out I sent her downstairs to play and took some time for myself. I actually did my makeup and hair and put on a nice outfit hoping to put my husbands fear of an unshowered and unkept wife to rest.

Within minutes of taking the baby off his hands, I heard snoring. Great! Wondering if it was really worth all the trouble. Around 5:30, I decided to start dinner. Had planned it out so it fit in my points. I was starting to set the table when he woke up. He came over and asked what I was doing. When I explained that I was fixing dinner, he said not to bother because we were going out, because I looked nice so why not. (Yeah, he did notice!) I was excited, but also torn because I had planned everything out and was nervous about what I would eat and how I would have planned differently all day if I knew we were going out. I had a feeling that he was looking for an excuse for sushi. (Our usual would definitely been way out of my point range.)

I mentioned earlier that I have been taking some time to really think about my issues and the reasons behind them. One, is that my husband is not really supportive of me trying to lose weight. He is a bit of a saboteur. More on this later. I still have a lot to figure out about it. He also says that I am too rigid when trying to lose weight and plan too much. While I was reserved about the whole situation, I decided to try to be more spontaneous and go with it and trust myself. Luckily, he didn't have anything in mind and left it up to me. I offered up Subway/Jamba Juice. He bit and we were off.

The Subway/Jamba are near this specialty market that had a huge deli (kind of like Whole Foods). Last second, we decided to check out the deli/restaurant for dinner instead because I had a few things that I wanted to pick up. When we walked in the store, my husband picked me up a dozen beautiful yellow roses and had them wrapped up in green tissue. Very romantic and not like my husband at all. There were a million things to pick from but I settled on roasted turkey breast, green beans with almonds and mashed potatoes. I had a couple fresh mozzarella balls, a bit of mac and cheese, a nibble of my husbands cookie and a few small pieces of good quality licorice that was plucked for the bulk bins. I only bought a few knowing that there would be no stopping once I started. When I think about it I wish I would have bought more but again, knew that I shouldn't. We were able to chat while toddler played in the kids area and the baby shoveled down whatever he could get his hands on.

So with all this rambling, I guess what I am trying to say is that I should take better care of myself, both for me and my husband. I should also be flexible. I just need to be determined to count. Final count: only 4 over for the day and I had plenty WPAs to cover it. It was a fun night out and I appreciate my husband noticing and making an effort.

And...

Yes, I do shower!

Horror and Embarassment

I am embarassed it has been such a long time. Wish I could tell you that I have been busy getting skinny but not the case.

I am starting to be more introspective and try and understand some of my issues so that I can be successful.

I lost some weight in August only to go one vacation in September and put some back on. Picture my horror, stepping on the scale 12 lbs heavier than when we left 10 days before. How does that happen?

I have gone back to basics and I am counting. I have been since Monday. Five days. Feels good to have some structure back.

I have a few other thoughts that are weighing on me. I think they deserve their own post.

The Shred - Day 2

Two days done. 28 to go!

I'm sore! Mostly in my legs. Found I couldn't jump near as high today as yesterday. Can't wait to be over the soreness but that probably means I need to move up a level.

I love that it is 25 minutes beginning to end. Makes it easy to squeeze in. Yesterday the kids were napping when I did it, but not the case today. Baby boy was pretty content and the little girl had fun jumping along. It got tough on the last set of abs but I was determined. Grunting to get through it I think scared the little girl and she was worried I was hurt.

It hurt, but in a good way!

The Alternative

It's 10:45 pm and I am hungry.

Points are gone.

Husband is searching the cabinets for a snack.
Sounds like he is settling on a bowl of Race Krispies.

I think I just need to head to bed!

It Feels Good

Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
American Poet

What a good start to the day!

Tracking again and feeling good about it!
Ate a good breakfast! (Breakfast Sandwich, Apple, Plenty of Water)
Made a plan for the day and starting to work on my list.
Feeling my motivation return.

"The Shred"

Two more donuts, stale too! Not good! they are done with. I am not going to mention the Easter candy that I have eaten. Enough with confessions.

Easter was nice. The kids are so little we can do it on our timeline. We slept in, went to church, had lunch and then told the little girl that the Easter Bunny would pay her a visit while she was napping. She loved finding the eggs and was proud of her haul.

While we mostly focus on the kids for holidays, my husband bought me Jillian Michaels' "30 Day Shred". Thoughtful because he knows I have been wanting it. I have to admit that I am way nervous about how hard it may be. Plan is to start the 30 days on Wednesday with Em, a good friend and WW. I am glad to have someone to be accountable to as well as to all of you so that I really stick with it. So, HOLD ME TO IT!!!

Temptation

Yes, there is a box of these sitting on my counter.
No, I didn't put them there!
Yes, my husband thought it was a good idea.
No, he wasn't thinking straight.
Yes, it is making rededicating myself very difficult!
Yes, I caved and shoved one in my mouth on my way to be last night.
No, it was not smart!
Yes, I kicked myself for it!
No, I am not going to do it again.

I get supporting a cause but donuts? Really? We don't need them around here to for me to stare at all day long!

I'm Back!

So after two crazy weeks and totally blowing WW, I'm back. I have learned a lot about emotional eating and how I deal with stress.

Thanks to all those who emailed and commented on how I was doing. I really really appreciate it. Things have been so crazy I haven't even checked my email to see the comments. It really motivates me to stay on track.

Now I'm off to get those few pesky pounds that came back on while my parents were in town!

Caution's in the Wind

Thanks to all you who congratualted me on the loss. It was an awesome week.

In coming clean, I feel like I have lost control the past two days. I can't really tell you why but I am figuring emotional eating and throwing caution to the wind when I eat something that I hadn't planned on.

Luckily, I had all my WPAs. I have pretty much used them all so I have rededicated myself for the next three days so that i can finish off the week OP.

Today, I have been good at sticking to my plan for the day. I feel great about it.

Also, thanks Roni for all your inspiration. I loved this Ask Roni. Watch it if you have a chance. I usually put it on it the background while I am checking all of your blogs.

Past the Gain

-3.7

I had a feeling that my gain last week of 0.7 was a fluke but it feels great to know that it was. I stayed on track this week, but I was on track the week before too. I didn't do much different. I think just the ebb and flow of losing weight.

So I have surpassed the 25 lbs lost mark! Yeah! I am so proud of this. I have been so close the past few weeks I could taste it. So glad to be here!

Down Sizing

Just another sale that I forgot to share on the last post. Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic are doing Friends and Family March 12 -15 and you can get 30% off your entire purchase and on top of that 5% goes to charity. I have picked Feed America as the charity that I would like proceeds to go to.

You can use it in store or online.

The online code is:

D6KQWGD1NLH6

You need to print a barcode to use is in-store. I will send you an invite by email if you need a coupon. I can't really figure out how to post it here. Just leave your email in a comment or email me at d.fine09 {at} yahoo dot com and I will get it to you ASAP.

If you are in need of something the next size down, this would be a great way to get it. Save a little green and do a little good.

Dealing for the Deal

I hate hate hate shopping for clothes, especially jeans. truth be told, I usually buy one of the first pairs that I find that fit just to have it over with. I don't worry about then being a perfect fit. I usually worry more about the price. I never want to spend to much because I am always hoping that I don't have to wear them too long, always hoping to lose weight. I usually just snag some at Target while I am picking something else up, not because I especially like Target's jeans but out of pure convenience.

If I could pick a place to buy jeans, it would probably be Lane Bryant. I like how their jeans fit and I feel like they understand larger women. I haven't bought much from there in years because I don't think I had fully come to terms with my size and not wanting to drag the kids through the mall and try things on with them in tow. However, I love a good deal and plan on braving the mall this week.

Lane Bryant is having a sale this week on their jeans. I got a flyer in the mail that was intended for the previous resident. Their "right fit" jeans that are regularly $50 are on sale for $30. What a deal. That is what I paid for the last pair at Target.

Last night, I went through the closet and assessed the jean situation. All my pregnancy jeans are finally getting too big. This includes two non-pregnancy pairs that I wore almost the entire time I was pregnant from a larger time in my life. I have two pairs that I almost fit into meaning I can zip them up but they are not flattering one bit. Still too tight. I bought a pair (Target) last week that fit right now. I have several pairs of dress pants and khakis ranging is sizes 16 - 20 from my working days. Looks like I need at least one pair my current size and one a size down. I could buy smaller but I don't know how far ahead I should buy. Any direction would be appreciated!

So if you are ready to jean shop, this might be the week to do it. That is if you shop at Lane Bryant.

Man I can't wait until I don't shop there anymore!

Getting Off the Irk

So despite posting that I was over the gain this week, I have to come clean and admit that it actually irks me a bit. It has really motivated me to go the extra mile this week. I really hope that it will pay off.

What am I doing? Much more fruits and vegetables and less bread and chocolate. So far I have been doing it and it feels good.

I know I said that I would continue photo tracking, but I haven't been doing it fully. I have been taking pictures but not uploading them. I am doing a good job tracking without the photos so I am OK with it. I really love the WW etools tracker. I think that I will pic some of the best pictures once a week a post a collage.

I posted a new recipe on Eating Fine, Peach Pie Smoothie. It is something that I saw on Food Network. I also uploaded a bunch of other pictures of recent kitchen creations so hopefully I will get a few more posts up this week.

I have been spending a lot of time looking at all of your blogs. There is some great stuff out there, good thoughts and awesome recipes. Thanks for all the inspiration.

One person that I find myself really relating to lately is Roni. Oh how I love her and all that she has to share. I put her Ask Roni's on in the background to listen to when I am on the computer. This one is especially good. I loved all that she had to say about the slump and diet anxiety. I have totally been there. If you have a chance, listen to it.

Gaining

Disappointing but I've moved on and forward.

Up .7 this week. I am happy that it was under a pound but would have been happier if it was a loss.

I was kind of expecting it or at least maintaining because of my daily scale habit.

So I have spent the day analyzing the whys of the gain,

• Chocolate - Even though my chocolate choices were "healthier" options, they were too many and muc of them processed food.
• Too few points - I do best when I eat all my points every day and eat about half of my WPA.
• Exercise - No, not that I didn't exercise, but rather I did. I notice the weeks that I exercise, I gain. A little frustrating. It doesn't make me not want to exercise because regardless I know it is best for me. I haven't been eating my AP. I think I need too. It goes along with the above "Too Few Points".
• Eating Away From Home - I had 2 luncheons and book club this week. I think that I am overestimating the point values of what I am eating. I try to be careful while I am there are still end up with crazy totals like 24 pt for lunch when most things were fairly healthy. I much prefer to eat at home.
• You Lose Some, You Gain Some - An occassional small gain is bound to happen every once in a while. It is just important to keep my focus.

I'll take the gain. I'm OK with it. Maybe I have gained more than .7. I think that I gained a little perspective on the process of losing weight and be able to face the next time the scale reads higher.

Photo Tracking Continued

So after a little thought, I decided that I am going to continue photo tracking. It will be a lot less formal than it has been the last week, but I think that it is good to actually see what I eat.

I planned on posting last night but I laid down on the bed while we were putting the kids to bed and totally passed out. I was so tired and really needed the sleep.

Looking back at the days pictures, I ate a lot of chocolate. I remember craving it during the day and looks like I couldn't beat the craving and had to get a fix.



1. Breakfast Sandwich, Grapes & Yogurt
2. Fiber One Haystacks
3. Chex Mix Turtle Bar
4. Veggies and Crackers with Hummus
5. Fuze and another Chex Mix Turtle Bar (see the chocolate thing!)
6. Sloppy Turkey Joes, Cantaloupe & Salad with Ranch
7. Coconut Meringues (still testing but these came out really good.)

I think that I will continue posting my food here for the time being. I am sure I will move it over to Tracking Fine eventually.

Every Bite Challenge - I WON!

I can't believe it! I won the Questions for Dessert Every Bite Challenge. I am so excited!

I know people always say that they never win, but really, I NEVER win. In fact most blog contests I don't even enter figuring that I would never win so why bother. I know very negative, but honest. Well this has given me a new perspective:

You'll never win if you don't try!

I think that that is a good mantra for WW too! I need to remember that. The effort was totally worth it and thanks Krissie, I am that much more motivated now. I am looking forward to Everday Food magazine. I will have to try some of the recipes and post the results on Eating Fine.

Every Bite Challenge - Day 7

So yes, another gaping hole, right in the middle. I went to another luncheon today. This one for a friend's birthday. It was a great time and the food was delicous but 24 pts later, I realized I would have to be careful the rest of the day.

1. 1/2 Apple (.5) - No I don't usually peel my apples but the little girl won't eat the skin and wastes way to much fruit trying to eat around it, so I have caved to peeling apples.
2. Leftover Potatos with Chili, Crystal Light and a Multivitamin (4) I know, not really breakfast food but so easy to just heat up and very yummy.
3. The "Luncheon" (24) - I guessed a little on the high side, but better safe than sorry. Still can't bring myself to take a picture of my food while out. My husband gives me enough grief ab out it at home.
4. Low Cal Fuze and Chex Bar (2) - Shared the bar with the toddler. I had packed a few snacks because we were out of the house most of the day.
5. 4 oz Top Sirloin and a giant salad with spritzer (5) - I was down to 2 pts at dinner. I had already set out the steaks to thaw and the husband hadn't eaten much and was looking forward to them. I skipped the potatoes and just ate a huge salad instead. To be honest, I wasn't that hungry anyway.

Total - 35.5
Used 3.5 of WPA

So there it is, 7 days of tracking. Thanks Krissie at Questions for Dessert for the challenge. I liked doing it. Thinking about continuing. I might move it over to Tracking Fine, but who knows. I'll keep you posted.

Social Binging?

So two days, two luncheons and too much food.

Granted I have only gone over around 4 points each day (I have plenty of WPAs) but that it with a really light breakfast and dinner. Tonight I had a tiny tiny steak and a huge salad with spritzer because I was already at 30 pts for the day. Not fun, luckily I haven't been that hungry.

I am sure it is better for me if I eat the majority of my points for breakfast and lunch, but I have always been a big dinner kind of gal. It is strange to be keeping it so light.

Back to the luncheons. The food was delicious and both had healthy options. Day 1 I couldn't pass on the cornbread. A friend made it and she has the best recipe. I started with one slice to share with my little girl. That turned into another and I almost reached for a 3rd. It was so delicious!

Today, the luncheon was at the home of the girl who made the cornbread the day before. She knows that I am doing WW and is supportive. She had build your own sandwiches with fresh veggies from her garden. So wonderful. Almost makers me want to do a garden. Yes, almost. She had the most delicious fresh fruit salad. It had giant sweet strawberries, madarin orangesm kiwi and blueberries. However, she almost made my favorite spinach dip. She said that I was the reason she made it. She knew I loved it. I had a serving of that with some corn chips. She also always serves cheese and crackers. I usually go overboard but today I limited it to 1 slice of cheese and 2 crackers. I had about a cup of the fruit salad and a turkey and ham sandwich on a wheat chabata roll. Passed on the mayo but couldn't resist the munster cheese. That is something that I never splurge on for us. To top it off she had both lemon and chocolate cupcakes. I had a bite of my daughter's chocolate cupcake and a lemon one myself. I need to be better about not picking of my little girls plate. It adds up!

Well for all that above, I figure it was 24 pts. I am still thinking about how delicious it all was and how much I ate. It seems that I when it comes to social situations, I really overdo it. I have a hard time stopping. Home, that usually isn't as much of a problem. Tell me, why do I find it acceptable to socially binge?

Every Bite Challenge - Day 6

See that big gaping hole. That is the first picture that I have missed since photo tracking. I went to a luncheon at the home of a woman from church and the moment didn't seen right to break out my phone to take a picture. I might have been able to sneakily snap a shot but decided that it was that important. All the points were counted and I had a great time chatting with the other women that is what is really important.

I am feel kind of sick. Not sure if it is coming or going. The husband and both kids were really sick last week and I think it is the same thing. I hope it is on its way out and that I just got a mild case (or maybe I am just tougher!). It is really hard for me to plan ahead when I am feeling so so so crappy. It shows when you look at my photos.

1. Big Bowl Cereal with 1/2 of a Banana (6)
2. Apple (1)
3. ***Missing - large bowl of Green Chicken Chili (She is giving me the recipe and it is her award winning one. I'll see if she objects to me posting it here.) with a little cheese and light sour cream, cornbread that I split with daughter & the smallest sliver of cake you have ever seen. The dessert bar was a self serve and so I took the knife and basically shaved some cake off just so I could taste it. It was only one bite worth and was so delicious, blueberry buttermilk, but I didn't feel like I needed a whole slice. I guessed high on the points. (20)
4. Diet Fuze and a Turtle Chex Mix Bar (2) - Both purchases at Costco. I had to return my camera and picked up a few groceries. I had seen the turtle bars before but didn't bother looking at them because they looked to gooey and wonderful to be very WW friendly. I was so surprised when I saw on a WW board that they are only 2 pts. I double checked with my calculator and sure enough, 2 pts. Ate it in the car on the ride home and it was so wonderful.
5. Dinner- Subway Turkey on Wheat with no cheese, lots of veggies and mustard & an apple (6) You know I am sick when I send the husband out for food. I really try to cook a lot. It is better for us and saves lots of money but I just couldn't do it tonight.
6. Fiber One Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystack (1) Was craving something chocolatey.

Total - 36 pts
32 DPA
4 WPA

Pretty good considering I guessed high on lunch. I almost always go over on the day we have the luncheon each month. I have more than enough WPAs to spend.

Tomorrow one of my good friends is throwing a little mommy and me luncheon fora few of the little girls and their moms. She knows I am doing WW and it seems like there will definately be healthy options so I am not too worried aobut it. I think sandwiches, fruit and chips is what she said. She mentioned cupcakes because it is the birthday of one of the moms, but I am planning one in and will probably scrape off the frosting because I am not really a frosting person.

Now that I have a working camera again, I need to get back to the kitchen and try a few new things that I have been planning on trying. I will keep you posted.

Every Bite Challenge - Day 5

So I have spent my whole morning fighting with the mosaic maker on flickr. So frustrating. Also, my new camera has been giving me some troubles with the flash so I am going to return it today and get a new one. Thank goodness for Costco's awesome return policy.

Here is yesterday's menu. I have to admit that I didn't plan well and kind of ate on the fly, making sure I counted my points. I ended up with 3 extra points at the end of the day. Also, I need to remember: DON'T EAT CRACKERS STRAIGHT FROM THE BOX! Dumb mistake. I can't stop at the one or two I pull out the first time and keep dipping in.




1. Breakfast Sandwich & Multivitamin (3) - I didn't eat the banana. Openned it and it was disgusting inside. So disappointing.
2. Apple (1) - Substitute for the gross banana
3. Lunch (7) - I know this is a mess of a lunch but we were clearing out the leftovers. Stuffed mushroom, Pretzels with Mustard, String Cheese & and Haystack Cookie.
4. Daughter had some Ritz and kept sharing with me. It was mindless eating I am pretty sure I had less than a serving. (2)
5. Ritz openned appetite and kept sticking my hand in this box of crackers. I had around 20 crackers. (3)
6. Another haystack cookie (1)
7. Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges with Turkey Chili and Fixings & a Salad with Ranch (10)
8. Chocolate Black Raspberry Ice Cream Bar while joining in on the WW boards last night. (2)

Not a plan in sight up there but I was still able to stay within my points. We had a long night with the kids the night before and so it was great to lounge around the house and not worry about too much. The husband could tell that I was worn out and offered up cereal for dinner if I didn't feel like cooking but I figured that I needed a decent meal for the day. Didn't have time to bake the potatoes so these Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges were an awesome substitute.

Today I am going to a luncheon with some ladies from church. I never really know what is being served and I usually end up dipping into my WPA, but I guess that is exactly what they are there for.

Every Bite Challenge - Day 4

1. Peach Pie Smoothie (via Ellie Kreiger) and Breakfast Sandwich (6)
2. Saturday Afternoon Picnic - Subway Ham and Turkey, Pretzels, Hummus & Carrots & Seltzer (9)
3. Airhead Sucker - Green Apple, tastes just like the chews (1)
4. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond True Delight Granola Bar - Got this as a free sample in the mail. It was really delicious! (3)
5. Stuffed Mushrooms (good, but the recipe still needs some work), Almond Onion Rice & Salad with Ranch (10)
6. Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bar (2)

Total - 31

Had a great day as a family. We spent the morning at home relaxing and then when to a big park in the city to feed the ducks, have a picnic and play on the playground. Little girl had a great time and would have spent all day on the swing if we would have let her. She loved the ducks and was disappointed when we rant out of bread. I had been saving my ends for the ducks for a while now but n ow that I have switched to light bread, I save them for bread crumbs. I will have to keep an eye on day old for feeding the ducks next time.

Every Bite Challenge - Day 3

1. Big Bowl Cereal with Strawberry Puree (5)
2. Chef Salad - Turkey, Ham, Cheese, Corn, Mushrooms, Carrots, Eggs, Lettuce & Ranch (9)
3. The WW Chick's Chocolate Fiber One No Bakes with Skim Milk (5)
4. Spinach Stuffed Shells, Oilve Oil Garlic Toast & Green Salad with Italian (8)
5. Crystal Light Slushie (1)
6. Late Night Garlic Hummus and High Fiber Garden Vegetable Wheat Thins (4)

Total - 32

Right on Target for points yesterday! Yeah! Also, I didn't feel like I was filling up on junk just to reach my points. I also met my GHG's for the day.

I am loving being back in the kitchen. The shells turned out pretty good. A little heavy on the spinach for me but my husband LOVED them. I had about a dozen cooked shells left over and didn't want to waste them so late last night I made up some pizza-like filling and froze them individually without sauce for a future meal. I will have to post the recipe if they turn out to be any good. I am kind of betting on it because they smelled delicious!

Also, I am having a problem with twitpic It says that I have exceeded my limit but I can't find anywhere that says what the limit is. It is totally frustrating me so posts on the side might be hit and miss for now but everything will be in the daily challenge post. If any of you know anything about this please let me know.

Weight Update

8 Weeks
-24.1 lbs total.
-1.7 this week.

YEAH!

I was down more earlier in the week but I am not going to dwell on it. I think it stems from eating too few points this week. Can you believe that? I need to remember that and make sure that I am eating enough. Sometimes, I feel like life gets to busy. I need to remember to take care of myself so I can be a better mom and wife.

I am also feeling great about the slow and steady loss. Yesterday there was a spot on TV that was talking about weight loss porgrams. In the conclusion, they mentioned that WW is a great option for long-term healthy weight loss and can be maintained. It made me feel that I made the right choice.

"Honey, How Much Should I Weigh?"

The past few weeks my husband has started losing some weight. yes, with weight watchers but he doesn't have the patience for points and such. Before I met him he lost weighgt with Jenny Craig eating pre-packaged meals. That is more his style. He gets 31 points a day. I pack around 15 for his lunch and then dinner is usually around 10. That leaves him 5 or 6 for a snack after woork and some sort of small treat in the evening. It seems to be working for him. He has lost 17 lbs and is thrilled with the results.

Where I am going with all this is that tonight we were watching a show oin TV together and a new Ask.com commercial. I have been searching the web for it with no luck. I am going to keep looking for it.

It goes something like this:

Man standing on a scale.
Husband: "Honey, how much should I weigh?"
Wife: 170
Husband: "Well I'm about 20 lbs over that."
Wife: "Well whose fault is that?"
Husband: "Yours and your mexican bean dip."

This is us and we could see it and it had us in stitches. We had to rewind it several times and each time was funnier than the last.

I know that the husband is not learning the principles in counting points and the skills to do it long term which frustrates me. The redeeming fact is that I do pack him a lunch and cook dinner every day and as long as he controls his snacks he should be able to maintain.

Every Bite Challenge - Day 2

1. Big Bowl Cereal with Skim Milk and Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup (5)
2. Gum (0)
3. Pretzels with Mustard (2) Not very hungry, just more snacky!
4. Homemade Garlic Hummus (I will be posting this recipe soon.), Flatout Triangles & Sonic Diet Cherry Limeade (4) My husband brought the drink home. Good thing it was diet!
5. Black Bean Burger with Guac on a Whole Wheat Sugar Free Bun, Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges & Large Salad with Ranch Spritzer (11) I have the burger and potato recipes ready to go so look for those in the next few days.
6. Chocolate Black Raspberry Ice Cream Bar (2)

Total - 24

My daily allowance is 32 so as you can see I was under my points for the day. (Not purposely!) I got a late start for the day and didn't get to breakfast until 11 am so it was pretty much lunch. On top of that I was hardly hungry at all. I think I am coming down with something. everyone else in the house was sick this past week so unfortunately think it is my turn. Also, I didn't have enough vegetables. I should have eaten carrots with the hummus and some fruit with breakfast. When I have extra points like this I sometimes make bad choices.

Holding My Ground

I snipped the tips of my little girl's pacifiers this morning. She is so mad! I need to hold my ground because she is getting to old for it. Please keep me from retreating to the cupboards!

Every Bite Challenge - Day 1

Here it is! Not perfect , but here. I am a little embarrassed about the second half of the day, but I just need to learn from it and get over it.

Day 1 of Krissie from Questions for Dessert's Every Bite Challenge:



1. Breakfast - Alternative Bagel with Light Cream Cheese & Sugar Free Jam, 2 honey Tangerines & Fat Free Yogurt with Microwave Granola (6)
2. 14 Lemon Meringue Cookies (2)
3. BBQ Chicken BLT Wrap, String Cheese & Apple (8)
4. Big Bowl Cereal with Unsweetened Almond Milk (4) Ate this as a snack so that I wouldn't snack in the kitchen. Didn't work!
5. 5, yes 5, slices French Bread (10) This was stupid mindless eating with prepareing food in the kitchen at the church dinner. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!
6. 2 Taffy Apple Tartlets (4) Planned on eating 1 put popped 2 in my mouth and ate them so fast I hardly tasted them. Again, stupid! One savored would have been satisfying.
7. Spaghetti & Salad (5) Served myself the plate during the dinner but didn't get around to eating it until the car ride home. Have to admit that I ate only the cold spaghetti. It tasted great because I was so so hungry. I tossed the salad in the garbage at Sonic.
8. Sonic Diet Cherry Limeade (1) I don't really know had many calories this has if any at all. We got a 32 ox and shared it between myself, the husband and my little girl. This was a huge step to go to Sonic as a family and only spend $2 and not leave with a bunch of junk we shouldn't be eating.

Total - 40

yes, 40! Can you believe it? I really outdid myself at the church dinner. I need to stay away from the bread. I know it is my weakness and I still let meself start in on it. AHHHHH! I have plenty left in my WPA so it is OK, but still not necessary.

To Tempt You

I have posted a bunch of new recipes on Eating Fine. Go check them out! This morning I posted Apple Crisp Oatmeal, Spiced Apples and Microwave Granola. Later today I will be posting Candied Yams. Tomorrow, I will revisit my Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe and I came up with an awesome Almond Onion Rice that is a must try.

Every Bite Challenge - Jumpstart

I know the challenge officially starts Wednesday but I thought that I would get a day under my belt before it started. It is good to see exactly what you are eating. Here is what was on the menu.



1. Apple Crisp Oatmeal, Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, & Gummivites (5.5)
2. Turkey & Cheese Bagel Sandwich, Pretzels & Banana (7)
3. Kashi Dark Chocolate Coconut Bar (2)
4. BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Baked Potato Wedges & Salad with Ranch Spritzer (9)
5. Blue Bunny Chocolate Black Raspberry Ice Cream Bar (2)

Total - 26

Breakfast was very filling. I need to post that recipe on Eating Fine. I used to always eat bagel sandwiches in college, grated they were the ones on a giant full calorie bagel but this Western Alternative Bagel was a great swap. I also ended up dipping the pretzels in mustard and it was so yummy. I was out most of the day running errands and so started making dinner late. The Kashi bar was to munch on while I was cooking so that I didn't mindlessly stuff other things into my mouth. Dinner was fabulous! The husband grilled the seasoned chicken thighs perfectly. I picked them up a few weeks ago when they were on sale for 99 cent a lb. What a steal for boneless, skinless, already seasoned chicken. We put them on whole wheat sugar free buns with veggie toppings. The potato wedges turned out great. I think it is because I tried a different way of cooking them. As soon as I get the seasoning just right on them I will post that too. The ice cream at the end of the day was just because. I wasn't really hungry but realized that I was way under my allowed 32 pts and so I decided to endulge a little.

Because I was so busy, I didn't eat enough for the day. I usually have a few other snacks throughout the day. (usually without chcoalte, but you couldn't tell from this!) Wednesday is going to be a busy day too and so I need to remember to eat enough. I have found eating too little really stunts my losses. Also, we have a dinner at the church. I am helping plan it so I know the menu; however, there is a potluck dessert bar. My neighbor gave me the recipe for what she is bringing, taffy apple tartlets. It had the nutritionals on it and it is 2 pts for one. I think i will stick with having that for dessert.

On The Prowl

Yesterday, I was on the hunt for a snack. I didn't know what. I knew I wanted something sweet but I didn't know what. I was more munchy than anything, not necessarily hungry. I started openning the cabinets, checking the fridge, and peeking in the pantry over and over again. I thought most of the junk was out of the house, but soon realized there is still quite a few things that are in the house that I should not be tempted with.

Case and point:

1. Fruit snacks, my weakness 2. Dibbs left over from cub scouts and homemade fudge from Christmas 3. An openned bag of mint chocolate chips. If they were unopenned I could totally resist them 4. M&Ms my husband brought home the day after we talked about not having candy around the house because that is all the little girl ever wants. 5. Girl Scout cookies that my husband bought. I told him to only buy a box or two if he thought he really wanted them that bad. I packed them in snack bags, 3 pts for 2 cookies. Yikes. I am just glad they are not Thin Mints or I would never be able to resist.

After seeing these things I decided that instead of focusing on what I couldn't eat, instead I should look for some alternatives that I had lying around. This is what I came up with:


1. Frozen gogurts, like a popcicle 2. Frozen Grapes 3. Banana Pops - bananas on a stick with sf syrup and granola 4. WW Chocolate Shakes 5. diet cocoa - great when made with milk 6. Air-popped Popcorn 7. Meringues - 12 for 2 pts 8. Pretzels - portioned into 1 oz bags 9. Fiber One Bars - my favorite for a chocolate fix

These pictures will be a great reminder to think of these healthier alternatives and hopfully keep me away from the homemade fudge at the back of my feezer.

TwitPic Food Journal

So I think that I am going to be able to combine the best of both worlds. I saw on Roni's Weigh that there is a program, TwitPic that you can Twitter pictures of your food. After a little bit of investigation, I think that it should be pretty simple. I can upload pictures from my phone or computer to track and they will show up on my sidebar. Seems simple, huh? I am figuring that most of the pictures will be from my phone. It will be easy to email in the photos that way.

Downfall, it will only show the last 10 pictures. I will hopefully stay on top of it and do a short post at the end of the day. I guess it is kind of up in the air but I am sure it will all come together.

Thanks again Krissie for motivating me!

Photo Tracking - Every Bite You Eat Challenge

I have been tossing around the idea of taking pictures of what I eat to help hold myself more accountable and to stop myself from shoving a bite here and there in my mouth. Those bites are more mindless eating than actually being hungry. I have been following a few other blogs that do this and I love seeing their pictures. Questions for Dessert has given me the nudge I needed to start. She is starting a challenge for the next week to take a picture of every bite you eat. It starts tomorrow, but I am starting today.

I am sure that it will eclectic collection of photos, some from my phone, some from the point and shoot and some from my slr. The full range of quality of photos but everything will be tracked. Maybe I will use flickr too so that I can mosaic the day. I guess we will see. I am going to track here instead of Tracking Fine. I want to record my feelings too. If I continue after this trial week, I will probably move it over there.

Under the Lie

Yes, I lied!

On my Driver's License.

When I got a new license after was married, I was completely honest and gave my real weight. Not ideal but not humiliating though. My little girl was born 2 years later. About 4 months after she was born, my license expired and I had to go in to renew it. I went up the counter and the clerk asked if any of the information had changed. I said no, everything was still the same. She said "Everything?" which made me come clean.

"Well my weight is higher." I admitted and gave her a new weight, 60 pounds higher than was on my old license. She changed it on my license. I was never going to admit that I was actually 20 lbs higher than the new weight I had given her. I had put on weight some weight before getting pregnant and then put on a ton of weight while I was pregnant and didn't lose any of it since having the baby. I was totally mortified by the whole sittuation.

The other day, I was looking at my IDs and remembering that horrible moment. I looked at the weight on my license and realized that I am at least 5 lbs under that weight. It was a relief and felt that the weight of that lie was lifted.

The picture on that ID is horrible. I hate it! I will definately be replacing that ID. I think that as soon as I get to the weight I was when I was married I am heading to the DMV as a reward. Yes, I think that going to the DMV will actually be a reward.

Eating Fine Updated

The recipes have started going up. Check them out! I posted one of my all time favorites, Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs.

Yes, 14!!!

I need to get my act together. I have 14, yes 1 4 recipes that I want to post. I have the pictures taken, uploaded, and saved in their respective posts and just have to type the recipes in.

Stop making excuses and start typing!

Keep checking Eating Fine and get on my case if there are no new changes!

Another Week Down

Some thoughts before I post my loss.

I feel that the routine is turning into a habit. Does that make sense? In the beginning, I felt as if it took a lot of planning to make sure that points were counted and meals were ready. Then if became more of a routine. Easier to plan and track. Still took time, but I was used to doing it. Just the past couple of days, it seems to come more natural. Almost like I have always done it. I know that is not the case because the mirror reminds me that it wasn't always this way. It kind of getting hard for me to understand why I haven't always done this because it makes so much sense and while not easy, very doable. I think this is all a good thing, but I also need to remember not to get complacent.

This week was a good week. I was kind of expecting to be static because I hadn't really flutuated much all week. (Daily scale obsession!) It was nice to jump on the scale this morning and see a lower number than has appeared since the baby boy was born. Down 1.6. I was so excited that I ran down and logged it in right away. Here is my progress chart to date.

I know that I have mentioned it before, but I am not losing as fast as I anticipated, but I am strangly not disappointed. This time I think I am doing a better job at seeing the big picture and don't have goals that the weight will all be gone in a year. I am aiming for 2 years. Seems really doable and maybe it is because I am getting older , but 2 years doesn't seem all that far away. My little girl tunred two last week and it has helped put perspective on things.

My Fridge

Well it is not perfectly clean, I try hard to keep it organized. I HATE searching for something in the fridge am everything has a spot. Over the past 6 weeks our fridge has been slowly been getting a makeover. Healthier options are moving in and the junk in being evicted. The other day when I had the camera in the kitchen I decided to I should give you a peek into our fridge. After all, isn't everbody curious what is inside another's fridge. Wasn't it the first thing you checked out when you were babysitting as a kid, even if you didn't eat anthing. Well I did! Maybe that tells you something about how long food has been an issue for me. Well I am opening the door and letting you sneak a peek.







I'll post the freezer soon. The only guilty pleasure in there is a pack of Dibbs that my husband brought home but that is a whole different post.

Tootsie Pop

I am a candy-holic.


I am sure that that is a big reason that I am where I am today.

The husband has a sweettooth too and so there is usually some sort of treat laying around. Usually, something not very good for you but rather tasty like the fudge or ice cream that is in my freezer, both homemade. Or the giant bag of green M&Ms or the bag of Hershey Bliss hearts that the husband brought home for me the other night. (Can you say enabler? Don't worry I haven't touched either of them.)


Well these are my newest sweet of choice. It helps me skip over all those other treats to have something to reach for when a candy craving is coming on.





The Tootsie Pop. WW Online tipped me off to these. 1 pt each and I can make last quite a long time. Fruity on the outside and chocolatey on the inside. They have a new watermelon flavor that is quite tasty too. I only allow myself one a day at most, but to be honest here, I think I had a day where 2 were necessary. I usually save myself a point each day so I can have one in the evening.

Lately I've Heard...

...two things that have stuck with me.

Somewhere I saw an interview of someone that had lost a lot of weight. I think that it was on Discovery Channel's show "I Lost It!" The woman they were interviewing said that she always refers to "getting rid" of the weight instead of losing it. She said that if you lose something you usually try and find it again and she didn't ever want to find her extra pounds.

Another TV moment that I have been thinking about was on Biggest Loser this past week. Forgive me because while I enjoy the show, I am not routing for one person over another and I couldn't even tell you the players names. We usually TiVo it and watch bits and pieces because it is on right when we have to get the kids to bed. This past week Jillian, was talking to one of the contestants and having her repeat mantras to focus her on her weight loss goals. One of the things that she said was something to the effect of "I love myself more than I love food." It made me think, do I love myself more than I love food? I am still not sure on the answer to that. I think that is where some of my issues come from. I think that is where a lot of people's issues come from. I know that through work on my self image, I will be able to know that I love myself more than I love food. It is kind of sad to think that is where I am but encouraging that I can see past it and know I can overcome it.

What things have your heard that have stuck wiht you or keep you going?

6 Weeks In

I just looked at the calendar. I'm 6 weeks in.

Looking back.....

In the last six weeks I have:
Successfully stayed on WW.
Done it all online.
Motivated my husband to join me.
(He's lost 12 lbs in the past 4 weeks.)
Looked towards the future.
Not become overwhelmed with all that is in front of me.
Started running, well jogging, but that is a great feat!
Got rid of 20.8 lbs!

Yes, I passed the 20 mark. I am so happy to pass that hurdle. My 10% is just around the corner. In the next few weeks I am sure I will be there. I am down 2.5 this past week. More than I thought I would be. I was very excited. The weight is coming off slower this time than last but I am strangely not too bothered by that. I look ahead at the calendar and make very conservative estimates on where I will be by the time visitors come, summer is here, my son turns one, next Christmas, next time this year and beyond. I have decided that my goal is Christmas 2010 be at lifetime. I know that is a ways off but I also feel like once I am committed to the lifestyle and not a diet that will sneak up on my because it will be a part of life and not a drag of a diet.

I have also been cooking up a storm and experimenting in the kitchen. I have a ton to post on Eating Fine. I have been taking pictures so you can have more of an idea what things look like. I know I prefer pictures when I am looking at recipes. Here are a few to peak your interest.

Weighing and BC

-2.7 lbs! 18.3 total!

I feel relieved that the scale is down. I was worried that it would stay the same. I need to trust the program more. I stayed mostly within my points and only used 14 of my WPA, a few each day.

Last week really threw me off. When I was doing WW before, I lost every week for the first 3 months. To gain on the 4th week was hard for me.

I also need to stay away from the scale. My weight fluctuates a lot during the week and after being up .7 last Friday, by Monday I was down to even 19.1 lbs total loss. I was so excited. The next day it jumped up and them jumped again the day after that. It makes me feel like I am gaining weight and makes me forget that I am really making progress. I only remember the progress when I track my weight and see that I am actually down for the week.

Also, I started using a new birth control this week. One of the side effects is weight gain. UGH! I am hoping to avoid this side effect. One encouraging thing is that when I was on birth control before having kids, I felt that it actually helped me lose weight. I am hoping this time is the same even though it is different birth control. Who knows?

The Little Orange Monster

I swear that little orange monster was hanging around. You know the one from the WW commercials.

I was so hungry all day. I kept revisiting the cupboards and the fridge hoping to find something satisfying. I can't say that I did. I munched on a banana, a couple sticks of string cheese, some pretzels, grapes, a sucker, ritz, cereal, and a granola bar. Yes, all of that. By some miracle, I only ended up over a few points today and had plenty to spare for my WPA.

What gives? This is the first time that I have been really hungry since restarting WW.

Let's pray it is a my metabolism revving up but more likely it was a little hunger and a lot of boredom.

The Ups and Downs

I'm up.

I know that I expected it. Not because of poor eating but because of scale watching.

Up .7. Not even a pound but still up when I was hoping to be down.

Week 3 (A Week Late)

Yes, I weighed in last Friday, but I haven't gotten around to posting until now.

DOWN!

4.9 lbs!

YEAH!

It was a great week and a great loss and I should have shared it earlier.

Now I weigh in again in the morning. I am dreading it. It has been an OK week. Nothing stellar, but alright. I stayed within my points but didn't focus as much on making sure that I am meeting the GHGs. I definately didn't drink enough water. I am pretty much counting on being up again. How do I figure? See my last post about my scale addiction.

I will keep you posted.

Also, we got the Wii Fit this week. I like it so far but will ahve to tell you the whole story. Needless to say that my sugar-loving, sweet stuffing husband started counting points this week after doing the Fit Test.

Cheers to meeting my GHGs this next week!
(Holding a big glass of H2O)

A Weighty Issue

All scales are different. That is why I weigh on the same scale everytime.

The problem is...

if it is a problem...

I weigh everyday.

I have been getting mixed messages.

I have heard to only weigh yourself once a week. Reason being what? To not get frustrated by the daily fluctuations of the number on the display? I have to admit that I am overjoyed when the number is lower than I expect but then frustrated when it is up a little the next day. I also find myself wanting to record my lowest weight for the week rather than my weight Friday mornings. If I did I would be down 14.2 rather than 11.4.

I have seen that many weigh everyday. These are mostly people in maintenance and do it just to stay in check. But shouldn't I be making habits now that I will keep for the long run? It also is a good reminder for me to stay on track for the day so that I could possibly see a lower number the next day.

While I am pondering the scale I have to admit that most nights I hop on it before bed. More out of curiosity than record. Maybe it is a sick obsession. Not necessarily with the number on the scale but rather the difference between night and morning. How much do I lose when I sleep? Or is it the 2 times that I get up to pee that make the diffence. It is usually around 3 lbs. On a day when I am especially obsessed, I might even venture a trip to the scale before and after a meal or trip to the bathroom. I know, strange.

Now that this is out I realize that I need to....

STEP AWAY FROM THE SCALE!

Surviving the Hospital

So, the plan was to blog everyday. Well plans fell through but that's OK. I am still OP and pretty proud of myself. It has been a pretty stressful week and I have avoided eating my stress away. That is a big step for me.

Tomorrow is weigh-in say for me and I am a little nervous. To be honest, I am really hoping for 3 lbs, but think it might be less. I had a HUGE loss last week and TOM is here so I kind of feel like I have those things going against me. I guess we will see.

As for the past few days and the cause of my stress, my son had surgery yesterday. We had to be there at the crack of dawn because he is a baby and can't eat before the surgery. I guess I should be glad that they got him in early. Everything turned out fine and I am so thankful for that. As for staying OP, I packed food for the 2 days I would be staying at the hospital except for dinner. My husband went and picked up Subway. It felt great to be in control and not eat myself silly through the hospital stay. My husband had two surgeries in the fall and I hit up the hospital gift shop for junk and snacked the whole time he was in surgery and then blamed it on the nerves. Even though that is exactly what the husband wanted to do, I knew better than to even take a look at the little shop's aisles of junk.

I love Subway. Really, it's nothing more than a sandwich but I always know that I kind get something that isn't going to blow my day. Yesterday, I decided to leave off my usual light mayo and cheese and save myself the points. I added a splash of vinegar to give the sandwich some moisture. It was tangy and delicious and made me realize that I don't really need the mayo. I think that the 6 in turkey was only 5 points.

Tonight a friend from church is bringing us dinner. I am thankful to have people that are willing to serve our little family. However, I feel a little out of control of the situation. I think that she is bringing lasagne (8pts) and garlic or cheese bread (4 pts). Not great point options but delicious nevertheless. I have been careful all day planning around it. I am going to have a piece of lasagne and a small slice of bread and really fill up on salad (0-1 pt). Just pray is comes undressed or I will be making my own.

Cheers to:
1. Having baby boy make it safely through surgery
2. Making it through week 2 eating clean
3. Subway!

10.1

pounds that is. i am amazed and stunned that that is the real number. i know that a ton of it is water weight. i ate really bad during the holidays and i could tell i was retaining, but 10.1 that's awesome and motivating.

on the flipside, it is probably good that i read this post by roni at roni's weigh this morning. i need to remember this next week if the scale doesn't move. i need to remember to trust the program. it works. i was doing ww before i got pregnant and lost around 40 lbs in 5 months. that's results!

10:56 p.m.

that's what time it is.

and i am just posting for the day.

internet was down all day. husband got it up and running tonight.

little girl is transitioning to a toddler bed and so wandered out a few times. baby boy is strangly wide awake. normally he is a sleeping champ. no time for myself today.

almost just posted from my phone but the battery almost dead so plugged it in instead.

that's the type of day i had.

however, i had a great day with my eating. stayed within my points even though i didn't track online like usual. i love ww e-tools so it was sorely missed today. i input everything in the evening. tomorrow i am weighing myself. i have to admit i am excited to see the results. made a recipe from my new cookbook. reserved a blog name for a place to post recipes. we will see how that turns out. mother-in-law taught me how to make her beans. they turned out awesome. for dinner i made homemade pizza. more on that later.

off to bed. husband is waiting. it is unusual for him to hit the sack before me.

cleaning out the pantry

a lot of bad food has been hiding out in cupboards and pantry. stuff i shouldn't eat, but did. yesterday, i stocked up on good things. made a costco run and hot up the supermarket too for produce. was able to keep my shopping cart full of clean things. came home proud and motivated.

while putting the groceries away I found a packet of oatmeal that looked like it had been nibbled on. yikes! upon closer examination, i found droppings. yes, rodent droppings. small, but still droppings. so gross. first, i am totally embarrassed that i had a mouse in the house. our house is always pretty clean. i like it clean but my husband insists that it is clean. second, it gave me the creeps that this little thing was crawling all over.

i immediately started cleaning the entire pantry, pulling everything out. having to touch every piece of food in the pantry was a perfect start. gave me the opportunity to evaluate what I had, what i should eat and what to toss. i guess this is the sunny side of having a mouse in your house. the pantry is perfectly organized, rid of stuff that shouldn't be around, the food is rotated and everything is sealed up. my husband picked up a bunch of tupperware while he with getting so sticky mice traps. he came home and set out 4.

last night, as i was finishing up my blog header I heard some scurrying and then some squeeking. sure enough, a mouse. i never saw it. too chicken. it must have been living under the dryer. don't really know how it got in. i think it was only one. 3 more traps are waiting for others in case there are more. i really don't think so though.

so here's to you little mouse. thanks for motivating me to rid my pantry of things that should have never been there in the first place. sorry, to you that you had too go but i'm not so good at sharing my food, especially with a mouse.

cheers

here's to 09.

a fresh start. i needed a clean slate.

this is personal. that is a good thing. weight loss needs to be more personal for me. i am doing it for me and the ones i love. i am the only one who can do it.

there is no magic wand. i know what works and now is the time to do it. no more waiting!

to be honest, i don't have a certain number or size in mind. instead, i have a feeling in mind. this time i am not aiming for perfection, rather health. i want to feel good. not sluggish. not tired. not slow. rather, energetic, smiley and fun. i know that a lighter me would help this situation, not just physically, but emotionally.

not going to focus so much on the numbers this time. that is as long as things are going down, even if just a bit.

so, the format? simple. feelings. thoughts. gripes. achievements. personal.

thinking about starting another blog for other things that i think would help others like recipes, finds, links, etc. many of your blogs have helped me. i want to do the same. will keep you posted.

i want to share that. that's why i am here. i would love support. find others here encouranging. thanks!

so cheers to the new year. cheers to all that is to come. cheers to momentum, best of both worlds. (more to come on that later.) cheers to finally feeling fine. cheers to 09!