Saturday, December 31, 2011

Weigh in...

This morning I walked to the meeting, which was the first time since my mom joined a few months ago.  I forgot how much I enjoy walking outside, and how much I enjoy the walk to and from the meeting.  It gives me time to get in some activity as well as reflect on the past week and make plans for the new week ahead.

I was up 5.2 pounds this week, the most I have gained in one week since I joined.  I feel like this past week was the longest WW week I have gone through, and I have no intention of repeating it.  Day 1 I got bit by the dog, ate creamy pasta without even thinking once much less twice!  Day 2 I whacked my head on the cabinet door, cooked Christmas dinner with one hand, and ate more sweets than usual.  Days 3 & 4 included included hand and head pain and more sweets and eating out without making many healthier choices.  Day 5 was another long day full of not WW friendly choices.  Day 6...more of the same nonsense.  Day 7...much better than the previous days, but still not within my daily pp target, and still no intentional exercise.  Every single choice I make, whether it be good or bad makes a difference in my success...or lack thereof.

This week I am ready to get back to my old WW self...the self who tried hard, worked hard, and lost 76 pounds in 2011!  Even though the last few months have not been super fabulous, I cannot forget that I am still starting 2012 much lighter than I started 2011.  I cannot forget how hard I worked for those 76 pounds, or how hard I need to work to lose 76 more.

My 1st weight loss goal of 2012 is to lose 100 pounds by February 25th...my 1 year WW anniversary.  I have 56 days to lose 24 pounds, and I totally think that I can do it.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

One more day to go...

I am so thankful tomorrow is finally Friday!  I am looking forward to weigh in on Saturday so I can get over with.  I am not looking forward to starting school again on Monday, but I will be glad to get it over with too.  Today was not too bad.  I got some walking in with my daughter, I drank plenty of water, and ate fairly well too.  Tonight I am going to make a menu for the next week so I can go grocery shopping tomorrow.  I tend to do better when I have things written down and planned out ahead of time.

For the first, and probably the last, time my husband did Just Dance & Zumba with my daughter.  He always tells me how I am doing it wrong, it was nice to see him try.

Tomorrow will be a busy day out and about...I am glad to be getting out of the house.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Goals for 2012...

There are several things I want to accomplish in 2012.  Here are just a few...

  • Enjoy the rest of the "stay at home mom" time I have with my kids
  • Finish school...only 2 more weeks of classes until I am a college grad with an AA in Accounting
  • One of many weight loss goals...lose 100 pounds by February 26th (my 1 year WW anniversary)
  • Another...reach my ultimate goal weight...I am still not sure what that number is, but I will as I get closer
  • Share my weight loss journey and post my success story with WW
  • Become a WW leader...probably part time
  • Inspire at least one other person in this world to find the strength to lose weight and become his or her own success story.
  • Brave some new classes at the gym...I love spin, Zumba, and Miami Mama!
  • Get a job with a good company and fabulous people
  • Become a better blogger and remember to take pictures and write down recipes as I create them
  • Learn to ice skate...random I know...but it's my list!

...can't forget about me...

I can hardly believe Christmas has been here and gone.  This past week has been rough, and I need to remind myself that I can't forget about me as I certainly do not forget about anyone else!

Christmas Eve we went to my husband's cousin's house and during an instant of stupidity I opened the sliding glass door and stuck my hand out to pet his new dog and got bit instead of welcomed.  Thankfully I was smart enough to tell my kids to stand back inside, and I had quick enough reflexes to take my hand back and close the door.  The bite happened so fast, but was quite effective...he even bit my pretty blue glittered nail right off and was crunching on it as I was trying to figure out what had just happened on the other side of the door.  After rinsing my throbbing hand under cold water, we decided to go to the ER to make sure it was ok.  About an hour and a half and $ 100 later, I was free to go with 5 band-aids, pain medicine, antibiotics, Benydryl, and no stitches.  Best part of the trip...finding out that I am allergic to iodine after it was shot directly into one of the holes in my hand and my hand swelling up like a freakish rubber glove being filled with jello.  To counteract the reaction, they proceeded to squirt the biggest bottle I have ever seen worth of clear something or other into the same wound and then try to squeeze out what they had put in...I think that ordeal hurt more than the actual bite itself...

Once we got back to the cousin's we had pork and creamy pasta for dinner...I was still in shock and was not even paying attention to what or how much I was eating...looking back I probably had about 2 cups worth of pasta and who knows what was in the sauce?!?!

Christmas morning was good...the kids, my husband, mom, and dad were all pleased with their gifts...as was I!  My hubby braved Joanns and got me a new Cricut...it is more complicated than my old one so I will actually have to read the manual this go round, but I love it (and him of course too!)  Trying to cook Christmas dinner with one hand was challenging...at around 9am I stood up and whacked my head on the corner of one of the cabinet doors in the kitchen...I don't know how it didn't break my head open considering it is still sore and the bump hasn't gone away yet!  With a pretty good headache and only 1 good hand I managed to get dinner made...pork roast, sweet potato madness, mashed potatoes for my daughter, gravy, biscuits, fresh green beans, and rice pudding.

Monday, Tuesday, and today have flown by...I have not felt well at all the past few days.  I think it is a combination of too many sweets that I usually do not consume, not enough fruits, veggies, water, or activity, or sleep, and my hand and head injuries.  I had decided to take a short break from WW...still being mindful, but not tracking or calculating...the break happened, but the mindfulness went out the window.  Even with the best intentions, when I don't feel good and I am too tired, I don't do well.  I have eaten more nonsense in the past few days than I have since I joined WW.

Today I did get back to tracking and I also entered everything online.  Using my paper tracker and WW online keeps me accountable and gives me more options to see what I am really doing...good or bad.  Even though I did eat more peanut M & M's than I should have today, I did track them and realized that no one in the house needed them so I made the choice to throw the rest out instead of keeping them as temptation or eating them myself.  As they were pouring out of the dish into the trash bag, I was thinking how wasteful it was to throw them away, but then I figured it was better to fill the trash than to fill myself!  I went over 17pp today, in addition to how many I had already gone over since Saturday.  I am not waiting for Saturday to start fresh.  Tomorrow is a new day, and I will do my best to get through it in a healthy manner.  I will eat well, drink my water, track everything, get in some activity, and look forward rather than back.  I have come too far to turn back now...

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Time flies...

...when you have too much to do!  I cannot believe tomorrow is already Friday!  I have been so busy this week and have not been to the gym once.  I have realized this week amidst all of the chaos that they gym is the only place I can go where I do not think of anything except for what I am doing...I miss the release that going to the gym or taking a walk outside allows me.  Our holiday season will be over by Monday...no more gifts to stress over, no more crafts to work on under a deadline, and no more holiday meals.  I have one more week of freedom for school and I want to make the most of it...which will include going over my new 2012 WW materials and getting to the gym!

I am not sure what the scale is going to say this week, but I will take it for what it is.  I have not stopped to take a breath in days, but I have also not tracked...food-yes, pp values-no.  I am being more lax about what I am eating than I have been since I started WW, but I am still very aware of what I am eating.  I have enjoyed a few holiday goodies, but definitely not even close to what I might have eaten in the past.  I love feeling like I am in control, even when I am not completely on plan.

Tomorrow is another day...my daughter and I are off to get my husband's truck windows tinted for Christmas...I tried my best to make up a good story as to why I needed his truck...I almost got away with it, but he figured me out...I am not good at lying and he just knows me all too well!  While the windows are being done, my daughter and I will take a walk to the mall to have lunch and brave Build-A-Bear.  On the menu...tons of salad with veggies and fat free honey mustard dressing & some broth based soup.  Might have a bite or two of something really good...we'll see.  

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Two weeks of school freedom...

I just submitted my last school assignment of 2011...I am so excited and relieved!  Only two more weeks of school in January and I will be FINISHED...but for now, two weeks to finish up Christmas goodies, spend time with my kids once they are out of school at the end of this week, spend some time with my hubby since he will have two three-day weekends in a row, get to the gym as much as I possibly can, and bring in the New Year.

Today was busy and very productive.  My hubby, daughter, and I went to Denny's for breakfast.  My son decided he would rather sleep in and have me make him breakfast when we got home.  I was going to have french toast, but they did not sell "just one piece" and no one wanted to share with me so I opted for egg whites, chicken sausage, hashbrowns (shared with Molly), and fruit (also shared with Molly).  It was good and I was satisfied.  I think I am going to take the time to make some lightened up french toast one day this week...maybe on Friday since both kids will be out of school.  Sometimes I just need to eat something once and then I am good and don't need to have it again for awhile.

In addition to Denny's and grocery shopping, we cleaned house, finished decorating, got the holiday boxes back to the shed, and wrapped quite a few gifts...including 2200 pennies and 30 $1 bills for my nephew.  I figured if he wanted to dump the pennies in one of the machines at the store, at least he would still end up with $ 20 after the fee.  We like to get creative with gifts, especially ones that can be very obvious like money or gift cards.  I will have to weigh the 2200 pennies as the box is super heavy.  We put them in plastic bags and then my husband went to town with the tape gun.  It looks like a giant dinosaur egg and is inside another box so he will have no idea what it is until he gets through the box and all of the tape.  For the 30 $1 bills, we taped them end to end, rolled them up, stuck them in a box, cut a slit on one side of the box, taped a piece of paper to the last $1 bill and wrote a few directions.  I will take pictures and post them after Christmas...today was a bit of an eaty day, but I am ok with it.  I have given myself a bit of freedom for the next two weeks...not to go nuts, but definitely to enjoy a bit more than I usually do.  I have been a WW or a long time, and I have come to learn that I will have to be a WW for the rest of forever...giving myself some controlled freedom from time to time will keep me on the right track and prevent me from giving up altogether!

Tomorrow more to do...go to spin class, wash fabric and start cutting it for quilts for my son and daughter, make fudge, chocolate covered pecans, and chocolate-caramel-pecan treats, start cutting paper hexagons to make a framed quilt made of paper for my mom as she is a quilter and I have no patience for small fabric pieces but plenty for small paper pieces, cut, fold, and glue papers for my daughter's teachers' Christmas wreaths, finish up laundry, make another trip to Wal-Mart & Sam's Club, and hopefully nothing else jumps onto my list before the day is over!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Weigh in...

Down 3.6!!  So excited to have lost the 2.2 I gained last week, plus over a pound more...running total 83.4! There are only two more 2011 weigh ins...I am going to continue exercising, tracking, and being aware of what I am eating, but I am also going to enjoy a bit of the holiday goodies and try to enjoy my time off from school.  I have one more assignment to post tonight and two posts tomorrow and then I am free for two whole weeks!    

Tomorrow...tons to do...should be a productive day!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Another long day...

I wonder if I will ever have a day of nothing...I think I hope I don't because if I have so many busy days that means I have people who need me, money to spend, a car that runs, a body that keeps up with my madness, a gym membership at a gym I love, and so much more than many others have, especially during these tough times.

Yesterday started with a drive to a WW buddy's house where I spent over 2 hours going through bags, and bags, and more bags of beautiful clothes that she had "shrunk" out of.  I do not think I have seen so many clothes in all my life outside of a store.  I am sure I must have burnt some calories trying things on, unpacking and packing the bags, and lugging them around.  On my way there I was thinking that I would not fit into any of the clothes, and I was surprised to fit in many of the shirts, jackets, and dresses...not squeeze into them, but actually fit into them!  Looking in a different mirror and trying different styles of clothes really made me see the difference from 80 pounds ago to now.  Some days it is really hard for me to see the difference because I am more focused on how far I still have to go rather then how far I have come.  It is so important to look back and see where you start a journey such as weight loss.  Today I looked at my drivers license picture, and I hardly recognize myself...After my fashion session I headed off to finish Christmas shopping, lunch, home to make dinner, to my daughter's school for family fun night, back home to cook dinner for my hubby, and finally to bed.  

Today I checked almost everything off of today's to do list including a Miami Mama workout with a sub, laundry, got my nails done, went to the post office, Kohl's, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Staples, 2 restaurants for Christmas gift cards, and lunch at El Pollo Loco.  I think there should be an activity points plus calculating method to figure getting in and out of the car fifty times a day!  In the midst of the madness I took also took my kids to school and picked them up...I CANNOT believe how crazy some of the parent drivers are, especially near the school, I just want to wring their necks...no one's time is worth another person's life!!!

Tomorrow's list is just as long as today's was.  I am going to start the day with Zumba...and get as much done as I possibly can...I only have a few more days before my 2 week break from school (the first one since last December!)  I hope to have at least one or two days of no errands and no chores...we'll see!

I have been getting some form of physical activity in everyday.  I am still eating well, but I have given myself a few extra pp each day above my dailies and weeklies.  I was originally going to be super strict through the holidays, but then decided that the holidays only come once a year and as long as I am aware of what (and how much) I am eating, I should be able to enjoy some treats within reason and be ok.  There are only a few short weeks until the holidays are over and a brand new, fresh year is here!!!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Tis the season...

Today was filled with more madness...running from store to store doing returns,searching for Christmas lights, and getting a few last minute items.  Instead of Miami Mama this morning I opted for 37 minutes on the treadmill at a 3.3 mph pace.  This switch allowed me to finish earlier so I could get my errands done.  Nothing else exciting happened today...more baked kale and Laughing Cow...  And now off to work on school and decorate the Christmas tree...

** Yesterday I did make some quite fabulous eggplant.  I sliced it in 1/4" thick discs, sprayed with Pam, added salt, pepper, lawry's, and garlic salt...browned in a pan until cooked through...topped with tomato sauce and shredded cheese!  A plate full of cheesy, veggie goodness for only 2pp! **

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Kale & Laughing Cow...

For some reason I have not tried baked kale or Laughing Cow cheese until today...they are both super tasty and super WW friendly!  I baked the kale Hungry Girl style and we ate the cheese with Ritz crackers.  I was glad that neither of food was an acquired taste.  Some foods I have tried because they are healthy, or healthier, have taken me a few tries and lots of convincing myself that I like them.  I was amazed at how good they both were, and the best part is that both of my kids like them too!  Sometimes one of the two will like new things, but very rarely do they both like the same thing!

Today was busy, as most of my days are.  I woke up early to start laundry and housework.  We moved a bit of furniture around to make room for the tree.  Last year we threw out our fake tree and bought a real one.  This year we have a real one too...it is gorgeous, huge, and smells fabulous!  I have school to work on, and we are going to decorate later tonight.  It has been a few hours since this post and I have managed to get dinner done, but the tree is still naked.  My son worked so hard to put the lights on the tree and then decided he needed to trim a few branches...in addition to cutting a branch, he cut right through the light wire.  Needless to say I will have to get some new lights and put them on myself...at least he did take off the dead ones!  Happy Holidays!

I can hardly believe that Christmas is only a few weeks away!  Yesterday I got the majority of our gifts wrapped, and this coming week is my last of school until the New Year.  I will be super busy next week focusing on baking, helping at my daughter's school, and finishing everything up for the holidays.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Shout out to my WW peeps...

I am so thankful for all of the members of the 7:30am Saturday meeting, and of course our fabulous leader Dawn...you are all so encouraging and inspirational and have been a big part of my weight loss journey thus far.  A hug, a nice comment, or just a smile from across the crowded meeting room...every bit of it means the world to me.  One step, day, and pound at a time...I know we all can, and will, reach our goals!

Weigh in...

Even though I was up 2.2 pounds at today's meeting, I was pleased.  At one point during the week I was up 6 pounds from Saturday...so technically I lost 3.8 between then and today.  I worked out super hard Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and my hard work paid off!  On Friday I had planned to walk for a bit before Zumba, not realizing that the class was not until 9am.  I ended up walking on the treadmill for 70 minutes and then I did a 60 minute Zumba class.  I was tired after, but felt good that I got so much activity in.

Last night I went to see some of my old coworkers who I had not seen in about 2 years.  We had such a good time catching up, and it is amazing how once you start talking it seems as though no time has passed at all!  I ate dinner before I left and did not even have one chip...we met at a Mexican restaurant...I was so busy talking to everyone that I wasn't even thinking of food.  One of the women has lost a significant amount of weight...she looked gorgeous!  I was inspired by her success for sure!

Today's meeting was good.  We went over some of the new features of the 2012 program.  I am so excited, I feel like I am getting a fresh start.  I bought a new tracker, not because I needed one, but because I wanted one.  They have a new look, and it went along with my "new start" theme.  I also bought the updated Food Companion, Dining Out Companion, and pp calculator with bigger numbers and a better battery cover.

Today was a good day.  I ate some of my weeklies, but on foods I really wanted and decided were worth using my precious weeklies.  I did not go to the gym, but I did spend hours standing and walking back and forth wrapping Christmas gifts.  Left on today's to do list...school, laundry, sleep.

Best hopes for a great week!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Today was a good day, busy, but good.  After dropping the kids off at school I went to the gym, I got there super early so I hopped on the elliptical for 15 minutes before class...probably not the best idea since it was a step class, but I made it through to the end and I felt quite accomplished afterward.  I went home for a quick shower and a protein shake and then I was off to a friend's to be her model while she went through Mary Kay training.  If I was working, and had enough money, I would certainly buy some of their product, but at this point and time, beauty products are not a priority.

After my few hours of beauty, I was off and running once again.  I stopped by Subway for a late lunch...an 8pp Roasted Chicken Sandwich on wheat with tons of veggies, no sauce, and no cheese.  It was good and had the taste of goodness rather than guilt.  Then it was off to pick up my daughter, a quick trip to Sam's Club, and a quick trip to the grocery.  We saw one of my daughter's classmates and his cute little sister at the grocery...I love how excited the kids are to see me...always...they do not seem to have a care in the world and I forget about life's nonsense when I am around them.

When we got home I made my version of In-N-Out...cheeseburgers with grilled onions and fries with diced grilled onions and melted american cheese...I even made "spread" with fat free sour cream, ketchup, and relish.  I will be sure to take photos next time I make it because the meal really is delicious and tastes as naughty as it "isn't".  My whole meal came out to 12pp.

After dinner, my daughter and I made flourless peanut butter cookies that my son needed for school tomorrow.  They turned out really good, and when I put them into the WW Recipe Builder, they came out to be 3pp for 1 cookie, or 1pp for 1/2 of a cookie.  I opted for 1/2 as I had used exactly all of my pp for the day...it only put me 1pp over and I was good with that, especially since I worked so hard at the gym this morning and ate well the rest of the day.  Molly says "the cookies are DELICIOUS...I mean it"!

After cookies I made the second round of dinner for my hard working husband, I was so satisfied from my dinner that I wasn't even tempted to eat one fry...yeah!!!  Next on the list was helping my daughter with her homework, and now it is 9:30pm, and I am finally off to bed.  I am trying hard to get more sleep, every extra minute counts!

Tomorrow I will walk or elliptical and then Zumba.  After a shower I will be off to help at my daughter's school...home to work on my school...do dinner...and then take my kids to a "reunion" with my old coworkers.  Another busy day, but one more closer to the end of this week...

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Best intentions...

Today was a super busy day...Zumba...tons of shopping...dinner...and my son's Cross Country award ceremony.  We ate dinner before we left, but I didn't realize we would be there so long.  We did not finish until 9:30pm, which is super late for us to be out.  The kids were starving since we had eaten dinner around 5pm and it was fairly light.  I had a good day eating and dinner finished up the last of my daily pp.  I was satisfied, but by the time we were on our way home, I too was hungry...physically hungry, not just my mind or my mouth wanting to eat.  My son's choice...In N Out.  Except for water, there really is nothing pp worthy on the menu, unless it is Saturday and I have a fresh batch of weeklies on hand!  I ended up having two bites of my son's burger and some of his animal fries.  I was truly hungry, although I am sure I would have survived if I had waited until I got home to have a healthier snack.

I AM NOT giving up on WW, or my weight loss journey.  This week has been different than any other for me since I have been on WW, and I do not like how I feel at all.  I feel like I have lost my groove, and I am no longer in total control.  I am really looking forward to this week's meeting, not the weigh in for sure, but definitely the introduction of the PointsPlus 2012 plan.  I know it will not be drastically different from the current plan, but I think it is going to be just different enough to give me the extra motivation that I need to carry on.  I am eager to read the new material guides, and I think I might even buy a new calculator because I have heard it has bigger buttons.

Tomorrow is a new day which will start with walking and a Miami Mama class.  I have no extras tomorrow, and I will stay within my dailies.  Friday night I am going to take my kids to a reunion to see some of my old coworkers.  We are meeting at a restaurant, but we are going to eat before we go.  I will have water, and that is it.  I will be so busy talking to people that food will not be an issue.  I really don't want to turn a few bad days into a week worth of them.  Even though I know I am going to see a gain on Saturday, I want to make every effort to make it as small as possible.  I have two days to go, I better make them count!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Temporary insanity...

I don't know what is wrong with me lately.  Although I am still a faithful "Weight Watcher", the past few weeks I have found myself going over my pp, using my activity pp, and even some days more than that.  I think it has been harder on me than I realized since my mom started WW.  I want her to succeed and I am happy to help her, but I have got to figure out a better way to be able to WW for her, and still WW for me at the same time.  When I do something, I tend to put all of myself into it...this trait has led me to neglect myself far too many times...and I don't want that to happen ever again.

I have had two days filled with temporary insanity this week.  My first day was Sunday with too many pp worth of that fabulous bread I bought at the Harvest Festival...today's moment involved 8pp worth of chili cheese fritos.  Both of these foods are ones that I do not eat very often as they are high in carbs and salt.  This afternoon I felt physically ill and emotionally drained.  I think I am over tired and since today was the first day in a long time that I finally stopped and took the day off from almost everything...the gym, my school, laundry, crafts, etc...I realized that I have been going steady day in and day out and I have not been getting enough sleep or rest.  I have got to get more of both and refocus on what is really important, which in addition to my family...is ME!  I need to make sure I get to the gym and eat right...I feel so much better when I do...and I refuse to give up on me and gain the weight I have lost back or stop losing altogether.  I still have so much to lose, and I have come too far to quit now.

Plans for tomorrow...take the kids to school, Zumba, walk on the treadmill or hop on the elliptical, drink a ton of water throughout the entire day, complete my assignment for school, eat well, and make sure I get all of these things done before anything else gets in my way!

Monday, December 5, 2011

To do list...

Today started by making my to do list for the day.  I had so many things to do, I almost didn't go to spin.  After thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided I needed to go and needed to make sure I put myself on my to do list even though I had a ton of other things on it.
  • Spin...check!
  • Pay bills...check!
  • Dinner...check, check!
  • Balance bank accounts...check!
  • Put card making mess away...check!
  • Buy cuties before the sale is over...check!
  • Finish making Christmas cards for my mom...check!  * 50 cards in all
  • Laundry...check!  I am not quite sure how 4 of us generate so much of it!?!
  • Go to the store to find Molly some cute shoes...1/2 check...we didn't find any we liked.
I have not stopped all day, and I am tired, but I am glad I got so much done!  Tomorrow is a new day...I will spend the morning at a PTA brunch...it is at a fancy place and I have no idea what will be on the menu.  I am going to take my tracker and do my best to track without being too obvious.  I think I will have some fruit and egg whites before I leave the house.  I don't want to be starving and end up making poor choices, especially since I don't have any more weeklies.




Sunday, December 4, 2011

Friday's crafts...

Here are pics of the Christmas cards I made on Friday night.  I still have about 20 to go.  I am making them for my mom to send to friends and family...My clever friend Mellany "bit" the gingerbread mens' legs with a scalloped punch...she is so crafty, and awesome, and I love her...thanks for a night filled with fun and giggles...



Plastic cups, pretzel sticks, and miniature white spoons...

So yesterday's adventure was to the Harvest Festival in Pamona, California.  The drive was a little over an hour, but well worth it!  I am so lucky to have a patient 7 year old daughter who doesn't mind long car rides because we have taken many!

The Harvest Festival was held at the LA Fair Grounds and had rows and rows of food and craft vendors...we definitely got our walking in for the day!  With WW calculator and tracker in hand...we tasted almost everything...in tiny plastic cups, on pretzel sticks, and on miniature white spoons.  Flavors of the day came in the form of bread, soups, dips, toffee, seasoned oils, balsamic sauces, and more.  I accounted for every single bite, lick, and taste, and by the end of the day...to include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tasting...I used my dailies and 32 of my weeklies.  I do not feel guilty about my day of madness because I was in control and able to choose rather than have to have everything offered!

We were not allowed to take pictures in the exhibit hall, and I didn't think to get pictures with my friends as I am usually behind the camera and not in front of it...

Here is what we came home with...
                           
All star dip mixes that can be added to sour cream, mayo, or a mix of both...delish!
  
Freddie's Fabulous Mild Teriyaki Sauce...this was served with ground chicken and sticky white rice...yum!
                         
Freddie's Fabulous Hickory BBQ sauce...this was with shredded pork...so good!
                         Freddie was there with helpers sharing the love!
           
 Old Town Baking Co - Sourdough...dense and light at the same time...and super rich flavor!

Old Town Baking Co - Cheesy Garlic...with tons of cheese and chunks of garlic...insanely delicious!

                                                   
                                         My 15 year old son's breakfast...
  Round 1~ 1 piece of each type of bread...round 2 ~ 2 more pieces of Sourdough
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Let there be soup!  This company must have had over 10 different flavors...but I was good and only brought home 4 of them.  Last night when we got home around 5:30pm...I made the Chicken Pot Pie Soup...

  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 cups of nonfat milk
  • 15oz cooked & then chopped chicken breast (optional)
  • 1 cup +/- diced cooked carrots (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of corn starch (optional)
All you have to do is whisk the mix, water, and milk and bring to a boil, add protein or extra veggies, and let simmer for 20 minutes.  I added a little corn starch to thicken in a bit.  The package says you can use 4 cups of liquid instead of 6, but I wanted the quantity...we got 6 servings out of it for 5pp per serving.  Ate the soup along with some of the breaded toasted and buttered.  So simple, quick, and good.  I will be sure to take pictures of the other soups once the are cooked because they look as good as they taste!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Weigh in...

Down...3.0 pounds!!!  Total to date...82.4 ~ still about 1/2 a bazillion to go...but I WILL get there!!!  I am so excited I finally got to 80 and passed it to boot...

Today was a good day filled with good friends.  Thanks to the Carver family and Hope for allowing Molly and I to be part of a day filled with fun and good eats!

Tonight not so great, but I will carry on.  It is amazing how a great day can be squashed by one person's words. Someday I hope to learn how to let things go in one ear and out the other rather than letting them go in one ear and repeating over and over!  I will not let anyone take away from my hard work or accomplishments, but someone who is so determined to do so definitely makes the journey that much more difficult!

Friday, December 2, 2011

Random flossing...

Today has been busy, as usual.  I woke up early to work on school before I took the kids to school.  Came home and worked on school some more.  9am...left to take my mom's friend to the doctor...didn't get home until 2:30pm.  Came home to more of my school and packed snacks for tonight's crafting madness...cuties, applesauce, string cheese, carrots, and wheat thins.  They always have snacks there, but yum friendly rather WW friendly.  Tomorrow is weigh in and I really want to get it over with.  I have had a good week overall, with the exception of my temporary insanity on Sunday...I got right back on track Monday and have stayed on track, and for that I deserve a good number on the scale.  Today on the way back from the doctor my mom's friend offered to take me to lunch...I opted to wait and eat something healthier later instead.  She had a hand-breaded, fried chicken sandwich from Carl's Jr...mayo and all.  It SMELLED so GOOD!  I resisted the urge to go back and get one after I dropped her off and sat through her eating it in the car.  Instead I opted for flame-grilled talapia and Diet Coke...I am proud of me whether the scale shows my efforts this week or not...

I still have a bit of school left to do before we leave.  Do you ever find yourself doing random things when you have no desire to do what you really should be doing?  My random act...flossing my teeth at 4pm, I do floss, but normally at night.  Oh well...better to floss and brush randomly than hang out in the kitchen and eat randomly...

Tomorrow is a new day, a new week, and hopefully a nice new # on the scale...we'll see...

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Too tired to type...

  • Walked
  • Shopped
  • Prepped crafts for tomorrow night
  • Cooked dinner
  • Cooked another dinner
  • Put together husband's lunch
  • Helped Molly with her homework
  • Worked on my school
  • The End

Accomplished...

Today has been a long one.  I helped at my daughter's school all day today.  I really love to be there because the kids get so excited over the simple things in life, and they help me forget about the stresses in life. After school we went to the grocery, picked up my son and his friend, came home, and I got straight to work on school.  I finished what I needed to do today relatively quickly, made dinner, worked on crafts, made dinner for my husband, did some dishes and laundry, and worked on some more crafts.  I am making Christmas cards for my mom to send out.  On Friday my daughter and I are going to a crop...I am trying to prepare all of my pieces before hand so once I get there I can spread everything out and put it all together.  Even though I am tired and today was a very long day I feel quite accomplished!

Dinner was good...although I didn't think to take a picture until I was taking my very last bite!?!

I used a can of Las Palmas mild green chile sauce, Mission extra thin yellow corn tortillas, mozzerella and cheddar cheeses, cooked and shredded chicken, fat free sour cream, and fresh tomatoes and made my version of enchiladas.

  • Heat the tortillas to get then soft and warm (I put then right over the fire on the stove)
  • Heat the green chile sauce in a large, flat bottomed pan.
  • Put the tortillas in the sauce, one at a time for a few seconds on each side
  • Once the tortillas are hot and sauced up...
  • Add the chicken to the sauce to heat through
  • Put a bit of chicken and cheese in the center of each tortilla and roll
  • I topped with a bit of cheese and popped in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it
  • Then topped them with the sour cream and diced tomatoes
They were so tasty and relatively quick to make...when my Suegra makes them they are good, but of course she makes her own salsa and fries the tortillas in oil first.  I did weigh my chicken, sauce, and cheese beforehand so I knew how many pp I was having.  I also did each person's serving in separate batches to make sure everything was hot and the tortillas did not get soggy.  I was so excited that everyone, except my dad, ate the same thing and they all liked it!