Just a quick weekly update. I was a bit of a bad girl this past week. I didn't eat a LOT, but what I ate wasn't as healthy as I would have liked. There weren't many good sales last week at the grocery store, and I am on a budget... so I chose to get some items that weren't as healthy b/c they were within my budget.
So, when I got on the scale this morning, I honestly thought I'd probably have a pound or two gain b/c some of the food I ate were higher sodium items. However, I was pleased to find out I was actually down about a half pound. While that's not much, at least it is a loss, and it also takes my total for January to exactly 10 pounds lost. I am MORE than happy with those results! So, here's to a better week this week & another loss on the scale next week!
Current Weight: 317.6
Starting Weight: 327.6
Total Lost in 2009: 10.0 pounds!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Teeny Tiny Treat
I, for one, am an ice cream girl. I'm not gonna deny it, I can eat the HECK out of some ice cream. And cheese, but that's another day...
Anyway, there are some days when I CRAVE ice cream so bad I want to scream. And I dont' want any lite crap, I want the delicious candy & chocolate-filled stuff. Sometimes I want it so bad, I want to CRY because I know I shouldn't have it... but I WANT IT!!!!
And this weekend, I found the most amazing little treat to appease my lunatic urge for ice cream... Ben & Jerry's mini's!!!
I found these at my local Walmart, in the same section with the B&J pints. And for only $.98 it's a steal! They have 3 flavors at my stores: Cherry Garcia (my fave), Cookie Dough, and Double Fudge Brownie. At 200 calories and over 10g of fat a container, they're still not "healthy" by any means, but it's called a TREAT for a reason! And let's face it, if you got a pint, you'd probably eat the whole thing... which would be way worse than this little 1/2 cup serving! 
It's nice because it only scoops up so much, so you have to take little bites... thus making your treat last longer! If you used a regular spoon, you'd probably have this sucker gone in 4 or 5 bites, but with this little spoon, my treat lasts me at least 10 minutes! And I really enjoy it!
Anyway, there are some days when I CRAVE ice cream so bad I want to scream. And I dont' want any lite crap, I want the delicious candy & chocolate-filled stuff. Sometimes I want it so bad, I want to CRY because I know I shouldn't have it... but I WANT IT!!!!
And this weekend, I found the most amazing little treat to appease my lunatic urge for ice cream... Ben & Jerry's mini's!!!
I found these at my local Walmart, in the same section with the B&J pints. And for only $.98 it's a steal! They have 3 flavors at my stores: Cherry Garcia (my fave), Cookie Dough, and Double Fudge Brownie. At 200 calories and over 10g of fat a container, they're still not "healthy" by any means, but it's called a TREAT for a reason! And let's face it, if you got a pint, you'd probably eat the whole thing... which would be way worse than this little 1/2 cup serving!And what could possibly be cuter than this tiny little B&J container? The MINI SPOON that is included in the lid!!!
It's nice because it only scoops up so much, so you have to take little bites... thus making your treat last longer! If you used a regular spoon, you'd probably have this sucker gone in 4 or 5 bites, but with this little spoon, my treat lasts me at least 10 minutes! And I really enjoy it!And you know what's even better? I've had one of these in my freezer for almost a week & haven't even touched it. I see it when I open the freezer & it's a little comfort, knowing that if I have another maniac "GOTTA HAVE IT NOW" ice cream moment, I've got a little treat on reserve!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Weekly Update
Just checking in w/a weekly update on my progress. This was another pretty good week for me. The weekend wasn't as on-plan as usual--we had fried chicken & movie popcorn... but, as long as I don't do that every weekend, I think it's OK. And I still showed a loss on the scale!
Starting Weight: 327.6
Previous Weight: 321.2
Current Weight: 318.0 (-3.2)
Total Lost in 2009: 9.6
In other news, Eddie and I donated blood this weekend. This was the first time for me, and as usual, my veins did not cooperate! What is normally a 10 minute process took about 45 on me. They tried one arm, but it wouldn't cooperate, so then they had to do the other. But hey, at least in the end I got some sweet pink tape to match my outfit! Eddie went with a more masculine yellow:)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Pot Roast
(<----Good entry right before this!)
I used 6 red potatoes, quartered, about 2 dozen baby carrots, and 3 small yellow onions, quartered. I was worried that the potatoes might turn brown if they were just exposed to the air all night in the fridge, so I put water over my veggies & stored them in the fridge for the night.
This was my first time buying Chuck roast, so I really didn't know what I was doing. This one was more fatty than I prefer my meat to be, but my mom insisted that it would be the most tender. After it cooked, I could just separate the fatty meat & discard it. Soooo, I turned my crockpot on low, and off to work I went. About 8.5 hours later, I came home to this:
I turned my crockpot down to warm & a couple hours later I was ready to eat. It was so simple, and OH so tasty!!! I would definately cook this one again!
The other day while grocery shopping, I saw a little recipe pamphlet in the soup aisle. It had 4 Campbell's recipes on there, including one for an easy pot roast. Now, let me just say that as a kid, I HATED pot roast. Well, I'm finding in adulthood, you have to try things that you think you hate one more time. Some things, you will still hate (raw celery=YUCK for me), but some things you might actually like! And this pot roast actually sounded GOOD! And it was!
The recipe said that the roast could cook on low for 8-9 hours, so I thought it would be perfect to cook while I was at work today. I didn't want to go through the trouble of cutting up all my veggies this morning, so I took care of it last night!
I used 6 red potatoes, quartered, about 2 dozen baby carrots, and 3 small yellow onions, quartered. I was worried that the potatoes might turn brown if they were just exposed to the air all night in the fridge, so I put water over my veggies & stored them in the fridge for the night.
This morning, all I had to do was wake up, drain the water off the veggies, pour in 1 packet of Lipton's onion soup mix, a can of cream of (what I thought was mushroom but was really) chicken soup, about 1/2 c. water (the recipe didn't call for this, but it seemed dry), and the meat.
This was my first time buying Chuck roast, so I really didn't know what I was doing. This one was more fatty than I prefer my meat to be, but my mom insisted that it would be the most tender. After it cooked, I could just separate the fatty meat & discard it. Soooo, I turned my crockpot on low, and off to work I went. About 8.5 hours later, I came home to this:
I turned my crockpot down to warm & a couple hours later I was ready to eat. It was so simple, and OH so tasty!!! I would definately cook this one again!
Teammates
When you stand alone, you are only one person against the world. When you have others next to you, even the hardest task seems less scary. I think it's so important to be able to find a support system when you're trying to overcome something. Whether that something is grief, addiction, illness, whatever... having others around you that are in the same boat & understand where you've been & where you're going is of the utmost importance.
Where do you find your support system? For me, my blog & the blogs of others travelling the same path are a huge support. When I had the most success with weight loss was when I was blogging & reading consistently. To be able to celebrate with others, have others pat you on the back for a job well done, or even just knowing that someone else is nodding & going "me too" is comforting. And you know, it's the tough times that are just as important as the good ones. To write about those tough times & then feel all the love & support around you helps you get back up, time after time. I can't tell you how thankful I am for the handful of bloggers that still would comment me, even after absences on here of weeks at a time. To know that those women still thought of me & wondered how I was was the push I needed to get back up.
I was watching The Biggest Loser last night (and liveblogging with Fat Bridesmaid & friends) and the scene that touched me the most was when the heaviest contestant in the history of the show, a 19-year old named Daniel who weighs well over 400 pounds, was completing their weekly challenge. The challenge was tough. It would be daunting for someone half his size. They had to kayak for 1/4 mile in these pedal-boat things (can you imagine how your thighs would be feeling after that?) then get out and climb this HUGE incline probably another 1/4 mile to get to the top. I think most, if not all, contestants had finished the race before Daniel was even to shore in his kayak. But you know what, he kept going. He got out of his boat, and he started up that hill. I'm sure he wanted to quit, and maybe he would have, had it not been for his teammates, who after doing that activity themselves & were probably exhausted, went back down the hill and walked with him up it. They pushed him (literally and figuratively) to keep going and to finish that challenge. And he did!
What I think can be learned from this is two-fold. First, it's that having that support system can make all the difference. And second, it's that WE need to BE that support system for others. Even when we're exhausted & we feel like we've done our part & can't go a minute more, we need to step up and help our teammates out. We're all in this together. It doesn't matter who gets to the top of the hill first, all that matters is that each and every one of us finishes.
Where do you find your support system? For me, my blog & the blogs of others travelling the same path are a huge support. When I had the most success with weight loss was when I was blogging & reading consistently. To be able to celebrate with others, have others pat you on the back for a job well done, or even just knowing that someone else is nodding & going "me too" is comforting. And you know, it's the tough times that are just as important as the good ones. To write about those tough times & then feel all the love & support around you helps you get back up, time after time. I can't tell you how thankful I am for the handful of bloggers that still would comment me, even after absences on here of weeks at a time. To know that those women still thought of me & wondered how I was was the push I needed to get back up.
I was watching The Biggest Loser last night (and liveblogging with Fat Bridesmaid & friends) and the scene that touched me the most was when the heaviest contestant in the history of the show, a 19-year old named Daniel who weighs well over 400 pounds, was completing their weekly challenge. The challenge was tough. It would be daunting for someone half his size. They had to kayak for 1/4 mile in these pedal-boat things (can you imagine how your thighs would be feeling after that?) then get out and climb this HUGE incline probably another 1/4 mile to get to the top. I think most, if not all, contestants had finished the race before Daniel was even to shore in his kayak. But you know what, he kept going. He got out of his boat, and he started up that hill. I'm sure he wanted to quit, and maybe he would have, had it not been for his teammates, who after doing that activity themselves & were probably exhausted, went back down the hill and walked with him up it. They pushed him (literally and figuratively) to keep going and to finish that challenge. And he did!
What I think can be learned from this is two-fold. First, it's that having that support system can make all the difference. And second, it's that WE need to BE that support system for others. Even when we're exhausted & we feel like we've done our part & can't go a minute more, we need to step up and help our teammates out. We're all in this together. It doesn't matter who gets to the top of the hill first, all that matters is that each and every one of us finishes.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Chicken Noodle Soup
Last week I bought some sale veggies at the store & I had some leftovers that I didn't want to go to waste. I had carrots, onions, and celery. And I also had some chicken in the freezer.... so put these things together, add some chicken stock, seasonings, and noodles... and you've got a great soup for a cold winter day.
Chicken Noodle Soup
2 large chicken breasts, boiled then diced
1/2 box cooked bowtie pasta (or pasta of your choice)
8 cups chicken stock/broth (this is an estimation... add more if you want it soupy, less if you want it chunky!)
3 small yellow onions (the equivalent of 1 large onion)
about 30 baby carrots (or probably 3-4 full sized ones)
4 stalks celery
2 tbsp chicken flavoring (or boullion cubes)
garlic, salt, pepper to taste
Add stock, seasonings, and diced veggies to a large pot & bring to boil. Cook for 1 hour, til veggies are to desired tenderness. Meanwhile, boil your chicken in a separate pan. Dice, then add to soup. Finally, cook pasta & add to soup right before serving (you don't want your pasta to get mushy).
This is so delicious and so easy! I plan to freeze leftovers in individual portions so I've got soup on the go for a quick lunch! See for yourself how tasty this looks:
One week under my belt
Just a quick note to say that I had a pretty successful first week. Last Monday I weighed 327.6 and this morning I weighed 321.2. The first week is always a big one for me, and this week did not disappoint. I still had a few indulgences, and I didn't feel cheated or hungry at all this week. I even have Eddie on board & he's doing so well!
I had another really good grocery week & got a ton of healthy stuff for only $22 at Meijer. I got the following:
2 smart ones
loaf of bread
bag of carrots
bag of red potatoes
bag of salad
5 bananas
1 pound grapes
2 bags frozen veggies
2 small boxes pizza rolls (ok, not everything was healthy, but they were free!)
chuck roast to make pot roast
Chex mix
Quaker rice snack cakes
8 light yogurts
4 mini betty crocker delights (gotta have treats once in awhile!)
pasta
pasta sauce
I shopped Meijer's 10/$10 & earn 1 item free sale, then I also had $5 in coupons. I was really pleased with the things I was able to get. I got some good snack items, a couple treats, stuff for a week's dinners, and good fruits & veggies. The biggest thing I do is sit down on Sunday, look at my local grocery ads, then plan my meals based on what's on sale. The past couple weeks I've gotten lucky & only had to go to one store b/c the deals were so good. On occasion I'll go to two.
Eating healthy on a budget IS possible, you just have to make it work. Flexibility is key!
Up next: Chicken Noodle Soup!
I had another really good grocery week & got a ton of healthy stuff for only $22 at Meijer. I got the following:
2 smart ones
loaf of bread
bag of carrots
bag of red potatoes
bag of salad
5 bananas
1 pound grapes
2 bags frozen veggies
2 small boxes pizza rolls (ok, not everything was healthy, but they were free!)
chuck roast to make pot roast
Chex mix
Quaker rice snack cakes
8 light yogurts
4 mini betty crocker delights (gotta have treats once in awhile!)
pasta
pasta sauce
I shopped Meijer's 10/$10 & earn 1 item free sale, then I also had $5 in coupons. I was really pleased with the things I was able to get. I got some good snack items, a couple treats, stuff for a week's dinners, and good fruits & veggies. The biggest thing I do is sit down on Sunday, look at my local grocery ads, then plan my meals based on what's on sale. The past couple weeks I've gotten lucky & only had to go to one store b/c the deals were so good. On occasion I'll go to two.
Eating healthy on a budget IS possible, you just have to make it work. Flexibility is key!
Up next: Chicken Noodle Soup!
Friday, January 9, 2009
"I forgot to plan dinner, might as well order a pizza..."
I know I'm not the only person who's forgotten to plan dinner & automatically said "Oh well, we'll have pizza tonight". You either forget to run by the grocery store, you forget to thaw the mean, or you simply feel like you're too tired to cook a big meal.
Yes, I had quite a supply of Smart Ones, but I prefer to save those for a quick lunch. When Eddie comes over after work, I like to have a hot meal for him... you know, show him I'm gonna be a good little wife;) If I have something prepared, he's also less likely to suggest getting fast food or ordering in. So.... on top of those smart ones were some frozen chicken breasts (you know, the ones I'd forgotten to lay out this morning!). I like to snag them up when they're on sale. Usually buying in bulk is best... $1.49/pound for boneless/skinless chicken breasts? I'll take 5 pounds, please! I just wrap them up in some foil in 2-breast packs, and I'm good to go! Anyway....
On the front of the Zip n Steam bags is a handy little cooking guide for meats & veggies! These things are such a time-saver! You just put your meat or veggies in the bag, including any seasoning/spices, zip it up, and cook! I really love Cavendar's Greek Seasoning. So, I sprinkled that all over my chicken breasts!
Zip it up & cook!
I had picked it up awhile back when it was on sale, and it only takes 5 or 6 minutes to make.
Again, you add your seasonings before steaming. I like the greek seasoning on my broccoli/onions too, along with my favorite seasoning of all:
Once the chicken was done, I tossed my veggie bag in the microwave for 3 minutes.
Well I've got news for you... those excuses are lame! Tonight was a night when I forgot to thaw anything to cook. I didn't even think about it until I was getting a rumbling in my tummy... I wandered through the kitchen & couldn't find anything in the fridge that would be quick and easy to warm up. I looked in the freezer & I saw this:
Yes, I had quite a supply of Smart Ones, but I prefer to save those for a quick lunch. When Eddie comes over after work, I like to have a hot meal for him... you know, show him I'm gonna be a good little wife;) If I have something prepared, he's also less likely to suggest getting fast food or ordering in. So.... on top of those smart ones were some frozen chicken breasts (you know, the ones I'd forgotten to lay out this morning!). I like to snag them up when they're on sale. Usually buying in bulk is best... $1.49/pound for boneless/skinless chicken breasts? I'll take 5 pounds, please! I just wrap them up in some foil in 2-breast packs, and I'm good to go! Anyway....
Well shoot, I don't want to wait to the rock hard chicken to thaw, what am I gonna have? Then I remembered that I had received some Ziplock Zip n Steam bags free from some online promotion (seriously, look into giveaways & free samples... you get some great stuff & they usually also include a high-dollar coupon for future purchases of those items!). So I looked on the bags, and sure enough, I can cook frozen chicken breasts in them, in only 7 minutes!
On the front of the Zip n Steam bags is a handy little cooking guide for meats & veggies! These things are such a time-saver! You just put your meat or veggies in the bag, including any seasoning/spices, zip it up, and cook! I really love Cavendar's Greek Seasoning. So, I sprinkled that all over my chicken breasts!
Zip it up & cook!
(Just a sidenote, the guide on the front said that 2 frozen chicken breasts would cook in 7 minutes... if I had been cooking 2 4oz servings, they would have been done in that amount of time... Mine actually took a little longer b/c they were more like 8 oz breasts. I cut them in half & cooked them separately for a few more minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, I made this:
I had picked it up awhile back when it was on sale, and it only takes 5 or 6 minutes to make.While that was cooking, I also prepared a Zip n Steam bag with some veggies:
Again, you add your seasonings before steaming. I like the greek seasoning on my broccoli/onions too, along with my favorite seasoning of all:Once the chicken was done, I tossed my veggie bag in the microwave for 3 minutes.In less than 15 minutes time, I went from having no plan for dinner to having a home-cooked, healthy meal:
I like to eat off the smaller salad plates, because then you get a nice full plate. I'm also more likely to eat appropriate portions on a small plate than a bit one.
Another excuse I'll be addressing is when people say they "can't afford" to eat healthy... well I have news for you... I made FOUR portions out of this meal, and this was the cost breakdown:
2 chicken breasts (halved): $2.10
1 bag broccoli: $1
2 small yellow onions: $.20 (bought a bag of about 10 for $1)
Stove Top: $1
Total: $4.30
That comes to about $1 per serving for a 15 minute meal. And way healthier than the McDonald's dollar menu.
Excuses
Excuses.... we ALL have them.
I don't have time to go the gym.
Eating healthy is too expensive.
I don't have time to cook.
I forgot my lunch, so I have to eat out.
I screwed up at lunch, so the whole day is shot.
I am a problem-solver. It's just in my nature. So, I'm going to tackle these excuses one at a time in the next week or so and list solutions to them. Give me some of your excuses or problems that you had/have trouble overcoming in order to live a healthier lifestyle and what you did to tackle it (or if you haven't tackled it, that's ok!). If you don't address those problems & find answers, then nothing's ever going to change. Who knows, someone might just have an idea some of us have never heard of before!
I don't have time to go the gym.
Eating healthy is too expensive.
I don't have time to cook.
I forgot my lunch, so I have to eat out.
I screwed up at lunch, so the whole day is shot.
I am a problem-solver. It's just in my nature. So, I'm going to tackle these excuses one at a time in the next week or so and list solutions to them. Give me some of your excuses or problems that you had/have trouble overcoming in order to live a healthier lifestyle and what you did to tackle it (or if you haven't tackled it, that's ok!). If you don't address those problems & find answers, then nothing's ever going to change. Who knows, someone might just have an idea some of us have never heard of before!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Here's to 2009
I had hoped to privatise all previous entries, but can't seem to find how I can do that on blogger w/o actually deleting them, which I don't want to do. Buuuuut, instead of dwelling on the fact that I want to erase the proof that I successfully lost 50 pounds in 6 months in a healthy way, and then successfully gained it all back in the next year... I'll just move forward.
So, I'm back at it. I'm ready to take this blog to the level that it was when I started. That means regular posting, regular reading of others' blogs, and regular commenting. When I started this blog, I was planning a wedding. That was my motivation at the time for losing weight. I told myself it was just one of many reasons for losing weight, but let's be honest, it's a huge motivating factor when over a hundred people are going to have all eyes on you in your wedding dress. You want to look gooooood! That wedding didn't happen, but even after breaking it off, I continued to lose weight for a couple months. However, when I entered into my current relationship, both Eddie and I packed on the pounds. Happiness makes you fat apparently!
Well, we're both making an effort to reverse the effects of our first (almost) year together. The first step for us is eliminating full-sugar pop and to limit eating out to once per month. Not only is it more cost-effective to cook, but it's also much better for us! I'm a firm believer that you have to make little changes at a time, and I know what changes to make for myself, personally, that will make a difference right off the bat.
So, here's to a fresh start. 2009 is mine. I thought before that eating what I wanted and just having fun & being lazy about it was what I was choosing. But that wasn't me. I had relinquished control to other forces: eating for social reasons, eating because of boredom, eating to deal with bad emotions... I wasn't in control. 2009 will be the year I take control. I'm not a failure because I lost weight and gained it all back. I'm a success because I'm trying again.
I love myself enough to try again.
So, I'm back at it. I'm ready to take this blog to the level that it was when I started. That means regular posting, regular reading of others' blogs, and regular commenting. When I started this blog, I was planning a wedding. That was my motivation at the time for losing weight. I told myself it was just one of many reasons for losing weight, but let's be honest, it's a huge motivating factor when over a hundred people are going to have all eyes on you in your wedding dress. You want to look gooooood! That wedding didn't happen, but even after breaking it off, I continued to lose weight for a couple months. However, when I entered into my current relationship, both Eddie and I packed on the pounds. Happiness makes you fat apparently!
Well, we're both making an effort to reverse the effects of our first (almost) year together. The first step for us is eliminating full-sugar pop and to limit eating out to once per month. Not only is it more cost-effective to cook, but it's also much better for us! I'm a firm believer that you have to make little changes at a time, and I know what changes to make for myself, personally, that will make a difference right off the bat.
So, here's to a fresh start. 2009 is mine. I thought before that eating what I wanted and just having fun & being lazy about it was what I was choosing. But that wasn't me. I had relinquished control to other forces: eating for social reasons, eating because of boredom, eating to deal with bad emotions... I wasn't in control. 2009 will be the year I take control. I'm not a failure because I lost weight and gained it all back. I'm a success because I'm trying again.
I love myself enough to try again.
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