What Stresses You Out?

Hello again! I am stealing some time to write this because the topic for today is part of the reason I haven't been blogging and I realized just how much I miss it!

Right on the heels of my last success (literally) several things happened that all revolved around stress. Stress is my number one enemy and a common theme in my life. I am a single mom, my mother who has health problems lives with me and EVERYTHING falls to me. Shopping, house and property maintenance, dog care, daughter social life, and other things I cannot think of right now. I am sad to not have a partner in my life but honestly I can't imagine giving time to one more person right now. Add onto that I work full time and things just went up a whole nother level. There is no pity party here.. don't get me wrong! I am blessed to have what I do and so many others have it worse but that doesn't negate the fact that this generates a LOT of stress sometimes. I often feel like someone with the spinning plates and lately they have crashed down.

For those who don't know I also have an under active thyroid. Reading up on that I found that STRESS is a problem for that. It can actually counteract my medication and make it ineffective. Lovely.. now I'm stressed about being stressed..lol! In all seriousness though I think stress is the number one factor in me struggling with my weight. I am always trying to handle it better but the reality of it is I am a person who is "fine" "handling it all" "strong" until I crash and it all comes down.

I have had family issues lately, been sick and the stress has made my thyroid flare up. This led to not eating right, not being able to exercise, exhaustion and a bad mood in general. Then I remembered I don't have to do it alone in the weight loss journey. You all are there right along with me. Being positive makes me feel better even if I am faking it. (Yes.. I DO fake it sometimes)

All of us have stressors and things that cause us to falter. What is/are yours and how do you handle it? I am still sick, still busy beyond belief but SICK of letting the stress overwhelm me right now. So I am once again dusting myself off, and picking up again. I cannot do it all right now, exercise is hard when you are still not healthy but if I can even do one healthy thing each day then I am still in the journey. I am now taking the pressure off myself that I had been placing to lose the remaining 35 pounds ASAP. I allowed myself to be overwhelmed by the big picture and need to keep site of the small picture.

So I am back and for those of you feeling stressed or not so successful right now hang in there and know that you are not alone. And here's something to look forward too.. Spring is knocking on our doors to remind us that it's almost time for sunshine and warmer weather!

Valentine's Day

Is it me or does it seem that every month there is a celebration or two that involves food? We just navigated the Superbowl parties and now here we are with Valentine's Day coming up. Whether you're single or in a relationship, you are being bombarded in stores with celebration options and a lot of them involve food. In my family at all holidays I have for years been saying that family gatherings should be about having a good time and now what and how much we are eating. Never the less, if you go to most stores and look in the Valentine's aisle you will see mass quantities of treats to express your love. To some that is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but to people like me that is like walking a minefield if I go down it. There are chocolates in all shapes and flavors, there are candy hearts, there are suckers, marshmallow treats and many other things I am not listing. (Is your mouth watering yet?)

Chocolate was first produced as a gift for Valentine's Day in 1894. Do you think they knew that it would get as popular as it is? I wonder if it got popular due to it's reputation as a mood enhancer for women, Me.. I want to curl up and nap after a chocolate feast. Here is a fact that might make you stop next time you feel the need for a little chocolate. If you eat one M&M you need to walk the equivalent of once around a football field to burn off those calories. Please raise your hand if you eat just one M&M.. anyone? Yeah.. me neither. Realistically we all eat chocolate from time to time and now when I do I try to make sure I eat dark chocolate. It is better for me and so rich I cannot eat as much as I would with regular chocolate.

How can you celebrate Valentine's Day without overindulging? You could take a stroll with your loved one. That could be anyone.. a love, a family member, dog or even yourself. Bundle up and get your heart pumping. Your heart and your butt will thank you for it! I don't think I have to list other cardio activities that you can use to celebrate Valentine's Day if you have a partner...

Cook dinner for your loved one or together. You have control over the portions and content. Of course there is nothing wrong with going to a restaurant too. There are plenty of healther options if you so choose or you can order one appetizer, entree and dessert to share together. The act of feeding each other will make the meal more romantic and cut down on calories as well!

Skip food and exercise and go for what you want. That could be a massage, watching a movie, whatever it is that you enjoy. Me? I'll be walking my dogs with my daughter and probably playing some Wii Fit.

What are your plans?

This Week Was Hard (and a recipe)

Usually I look forward to weigh in day each week. This week not so much.. I knew that it wasn't going to be as promising as previous. I lost half a pound this week. I believe there were a couple of reasons for that.

1. It only takes your body about 20 days to adjust to what you are currently doing and it won't have as much impact. I am very tight on time with being a single mom responsible for the house and 3 dogs. Walking the dog daily is my main form of exercise. Does anyone have some quick ways to add to my exercise routine that will give me a boost? I am adding Jillian Michaels on the Wii (she is a goddess!) but I find my calves hurt after all the running. I eat bananas every day but if you have other suggestions to help with this I would appreciate it.

2. Hi, my name is Curvy Girl and I am an emotional eater. This week was VERY stressful for me. There is a person missing at work who I had to pick up for, the snow because my car is a moving death trap in it and I drive 50 miles round trip every day for work and my daughter had some problems this week. I ate more than I should have and didn't track it all. I am proud that normally I would have bought a bag of chips and then wondered how I got to the bottom but this week I ate extra oyster crackers and sometimes didn't eat all my points for the day. Not eating enough can cause your body to hold onto what you have just in case of emergencies.

3. The weather had a major impact due to walking the dog. I have been pretty dedicated even with winter but it was majorly cold this week and we can't go as long as normal. I went one day and cut it short after I couldn't feel the skin under my eyes (yes I had on a scarf). The snow is a blessing and a curse. It makes the walk harder on me due to trudging through all the inches of snow but after falling and hurting my wrist I am nervous because I can't see the ice. I have slipped but not fallen 3 times since I hurt my wrist.

4. The last item is almost the most important to me. I have written about trying to be more positive and kind to my body and not passing on my issues to my daughter. This week it was really brought home to me that I have already done that in a way but I WILL reverse it. My daughter was rubbing my back and she told me "Good job mom! You're back feels smaller, only a little flab there.". I knew her intention was to compliment me on my success so far but she has no idea that the word flab is not nice. Why? Because I talk about my "flab", "fat", "disgusting stomach", and other not nice words. I wouldn't say these things to others in a million years or let her say them to others but I said them out loud to myself enough that she has accepted them as normal body words. This is how this cycles get started huh?

So this week was hard but I was talking to Sid and she reminded me that this is one week in many weeks to come. Puts it in perspective huh? (Sid you are so smart!) I tend to get bogged down in the race and loose focus on the journey but I am back on track and more determined than ever.

Sid and I are doing a photo shoot this summer when we get together face to face in our bathing suits. You guys have any other suggestions? We are trying to keep fun things out there to help with our motivation.

The recipe is a WW and delicious! I am trying to keep them simple because I hate taking too much time or having to buy a million ingredients. If you want more complex recipes let me know. I chose chocolate this week because really who can't use that sometimes? Enjoy and let me know how you like and send us your recipes!

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge
1 2/3 c sugar
2/3 c fat free evaporated milk
2 tbsp reduced calorie margarine
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
14 large marshmallows

1. Coat an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray
2. Stir together the sugar, evaporated milk, and margarine. Bring to a boil in a sauce pan, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in chocolate and marshmallows. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
4. Pour into pan and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into 36 squares and serve. (Leave fudge in refrigerator or freezer for a firmer consistency)

1 point per square

Exercise Fun and a Recipe

I received an early Xmas present yesterday from a family member. It was a Wii Fit Plus and I love it! I have only used it a little bit and I don't think it will be good for cardio but it is another way to keep things interesting. I particularly like the running programs. I HATE running and look like a dork when I do so it will be a good way for me to maybe work my way up from walking to running before the whole world sees me.

I started this weekend on a journey to love myself. Today as I was putting on my makeup I tried to really look at myself and not just the part of my face I was working on. I have really nice cheekbones! I put on a skirt today that I haven't been able to wear in a month and it looks good. A pencil skirt with a shirt that cinches at the waist. It makes my waist look really tiny and accentuates my curves. Love it!

I am going to share recipes that I like periodically and I hope that you enjoy them. Today I am sharing a Tender Chicken in Gravy recipe that is so easy to make my 10 year old makes it AND all of my family likes it....even those not worried about eating healthy. Enjoy and let me know what you think!


Tender Chicken in Gravy
Prep Time: 7 minutes Cook Time: 14 minutes


Cooking Spray
1 pound chicken breast tenders (or breast cut into strips)
1 (14 oz) can fat free, less sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon of thyme
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper
½ cup of fat free evaporated milk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon light butter



1. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over a medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken; add broth, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from pan; set aside and keep warm.

2. Whisk together milk, flour and butter in a small bowl. Bring broth mixture to a boil. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Slowly stir in milk mixture and butter. Cook stirring constantly until gravy thickens. Serve chicken.