No Longer Overweight

Today brought an important milestone in my journey. I am no longer overweight! I lost 2 lbs this week bringing my weight to 158 lbs and losing a total of 42 lbs total. In all of my ups and downs over the years I never thought I would see this weight again or any of the others that I have passed already. I still have the remaining 18 to lose for my overall goal of 140 lbs but each day that passes I have the knowledge that I will get there.

It has been about 2 months since I last journaled what I ate at all. This week I was pretty lazy in the beginning. I ate chocolate and some McDonald's. But then I did the right thing and said "Enough! Don't lose sight of your life long goal and get back on track". Normally if I deviate from healthy eating and exercise I have trouble getting back in the swing of things. It is getting easier and part of that is when I do eat food that is more unhealthy for me my body doesn't like it and let's me know it doesn't feel good.

I will not lie friends, the scariest part of my journey is coming up. When I reach 140 I will have to learn to maintain that weight. That is no easy feat for me. I can gain very easily and lose more easily than maintain. However my first leader in Weight Watchers years ago when I started for the first time once told me that if I thought I was never going to gain for the rest of my life that was unrealistic. At that point I told myself the hardest part is not in winning or losing but in staying with it even when it is easier to quit. Obviously over the years I had quit staying with it but no more.

Ironically I only have 3 more pounds to loose by next Saturday to reach my goal of losing 10 lbs by my birthday. At 35 I feel more confident and sure of myself than I ever have in my life. I feel more confident and sure of who I am than I did 1t 29 being a size 3. Then I used my body as a shield against the world in a different way. You can look at me but I won't let you see who I am. Today it is see me for who I am and accept the imperfections in my body that tell my life story. They say I am a mother and I am not a quitter.. two wonderful things!

No matter what your journey is, whether it is weight loss or otherwise, please don't give up for you can attain everything you dream. Thank you again for all your support and wishing everyone a happy and healthy week!

Reflection

Another week down and Easter is upon us tomorrow. Spring has arrived with beauty and the promise of more to come in the future. I am getting closer to my own goal promise to myself. I lost 1.5 this week (total of 37.5) and a 5 inches over my whole body (total of 22 inches). When I stepped on the scale this morning I weighed 162.5 and I have not weighed that since 2005. I am 3.5 lbs away from the top of my healthy weight range.

I have been doing a lot of reflection lately of all sorts. Reflection is only as effective as the inner mirror you are using. Your outer mirror can be just fine, but if your inner mirror is acting like a fun house mirror the outer one might as well be broken. My inner mirror has been horribly distorted for 5 years. I can not regret all of it. I would not have reconnected with Sid in such a way if we both hadn't realized a need in ourselves to be better and decided to do that together. I do regret the missed opportunities in those 5 years, but I can't beat myself up about it.

My weight in those 5 years was my buffer from the world. I used it to hide and say "Stay away! Do not hurt me! I am unworthy!". I feel like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly and I am now inviting life in. I am saying "I choose life, I choose hope, I choose love and I am worth it and will give it back 10 fold!". Not all of that has been met yet but for the first time in a long time I am comfortable with who I am and I am not trying to repel people anymore. I connect with people more and I am hoping in that connecting I will find someone to share my life with. If I didn't at least like myself how in the heck was someone else going to? Even if they liked what they saw it would get old having to constantly fill my need for validation and drive them away. This will be one of the hardest parts of my journey through my life.

Surround yourself with positive people in life. I am not saying walk away from the people in need in life. However you have to learn to manage the ones who are not positive. I have people right now who do not like me as much now that I am losing weight. It isn't that they don't like my outer image.. they do not like the strength I am finding in myself to not be a doormat anymore. I am starting to want for myself and if I want for myself I cannot give my all to everyone else as I have been doing. The positive people in your life understand your needs and want you to meet them. The positive people in your life can be your outer mirror when your inner one has broken or needs to be repaired.

My inner mirror has come back from the repair shop and I am learning to stand tall in it looking straight on and not just taking quick peaks and darting away. I am learning to say I look good without adding on "except for ...". I am learning that who I am enhances how I look and both are okay.

Thank you all for being my outer mirror on the times that I have looked at it and saw distortion. I am wishing you all a Happy Easter and a week filled with success, happiness and love!!

Balance

So much to talk about today my friends! I had a successful weigh in this week. I lost 3.5 lbs for a total of 36 lbs overall and 3 inches off my body (most of that in my hips and thighs.. the two hardest spots!) for a total of 17 inches overall. This was a HUGE success not just for the scale going down. I have not journaled a meal in 2 weeks. I do not want to be tied down to calculating points for every bite that passes my lips for the rest of my life and I appear for now to be learning to listen to my body's signals. I took my daughter out to dinner last night and decided to splurge with the chicken strip dinner, mashed potatoes, garden salad and a Coke. I ate the salad first and was working on the potatoes when the server came over and asked me if the chicken strips were okay or did I need a take home container. It smacked me in the face that YES I did need a take home container.. my body was starting to say full already and I still had potatoes to eat. My Coke which used to be like a drug to me... drank not even a quarter of it. Next time I will just stick with water because at least that's free.. lol!

If I am going to talk about success then I need to talk about a pitfall. When I am busy and in the zone, the less I eat the less my body tells me I am hungry. When I look back on this week in my head I can see that I didn't really eat as much as I should have. My body brought this home to me in an in your face way on my walk with Roxy yesterday when I got dizzy. I went to a beautiful spot on lunch and got caught up in enjoying it and decided to use the bleachers for a little leg toning. Next thing you know I never ate lunch at all and the bowl of cereal I had at 8am finally stopped giving my body what it needed by 5pm. While I need to listen to my body I also need to remember that due to my history my body will go without food and not tell me I'm hungry if I don't pay attention.

Now I need your help everyone. I have an outing in about a month that I would like to lose 10 lbs in time for and reward myself with a new outfit. I know they say more than 2 lbs a week is not good for you but I would not have to loose much more than 2 lbs a week. Am I pushing to hard and loosing sight of the journey? It is getting harder with the end in sight, although I still haven't decided if I want to push a little farther past my original goal.

It is so hard in life to balance everything that you have to do, what you want to do and what you can do. Take time to hear the birds sing, enjoy the moment you're having instead of looking ahead to what's next and eat an unhealthy meal every once in awhile. After dinner last night my daughter said to me "Mom this was really nice. It was nice to veg out with you and just eat but not worry about it being healthy." Out of the mouth of babes as they say!

May this week bring you all success, strength, happiness, love and anything else you desire. Until then!

Half Way There

This week I lost 5 lbs! I also lost an additional 3.5 inches off my body overall. I have now lost a total of 32.5 lbs out of the 60 I would like to loose as a whole. I have had much success lately after really struggling with a mental plateau that manifested itself into a physical plateau. I feel really good about myself lately! I still struggle with accepting my body as it is and that will be a life long battle but I am getting better at loving myself. Sid and I have talked about not wanting to be single our whole lives and I am hoping my new attitude and image will lead to someone loving me someday as well all the health benefits that come with this!


I promised a before and after picture when I reached the halfway mark. I had a really hard time finding a picture of myself from around the time I started. And there were no full body pictures to be found so what I had was actually about a month before I started this journey and 10 lbs lighter but you get an idea. I am amazed at the different people I see. I was unhappy before and desperately trying to not show it. I did not allow people to see the me inside and I probably missed out on some happy moments because of it. I was still not comfortable enough to wear the tankini for my picture today but I see a happier more confident person in the after.

Thank you all again for such wonderful support on this journey and for taking it with Sid and I. It is hard to believe we are less than 6 months until Sid and I meet again in person and do our swimsuit photoshoot! Everyone have a healthy and happy week!

Spring

Spring is in the air here (at least here in the US)! There is the cleansing rains, the smell of fresh, damp, earth. Things are getting ready to come out of a winter borough and start living again.

Same here in my weight loss journey. I blogged earlier this week about starting over again. The previous week I had gained 4 lbs. I am proud to say that this week I lost 4.5 and another inch in my waist. My hips and thighs are still being stubborn but I didn't use pilates at all this week so I guess I can't be surprised. I put on my tankini the other day and that fit for the first time in 2 years! Frankly I was surprised to find I kept it but I am glad that I am. I was very active this week with walking, dancing and Zumba. Have any of you tried it yet?

I was VERY busy this week. I was buried at work but instead of letting that push me to a chocolate bar I instead was able to still keep committed to myself. I cooked dinner every night, I exercised and worked on talking positive about myself. I still feel silly when I do it but I am trying. We went to the movies last night and I managed to fend off the 3 very nice girls I had with that were pushing Twizzlers and Popcorn. (LOVE Twizzlers!)I am disappointed that I didn't get to try a new recipe this week and sorry I forgot to post one on the blog but hopefully next week will be a little better time wise.

I love summer but I am loving the "spring" feel I have right now. The feeling that I am learning about myself and hopefully making steps for my life to be complete in every way I want.

It is only 2.5 lbs until an updated picture. I don't know if I can do that all in the next week but I will try. I am not brave enough to put the tankini in the picture yet but I promise that I will post a new one soon and remember we have bathing suit shots coming up this summer when Sid and I meet again face to face!

Starting Over

Today is Monday which is a great day to start over I think! I had a not surprising gain on Saturday. I was upset and tweeted (if interested I am @mzkmkr123)about my frustration and lack of success. She is an amazing fount of positive encouragement for many (@laughitoff) who has a GREAT blog! She said for me to step back from the big picture and just aim for something small like losing 5 lbs and keeping it off. I know I have said this before but sometimes it takes another person saying it to make it hit home with me.

So today I start again and simpler. Sid I am sorry I let you down by failing at my 40 day challenge. You continue to inspire me with your dedication and success. You do not lose sight of what you want and how to get there!!

In keeping with starting over and keeping it simple I went back to something basic. I cooked dinner for the first time in a week. I made the Cashew Chicken with Rice recipe. We left off the cashews but it was amazing! (Leftovers tonight) A great way to have a Chinese dish without the 5 lb sodium bloat the next day. My daughter had complained about rice and celery but wound up liking it. And it was music to my ears to hear "Mom have you tried the bamboo shoots? They're great!".

We cleaned house top to bottom yesterday and I reconnected with a "simple" exercise. My daughter washed the floor and I dried it with a towel afterwards. Place the towel on the floor, step on towel and duck walk(quacking optional!)entire area to be dried. Simple pilates all!!

So I am happy this Monday to be recommitting to myself (I feel like a broken record) and I am asking all of you for a favor. If you don't hear from me how things are going please kick me ok?

Hoping this Monday finds you all relaxed and ready for a fantastic week!

National Cereal Day

Sunday is National Cereal Day. So to celebrate let's talk about one of the most common breakfast items that people eat. Walking down the cereal aisle at the store can be a dizzying experience! There is a variety of colors, shapes and characters jumping at you from boxes and bags.

You may have already heard that they place items they want to sell at eye level, but there is much more that goes into product advertising. Who isn't "Coocoo for Cocoa Puffs", feeling "GREEAATT", or starting their morning with a "Snap, Crackle, Pop"? I am an avid lover of Fruit Loops! That toucan makes some sweet cereal! I remember all the toys that would come in the box when I was a kid. 3 kids and one toy in the box made for some interesting mornings let me tell you!

But take away the cute characters, toy incentives and what are you left with? Something that isn't very healthy for you or filling. My daughter is always trying to ask for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Who came up with that? Don't get me wrong but what person let alone kid needs to start their day with multiple servings of sugary squares. They may fortify it with vitamins but it is basically sugar squares. Same concept as those Baby Bottle Pops but that could be a WHOLE separate blog. Yes you may start your day with a spring after eating a heaping bowl of it but the crash you will feel shortly after that is going to be bad. Then you are going to need more sugar to perk up and the cycle continues.

Did you know that most cereal's have a serving size of 3/4 (30g) cup? Measure it out some time and see how small it is compared to what we just pour in a bowl. If you want something a little better for you look for the boxes that are a little plainer. Things that are healthy are not going to have a character, toy or big flashing sign. My opinion on life is that things you really need or are good for you are quiet. They don't need to advertise in a flashy way because their reputation will spread by word of mouth.

I'll let you in on a little secret. Some of the healthy stuff tastes HORRIBLE! But I have found many over the years that are not bad. Kashi makes some wonderful cereals but can be a little pricey. They are high in fiber and also make great snacks on the run. I personally endorse the Heart to Heart (better for you Cheerios), Peanut Butter Squares and Cinnamon Squares. I tried Special K cereal but just couldn't stomach it. Basically it is Frosted Flakes without the sugar.. no thanks.

Right now I eat Frosted Mini Wheats. Yes it has sugar but the fiber in it keeps my points down and fills me up longer.

Do you have a special cereal or healthy breakfast that you eat?

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!

I May Stumbe, But I Won't Stay Down

Finally this week I have gotten back on track! I lost the last 2.5 lbs of what I had gained and lost some of the inches that had come back. So as of today I have lost 27 lbs, and importantly for me 5 inches each in my waist and hips. The thighs are coming along slower but all in time.

Since 2/1 I have struggled with a gain that kinda knocked me off course. I stopped doing basically everything I know I should. I am still looking at this as a learning experience and not a bad thing. There are setbacks in life and I will plateau or fall again but I will not give up. I have determination and I have Sid and all of you!

I will be doing day 4 out of 40 on pilates and journaling shortly here. I feel so energized again and I noticed yesteday that I was really happy. When I was eating not well and not doing what I was supposed to do I was quite moody. Doesn't really surprise me.

Today in the mail my Zumba kit is coming. It is latin inspired dance exercise. It sounds like loads of fun and it has toning weights which I love! I can't wait to see 6 weeks from now what a difference the pilates has made.

Nothing deep this week, just sharing my joy. I hope you all are feeling happy too!

Friday Recipe

It's food Friday again everyone! I have a few things this week. Some of you may have read already but for those who didn't I tried the Weight Watchers Berries 'n' Cream yogurt for 1 point and it was AMAZING! Sweet, light and tasting like a dessert yet the fiber in it helps make it filling still. Anyone else tried it?

Last night for dinner we tried the Pulled Barbecue Chicken Wrap that I had posted previously. It was a trifecta winner our house. We did not use the onion flakes since no one in our house like onions but that was the only thing we changed. I won't lie, as it was cooking the sauce smelled horrible to me and I was cringing at trying it. But I am committed to being more open and if I hadn't been I would have missed something amazing! It is not sweet or spicy, just the right balance of the two and the crunch of the cold lettuce with it delights your mouth. The only thing I would say is that I tried putting as much chicken in my tortilla as they said and it was way too much. I had two smaller tortilla's instead. With three of us eating I would say in the future that I will only make 2 three ounce chicken breast and not 3 of them. I would love to hear if anyone else tries it what they thought!

The recipe this week is Cashew Chicken. I got this again from www.weightwatchers.com. Can you tell we like chicken in our house?

2tsp peanut oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste
1 1/2 cup(s) fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, or more to taste
2 medium stalk(s) celery, chopped
8 oz canned bamboo shoots, drained
8 oz canned water chestnuts, sliced, drained
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cup(s) cooked white rice, kept hot
1 3/4 oz dry-roasted cashews, chopped (about 6 tbsp)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and add to skillet.
Cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.

2. Add 1 cup broth, soy sauce, celery, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts to chicken and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth; add to skillet and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about a minute.

4. To serve, divide rice among 4 shallowe dishes. Spoon chicken mixture onto rice and sprinkle with cashews. Yields about 1 cup of chicken, 1/2 cup of rice and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cashews per serving.

They also note that you can add 2 cups of chopped fresh baby bok choy in place of the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. The tender greens will cook with the chicken in 5 minutes.

Isn't your mouth watering already?

Fat Tuesday

Today is Fat Tuesday and I am sure that everyone is somewhat aware that Lent is starting tomorrow. In case anyone is not aware, during Lent you give up something that would be hard for 40 days and nights. I am not overtly religious but I am going to use this as a way for me to become healthier.

I need to decide am I going to give something up or add something that is hard. This is where you guys come in. What are some good suggestions to either give up or add? I already don't drink soda so I can't do that easy one. I am counting on you guys!

I Like to Move it, Move it!

So in effort to get past this hump in my journey I am recommitting to exercise in any way I can. I do enjoy exercise but if I stop for more than a day I find I have trouble getting started again. Saturday I posted how I was committing to doing Pilates every day for a week. I am proud to say I am on day three now and remembering why I loved it!

I have had a dvd for 7 years and blew the dust of it on Saturday. It is by Crunch and called "Pick Your Spot Pilates". It is three 10 minute segments for your belly, butt and thighs. How can I NOT find 10 minutes a day? Pilates will really whittle the inches away and tone if you keep at it. The only down side to Pilates is that if you stop doing them then the results go away. I don't know why I am always surprised at this.

My recommendation for people starting Pilates is only do a section at a time. When I first started doing them 7 years ago I made the mistake of doing all three sections for three days in a row. I was practically paralyzed! It shouldn't surprise me as I am not very good at an exercise that will utilize your whole body all at once. I do better when I can focus my attention and work in one area and then rotate areas.

I also want to recommend for those of you who have Wii a new game called "Just Dance". You hold your Wii remote in your right hand and follow the moves on the screen to different songs. It will judge you on your accuracy sensed by the remote. It is loads of fun and after 30 minutes I was drenched in sweat! You can't beat a combo like that.

What is your go to way to get or keep moving?

Weekend Windown

There were some good things this week and some not so good things. That's what life is made of so I refuse to let anything send me in the dumps emotionally although it is harder to stay positive this week than last.

I lost a pound this week and a small measurement in my hips and thighs. YAY! I had gained 3 lbs last week and no gain is a good thing. I walked every day but one last week due to the cold.

Now the not so good things. As of yesterday morning I had lost all 3 lbs. Then I made a not so bright move. I had a group of people over and they were kind and brought bags of chips including my favorite! Had I asked them they would not have brought them but I need to learn to be around food that I do not eat. If I live in a bubble that will restrict me quite a bit. Needless to say I decided to have just one chip. I am sure you can guess that I didn't stop with just one. I didn't eat the whole bag (Yay!) but I ate enough that my enemy sodium changed the scales.

I had mentioned before that I am struggling with a mental challenge as well. It is like a mental plateau and still hanging in there. I feel like a cranky kid sometimes.

"I don't want to write what I eat, I don't want to exercise, I want to eat chocolate and chips and other things. They get to do it.. I want to also!"

If I was my child I would being given a time out right about now. (My daughter would get a big kick out of that!) I went back again to my journals that I have kept and yes right about this weight I went through the same thing about 7 years ago at the same weight. I kept with it then and was able to go on and be successful losing over 100 lbs so I will keep with it now. It may mean that I plateau a little for awhile but the end result and my health is the important part so time is nothing.

I almost didn't blog this morning as I was embarrassed that I had screwed up again but hiding things is never good. So if you see me being really quiet and hiding...pin me down and ask me what is going on! Thank you for sharing this journey with Sid and I and for allowing me to be "Debbie Downer" today.

Here's my commitment to myself this week: I will do 10 minutes of pilates daily this week.

Is there something you can commit to this week? What is it?

Chocolate Crepes

Found this fabulous recipe on Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes. Check out her site www.weight-watchers-points-recipes.blogspot.com. Perfect for a Valentine's Day breakfast or anytime really!

Chocolate Crepes with Strawberries
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 12 • Serving Size: 1 crepe • Calories: 135 • Points: 2.5 pts


1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp unsweetened dutch cocoa powder
1 tbsp powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups 1% milk
2 large egg whites
1 whole egg

1 tsp oil
butter flavored spray
24 strawberries, sliced (2 in each crepe)
fat free cool whip

chocolate syrup to serve

Blend flour, milk, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, eggs and oil until smooth in the blender. Heat a large nonstick pan on medium-low flame. When hot, spray with buttered flavored spray to coat bottom of pan. Pour 1/4 cup crepe mixture into pan, swirling pan slightly to make crepe thin and smooth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom of crepe is light golden brown. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute or until light golden brown. Repeat with remaining buttered flavored spray and crepe mixture.

To serve, spoon 2 tbsp whipped cream into center of each crepe. Top with strawberries and fold each edge of crepe over filling. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar and top with 1 tbsp chocolate syrup on each. Serve warm.

Batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

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?

Oops I Did It Again...

No I am not channeling my inner Britney Spears this morning. I gained again this week. It was 3 pounds and I knew it was coming. How you ask? Because I didn't do a darn thing I know I needed to do this week. I didn't journal, eat healthy or exercise. What I did do that was right was get on the scale this morning and face it without letting it send me into a junk food eating binge of "I hate myself I can't do this!". The second thing I did right was to blog about it. I have a tendency to hide when I do not have success at weight loss and that starts the slippery slope to quitting. So I summoned up my courage this morning to share with you my gain.

Life is not perfect and neither am I. I have an addictive personality. I don't really drink, I don't smoke or do drugs. But if I enjoy it I have a tendency to want to do it/have it A LOT. I sometimes have to remind myself that is like an addiction and how well would a recovering person do if they had to drink, smoke or drug every day but only in moderation? Don't misunderstand me that I am saying that people cannot overcome this and lose weight to be healthier, but I truly believe that it is just as hard for people with food issues as it is with other vices to overcome.

So I start another week more committed than I was before and if for no other reason than that the gain was a positive thing. But after I lose them again I consider them a guest who has overstayed their welcome and they are NOT welcome back!

What was your challenge this week?

Favorite Fridays

It's the Colts versus the Saints on Superbowl Sunday but a party can make it food versus willpower for many of us. With a little planning you can enjoy this day in a way that won't "Super" size your waistline!

Serve this Layered Mexican Bean Dip

16 ounce can of refried beans
3 medium avocado, mashed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons fajita seasoning mix
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mexican-style cheese
1 small tomato chopped
2 medium scallion(s), sliced
10 medium black olive(s), sliced or chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, fresh, chopped

1. Spread beans evenly over bottom of a 9- X 13-inch glass baking dish or a medium-size glass bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine avocado, salt and lemon juice. Spread avocado mixture over beans; top with sour cream.

3. Sprinkle fajita seasoning over sour cream layer. Next, layer remaining ingredients on top in order listed.

4. Serve immediately with jicama slices and other fresh vegetables for dipping, or chill until ready to use. Yields about 1/4 cup of dip per serving.



or these Beef Nachos

32 item(s) baked low-fat tortilla chips
2 spray(s) cooking spray
6 oz uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
3/4 cup(s) canned diced tomatoes, with adobe (smoky/spicy) or chipolte (hot)
2/3 cup(s) canned refried black beans
1/2 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, or crumbled queso blanco
1/2 cup(s) scallion(s), finely sliced
2 medium jalapeno pepper(s), finely minced (or to taste; do not touch seeds with bare hands)

1. Preheat broiler to high. Arrange tortilla chips on a nonstick baking sheet in a single layer but close together; set aside

2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over a medium heat. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with oregano and salt; stir in tomatoes and beans. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Spoon beef mixture over chips; sprinkle with cheese. Broil until cheese melts, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from broiler; sprinkle with scallions and jalapenos. Yields 4 nachos per serving.



There is a recipe for homemade pizza in one of my blog entries last year that is fantastic! The two recipes I gave you are just the beginning of what you can find with a little searching. I recommend the sites www.hungry-girl.com for recipes and www.dwlz.com if you are eating out.

If you are going to a party instead of hosting, feel free to bring a healthy dish that you can enjoy guilt free. I find that most people don't know a dish is healthy unless I actually tell them.

Look to Fridays for favorite recipes, sites and products.

How do you plan to celebrate the Superbowl this Sunday?

Wow Wednesdays

We are making some changes to our blog and trying to make it more interesting. We are going to try "Wow Wednesdays" starting today where people can share their success stories. Your success can be a weight loss, a healthy lifestyle change, maintaining a weight loss or anything else you want to share Hearing of other people's successes is just as motivating as having your own!

We have added a page on facebook to go along with this that will be easier for people to add information they want to share. You can add photos, links, videos, create an event and expand you support group. We hope you will join us over there and pass it on to your friends as well! We are also going to be adding polls to our blogs periodically starting today. Please make sure to take a look after you are done reading today.

What is the biggest success you have had so far?

Mental Challenge & A Reveal

This week I lost 5 lbs! I am grateful but confused as I didn't exercise once this week. I have lost 27.5 lbs overall. I just 3.5 lbs shy of the halfway mark! I am following Sid's lead and for the first time ever telling my weight. For me this is the same as standing naked in front of you! But if I am going to be comfortable with my weight I want to stop treating it as the elephant in the room that no one talks about.

I am also hoping it will help me with my mental challenge. I have all my weight loss weigh in logs and I have noticed that right around this time I have stopped losing weight in the past. I am not really sure why and I don't want to have the same thing happen. I think part of the reason is that dedication starts to fail. It really isn't as much fun anymore to eat healthy all the time. I am starting to suffer from cravings for junk food. I have been battling a craving for Chinese food for 2 weeks now! I think I will wait until I break the 30 lb weight loss marker and then order a small meal.

Overall I am proud of myself and will continue to work as hard as I can to get totally healthy.

So since Sid jumped off the cliff I am running and leaping after her (thank you Sid for continuing to be an inspiration!)! I started this journey on 11/28 at 200 lbs. Today I weighed in at 173.5 lbs. My goal is to be 135-140 lbs by the end of this journey. My short term goal is to be at least 160 by June for the summer months.

I hope you all had good weeks in some way and I thank you all for coming along with us. It is very cathartic to be able to open my heart to you all each week!

Be healthy and happy everyone!

Pulled Chicken Barbecue Wrap

I saw this one and think it sounds fabulous! I am going to try is next week.

1 c diet cola
1 c ketchup
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, habanero-variety recommended
3 tbsp steak sauce
1 tsp dehydrated onion flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/8 tsp salt, or more
1/8 tsp black pepper, or more
4 medium whole wheat tortillas
1 c mixed greens

1. Preheat grill or broiler

2. Combine cola, worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, steak sauce, onion flakes and garlic powder in a heavy saucepan; gradually bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat slightly to obtain a gently simmer; simmer barbecue sauce until reduced by a quarter, about 6-8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, start to prepare chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper; grill or broil chicken until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per side. Remove chicken from grill and pull apart into shredded bite-size pieces with 2 forks (so you don't burn your hands).

4. Combine chicken and barbecue sauce in a medium bowl; mix to evenly coat.

5. Divide chicken mixture among tortillas, spooning about 1 c of filling onto bottom half of each tortilla; top with mixed greens. Fold tortilla bottom over filling and then fold sides in toward center to enclose filling. Yields one wrap per serving.

Also mentioned for a change of pace, serve chicken mixture over mashed potatoes or rice.

For those following points:
6 points/serving
4 servings

My First Gain.. And It's Okay

This week was really a hard week in the whole package in my life. Just one of those weeks where nothing seems to go quite right. I posted about my daughter being sick (she just went back to school yesterday) and then I got sick. This led to a week of not really eating the way I should and no exercise. (Dogs were giving me the evil look)I felt like the good year blimp knowing that I was not doing what I was supposed to do. I was sure I had gained 5 lbs and was mad at myself for getting rid of all those bigger clothes last weekend.

Well guess what? All my clothes still fit and I only gained 2 lbs! That might sound like a contradiction to be glad you gained 2 lbs. I am not glad I gained but glad it was only 2 lbs and not more. Glad that my clothes still fit, glad that I CAN do this even when it is tough. It is unrealistic to expect that I will never have a gain for the rest of my life. This has almost rejuvenated me to jump back even harder than before and luckily I am starting to feel better. As is always the case I need to be a little nicer to myself.

I want to celebrate some of the positive things that happened this week. I went to the my endocrinologits (I have Hashimoto's, and underactive thyroid) and he was congratulated me on losing weight. My cholesterol is great. They want it to be under 200 and mine is 120! My blood pressure 135/77. That was a little higher than I would have liked but I had caffeine and sodium this week so not surprising. I also had several people at work notice that I am losing weight! Hmm.. could they have read last week's post? Hope so...:-)

So this week is dedicated to hitting it harder than ever and not losing control. I hope you all had a good week!

Curvy Girl

Feed a Cold (and a recipe)

My daughter came home on Saturday saying she didn't feel good. I thought that it was from the sleepover the night before and didn't think anything of it. Then the fever started and the no eating. When she cut a shopping trip done early and passed on seeing "New Moon" (her fave movie!) one more time I knew she was sick.

I was tired but I had walked three dogs, shopped, seen a movie and was running with errands until 10pm. Seemed normal to me. I got up yesterday feeling very tired and achy. Much to my dogs dismay I passed on walking them in favor of laying around most of the day. I don't lay around.. it bores me. But I pulled my big furry blanket to the couch and lay there all day long. (all right.. I bathed the dogs but that was it)I was SOOOOOO hungry all day long but yet nothing was making me feel better. I ate a ton of stuff! They say feed a cold and let me tell you I did. I even broke my 2 month no caffeine rule and had some cola. It bothers me that this happened but as Sid has pointed out I don't think average people worry about stuff like this. As long as I don't do it all the time I will be okay. I am making good progress and I am allowed to indulge sometimes.. especially when I don't feel good.

The fever hit today but I will be back on track with eating and I WILL walk tonight. It won't be a race but something is better than nothing.

And now for the recipe! This sounds so scrumptious! I got if off the Weight Watchers website. If you make it let me know how it is. It is on my list of things to try!

Apple Braised Chicken

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (4 four oz pieces)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large onion sliced
2 medium apples, firm, cored and sliced
1 c apple cider
1 c fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cornstarch

1. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, warm oil over high heat. Toss chicken with flour in a medium bowl, patting off excess. Place chicken in skillet and brown well on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

2. Reduce stove temperature to low and add onion to skillet. Saute, stirring often, until onion is tender and lightly browned.

3. Stir in apples, cider, chicken broth, salt ginger and chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chicken, onions and apples to a serving dish.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and 2-3 tablespoons of pan juices. Combine cornstarch mixture with remaining pan juices, whisking constantly. Simmer for one minute. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Yields 1 chicken breast and about 3/4 cup of apple-onion mix per person. (5 points)

Flavor Booster: Pears and chicken are an appealing combination. Substitute 2 ripe Bartlett or Comice pears, peeled, cored and diced for the apples, 1 cup sparking pear cider for the apple cider and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg for the ginger.

Today I Celebrate Me

What a week it has been! There has been STRESS all over the place and I was really feeling worried about the scales this week as I indulged in some extra healthy foods again.

Last night I had some alone time I so decided to clear the closet of bigger clothes that I need to get rid of. Boy was I surprised when half my closet wound up on the floor! Some of it was sad as there were things I had only worn once but that is tempered by the fact that I look better and I had saved some smaller clothes so I don't have to go buy a whole new wardrobe yet!

I lost 3 lbs this week! It was a success and thankfully I am not letting the stress trigger any binges. I am an emotional eater and stress usually would send me to chocolate and other lovely tasting things in large quantities. I grocery shopped after work last night before dinner and I was SOOOO hungry that everything in the store looked good and I wanted to eat it. So I made a deal with myself. I put it in my cart and if at the end before I checked out I still wanted it I would get it. Everything went back because it was just an impulse and not a true hunger.

I have basically gone down a whole size in clothes now. I lose faster on top than I do the bottom which is a frustration to me but there are so many things about my body I am liking better. My booty looks pretty perky right now. Nice waist is getting tinier and my hips are getting curvier in a good way. I have not been this thin since April of 2008! I do have fabulous cheekbones when I am at a good weight and I am starting to see signs of them. I feel just a little more confident than I did before and now at least I have clothes that I would feel good in if I go out.

I have run into the opposite of Sid in that people in my daily life haven't said really that they have noticed I have lost weight. Here's a tip for everyone.. NO ONE gets mad if you say they look like they have lost weight. Don't go overboard and say they look so much better now (cuz I looked like crap before?) but acknowledgement is a tool also.

I am eager to hear some of your stories, triggers and tips. You guys are really helping Sid and I just by knowing you read our blog. So keep following and sign up for automatic updates. Let us know if there is something that you want more of in the blog!

I will add a recipe later this week. Apple Braised Chicken!

Curvy Girl

Feeling Good Today!

I got up this morning feeling like I wanted to dress up a little. I have the GREAT pencil skirt that I have only worn twice because it was too tight and uncomfortable. I tried it on and it was too big. I added the belt it came with.. not enough holes to make it tight enough. I dug out my other skirt.. too big. I was doing the happy dance at 5am this morning! All I had was a wrap dress in the very back of the closet. It is too big but because it is a wrap dress I just wrapped it and tied it tighter.. accentuates my waist nicely! For the first time in years I am adding a picture of me full body. It isn't the best picture but a big step our for me and I feel so good today I am ready to share. I have a LONG way to go but have come a long way and even if I didn't lose another pound (which I will) I have succeeded!

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

My Going Away Present to 2009

I gave 2009 a present at the last minute..something I didn't need anymore. I left behind 20 lbs! That's 2 10 lb bags of potatoes to give you an idea... whoo! In 5 weeks I have lost 20 lbs, 4 inches on my waist, 3 inches on my hips, 6 inches on the girls and half an inch on my thighs. It doesn't sound like a lot of inches but what a difference I can feel already!

I didn't make a resolution this year because I already made one too myself when I started this and that is a life long resolution so there was no need to make it again. I left that to things like be the best mom I can be and be more open to new things.

I am very proud of myself and for the first time I don't feel embarrassed to say that. I have kept it up even when it is trying. Last weekend I fell of the healthy eating and got back on, then this week I fell and sprained my wrist quite badly but the same day I got out of urgent care I came home, put my brace on and took the dog for a 45 minute walk. (It was my left hand so I could hold her in my right) We are kind of on hold with the walking as the temps are negative with the windchills right now but I used one of my many dvd's yesterday. Today I think that I will try my new game for Wii from Jillian of The Biggest Loser.

I am feeling very optimistic about this and I hope you all are having the success you want. I also thank you for following this because writing this is a great tool for me to keep making my journey.

Happy 2010 everyone!