Struggles!!

It is no secret that I have been struggling a great deal!  I am feeling alittle "put" out I guess.  I (until recently) had been working my butt off with some really good results.  But no one had noticed I had lost almost 40 pounds!!  We were at church when people started coming up to my husband telling him how great  he looked....he does look really good.  He is thinner now than when we started dating.  Why is it men can just cut out a small amount and drop 40+ pounds so fast!!  I'm not looking for glory here, but i just want someone to see all the hard work I've done.  I know I'm whining a lot here!!

This is a picture of me in February...at a convention...i'm in the blue shirt. Before starting my weight loss journey.

I skipped weigh in this week because last week I gained 3 pounds.  I stepped on the scaled Monday morning and I was up another 2 pounds!!!  I am SO angry with myself.  I'm a stress eater.  It also hasn't helped my husband has been bringing junk back into the house.  I know it doesn't mean I need to eat it but I haven't been able to stay away from it.  I'm very weak!  He brings home Italian bread from the bakery, candy, sweets ect.  I told him I can't have that stuff in the house...but is it right for me to not allow him something he likes?

This is us in March the week I started TOPS.

Here we are 2 weeks ago....see how thin hubby is?  I don't see any difference in myself.  I know i'm throwing a pitty party but I'm so frustrated I can just scream...but I don't want to wake my kids yet...LOL!

I will try and keep my blog up to date.  I'm off to get my butt kicked by Jillian Michaels on the Biggest Loser "game" for the Wii.

I'm Still here!

I am still here.  I have been struggling a lot lately on keeping on track.  I seem to eat everything in sight.  I don't know why.  I have not been to a TOPS meeting in almost a month.  I weighed myself here today and I was up almost 5 pounds!  I'm pretty disgusted in myself.   It's almost as if food has become a drug of choice to me.  I can't seem to get enough.

We are finally back in our house after a very long period of time living with my parents.  Our bathroom flooded and we had to completely remodel it.  We were at my parents for almost 3 months.  July has been a very busy month, with many birthdays.  Mine is the last of the month coming up on Monday.  I'm really trying to get back on track. 

I promise to be more faithful in my postings.  I'm going to share pictures from my garden with you...this has been the physical activity I've had this summer.  But it is a really good workout...weeding the garden.

Sweet Peppers

Melons

watermelon

zucchini

yellow summer squash

tomatoes

red onions

butternut squash

herbs--chives, thyme

Herb--cilantro

Herb--oregano

Herb--sage, peppermint

We are now beginning to see the fruits of our labor!  Last night and tonight we had zucchini and summer squash.  I love this stuff!!

Weigh In Week 11

I LOST 2.2 Pounds...BUT not only that I've reached 30 pounds lost!!  I still can't believe it.  I struggle each day to control my eating.  I get upset and the first thing I do is think...i need something to eat!! 

I am still taking it day by day and pound by pound.  How has your week been?

I'm STILL here!! Week 10 Weight In

Well I just wanted to stop in and say I am still around!  It has been such a stressful 3 weeks.  We are still living with my parents...but making progress on our bathroom.  I did not weigh in last week because we were going to go visit an elderly couple from our church.  But that got cancelled.  Knowing that I wasn't going to be weighing in made me think I could just eat eat eat.  I felt horrible all week!

I am going to weigh in around 6pm tonight.  I think I'm down but not really sure.  I have not been really keeping track of what I'm eating. 

I am SO close to loosing 30 pounds total I can taste it.  I just need to get up over this hump.  I've posted updated pictures on my side bar.  I do not see a difference but can feel it in the way my clothes fit...or don't fit.

I LOST!!!  3.6 pounds!  I have a little over one pound to go before loosing 30 pounds.

Week 9

I am having such a bad week.  Emotionally, physically, and all the above.  It start last Thursday when we had to buy a new truck.  Wasn't something we wanted to do but had to do.  Thankfully we got a good deal on one, thanks to my brother's employer.  It seemed after that point everything went crazy.  Friday morning my daughter called me downstairs to the washroom where there was a water leak.  I placed a bucket down and went about my day.  I thought it was leaking from the pipe...no biggy!  WRONG...Saturday morning we woke up to a very soggy bathroom floor.  It had been leaking between the floor and subfloor.  We have to demolish our whole bathroom and replace everything.  Not only that but 2 rafters in the floor need to be replaced as well.  We are now living with my parents because no water equals no bathroom!! 

With all this I turned to food.  I was so stressed all I did was eat.  I just wanted to crawl into a hole and forget about everything.  I KNOW I gained alot of weight this week.  I can just feel it.  I weighed myself at my parents house and it says I'm up 5 pounds!  I'm feeling really sick....I have thought about not going to my weigh in meeting this week...but I know that isn't going to help one bit.

I'll update as soon as I get back from the meeting.

Hows your week going?

Week 8 Weigh In

I reached another mile stone tonight!!! 

LOST.... 4.9 pounds

Making a grand total of 26 pounds lost since in 8 weeks!!

I was asked tonight what I did this week.  The only thing I can say is I've been eating! LOL!  BUT I make sure I know and am aware of what I'm putting in my mouth.  I measured and counted everything.  That helps so much.  I've also been cooking very healthy foods. 

For the first time in a long time I've felt SO good and have been able to go outside and play with my kids.  We have been playing baseball, kickball and soccer.  We are doing a lot of physical activities.  I LOVE IT!!

WEEK 7 weigh In

I have been SO busy!  My sister had a baby on Thursday last week and I've been all baby crazy!!  We are approaching the end of our homeschool year and we are preparing for our exams.  The weather has been so nice that I have been out side working in the yard and gardens.  We have 2 gardens full of peas, and I've been working on my herb garden.  OK enough of that....now onto my weigh in.

This week I LOST 3.0 pounds!!  I was aiming for 4 pounds loss to make up for the week before...3 pound gain.  But I'll take it!! 

I made this the other day for lunch!!  I loved it so I thought I'd share it with you!

Green Salad with Strawberries

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup , or brown sugar (I used splenda brown sugar)

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper , to taste
3 cups baby spinach
3 cups watercress, tough stems removed
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 cup fresh chives, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Whisk maple syrup (or brown sugar), vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add spinach, watercress, strawberries and chives; toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top with pecans and goat cheese.

215 calories; 17 g fat (3 g sat, 9 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 209 mg sodium; 454 mg potassium.

Weigh in Week 6

I had my first gain tonight. 

3.0

I kind of expected it, I got my TOM this morning.  My fingers are all swelled and I've been crying at the drop of a hat...LOL!  I will step it up this week and loose the 3 pounds and then some for next week.

Week 5 Weigh In

I lost again this week:

5.4 Pounds!!!

This makes the month of March total to:

21.4 Pounds!!!

I am still in shock!  I feel SO great lately.  I do not need to sleep as much anymore.  I use to sleep about 10 hours a night and still feel SO tired.  I went to bed last night at 11pm and was up at 6:30...I exercised first thing this morning and loved every minute of it!!

I'm going to take my 20 pound loss pictures tomorrow and post them.  I'm also going to get my reward for hitting 20 pounds off....A LARGE CHEESE PIZZA.....oh just kidding on that one....LOL!  I'm getting contacts again.  It is an unnecessary expense that I haven't even thought about getting.  I might even go get my hair done.  Pictures to follow!!

This and that and a couple of awards

I've been having a pretty bad week.  My TOM is coming on with a vengence this month.  I am very worried about my weight in on Monday.  I know having a small gain or stay the same is something that will happen.  I'm reading the book "The Spark" written by Chris Downie founder and CEO of Sparkpeople.com.

This book is FULL of helpful information on weight loss.  There is even an extra online section for those who buy the book.  I have been diving into this book as well as reading blogs. If you have not read this book I highly recommend this book.  No matter where you are in your weight loss journey.

Now for the awards I've received....

I got both of these from Jessica at CBGBlog.  She has been such an inspiration, as well as many other blogs I've been reading.  So many times in this journey we are on we feel SO alone, like no one understands what we are going through.  Then we happen upon blogs/websites where they know exactly what we are going through.  It feels so good to have these people in my life, whether near or far.  Since I don't have 10 people to pass this onto I'm just throwing it out there for anyone I've been in contact with to accept.  We are on this journey together...lets keep up the wonderful support!!

Week 4 Weigh In

With this week's weigh in I lost:

2.4 pounds!!

I was so excited!  My body is accepting this new lifestyle very well.  My total so far this month is 16 pounds lost!!  I'm SO excited.  I decided to pick up a few things that were equal to the weight I lost so far....BOY 16 pounds is pretty heavy to be carrying around on my body!!  I had set a goal of about 20 pounds this month but I'll take what I can get.  This past week I did not measure everything but I was very careful about what I ate.  My husband and I even went out to supper Friday night.  I find myself really studying the menu and taking my time before ordering.  I felt really good after leaving the resturant on Friday.  We went to Denny's of all places.  I had grilled chicken with buffalo sauce on it...I know the buffalo sauce wasn't the best choice but I had them place it on the side so I could control the amount on them.  I had brown rice instead of fries, I ordered green beans but when I got them they were swimming in butter!!  I ate only 2 of them...I was really disapointed over that one.  But I felt pretty comfortable with the meal over all.

I'm LOVING the Biggest Loser Wii "game".  I am getting a really good workout from it.  It's hard to think of this as a workout because the word game is in it!  I'll keep thinking that!  Also, my husband and I planted 2 full gardens of peas Saturday.  I love to garden and what a workout you get.  I never thought of gardening as fitness.  We plan on planting tomatoes, peppers, onions, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash come later spring.  We are also adding fruit trees and berry bushes to our property!!  So if you live in the area...I'll share with ya.

Have a great week!!  I'll be posting a few new recipes from this past week later today or tomorrow.  One is fish and the other is sloppy joes.  I used ingredients where it cut the fat and calories.

What have you been up to?

Week 3 Weigh In

Just came back from my weigh in...I lost .6 pounds!  Hey I'm happy its a loss.  I was worried this week because of the huge weight loss I had last week. 

I've been doing really great on my food intake.  I have my snacking under control, even in the evening!!  That in itself is an accomplishment!

I work out everyday with the Wii.  I haven't done the Richard Simmons DVD in a few days.  I'm really enjoying the Wii.  My husband has even started using it as well.  I've been doing the Biggest Loser and the Wii Fit Plus. 

So how has your week been going?

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I love the simplicity of the packets of seasoning, BUT the amount of sodium and other stuff in them are horrible.  I came up with this taco seasoning to have with our tacos, and other mexican dishes.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder (becareful when you buy this...look at the ingredient list, you'll be surprised how much other stuff is in there)

1/4 teaspoon of each:

garlic powder

onion powder

oregano

paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon pepper

add the ingredients into a jar, plastic or glass

doesn't that look beautiful!!  I love the colors....ok ok I know I'm strange that way.

give the mixture a shake and VIOLA!! The color is a bit different than the packet because they add some corn meal.  You can add that as well if you like...it just makes your mixture a little thicker.

To use cook up your ground turkey or beef, drain if necessary.  Add 2 tablespoons to the meat and heat a little while longer.  I add about 1/4 cup of water and cook.

ENJOY!!

Beefy Black Bean and Corn Chili

I found this recipe in Cooking Light.  My family LOVED it.  It is even better the next day.  I used dried beans (no sodium, all you have to do is soak them over night)  This recipe reads just like it does off the Cooking Light website.

Beefy Black Bean and Corn Chili

1 pound ground round
2 teaspoons salt-free chili powder blend
1 (14-ounce) package frozen seasoned corn
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (15-ounce) can seasoned tomato sauce for chili

Reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)

1. Combine beef and chili powder blend in a large Dutch oven. Cook 6 minutes over medium-high heat or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain and return to pan.

2. Stir in frozen corn mixture, broth, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Ladle chili into bowls. Top each serving with sour cream and onions, if desired.

Nutritional Information


Calories:193 (14% from fat)
Fat:3g (sat 1g,mono 1g,poly 0.3g)
Protein:20g
Carbohydrate:20g
Fiber:3.4g
Cholesterol:40mg
Iron:2mg
Sodium:825mg (You can see why I chose to use dried to cut this number down)
Calcium:0.0mg

I LOST I LOST....BOY did I Lose!!

I just returned from my weigh in.......I.....LOST.....12.6 pounds!!!!!!!!!

I could not believe it!  I kept asking the weight recorder are you sure??!!!  I was pretty shocked...I just could and still can not wrap my mind around it!

I know this is just the first week water weight loss.  But I'm still pretty EXCITED!  It really gives you great motivation to keep moving forward.

I watched what I ate all week.  I was very cautious of what I've put in my mouth.  I worked out everyday one day I did Sweatin to the Oldies III.  The rest of the week I did Wii Biggest Loser.  I love that "game".  You really get a great work out.  You pick the intensity.

How is your week going?

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

I made this, this weekend and placed the rest in the freezer for a quick meal.  I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light 2007. I omit the salt because if you use canned tomatoes there is almost always salt in them, as well as the chicken broth.  To me it just adds too much salt.  My family does not really like fennel, so I cut this ingredient in half.  This sauce is SO easy anyone can make this.  Let me know what you think.

Picture Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

To store in the freezer: Ladle room-temperature or chilled sauce into plastic containers or zip-top plastic bags. Seal and freeze for up to four months. Consider freezing the sauce in one-cup increments (two servings' worth). That way, you can pull out exactly as much as you want for future meals.

To thaw sauce: Try one of three methods.
1. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place frozen blocks in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Place frozen blocks in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH one minute at a time, stirring after each increment until thawed.

To boost taste: Long stints in the freezer can dull the taste of tomatoes. To perk up thawed sauce, add one-half teaspoon finely grated lemon rind or one teaspoon balsamic vinegar while reheating.

1st week

Well I must say my first week is going GREAT!  I've got in 3 days of exercise, followed my eating plan with no cheats!!  That in itself is a huge accomplishment for me.  My biggest problem is snacking, especially at night when the children are in bed. 

We bought a Wii a few weeks ago and my wonderful husband surprised me with the Biggest Loser game.  BOY that is NOT a game at all.  You actually get a full work out.  I have muscles in my body I never knew exsisted!! LOL!  My whole family loves doing the workouts.  It is great to be doing this as a family.  At the beginning of the week I thought my hubby wasn't on board with me loosing weight, but I think he is seeing how good it makes me feel.  Not only that but he told me this morning that he feels great as well.  We are not eating junk.  I thought it would be difficult for me to give up on the sweet things, but so far so good. 

I also dug down deep on my cookbook shelf and found a couple of great books.  My husband also surprised me with another cookbook, "So Easy..by Ellie Krieger"  There are a lot of "weird" recipes in there but many more really good ones that I can not wait to try.  I will post the review of certain recipes when I make them.  I am REALLY enjoying tasting food again.  How all the flavors come together is so wonderful.  I'm SO looking forward to Monday's weigh in. 

So how is your week going?

Day one down...

Well day one went off with out a hitch.  I ate VERY well and did not feel hungry.  I felt as if I was eating way too much.  But that is because I almost never ate breakfast and sometimes didn't eat anything until mid day.  I know I know...not good at all. 

I worked out to Richard Simmons: Sweatin to the Oldies III yesterday.  Let me tell you my legs are K*I*L*L*I*N me!!  I couldn't do the video again today.  So I picked up the Wii, and played tennis.  I really worked up a sweat but now my arms are killing me...LOL!  Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better and be able to work out to the video. 

How do you get past this?  Do you just work through the pain?  It's been so long since I have worked out I think my muscles are in shock.  I've also been drinking a bunch of water....this is kind of personal but I have to ask....how long will the trips to the bathroom last?  I've been running to the bathroom many times today...hey that could be counted as a workout...LOL!

Anyway, everything has been going very well.  I'm feeling a bit hungry right now so I'm going to grab a couple of grapes while supper is cooking.  I pray everyone is having a wonderful and healthy day.

Homemade Healthy Refried Beans

I've made this recipe a number of times for my family, they really like it.  I usually make a double batch and freeze the rest for later use. I'm not sure where I got the recipe but I've had it for years.

Refried Beans

1 onion, peeled and halved

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups boiling water

Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature on the slow cooker is too high.


Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Beginning Weigh In

Well last night I had my starting weigh in.  Boy am I glad I went to the doctor last week so I knew "sort of" what to expect.  I was actually mortified at how much I actually weigh.  I look in the mirror and many times I don't think I weigh that much.  I'm still embarrased to put my weight on my blog.  How on earth did I let myself get to be like this? 

The good news is I'm more determined than anything to loose weight and get healthy!  Just wanted to check in and write how I was feeling about last night.  I'm not sure my husband is completely on board with me loosing weight...I don't know why because I was much thinner when we met.  But this is something I AM going to do.  I'm tired of being sluggish.

Ok off to workout...Sweatin to the Oldies III...I used this video years ago.  It is just right for me to start out with.  I pray everyone is doing well.  Could you guys let me know...what has worked for you in terms of exercise.  We can not afford a gym membership.  We bought a Wii and I'm waiting for the Biggest Loser game to come in the mail.  I can't get out and walk because of the 3 feet of snow outside...LOL!

New Cookbook...

I LOVE cookbooks of every kind.  I enjoy being in the kitchen creating things for my family.  That is probably what got me into this mess in the first place....well ok it's not my kitchen's fault...LOL!  My husband surprised me with a really cool cookbook the other day.

Who doesn't love comfort food?  I am looking forward to cooking many things from this.  I also love the fact that it has everything broken down for me...the diabetic exchanges (that is what TOPS uses), nutritional value.  I LOVE this cookbook.  It is going to the top of the list.

There is even a 6 week meal plan that uses the recipes in the book.  Toward the back of the book there are even worksheets for DIY meal planning!!  How awesome!!  If you get a chance go over to amazon.com and check out the book!!

Who doesn't love Taste of Home magazines and cookbooks.  I love that they published a cookbook full of healthy recipes that I can enjoy and not feel guilty about!!

Menu plan for Week 1 --March 2 - March 8

I'm starting all my weekly menus with Tuesday because my weigh in days are Monday.  I'm going to try posting this every week.  Then at the end of the week I'll be able to see what has worked for me and what hasn't.

March 2
Breakfast: cornflakes, cantalope, yogurt
Lunch: Pasta Tuna Salad, apple
Dinner: small baked potato, 2 oz. beef tenderloin, carrots and broccoli
Snacks: dried cherries and popcorn

March 3
Breakfast: small scrambled egg, whole wheat toast, yogurt with banana
Lunch: roast beef sandwhich on whole wheat bread, sugar free lemon jello, raspberry sherbet
Dinner: chicken stir fry, rice, mandrine oranges
Snacks: yogurt, saltines, apple

March 4
Breakfast: pancake, applesauce, sausage link
Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwhich on Whole Wheat, cup of veg. soup, orange
Dinner: parmesan baked chicken, rice, broccoli and toss salad
Snacks: yogurt, 1/2 bagel, fruit coctail, sugar free jello

March 5
Breakfast: 1 slice whole wheat toast, hard boiled egg, orange
Lunch: 2 corn tortillas with beef, banana, 1/2 cup green beans
Dinner: Pork chop with apples, bread stuffing, spinach
Snacks: cheerios with milk, 4 apricots, papaya (1 cup)

March 6
Breakfast: yogurt smoothie with strawberries, 1/2 english muffin with ham
Lunch: Asian salad (tomato, onion, cucumber, chicken, mandrin oranges, croutons, FF dressing)
Dinner: broiled fish, rice, carrots, fruit coctail
Snacks: Chex cereal, dates

March 7
Breakfast: 1 toasted rye bread, egg, milk, cranberry juice
Lunch: 2 oz cooked shrimp (canned in water), couscous mixed with asparagus, tomato
Dinner: cube steak, potaoe au gratin, green beans, watermelon
Snacks: popcorn, sugar free jello with dream whip

March 8
Breakfast: Yogurt mixed with fiber one and sunflower seeds, 1/2 grapefruit
Lunch: Whole wheat peanut butter sandwhich, 1 cup mixed veg, cheese stick, 2 tangerines
Dinner: 1 baked potato, with ham and broccoli, 1 cup cantelope
Snacks: 4 bread sticks, yogurt, papaya, small pear

And the journey begins....

Well last night I attended my first meeting of TOPS.  The women were so receptive and caring.  It is so nice to be part of a group where you are not afraid to share their struggles with everyone. 

I was unable to weigh in last night because they didn't have any of the new membership forms.  SO I'm very excited for Monday to come around again.  I chose not to weigh in because I want every week to count.

Today I'm off to the doctor for my physical.  I know she is going to be thrilled that I'm finally taking this step.  Also, tomorrow our Wii should be here!!  I am getting the Biggest Loser game for my work out.  I can't wait until Jillian kicks my butt! LOL!

The Beginning....

Well since tonight I'll be attending my first TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meeting. I thought this would be a great time to start a blog about it. I have been fighting my weight all my life. In 2001 I dropped close to 90 pounds with my sister as my personal trainer. She developed a brain infection in 2004 and has never been the same. My weight started to go back up but I was doing OK at keeping it the same. In 2009 I broke my back and needed to have surgery. Well that was it...my weight went up up up!!

My Mom and I had joined TOPS in the late 90's and we both did very well. But life got in the way and we stopped going. Here is a little history about TOPS.

Mission Statement: TOPS’ mission is to support our
members as they take and keep off pounds sensibly.

I'm going to blog about my ups and downs during this journey. Some posts I'm sure will be very hard for me to write. I'm excited about this journey, but at the same time I'm nervous. I'll be posting my menu for the week along with snacks. Since I LOVE to cook there will be many recipes I've made. Along with a lot of pictures...I also LOVE taking pictures. Feel free to drop me an email.

I know that with God all things are possible!! Tomorrow I'll post some more of my now pictures. I want to keep posting them so I know where I DO NOT want to return!!