Saturday, February 28, 2009

February 28, 2008....Goodbye 220's!!

I lost 3 lbs this week. I am happy with that. It just seems like a slow process. I know, I know...it took along time for me to get this weight, so it is going to take a long time to get it off. However, it seems to be taking alot longer to take it off then how long it took me to gain it. It doesn't seem to take much for me to gain weight LOL. However, I will definately take a 3 lb loss. Much better then the 1 lb I gained a couple of weeks ago. I tried the exercises I talked about last week, and some of them killed my leg muscles!! Seriously, I could hardly walk for 2-3 days. I do need to start doing more exercising. Walking won't cut it forever. I should be doing some crunches or something. I don't really have an excuse not to. I would have to go into the bedroom or something, though, and lock the door cuz I don't want Charles watching me. It makes me feel stupid haha.

I can't really notice a different on my appearance yet, and I'm not just saying that to get some pity. I really haven't noticed. That kinda disappoints me. I have lost 14 lbs altogether, so hopefully by the time I have lost about 20 lbs I can tell. I am really looking forward to that 20 lb weight loss mark. If I stay on my current schedule, it should take me about....2-3 more weeks. I can definately handle that.

We went grocery shopping this week, and I didn't spend nearly as much as before!! Go me! I also got a new cookbook, Pure Comfort, by Weight Watchers. It has some pretty good recipes in it that I will be trying out over the next 2 weeks. I also started putting a little money into our savings account, and I do mean a little. I am putting $10 in every time one of us gets paid. It's not much, but I am hoping it will really add up over the months. Eventually I am also hoping to add more than that if we can pay off a couple of credit cards. So, here is a tip for anyone reading: save whatever you can, even if it's just five dollars a month. It's better to have a little in savings, then none at all.

Charles and I finally heard from the DHS worker. We are trying to become foster parents!! It took forever for them to get our background checks back, but they did, and the caseworker is coming to the house next Saturday to do a home visit. She will look around the house and explain the whole process to us a little more and ask us some questions. I am looking forward to it. We want no more than 2 foster children at a time. Our house is pretty small, and I don't want to stuff the house full with no room for anyone to enjoy. After the visit, if everything goes well, we have to go to classes for 9 weeks. That will be not so fun, but it's necessary, so I'll endure it LOL.

Oh, I forgot to add last week that I had to move down to 26 pts a day on my WW plan. Whew...and it has made a difference. I am being extra careful with my points now. I am already dreading it when I have to move down again...well, not dreading cuz that means I would be under 200 lbs when I have to move down again, but it will be an adjustment. Let me add that I hate veggies so it makes it harder for me. I pretty much like white potatoes, green beans, pinto beans, blackeyed peas, purple hull peas, and corn. Sigh..not much to choose from is it? Oh, and I do like sauerkraut. If I liked more veggies it would not be so difficult to stay within my point range. Maybe I should just suck it up and choke them down anyway..hhmm...bears some thought :)

Starting Weight: 233 lbs
Current Weight: 219 lbs

Okay, well, I'll leave off with my recipe for the week. I have to go cook supper. I'm trying a recipe from the new cookbook, Herb Stuffed Potatoes. I'll let you know how it turns out. Remember, the point values I post for things might not always be correct. I get my info from other sources, unless it comes straight from the WW website; if it does, then I'll tell you.

Baked Chimichangas

8 oz. extra lean ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. salsa
1 tsp chili seasoning (you can add more for taste, I think I put about 2-3 tsp)
4 6-inch flour tortillas ( I found some at Walmart that was 0 pts for one; La Tortilla High Fiber something or other...can't remember the exact name...sorry)
You can add other vegetables if so desired...bell pepper, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large skillet, brown meat and onion.
2. Stir in 1/2 c. salsa and chili seasoning. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon 1/4 c. meat mixture into center of each tortilla. Roll up like a burrito (I had to go online to see how to properly roll them LOL).
3. Bake until the tortilla is brown. Top with the remaining salsa.

Serving size: 2 chimichangas
Points/serving: 6 (could be less if you use the 0-pt tortilla. I don't have a way to check)

Saturday, February 21, 2009

February 21, 2008: Much Much Better :)

Ahhh...much better weigh in this week....according to the scales, I am down another 5 lbs from last week!! Woo!! That made me very happy. Good ole hubby lost another 6 lbs...sorry sucker. Oh well, I will definately take my 5 lbs :)

So, I am pretty sure my eating is getting better. I didn't have as many "I want to eat everything I see" days. I had quite a few of those the week before. I didn't actually give in to that urge, I just felt like it LOL. I bought a new cookbook, Pure Comfort. Its a WW cookbook. I haven't actually gotten it yet, but I hope to early next week. I paid $30 for the thing, so I better like it. Who would have thought that I would pay that much for a cookbook? However, it has more "Southern" type recipes in it, so I think I will really like it. I am even excited to get it, and I am ready to start planning my next menu!! Oh...back to eating...anyway, I have noticed that I am getting full with the portions I am getting, which is much smaller then what we used to eat. That is a good thing. I also bought a food scale, so I am able to weigh the food better. Funny story: Charles and I went to eat at Applebee's last Sunday. They have WW food items on their menu. Anyway, we ordered a steak, potatoes, and steamed vegetables, it was a 7 pt meal. Hahahaha, then when they actually brought the food to the table, I thought we were gonna have to bring out a magnifiying glass to find the steak (it was a 4-ounce steak). There were two chunks of boiled potatoes, maybe a fourth of a regular sized potato, and a butt load of steamed BROCCOLI. I detest broccoli with a passion. Charles looked so sad when he saw the steak...hehehe...however, what there was of it was very good. I would take a bite of steak and a bite of broccoli stalk to disguise the broccoli taste. The surprising thing was, though, is that I was actually full when we got done eating, even though there definately wasn't that much to eat; we used to order appetizers that had more to them then our WW meal. Just goes to show you that you don't need a heaping plate of food to be satisfied :)

I am trying to up my water intake. Anybody in my immediate family can tell you that I absolutely, positively, without a doubt HATE water. Now, this is a big problem since an important step to weight loss is drinking lots of water. So, I am trying to get better at him...sigh...not easy at all. Yesterday, I drank SEVEN glasses of water. I knew today was Weigh Day, and I wanted to flush all the sodium and whatnot out of my system beforehand. Of course, I had to run to the bathroom every 10 minutes, but I didn't die from water overdose. I can actually go all day without drinking anything at all, even before I started dieting. I don't even have to have anything to drink when I am eating a meal. So, drinking water water water is a big hurdle that I am trying to jump over. Another girl I know told me this last week "Oh after the first week of drinking water, you'll love it and won't want to drink anything else."Huh??....I was like "No, no. Not that way with me at all." LOL. I am pretty sure me and water will never be friends.

I haven't really noticed my clothes fitting any different yet, which is kind of disappointing. Hopefully that little reward will start showing up soon. I am ready for my clothes to fit better, without me looking like a lumpy potatoe in them...haha. I am still walking, and it's getting quite boring. I do prefer walking outside as compared to a treadmill. Walking, in general, though, is boring. I have some exercise pamphlets in my WW stuff that my sister gave me that works your arms, legs, and abdomen. I might try some of those this week, especially the arms and abdomen. I hate my fat arms. I want to wear tank tops and not be self-conscious about it. So, we'll see how it goes.

We had to go to Nashville today to get some new tires for the Blazer. Nashville has a McDonald's.....Oh my Lord!! I soooo almost had Charles whip in there to get my some fries. McDonalds french fries are my definate weakness. I even trying to talk myself into it by telling myself it could be my reward for losing weight this week...however, I resisted. I didn't ask. Charles would have fussed at me and made me feel guilty for even asking. Sometimes he makes me feel like a little kid if he thinks I am eating something I shouldn't. I usually get mad and ignore him but I didn't feel like getting into it today with him. Plus, I have been doing good on avoiding "trigger" foods and I didn't want to get my brain to thinking bad thoughts about food. I will wait awhile longer when I am a little stronger in my food defenses (and when Charles isn't with me...hehehe).

Starting Weight: 233 lbs
Current Weight: 222 lbs

Okay, so to wrap it up, I'll leave you my recipe for the week. I had to debate on which one to pick. I made some good recipes this week. I will put the Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti recipe on here this week though. My sister made this after I told her about the recipe, and it is really good. I do want to put in a word of caution: I post points per serving on here, but I don't know if the points are accurate sometimes. Some of my recipes come from other websites that have WW recipes, and I just trust they are correct. I don't have access to the Recipe Builder so you might want to check at your time. The fudge recipe I posted last week was right because it came from the actual WW website. I go there regularly. Okay, 5 hours later, here it is:


Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

16 0z cooked spaghetti (didn't specify wheat or regular, my sister used regular)
1 lb light Velveeta
12.5 oz can chicken breast, drained and flaked
1 can Fat Free cream of mushroom soup
1 can Fat Free cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel
1/2 cup water

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and stir. Cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Points: 6 pts/ cup (If you have a way to check, you might try switching the regular noodles with wheat noodles, it might lower it a point, but I'm not sure on that)

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Saturday, February 14th...What a bummer!

Sigh...so what a crappy day today. I got on the scale, just KNOWING I was going to lose at least a couple of pounds from last week and what do I see?? 227!! What? Are you kidding me?? How the heck did I gain a pound in a week? I have done everything right, didn't cheat, and didn't even use my extra 35 Flex points. I walked everyday this week except Monday (raining), and yesterday (had to get to the bank before it closed). So now I'm just disgusted and disappointed. I really thought I had lost a pound or two this week. Charles was like "Maybe you gained muscle from walking".................yea right. Somehow I doubt I gained a pound of muscle from walking barely a mile a day for 5 days. This has been a bad week for me anyway...I've had to stop myself from overeating a few days, even though I wasn't hungry at all. And we went grocery shopping last night, and spent almost $200 on groceries. Now that is for two weeks, so to some of you it may not seem like alot of money, but it is for me. I am used to spending around $150. Sigh...why does trying to be healthy have to be stinkin expensive??? You would think things would be cheaper so that average people who are trying to be healthy could afford to buy stuff.

But I was so hoping to report that I was going to have to move down to 26 pts a day, instead of the 28 pts I am at now. I really thought I was doing good. I can even almost see my belly button without having to move some fat around...hahahaha. And I tried on a shirt that didn't really fit that well before and I think I am only about 5-7 lbs from being able to wear it and not look like a pathetic fatty that is trying to be sexy.

However, I am not giving up (yet). Charles seems to think I will give up soon, and I have to admit, with it only being my second week and gaining a pound from last week is HIGHLY discouraging, but I will keep on keeping on for now. I mean, I've already bought healthy food for two weeks :) Not to mention I am not a quitter, at least not so easily. Of course, its easy for Charles to say "don't quit...blah blah blah...." cuz he lost another 6 lbs at his weigh in on Monday, and he is on track to do it again this week. So.....I guess I will report in next week with hopefully better news. I am hoping it will be kinda like the Biggest Loser. When they don't have a good weight loss one week, then the next week it is usually better.

Starting Weight:233
Current Weight: 227

Okay, so my recipe of the week is one I just got off of the WW website yesterday. I was gonna do some kind of supper/lunch dish, but with today being Valentine's Day, I figured I'd get in the mood and post a chocolate fudge recipe in case any of you wanna make chocolate for your hunny bunny. It's good chocolate; I've already made some today for the Valentine Banquet we are doing tonight at church, which is done by the youth group that me and Charles are leaders of. Enjoy and see ya next week!!!

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge

1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 and 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup fat free evaporated milk
2 tbsp reduced calorie margarine, or light butter
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 & 1/2 cups)
14 large marshmallows

Instructions:

Coat an 8 x 8 inch pan with cooking spray (I didn't have one so I used a cake pan, it makes it a little thinner pieces).

In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, evaporated milk and margarine/butter; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.

Stir in chocolate and marshmallows; remove pan from heat and stir until smooth.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and refridgerate until firm; about 2 hours. Cut into thirty-six 1 1/3-inch squares and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Points: 2 pts per one piece

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Saturday February 7th

Here I am...once again, a week later. This might actually be kinda fun, since I only am writing once a week maybe I won't get tired of it.

We bought some new scales this week, from Wal-Mart. When I weighed on them, I realized that the new scales and the old scales had about a 3 lb difference, with the new scales being less. So, I guess I should say my starting weight was 233 lbs, not 236. I gave the old scales to my mom. Hopefully the new scales are a little more correct. That is one reason I wish I could go to meetings; the scales there are probably the most accurate ones, but I'll survive.

Charles weighed in on Monday; he had lost 9 lbs (sorry sucker!!). I am glad for him though. I weighed in this morning. I will tell you my new weight in a few minutes. First, let me talk about this...I got on the scales on Wednesday night just to see what it said (I still had the old scales at this point, mind you). It showed my weight still being what it was last Saturday, 236. So I was quite discouraged. I know, I know...it was bad of me to get on the scale, but I did it anyway. So....to make a long story short, when I got on the new scales this morning, I was pleasantly surprised. I have weighed myself two or three times this morning to make sure it was accurate every time. My new weight is........................226 lb!! That means I lost 7 lbs last week!!! Woooo!!!! Very exciting. Now this is of course with the new scales. Please Lord let them be accurate.

I have also realized, however, that I am going to be having to move down to 26 pts a day on the Flex plan once I get to 224 lbs. Right now I am eating 28 pts a day. So, whew, it's gonna be a little change but one I will take if it means I am losing that weight. One reason I was so shocked this morning is b/c I have PCOS (Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome). One side effect of this is being hard to lose weight. I realize that I won't be losing 7 lbs every week, but I am just glad to be off to a good start. From now on, even if I just lose 1-2 lbs a week, I will be happy. I also started walking this week, 1 mile a day. We skipped Thursday, hehehe. I have shin splints, pretty bad, so I have to be careful how far I walk. I am prolly walking further then I should b/c before I get home, my shins hurt SO bad, but I'm not a weinie so I push through. Hopefully soon I can bump it up to about 1 and a half miles, and then onward from there.

I have usually plan my menus for two weeks at a time, b/c we go grocery shopping every two weeks. But I have already started my new menu and we won't even go shopping again until next Friday, Feb 13. Why, you ask? I have been looking up all kinds of WW recipes and I bought a WW cookbook from ebay. It has a few good recipes in it. I am excited to try all this new HEALTHY food. So, from now on, every week, I am going to post a new recipe on here that we have tried. This week it is gonna be Chipper Banana Muffins. I made them them morning...and they were okay, kinda bland. You can probably think of a way to pep them up or lower the points even more, but I had never made muffins from scratch so I was pretty proud of myself for not screwing them up. Okay, that's all for now...still here, and still not starving. I am already ready for next week...hopefully I will be able to tell you that I am having to step my daily points down :)

Holly's Starting Weight: 233 lbs
Holly's Current Weight: 226 lbs
Weight Lost: 7 lbs

Chipper Banana Muffins

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup skim buttermilk
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the sugar, applesauce, eggs, and oil until frothy. With the mixture at low speed, alternately add the bananas and buttermilk with the flour mixture; stir until just combined ( do not overmix). Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

Per serving: 150 calories, 5 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 24 mg Cholesterol, 161 mg Sodium, 23 g Total Carbohydrate, 1 g Dietary Fiber, 3 g Protein, 38 mg Calcium

Points per muffin: 3

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Losing Weight...a long road to walk down....

Well, here I am back again. For awhile, I thought about deactivating my account on here. It was another one of those things which I thought was a good idea, but then it got old, like alot of other hobbies I try to pick up :)

But, as Charles and I are trying to lose weight, I thought "Hhmm...why not blog about that?" Course, nobody might read this any more then they have been, but it'll give me somewhere to vent when I want to eat...haha. And actually, this came up because my sister, Dana, is doing LA Weight Loss, and blogging about it as well on here, so I guess it's kind of a motivational thing. Even my mom is cutting back. She isn't saying diet, but cutting back. So maybe somebody will read this that can get something out of it. I am prolly only gonna right about once a week, after I weigh myself. So now for some background info....

Tomorrow will be a week that Charles and I have been changing our eating habits. I won't say "diet" either. All the weight loss people avoid that word, and say instead "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle" so I guess that should be my motto as well. We are trying to follow Weight Watchers. I have never been to any meetings. I'd like to to, but: 1. There is no meetings around here; 2. I couldn't afford it. So, I got the Weight Watchers books from my sister from when she did WW, so we are just trying our best to stick to that. I've tried to do WW before, but I stopped after a few days. It is very hard to stay motivated, as I am sure any body who has tried to lose weight can tell you.

So far, we are doing good. I am gonna start walking this week. It is a pain in the butt to write down what I eat and keep track of points, but I am sticking with it. I am realizing how often I stuffed my face when I didn't really need to. I have been eating less, of course, and I'm not starving. Of course, alot of times I'd like to have more, but I think that is just because I am used to cramming food down my throat. And guess, what? I'm still here...I ain't starving, so I know I CAN do it; it's just a matter of WANTING to do it. I do want to lose weight, it's just alot easier to eat whatever I want. I went to Wal-Mart last week, and all that tempting food. I was strong and walked out of there with no junk food!! That's a big step for me, since I usually get at least one thing, junk food wise, if not more.

And right now, I am semi-excited about losing weight. I have been planning menus and looking up WW recipes (and found lots of good ones). I know it is gonna be a long road, though, cuz I'd like to lose about 80 lbs. Sigh...just lookin at that number can be discouraging, but I have to make myself realize that I let myself get to the weight I am, so it's up to me to get it off. So, I am coming to the end for this week. If anyone has any good tips with WW, let me know. I'll take all the help I can get!! Oh, and I am gonna post my weight on here, which is a huge thing for me. Pretty much the only person besides myself who knows my weight is Charles. I figure, though, if I put it on here, then that will make me more accountable to losing weight...hahaha.

Okay....(breathing deep).......my starting weight is........236 lb, as of Saturday morning. I will be weight again next Saturday, and I'll let you know my (hopefully) progress. I should be weighing tomorrow actually but I kept forgetting to do it until Saturday so that is the weight I am saying is my beginning.

Love you all and hope you have a blessed day!!
Holly