Sunday, February 28, 2010

PINEWOOD DERBY PANIC

The boys have been working on their Pinewood Derby cars...especially hard since their first trial run is tomorrow and they are...well....not even close to being done. Good luck guys! We girls will be inside doing...girly stuff.

RANDOM RANDOMNESS

Now that our big plans for church and a fun family day are dashed due to A) now my husband is working and B) the stomach flu has made an appearance, I am contemplating my NEW plans for today:
  • sit around this morning and mope because my plans are ruined....CHECK.
  • balance the neglected checkbook
  • laundry. laundry. laundry.
  • think of ways to get rid of the pesky neighbor kid who never goes away.
  • play SORRY with Gracie
  • catch up on Gilmore girls
  • clean the master bathroom...yuck. not pretty.
  • catch up (WAY up) on the kids' reading logs for school. I'm terrible about these. They're a pain.
  • mope about our big family bike ride that isn't happening today....CHECK
In other tremendously thrilling news....check out the new shelving my hubby put in our pantry. I wish I had taken a before picture because for years we have had 2 shelves and had to stack stuff on top of each other to get it all in. I am SO into organization so this makes me happy!!
Yes, I am in such a low place today that I am posting pictures like this. Who knows what I will be doing by the end of the day...{GRIN}

Saturday, February 27, 2010

OH SWEET BINDER CLIPS

Check out these binder clips I picked up today at Michael's, in their $1.00 bins. They've got clever little sayings on them such as "burn, toss, never, later, one day, forget it", and my favorite...&#?;$#! Remember when I first confessed to being a binder clip enthusiast? I even once had my friend Amanda parked on the floor of Michael's with me one Saturday night helping me dig through a bin of binder clips. Ok, maybe I was the only one actually sitting on the floor...but she did nothing whatsoever to stop me from embarassing myself. 
Oh, sweet sweet binder clips. I love you.

YES, MORE FOOD!

THE ONE IN WHICH I DON'T HAVE ALOT TO SAY

Ahhhhh....the weekend. I was looking forward to it in particular because my husband was also going to have this weekend off, and it's a rare occassion when we get a day off together, due to work schedules. However, now he is having to go into work tomorrow, so I'm feeling a little blue about that. I feel a little sad for our kids, who always seem to be hanging out with just one of us at a time....although I know for them it's always been that way so it's their "normal". Sigh.

This morning, I'm enjoying a little coffee and the kids are already playing the wii. Paco is peacefully snoozing away. I may be playing racquetball with a girlfriend this morning, and Paco has plans to work out with a friend, then I'm going to a bridal shower.Paco and Cole are working on their Pinewood Derby cars for Scouts. Soooo...this evening is set aside for just the four of us. Gracie wants to play "SORRY". She's such a simple girl, I love it!

On the weight loss front, I've been very well behaved this week. I feel like I'm back in my groove, even though I'm trying to get used to my slow poke scale not moving down as fast as I'd like. The first 43 pounds or so went so fast...and now I know it will be a much longer road to get to my goal. I've had SO many people comment this week on my weight loss...which is very motivating! Funny, I still have a hard time seeing it when I look in the mirror.

On another note, I found several new items that I love! Look for a new post this evening!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

HUNGRY GIRL

No, I'm not talking about ME, silly. I just had some veggie stir fry and a fiber one bar, so I am currently NOT a hungry girl. Speaking of which, check out the website HUNGRY GIRL. Let me tell you...it is FABULOUS!! It gets extra love from me because there are plenty of vegetarian recipes, AND she lists WW point values. Be still my beating heart...it's perfection.

Do ya love it?

HEALTHY YOU CHALLENGE DAY!

Well, it looks like I may have broken through my nearly 2 1/2 week plateau. Part of this may be accredited to a friendly little stomach bug that came to visit. Breaking through this plateau has been tough, both physically and mentally. I know there will be more to come, so I'm preparing myself! I think I may need to have my husband hide my scale, because I feel a little like a prisoner to it. I find myself hopping on it multiple times a day, and when you're stuck at a certain weight, that only leads to discouragement. I really need to just do a weekly weigh-in. Did I mention that I'm only one pound away from putting a new HYC button on my sidebar? Can you guess which one? Yeah baby!

On to other things, I do have a non scale victory, as I already mentioned in a previous post but it's exciting so darn it I'll say it again! I bought new jeans that were a size I haven't worn in years. Yes, YEARS. Dang, I rock!

Hoping all my HYC "friends"  are doing well and feeling proud!!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

MORE OF MY FAVS, NON SCALE VICTORY!

Here are a couple products that I love!

These Fiber One bars are soooo good! They have 140 calories, 4g fat, and 9 fiber, and are 2 WW points. YUM-O! I also love these progressso soups that have 0 WW points..however, if you eat the entire can, it actually counts as 2 points, but 2 points for a meal? I'll take it! The only downfall is they are awfully high in sodium. Personally, I don't worry too much about sodium because I figure I drink enough water to counteract that. Yes, its a processed food, but sometimes the convenience is worth it. The Italian style vegetable pictured above actually has a beef broth base, and for whatever reason I missed that and ate it anyway. Since I haven't eaten meat, chicken or pork in almost 5 months, it didn't sit right with me. They were on sale at the store so I went back and stocked up but made sure I avoided the beef base. These soups are great, and very filling...especially when I have abandoned all self control, ate irresponsibly and used all my points up before noon ahem....need a very low point snack in the evenings. {Grin}

And, in other exciting news....I am still stuck at a plateau. UGH. However, yesterday I bought new jeans and fit into a size I haven't worn in a looooooong time. Can I get a shout out? WOOT!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS

This stuff is the bomb! I'm sharing the recipe..but  reminding you that I don't usually follow a set recipe. I find a general recipe and mix it up to our liking. So....here you all go!

VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS
  • multigrain tortillas
  • diced red and yellow peppers
  • diced tomatoes
  • chopped onion
  • chopped cilantro
  • shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
  • green enchilada sauce
  • taco seasoning, olive oil and cooking spray
Coat a pan with cooking spray, and saute the peppers and onion until tender. Add in a little taco seasoning for flavor. In a seperate pan, heat olive oil and brown both sides of each tortilla lightly. After browning, lie tortillas on paper towels to absorb as much excess oil as possible. Lightly coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Place a small amount of the pepper/onion mixture in the center of a tortilla. Add a little cilantro, tomatoes and cheese, then fold tortilla over and place seam side down in your pan. Repeat until you have used all your tortillas.

Sprinkle cheese (as much or little as you like) over the top, and then pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the entire pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Spray cooking spray on the inside of your foil so the cheese doesn't stick!

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking until heated through.

**variations:
  • if you like a little kick, add in diced chilis and use pepperjack cheese
  • add-in chicken
  • add-in zucchini, black beans or olives
  • use red enchilada sauce instead of green
  • add a dollop of plain yogurt on top (instead of sour cream...you won't notice the difference!)
  • cut out the browning of the tortillas, and use low-fat cheese to make it healthier
This was AMAZING!! I added chicken in 3 of the tortillas for my husband, but honestly I think he will love the veggie ones just as much. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your feedback!

A COUPLE OF GOOD LOOKIN' SCOUTS

Paco and Cole are very involved in their Cub Scout pack. Paco is a den leader for Cole's wolf scout pack. It's great father-son time, and they both really enjoy it. Check out my handsome guys in their uniforms....

Friday, February 19, 2010

LOOKING FORWARD

I've been thinking lately about all the things I can't wait to do as I continue (even though I'm STILL stuck) this journey. I've realized that I've cheated myself out of alot of things for a long time. Things I've always wanted to do but felt were out of reach. Now, I'm starting to get excited about all the things I want to do, and thinking up even bigger things! Here's the rundown so far, in really no particular order:
  • kayaking
  • white water rafting
  • downhill skiing/snowboarding
  • rock climbing
  • bungee jumping
  • run a 5k (for starters!)
  • go to a theme park and ride every roller coaster, without having to squeeze myself in the seat!
  • wear cute little sundresses
  • never buy another plus size piece of clothing again. EVER.
  • go back to school and study to be a nutritionist or personal trainer? Maybe!
  • more to come!! I just have to think them up. HA!
I also told Paco that I'd love to go on a Caribbean cruise when I hit my goal weight. What a great way to celebrate, dontcha think?

Thursday, February 18, 2010

STUCK

Dear ones, I am STUCK. Stuck, Stuck, Stuck at exactly the same weight I was nearly 2 weeks ago. This also makes me FRUSTRATED. Frustrated, frustrated, frustrated. I go to the gym nearly every day. I drink oodles of water. I'm eating right...although using a few of my WW flexpoints, but nothing crazy. Okay, well come to think of it I actually did lose 3 pounds that I had put on after the weigh-in, but still cannot drop any lower than that. The 45 pound mark continues to elude me. It's like my scale refuses to cooperate.

I hate plateaus. But I love all of you. {grin}

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

THIS AND THAT

First of all, I am SO excited to see some new people visiting my blog...it does my heart good and I look forward to making some new blog friends!

Last night's spin class was good...but man-oh-man is my rear sore today! That seat HURT! Today I am avoiding...sitting of any sort. HA! Other than that, I really liked the class. The first set of hills was the toughest...I felt like my legs were going to give out on me. After that, it was a great workout!

On to other things....it looks like I lost those  pesky 3 pounds I gained last week...everything is back on track. I've been to the gym for I-dont-know-how-many days straight, and feel amazing!

I'm working on a blog post about some things I am planning to accomplish as I drop the rest of the weight...but haven't gotten it wrapped up just yet. Hopefully by tomorrow. As for now, I'm going to catch up on things and hang out with my family tonight. Fun times :)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

SPIN CLASS

I have been persuaded, convinced, encouraged, and otherwise strong-armed by Amanda, to take a spin class this evening. I have heard her horror stories of endless torture, heartless instructors, and have watched her hobble about the day after. Given this, I would say that she's not very good at this "convincing" thing, but, she knows me very, very well, and thus is aware of my love for self torture when it comes to working out.

 Sounds like my kind of class!

P.S. If you don't hear from me in awhile, send help.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

HEALTHY YOU CHALLENGE

I am excited about joining Scale Junkie's Healthy You Challenge! Basically its a community of people who are committing to a healthier lifestyle, and are here to support each other in our journeys.  Everybody checks in once a week and posts links to their own blogs, and from there we can support, encourage and motivate each other. Sounds great, don't ya think?

On another note...I'm trying to decide what to do to celebrate my 50 pound weight loss milestone. I'm getting close and can't decide what to do. Wanna help me decide?
  • massage
  • an evening out with girlfriends
  • a complete new outfit
  • a session with a personal trainer
  • other?
Oh, and while I'm at it....I'm contemplating starting a different blog strictly for my weight loss journey. What do you think? Or, should I just keep this site as it is and incorporate the new me along with our family happenings?

So, if you have an opinion, sign in and leave me a comment below. Yes, this is a sneaky attempt to get SOME DANG COMMENTS! For crying out loud, is anyone reading this? I haven't had a comment in forever and am dealing with some abandonment issues. {grin} Please, somebody throw me some love.

VALENTINE'S DAY UNDOINGS

Today is Valentine's Day. I surprised Paco and the kids with little treats, I love you's and hugs and kisses. Then, I surprised myself by devouring a handful of M&M's and a Reese's Peanut butter heart. Geez. I'm irritated with myself. It is so easy to slip into old patterns. To put this into perspective, I am alloted 28 weight watcher points per day. To put this even more into perspective, I'll give you some examples of food point values. A light yogurt is 2 points. Apples and bananas are 2 points. String cheese? 2 points. Veggies? Most are 0 points. All healthy choices that were available to me this morning in my very own kitchen. Instead, I wasted 7 points on valentine candy. SEVEN POINTS!!

I know, I know, the day is not lost. I still have 21 points for the day. (hmmm...actually I have to account for my coffee creamer and egg white omelet, 6 points total) so in reality I have 15 points for the rest of the day, and its 10:00am! This will make the rest of the day...ummm...a bit lean, if you catch my drift. Today is my rest day from the gym, but I am considering  bundling myself up in my rain gear, and running endlessly up and down the street for cardio excercise until someone takes pity on me, scrapes me off the pavement and brings me home squeezing in a workout at home this afternoon.

I never used to realize the amount of stuff I was putting in my body every day. The weight watcher program really helps me keep myself in check. I do love that I can have whatever I want, but, like this morning's lack of judgement, I have to be accountable for it.

Hope you all have a wonderful day, and are able to express more self control than I did this morning!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

HIKING WITH DAD

Yesterday, the kids were out of school for a built-in snow day. Needless to say, we've had next to no snow this year!! So, Paco took the kids hiking/exploring at Liberty Lake. I've lived here all my life and never knew there were trails and waterfalls to be found at Liberty Lake. It was a beautiful morning for some outside adventure!

Friday, February 12, 2010

HOLDING MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE

I've found one of the biggest motivators for me regarding weight loss is making myself accountable....to more than just myself. The biggest loser competition at work keeps me motivated, because I know we're all keeping an eye on each other. Also, I have stopped hiding behind my weight, and started being honest about it. It is what it is....and there's no changing it. Honestly, I don't think I'd want to change it now, because it is a big part of  becoming the new me, and I'm loving that. Am I proud that at one time I weighed 285 lbs? Of course not. Will I ever weigh that again? No way! I AM, however, awfully darn proud of being nearly 45 pounds away from that weight now. Keeping myself out there in front of everyone keeps me honest and real. Not making myself accountable would just set me up for failure.

So, if you're interested, I will be weighing in weekly and posting my progress on the sidebar of this blog. I've also joined scale junkie's healthy you challenge and will be posting for that as well.

 Remember, the only person that can change you, is YOU!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

BACK OFF!

I have had it with people coming to my door this week wanting to A) get me a better "mortgage interest rate", B) clean my carpets for "free" and C) to "share their message". I am THIS close to putting one of those tacky "no solicitor" signs on my door just to keep them away. Seriously, A) I HAVE an unbelievable interest rate, B) I have my own carpet cleaner, and C) I know their "message", and it's not the same one thats in MY bible. I have no interest in their version.

Now, don't get me wrong...I don't mind the food drives, boy / girl scouts, and school fundraisers. I'm happy to support these causes when I can. But regarding everyone else, I just really am sick of strangers infringing on me while I'm at home, enjoying the precious family time that we already don't get enough of.

There. Now I feel better!

Monday, February 8, 2010

OFF KILTER

UPDATE ON FOLLOWING POST: Since writing the post below (last night), I was able to get to the gym and am feeling back on track! I'll post it anyway....just so you can all revel in my weaknesses of the past few days. HA!
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For me, getting to the gym at least 4 days a week is a must. It keeps me going. Motivates me. Inspires me. Not to mention what it does for my mood! Today, I find myself out of sorts, and I attribute that to the fact that I was unable to get to the gym at all this weekend. I found myself making poorer food choices, slacking on my water intake, and just over all not feeling like the new me.

Why am I telling you this? Simply put, I don't want you to think this journey has been easy, by any means. Every day is a battle. It's not that I'm stronger than others, or want this weight loss more. I have my off-days just like everyone. I just haven't had many....lately...until this past weekend. I don't know if I was feeling over confident after winning the "biggest loser" title at work, but I really wasn't as well-behaved as usual over the past few days. I had more than my share of tootsie rolls, french fries for the first time in 4 months, and 2 mini packages of cookies this afternoon before dinner. How quickly a person can lose control!  I've used the bulk of my weekly weight watcher flex points in just 3 days. Up until now I haven't even been using them at all. Yesterday, I only got half my water in. I haven't been to the gym since Friday, and boy do I feel it...both physically and mentally. I haven't lost the desire to work out, scheduling just didn't allow for it this weekend.

Don't get me wrong...I'm looking at this as a good thing. I know there will be many more instances like this that I will need to work through to get to my goal. It's just another step. I never thought this would be easy...quite the opposite. It's definately the hardest thing I've ever done. I can assure you though, that I will never go back to the way I used to be.

While I'm on the subject....check out Scale Junkie. This is a great site for support and encouragement! I think I'll be visiting it quite a bit!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

FAV SONG

Love this song by Pearl Jam. Enjoy.


Saturday, February 6, 2010

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!

 Friends and Family! Gracie is selling girl scout cookies! Want some?  You can choose from tag-a-longs, samoas, trefoils, lemon chalet cremes, do-si-dos, dulce de leche, thank u berry munch and thin mints. Click HERE to see the cookies and read more about each flavor. If you are interested, you can either call or email us at happystamper33@comcast.net.  We are preordering the cookies for late March delivery. They are $4.00 per box. YUM!

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART

Cole and Gracie are doing "jump rope for heart" this week! If you are interested in sponsoring them, click HERE for Cole, and HERE for Gracie! (All funds raised are due by this Weds!)

I'M SUCH A BIG LOSER!!


Yep, you guessed it..... I WON!! FIRST PLACE!! Three months of very hard work paid off, both figuratively and literally. I do have to give kudos to my two biggest competitors, who really kept me on my toes the entire 3 months. They did awesome and look amazing. Out of the 20 people that participated, the majority lost some weight. Most of us have formed healthier eating habits and have been exercising regularly, so we're all winners in that sense.

So, along with bragging rights, I'm $350.00 richer. The sense of pride and accomplishment is so much better than the money though. When I told Cole that I won, his eyes got huge and he said "Mom, I am SO proud of you! You are the most amazing mom ever!". Way better than money.

Today begins a brand new competition, another 90 days to work on getting healthier. It's so much fun to do this with other people! I don't think I could have done it on my own. There is only a handful of us this time, some looking for another chance to steal my title and others just getting started on their own journeys.

Bring it on!