Beware the Care Bear Stare!

Last night was trivia night.

The theme = scary.

Team Name = Care Bear Scare.

Me = awesome!

I'm still not exactly sure how I came up with Kubrick for directing The Shining. I'm not even a Kubrick fan.

But that was my shining moment (no pun intended) that led to our team's ultimate victory.

And so my friends, I had a realization that I must be a complete and utter dork. And I'm more than ok with that. See, for me, it's not about my body, or what I can or cannot wear that determines my worth. There's so much more to me than the shell I live in. Last night being the trivia MVP made me feel like the sexiest woman alive! :D

Nothing much else to report. I had a great weekend catching up on laundry, watching movies and planting some beautiful amber and burgandy mums. And of course, any weekend spent watching UGA kick the crap out of some Gators is NEVER a bad weekend. Woot!

I've found that when I have no plans for the weekend, it's so much easier to stay on track. Somehow, I've even managed to show a loss already this early in the week! (Holy Crap!)

I don't want to jinx myself, but this could turn into a really good week for WI on Friday. Here's hoping...

Numbers

I've been pretty discouraged with my numbers all along. They are never where I want them to be and always seem to be just barely hovering where they are - not stable by any means.

I had a huge realization about the scale numbers tonight actually. I've only lost about 8 pounds since July, but I can now get into almost everything in my closet. Things I've not worn in four years. Things I had kept just for sentimental reasons.

I had a bit of meltdown after trying a few things on because I have been so hard on myself thinking I'd made no progress whatsoever. But I have. And it's all in inches!! And I will take a tinier new wardrobe over the numbers on the scales anyday!

The Essential 8

Sometimes I am so consumed with the numbers on the scale that I often forget how much healthier I am based on my diet alone. I came across an article today that made me realize that my diet is currently the best it has been in my whole life. Of course, that's not saying much coming from having a mother who's ideal dinners were cheeseburgers and candy bars, but I can honestly say that on the whole, I am very proud of everything that goes into my body these days.

The article listed the 8 foods you should eat every day and what it's good for. The list of them includes spinach, yogurt, tomatoes, blueberries, walnuts, oats, carrots and black beans. I can check off at least 5 of them on any given day, but I could certainly up my intake of walnuts and berries.

How many of them do you eat?

Oh Betty Crocker How I Love Thee

This soup is largely responsible for my staying on track the past week. If it weren't for the sodium, I would eat it every day!!

Seriously, if you haven't tried this Progresso Light Southwestern-Style Vegetable, what on earth are you waiting for?!

Chrivia Night

that would be chili meets trivia night.

We needed a quick dinner before heading out the door on this nasty, rainy October eve to support the trivia team, and so a variation of the Hearty Turkey Chili from the WW database was on the menu. We threw this together into the crock pot while we were home on our lunch break. However, we took queues from another chili recipe and spiced this one up a bit. Literally.

The turkey chili recipe is pretty basic, so I always cook it up from memory. It goes something like:

small package of ground turkey (i think it's around 2 lbs) browned in a skillet with one chopped onion, as much garlic as you like, and 1 tsp paprika, 1 tbsp cumin, and 2 tbsp chili powder.

throw this mixture into a slow cooker (or large pot) along with a can of crushed tomatoes, chopped red bell pepper, 2 chopped carrots, and one can of kidney beans. This recipe also calls for a cup of chicken broth, but if you were to add the poblanos in the next step, skip the stock. It comes out a bit too soupy with both liquids.

If you are brave, like we were today, take 3 poblano chili peppers (dried), heat them in a skillet on medium until they puff up and soften a bit. Cut off their tops and deseed them (you can add the seeds directly to the crock pot at this point if you like more heat). Place the peppers in a bowl and cover them with a cup of boiling water for a few minutes. Throw the water/pepper mixture into a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Add this to the crock pot.

Let this cook on low for 4 or 6 hours.

If I were to cook this up on a weekend, I'd sacrifice a few points and add a half bottle of Guiness. The depth the ale gives it is incredible!

I also took a hint from Roni and cooked up my first spaghetti squash tonight. In the bottom of my bowl underneath the chili, it felt like I ate twice as much as I actually did - for ZERO points!
Thanks, Roni!

Ode to Me

inspired by a post on swizzlepop's blog, reasons why I'm awesome...

1. Because I stuck to my goals for the weekend. Yeah, I ate the cake, but I also ate only raw veggies for the rest of the reception with a smidgen of dip. I also got the 8 miles in! (which is probably why I'm blogging right now - i doubt i can get up from this chair)

2. Because I am about to start a new position at work in January. It requires going through a rigorous 6-week boot camp of 10-12 hour days, but I know I can do it and I can't wait to be out on the road training clients and being utilized to my fullest potential!

3. Because last weekend I had to go and kidnap all of my skinny size 12 jeans from a friend I had permanently 'loaned' them to (or so I thought!)

4. Because I saved $15 with my coupons today! Cha-ching!

5. Because I finally realized that I don't need Joe's family's approval to know that I'm awesome. Damn it, I just am!

Here's to a terrifically awesome week!

I have a confession...

I am obsessed with coupons.

I have been on and off since I was married in my early 20's and HAD to clip them in order to afford groceries.

And lately, the rising price of groceries has prompted a relapse ($4 for a gallon of milk - WTF??!). Every Sunday morning these days you can find me curled up on the couch with my coffee, puppies, scissors, and the giant Sunday edition of the AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) clipping, sorting, and merging them into my already massive collection of papyrus treasures.

You can imagine my delight when earlier this week I found a site called The Coupon Clippers. Here you can search through their collection of coupons and for pennies of the face value, you can order as many coupons as you like for only products you use on a regular basis. My first order arrived today - an envelope stuffed full of coupons for Progresso Soup, Fiber Plus Silk, Morningstar Farms, Laughing Cow Wedges, and Birds Eye Steamfresh veggie packs. I paid a mere $8 for all of these coupons that will amount to at least $40 in savings. And the best part is that it's all products I normally buy anyway!!!!

Now if I could just find a solution for how freakin' long it takes the cashiers to ring the damn things up...

1-6-X

They appeared this morning. The elusive 1-6 prefix on the scale.
It feels good.

Officially down 1.5 for the week, 23.7 total loss on WW.
Today's weigh in = 169.8

BUT...
The weekend stares me in the face. Today has already been a semi-disaster with chinese for lunch. I should've just went home and had the usual ham sandwich, but at least I have a full week before weigh in. I know that the wedding tomorrow will involve cake. Here's hoping that it's cheesecake or lemon, or just a really bad, dried-out anykind of cake that discourages me from eating it. OR that my skinny pants I plan to wear make me so uncomfortable I can't eat it.

So the plan is as follows:

I'm attempting to keep better track of my flex points on the weekends. I had been letting it slide. Keeping up with it in my head isn't the greatest idea I've ever had. I will continue to journal everything again this weekend.

Get in as much water as possible Saturday morning before the wedding. But not so much that I have to go pee three times during the ceremony.

Rack up at least 8 activity points before Monday. Or, walk 4 miles tonight, 4 on Sunday. Shouldn't be a problem.

Be at (or under) what I was today on the scale when I step on it Monday morning.

**It's been a while since I've posted an update on this topic, but it's an important achievement for me. This Sunday marks 6 weeks since I've given up the Camel Lights. It feels GREAT!

Have a great weekend guys and gals!

Baby Girl's Birthday

Happy 5th Birthday, Grayci. Mama loves you SO much!

Old Friends

Last night at the Ryan Adams show at the Fox, I ran into an old friend. Things didn't end so well between us, so the chance encounter was awkward to say the least. At first, anyway. My heart skipped a beat when I realized who had called my name from across the room - the last person on earth I wanted to see.

After the first few minutes of superficial 'you look great' comments, it occured to me that my old friend was glad to see me. I had reached out to her a year and a half or so ago to try and mend things, without any real response, so I had let it go. You can imagine my shock and disbelief when we ended up confessing our miscommunications over a few glasses of wine, hugging, laughing (I actually shed a tear or two; hoping she didn't notice) and sharing stories from our past four years that we had not shared together. Actually, I'm still a little baffled by it all.

It is such a warm feeling I can't explain. I suggest everyone try a little forgiveness of your own and see what happens...

To old friends!

Quick Numbers

WI - 171.3
Lost on WW - 22.2
Total Lost - 34.7
Change this week - +.9

Goals for the weekend
Stick to the afforementioned plan
Drink all of my water

Ready for WI

After substituting veggies for almost all of my normal treats this week and kicking some serious ass during my 'last chance workout' last night (11000 steps, approx 4.5 miles - at least 2 miles jogging), I think I may have managed to avoid a huge gain this week. WHEW!

This is my reminder that a splurge on Sunday = a gain on Friday.

I already have a plan in place for the weekend - some yummy chili for Saturday evening (ingredients already purchased, no excuses) to endulge myself without having it show up on the scales Monday. I am stocked up with some Breyer's double churn light for a 2-point treat on Sunday to follow some grilled turkey burgers.

My only big challenge looks to be a concert I'm going to on Sunday evening. I'm planning to save 4 points for a couple of light beers or glasses of wine and definitely eat dinner beforehand and stash some 100-calorie packs of something in the car for the ride home.

I have some extra motivation in the form of a wedding I'm attending next weekend. Not only will I need to have a great week next week in case of a minor lapse in judgement during the festivities, but I also want to look fabulous for all of Joe's family who I've not seen in a while. Finally, I'll be the one being asked 'have you lost weight' instead of my future SIL who's a beanpole to begin with! You guessed correctly if you were thinking I'll be wearing those skinny black pants. ;)

Oh, one last thing to report. Have you all tried the WW Caramel Cakes? YUM!!! 1 point of heaven...

Weekend Disasters

For the second week in a row, I have sabatoged my week of hard honest effort in one day on the weekend. I don't really understand how ONE meal can zero out all of my hard work for the previous two weeks! ARGH!!!!!!! It is so frustrating to be losing the same 3 pounds over and over and over.

The insanity has to stop. This weekend I will NOT allow one moment of starvation to ruin the last 120 hours worth of planning, measuring and counting. I need a plan. I feel like the routine I have during the week has become so much of a routine that I'm rebelling against it on Saturday and Sunday. Perhaps I'll search out a special menu to cook for dinner on Saturday and that will spice things up without making me dread getting on the scales the next day.

All I know is that at this rate, I will never see the 160s.

*SIGH*

I feel like I should end this dreaded post on a positive note. Eating more often during the day has definitely helped me maintain control until dinner. I have also bumped up my dinner time to around 6:30 instead of 7:00. Since I usually spend my time after dinner walking or consumed with what I'ved tivo'd from the night before, I find that I don't get hungry again before bedtime.

I am also hitting the office gym again this week starting today for some strength training. I will need a miracle to have a loss this week...

The Dogs Who Found ME

I just finished reading a book by Ken Foster called "The Dogs Who Found Me: what I've learned from pets who were left behind". It is a touching demonstration of the human spirit and the reciprocation of generosity that occurs when you rescue an animal. What you get in return is worth every sacrifice. In so many ways, these two have rescued me.

A dog comes to you and lives with you in your own house, but you do not therefore own her, as you do not own the rain, or the trees, or the laws which pertain to them...

A dog can never tell you what she knows from the smells of the world, but you know, watching her, that you know almost nothing...


-From "Her Grave" by Mary Oliver

no...more...apples!!

For my afternoon snack today, I am forcing down the last of those apples from my picking adventure last week. I feel confident I am good on my fiber intake for several months to come....

My experiment of eating more often during the day is going well so far, despite a bit of mindless snacking upon arriving home from work yesterday. But it wasn't nearly to the same extent. I actually *listened* to the tiny voice that said stop this time. Part of it very well could be just plain ol' habit, so if that's the case, if I make sure I'm not hungry when I walk in the door, I might be able to do the mental work necessary to avoid consuming those extra points in 2 minutes flat. Either that, or I'm going to start using the front door in order to avoid the kitchen altogether!

The schedule I'm following goes something like:

7:30am 1/2 cup fiber one cereal, 1/2 cup silk = 1 pt
10:00am yoplait light yogurt = 2 pt
12:30pm turkey, spinach & feta in a FlatOut wrap = 3 pt
progresso light soup = 0 pt
baked lays = 2 pt
2:30pm 6oz apple = 1 pt
4:00pm kashi peanut peanut butter bar = 2 pt
5:30pm popcorn = 1 pt
7:00pm grilled chicken salad = 8 pt
skim milk = 2 pt*

Total = 22 points
*I am often guilty of forgoing listed skim milk at dinner for a weight watchers cookies & cream bar. Not ideal, but mmmmm!!!!

I could really get the hang of this eating all the time thing!

Tuesday Contradictions

Today I'm eating all day, every hour to see if this helps curb my appetite later in the day. Yesterday I didn't eat anything after lunch, so at 5:30, upon arriving at home, I went straight to the pantry, scarfed down some chips, apple pie and popcorn. Today will be BETTER! And tomorrow the scales will be happy! I had a tiny gain this morning after eating all that crap yesterday - even after walking 3 miles last night. :(

The contradiction to the lack of weight loss I'm able to log is that today I'm wearing these slim fit size 14 pants that I haven't worn since probably 1993. I look HOT! OWWWWWWWWWW! :)
I'm guessing that all of the miles I've logged this past month have made a huge difference after all, even if it's not on the scales. However it has happened...I'll take it!

And I'm still determined to see the 160s this week, damnit, if it kills me.