DIETS make you FAT!

Hello world!  Again.  It’s 2 weeks since last entry…time just flies.  I’m so freakin busy with work (self employment sucks…I’m so busy I can’t breathe, which is a good thing, actually, but I hate being this busy….) that I just haven’t taken the time to blog.

Great news….I am currently wearing a NEW pair of 14 Levis.  14!!!  Tight, hurts around the waist a little, but they’re on me and I’m MOTIVATED.

MEALS IN MINUTES 

Hey!  Anyone else out there tried Ziploc Zip-n-Steam bags?  Holy YUM.  You gotta try these.  I’m using them daily…I toss in a FROZEN (yes, FROZEN) chicken breast or 2, some random seasonings (today I put in curry powder, salt, and a little indian spice mix) and microwave for 6 minutes…and get MOIST, PERFECT chicken.  I also do frozen broccoli in the steam bags…and 6 minutes later you get the best, fresh and tasty broccoli ever.  Try em…you will love them!

Best Steamed Broccoli

Fill a Zip n Steam bag with Birdseye frozen broccoli FLORETS  (spend the money, better than cut)

Add garlic salt, or any seasoning you like (no oil or fat required!:)  )

Microwave for 6 minutes (follow the bag instructions)

EAT and be healthy!

Healthy eating and getting veggies are a cinch this way.

Bye for now!

A good day, today.  Ate my oatmeal.  Went to church.  Came home.  Did’nt pig out.  Counted points…hooray!  Even made cookies with my son to take to a meeting, and I ate two…and gave all the leftover ones away to others at the meeting.  Score big for me! 

Today I made hamburgers…and since it’s still not BBQ weather here, and I didn’t want to fry them, (hate the mess and the grease) I tried something I read in someone’s blog awhile back…baked em!  400 degree oven, on a little grill rack thingy placed over a foil covered sheet pan.  Topped em with a bit of salt and some Montreal Grill seasoning, and dang…better than fried, good as grilled!  I blotted the little bit of grease off with papertowels.  No mess, no stinky burned meat smell in the house or grease spatters on the wall and no disgusting fry pan to clean out…and we all loved the burgers.  It’s a keeper!

My son saw them sitting on the table and said YUM!  With a little happy smile!  Microwaved a few baked potatoes (4 tato’s, poke em with a fork and nuke for 10 minutes then leave microwave closed for a few minutes more–less time for fewer potatoes) and topped em with sour cream and cut up green onions. Good meal, easy, fast, and no mess.  My kinda meal!  Will be a repeater.  Plus I didn’t eat too much.  Go me!  For the queen of the king size portions, that’s a small triumph.

I like celebrating the small victories, the good choices on a daily basis.  Not all days are good, but I no longer have to  “punish” myself for a bad choice with two weeks more of bad choices.

Now, if I can just get off my booty and exercise and drink my water, my two big downfalls…that’s my goal for the week.  4 days exercise, and 4 days of perfect water.  Oh yeah…and count the ^*&^*^% points!!  You all know now…next week I’ll report.

Lets do this thang!

Glanced in a mirror at a men’s store today, while out shopping with the hub for a new suit for him.  Even 20 pounds–probably more like 15 because I’ve had a backslide and it’s been a steep one (few weeks of eating crap) down, I don’t like what I see!!

Denial is a nice state to live in…but that glance in the mirror was  a great motivator!  We went to Olive Garden (hub’s choice) with the kids after that, and I did GREAT.  Me, the queen of cream sauces and 14 plates of fat laden salad, I DID NOT pig out.  One plate of salad (yum) and I ordered this amazing Apricot Chicken that was served with a side of asaparagus and broccoli…all things I love.  So good.  My son had alfredo noodles, and I had a couple bites, and that was all I needed.  A bite of hub’s mashed potatoes, also plenty…I think it was Fran Drescher who once said (on her weight loss and maintainence secrets) that she tastes everything…just little bites.  Ever notice the first two or three bites of ANYTHING taste better than the later ones?  Especially something rich and decadent?  That shall be my goal now…to TASTE whatever I want, but not devour it and get more.

 We spent the day shopping in the city a two hour drive north of us…no mall in my town, too small.  An hour and a half thru the mountains to do any real shopping…I went to Old Navy to get some cheap “interim” jeans since I have NONE left (holes in both my favorite, and only, pairs that fit) was REALLY REALLY frustrated that I could not find any long enough.  I’m 5 10, and inthe past, Old Navy Longs have been fantastic…great fitting, flattering, and good length.  Not the new ones.  (I did find a great bag though, big enough for work crap, cranberry red moc croc and it looks expensive though it wasn’t!!  Hub went pale when he saw it, til I showed him the receipt) I rarely get time to shop, between running a buisness, kids, and the fact that the only stores in town are two crappy cheapo discount superstores, and one teeny tiny JC Penny with hardly any selection…so I won’t get to go back and look for quite some time.  I miss malls!  If you live near shopping, count yourself LUCKY.  I’ll check Pennys, but since I don’t want “mom jeans” I’m not optimistic.  It’s either Juniors or Gramma land at this particular Pennys, because its in a small town.  (I’m not bashing Pennys, their stuff is nice, but my town’s store doesnt have the selection of the big mall anchor stores)  And I hate shopping online or in catalogs, I just end up returning everything because I’m picky as hell and have a 36 inseam and a flat butt and nothing ever fits right!  Arrgh!  Oh well.  I’ll  just keep wearing the holey ones and hope no one sees my inner thighs!  And get the hell into my skinny jeans (A cute pair of size 10 or 12 Gap jeans…classic straight cut so they still look good)

Need to remind myself of my favorite saying:  ”THE PLAN DOES NOT REQUIRE PERFECTION.  IT REQUIRES PERSISTENCE.”  I think I need to add “AND DETERMINATION AND EFFORT ” to that also…being as lately I’ve been a real lazy ass when it comes to the food thing…no planning of what to eat, no planning meals, just grabbing whatever crap is easy (usually eating out) and worst, no counting of the points. 

I’ve been doing this on my own, following the WW plan, weighing in, and couting points. In my town there is only one meeting a week, and unfortunately I have a conflict with the time.  I’m thinking of still joining though, and trying to make it now and then, and just go to weigh in weekly.  I’ll see.  Thinking about it.  Having to spend the money on it might make me a little more likely to stay OP.

A little exercise now and then might help too…YA THINK???? Duh.  Why is it so hard to just DO IT? 

Well, I’m going out to my hot tub now to unwind.  Then go to bed.

Ok so the title is silly.  My dear Dad, a farmer and the king of silliness, would recite that poem every spring.  It’s tradition! 

Springtime is a busy time every year for me…busier than the holiday season if you can believe it.  Hub and I do a ton of work in our photo studio that we own and run full time, and spring is just a crazy busy time.  It’s all good though, but it means less time to cook and more eating out…we’ve eaten out every day this past 7 days except Sunday!  And not all good choices.

Today though, I had a good day.  BBQ chicken for lunch (reasonable amount) McDonalds with the kiddos and I had my fave, the Asian salad with grilled chicken.  Good.  I shared a hot fudge sundae with my son…not bad, didn’t eat it all…just enough to enjoy.   One fat free hot dog (45 calories) tonight cuz I really was hungry.  Not bad!  I need to get back in the mindset…rather stay back in the mindset of tracking what I eat and watching the calories and points.

I’ve let busy be an excuse for not being as careful. Haven’t weighed, and the jeans aren’t getting looser.  Time to rein it in!

One happy note, I tried on a pair of 14 capri pants that I’ve had for several years, still in style, and….they fit!  Tight, but I can wear em!  And I do.

Jeans…My 16’s are fitting ok…I know 14’s would not look good right now, and damnit, I’ve worn holes in the inner thighs of both my 16 pairs of jeans.  I DO NOT want to buy new jeans right now…not until I can look good in 14’s.  Whats a girl to do? 

WE GOT OUR HOT TUB!  Built a patio out back, and the spa was installed last Friday and we’ve been in it at least once every night since.  I LOVE it.  I sleep so well, and it really helps with the stress level.  We keep the temp low enough that even the kids can get in, with us in there with them of course.  It’s fun, and really a great family time!  Yesterday my kids were giggling as they poured cup after cup of water over Daddy’s head…so cute.  We hang out in the hot tub every night.  I feel like I’m on vacation every night.

Now on to finish the yard out back…grass, fence. And garage will be done by mid June.  Such a nice change from the weeds of years past and parking by the side of the house!  I’m so glad it’s warming up, though the weather has been so wierd.  Cold, warm, cold warm, literally.  One day it was 70, the next day 38.  Spring here is nuts. 

Ok, tired, time for bed.  Goodnight and good eating!

Marie

Wooh!  Long time since I blogged last…not giving up just busier than a one armed paper hanger!!

Epiphany of the week:  It’s AMAZING to me how little actual food is needed to physically satisfy my  hunger.  And it’s amazing and sad how much food I can eat and still not find emotional satisfaction.

Now, when I get that ol urge to snack…sometimes I catch myself and I whisper “why?”  If I’m really hungry (and it’s so cool to actually feel real physical hungr) I can eat a sensible snack.  I’ve found I love grapefruit!  Me, the anti-fruit girl!  I think about it and my mouth waters.  And snow peas, steamed lightly…I could eat them all day long.  I’m out, and I’m going to the store to get some tomorrow.

With as busy (and stressed) as I’ve been, this weeks not been too great.   Stress eating has been a bit…excessive, shall we say?  Burger King, Chinese Buffet, you get the picture.  And no workouts.  Oops.   I should be in bed (another busy day tomorrow) but decided I need to blog, and I need to get remotivated.  So…thanks for the support and blog-friendship!  See you tomorrow.

What the  *$&%?  I get on the scale and it’s 202?  Hello?  I was 199 awhile back. CRAP!  Thats what I have to say about that.  I’ve not been perfect, I’ve been distracted and busy, I’ve been out to eat and also been to meetings with refreshments (5 sugar cookies with frosting one night) and to a couple “special” dinners…OK, thats not so good, but I really don’t think I should have gained three pounds.

I was PISSED when I got on the scale and saw that number.  BUT…I immediately put on my coat and warm clothes and walking shoes and walked HARD and FAST for 30 minutes, outside, in the cold.  Did resistance when I got back to the house.  Next morning (Sun) daylight savings kicked in, and I got up at 6 am (5 am to my body and I’m not a morning girl) and did 30 minutes hard on the treadmill, followed by lunges squats bicep curls all that good stuff.  I was tired but it felt good.  Today, really tried to stay OP…tomorrow, scary, lunch meeting where I know we’re having pizza (think I’ll follow Roni’s advice to be prepared and take a veggie tray to add to the offerings)  and tomorrow night we’re having family over for my daughters 2 year birthday (on Thursday) since they can’t make it to the official party on Thursday.  I’ve got a nutso day tomorrow, lots of photo shoots at the studio, the lunch meeting, then dinner with the family…and I have to have some sort of “cake” so I got cupcakes.  6 little wal mart cupcakes.  My kids will love them, I’ll have one, and be done with it.  No more “extra cake” around the house for days.  Thursday I think I’ll do the same thing.  And tomorrow night for dinner, since theres no time to cook, I’m going to crock-pot it with my Italian Soup (see recipie a few blogs ago…amazing!)  I hope I can get a workout in tomorrow, but unless I’m up at 6 am, I won’t.  Ok…6 am here I come!  I’ll say on here I’m going to do it…and tomorrow (or soon) I’ll blog whether I did it or not.

I SOOOOO want to lose weight!  I feel frustrated, like I’ve hit a wall, but actually thats not true…I just think I’ve eaten too much recently.  Today I’ve done great.  I’m back in “weight loss” mode and mindset…not denial.  A calorie is a calorie. Those little guys add up if you let ‘em.

Hub and I are approved for our garage loan…exciting!  And we’re going to redo the backyard and add a spa (hot tub) also!  We’ve picked out the one we want…it’s a chunk of change, but we love hot tubbin….two or three times in our married life (12 years) we’ve lived in places that had hot tubs, and we were in them every night we could be.  So I think we’ll love having one…and I’m stoked to turn our backyard (driveway and a little grass at the moment…snow gone, yay!) into a fully fenced yard with all grass other than where the spa will sit…and maybe a patio too…and some patio furniture, so we can BBP outside.  I’m so ready for summer, and I’m craving grilled fresh pineapple!  I love to grill outdoors…cant wait.

I am a bit nervous about the kids around the hottub, but we’re getting a cover that locks, so that eases my mind a bit.  Still have to be vigilant however.

Anyhoo…

I think I need to work harder at this weight loss thing.  The work outs yesterday and Saturday were great…and I’m giving up my nightly popcorn and mnm’s…I’m eating fresh grapefruit instead.  (which I LOVE)  I’m proud of me for not giving up.  Hub is doing well too…down 20+ pounds, and starting an exercise program this week.  I look forward to the day when we are both HOT for each other just based on looks again!  Is that bad?  If it is, so be it!  I wanna rock his world, baby!

Bye bye.

Will it ever go away?  This desire to just EAT?  Not ’cause I’m hungry, just because I want to eat.  Today’s been decent, made amazing stuffed bell peppers (my whole family LOVES them) and ate one for lunch, one for dinner…not bad, I’m on points…but now, late at night I want to go in open the fridge and just snarf whatever I can find.  I’m not even hungry!  I just love food…too much.

I guess it will be  a life long battle.  Not a battle really, just a life long committment…do I want to be heavy and uncomfortable and unhealthy while indulging this urge to eat?  Or do I want to feel good inside and out, wear cute clothes, feel comfortable in my own skin, and be able to keep up with my kids…while exercising a little self control?   Now that I see it in print on my computer screen, I like the self control option.

I’ve been better at tracking and writing down my eating today, and over the weekend.  Yay.  I just want to feel my jeans getting looser.  I want to feel that “I’m in control” feeling.  And…since now I’m questioning when I want to eat, instead of just doing it, that’s a positive.

One good thing…a few days ago, I was on the phone with my hub, and absentmindedly opened my “baking” cupboard, put some chocolate chips in a bowl, melted them in the microwave, took a bite…and asked myself, “What are you doing?”  I stuck the bowl in the sink without so much as a second lick.  It didn’t even taste good anyway!  What was that?  Literally my brain was not aware of what my hands were doing.  It was wierd. And I stopped.  Go me!

Tomorrow, looking forward to working out with my bands again…weekends are hard because we’re just busy all the time and I don’t get my workouts in.  Tomorrow, and this week, all week, for sure.

Hub and I will be adding a garage to our property this spring, and I cant wait!  We need it, we need a route into our house that does not involve everyone (guests included) tromping thru my laundry room and kitchen (which is never clean)  We need a “stop and dump” place for books, coats, keys, work stuff…that is NOT my kitchen counter or table…so we’re adding a garage and a door that will open directly into our home office, and which will also re route guest to the FRONT door, which, at this point, for whatever reason, no one enters!  The one room (living room) which is usually clean.  Yay!  I’m excited…we’re also going to landscape the yard, add a fence, and are even thinking of adding a hot tub (which I love, when we lived in apartments years ago we were in it every single night summer or winter) and an above ground pool and deck.  Fun!   We’ll see…it’s an investment, but we all love to dunk in pools…it could happen.  So…I have to look good in a swimsuit by this summer for all the BBQ’s we’ll be hosting in our new backyard!  I CANNOT wait for spring.

Snow is melting finally, but now its windy and chilly…spring, hurry!

Ok, I’m tired and I’m off to hit the pillow. Good night!

What would I do without my computer?  More specifically, what would I do without this blog community?  I’d be FAT, that’s what!  Ok, I still am fat, just not as fat as I used to be.  I’m annoyed though…I feel like I’m not moving fast enough.  Since the first of Jan, I’m down about 17 pounds…about 2 lbs. per week.  Wait…that’s actually not bad now that I think about it.  I’m really annoyed with myself because I have NOT BEEN WRITING DOWN MY POINTS IN MY FOOD JOURNAL AND I’VE BEEN IN SOME KIND OF CALORIC DENIAL!! What’s up with THAT?  I start out with good intentions, then just don’t do it.  Today…oh don’t even get me started.  Bad bad day, for eating at least.  Hub calls at 8:00, just as I’m feeling hungry ready to eat my oh so prim and proper and innocent bowl of microwave oatmeal, and informs me that McDonalds is offering free McSkillet Burritos, with purchase of a large drink.  So Toddler girl and I head off to the golden arches.  I justified it with the thought that the rest of the day I’d be prudent and eat salad with chicken breast for lunch, and oriental chicken-n-broccoli (no added fats) for dinner…and I did….which was good….unless you count the fiber one bar, the popcorn, the m-n-ms, the more m-n-ms, all the other crap…none of which was written.  Flex points…not on your life.  Used em up at a women’s meeting the other day on this decadent desert thing (plus two helpings at dinner)

Not a bad day, a bad week!  Damnit!  Although, I did sneak a peek at the scale, and I’m still at 199.  No loss, but no gain…so all is not lost. (though I wish it were)

Ok, I’ve ‘fessed up.  Tomorrow my first grader is off school, and we’re taking a little family jaunt up to the “big city” to the north…shopping mall food courts and restaraunts galore.  I’ll tell hub lets go to AppleBees, and eat the points menu.  Good plan!  I will also pack healthy snacks for in the car…lotsa veggies & good stuff.

Side note, made an incredible soup the other day…my hub cracked me up on the phone when he called to tell me he’d just had “an orgasm of soup in a bowl”…yeah, it was that good!  Recipe follows.

Italian Beef , Pepper,and Bean-Lean Soup (Via the crockpot)

Brown 1 lb. hamburger PATTIES, drain, blot with paper towling and squeeze out as much grease off as possible. Chop into bite size chunks and place in crock pot. 

Saute 1/2 large onion and 3 stalks celery in cooking spray, adding enough water to cook until tender.  Add to pot.

Add to crock pot:

one green bell pepper chopped into large bite size chunks

1 can tomato soup

1 can light kidney beans (drain and rinse first)

1 can dark kidney beans (drain and rinse)

1/4 cup light (low fat) Kraft Italian Salad dressing

1/8 to 1/4 cup worchestershire sauce

1 can low sodium diced tomatoes

Cook on low 6 to 8 hours,  or on high 4 hours

Soooo good.  My kids pounded it down too!  As did I.  Too much of it.  Too much of everything this week.  So, I think I’ve bounced around a rocky wagon trail long enough I want to get back on.

One GOOD thing, I am exercising more.  2 days for 2 days today…and yesterday I bought a set of resistance tubes, tried working out with them today and holy cow…I’m sore!  Those suckers work!  Who’da thought…a gym in a little mesh bag.  Just the resistance exercises got my heart rate up…along with intermittent physical play with my little girl I got muscle work and cardio, 35 minutes.  Cool!  And it was fun.

Big challenge is still water.  Gotta slug it down somehow.

Tired.

Ending.

Bed calling my name.

Pillow lonely

Bye.

Hi there!  Sheesh, it’s been DAYS since I blogged.  Life’s just been a bit busy…and I’ve been a bit unmotivated to break out the keyboard until today.

GOOD news…at last weigh in, I was NO LONGER IN THE 200’s!  199!!!  Yay!  Thats 17 lbs gone since the first week of January.

Now…the question is, after this last week, am I still in the 100’s?  Not sure, don’t want to weigh this week and get depressed.  We’ve eaten out every single night.  Between work, a couple events, a wedding, a church thing…and just being insanely busy and unmotivated to cook, I got a little off track.  Not to mention lazy lazy lazy about writing down everything I eat.  I haven’t done totally bad, until last night…we were at this fund raiser thing for my son’s school, and it was an old west themed night, complete with catered Dutch Oven BBQ…you could pretty much give me an IV with BBQ sauce and I’d be a happy girl.  They better have BBQ sauce in heaven, or I’m just gonna live forever.  LOVE BBQ.  And I ate enough for three meals, literally.  The sides were these cheesy potatoes with so much cheese you could stand your spoon up straight in em, and it would not fall…and some random veggies swimming in butter.  No salad.  And dutch oven apple cobbler ala mode for desert.  You ever eat so much it stretches your stomach and messes up your blood sugar so that a few hours later you feel hungry again? Yeah, that was me last night.  Hub and I looked at each other and said, “Screw the points” and went for it, whole hog.  (No pun intended.)  It was good.  And today, I’m blogging because I am home early from church and I just want to go find everything in the kitchen and eat and eat and eat again…I am an addict!  This is the first real fall from the wagon…and I’m on this blog again (note to self, can’t miss over a week blogging!  Need the daily support and inspiration!) to get back on.  I want to stay in my 16’s, and get out of them on the smaller side….not the bigger side.  I’ve washed my 18 jeans and they’re in a bag to go to D.I. (Good will store run by the LDS church)  I’m giving them away.  I will never be in them again.

So…now, since it’s snowy muddy ugly out, I’m gonna hop on my treadmill.

I know if I get more exercise, my motivation will skyrocket and the weight will come off faster.

Bye!

Happy Valentines day…or as my friends and I called it when we were free and unattached, Happy “Singles Awareness Day!”

I must remember my mantra…”the plan doesn’t take perfection…it takes persitence.”

Today I did good most of the day.  The hubby, in all his sweetness, got me beautiful roses!  He said he’d thought about chocolate, which really wouldn’t have bothered me all that much,  but then decided the roses were a better bet.  My 16 jeans which I am now wearing–yay!–thank him!  It’s been months!  14’s, 12’s, 10’s?  Where can I be by summer?  I’d be satisfied with a 14, ecstatic with a 12, dumfounded in a 10.  I’m 5′1o and curvy, so size 14 is great on me….OK random, totally got off track where this post was going. 

I did ok today, even survived going to my first grader’s valentines day class party at school, and helping 13 first graders decorate cookies…I ate ONE cookie.  I did make the mistake of agreeing to take home one of the open containers of frosting, a big weakness of mine.

After my son’s basketball game, we all came home to beef curry, slow cooked in the crockpot.  YUM.  Even did good there, and my little almost 2 year old kept asking for more of the carrots!  She actually ate carrots!  So far the only veggie she’s eaten willingly, ever,  were sweet potatoes or broccoli, so I’m glad she downed the carrots!  The curry sauce did the trick, plus the fact that her brother loved them and kept asking for more carrots too.  I did great until everyone went to bed, then…that damn container of frosting  that came home from my son’s class party lured me into its evil sticky delicous grasp.  I ate it by the spoonful!  Gross I know, but what can I say, I love the stuff.  After a couple minutes and definate caloric overload, I thought…what am I doing? Promptly dunked the remaining frosting in the icky greasy dish-soapy water that is soaking the crockpot in the sink, then tossed it in the trash.  Which is where it should have gone in the first place!  Oh well…always tomorrow!  And now that I’ve confessed I don’t feel so bad! I don’t miss this sick-full feeling.  I like the feeling of a perfect meal settling in the tum.

About the last post…the situation  with my college friend is resolved.  Nicely.  My hub intervened in a sweet, non judgemental way, and basically my friend and I both realized we were miscommunicating and all is ok.  We basically are starting over.  He’s not taking advantage of me, he’s not critical of my business or work, and I am going to be doing the job in question for him.  All in all a win win situation!  I’m so glad.  I was really REALLY upset and mopey for a whole day, when we were in the middle of the misunderstanding, and taking it out on everyone around me…except score one for me, I DID NOT EAT for comfort!  Wow!  That’s a big big change.  So, life works out.  And…

The weight comes off!  Hopefully.  I’ve had a few too many slip ups this week…we did the Chinese Buffet again a few nights ago.  I did great…ate just enough to finish my points…then hub walks over with a full plate of the best fried gyoza dumplings on the entire freakin planet with the best gingery garlicy soy sauce to dunk them in…i ate a few, then went and got my own plate full and downed em.  DAMN they were GOOD. 

In comparison to the old me though, I used to leave that place absolutely sick to my stomach…and ate everything on the buffet including these yummy fried desert donut thingys at least twice…Now I skip the desert and eat the orange slices instead…and avoid seconds of anything.  So it wasn’t a total disaster…just not the very best.  Hey, thats life.

Good decisions mingled with bad ones and great ones.  In food, in communication, in work…in life.

Bye!