it is amazing to me where i notice weight loss some days. most recently it has been in my socks. that's right folks, my socks are too big. i started noticing it when they would move around a bit more, now every time i take a shoe off or just move them against something they slide down. i guess that is the next article of clothing i need to start purchasing. good thing for me that tucker enjoys ripping up socks (new or used). he will soon have more socks than he knows what to do with!
the second topic is about my newest dishes. both of them were inspired by a recipe book that my parents gave me last week. i found the ideas in the book and made them with what i had available. they turned out pretty well so i will share them!
the first is egg drop soup-ish. since i have been craving chinese food and that is really not even close to plan this was a nice replacement. i used 1 packet of the cream of chix soup mix and about 8 oz of water. i heated them up then whisked in 1 egg. i let that cook for a few minutes then added my mls and enjoyed. mmm yummy!!! and actually rather filling! i also added a sliced up celery stalk to give it a bit more body but that is completely optional.
the second was a version of chili. i took 5 oz of ground turkey breast and cooked it up with about 1/4 c chopped onion. in a separate pot i simmered 1 1/2 diced tomatos, 1/4 c. water, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and mls to taste. once that was nice and soupy i mixed in 1/2 c. of mushrooms. after the mushrooms were cooked a little i added the turkey/onion mix and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes. this is a pretty quick meal so that is always a bonus. i was a little concerned because in what appeared to be a small bowl of chili i had used a protein and 2 veggie servings. when you are limited to the amount of food you can get making sure you are full is important. despite its appearance of being a small portion this was a hearty and filling meal. slim 4 life offers a cream of tomato soup mix and while i LOATH cream of tomato soup, i think it might add something different to the chili if i used it. i will probably play with this one a bit just to see what else i can do but i really liked it this time around.
number news...went to the center today and weighed in. i am down 47.5 lbs. not the best numbers but i was actually really happy with them seeing as how i just made it through a christmas without gaining. that is a pretty big deal!!! i also found out that in about 9.5 lbs i will be switched down to plan 1. that means that i will have only 30 lbs left to lose before i hit my goal weight. it is funny how that seems like such a small number to me now with 47.5 already gone. my goal is to be at 50 lbs by new years. i might not hit it since that is 2.5 lbs in 2 days but the fact that i am so close seems like a good omen for the new year.
happy eating everyone!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
recap
i am realizing i am slacking at my posts, i will try my best to do better. with the holidays days just seem to slip away before i know it.
this past week was a rough one for me. last week (the week before christmas) I was on a break week. the one where i basically get lettuce and grapefruit all week. the center had filled me with the promises of losing "big numbers" like 4 lbs on monday or tuesday. well I went in on monday and i didn't lose anything. when I went in on Wednesday I had only lost 1 lb. now i know that is still an accomplishment but it is a big disappointment when you are looking for big numbers. that really got me down for the rest of the week.
i did ok on christmas and while i sampled a bit of off plan food, i didn't indulge and i have not gained anything. luckily this week also held some brighter moments at the end that lifted my spirits.
the first happened on friday. i decided i needed to go get something to wear for friday nights trip to the phoenix. i went to my new favorite place to shop, gordmans! *side note* i highly encourage anyone and everyone to shop here. not only do they have good prices, but when you are losing weight and need to get in between outfits they won't break your bank. anyway, i go shopping and take some jeans into the dressing room. i had to go back out and get a smaller size!!! long story short... i got to purchase 3 pairs of jeans that are size 14!!! what made that more exciting for me was that it was by 2 different labels. if you recall i started this thing pushing a size 22!!!
the second thing was a moment of realization from my friend carrie and her husband. they are actually the reason i started doing slim 4 life, after seeing the success they were having i knew i could too. carrie started in feb. and i think her hubby started a couple months later. she has lost 168 lbs and he has lost 78. they are such an inspiration to me. but their loss isn't really what motivated me. i spoke with carrie yesterday and we just talked about the diet and how we are both so happy with the diet but also about the struggles we both were having this month. it was refreshing to hear her talk about her hard times because it validated mine. i think that is why they say diets work better if you go through them with someone. it isn't just the motivation aspect, it is the support of someone who knows what you are going through. they have been there and gone through it. it was definitely what i needed to make the week that much better. :o)
hope everyone had a fantastic christmas! happy eating!
this past week was a rough one for me. last week (the week before christmas) I was on a break week. the one where i basically get lettuce and grapefruit all week. the center had filled me with the promises of losing "big numbers" like 4 lbs on monday or tuesday. well I went in on monday and i didn't lose anything. when I went in on Wednesday I had only lost 1 lb. now i know that is still an accomplishment but it is a big disappointment when you are looking for big numbers. that really got me down for the rest of the week.
i did ok on christmas and while i sampled a bit of off plan food, i didn't indulge and i have not gained anything. luckily this week also held some brighter moments at the end that lifted my spirits.
the first happened on friday. i decided i needed to go get something to wear for friday nights trip to the phoenix. i went to my new favorite place to shop, gordmans! *side note* i highly encourage anyone and everyone to shop here. not only do they have good prices, but when you are losing weight and need to get in between outfits they won't break your bank. anyway, i go shopping and take some jeans into the dressing room. i had to go back out and get a smaller size!!! long story short... i got to purchase 3 pairs of jeans that are size 14!!! what made that more exciting for me was that it was by 2 different labels. if you recall i started this thing pushing a size 22!!!
the second thing was a moment of realization from my friend carrie and her husband. they are actually the reason i started doing slim 4 life, after seeing the success they were having i knew i could too. carrie started in feb. and i think her hubby started a couple months later. she has lost 168 lbs and he has lost 78. they are such an inspiration to me. but their loss isn't really what motivated me. i spoke with carrie yesterday and we just talked about the diet and how we are both so happy with the diet but also about the struggles we both were having this month. it was refreshing to hear her talk about her hard times because it validated mine. i think that is why they say diets work better if you go through them with someone. it isn't just the motivation aspect, it is the support of someone who knows what you are going through. they have been there and gone through it. it was definitely what i needed to make the week that much better. :o)
hope everyone had a fantastic christmas! happy eating!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
milestones flying by
i apologize for my lack of posting, i have been waiting to post this post for a few days. I was hoping on Monday I would have been able to but 1 delayed it. either way, here it is now!
after weeks of fighting myself and the holidays (by holidays i really mean cookies, drinks, and sweets which are harder to avoid than you might think) on Thursday of last week I hit 40 lbs, officially! On Monday I was down 42.5 lbs. Today when I went in I am down 45.2 lbs!!! The reason this is the milestone I wanted to post and not as much the 40 lbs (which I am not disregarding as a good milestone) is because 43.5 was the 1/2 way mark.
When I started this plan in August the goal we set for me to lose is 87 lbs. Now I am on the down slope of this giant hill. granted i have only taken a few steps down it, but we are on our way none the less. It is funny that i feel a small fear in what if i have come this far and it stops working. But so far there is no reason to see why it would just magically stop working now unless i did something to make it stop.
I am also really excited to see my numbers next week since I am on a 7 day break right now. Did i mention I hate chicken by the way? They say about the middle of the next week you see a pretty decent drop. Well at this rate I will be at 50 before we know it. Since I set a personal goal to be at 50 lbs by NYE, I have a renewed hope that I can since it is less than 5 lbs away. If it wasn't so flippin cold outside i would be running around doing back-flips. However, I don't care for snow or frost bite so instead i will curl up on the couch with tuck and watch marry poppins and wear a BIG CHEESY grin at my accomplishment.
pat on the back to me and everyone else for their help.
after weeks of fighting myself and the holidays (by holidays i really mean cookies, drinks, and sweets which are harder to avoid than you might think) on Thursday of last week I hit 40 lbs, officially! On Monday I was down 42.5 lbs. Today when I went in I am down 45.2 lbs!!! The reason this is the milestone I wanted to post and not as much the 40 lbs (which I am not disregarding as a good milestone) is because 43.5 was the 1/2 way mark.
When I started this plan in August the goal we set for me to lose is 87 lbs. Now I am on the down slope of this giant hill. granted i have only taken a few steps down it, but we are on our way none the less. It is funny that i feel a small fear in what if i have come this far and it stops working. But so far there is no reason to see why it would just magically stop working now unless i did something to make it stop.
I am also really excited to see my numbers next week since I am on a 7 day break right now. Did i mention I hate chicken by the way? They say about the middle of the next week you see a pretty decent drop. Well at this rate I will be at 50 before we know it. Since I set a personal goal to be at 50 lbs by NYE, I have a renewed hope that I can since it is less than 5 lbs away. If it wasn't so flippin cold outside i would be running around doing back-flips. However, I don't care for snow or frost bite so instead i will curl up on the couch with tuck and watch marry poppins and wear a BIG CHEESY grin at my accomplishment.
pat on the back to me and everyone else for their help.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
do you want to take my picture?
since people always enjoy the posts with pictures i thought i would post a new one of me. it isn't a weight goal or anything, it is just an okay picture of me. i realized though as i took it how much the loss has impacted me. i never really knew how big i was before i started this diet. you see i have a magic mirror at home. i look in it and see only what i want to see. it isn't until i see a picture that i actually see what i really look like. therefore, there are VERY FEW pictures of me from the past couple of years. now i am not afraid of the camera, in fact i am happy to take photos of myself. in fact, most times i don't even worry about the angle to make sure it looks just right, the exceptions come when i see that i have a leg for an arm in the thanksgiving photos! :o) it is all about angles!
i also wanted to post a photo that jen forgot to post. i bought this for hep a while ago and thought it was important that you all see her sporting her favorite teams outfit. sadly, the outfit is great in length but according to jen is "built for a football player baby prototype". either way she is still super cute!!!
final note is about my job. after tonights dinner i realized that i made a good choice in NOT going into culinary work as a profession. it wasn't bad per say, just not something i would make again. it was called chicken a'la orange. i think it was more that the zest is included in the meal and there is a bit more ginger than i prefer. oh well guess it is a good thing i like my job right?
Saturday, December 6, 2008
num yummy
have you seen the commercial where the kid is going around getting names for the new name plates? he stops and asks a man, who is eating his campbells soup, what his name is and the guy says "num yummy". of course he is commenting on how good his soup is and not what his name is, but none the less the next day when he comes in his office name plate says "num yummy".
anyway, today i had my own num yummy lunch that i had to share with you. yesterday mom and i went to lunch and she had a chicken salad sandwich. i have been thinking about chicken salad since. then, while making lunch and dreading the chicken i was cooking, it came to me. i woud make my own slim4life chicken salad. YAY! so here is what i did, and not to toot my own horn... but-a *BEEP BEEP* it was GREAT!
6oz of chicken that has been marinated in italian caesar dressing then cooked in a skillet on stove top. put the chicken in a food processor with one celery stalk sliced up. pulse that until it is your desired consistency. add 1 tbs of vinegar (this isn't necessary but since i am trying to flush out bad choices from last week i wanted to make sure i got it in there), 2 tbs of fat free ranch dressing, and mls and pepper. you could use your fat serving of mayo with this too but since you only get 1 tsp of mayo and you can have up to 2 tbs of fat free dressing, i went with the dressing. i also threw in a bit of regular mustard for kicks (mustard is the only condiment that they really don't restrict) and to enhance the consistency. mix all this up and enjoy. i paired this with once slice of bread and even threw some cucumbers in at the end. you could make this a sandwich but i am saving a second starch for tonight's dinner and i enjoy chicken salad all by itself.
enjoy! let me know what you think if you try it!
anyway, today i had my own num yummy lunch that i had to share with you. yesterday mom and i went to lunch and she had a chicken salad sandwich. i have been thinking about chicken salad since. then, while making lunch and dreading the chicken i was cooking, it came to me. i woud make my own slim4life chicken salad. YAY! so here is what i did, and not to toot my own horn... but-a *BEEP BEEP* it was GREAT!
6oz of chicken that has been marinated in italian caesar dressing then cooked in a skillet on stove top. put the chicken in a food processor with one celery stalk sliced up. pulse that until it is your desired consistency. add 1 tbs of vinegar (this isn't necessary but since i am trying to flush out bad choices from last week i wanted to make sure i got it in there), 2 tbs of fat free ranch dressing, and mls and pepper. you could use your fat serving of mayo with this too but since you only get 1 tsp of mayo and you can have up to 2 tbs of fat free dressing, i went with the dressing. i also threw in a bit of regular mustard for kicks (mustard is the only condiment that they really don't restrict) and to enhance the consistency. mix all this up and enjoy. i paired this with once slice of bread and even threw some cucumbers in at the end. you could make this a sandwich but i am saving a second starch for tonight's dinner and i enjoy chicken salad all by itself.
enjoy! let me know what you think if you try it!
Friday, December 5, 2008
self proclaimed hermit
i went to the center today and while i had gone down 2.2 lbs, i talked with donna for a bit about the loss thus far. at 13 weeks i am down 38lbs. i am running just shy of 3 lbs a week so that isn't great or terrible. to me though, it isn't what i am looking for. i did so well the first couple of weeks.
after leaving i made the executive decision, i need to fix it. at that rate i will not hit my goal weight by the time i thought i would (mid march). so i am taking myself back to where i was in when this whole thing started. i am ok with not going out (sorry friends but i need to do this for me). i am ok with making my lunch every day again. i need to rely on myself and remind myself that to get to where i want to be i only have to work a little bit harder and this hard part will be over in about 15 weeks. granted the next parts won't be easy but i have shown that i can stay in a 5 lb radius! now when i say i am not going out, i need to clarify. i have made some arrangements for the month of december (holiday parties and nye), i will not back out of those. instead i will just limit myself to 3 beers if any at all. i have done it before and my friends are fully supportive!
back on track. enter bad 80's song "ain't nuthin gunna break-a my stride, ain't nuthin gunna slow me down!" hahaha that will be stuck in your head for hours now! enjoy!
after leaving i made the executive decision, i need to fix it. at that rate i will not hit my goal weight by the time i thought i would (mid march). so i am taking myself back to where i was in when this whole thing started. i am ok with not going out (sorry friends but i need to do this for me). i am ok with making my lunch every day again. i need to rely on myself and remind myself that to get to where i want to be i only have to work a little bit harder and this hard part will be over in about 15 weeks. granted the next parts won't be easy but i have shown that i can stay in a 5 lb radius! now when i say i am not going out, i need to clarify. i have made some arrangements for the month of december (holiday parties and nye), i will not back out of those. instead i will just limit myself to 3 beers if any at all. i have done it before and my friends are fully supportive!
back on track. enter bad 80's song "ain't nuthin gunna break-a my stride, ain't nuthin gunna slow me down!" hahaha that will be stuck in your head for hours now! enjoy!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
life as a fish
some days one this diet i feel like all i do is drink water!!!
after going to the center today to weigh in, they put me on a water flush. it wasn't unexpected since this weekend i had some off plan moments(beer anyone?). i didn't go up or down, actually my weight was the exact same as it was when i went in on wednesday last week. soooo, let's hope that the water flush is effective.
i have noticed that as i have seen results my motivation has dropped a bit. one of the things they talked about when i first started was about half way through the program a lot of people lose the drive because they have seen such fantastic results. i remember thinking how that wouldn't be me. i would use that as motivation to just keep going. i am not saying i want to quit but i have noticed that my dedication to staying on plan is less. on thursday when i go back in we will probably pull out the list of reasons i started this (they had me make it the day i started) and hopefully that helps me get my dedication back. honestly i don't remember half of the reasons i put on there! :o)
after going to the center today to weigh in, they put me on a water flush. it wasn't unexpected since this weekend i had some off plan moments(beer anyone?). i didn't go up or down, actually my weight was the exact same as it was when i went in on wednesday last week. soooo, let's hope that the water flush is effective.
i have noticed that as i have seen results my motivation has dropped a bit. one of the things they talked about when i first started was about half way through the program a lot of people lose the drive because they have seen such fantastic results. i remember thinking how that wouldn't be me. i would use that as motivation to just keep going. i am not saying i want to quit but i have noticed that my dedication to staying on plan is less. on thursday when i go back in we will probably pull out the list of reasons i started this (they had me make it the day i started) and hopefully that helps me get my dedication back. honestly i don't remember half of the reasons i put on there! :o)
Monday, December 1, 2008
wonderful weekend of memories
so many things happened this weekend that i wanted to blog about so this will be a multi part blog.
did you do something to your hair? as i have been going through this diet i can't count the number of times i have heard people say "did you do something different to your hair?" now i must admit about a month in i did cut and color my hair, but beyond that i haven't done anything crazy. amazingly there have been a lot of comments regarding my hair. i am not sure if it is people being polite and avoiding saying "are you losing weight" or if it is really that they don't remember my hair. i finally decided, yes i did do something different with my hair. i did it around a face that is 2 chins less! :o)
skinny mini - apparently the new nickname for me with my friends is skinny mini. i have to say, i LOVE it! there is some great positive reinforcement when people notice your weight loss and talk about you shrinking. it makes me hold my head a little higher than it already was. it is validation that the work i put in is paying off! this weekend many friends who hadn't seen me in a while and some who see me fairly regularly appreciated the work i have been doing. i think part of the whole thing this weekend was that i was wearing some clothes that i felt confident in and that actually showed the loss a little better than some of the other clothes i have.
recognition from a new place - there are a lot of people that work where i work. at our facility there are over 1500 people that run around that building. we have our own lunch area and i can only imagine that hundreds of people go through the lines with their food every day. i don't think that i go there all that often, a couple times a week for breakfast or lunch. i will admit my breakfast is always the same 1/2 a grapefruit and a cup of coffee so perhaps that is memorable but i wouldn't think someone would pay more attention than that. imagine my surprise today as i walked through the line and the lady working the register noted how good i looked and how my grapefruit must be working wonders. there was also a couple "you go girls" thrown in the conversation too. i don't know if i was more touched at the woman noticing my loss or if it was that she has taken the time to pay attention to me as a person vs. just someone coming through the line with food. i stopped and chatted with her for a moment and realized perhaps i need to do more of that. pay attention to people. i mean i have always tried to make sure i listen for an answer when i ask people how they are, but perhaps there is more i can do. either way, she made my day today!
any way here are a couple pictures from this weekend for your enjoyment! :o)
joanna, tricia, and me.
michelle, dustin, and me. yes he always makes goofy faces in photos, but that is why we love him!
my bff tom aka bucket!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)