Countdown to 2011 - 6 days to go!!

And Merry Christmas!!!

6 days left of the year! What a fantastic day filled with family and fun....lots of f's in that sentence...b ut it was a really nice day. I will miss this next year....maybe we will come to Texas for Christmas next year...it was really nice to be here.

Countdown to 2011 - 8 days to go!!

So, there are 8 days left of 2010. I need to celebrate all of my successes!

I weighed under 210 today! Yay! So happy to be on my way down.

Breakfast was sausage pancakes, lunch was sweet and sour chicken, dinner was tacos, dessert was cheese puffs. Delicioso!!

Countdown to 2011!! = 9 days, including today!!!

With Christmas around the corner and a pending big move to North Carolina, I am so busy! Tons of stuff to do and there is a year to close out on the retail side (I am in the car biz). So, gotta make sure the year ends strong!

Good food today!

Breakfast was an Apple Scone, 2 turkey sausage links, and 1/2 banana
Lunch: Sashimi, Biscotti, Cucumber, Radish
Snack: 2 cheese sticks and an apple
Dinner: BBQ and beef over beans, mushrooms, olives, jalepeno
Snack: microwavable cake

Such a delicious eating day!

Countdown to 2011 = 10 days to go!!!

So, I don't usually weigh except for on Mondays, but I did today (was super bloated yesterday). Today my weight was 210.2. Can't actually count it until next Monday, so I hope it stays off until Monday. And I have to work today too. Though stressful at year-end, it does give me regimen to work.

I have a new addiction...I am addicted to DEXTER. It is such a friggin' good show. I have watched the first 2 seasons and am on the 3rd. It is really good.

So, for these last 10 days, I am going to try to get as close to my goal as possible!

Countdown to 2011!! -- 11 days to go and Week 22 Weigh-in!

11 days left of this year!
Trying to get my house listed ASAP; however, my lovely real estate agents are not making it easy!

Week 22 Weight: 212 pounds
Total loss is 35 pounds!!
Tried a few new things this week...well, 2 things: Cranberry Granola Bar and Chicken and Dumplings.
There are very few new things to even try these days...I have pretty much tried everything. A few dinners and a few lunches.

The Cranberry Granola Bar for Breakfast was pretty good. It had a nice mix of tart and sweet. However, I do like 2 other granola bars better (Chocolate Chip Granola and Harvest Nut Granola,) so I would probably not order this one. Also, as far as breakfast, I do prefer the pastries and would rather have a scone with my coffee anyways.

The Chicken and Dumplings was pretty darned good. This dinner had a nice flavor and kept me full all day. I took pictures of this, but will have to download them later.

Countdown to 2011!! -- 12 days to go!

Wow! This year has flown by! Only 12 days to go, including today...
Here is today's food:

Breakfast was Nutriflakes

Lunch was Chicken Salad, tomato, green onions, and chicken slices

Countdown to 2011!! -- 14 days to go!

Biscuits and GRAVY!!!!!

First, I make up a package of gravy (40 calories a serving). Separate it out into servings...

While that is going I mix up the pancake mix with slightly less water or milk then called for. (Sometimes I add 1/3 c. sausage crumbles too). Then I divide the mixture and put it in my pancake puff pan. Delicious! 

Countdown to 2011!! -- 16 days to go!

With 16 days left of 2010 (including today), I set foot on the soil of my future home for the first time this evening. First impressions? Well, hard to say because my flight was delayed several hours and then when we went to land, the pilot did 2 touch and goes before finally landing on the 3rd attempt. So, aside from flight trauma, North Carolina itself looked absolutely beautiful as I came in to land 3 times. The trees and the natural lakes are gorgeous. There is a sweet scent in the air and, because of the delayed flight, many people rescheduled and re-routed so I had an entire row to myself on the plane (some silver lining baby!!)

Food today? On point! Today is my son's 15th birthday, so before my flight I took him to breakfast. I ordered 3 poached eggs (ate only the whites,) had coffee, NS choc. chip scone and 1/2 banana. Lunch was on the plane and I had brought a baggie of sliced chicken, NS PB Bar, and tomato juice. Snack was chicken and 1/2 banana. Dinner was NS Raspberry Bar, scallops, tomato, onion, vinegar and oil. Dessert was Buffalo Wing Pretzels.

Walked for 2 miles! (NOT COUNTING THE AIRPORT!!)

Tomorrow, the entire day will be spent in the office.  

Countdown to 2011!! -- 17 days to go!

Decorate Tree -- Check!
Make packing list -- Check!
Pack for trip tomorrow -- ummmm, soon to Check!
Last Minute Christmas Shopping -- Check!
Grocery Shopping -- Check!
Read -- need to Check!

I hate traveling with only 50 pages left of a book. I guess that is one of the reasons a kindle or "ereader" is awesome. You don't have to take books on the plane with you. When you are near the end of a book, you have to carry at least 2. So, I am going to rush to finish one of the ones I am reading so I can start a fresh one for the trip.

18 days of 2011 left, including today! Go for the gold!

Countdown to 2011!! -- 18 days to go!

Weigh-in Monday!

Okay, so, my weight is stagnant. Fair enough. I half expected it, but the other half of me thought that since it has been so cold and I have been wrapped up in electric blankets, maybe I burned off some lard that way! Nope! Didn't work! I have had a great week of eating right. Today was good, enjoyed one of my favorite foods...cheesy, bacon, chive potatoes! Yummers. I ate an oatmeal raisin Nutrisystem cookie today. It was so good. It was chewy and soft like the ones my mom used to make. Delicious!



A little nervous about the big relocation. I have a huge list of things I have to do in the next month. I move to South Carolina on the 17th of January and will be living separately from my family until my house sells. Which, hopefully, will be soon. But, in the mean time, I have Christmas, securing a new car (we only have 1 right now, but definitely need 2), getting our house listed on the real estate market. . . I have 2 business trips, tons of working out, eating right, and blogging on my to-do list! Need to reset my goals once 2011 hits! Like I said, soooo much to do.

Countdown to 2011 -- 20 days to go!

Went shopping all day today...it was so much fun. I went with my mother-in-law and, as usual before Christmas with just a few days to shop, it was very crowded. My new svelte physique has given me more agility when I am shopping! That was a completely unexpected and delightful side affect of losing weight! I actually enjoyed shopping!

20 days to go, including today! So many goals in sight and I have a few on my mind for next year!!

Countdown to 2011 -- 21 days to go!

Going away party was last night. 12/11/2010.

It was great to get together with my whole team and have great laughs, great food and a great night altogether.

I will be visiting South Carolina next week, will definitely have a better picture of the lay of the land.

Diet is well under way!! On track and holding strong for the holidays!

Countdown to 2011!! 22 Days to Go!

Why I love to read...

I guess you could say it is the journey...a collective communication, identifying levels of unity, finding ways to expand my mind. I guess you could say that I really don't know all the reasons...but, I do know that I find comfort, engagement and inspiration in books. I feel better when I am surrounded by books. I feel more connected to the world and reading often serves as a way to find common ground with other people. I think that we can relate through many ways, but television is sooooo easy. When you have read the same book as someone, you took part in a sacrifice of your time, as did they, and you each independently went through the same or a similar journey. And you can each share your "battle wounds" so to speak.

A problem I have with books is that even when they are bad, I keep reading. I cannot stop. I get very angry when I read a bad book or when I read a very good book with a terrible ending. I hate when the writer gets lazy at the end of such a huge journey. And I may refuse to read that author ever again, but once I start a book, I like to complete it. There was a reason it was put in front of me. There was a serendipitous moment when I decided that there was something between those book covers for me and I am thoroughly disappointed when I am wrong. Luckily, I have been right waaaaay more often then wrong. I can honestly say that I get something from almost every book I read.

Since I am so scattered, I do usually have 5 or 6 going at once. Right now I have 3. I am reading The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho, The Book of Fred by Abby Bardi, and How I Became Stupid by Martin Page. I am also starting Dexter a Showtime Series.

But, I guess that it is art and I have an appreciation for art and how each of us express our human experience.

Countdown to 2011!! 23 Days to Go! Here are a few of my favorite things!

  

This is my favorite tea right now! So delicious...It is Ceylon tea, super strong and never bitter. Got it in California at a quaint little arabic tea store.

This is my favorite cup right now to drink my favorite tea out of. I definitely rotate through tea cups; but this one says, "Strive for excellence, not perfection." This is a very good motto to live by and I am always striving for excellence!

This is my favorite sweetener. I always drink it and love it so much. It has the texture of sugar, but it is all natural and a bit sweeter. It doesn't affect blood sugar and has little to no impact on Glycemic Index.

Countdown to 2011!! 24 Days to Go!

I was off today and sick. Sick as a dog! I have been suffering with various degrees of illness since the Sunday after Thanksgiving...not cool. Yesterday I went to work and had pink eye, today I stayed home and my eye was okay, but I was differing degrees of pale and pasty all day and could barely talk. Actually feeling okay, except now getting cramps and S T A R V I N G. But, mind over matter, right?

Today I tried Beef and Noodles in Teriyaki Sauce for the first time. It was really good, but it did have a bit of a sweet taste to it. I have another one...so, next time I am going to brown some onions and mushrooms, add some crushed red peppers. I think it will j a z z it up quite a bit. It was pretty good though and I would definitely eat it again!!

Still in the package...

Plated, though I didn't do anything with it today...

Countdown to 2011!! 25 Days to Go!

Today was a super long day! Food was good and I planned my first trip to South Carolina. Will be going next Thursday...have a meeting with the new team as well as a Christmas Party!

Super excited!
Super tired!

Ate well, but now needing rest...

Countdown to 2011!! 26 Days to Go + Week 20 Weigh-in!

Week 20 Weigh-in!!
My weight this morning was 212.8 pounds!! Yay!
Loss for week 20: 2.2 lbs
Total loss on Nutrisystem: 34.2 pounds
Loss for the year: 84.2 pounds

Feeling pretty good about this, super pumped!

Still have dinner and dessert to eat...but have had a great day today.

Breakfast was pancake mix with 1/2 c. turkey sausage crumbles and 1/2 banana. For lunch, had sushi with the hubs at a local sushi joint; I had the sashimi albacore with jalepeno, trail mix bar, and some squash as my veggies. Also had a bowl of Miso soup. Delicious!!

Probably gonna have pizza for dinner and may hop over to the gym for a workout...but, got some Christmas shoppng done and, generally, had a great day off!

Countdown to 2011 - 27 days to go!!

As we speak (or as I type,) I am watching Top Gear US...they are in South Carolina, "the Heart of the Rural South." I have to admit that my sense of adventure is a little waned by the images they are presenting on screen. Moving is already a really scary thing, and then I get inundated with images of squalor in my relocation destination! I mean, I am accustomed to a degree of you know, Southern Comfort...but bootlegged alcohol and cars in yards? Yikes!

Besides that, my 20th week on Nutrisystem ends today and I am excited about tomorrow's weigh-in. Feeling a little bloated, but excited nonetheless. I have elected to purge my Nutristash of the things I am not too fond of. My mother-in-law, who originally got me started on the program when she stopped doing it and gave me a month's worth of food, is going to give it a go again.

Things I am gifting her:
1. Veggie Fajita
2. Veggie Sloppy Joe's
3. Pasta Primavera w/Tofu
4. Mushroom Risotto
5. Buffalo Chicken Wrap (not all of them, but several)
6. Pretzels
7. Herb Snack Mix
8. Green Pepper Steak w/Rice
9. Salisbury Steak w/Rice
10. Fettuccine Alfredo
11. Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
12. Maple Oatmeal

Tonight for dinner I had a Flame Broiled Beef Patty w/cheese and 1T. bacon bits (free food!)
I used my 3 veggie servings to pig out on squash fries...probably not a good choice because of the spices and salt, but I was really feelin' it!



Fun Picture from my trip to California in October! I have lost 6 or 7 lbs since then.
Photographed with my dear friend Tegan.



12/4/2010 - Cool Link!

For Humans who love to eat!
Most foods are Nutrisystem friendly!!
http://skinnyjns4me.blogspot.com/

Countdown to 2011 - 28 days to go!!

Saturday...

I have been working several Saturdays a month for the last 5 years. Today was my last Saturday, at least for awhile, and I couldn't be more excited! I need to document it on my calendar and celebrate this momentous occasion. December 4, 2010! Don't get me wrong, I am willing to do whatever it takes to get my work done, and if that means working on Saturday--done! But this is my last obligatory Saturday that I am committed to work. 

28 days left of 2010, including today...so little time, so much to do!

Plans are to workout Sunday and Monday (I am off both days!)
Ate on plan today, almost done with 5 months (20 weeks). 

Countdown to 2011 - 29 days to rock 2010!!!!

Today was so busy! Work was crazy, had an insane workout at the gym, everything was pushed to the limit. I am getting more and more excited about moving to South Carolina...really starting to feel like it is a reality! Ready to ROCK the rest of 2010!!!

Nutrisystem was good to me today!

Breakfast: Blueberry pancakes in my pancake puffin pan with 1 teaspoon of sugar-free blackberry jam stirred in; 2 turkey sausage links; 1/2 banana mashed with 1 teaspoon crushed walnuts

Lunch: Fudge Graham Bar, 4oz. V8, carrots, 2 turkey dogs

Snack: 2 Clementines, 1 turkey dog, 1 light cheese stick

Dinner: Pot Roast with Veggies (just found out this was discontinued **frown**), 4oz. V8, carrots, Pear crisps

Dessert: Chocolate Pudding (prepared with 1/4 c. fat-free half and half instead of 1/2 c. skim milk, then add a dollop of fat free whipped cream on top). It tastes like a fantastic MOUSSE!!!!



Highly recommend! Tastes like Mousse!



Countdown to 2011 - 30 days to go!

As I embark on another big move, I keep reflecting on my time California and how incredibly happy I was there. I met some amazing people and had such a good routine. Things fell apart a little when I first got to Texas and have slowly come back together.

After I had been there a few months, I had a completely serendipitous meeting with an amazing woman named Noelle. I was taking some exercise classes at 24 hour fitness. I was really large (at lease 270 pounds), so had not taken a few of the more challenging classes out of fear that I wouldn't be able to do the moves. It was a Thursday and the regular instructor was not there, Noelle was there. Noelle said that they had all gone out the night before and a lot of them had gotten drunk, but Noelle is Japanese and has that allergy that a lot of Asian people have, so she didn't drink. The regular instructor was still drunk at 5:30 in the morning, so Noelle agreed to fill in.

I worked so hard in that class. I pushed myself and tried every move. Noelle introduced herself and suggested I should come to her boot camp class the next morning. I was pretty scared and said, "do you think I can do it? I am really big, I don't want to hold the class back." She said, "you should see how hard you are already working! You can totally rock the boot camp class! And if some of the moves are too difficult, I will give you some alternates." So I agreed to go to the class. I showed up the next morning filled with both excitement and fear. The class was as hard as I expected! But it was also really fun. Noelle kept her promise and gave me alternatives to the moves that I physically wasn't capable of doing.

I became a regular in her class. And after going for a few weeks, Noelle told me that she was about to stop teaching the bootcamp class at 24 hour fitness and would be opening her own bootcamp. She invited me to be one of her Guinea Pigs to try out different exercises and different formats for the class. I was so excited but knew that I couldn't afford it. I was new to California and definitely not accustomed to the expense of California Livin'. She told me not to worry about it, she wanted me in her class.

That bootcamp group; which I was part of until the day I moved became such an integral part of who I am to this day. It was first held in a park in Mission Viejo until it found its permanent home at Grand Park in Aliso Viejo. Grand park is BEAUTIFUL!! There is a stadium type area with fountains, walking trails and plenty of grassy hills...all manicured to the highest quality. A true treat in the heart of a conglomerate of shops.

The mornings in Grand Park are the foundation for every moment in my life. I was pushed beyond what I thought possible, challenged by everyone there, and came face to face with obstacles. I watched mountains burning, sun rises and shooting stars all while running up and down hills. I got yelled at by apartment dwellers, learned how to flirt with cops, and learned how to release things that were out of my control without any excuses. Every single day of my life, I am thankful for that serendipitous meeting with Noelle. I am so glad she saw something in me and taught me how to see that something in myself.

(Noelle's website: http://www.totaltransformation.us/)

I am in the green Dunder Mifflin t-shirt (back row, 1 from the left);
Noelle is in the front, white tank top



Countdown to 2011 - 31 Days to Go!!

So, for the remainder of 2010, I am going to make a daily blog entry. This is an exciting time for me because, in addition to my journey to health, I have accepted a new position and will be relocating at the beginning of the year (from Fort Worth, Texas to Fort Mill, South Carolina--yep, my first time to live in a state with 2 words!).

At the beginning of 2010, I set a goal to lose 101 pounds for the year. My starting weight was 297 pounds. Right now, I weight 215 pounds...sitting at 82 pounds down so far for the year. 19 pounds in 31 days seems pretty out of the question, but I am going to do everything in my power to get as close to 101 pounds this year!

I started 2010 at 297 pounds and am presently at 215 pounds. Typing those numbers and reflecting on how far I have come is really great! All that work summarized in a few words. It is cool to be moving to...the new people who will make up the fabric of my community will not see where I have come from, they will not know that I was 80 pounds heavier (and at one point weighing in at 370 pounds) unless I choose to share that with them. I will have the freedom to just be me, not "that girl who lost a bunch of weight."

So, with 31 days left of 2010, I have some sort of cold/flu/throat illness. I had to take Nyquil last night and I was feeling pretty good as I fell asleep. My husband said I woke up in the middle of the night and belted out, "Go for the GOLD!!" Not sure what I was dreaming about, but seems like I was inspired in my sleep. 

Protein and fruit pancakes

 

Today, for breakfast, I made pancake mix with fat free half and half and topped with 1 serving (40 calories) of gravy. 1 serving of turkey sausage and 1/2 banana. For lunch, I had dinner! I ate the Beef Tacos, topped with salsa, 1 slice of tomato and cilantro. I didn't add a protein since it was a dinner entree. For my afternoon snack, I ate the other half of my banana mashed into protein pancakes (big train 1/4 cup with 2T. ff half and half) and 1 teaspoon chopped walnuts (see photo). Delicious! I haven't had dinner or my evening snack yet, but am either going to have soup or pot roast with veggies.. Then a small salad and some cookie dessert.