Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hey ladies, I thought I would stop in one final time before I leave for the great state of Iowa tomorrow!!! First, I just want to say that I am so thankful for your support and help. I have never really done this well with my weight loss attempts in the past and I know that a large part of that is because you are both here to listen, offer advice and share your struggles as well. I am also thankful for my family and health. This has been an excellent year and I think things are just going to be getting better! Second, I have some good news. I think I finally convinced my sister to join our blogging efforts. What I really like about this blog is that we're all doing things a little differently and we can share insights from our own personal experiences. Karla is considering the lapband procedure and is in the inital phase which is nutritional counseling. If she is able to make positive changes in her weight/health in the next 6 months she hopes to be able to skip the procedure all together. I know that she has learned a lot of helpful tips since she started the counseling that I think we can all use. I'll let her tell you more about her story when she writes but she is a store manager for McDonalds so I'm sure you can understand the kind of challenges she faces on a daily basis. However, I have one thing to ask you before she starts. The reason that Karla hasn't started blogging is because she is very nervous to write. She is a terrible speller (she's dyslexic) and is very self-conscious about the fact. I told her that neither one of you would care or make fun of her but she asked me to ask you to be kind just in case. So, not that I have to tell you but I just want to comply with my sisters wishes.

Ok, have a great holiday and I will see/talk to you soon!!

Good news and thanksgiving!

Hey ladies. I hope that your weekends are going well and that you've had success with eating, exercising and/or life in general. I'm still working hard to reach my goal of being under 300 by new years and let me tell you I had a great experience this morning. I usually don't weigh myself more than once a week but I was curious this morning. I struggled all day yesterday trying to only eat when I was truly hungry. It's not always easy to resist (I'm sure you know that feeling all too well). Although temptation was there, I have oreos, wheat thins, peppermint bark and a cinnamon crunch bagel from panera in my apartment right now, I was able to behave myself. Before I got in the shower this morning I decided that I'd step on the scale just to see what it said; much to my surprise I was at 305! I haven't been able to get below 307 since we've started blogging and working with eachother. I was so happy. I know for the average person weighing 305 pounds wouldn't be an exciting event but it means that the hard work and LOADS of self-discipline are working. This bit of good news came at just the right time also. I was feeling really frustrated last night because of the cravings I'd been having lately (it's been especially bad the last 2 weeks because my period is that far overdue and my hormones are all out of whack) and even though I overcame the desire to gorge on everything here it was so hard some of the time. I will be totally honest with you, when I have that strong of a desire to do something I know is bad I almost feel a bit pathetic, more than a bit in all actuality. I can't believe that I've let food develop such a hold on me. Of course this type of thinking turns into a viscious cycle...I'm upset so I eat to console myself and then I develop a stronger bond with food, then I gain weight and then I get even more upset...see where I'm going with this? Anyway, getting a little closer to my first real, numeric goal is really, really invigorating! I've done really well with eating today, I'm actually getting hungry right now and will have a snack when I get done typing this message. I also got in a 25 minute workout. It's not a hardcore workout by any means but I got my heart rate up and did some light resistance training. They say every journey starts with a single step, I guess I'll have to add some more steps in here soon though if I want the journey to continue.

So, good news covered now onto thanksgiving. In this blog we are focusing on, quite possibly, the biggest struggle in our lives at the moment...our weight. I know that it is so easy to get discouraged and frustrated and see the negative in things. I do it, we all do. So, to get in the spirit of things I think it would be nice for us to think about the things that we are truly thankful for and share these thoughts with eachother. If you'd like to, sometime before Wed (that's when I leave and I'll no longer have internet access until I'm back in Michigan) let me know what you're thankful for (Leann, if you'd like to do this you can comment on our blog or post it on yours).

Alright ladies...back to laundry and packing.

Cheers!

Disappointed but not discouraged!

Well ladies....I don't know what the hell I was thinking last night! We went to Panera to hang out with a friend. Gavin and I got supper there.....I had a bowl of my usual cheddar broccoli soup and half of a turkey artichoke panini. I made sure to drink water instead of getting my desired hot chocolate. We ran some errands afterwards. Rented some movies and I had to buy ink cartridges for my stupid printer. Well I had a craving for ice cream so I went to the ice cream store designed by the devil: Coldstone Creamery. I was kind of proud of Gavin though. He got ice cream for the first time. He usually gets sorbet and barely eats it. He got a "Love It" size of chocolate with oreo. I also got a "love it" size of coffee ice cream with almonds added. But to top it off, we were sent home with samples of their new ice cream pies.

So we came home and ate our ice cream and started watching movies. I proceeded to eat a container of chili. I also munched on some cheese. I kept thinking I had to eat so I mindlessly snacked. Grrr. After working this morning, Gavin and I went to "The Cafe". I just felt like going out to eat again. I knew I could make something good at home but nope...let's spend some money I don't have. I got their Mac 'n Cheese and almost ate it all. I felt so horrible because I ate too much. I serious felt ill when we drove home. But that's not the worst of it. I bought dessert and brought it home. I just ate 1/4 of it. I saw the tiramisu and thought I'd like to eat it later. It tastes good but I could have done without. At least I didn't scarf it all down.

Weight Watcher's warns people to watch out for binging or careless eating during holiday weeks. Even though I'm aware that it happens, I still let myself eat unwisely in the last 24 hours. I'm so disappointed. But hey, I will count my points the rest of the day and for the days up to Thanksgiving. I also HAVE to listen to my hunger. I'm overeating and my body is telling me to knock it off by making me feel sick. I wasn't even very hungry at lunch and I tried to eat the whole meal. Grrr again!

I am better than this! I know I can maintain my weight this week!

Random thoughts on a Saturday morning...

Good morning ladies! I just have to say that today started with an absolutely GORGEOUS morning!!! I was in bed last night by 11:20 which lead to me being wide awake at 7:00 this morning. Normally I get really frustrated about this but I was refreshed and just a touch on the warm side so I decided, what the hell, might as well get up. The sun was just starting to rise and I noticed something that seemed quite odd to me when I looked out my window...I still have ducks!! Shouldn't' t these little guys have migrated by now? Anyway, I thought about all of the ways that I could spend my early morning hours and decided that the thing that would make it the best would be to bundle up and go for a walk (I love, love, LOVE chilly walks)!!! As it was a wopping 20 degrees (felt like 13 with windchill) I threw on my long underwear (and don't laugh, every good Iowa girl should have a pair), jeans, cami, long sleeved tee, sweatshirt, fleece, mittens and scarf; grabbed my iPod and I was out the door. It was amazing! The air smelled so clean and fresh and it was just a bit on the nippy side...the perfect start to my day. (Side note: as I was getting ready for my walk I looked down at my hand and noticed that my ring had been moved. Apparently in my sleep last night I decided that the ring I always wear on my right hand should reside on my left...it's too weird though so I'll have to change that back).

Now, onto weight loss...after all, it is the main reason for this blog. I have been bad this week ladies. I stuck to my goal of eating something for lunch everyday this week which is good but I didn't do so well for dinners. I don't want to make excuses so I'm not going to. I think part of my problem is that I'm so overweight right now that I have a really hard time seeing this weight loss/lifestyle change thing working. In my head I have my final goal of 100 pounds and it seems unreachable. When I realize that right now it's unreachable I give up. I CANNOT do that. I will not let myself or you down like that. As soon as one of us gives up I feel like it allows the rest of us to do so. I won't be the start of that. When I frantically scrawled my last post on here I was thinking about this a lot. I need to stop looking at the big picture...shocking, I know. I am such a big picture girl (if you were ever in a complex class or research group with me you'd know this). In school big picture is good, in a lifestyle change, not so much. I have decided that setting short term goals is how I need to approach my lifestyle change. This is why I have my 300 by 2009 campaign going. This morning I am going to make some signs to put on my fridge and cupboard that will remind me of my goal. It might work, it might not but in the very least it can't hurt.

Lastly, I have decided that I absolutely MUST drink more water. I was reading an article about diet pop again and it's just not the greatest thing to be drinking. Granted, I have one, maybe two cans per day but that is still not good. I have a pitcher in my fridge and my goal for the week (or today through Tuesday) is to drink one pitcher of water per day. This shouldn't be difficult for me as I love water.

OK ladies, that's all I've got for now and my cream of wheat is just sitting there looking so lonely. Have a great day and I can't wait to see/meet you both next weekend!!!

My holiday goal...

So, ladies. I have lots a grand total of 15 pounds since we've started this blog. It's great but I haven't lost any additional weight in the last few weeks. Fortunately I haven't been gaining but I haven't been losing either. I am getting tantilizing close to being under 300 and that makes me so happy. So, my goal, to give myslef the best Christmas present I can think of is to lose 7 pounds by New Years. I am going to have to watch what I eat like a hawk...starting right now and work out every day but I can do this. I am going to need lots of help though so it's your special job ladies to keep me motivated!

Ok, I will write more this weekend but I wanted to let you know what I was thinking right now!

Cheers!

Greetings ladies!

Well it was a Weight Watcher's day so it's time to add my 2 cents to this blog. I had a successful week...I am down another pound. I was hoping to hit my 15 lbs weight loss this week but I'm a little bit shy of that number. My goal for next week is to maintain my weight, I am not going to focus on losing. However, it would be nice to lose at least 0.2 and reach that 15 lbs goal. I didn't learn or hear anything earth shattering at WW but the leader had one good point. It is is important to monitor three things this week. You need to watch WHAT you eat and HOW OFTEN you eat. Yea I can't remember the third thing at the moment. Serves me right for not writing it down.

We basically looked at point values for all the common Thanksgiving foods so we understand portion control better. I already knew not to eat a ton of mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Pumpkin pie really surprised me though. It is 9 points per slice! Makes me happy that I don't like pumpkin. I have already decided that I won't keep track of my points that day but I'll listen to my hunger so I never get that "holy crap I'm stuffed" feeling.

She also warned us about the grazing that takes place before and after the meal. There seems to be a magnetic field between humans and the bowls of munchies that are set out. I'm not even sure what my family will have sitting out but I'll have to really think before I reach for snacks. A lot of people also overeat on Thanksgiving and it carries through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I REALLY don't want that to happen. Luckily I'll be really busy on my birthday and walking around a lot but I don't want the weekend to turn into a huge binge. I really don't think it will.

It would be nice to add in some activity when in Waukon besides speed walking during the shopping at 5am Friday morning. I'm hoping my mom will go on some walks or maybe I can get over to the new recreation center.

So ladies....what Thanksgiving foods are a must for you? I personally have to eat stuffing (I really like my Grandma Stika's homemade stuffing) and mashed potatoes. I'm not a huge turkey person but I'll eat a piece of white meat. I also dig cranberry sauce. I don't care for turkey gravy so I'm assuming I'll eat the potatoes with nothing on them. I'm fine with that. I also love green bean casserole. I have no idea what the menu is for the meal though....maybe some of the usual stuff won't be there. We are planning to make slush though. We haven't had that at a Stika gathering for a long time and I'm really looking forward to it. I have to remember that alcoholic drinks add up too calorie wise. But you gotta love rum or whatever else is in the concoction!

Sorry ladies...

Not an excuse just simple fact. This week has been crazy and I haven't had time to blog. I am doing well with food...not so much exercise but hopefully by this weekend I will be back on track. Stay strong and I'll give you more later....promise!

Living and learning some more.....

Well, I'm unhappy with my eating since Friday. I rewarded myself on Thursday since I lost weight. Thursday is typically the day when I use some of my extra points. (weight watchers gives you an extra 35 points to use as you wish during the week in addition to your daily points.) I did very well all throughout Friday night until I ate some cookie dough later in the night. Yesterday (Saturday) sucked in regards to my willpower. I did fine in the morning but overate slightly at lunch. I felt like I needed to polish off some tuna casserole. We went out of town for the rest of the day and ate at a diner. Part of me wanted to just get the salad bar but I saw that a lot of the salads had mayo in them (pasta salads, etc.) plus the only soup they offered was cheddar broccoli. So, I went with my gut since I was hungry and got chicken tenders with.......french fries! The meal also came with salad bar so still ate some of the not so good choices offered. I knew I shouldn't get the fries but I did and oh god they were good. Well, apparently the meal (primarily the french fries) is like a gateway food for me because I came home and kept eating. I know I went way over my 35 point daily limit for Weight Watchers. I wasn't necessarily eating junk food but I kept munching on cheese curds, fiber one bars, etc. Blah.

I did okay today though. I wrote down my food intake. I'm so happy that I bought some sour dough bread, turkey, and veggies for sandwiches because they have been so filling yet low in points. So back to Saturday.....I mentioned that french fries are a gateway food. Hehe, kind of like a gateway drug. It's like when I eat them....I lose all focus and say "oh screw it" and eat what I want and eat way too much! Basically any kind of appetizer sets me off.....cheese balls, nachos, etc. If I eat something yummy like that, it triggers me to keep eating like that throughout the meal (and after). Further proof that I need to avoid those foods for awhile until I have more control and a better handle on my eating behavior. I don't want to shut those foods out forever but I obviously can't indulge until managing my portions is habitual.

So are there any foods that do this to you? Anything that triggers unhealthy eating?

Annnnd....break!

Sorry, thought I'd stick the football theme for my title today. I didn't blog last night because I had SO much going on. I'm working on a scrapbook for my mom and it's quite difficult to do anything involving my hands (such as typing) when they're covered in paint, glue, glitter and tea (I'm using different colored teas to dye some of the paper).

Anyway, Jenny I am so glad that you had a positive experience at WW yesterday. It makes it a lot easier to stay on track when we have positive results from our efforts. I stepped on the scale and I'm still right where I've been for about 2 weeks now. I need to get back to really listening to my hunger and I think I will continue to lose. I didn't work out last night because I did a lot of squats in my workout on Wed and they about did me in. I can tell that I haven't been doing much of anything lately because my legs were so sore last night, especially my inner thighs (which is not a comfortable place to be sore). I still have some residual soreness so I'm just going to do a stretching routine tonight and call it good. Ideally I'll be back on track for a workout tomorrow. As horrible as the legs felt it's a good pain though. It's the pain that signifies that I got off of my ass and did something. I intend to keep doing a similar workout, I'll just decrease the reps until I get back to where I want to be.

Ok, ladies...major issue with me. I SUCK at eating. I have skipped lunch this week every day except for Monday. I need to not be doing this. Not only do I come home starving but I am messing up what's left of my metabolism. My problem is that I'm never hungry for what I bring for lunch. All I ever want to do is go to the cafeteria and make a salad or get a sandwhich or pizza or Chinese (we have an amazing cafeteria at our hospital). Not only would most of the food choices there be unhealthy but it's also very expensive. I haven't made a goal in a while but that is going to be my goal for next week. Not only will I continue to do some activity everyday I will also eat lunch everyday, NO EXCEPTIONS!

By the way Jenny, you NEVER have to apologize for listeing to Christmas music early to me. I sometimes get a hankering for it in the summer. It is so comforting and it always makes me think of home. I would listen to it year round but I don't have a wide enough variety.

Alright ladies...dinner time!

Cheers!

Jenny, you never have to apologize to me for listening to

I'm listening to Christmas music and if you don't like it......piss off!

Well today is a good day. I ran! I went running! If you don't believe me....my hamstrings will vouch for it. I'm in some pain but it's worthwhile. Yippee for exercise!

I also went to Weight Watcher's this morning. I have lost 2.2 lbs this week! Journaling my food intake always seems to be a pain in the ass but it's really helping me out. I wish I could embrace it better and not treat it like such a chore. I did my usual reward and got a bowl of Wisconsin Cheese soup along with my deli sandwich for lunch. I might get a small taco pizza tonight from Happy Joe's for supper too. I was tempted to get a medium but come on! Gavin isn't a huge fan (he'll probably have one piece) and I don't need all that food. A small is plenty big and plenty expensive.

I have to commend Nicole on her recent postings. You are a great motivator. I wish I had your energy! I felt much better immediately after reading your recent blog entry. Blogging was such a great idea, I'm so grateful that we do it.

I relate to the situation you described.....going home and starving at the same time. I'm kind of a dork and found a way to remedy that in Ames. I avoid certain streets when driving around after work. I don't let myself go down Lincoln Way so I don't see the signs for Taco John's or any other tasty place. I try to go directly home on residential streets so I don't see visual temptations. I just hate that Jimmy John's is so close to our apartment. I tend to crave their #3 (tuna) and it's high in fat and calories since it has mayo in it. And very wise on the afternoon snack....hopefully that continues to curb your hunger in the evening. Did you know those Fiber One bars are offered at Wal-Mart? A box of 5 is $2.00 and a box of 10 is around $4.50 which I have found is a lot cheaper than most grocery stores. I decided to live a little and bought the strawberry and peanut butter flavors today.

I was impressed with the discussion at Weight Watcher's today. The leader worked football into the message. She immediately grasped my attention. She basically said that success starts with a huddle. You have to communicate with those important to you for support in order to pursue your goal. I guess this blog is part of the huddle. Next she said that you must stick to your game plan. For WW, this means I have to continue journaling my food intake. It also means you continue to do what works....bringing an afternoon snack, not eating out as much, exercising, etc. We all fumble. We all screw up, slip up, snack too much, and don't exercise as much as we should. But like football, we have to grab the ball (our goal) and continue to run in the right direction despite fumbling. Too many people fumble once or twice and think "oh screw it" and don't allow themselves to work through the TEMPORARY failure. With that being said, you must keep your eye on the goal. Despite obstacles, distractions, holidays, etc.....you must remember your short term and long term goals. And finally, believe in your abilities and never quit.

I have started listening to Christmas music already. Yes, I know we haven't had Thanksgiving yet. But I find it soothing, calming, and relaxing. It's nice background noise for me. I've gotten a lot of shit for it lately but it could be worse. I can think of much worse music to be listening to. Happy eating and exercising!

Live and Learn...

I love that sentiment Jenny. I think that's what this whole experiment in lifestyle changing is about. Maybe we should make that our motto. Live and learn. Let me tell you, my whole life has been the living and now I'm trying to look back on it and make some sense. I feel like the blogging aspect of our journey is really, really helpful. Blogging has helped me to come to terms with some of the reasons I have failed in the past. I might not be able to entirely avoid some of these events but I am trying so hard to handle them. Everyday I think, hmmm....what should I eat, what should I do, how will this affect the effort, what will I say to the girls if I fuck up? Tonight is a great example. At work I was starving (something I will address in a minute) and I kept thinking that even though I have a very tastey and good for me casserole at home that I should go to Noodle and Co. and get there Wisconsin Mac 'n Cheese. Then I thought, NO! When I got home I contemplated just heating up my dinner and sticking a movie in and saying screw it to the exercise...and then I thought NO! I need to stop justifying my lazziness. In my head I think, most people take 1-2 days off of working out per week so why shouldn't I?!?!? I'll tell you why, most of these people don't weight 307 pounds and are working out a lot harder than I am right now. Plus, I knew that I would be really sad to write that I got lazy after 2 days...so, I came home and did about 20 minutes of moderate cardio again. And now, I'm tired and really, really, really hungry. But I have to say, I am also very happy!

Jenny, please, please, please don't ever feel like you shouldn't blog when you're struggling. That is actually the most important time to do it I think. I know it sucks to admit it when we are not doing great (seeing as we're strong and independent women) but if nothing else I can offer some moral support! Hang in there lady, you can do it!

Ok, so I have learned something this week that I need to share. I have got to start bringing a midafternoon snack to work with me. I am usually famished when I get home and then I snack while I'm making dinner or I decide that I don't want to wait to make dinner and I grab something (usually full of really yummy but bad things). This is bad. Either way I'm not eating the way I should be. So, from now on I think I'm going to start packing something. I took a banana today and it did the job well so I'll stick with bananas for now, however, I did try those Fiber 1 bars (I got the chocolate ones) and they are AMAZING...a bit on the pricey side but yum!

Anyway, I think my hunger is getting to me so I should stop my rambling and fix that. Head up Jenny, keep that head up!

Still a slacker!!!

First of all, I am so proud of you Nicole. Way to utilize Youtube.....I actually would have never thought about using that avenue for exercise. I didn't exercise today. Again. Dammit. I'm slipping into a steady routine of laziness. I'm napping way too much. Hell I shouldn't be napping at all. Basically I'm staying up way too late at night. I just can't settle and fall asleep like a normal person. Bah.

I'm back on track with my eating too. I'm really focused on losing at least a pound this week. I was so disappointed that I gained last week. I've been tracking my food intake and points so things are good. But yes, things would be progressing nicely if I exercised regularly. My bad habits actually had me avoid blogging. Didn't know what to type since I've been rather pessimistic. I do need to start incorporating new foods though. I'm starting to get sick of the foods I've been eating the last month or so. I still dig tomato soup but I've been eating a lot of portabello mushroom ravioli. I think its time to make more salads with chicken breast and extra veggies. Probably wouldn't kill me to make more home made food and use some Weight Watcher recipes that I get for free online.

Oh well, in the words of Nicole "tomorrow is a new day". I really need to get to the exercise clinic and make use of it. I'm going to really regret not using the free facilities at ISU when I'm shelling out money for gym memberships in the future. Blah! Live and learn....live and learn.

Gotta love Youtube!

So, I have to say that youtube is making it much easier for me to get my ass in gear and do some physical activity. I found some really decent aerobic mixes to do some cardio to here at home. It's not as cool as some of the coreography that aerobics instructors use but it gets my heart rate up and I always feel good when I work out. I only did 20 minutes today but I figure start slow and work my way up!

Well, it's a start...

So, I just got done with my 'work-out' for today. I got in about 20 minutes of moderate cardio mixed in with some light resistance training. I know it's not great but it is a start that I'm quite pleased with. I would love to write more and leave you all in awed amazement but I'm incredibly hungry and there is pasta and salad calling my name!

Slackers all...

Jenny, I'm calling us out. I feel that we have been slackers on our blog and our eating the last half of this week! I know that last night we were both nursing our emotions by eating things that were probably not the greatest things to be eating. However, today is a different day and we've nursed our wounds and now we MUST move on!

First and foremost a little praise...it's always good form to begin on a positive note! You seem to have good control of your eating for this stage in the game. Sure there are mishaps but for the most part you are making healthier choices and eating at appropriate times. I'm also doing well with the exception of about 2 days per week...which I'm working on. We're still in the initial stages of this and considering the fact that neither one of us has given up we're doing better than expected. Over 50% of people drop out of exercise/diet plans in this initial stage...I remember from Dr. Franke's class...we are WAY above the cut! Kudos to us! There is still a long journey ahead of us but at least we're on the right road and pointed in the right direction!

Now, I feel compelled to address an issue that we have both skirted around since we started this blog and concurrently our lifestyle change. Phyiscal activity. We've both noted the fact that we need to engage in more physical activity, which couldn't be anymore true. However, my dear, I don't think that we've actually mustered up enough gumption to make this a permanant part of our daily routines (I know I haven't and from our talks it doesn't sound like you have either). As lifestly change and blog buddies we need to come up with a way to effectively encourage one another to get our asses off the couch and do some exercise. Now, I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing (I tend to be a glass is half-full kinda girl myself) but due to our current physical conditions small, regular increases in physical activity will allow us to see weight loss. If you've ever had the privillege of reading studies that concerned training (whether it be cardio, weight, balance, flexibilitly etc.) those who have more room for improvement will see more change much more quickly (initially at least). If we can find a way to motivate ourselves to engage in activity I don't think we would see such platueauing in our weight loss attempts. More importantly, if this is truly a lifestlye change and not just a diet, making daily physical activity a part of our lives is something that will make us healthier and happier in 50 years. I don't know about you but I would love to be one of those 76 year olds who is still raising hell.

So, lets put our thinking caps on about this. There has to be a way that we can hold eachother accountable for activity even with this crazy distance. Hell, I'll go out and buy a headset for my phone and a Richard Simmons DVD for us both and we can sweat to the oldies together!

Let them have their pot!!!

I too am so excited that Obama won the race and will be our next president. I really hope that he is able to make some changes for the better. And yes, the state of Michigan did legalize the medicinal use of marijuana!

I LOVE Lane Bryant's Right Fit pant line. I was never able to buy pants that fit me appropriately. They either fit me in the legs and were super tight around the waist (producing that really sexy tire look) or they fit around in the waist and they are baggy in the ass (producing that really sexy I just dropped a load look). I have absolultey no figure so the yellow straight cut pants are PERFECT! It has taken some getting used to when it comes to the sizes and I really, REALLY dislike the variation of size between colors though. It's a bit disheartening to know that someone who weighs 50 pounds more than me wears the same size of jeans as me simply because I wear the yellow (the smallest cut) and she wears a red. It's not really a huge deal but just something to think about.

So, I have been very, very naughty this week. Work has been stressing me out because people are have been so cranky. The bitchiness is such a downer for me because I'm generally a happy go lucky kind of gal. I've definitly been drowning my sorrows in food. Also, my period is late so I'm having terrible cravings. I have decided to do a fast tomorrow. I feel like I really need to get back to a truly hungry state. I know that some people are really against fasting but every once in a while it's kind of refreshing. I need to get my ass back in gear and I think this will be a great way do it.

History has been made!!!

Hello...well I'm thrilled that Barack Obama has won the presidency. I really hope this initiates some change in our country next year because our nation obviously needs it badly. Did Michigan legalize pot Nicole? I wish Iowa voted about cool stuff like that.

So I have done a rotten job of journaling my food intake. I cannot remember the last time I wrote down my point usage so that means for weeks I don't know how much I'm eating throughout the day. I do listen to my hunger though so that helps me stop eating at night when I'm not truly hungry. Being that I'll have less points to use as I lose weight I think it's important to keep track of food intake well so I'm not allowing myself extra snacks. I know I'm going to reach a plateau before I lose my first 20 lbs so I really need to establish some control. However I am conflicted about journaling. I took a class last year that focused on normal eating. The instructor had major issues with Weight Watchers because writing down everything you eat is not normal. But I've justified so much snacking and non-hunger related eating over the years so I feel its important for me to look at what I'm putting into my body each day.

So here's a question about Lane Bryant...what do you think about them changing the size chart for jeans and pants last year? I for the most part don't like it. I have a hard time remembering my size now as well as what color I am. I appreciate that they have designed different styles of pants since women come in different shapes and sizes but I don't see what was wrong with the normal size chart. By changing the size range from 0-7 (or whatever it is) it makes me think that the store is trying to make women feel better by fooling them with a smaller number instead of them seeing a size 20. I thought about it a lot when I was buying an outfit for a wedding last month. I'd feel more satisfaction if I saw myself moving from a size 20 to a size 18 rather than a size 5 to 4.

Meat, potato and veggie casserole

Per Jenny's request, here is the recipe for one of my favorite childhood casseroles!

-1lb lean ground beef
-1 pkg. onion soup mix (the beefy onion or onion and mushroom are the best)
-1 egg
-1/2 c. bread crumbs

mix all of the indgredients up and either make and brown meatballs or just brown it and leave it in big chunks (it doesn't have to be cooked through completly but you want to cook it at least half of the way so your casserole doesn't get greasy. It is very important to use a lean beef for this recipe. Once it is cooked spread out evenly in the bottom of a cake pan/baking dish.

Next--
-1 c. baby carrots or 3 full sized carrots peeled
-1 small head of cabbage (or 1/2 of a large head)
-1/2 of a medium onion

Shred the carrots finely (I use a salad shooter, you could do this by hand with grater or buy shredded carrots). Chop the onion well. Chop or shredd the cabbage (you could also cheat and use the dole coleslaw mix...it's usually just cabbage with a few carrots in it). Mix these ingedients and spread evenly over the meat.

Then, thinly slice 2 large baking potatoes (skin on) and layer them on top of the other veggies. I then generally lightly salt and pepper the top of the potatoes and sprinkle on some grated parmesan cheese. Over your casserole pour on tomato juice (pour on enough to cover the potatoes...shake it down and make sure there is enough liquid (remember that the cabbage will release some liquid).

Bake, covered with tinfoil, for 2 hrs or until the potatoes are cooked. You can then sprinkle on a bit more parmesan and melt it. Let sit for 5 minutes before you serve it.




Variations and quick fixes.
-instead of the tomato juice use a can of cream of mushroom and cream of celelry soup. Mix with 2 cans of milk and pour over top.
-to make this a faster meal use frozen shredded hasbrowns instead of raw potatoes. Follow all of the directions the same and bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes and cabbage are cooked through.

You can serve this with lettuce salad if you'd like or cottage cheese (if that's your think). We always had garlic bread with it too!

Gotta love daylight savings time!!!

Happy daylight savings ladies (and a late happy halloween too!). Due to th fact that my body thought it was an hour later than it actually was I have been up since 7:30 this morning...go me. While there are a lot of people who I know that would be very frustrated by this I find it quite invigorating! I truly enjoy the early'ish' morning hours and like the quiet time. Even though I live alone I still feel that these hours are a little bit quiter than the others. I never turn on the t.v. or radio. I just spend time doing some things for myself (have a cup of coffee, check up on my news websites, take a long shower etc).

Last week was a bumpy week for me. I did a lot of things well and I did some things that were not all that great. I will share my Thursday with you as a prime example. Thursday morning I got up and headed to work. I was hungry when I got there so I did my first-thing-in-the-morning duties at work and then I headed off to grab my breakfast (a banana and cup of coffee). It was a slow day at work and I had not gotten enough sleep the night before so I kept myself awake and coherent by drinking lots and lots of coffee...yummy, but it makes me not want to eat. Lunch time rolled around and I simply had no interest in eating the soup I brought for lunch...so I didn't (which is the number one rule...don't eat if you're not hungry!). Because I had eaten approximately 150 calories all day I decided that I could splurge on dinner and go out. Well all I wanted was guacamole so I decided to hit up Qdoba...it's a restaurant similar to a Chipotle/Poncheros only WAY better! I got a burritor and chips and guac. Now, calorie wise I was still within a standard daily allotment...infact for the day I probably ended up around 1600 claories which is a number that I should be around now. However, knowing this made me justify eating the WHOLE DAMN THING!!!! It was WAY to much food for me. I was sick all night.

Ever since we've started this blog and I've been paying more attention to how I feel before I eat, what I eat and how I feel after eating I have come to some conclusions.
A) I still eat when I'm bored, lonely and emotional...Jenny your tip from WW (if hunger isn't the problem then food isn't the answer) is helping but I still struggel here.
B) When I eat for hunger I tend to crave and desire healthier, homecooked foods. When I eat for appetite I want crap.
C) I LOVE Chinese food. I crave it more than I crave any other bad-for-me food. I always, ALWAYS feel shitty after eating it. Even if I eat a normal portion. I think it's just too greasy for my stomach to handle.
D) I NEVER feel sick if I don't over eat.

I didn't weigh myself this weekend because mother nature is taking over and I think it would be disheartening to weigh myself right before menstruation (I spelled it correctly just for you Leann)! I've actually decided that to avoid monthly fluctuations in weight that I will refrain from weighing myself every week and do it on a monthly schedule that coordinates with this special time of month. If I do it one week after every month I can't justify weight gain on hormones!

Alright ladies...enjoy the rest of your weekend and I hope that you have a wonderful week! Stay strong!

Spelling is overrated.....

Okay....my bad. It is spelled menstruation. Not menstration. Hooked on phonics failed me. I am currently congested (may be due to the flu mist I got) so sleeping is a currently issue. I've done well with the Halloween candy. Gavin actually got a lot of candy that I don't like. It's been easy to avoid the candy bucket. I got a box of Fiber One bars tonight too. They are excellent. They have 9 grams of fiber in one bar. And yet they taste good!

Since my mom and sister visited, a bunch of family met at a local Italian buffet and I did quite well. My stomach is definitely shrinking and I was unable to eat as much as I did in the past. I could have easy eaten 4 plates of food this summer but all i had tonight was one salad plate and one main course plate of food. I didn't even finish my main course plate. The place features stuff like pizza, pasta, soups, and it actually had a lot of comfort food like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, etc. I didn't even eat my macaroni and cheese. I could tell I was full so I didn't want to push it and make myself sick. Oh well. The fact of the matter is that I ate out a lot in the last two days. It's amazing how guests make you feel like you're entitled to eat out when they visit.

I have more to say but no energy to type it so I'll continue this later in the week.