Greetings:
I had a very successful week back on the Weight Watcher's bandwagon. I lost 6.4 lbs!! I do have a confession to make....I did not keep track of my points. I just made better food choices, listened to my hunger levels, and kept myself busy so I wouldn't resort to any mindless eating. I know when the weight stops coming off so easily, I'll have to count my points more carefully. I also allowed myself to go out to eat at a Mexican buffet but made wise choices (yes that is possible at a Mexican buffet). It was easier this time around to meld the healthy lifestyles into my actual life. We even went bowling at the new recreation place in Ames and I had some breaded cheese curds and bread sticks.
It was easier than I anticipated to change up my eating but I still need to greatly increase my activity levels. I'm also wondering (and worrying) when my cravings for junk will kick in with full force. Once in awhile this past week I'd crave my usual meal at Taco John's or some of my junk food from Hy-Vee but I was able to resist and eat something healthier. I did let myself eat my Grilled Chicken Burrito after the weigh-in on Monday as a reward. I hope that reward is gratifying enough to last another week or so. Luckily I am starting to crave healthy foods....surprisingly Subway has been on my mind a lot.
So what are some foods that you know you need to eat less? Here is my list:
Taco John's foods, cream based soups sold at the deli in Hy-Vee (chicken tortilla and cheesy potato), cheesy potatoes, and pop
I still plan to eat all those things listed above but I've really cut down on my servings. I actually haven't missed pop very much. I enjoy my food more when I'm not consuming pop with it.
My mom and sister are coming to visit next week and it sounds like we are going to Adventureland for a day. I'm expecting some disappointment that day because I'm not any smaller than I was 2 years ago when we went to Valley Fair. My caboose couldn't fit into some rides that summer so my caboose won't be fitting into everything this year either. I cannot wait for the day when I can fit onto any ride I want. I just hope I'm not too old so I'm not breaking a hip if I get flipped upside down or something.
Hope you're having a good week!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Recipe to Share
Hey all:
While shopping at Hy-Vee the other day, I had the opportunity to try a recipe they were sharing with the public. Actually, I tasted it twice....very yummy! It's also very simple.
Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
12 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Mix in beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, and corn; cook until heated through.
2. Spread 6 tortillas with equal amounts of the bean/veggie mixture. Sprinkle with equal amounts of cheddar cheese and use remaining 6 tortillas to create tops of quesadillas.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place quesadillas in the skillet and cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and both sides are lightly brown.
Serves 12 if you portion it out appropriately. I'll obviously be reducing the size of the recipe.
If I actually use the oil-skillet method, I'm going to use olive oil. I do prefer mine be lightly browned but I may sacrifice that desire and just melt them on the George Foreman grill to make it healthier. I also may try wheat tortillas or sun-dried tomato tortillas.
Enjoy! Let me know what you think!
While shopping at Hy-Vee the other day, I had the opportunity to try a recipe they were sharing with the public. Actually, I tasted it twice....very yummy! It's also very simple.
Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
12 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Mix in beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, and corn; cook until heated through.
2. Spread 6 tortillas with equal amounts of the bean/veggie mixture. Sprinkle with equal amounts of cheddar cheese and use remaining 6 tortillas to create tops of quesadillas.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place quesadillas in the skillet and cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and both sides are lightly brown.
Serves 12 if you portion it out appropriately. I'll obviously be reducing the size of the recipe.
If I actually use the oil-skillet method, I'm going to use olive oil. I do prefer mine be lightly browned but I may sacrifice that desire and just melt them on the George Foreman grill to make it healthier. I also may try wheat tortillas or sun-dried tomato tortillas.
Enjoy! Let me know what you think!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Energy....anyone have any they could lend me?
Or maybe I should be more correct and ask if anyone has any energy I could have? The last couple weeks have been rough. I had a great time on vacation to Chicago with Jon but as soon as I came back my energy level (and mood) plummeted. I've not felt like myself either...I miss perky energetic Jenny. My workload at the Red Cross did suck a lot out of me but I honestly thought I'd rebound from that since this week isn't so stressful. I think my weight may be a strong factor in this situation...studies show that mental health and energy do improve when pounds are shed. Needless to say, I'm very anxious to look better and FEEL better.
I attended Weight Watcher's on Monday night and was surprised to find a different leader for the meeting. Not sure what I think of her yet....she tried to be humorous so that always gives them points in my book. I've really been watching what I'm eating this week so I'm hoping that my effort is recognized when I step on the scale on Monday. I'm not comfortable reporting what my weight is yet but I was rather shocked to see the number on Monday night. I really wish I had more energy because I want to exercise more regularly too. Here are some changes that I'm implementing this week:
--bought more nutritious options at the grocery store (soups, meat & veggies for sandwiches, low calories ice cream treats, etc.)
--not eating in front of the TV so I focus on what I'm eating and enjoy the food more...instead of cramming it into my mouth at record speed.
--trying to pinpoint a time at night that I shouldn't eat after...8:30pm may be a good choice for me
--only eating when I'm hungry...my mood has been odd lately and I don't want to use food to make myself feel better. I'm hoping my new healthy choices will cause me to feel better as the week progresses.
More blogging to come! I always enjoy writing on here yet I have not posted much at all this summer or even this year.
Jenny
I attended Weight Watcher's on Monday night and was surprised to find a different leader for the meeting. Not sure what I think of her yet....she tried to be humorous so that always gives them points in my book. I've really been watching what I'm eating this week so I'm hoping that my effort is recognized when I step on the scale on Monday. I'm not comfortable reporting what my weight is yet but I was rather shocked to see the number on Monday night. I really wish I had more energy because I want to exercise more regularly too. Here are some changes that I'm implementing this week:
--bought more nutritious options at the grocery store (soups, meat & veggies for sandwiches, low calories ice cream treats, etc.)
--not eating in front of the TV so I focus on what I'm eating and enjoy the food more...instead of cramming it into my mouth at record speed.
--trying to pinpoint a time at night that I shouldn't eat after...8:30pm may be a good choice for me
--only eating when I'm hungry...my mood has been odd lately and I don't want to use food to make myself feel better. I'm hoping my new healthy choices will cause me to feel better as the week progresses.
More blogging to come! I always enjoy writing on here yet I have not posted much at all this summer or even this year.
Jenny
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Happy Summer!
Hello ladies! While I know it's not technically summer for another few weeks I feel like Memorial Day really starts the season. I figure almost all pools open Memorial Day weekend and what is a truer sign of summer than the blue, chlorinated goodness of a swimming pool. I had all intentions of taking advantage of the newly opened pool at my apartment complex this weekend but sadly it didn't happen.
Although I didn't get in any pool time I did have a nice long weekend. On Saturday I spent the day at the zoo in Toledo. It was a warm but very nice day and it was lots of fun. The animals were adorable as always, especially the baby polar bear. There was a lot of sun but it was quite breezy and there was a lot of shade. I was able to get some color but didn't get burned...at least not until the drive home (my driving arm got a little toasted). When I got back to Ypsi I went over and spent some time with my friend Chris. She can't be out in the heat/sun while on doing chemo so she's been home bound lately.
Sunday was church. After worshiping God I had planned on doing a bit of sun worship at the pool, however, my apartment complex had other plans. I got everything ready but when I got to the pool there was a sign saying that the pool was closed for the day. I was very sad but made the most of the day. I did a bit of shopping, or at least attempted shopping, and worked on reading a book. I am a big fan of a series by Kim Harrison. It's a fantasy series about a witch, vampire and pixie who run a bounty hunter/detective type firm. The author released a new book this spring and I realized that I was actually two books behind in the series. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up soon. Other than that I have a few other books that I'm hoping to listen too soonish. On my days at work that I have to scan Holters I like to listen to audio books. Right now I have 'Tuck Everlasting' and 'Coraline' on my iPod. I've never read either book but I want to read the former because it's been my sister's favorite book since she was young and I would like to read the latter because I really liked the movie. I'll let you know what I think when I've listened to them.
Yesterday was pretty cruddy here as it basically rained all day. I spent the day inside feeding my newest addiction. I have Netflix and have slowly been working my way through the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. Now I realize that I'm about a decade late in catching onto the Buffy fever but we didn't have the WB growing up (I think that's what station it was on) and I had never seen an episode before they became available for instant view on Netflix. Almost all of my friends LOVED the show so I thought I would see what all of the fuss was about. It's fairly entertaining but I will admit to being glad when they transitioned out of the 90s and into the 2000s. Not only have the clothes gotten better but I don't have to hear the word 'sitch' any more.
Anyway, there are some other things that I want to discuss but I think I'll do another post. Have a great day ladies!
Although I didn't get in any pool time I did have a nice long weekend. On Saturday I spent the day at the zoo in Toledo. It was a warm but very nice day and it was lots of fun. The animals were adorable as always, especially the baby polar bear. There was a lot of sun but it was quite breezy and there was a lot of shade. I was able to get some color but didn't get burned...at least not until the drive home (my driving arm got a little toasted). When I got back to Ypsi I went over and spent some time with my friend Chris. She can't be out in the heat/sun while on doing chemo so she's been home bound lately.
Sunday was church. After worshiping God I had planned on doing a bit of sun worship at the pool, however, my apartment complex had other plans. I got everything ready but when I got to the pool there was a sign saying that the pool was closed for the day. I was very sad but made the most of the day. I did a bit of shopping, or at least attempted shopping, and worked on reading a book. I am a big fan of a series by Kim Harrison. It's a fantasy series about a witch, vampire and pixie who run a bounty hunter/detective type firm. The author released a new book this spring and I realized that I was actually two books behind in the series. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up soon. Other than that I have a few other books that I'm hoping to listen too soonish. On my days at work that I have to scan Holters I like to listen to audio books. Right now I have 'Tuck Everlasting' and 'Coraline' on my iPod. I've never read either book but I want to read the former because it's been my sister's favorite book since she was young and I would like to read the latter because I really liked the movie. I'll let you know what I think when I've listened to them.
Yesterday was pretty cruddy here as it basically rained all day. I spent the day inside feeding my newest addiction. I have Netflix and have slowly been working my way through the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. Now I realize that I'm about a decade late in catching onto the Buffy fever but we didn't have the WB growing up (I think that's what station it was on) and I had never seen an episode before they became available for instant view on Netflix. Almost all of my friends LOVED the show so I thought I would see what all of the fuss was about. It's fairly entertaining but I will admit to being glad when they transitioned out of the 90s and into the 2000s. Not only have the clothes gotten better but I don't have to hear the word 'sitch' any more.
Anyway, there are some other things that I want to discuss but I think I'll do another post. Have a great day ladies!
Ames Update
Hey Ladies:
I am going to send an update in a simplistic manner. I hope to create a weight loss/lifestyle change entry later this week. Here's the scoop:
-- Gavin is done with 4th grade on Friday! We are off to the Omaha Zoo the next day for a quick weekend get-away with Jon and my friends Marie and Brian
--our weekend in NE Iowa was very quick and I really wish I had felt better. My tooth hurt like hell and I was sick to my stomach due to the high dose of antibiotics I've been taking. Penicillin was a great discovery but it's horrible in doses of 500mg four times a day. I'm going back to the dentist tomorrow (Tuesday) to see what the heck is wrong with my tooth/jaw.
--Jon and I will have been dating for 7 months this week. He was surprised by the size of our family and the amount of people at all the gatherings. Not sure when he'll visit Waukon again but he liked the trip.
--we thought our TV in the living room had bit the dust before we left for Waukon on Friday afternoon. The sound stopped working for a bit....then the buttons on the TV stopped working....the remote wouldn't communicate with the TV, then the picture disappeared and the TV wouldn't shut off! It was weird. I had spilled a little water on the TV since I had watered plants that are on top of the TV but I didn't see how the water had gotten in the TV or anything. I left Ames that day really pissed off because I thought I'd have to buy a new TV with money I don't have. When we got back Sunday evening, the TV cooperated! The sound is back, the picture is back, and most of the buttons on the TV work again. Whew!
--Jon and I are taking a vacation to Chicago the 2nd week of June. We are leaving on the 8th and coming back on Saturday the 12th for a wedding here in Ames. The trip isn't very structured. Jon has specific restaurants he wants to eat at but our site-seeing isn't planned. We are seeing the Blue Man Group one of the nights so that should be exciting. I guess we are sitting behind the poncho row so hopefully I'm not hit with paint or Twinkies. I had considered seeing that act when they came to ISU awhile back but it never happened.
--Gavin is going to his first summer camp on the 20th of June and will spend the whole week at the 4H Center. He has another camp on the following week too. I can already tell the summer is going to fly by because all the dates and events are approaching so quickly.
--Tiffany and Gregg are moving away tomorrow. It saddens me that my last really close friend in Ames is moving away. My dental issues have also pissed me off because I was less available to Tiffany as she packed and she prepared. Grrr. I will regret not spending that time with her. Looks like I'll need to take a trip to Baltimore some time soon....maybe I'll swing by Michigan too!!
--my employment worries have been settled for the summer. I won't be working for the Red Cross as much as I had thought but will still have work through them each week. I will be doing some work for my past advising professor since she has Iowa-related tasks to complete now that she lives in Texas. I'm also teaching a summer class at ISU for part of July-August. Money will still be tight due to bills, school loan repayment, etc but at least I'm working.
--I won't know much about my fall employment until August. Sigh.
Hope everything is well with everyone!
I am going to send an update in a simplistic manner. I hope to create a weight loss/lifestyle change entry later this week. Here's the scoop:
-- Gavin is done with 4th grade on Friday! We are off to the Omaha Zoo the next day for a quick weekend get-away with Jon and my friends Marie and Brian
--our weekend in NE Iowa was very quick and I really wish I had felt better. My tooth hurt like hell and I was sick to my stomach due to the high dose of antibiotics I've been taking. Penicillin was a great discovery but it's horrible in doses of 500mg four times a day. I'm going back to the dentist tomorrow (Tuesday) to see what the heck is wrong with my tooth/jaw.
--Jon and I will have been dating for 7 months this week. He was surprised by the size of our family and the amount of people at all the gatherings. Not sure when he'll visit Waukon again but he liked the trip.
--we thought our TV in the living room had bit the dust before we left for Waukon on Friday afternoon. The sound stopped working for a bit....then the buttons on the TV stopped working....the remote wouldn't communicate with the TV, then the picture disappeared and the TV wouldn't shut off! It was weird. I had spilled a little water on the TV since I had watered plants that are on top of the TV but I didn't see how the water had gotten in the TV or anything. I left Ames that day really pissed off because I thought I'd have to buy a new TV with money I don't have. When we got back Sunday evening, the TV cooperated! The sound is back, the picture is back, and most of the buttons on the TV work again. Whew!
--Jon and I are taking a vacation to Chicago the 2nd week of June. We are leaving on the 8th and coming back on Saturday the 12th for a wedding here in Ames. The trip isn't very structured. Jon has specific restaurants he wants to eat at but our site-seeing isn't planned. We are seeing the Blue Man Group one of the nights so that should be exciting. I guess we are sitting behind the poncho row so hopefully I'm not hit with paint or Twinkies. I had considered seeing that act when they came to ISU awhile back but it never happened.
--Gavin is going to his first summer camp on the 20th of June and will spend the whole week at the 4H Center. He has another camp on the following week too. I can already tell the summer is going to fly by because all the dates and events are approaching so quickly.
--Tiffany and Gregg are moving away tomorrow. It saddens me that my last really close friend in Ames is moving away. My dental issues have also pissed me off because I was less available to Tiffany as she packed and she prepared. Grrr. I will regret not spending that time with her. Looks like I'll need to take a trip to Baltimore some time soon....maybe I'll swing by Michigan too!!
--my employment worries have been settled for the summer. I won't be working for the Red Cross as much as I had thought but will still have work through them each week. I will be doing some work for my past advising professor since she has Iowa-related tasks to complete now that she lives in Texas. I'm also teaching a summer class at ISU for part of July-August. Money will still be tight due to bills, school loan repayment, etc but at least I'm working.
--I won't know much about my fall employment until August. Sigh.
Hope everything is well with everyone!
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