Weight Watchers Update

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!

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!

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

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!

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!

Wow, it's been too long...

I cannot believe I've waited this long to blog. I wish I could say that I've many whirlwind adventures and pressing engagements to justify my absence. Sadly, all I have to show for my blogging dearth is a lot of time wasted time. Sigh. Oh well, onward and upward!

Things are going well here in Michigan. Work is picking up as the weather gets nicer and the school year is winding down. I can tell that spring is in full bloom because there is a large assortment of baby water fowl taking over my apartment complex. For about a week there were at least 50 fluffy, yellow goslings wandering around. They've since started transitioning into full-grown geesedom so they are a mixture of yellow and sooty grey but they are still pretty adorable. I wish this crappy weather would let up so I could take some more walks outside and see them a little more before they get much bigger.

Life in general is pretty good. I don't know if I told you guys or not but my step-sister Kim got married last weekend. She and Hicham had their civil ceremony on Friday in Charles City and then they had their Islamic wedding at the mosque in Waterloo on Saturday. I think that they have a lot of work cut out for them to have a successful marriage, especially considering there tendency to have earth shattering fights over trivial things, but I think if they really focus on their love and really get to know one another they will be very happy. In other family news my sister Karla has decided to move in with her boyfriend Justin and they got a new puppy! His name is Copper and he is part hound part question mark. He was a rescue so they don't know exactly what the hound is mixed with. He's adorable and makes me want to get a doggy of my own. Sadly, that's just not in the cards right now. Now, don't share this with anybody else but I'm just going to say that this is the next marriage in the making...Karla and Justin that is, not Karla and Copper. She's always wanted a fall wedding and I wouldn't be surprised at all if she's walking down the aisle in the fall of 2011. Again, this is just a suspicion but I'm pretty perceptive ;)

Unlike LeAnn who has been reading some great new books I have been rereading some of my favorites from the past. Along with rereading some classics (and lets face it, guilty pleasures) I have also been watching some TV. Now, I know that we don't generally do a lot of TV recommendations/reviews on our blogs but I recently, upon recommendation, watched a 6-episode series that I think you might find intriguing. I don't know if you're familiar at all with Jamie Oliver but he's a fairly well-known English chef who has been trying revolutionize the way people eat. Therefore, the fact that his is called Food Revolution is not terribly surprising. Anyway, this 6-part series centered around his work here in the states.

The premise is thus: The CDC released it's annual report and named Huntington, WV as the unhealthiest/fattest city in the US. Jamie, in an attempt to inspire the US as a whole, decided that if he could have a positive impact in the worst of the worst areas he could potentially change the way the American public, in general approached food, cooking and eating. His big push was to get the school district to serve healthy, fresh foods and get rid of all processed foods served to children. He also spent time working one-on-one with families and set up a kitchen where he offered free cooking lessons to the community at large. In the process Jamie met people who were supportive, indifferent and openly hostile. I know that if you go to IMDB.com you can still watch the 6 episodes of this show if you're interested.

After watching this show I had many different ideas in regard to what Jamie was doing. I for one think his overall plan was really great. I do think that there can and should be improvement in the food prepared and served to our kids in school. Thinking back I remember eating a lot of food that was tasty at the time but I can only imagine was highly processed and probably pretty terrible for us. I also like the awareness that this program raised about our eating habits in general. It's no wonder that young children have some of the weight issues that they do. Also with decrease in exercise the way that some of these kids eat is appalling. During one lunch period Jamie went around a looked at the cold lunch meals that the kids brought from home and some of them were just scary. Another point that I found startling was that most of the young kids didn't know what whole fruits and veggies looked like. Jamie would hold up a vegetable and ask what it was, most of the time the class wouldn't have the answer. He'd hold up a potato and they would call it and onion or tomato. He'd hold up green beans and they'd say potato.

Anyway, it was an interesting series to watch. It was entertaining and insightful and did make me think a lot. I started to look at my own daily diet and realized that even when I cook at home there are a lot of elements that are highly processed. The kicker is that a lot of these elements could easily be switched out for fresh without much physical or financial strain on me. If you get a chance and are bored in the near future check it out. It will get the gears rolling the old head, that's for sure.

OK, I should probably stop here. Have a great day ladies!

Recipes for Ya'll

Creamy Orange Citrus Breeze

Ingredients:

1.5 quart (6 cups) of cold orange juice, divided
1 package (4 serving size) Jell-o Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
1.5 cups thawed Cool Whip Lite Whipped Topping

Pour 3 cups of orange juice into a large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes. Gently stir in whipped topping.

Add remaining 3 cups orange juice; mix until well blended

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with orange slices if desired

I haven't tried this yet but it sounded decent since it seems frothy.


Chicken Almond Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 lb rotisserie chicken
0.5 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
0.5 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp celery salt
salt and pepper to taste
0.5 cup sliced almonds, toasted**
1/4 cup of golden raisins (optional)
16 slices of pumpernickel or whole wheat bread
8 lettuce leaves

Remove skin and bones from chicken. shred meat into large mixing bowl.

Add celery and red onion; mix to combine. Stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery salt, salt, and pepper.

Add almonds and if desired, golden raisins. Mix to combine.

Spoon chicken salad onto 8 of the bread slices. top with the lettuce leaves and the remaining bread slices.

**To toast almonds, heat dry skillet over medium heat, add almonds to the pan and toss until golden brown.

I actually tried this at Hy-Vee as it was one of the samples. The actually used little french bread type slices that were toasted. It was a small portion but very filling since the bread was whole wheat. I'm usually turned off by chicken salad but the celery, red onion, and the almonds added great texture to the meat. The amount of mayo was appropriate too and wasn't overwhelming.