Journey to Thin. Year 2 - The Journey Continues.

The Kick Start

2010-02-09T10:20:00.002-04:00

OK, I realized that to prepare to go back to work I am going to have to start living like I already am working a full-time job. I'm very tired today as I stayed up last night, so I'm going back to bed for a couple of hours. I know this sounds counter-productive, but I think this is the first step. I'm going to set my alarm for 6am starting tomorrow morning. We've been getting up closer to 7am, so I will get my shower and dressed for the day prior to waking the kids. I'm also going to start preparing their lunches in the evening as that's what will need to happen soon anyway.

Finally, I am going to plan out my "work" for the day starting tomorrow. We actually have a full day tomorrow. OK, not really, but I do have to go into town for an at-work meeting and there is paperwork to be dropped off before the meeting. So, to start I will clean the kitchen until it is time to get ready and go. We get home a little before the youngest gets home from school, so I will be planning snack, craft then walk. Once my oldest gets home we will be working on her project for a couple of hours and supper needs to get made during that time as well. I think if I build my days as such I won't find it so hard to put in full-time days when the time comes. I hope.

2010 off to a Rocky Start, but Getting Better

2010-02-07T13:17:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been a rough go with collectors everytime I turn around. We're keeping our heads above water for now, but fortunately things are starting to look up. Hubby's EI claim was shut down as his last employer did not submit an ROE - we thought they would have since the pay was via ADP. Anyway, we have to go into town tomorrow and ensure it gets opened back up - grrr.

I start back to work in 2 weeks. I'm a little nervous about the timing of my cheques and ensuring all the bills are paid - thankfully, we have family that can help out with a loan while we catch up.

Right now, my daughter is working on a big project for school, so I'll be helping her with that. I mainly do the typing for her and make suggestions on how to organize her work. I think, as a young person, if she can get a handle on organizing her thoughts and material before trying to complete the finished project she'll be laughing when the really hard stuff gets here. I was telling her about the 30-40 page case studies that I did at university - shocking as she's still struggling with a 3-4 page write-up.

The rest of today, Sunday, will be spent going for a walk with the family. Baked beans and hot dogs for supper - not the healthiest supper, but I've been craving it for weeks and so put some beans on to soak last night. Also, must prepare flip charts and read up on meeting information for WW meetings this week.

Dinners for the week:

Sunday: baked beans and hot dogs

Monday: slow cooker beef chili (from WW Now & Later cookbook)

Tuesday: Roast chicken with carrots, potatoes, squash and cranberry sauce

Wednesday: Tex Mex taco salad (using left over chili)

Thursday: salmon, rice and green veggies

Friday: lamb chops, potatoes, parsnips and carrots

Saturday: chicken, roasted potatoes and turnip

Lunches - left-overs, tuna sandwiches, or stir-frys using veggies, left-over meat and/or vermicilli.

Breakfasts - mainly oatmeal with berries and milk. Other options are smoothies, eggs with veggies and cheese, or whole grain cereal with milk, depending on the mood.

2009 in review

2010-01-04T11:50:00.002-04:00

2009 was a year fraught with a lot of changes. Changes aren't always bad, though. I have been home since March and cannot figure out how SAHMs manage to do everything. I mean, when I was working I just used that as my excuse - now I have none.

We enjoyed my brother living here for almost 3 months. Some people complained that it rained almost every day; however, they have selective memories. It was also sunny and beautiful on most days. And if there was a cool breeze on the back deck we just moved to the front deck.

I did some sanding, painting and a lot of trips to the pool. We didn't get away this year as my husband lost his job mid-summer; although he began another one a couple of weeks later, it was a wrench in the finances. The second, seasonal, position ended mid-November, but he began another job after a couple of weeks which, unfortunately turned into part-time after 2 weeks. They laid him off due to shortage of work last week. Arghhh!

Anyway, I am still leading and recepting Weight Watcher meetings and enjoying that. I suffer periodically from insomnia - I believe both that and the lichen planus that persists in my mouth are stress-related. I've thought that going back to work would be a good distraction from the issues of dirty dishes and disastrous rooms. It's amazing how quickly they can make a clean, tidy room look like I haven't touched it in weeks.

Christmas was very nice. Very nice indeed. We celebrated at home - no dragging gifts around the province or fogetting their favourite toy. My mother-in-law was up for 2 nights and my brother came up for Christmas and again for New Years. My oldest brother was at his in-laws, up from Houston, and came for a visit on New Years Eve with his wife. I haven't seen them in over 4 years since my grandmother's funeral.

We're just taking the tree down today now that the kids are back in school. Unfortunately I think my husband snuck away for a nap. Gotta go. Lots to do and so little time to do it.

Cheers, Candace

2009-07-20T11:50:00.003-03:00

Just checking in. Life is still unpredictable. The steroid treatment is offering relief on the skin, but as I scaled back on the dosage my mouth also began to get worse. It's not really painful yet, but I think the doctor is going to have to keep me on a larger dosage for a while.

The painting looks fabulous. The living room, computer room and kids rooms are all done. I'm in the middle of removing wallpaper from my bedroom as we'll be doing that one after the halls and kitchen. It's nice this week and my brother figures it's a good time to get at the front deck, so the inside will wait.

Meanwhile, I am maintaining. Using the quick-track method with the clicker for the most part.

Cheers, Candace

Independence

2009-07-04T10:58:00.001-03:00

Happy Independence Day to my American friends. And Happy Birthday to my independent (sometimes frustratingly so) loverly daughters.

Oh My - News and summer

2009-07-02T23:05:00.006-03:00

Dear, I have totally disassociated myself with the internet I think. The stupid thing kept crashing all spring - we suspect there is a bad wire on the line somewhere, but once the technician showed up it's been working since. My brother has been here and we've been busy...sort of. There has been painting, sanding and staining of items as well as a clean-up that seems to not last long enough anywhere. But you don't want to hear about all of that.

I will start by saying that is has been a stressful spring. After my layoff I suffered from mild insomnia. When my severance ran out my employer submitted and inaccurate Record of Employment and my claim was threatened rejection for benefits. Over a 6-week period I had to keep contacting them and they submitted 2 more inaccurate Records; however, the last one only had a pay-out ommission, so I just reported it and requested they contact the employer with any further questions. My claim is still being reviewed, but the are at least making payments based on the information submitted.

Anyway, during all of this I broke out in...lets call them hives for now. Well, I had just read an article on bed bugs, so I freaked out and actually pulled my back during the ensuing 'investigation'. I finally got into see my doctor and he (erroneously) diagnosed me with scabbies. Ironically, I was the only one showing signs in my family and was totally confused by this diagnosis, but began treatment. After several weekly treatments that did seem to offer temporary relief I requested to be referred to a dermatologist who now has be on steroids for Lichen Planus. This may put a glich into my getting back on track.

Ummm, yeah...during all of this craziness and poisoning myself with nasty creams I did slip up. Come on...this is in my scalp, mouth, back, arms, lower legs and feet - very generalized but a classic case according to the dermatologist. In case anyone is interested it is extremely itchy on the skin and painful in the mouth. Anyway, one evening I was even 5 lbs over my goal weight. I began drinking my water immediately and was much more diligent about writing before biting. On Saturday I officially weighed and was 2 lbs under goal. I suspect I will really need to rely on tracking and planning to get through this - steroids and weight-loss don't often mix. It sounds too like the steroid treatment is 'phase 1' and that this disorder is not easily cured. I am being optimistic though - I can at least hug and kiss my family again.

Hope your spring was better. Take care, Candace

Quiet Blog World

2009-05-18T19:56:00.003-03:00

Blog World seems relatively quiet judging by the blogs I follow. I guess I'm not the only one in a blogger slump. Hopefully this doesn't equate to a weight loss slump.

In fact, I'm not doing so badly. I've been having some rough times, buts that's mainly due to the case of Coco Mint 1 pt bars Weight Watchers sent me. I transfered 12 boxes out to locations already, ate 4 boxes (2 of which need to be paid for yet - reminder to self) and a few left to remove from my home premises. Why did WW send me a case of bars you ask? Well, they send all At-Work leaders product and I guess I was still doing an At-Work session at the time. Not anymore though and they are really just...yum...very good. I guess a kudos would be that I ONLY opened 4 boxes and I (sort of) shared with my 10 year old.

Other than that, I'm maintaining for the most part. Hoping to lose around 4 more lbs in the next couple of months. I'll let you know how that goes...

Enough Lallygagging

2009-04-01T11:02:00.002-03:00

OK - not sure what is wrong with my. I don't expect a loss tonight. Last night I made an incredibly healthy dinner - well, I did use white basmati instead of the brown though. Anyway, a great stirfry with lean meat and lots of veggies made with a WW inspired sauce. I loved it and decided to...gulp...have a second helping. No biggie, right? Wrong. It wasn't in my plan. I didn't need it. AND I ate until stuffed. I did finally stop myself with half a plate left and put it in the fridge for today. I just finished it for morning snack.

If that wasn't enough, my daughter made an apple dessert from a 1970's cookbook and I had a (large) piece. It wasn't even that good and I told her afterwards that all recipes in that book need to have the sugar cut (at least) in half.

BUT, I am going to weigh-in tonight and am walking this afternoon. But before that, I have to finish some food prep and do a workout. Take care.

The Clicker

2009-03-27T09:02:00.003-03:00

Any Weight Watcher members out there who love the Quick Track method? Yes? Well, isn't it annoying that you still have to dig out your tracker and jot it down? The Clicker to the rescue. This little devil is priced low and allows you to set your points that you're going to eat today and click down to zero throughout the day. You can also click up if you're cashing in any Activity pts. It's up to you to be mindful of your Good Health Guidelines; however. I've been struggling with journaling and, eating with the GHG in mind is not a problem for me. So I gave this little gem a try. It's not for everyone (I recommend detailed journaling to new members and anyone struggling with breaking a plateau), but it's smaller than the calculator and priced right. I can hang it from a retractable key chain on my belt buckle or hook it on the side of my purse, so it's always with me. And as I go to eat that 2 pt. granola bar I suddenly think twice, because that's 2 clicks of my day.

New stuff is fun.

Battle of the Bars/Habit adjustments

2009-03-24T06:47:00.005-03:00

Before joining Weight Watchers, granola bars were my go-to before dinner and chocolate bars were the thing I collected everytime I was in line at Wal-Mart or put gas in the car. But, if you want to change a habit then one of the easiest ways to do so is to change your routine. I began paying at the pump to avoid the gas station convenience stores. Wal-Mart and quick trips to the grocery store remained a challenge, but I would often pick up yogurt or healthier choices that I could eat once in the car. Having a packed cooler with healthy snacks and plastic utensils also helped - yup, I'm the crazy woman who sucks back 2-3 yogurt cups while sitting in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. As for the granola bars, I've learned to choose other options while waiting for dinner and to only eat until satisfied. No more 8 point snacking while waiting for a 6 point dinner.

BUT - I still love both the granola bars and the chocolate goodness of a chocolate bar. Well, onto the contest then.

When WW profiled the Peanut Butter mini bars, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Two of my favourite things together again - and in a portion controlled wrapping. OK, the great thing about ALL of these things is they are portion-controlled. My opinion - the pb mini bars are awesome as a chocolate bar replacement. Do they have granola goodness? No, but their Fruit and Nutty 1-pt counterpart does.

The Fruit and Nutty WW mini bar is also very good, but it's small size and texture (I am sorry to say) to not compair to the other products featured here. It's winning points - it's 1 pt vs. the 2 pts for all the other items in this post.

A lot of my members were raving about the Curves bars. So I had to try them out. I liked them - I really did. They were softer than the Fruit and Nutty and (bonus) they had chocolate chips and peanut butter. I did not try the fruity version, but really enjoyed this 2-pt snack that I could toss in my bag with a bottle of water while running around. The kids enjoyed them too...until.

A similar product to the Curves bar is the fibre 1. And now I understand the huffalaboo about this bar. They are 2 pts of awesome goodness. No peanut butter, but great mini choc chips and a subtle syrup on the bottom. These are, for a sweet granola treat my favourite. In fact, my whole family loves them. These are a keeper and will NOT be purchased in little boxes, but rather the massive boxes you find on the bottom shelf.

Finally, I had to give these a try. I tried the cranberry ones and must say, Dempster's has done an amazing job. They are little squares and are awesome to relax with a cup of coffee or tea. They are not necessarily promoted to satisfy your sweet tooth, but are more like a very soft granola heath bar. I like these in a different way than the chocolate counterparts above.

So, I like them all. The WW minis are a great chocolate bar substitute - but be careful not to eat half the box in one sitting...ahem. The WW fruit and nutty (not pictured) provides a great 1-pt alternative for granola bars, which I have not found in the other brands. Curves is nice and if you have a pb craving you want satisfied in a g-bar, this has it; however, the fibre 1 is larger, softer and sweeter for similar Nutritional Facts. The Healthy Way bars - well, if you're not into chocolate or just want something more wholesome, these are the way to go, and they have 5g of fibre per serving. They make me feel yuppyish.

But the fibre 1 wins overall for me for a number of reasons. I love the texture, taste and size (because size does matter). The price point on the Curves and Fibre 1 bars are similar, but that is reduced when you identify what you love the most, then buying the BIG box. Then we have a whole new dilema - how to keep from eating 3-4 of these before eating a 6 pt supper...

Organization

2009-03-22T09:11:00.003-03:00

Does anyone else have trouble with this. Scheduling and clutter in various areas of your lives. Well, since I'm home for a bit, my overall goals have changed. I was going to show a couple of the girls at work how to do vendor reconciliations since the AP clerk doesn't know how to do them. Training others had to do with freeing up my time from bookkeeping tasks so I could focus more on the stuff that management needed. Well, since none of that is any longer my problem I can reassess my goals and action plans and evaluate their importance in my life.

One of the biggest areas of impact in my life is - Decluttering!!! I am discovering that the little pocket book I bought for organizing events in my personal life is now insufficient. I have a template for tasks and stuff and will likely create a diary in a 3-ring binder. This will include a large lay-out page for each day (rather than a small lay-out page for each week).

I need to do several things, but first and foremost is to make sure I don't miss any WW meetings that I had committed to. Also, I need to plan for babysitters well in advance since so very few kids babysit these days and the times I need people really are helter-skelter now. Hopefully few and far between as well.

Next, I have to train hubby that his shoes belong in the kitchen closet, not the front hallway. Honestly, I picked up 3 pairs EACH of his and the 10 year-olds footwear yesterday lying in the hall and kitchen floors.

So, yesterday I went through the living and dining rooms and found a pile of books that need to be returned to the library. I also have a bag set to go to donations and a box of 'stuff' I'm not sure what to do with yet. I'm trying to take down winter decorations and replace with spring stuff and am, so far, pleased with the results. I now have some piles of stuff on my kitchen table that need allocating to various areas of the house. I think I will do the 'catch-all' room next. In there I keep the kids coats and outer gear with a shelf for things such as buckets of hats, mits or flip flops, depending on the season, the computer and my exercise equipment. Not sure what the matress, bed, molding, old armchair and various other stuff is doing in here though.

The Walk

2009-03-21T08:10:00.002-03:00

So, I'm signing the 10 year old and myself up for a 5K on June 6th. We could do this any old time just by heading out the door, but an organized race sounds like fun for a change. I took the dog out for a 5K walk this morning. She didn't do too bad considering the amount of candy she's stolen from the kids in the past week and a half. It was cold out this morning and we just walked - almost 6400 steps according to my pedometer. It took almost an hour.

Update on past posts. Hubby is still at work. He got moved down to another plant. March Break has left me exhausted - anyone else? We spent time at the Wildlife Park doing crafts and seeing the animals - even went on a nature hike. Also got to the pool and some time in the school gym. We took in "Hotel for Dogs" and that's about it. I only did 3 WW meetings this week, which was good considering that the kids were home and my sitter has strep throat.

I guess today is officially Spring. The table is set with a dollar store table cloth and fake yellow flowers. Corny, but fun. There's frost here, but we're going to celebrate anyway. Take care.

Computer Crash

2009-03-12T15:56:00.000-03:00

Lost my Pc Friday night. I'm hoping it can be fixed soon. Meanwhile, the setting to blogger from the library are freaking me out.

Oh - down to 148. Cheers, Can

And More Curves - Not so good today

2009-03-10T09:29:00.004-03:00

Today is another busy day. Got the kids off to school, returned a library book and paid my membership at the gym for a month. The gym I joined last year has a small 1-time joiners fee, but 1-time means 1-time, so I didn't need to pay for it today. I just brought in my card and paid my membership for the next month. I didn't stay for a workout, but will probably go this evening.

Next I did some banking and bought a couple of things at the grocery before coming home. While in the grocery store I made a to-do list for today and am surprised how much is on it. I am covering a WW meeting in the city today and have a few errands along the way.

After posting yesterday a few things happened that really threw my mood. I had heard that a man was hit by a train close to home on the radio yesterday morning and found out that it had been a friend. He had a son the same age as my oldest daughter and was heavily involved in the community recreational scene. It just hurts my heart that he is gone. This was one of two train accidents in Nova Scotia this weekend. Bruce Preeper will be missed and I send out warm blessings to his family.

My husband discovered that his friend had passed away shortly before being told that he would likely be laid off this Friday. We've never both been out of work at the same time before. Such drama has the makings of a sitcom. He came home in such a state I wondered about leaving him alone with the kids last night. I did and headed off to the city for my WW meeting.

It went well. Everyone just loves talking about exercise. On the way home a dear ran out in front of me. I slowed down and watched it hop off onto the other side of the road, worrying about whether the on-coming traffic could see it. That's when it's partner ran in front of my car, stopped and came head to head with my grill. I let out a yell as it flew to the ground and ran back the way it had come. I hadn't been going too fast, so it may be OK, but discovered later there is a crack in the front of the car. Normally I wouldn't be too concered, but this is a 2009 - my first ever new vehicle.

Sorry to be a downer. I'm going to get ready and head into the city now. After I get home I'm taking the kids for a walk - I think we all need some fresh air. And I will definately hit the gym tonight. Getting back into a routine will do me some good. Food for today...I had oatmeal, blueberries and soy drink, plus a couple of coffees. I picked up a spinach salad on 50% off at the grocery (along with 50% off lf brownies and 50% off bananas) so the salad will likely be my lunch and a banana for snack. I'm taking some fish out of the freezer for supper, too. I think rice, fish and some stir-fry veggies sounds good.

SO - How was your Monday?

And Then Life throws you a Curve

2009-03-09T10:22:00.003-03:00

Hey, so life is actually looking up this week. I have a short post then it's off to the races - or at least the shower. You know they say the only day that is important is today. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow will never come. So, on Tuesday (vs. tomorrow) I am going to re-join the gym. Fact is, I'm far too busy today. It's already 10:30 and I've had a busy morning. Got the kids off to school and set up the dishwasher and threw a load of laundry on. Then I got on the 'ole internet to apply for a job I've been eyeing for a couple of days now. I played with my resume and shot that puppy into virtual, give me a call sometime land. Then I chatted with the boss-lady at Weight Watchers about picking up some daytime meetings over the next little while. Turns out, lots of the ladies (and gentlemen) are taking vacay over the next few weeks, so subbing for them will keep me busy.

So you're asking 'what are you talking about? donchu work full time?'. Well, I've alluded to career changes in the past and it looks like it's happening. I took a semi-generous severence package - look, I'm in no way complaining since some people just get shown the door, but others are more generous - and am taking some time to pull things together.

The rest of today involves a shower, walking the dog, getting supper together and prepping for tonights WW meeting. If time allows I'll be doing the grocery list - if not I'll do it first thing tomorrow.

What else is cool about this? Next week is March Break and, since hubby is evenings, I can still do some daytime WW meetings, but also plan some great quality March Break time with the kids - something I've only been able to do one day in the previous 5 years. How awesome is that? I'll have to research where the 'free' times are - you know, like $2 movie day and free admission skating and free admission swimming and such. Oh, and the Wildlife park craft mornings with admission to the park - craft, a walk and wildlife sounds fun to me.

Tomorrow morning...I mean Tuesday morning...I will join the gym. Cranky, I better do something. My pants are getting snug and I r.e.f.u.s.e to buy a larger size.

IS IT MARCH ALREADY!!!

2009-03-04T16:43:00.003-04:00

Hello all!

It IS March already. Man - I'm not showing the virtual world any love lately.

WELL...OK, I'll fess up. Between mid-January weigh-in and the last week in February weigh-in I am (gulp) up 5.2 lbs. There you have it. I've been totally OUT of it. I'm not making any promises and what I'll do - because I obviously have no accountability to myself here. Still 0.6lbs under goal though.

SO - I'm going to Phat Camp with Phit-n-phat in June. Gotta start prepping for that. I also found my sign-in card for the gym, so when I'm ready to re-join I won't need to buy another one. Hubby is still on permanent evenings - so that still sucks.

What HAVE I done? Well, I realized my 'environment' was going to pot. Well, dirty pots, spilled molasses, frozen cake in front of the frozen veggies, pie on the counter, candy at eye level in the pantry instead of up high. You get the picture right? So, I resolved to fix it. I cleaned the pantry and am trying to take back ownership for the groceries that come into the house again.

I've also re-established my weekly meetings with my friend and unofficial life-coach. We're working our way through some 30 year-old Anthony Robbins tapes. Continuous improvement is important. I mean change is inevitable - we're not going to be in this same place next year anymore than we were here last year. Changing in a positive direction though is entirely under your control.

Next on my list is moving my computer into the dining room space and cleaning up my gym space. Right now the computer and related clutter as well as winter gear have taken over my gym space.

Fantastic February Fun

2009-02-11T09:04:00.002-04:00

Oh yeah - February is proving to be much better than January. The family is less sickly. I am less tired. AND it was actually not dark when I left work the other day. WOOHOO!!!

Last night we headed out for Valentines craft supplies. Guess I should've picked some up in the city. Usually the drug store, dollar store and grocery store are brimming with crap for every holiday. Not so this time around. And it appeared that all locations ordered from the same supplier. So, the 10 year old walked away with some stickers and rose pettals. She used some white tissue paper from Christmas - we couldn't even find red wrapping paper (sheesh).

This is all for her valentines box. In grade 5 they're not planning anything - which I think rather silly. Keep 'em kids as long as you can is my motto. Anyhoo, the teacher said they could make boxes on their own time IF they wanted and hand out valentines IF they wanted. Um, OK. So, my daughter (yay her) is busy on her box and is still handing out valentines to all her classmates. She said she wouldn't likely get very many this year since a lot of the kids decided not to participate (boo them).

Meanwhile, the 5 year old was getting arm cramps from signing her name on all of the invitations. Thank goodness they'll be making bags or something in the classroom.

Tonight is to be spent working on a grade 5 project due Friday. I'm the typist as she needs to expand on some categories. Fun, fun.

Hubby is on evenings, so I have officially 'lost' my me-time during the weeks. No biggie, but gone are my dance classes. Apparently I wasn't the only one not showing up and they cancelled it until next fall. I did apologize earlier this week as it was the first time I saw the instructor. I do have a sitter for my weekly WW meetings, but attending another leaders meeting is a no-go for now.

My mother sold the cottage. Closing date is in 2 weeks. The kids and I are hoping to rent it for a week this summer for our vacation. I asked Mom to chat with the couple and see if they were interested and to give us dates. I'll plan my time off around that - one last kick at the can, so to speak.

Happy pink day!

Goals and Challenges

2009-01-28T18:45:00.003-04:00

HooBoy, Do I have goals. I was pretty lazy about getting them down this month, but here goes.

Physical Health: Back to tracking all food and attempting to stay within weight-loss points. Also, committing to a 4-day regime with 2 stregth session per week.

Give Back: I really think my roal with WW is a part of this. I haven't been able to go to other meetings this month as my husband is working evenings. Other than that, I'm focusing on preparing for the meetings ahead of time as best I can and sticking fairly closely to the meeting agendas.

Finances: In maintenance phase. Not a priority during the winter usually. Trying to stick to budget and not acquire further debt.

Continuing education: Sometimes I don't feel like I have the time for this. Last year I gave up the CGA program of professional studies. I've been thinking lately of other alternatives. Massage Therapy could be good...they have a weekend training for free in the city that sounds interesting.

Self-improvement: Something has recently caught my attention that intriques me about the masculine and feminine energies. I want to further explore this information in the next several weeks. As a result of this, I have had several conversations with my husband about my lack of vision - and how that's OK. He has vision and has struggled against me for years as I tend to live in the moment. I think it's time to let go of fear and allow him to create.

Take care.

And it goes on.

2009-01-23T17:31:00.002-04:00

Not sure what's going on. I think I'm in a funk. Food is OK, except that I succumed to pizza today at lunch. And not just any pizza - Pizza Town donair pizza. Anyway, back on track this afternoon.

Been walking in the evenings with the dog and kids. The weather has been lovely. Tomorrow we will visit my mother-in-law. There's been someone sick since Christmas, so this is the first weekend it's safe to go. The monkeys are over-tired in general and a couple of nights early-to-bed will be good for them.

This week has been a difficult one emotionally. A lot going on and winds of change blowing in I believe. We have a friend that just took quite a large drop in pay and changed his career completely. Pros and Cons to everything, but he's happy with the change. I've been wondering for the past year if my problem is with my chosen career or my chosen job. I've tried to make the best of it but think self-sabotage sometimes happens in all areas of our lives. I moved frequently in my life - moving often for change and improvement. Or maybe it's just a mid-life crisis - or maybe I'm just tired.

Times like this - emotional ones - it's hard to focus on why you're eating. I'm grateful for my diet this week. It's filling and I don't have to think about it. But if you get down, or stressed or happy and turn to food, one of the things I do is use the Anchoring tool from Weight Watchers. Just stop and place your hand on your belly and ask,"Am I hungry for food?" If you're eating for comfort only, you may want to re-evaluate and do something different - like post a blog, take a walk or relax in the tub. Ahhhh...I never get to relax in the tub anymore. The lock is broken and someone always 'needs' me. Gotta get that lock fixed.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Food plan for the week

2009-01-21T20:46:00.003-04:00

I started my menu for the next week today. I'm going to follow this menu, give or take some items, for the next week, then I'll switch it up. Activity will include different things each day, but for today I needed to get the kids and dog out, so that's what we did. The dog is on a diet at 10 lbs over-weight and has a slipped hip, so she needs to be walked around 1 hour a day. Easier said than done in the great, white north. Hubby had her out for a quick walk earlier today, so we took her out again.

Morning
1 item(s) Wheat English muffin - 1
1 tbsp reduced-fat peanut butter - 2
1 large grapefruit - 1.5
1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat soy beverage - 1.5
Subtotal - 6
Morning snack
1 medium banana(s) - 1.5
1 tbsp reduced-fat peanut butter - 2
1 regular plain rice cake(s) - 0.5
Subtotal - 4
Midday
3 oz cooked chicken fillet - 2.5
1 slice(s) Lite Sliced Cheese - 1
1/2 medium serving(s) baby carrots - 0.5
1/2 cup(s) celery - 0
1/8 cup(s) homemade hummus - 1.5
Subtotal - 5.5
Afternoon snack
1/2 cup(s) Cheerios - 1
PC LF yogurt - Quick-added food - 2
Subtotal - 3
Evening
1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat soy beverage - 1.5
3 oz cooked farmed Atlantic salmon fillet(s) - 4.5
1/2 large cooked sweet potato - 1.5
1 cup(s) cooked broccoli - 0
Subtotal - 7.5
Food POINTS values total used - 26
Food POINTS values remaining - 0
Exercise
40 min walking, leisure - 1
Activity POINTS values earned - 1

What do I know?

2009-01-14T22:24:00.002-04:00

After almost 2 years, the scale is still a mystery to me. Tonight I wore jeans and a light sweater and weighed in at 144.2. Shocked to say the least - pleasantly so. Still, the goal is to get below 143 sometime in the next few weeks, so work to do. Just not as much as I thought.

Did approximately 30 minutes on the elliptical tonight. I really want a tready. Measurements to be taken in the a m. G'night.

And the Scale drops the morning AFTER Weigh-in

2009-01-13T09:44:00.004-04:00

OK, so last night was not my official weigh-in. But, I had stepped on the scale last Monday evening (with indoor jacket and boots on) and kept track of my points all week. So, last night I stepped on the scale again to get a feel for what was happening - and because all of this was related to a new meeting project for the travelling journal. Yesterday morning I had also stepped on my home scale. Let me give you a re-cap of what the various scales said:

Monday the 5th - evening: WW scale: 150.0
Monday the 12th - morn: Digital devil: approx 152
Monday the 12th - evening: WW scale: 149.6
Tuesday the 13th - morn: Digital devil: approx 148

Just goes to show you that the scale provides feedback only. The general trend is down (yay for journaling). Having said all of this, I will only be weighing-in once a week in the future. Multiple weigh-ins are not good for stress level (of course, WW already knows that).

By Wednesday evening I will have my 'official' WW WI (sweaters and shoes removed). The last 'official' WI was well before Christmas and I am not expecting to see a number below 145 again yet, so I have some work to do. And, I am looking forward to attending a meeting as a member. Sticking with WW pts for weight-loss again this week.

Mexi-Style Salad Bowl

2009-01-11T13:54:00.003-04:00

One of the interesting things in the new WW 3-month journal is that it has a recipe for every week. I tried out the week 1 recipe today and hubby had some too. I made a couple of substitutes out of necessity - like digging out baby corn from the frozen stir-fry to replace corn kernals and we didn't have red-wine vinegar so we used balsamic vinegar. Also, we skipped the cilantro or basil to taste - I didn't have any fresh and knew it would be good as-is. What would I do differently next time? Less jalapeno pepper - there was half a pepper in each salad and we are just not used to that intensity. I'll post here the recipe that WE made.

And YES - I would make this again!!! In fact, I made up another container for my lunch tomorrow. Two thumbs up.

Mexi-Style Salad Bowl

2 oz thinly sliced chicken thigh, pan-grilled
2C mixed salad greens
1/2 C defrosted baby corn
1/2 C rinsed canned black beans
1/4 C mixed bell pepper, chopped
1/4 C diced red onion
1/2 minced jalapeno pepper
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil

Arrange chicken on top of greens and add remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle vinegar and oil over salad.

Tracker, Tracker on my Desk...

2009-01-09T09:06:00.002-04:00

make my tracking the very BEST!

I'm a tracking machine. I had adjusted my pts this week to weight-loss mode, but so far have been using 6WPAs daily. To offset I'm going to plan my weekend to include filling foods and a high-protein breakfast each day. I'm going to try to make Sat & Sun each only use 2WPAs.

As far as the 3-month journal goes, which name do you like better: a 'magic' journal or a 'travelling' journal. OR, any other suggestions?

On the exercise commitments, only made 30+ mins on elliptical Wed night. Tuesday I can't remember what happened and last night was a meeting with my friend. She recently returned from a 6-day conference in Florida with Anthony Robinson, so lots of information was shared.

Hugs to all. Have a great weekend - I'll likely be popping in and out.

The Best Defense

2009-01-06T09:33:00.004-04:00

Imagine my surprise yesterday when I walked into the lunch room at work and saw not one, but several boxes and bags of treats. From chocolate and cookies to pretzels and chocolate-covered caramel popcorn. Then what landed at lunch? Food from a cancelled meeting. Sandwiches, soups, sweats and a veggie tray.

I didn't do so well with the chocolate, had a bowl of leek soup, a half sandwich made with real chicken (not the processed stuff) and stuffed myself on the veggie tray. It could have been worse. The treats are still here today. What would you do?

Ahem...what would you do?

Jan 5/08 - Day 1 of a commitment to write it before you bite it.

Coffee with whole milk (1)
Oatmeal with blueberries, 2/3C soy drink and splenda (5)
Water and multivitamin
Coffee with whole milk (1)

Make pulic my commitments:

Track all foods eaten for this week
Cardio - 30 mins - 5x
Strength training - 2x
NO chocolate this week

It's 9:40am on Day 1 - So far, so good. I will be tracking in my handy-dandy WW 3-month journal this week and then hand the journal on to one of my members to track in next week. Talk about accountability!

So, what do you think about a rotating journal in meetings? Is this something you would do? We'll be marking the weekly weight-loss of the different members in the book - hopefully starting with me. Also, is it a good idea to start the book with me. My thoughts were: I wouldn't ask you to do it unless I was willing to do it myself. Plus, it provides a good template (I think). Thoughts and feedback on this are greatly appreciated.

2008 in review

2008-12-30T11:42:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone. I hope you had a great 2008 and have started planning for 2009.

What was great about 08?

Well, I spent the first part of the year focusing on physical phitness. I learned a lot about what my body is capable of and leared to plan menus. I struggles with this in the next few months, but was still exercising and planning until mid-summer. Since then...not so much. What have I learned? Maintenance is a continuation of skills you have learned, not abandonment of them. My commitment to exercise in the coming months will be to commit to movement every day - unless I am sick and can't move out of bed. Other than that, there is no reason I cannot get on the elliptical or go for a half hour walk daily. Ideally, I would like to participate in a couple of 5Ks and maybe even a triathalon, but we'll see how 'tings go first.
So, even though I fell off the phitness wagon mid-summer, I got through vacation with minimum damage food-wise and continued to maintain my weight throughout the year. Woohoo.
In case some of you missed it, I began training as a WW receptionist last summer. I worked at 2 meetings/week for my training then took Basic Leader Skills training in September. I moved directly into my own meeting on Monday nights as Terry, my mentor, was looking to move on. It's been a great learning experience for me. One lady made lifetime in November and I have 2 more making lifetime next week. What a great way to start the first meeting of 2009!!

What's on the plan for 2009?

I'm recommiting to strength training in January. Apparently, Corinne has a great running/ST routine that would fit with me for the first part of January. I'm commiting to movement every day and strength training twice a week for 3 months, when I'll re-commit.
As for food, I am going back to my excel spreadsheet each week and pulling my grocery list from that. It was the easiest thing I've done yet for journaling - and very effective.
I will attend other meetings for a few months. I have 4 leaders I would like to watch and will be attending 1 meeting per week to watch and learn for the first while. Unfortunately, I have my meeting on Mondays, so I'll be watching after-the-fact. That's OK though. I would also like to take on another meeting, but I'm not sure when just yet. I may post-pone this for a few months.

Financially - I need to clean up a small balance on hubby's MC, but it's been cancelled. I need to consolidate holiday spending on the Visa and Sears card to the LOC. We are not using these anymore. I'm paying monthly on the LOC and would like to cut it in half by the end of summer.

De-clutter - We've done a lot but have alot left to do. I'm giving us 3 months to fast-track any remaining decluttering, such as building supplies, etc. In 3 months I will be hiring a lady to come in and help organize. We'll also be renovating the kitchen this summer.

I will be reviewing my goals over the next couple of days and doing a SWOT analysis on each of them to pull out the top 3 to work on over the first quarter of 2009. I'll try to get a story board up for Q1 09 as well. I haven't updated it since last spring and it's time to do so.

So, not into planning or goal setting? Let's get ready and make 2009 a year for the record books. Many of us have a vague idea about what we want. Honestly, it's not enough. Fail to plan and you plan to fail. If you have a vision you are ahead of the majority of the population. Write it down and BAM! Your chances of reaching your goal have just sky-rocketed. Next, document what you need to do to reach that goal. Think this is the tough part? Really, it is. Because all you need to do after that is follow your action plan. Hmmm, tougher than it sounds, huh. Remember, "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success." - Alexander Graham Bell

What do you want to accomplish in 2009?

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T15:08:00.002-04:00

Frency's vs. Bib & Tucker

2008-12-23T09:01:00.003-04:00

So when the 10 year old 'needs' new pants or tops, where do I head? Frenchy's! She's a sweat-pant kid and likes her tops long. Women's Small tops that are a tad too short in the arm for me fit her perfectly. These are the filler items we all need in our wardrobe.

What to do when she wants 1 'good' outfit to feel pretty in though? Good luck finding that at Frenchy's (although you may luck out on occassion, without child in tow you're pushing your luck). I have scoured the Wal-Mart's, Zellers, Sears, Winners and any other store I've been in looking for a suitable outfit. Last night I decided, 'frig it'. I've likely saved hundreds on the kid shopping Frenchy's for so many of her clothes that it was time to bite the bullet. I headed to Bib & Tucker and walked out with a 'dress' or 'long shirt' depending on whether she matches it with the pants or leggings - the outfit I chose was not near in the price-line of some of these items, but for someone who isn't used to spending more than $50 at a time on the kids, the almost $150 receipt threw me a bit. To tell the truth, the pants look awesome with the dress and give it a funky look. I got a squeal, jump and hand clap after she paired these up - and that made the price tag worth it, even though hubby chastised slightly. Christmas Eve outfit down. The 5 year-old's was ordered from Sears at a much smaller cost. And mine - came from Frenchy's.

And now she wants nice shoes to go with it. I should have known - if you give a moose a muffin, they'll want raspberry jam to go with it.

MWAH - Have a great Christmas.

What goes up MUST come down:)

2008-12-18T11:39:00.002-04:00

Well, let me fill you in on sommin. After last weeks 4 lb gain I experienced a 3.2 lb loss this week. I'm going to tell you this - that gain was a much-needed kick in the caboose.

Without the gain I likely would have gone through the next couple of weeks blissfully thinking I could 'cheat' the system. One cracker with brie would have turned into 2 and a couple shortbread cookies. And next thing you know, I'd be butting 150 and looking for some size 12's. But no - instead I have renewed vigour.

I have documented my not-so-stellar week and watched my daily eating habits improve a bit each day as I made adjustments based on the previous days results. Most importantly, I am eating enough in the mornings now. No more 3-4 pt breakfasts and skipping snack. Not for this 'lil 'ole Weight Watcher. Yesterday and today I ate a huge breakfast and made sure I had my morning snack. Wanna know what my breakfast was?

Into a microwavable safe dish add:
1/3 C oatmeal
a little less than 2/3C water
a whole egg

Microwave for 2 minutes or less. Stir. Mic until egg finished cooking.

Add some frozen berries or fruit

Mic until fruit defrosted

Enjoy with a cup of coffee made with splenda and 2Tbsp whole milk (1/8C, btw)

OK - This may be on the high side for a lot of you, but let me tell you something really important that I've learned during 2008. Ready?

If you eat more in the morning, you'll be less tempted to eat in the evening. Sounds crazy, but it's so true. At my best, I ate at least 6 pts each morning, 2-3 pts mid-morning, 5-6 pts at lunch and 2 - count them - 2 afternoon snacks before landing home at supper. This turns out to be 7 pts, but that could easily be reduced by using 2 egg whites instead of a whole egg (I'm just uber lazy).

Commitments for this week:
1) Track all food eaten in my handy-dandy WW tracker which is kept in my sexy new pocket guide.
2) Walk for 150 minutes (back to basics here, too).

Tonight at Weigh-In

2008-12-17T16:23:00.002-04:00

I do not expect a loss over last week. In fact, I expect that gain to solidify or grow slightly. Why do I not feel badly about that?

1) I've been tracking all week in e-tools and my handy-dandy new tracker.
2) My food choices and evening slurge choices have significantly improved over the course of the week.
3) I have been faithfully reporting into Phit-n-Phat and doing some reflection of the past year.
4) I turned down chocolate today.
5) I turned down chocolate today.

The chocolate was worth mentioning twice because it signifies a chance in thought process from"one piece won't hurt" to "it really isn't worth it".

Oh, and did I mention that I turned chocolate down today?

+4 - Say Wah?

2008-12-11T15:11:00.003-04:00

OK Folks...I know I haven't been stellar, but 4 lbs in 2 weeks after maintaining within a pound for 4 months is a little nutty. And likely erroneous. Why do I say that?

Well, I weigh in EVERY Monday night when I give my meetings - very informal thing because our floors are tilty and we have to check the balance and make sure we're on a flat surface so people don't tip (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Well, because of my weekend habits - I wouldn't say unhealthy, but this is when I indulge a bit - the scale is a wee bit higher. Now, in the grand scheme of things, it is also fairly steady one Monday to the next - just to reassure Monday weighers that it's about consistency.

I will digress right now and say that the scale number is NOT the reason I still officially weigh on Wednesdays. I like to check out Fiona's meetings - she's awesome and I focus on different things like how I could improve my own meetings. Also, I love the feedback and group talks in these meetings. So, it makes sense to weigh-in and attend monthly meetings there. I also have plans of attending other meetings in the New Year with some of the other leaders. Call it training.

Now, the scale on Monday night was a little higher than it has been, but not significantly so.

Also, Tuesday nights meal consisted of grabbing some cold chicken breasts and apple pie and stuffing my face while standing at the fridge. Oh, don't give me that look like you've never done it. In fact, I was being rushed out the door to get to the Christmas Concert. After the concert, there was also an incident with J's gingerbread house. It's too painful to talk about right now, but I think it contributed to Wednesdays number.

Pick up some Momentum this Holiday season

2008-12-08T14:48:00.005-04:00

Most of you who follow Weight Watchers have, by now, heard of the new Weight loss plan. Those who haven't will soon enough. Can I just say...YESSS!!! This plan combines the best of both Flex and Core in a nice little package. It's also the plan that many successful members have been using without knowing it. We've been calling it Flore, for the most part.

For Flex members, you continue to experience the benefits associated with the points system, portion control and the accountability of tracking. Did you know that those who track lose 50% more weight than those who don't. What a great motivator to make this second nature.

For Core members, you continue to experience the benefits of eating a wide variety of high energy-density foods and continue to benefit from understanding your own hunger signals.

Now all members get to experience all of the benefits. Oh, and there's now a focus on lean proteins and activity. Not that these weren't there before, but it's nice to see them front and centre with everything else. What else is new...subtle wording change in your 6 glasses of liquids, but please keep in mind that water is still the best way to hydrate your little 'ole self.

Have fun learning the 'new' plan. Or re-learning old lessons in new ways. Either way, there's now one plan for all, and to all a good lifestyle change.

Holiday Plan - 2008 version

2008-12-02T20:47:00.005-04:00

My Holiday plan from last year helped and provided amazing results. I began a resistance training regime with Phit-n-Phat late November and focused on a lot of other things. I was in charge of Christmas dinner, which I found helpful. BUT...it's not the DAY that can cause problems, but the weeks beforehand and the week or so afterwards before we all crawl back to Weight Watchers or begin the latest in a long line of diets.

Like everyone else, I want to have fun throughout the holiday season. Food can be a big part of that. I don't plan on going into 2009 with extra pounds gained this month, though. So, I've developed another Holiday eating plan to be used to maintain my weight for December (and hopefully shed an inch or so in the process).

I'll use the same categories as last year for those interested in reading that one. I really did a copy and paste, then made my changes - and really, what works stays. Changes reflect the changes I've made this year.

Gatherings - Get a small plate and choose healthy options (i.e. 1 sandwich wedge, some veggies and fruit, limit of 1 small sweet). Why the sweet - because I'm not on a diet. You heard me - I'm a weight watcher but not on a diet. This is my life and we all need a sweet now and then or one of these parties we're gonna stuff sweets down our throat until we're sick of them - at least I would. Deprivation is not pretty. I strongly encourage my meeting members to use their weekly points allowance for indulgenges, and I usually relax for Saturday evenings. If you have multiple events during the week you may find the need to practice some restraint. Having a plan for the evening is always helpful.

Dinners - I load up on veggies before they're mashed, make cranberry sauce with splenda and used it on my 3-4 oz of turkey breast instead of gravy. If I really want some gravy, I'll be sure to ensure it is made with drippings instead of fat - This can be accomplished by letting it cool for while - there will be a nice separation. And who eats desert right after the meal, so when it's time, again limit to 1 small piece of whatever looks the best - if you can come up with a low point option, go for it. Just add 'healthy' in your google search.

Fast food during busy days decorating and shopping - Subway, McDonalds grilled chicken salads, Tim Horton's broth soup, Chinese with steamed rice vs. fried, grilled fish instead of fried. There are actually many options for eating on the run. An of course, nothing beats packing a cooler. This simple lunch-box is the best friend of someone watching their waist-line.

Quick meals at home - Stock up on some easy supplies, like pre-cooked chicken breasts, low fat meatballs, shrimp and frozen veggies for stir-fry's. Take an hour and make some frozen dinners that can be easily grabbed - I use the dinners in the frozen food section as guidelines (rice, shrimp, veggies and sauce) or (pasta, cooked chicken breast, veggies and pasta sauce). The choices are endless, but I do tend to use frozen, pre-cooked meat - but you can also throw in a few casserole dishes with various cuts while the rice is cooking. Pork, Steak, Chicken. For pasta don't cook until done as it will continue to finish cooking when being mic'd. Measure, put in container, and freeze. I love the 2C ziploc containers and usually make 6pt meals.

Sweets at home - Last year I was determined not to buy them, but I have become somewhat lax on this venue. If you have problems with food item control, honestly, you don't need them and neither does your family. Gifting or tossing baked goods is all in the cards for some and can leave them feeling extremely empowered. I'm not a big baker anyway, so any sweets we get can be frozen and used for recess or after-school snacks. My husband refuses to give up on these carb and sugar based items, but if I have healthy alternatives in the house (salad foods, protein bars, or other snack items) I tend to go for those. Do what you need to do, though. For me, the goal will be to ensure healthy items at hand.

Sweets at work - specifically chocolates or truffles, as that's my downfall. Last year I actually allowed myself 1 chocolate twice a week, but only if it was something 'good'. It worked great and I think I'll do that again. It saves me from over-indulging when we do have chocolate.

Exercise - Having taken a major hiatus from resistance training with Corinne, I really miss my bicep definition. And, I've gained a couple of inches in the waist and hips in spite of maintaining my weight. My plan is simple and I am going to own it. I will be working out using the beginner program I used last year. I am commiting to 2 cardio sessions per week and 2 strength training sessions. I do need to sub some items for my knees, but I am excited for this. All my weights have been moved upstairs, including the eliptical and bench. I'm taking over the computer room.

For the scale, I do not obsess. I am well below my WW goal and I know that the introduction of any exercise regime may cause an increase on the scale. I suspect my weight will remain the same through December and will begin to drop in January. I am going to go back to using my excel spreadsheets for menu planning and posting them on the fridge. AND, I'll be focusing on filling foods.

A lot of this really is the same as last year, with some improvements. I hope you get some ideas from some of these Holiday survival plans and if you post one of your own, please let me know so I can link to it. Have a great December.

Weight Loss, Exercise and Goals

2008-11-27T11:31:00.003-04:00

I haven't been around in a while. Life's been crazy, but I really want to commit to maintaining my blog. I have determined to reduce posting to once a week as I was finding the internet process very time-consuming. I have been busy enough that I actually haven't had a chance to catch up on reading blogs, and I do miss everyone. I will be popping in to say Hi to everyone shortly and hope everyone is doing well.

December looks like it's going to be equally busy. Most WW members know that there are some program changes in store. I'm very excited about these and looking forward to introducing the changes in a couple of weeks. All of the leaders and receptionists who have tried this are really psyched.

Well, in spite of not giving this month my best efforts I have succeeded in losing 0.2lbs in 6 weeks (my last weigh-in). I have not exercised one ioto (is that a word?) and, as a result, have puffed back up into size 10's. Yeah, I know, terrible stuff. Well, last year I actually developed a Holiday Eating plan (which I've moved to the top of the blog again) and will update it for this year. Also, last year I began with Phit-n-Phat. I'm ready to give 'er a go again. So, I expect to maintain through the holidays and then would like to get to that ellusive 140 by the end of March. Something new to look forward to.

So, back to year-end preparation. I have 2 weeks and 3 weekends to pull a lot of stuff together - wish me luck if you're reading. The life of a corporate accountant - ugh.

And, to leave you with todays inspirational quote:

I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do something that I can do.
- Helen Keller

Plan. And Plan to succeed. That is something you can definately do.

It's Officially Cold. Need Soup?

2008-11-18T08:36:00.003-04:00

The 10 year old loves this. I whipped up a batch on Sunday. Personally, I thought it could have used more veggies and had decided to take half the recipe and add another can of tomatoes with some carrots, cauliflower and cabbage. Unfortunately, there's not enough left...

Mexican Bean and Lentil Soup

POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 17
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Course: soups

This makes approximately 17 - 1C servings. If preparing ahead, do not add the final 4 ingredients and freeze in portions. When ready to serve, simply re-heat desired portion and add coriander, lemon juice, s&p prior to serving

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup onion(s), chopped
2 garlic clove(s), minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
28 oz canned tomatoes
3/4 cup dry pink lentils
6 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 cup water
19 oz canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
19 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
19 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oil over med. heat; cook onions, garlic, chili powder, stirring occ. until softened.
2. Add tomatoes, vegetable stock, water and lentils. Bring to a boil
3. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until lentils are soft (approx 20 mins.)
4. Add beans and cook (approx. 15 min) - This is the bake ahead stage where you can freeze portions.
5. Stir in Cilantro, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Dance, Dance, Wherever You May Be!

2008-11-04T09:15:00.002-04:00

Oh, the things I could talk about with this title...

First, I get to go to dance again this week after having to miss the past two. Hubby is back on days, so YAY!!! Looks like he'll be laid off this week for sure - not bad though, since we were expecting it as early as early September. The run has been pretty good this fall.

Secondly, the 10 yo is in a dance competition this coming weekend. We're looking forward to the trip - it's around 5 hours away. The 5 yo is staying with my mother, so we'll really get to spend some quality time and also get to enjoy watching a lot of dancing from other groups. More on that next week:)

Finally, how can this song not make you happy? It is completely filled with happiness and hope for the future. I LOVE it! And being happy inside and out goes a long way in this journey.

Get out there and dance. Have fun and smile. It does you more good than you can imagine.

Have a great week.

Success!!!

2008-10-27T14:58:00.005-03:00

I did a double-take this morning when I opened my weekly email from Weight Watchers. Marie was smiling up at me and I hadn't even signed into Blogger yet. Now, I've already read Marie's success story, but if you haven't you should. Then check out her blog - this chick rocks the maintenance world.

The article excerpt:

BEFORE & AFTER

When Marie looked at her younger brother John, who she always admired athletically, she thought, “Why can’t that be me?” Her transformation has been gradual but full-blown. Since losing weight, she’s run three 5ks, a 10k, a 10-mile and two half-marathons.

The Gain/The Small Loss

2008-10-20T11:18:00.004-03:00

It's the week after Thanksgiving. A few things have been bopping around in my head today. Colette is upset because she only lost 0.4 lbs. I do feel badly for her, and she's had stresses I don't want to even think about. I've also been thinking about those who will show up at meeting tonight and will have gained or not lost what they would expect to. The fact that they'll be there is huge - it's always those who don't press the re-start button who need worrying about.

I've been thinking about 'Failure' and how it's such a vital part of overall success. I'm participating in a Goals Challenge right now and 'failure' was todays topic. Failure is an important part of overall success. Think Thomas Edison, who was called stupid by his teachers. Fred Astaire who was rejected because he was balding, couldn't act, and could only dance a little. Lucille Ball who was told she was too shy to act. What gives you the right to think you can't lose weight? The program works if you work the program.

As for small losses or gains - I've had my share. The difference? I view 'failures' as opportunities for growth. I always evaluated my small losses or gains and tried to be as honest with myself as I could. Problems in life? They don't define you. It's what you do to over-come them that matters most.

Small loss? Small gain? This is a little something acquired from Weight Watchers written by one pound of fat. I hope you enjoy.

Hello, do you know me?
If you don’t, you should.
I’m a pound of fat,
And I’m the HAPPIEST
pound of fat that you
would ever want to meet.
Want to know why?
It’s because no one ever wants to lose me;
I’m ONLY ONE POUND, just a pound!
Everyone wants to lose
three pounds, five pounds, or fifteen pounds,

but never only one.
So I just stick around
and happily keep you fat.
Then I add to myself,

ever so slyly, so that you
never seem to notice it.
That is, until I’ve grown to
ten, twenty, thirty or
even more pounds in weight.
Yes, it’s fun being ONLY
ONE POUND OF FAT,

left to do as I please.
So, when you weigh in
keep right on saying,
“Oh, I only lost one Pound.”

(As if that were such a terrible thing.)
For you see, if you do this,

you encourage others to keep me around
because they’ll think I’m not worth losing.
And, I love being around you –
your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips

and every part of you.
Happy Days!!
After all, I’m
ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT!!!

The Holiday Weekend

2008-10-16T08:14:00.002-03:00

Yes, I forgot to say Happy Columbus Day to my American counterparts. Well, it's been an interesting Thanksgiving. And boy, am I glad to be a Weight Watcher today!

Last year I thought I was prepared for Thanksgiving only to record a stellar gain that week. It took me a few weeks to get back on track. It was frustrating and I felt out of control.

This year, I planned. This year I did some things differently.

We still went to the in-laws and no, I wasn't able to get at the vegetables before cheese, butter and milk were added. Oh well, you can't win them all. I also indulged in desert food - but don't worry, it was Pumpkin Angel Food Cake. I also left some behind for others. I bought a box of biscotti's. These babies are sinfully awesome - and check out that NI.

Walking - my 10 year old and I went for a few walks this weekend, plus one before dinner and one after.

Veggie tray - They were on sale on Sunday, so I bought a small veggie tray for supper that night, a large fruit tray for breakfast in the morning and a large veggie tray to take to sil's. I ate some veggie's before dinner was served and felt quite full after only 1 plate.

Drinks - no wine this year. I had to work the next day anyway, so I brought some Live Active Crystal Lite and sipped on that while others were having beer and white wine.

Desert - My niece turned 19, so we didn't serve traditional Thanksgiving desert. Instead they brought out a DQ Ice Cream cake. I did have a small piece. After all, I'd already had a fair bit of yummy pumpkin angel food cake.

Other exciting weekend stuff. I'm still plugging away on decluttering my home. All 4 of us participated in a 27 fling boogie. The 5 yo was having some issues, but did part with a few toys and some clothes. We ended up with a full bag for donation, a full bag for the garbage and a partly filled recycle bag for paper. We're doing it again this weekend.

Oh, and results. I did weigh-in last week and this week and stayed the same. Exactly. The. Same.

Calling Debbie Out

2008-10-10T15:41:00.002-03:00

I think Debbie is getting a little frustrated with the long haul of weight loss. She hasn't even reached maintenance yet and is getting tired of the trudge. Ummm, Debbie - let's put the scale away for a while and focus on what was, is and always will be important. YOU!

And this goes for anyone else reading this post.

What do YOU need to do to live the life you want? Do you need to journal food or watch that comfort zone? That'll never change. Do you need to get out and walk 2-3 times a week? That'll never change. Will reaching that magic number on the scale suddenly make all of life's problems disappear? Sorry - ain't gonna happen.

I don't know exactly what YOU need to do to be happy, but I know you're the only one that can do it. I do know that storyboarding your future, making goals and doing those repetitive tasks that we all hate to do can help get you there. This works for weight or anything else your little heart desires. Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve - W. Clement Stone

Debbie - YOU have lost 70 lbs. THAT is amazing. YOU are amazing.

3 Cheers and a Shout Out to Debbie

Candian Turkey Day

2008-10-07T13:42:00.002-03:00

So, next weekend is Thanksgiving and www.weightwatchers.ca sent out a loverly email with lots of tips and such. What do I consider the most important thing about getting through the weekend without gaining (umm, last year was a record gain for sure). This year I plan to use some Weight Watcher tools, like proper planning and some mental rehearsing. I'm eating at my sister-in-laws, and will bring with some cranberry sauce made with splenda and maybe a low fat desert, such as this angel food cake or the pie custard on the bottom of this page.

My plan:

Make my own cranberry sauce with splenda (it works – did it last Christmas)
Get my veggies before they add the butter and milk.
Put 1/4C gravy on my ‘naked’ potatoes
Put cranberry sauce on my 3-4 oz of turkey
1C turnip is ‘free’ in pts
Carrot and broccoli and turnip to take up half of plate
Limit the other veggies to a bit of each and skip the stuffing (she does it right in the turkey)
If we get there early I’m taking the kids outside for a walk or something. Hopefully the weather will be nice. Will try to get in some good APs over the weekend as well.

Furthermore, I will:

Pencil in my food plan for the next day in my journal. I won't promise there won't be deviations, but it will be a guide for me so that the holiDAY doesn't turn into a holiWEEK. Also, planning to weigh in on Wednesday of next week to stop any residual poor behaviour short in its tracks.

Those not celebrating, have a great weekend anyway. Take Monday off just for laughs next week. Take care.

Take your time

2008-10-02T12:15:00.002-03:00

I was checking out some information on the net and found this thought quite interesting.

- Give yourself time to lose. This isn't a race and time-line goals are often difficult to obtain. I am always amazed at those who are disappointed because the ONLY lost 1 lb this week. Gee, I've been happy at ONLY gaining 1 lb some weeks:)

- Give yourself time to learn. Learn the program, the lifestyle, new habits and such

- Give yourself time to heal. Heal from years of self-abuse to your body and self-esteem.

The longer it takes the better the chances you have of long term success. You may also discover that other areas of your life are improving along with your weight as the lessons learned in WW are transferable to all areas of our lives. Goal setting is such an exciting **new** discovery for me.

Remember, you didn't gain all that weight in weeks or even months, so relax and enjoy the journey. Give yourself time.

Learning From Our Mistakes:)

2008-09-30T09:14:00.002-03:00

Well, after last week I was a little tentative about doing another WW meeting. BUT, like a good WW I evaluated the situation and examined ways to do things differently to get me to my ultimate goal. I kept what worked, asked for help from other leaders, and used some ideas from my past meetings that I attended.

Ironically, this weeks traditional meeting message is learning from our past (good and bad) and how this helps with our weight loss efforts. This Healthy Habit was/is key for me in both weight loss and my current maintenance efforts. A bad night on the scales is NEVER failure, only the opportunity to learn something new about ourselves (feedback) so we can move forward stronger than before.

Don't you love how the lessons learned in weight loss can help in other areas of our lives? Hmmm, maybe this is a lifestyle afterall:)

What are some of the things you have learned during your weight loss efforts (past and present) and how are these lessons helping you now?

Have a great week and remember, the only failure is giving up.

Busy Days are Here Again

2008-09-26T08:45:00.002-03:00

Yup, life is getting busy. I had thought I would have time to help with Sparks, but I've decided this is not the year. So far my weekly schedule is:

Monday: WW meeting after work, then pick up Ci at dance. Get home after 9pm
Tuesday: Go home on time and enjoy family
Wednesday: At least once a month make my traditional WW meeting (not a huge time commitment)
Thursday: 7.45pm dance class (yup, I joined again this year)
Friday: meet with Peggy. We've set some ground rules for these meetings - goal reporting and plan to-do for coming 2 weeks, then we can chat for a while.

I met with Peggy last night, but next week we're back on the Friday schedule. I need to make my goals SMART. I also need to prioritize those items I want to work on until Dec 31. A lot of my goals may need to be put on hold, or are long-term, and so will be moved to the inactive file. I will review the goals to focus on quarterly. I want to make a list of several SMART goals to be completed before the end of the year, and really a lot of them are sub-goals of my big ones.

I'm pretty excited about my checklist. I did it up and had it laminated with the hard laminate. I'll review the checklist every six weeks - for $3 I think it's a good investment. I also picked up some wet erase markers in 4 colours to use for circles (scheduled items), checks (completed), and weekly additions (time-specific to-do's). The items on the checklist are goals, but the checklist itself is also a goal as I want to complete 80% of my scheduled checks each week. I will use a permanent marker and dates to record this ratio on the back cover.

Planning is great. Now follow-through. Meanwhile - have a great weekend. I plan to:)

Oh, My Nerves

2008-09-24T11:22:00.002-03:00

With regards to doing the WW meetings, last week I only did the intro. I introduced myself and gave out the celebration stickers then turned the meeting over to my mentor.

This week she stayed in the reception area. I called her up on one question, but other than that she let me do the meeting. A couple of points to note:

I have to learn to engage the group more. They aren't so eager to respond to questions.
I need to have a sense of humour and joke with them more. It doesn't matter if they like me - it's me liking them that is important.
We have a lot of new members, but that doesn't mean they're new to WW or dieting. They have history, so feed on that.
I really need to learn who the talkers are. That will help in the coming weeks.

I prepared a 2-page presentation. It did take me the whole 30 minutes, but I'd like to get it down to a page or two of points. I'll get the flow down in a couple of weeks.

My mentor is there again next week and then I am solo. Meanwhile, I've been asked to cover for MY leader tonight. In front of MY meeting members. Am I up for it? I think so. I have a couple of things in my favour. First, I've already given this meeting once and second, I know who the talkers are.

Tomorrow night I am meeting with my 'life coach' partner. We're not really life coaches, but she keeps me focused and helps me with my goals. Then it's off to Dance class. It's been a busy week.

PS, I ordered a new suite and a dress. The dress is going back. I also bought 3 'new' dresses at a 2nd hand shop last week; although at least 1 will have to be packed in the next couple of weeks with my other summer stuff. I LOVE retail therapy:)

Weekly Post

2008-09-19T16:39:00.002-03:00

Hi there. It's been a pretty good week. I had a bit of an epiphany on Monday morning about my exercise when I realized my internal dialogue was using words such as "need to, ought to, must, should". What about the 'want to'. That really is what this is all about, isn't it? What do you WANT.

So:
Want it
Envision it
Plan it
Follow through

The keys to success are there. How bad do YOU want it?

Weekend planning and weekly update

2008-09-12T13:22:00.002-03:00

The leadership training was fun. We did got all of our manuals and fancy briefcases with the Weight Watchers logo on it. I really enjoyed meeting a few new people and began to 'see' a lot of things my leader had done. The trainer had only good things to say about Fiona and when referring to the cream of the crop commented 'like the Fiona's of the WW world'. I new she was a good leader while I was going through.

Anyway, I guess I'll be planning a meeting for Monday night. I haven't gotten hold of Terri yet to work out the details, but had left a message for her yesterday. She's currently leading at the meeting I'll be taking over. Fun, huh.

This week will be filled with cleaning the house, beading with the kids and planning for next week. I have some reading to do for Monday's meeting and also need to plan my eats for next week and get the spreadsheet posted in the kitchen. I think we'll try to get a dozer in for the yard next week too.

That's all for today. Have a great weekend. I'm planning to get back into my st routine - I've been a bit of a slacker lately.

Training

2008-09-09T15:14:00.002-03:00

Hi - Just a quick post. I'm going for WW leadership training tonight. I'm excited, but it's going to be a long week. I've got our menus all planned and am geared up. We'll be training in Halifax until 10pm, then home (about 45 minutes away) and up at 5:20 tomorrow to start a new day. By Friday I fully expect to be a blabbering sleep-deprived idiot, so may post some ramble about the week for your reading confusion.

Cheers,

First Day of School

2008-09-05T16:48:00.003-03:00

So, what would you say. Indifferent, nervous, anxious? Ci was like, my friends are on the bus and it's HE-YAR - you're embarassing me. She didn't actually say anything, but looks speak volumes. J had some anxiety issues going on, but was fine and very excited to give me my 'homework' last night. This morning she hopped right on that bus like an old pro.

Needed: New indoor sneakers for Ci (apparently, the ones I bought in May were worn just enough that they've been banned to outdoor status as soon as she can secure a new pair). New outdoor sneakers for J. We just didn't get around to learning how to tie yet and the ones she's wearing were hand-me-downs. I don't feel too bad, though.

Oh - and the matching skorts - they did that on their own. Ci really surprises me sometimes:)

Planning and Lunches

2008-09-03T11:04:00.004-03:00

Yup, I'm a believer in planning. I think we can generally be wayyy more productive, successful with less effort with proper planning. What?

OK, so for the past month I have gained a tad. Not a lot, but continuing down this road of 'winging it' would eventually lead to not-so-good habits. What does lead to success is a half hour of half-ass penmanship while half watching 'Doctor Who' and half talking to my mother. What I did get was a meal plan for the week, a grocery list of items needed to get through the week, and lunch ideas for the girls.

How does this help:
1) I buy from my grocery list and don't have 'temptations' in the house.
2) I save money by not buying more than I need for the week.
3) I have the food I need to eat healthy.
4) I have everything I need to quickly prep meals, snacks and lunches quickly - saving time and energy throughout the week.

Just think what could be accomplished by planning in other areas of life. If you're not a planner (I never was) I highly recommend trying this out for a week or so. I don't plan cumbersome meals - I work and have small children. Today my lunch is 6pts, consisting of low fat chicken meatballs, rice, frozen vegetables and barbeque sauce.

As prep work, I tend to cook my rice in bulk - 2 days worth in the fridge and freeze the rest in serving sizes. Keep in mind that the frozen food manufacturers freeze cooked meat - so can you. It's easier to toss a 3oz cut of frozen chicken or steak into your lunch bag if it's been cooked within the past week or so than if it hasn't been cooked at all. I also tend to have a couple of frozen dinners on hand, but use them for emergencies vs. a staple.

For non-microwavable options, there's always sandwiches - yum. And a thermos of...just about anything you want to keep warm. Also, tuna (or other canned meat) mixed with mustard and/or mayo in a small container pops nicely on top of a rice cake. Amonds and an apple, whole wheat crackers with cheese and a bit of jelly, or a container of frozen fruit.

In order to facilitate all of this, I invest in 1/2C and 1C plastic containers and also pack a resealable baggie with plastic utensils and splenda packets and anything else I may need. I've also boughten good thermoses for my girls and sugar packets for their lunch boxes. A great lunch desert for them is a small container of strawberries that have spent the morning thawing topped with some sugar.

Do you believe?

2008-08-29T14:00:00.003-03:00

In prayer of any kind?

Say some for Jamaica, Louisianna and all others in the way of Gustav today. It is currently reduced to a tropical storm and I'll be praying that it stays one or slows down as it moves towards my friends south of the Canadian Border.

Last year was a sad remembrance for Colette of Katrina after she'd spent 2 years re-building after her home was flooded. This year will definately be more anxiety with Gustav moving closer. Pray as well for her and her beautiful children as they deal with whatever comes through New Orleans.

Have a blessed, safe weekend.

My Tuesday

2008-08-27T08:33:00.002-03:00

After eating whatever struck my fancy for what feels like 3 weeks, I stood on the scales on Monday night. OK, I'm ready to fess up. I did have my shoes on and hadn't done my usual potty trip, but it read 151.4lbs. WOW! Well, it had said the same thing the week before. Keep in mind, these are unofficial weighs taken directly after the weekend without concern for accuracy. Call it a weigher-inner perk. After I got home at ate supper on Monday my own scale was in the high 150's.

So, yesterday I have calculated eating around 20 pts of pretty good choices. Mostly f&v, but also coffee with whole milk, some WW multi-grain bread. I ate at Tim Horton's for supper and chose a bowl of chili and only ate half the bun. All told, the scale move down for this morning to around the 146/147 mark. I tend to find my home scale first morning weigh relatively representative of my before supper evening weigh at WW. I think a week of eating clean foods will help. I'll be moving to more of a 20% protein intake and working on around 60% carbs, mostly complex. I need to move away from sugary, fatty foods entirely for a while.

Forgot the school supply list yesterday, so Ci and I went shopping. She bought some beading supplies and then we went to the mall. She found a great sweater at The Childrens Place and I also picked up some lunch bags there as well as a 3-ring binder (for myself). We also bought some gym slippers for dance for the girls and window-shopped elsewhere. I resisted Cinnabons coming in and out of the mall - I think I'm going to have to boycott that entrance.

Have a great week.

August Pictorial Review:)

2008-08-22T08:53:00.018-03:00

After a few days of playing and shopping in Amherst, my old hometown, we headed for PEI. After getting over Confederation Bridge (I've never seen it before) we discovered lots to do right there. One of the highlights was paying $2 each to dress-up as Anne with an 'e' as she was depicted upon arriving in Avonlea to be greeted by Matthew. You knew I had to do it:)

When we got to the cabins, we discovered a pool, playground, and boats. Plus the fire pits. I'm thinking of booking for a whole week here next year:)

J with Chestnut and Ci with Tina. This was right next door to the cabins. We actually canoed right under the bridge in the background and could see the paddocks from our cabin.

This is just a pretty picture I took while driving from MillsBrook to Cavendish. This area was full of beauty and the pictures just don't do it justice.

We visited Santa's Wood, where J took full advantage of the ride-on vehicles she doesn't have at home, while Ci discovered the bunnies and rock-climbing wall. This was a great place, with lots of stuff to do. We even met Santa - I think he's joined WW too.

The only museum we visited was Green Gables. There were lots of photo opportunities, since this isn't technically a historical site, but rather the location were LM Montgomeries relatives lived - and the location that the book was based on.

We walked the Haunted Wood trail at Green Gables. And the girls took a little break along the way.

My girls kicking back at Heather Beach. I used to walk from the cottage to this beach along the shore when the tide was out while I was growing up. The little one wouldn't go in the water past her knees and the older one kept wanting company out further so she could swim.

And of course she rolled in the sand...

Cottage poses of the vacationing girls and another with the hub.

Mom and I in the front yard at the cottage. She's sporting the bead necklace Ci made for her. Hubby and I in the sunroom while getting ready to leave on Sunday.

My baby graduated from preschool this week. A wonderful ceremony, which included 'The Alphabet Song' and many others, was held behind the Daycare.

Quick Hi

2008-08-19T12:42:00.003-03:00

Well, I've left the blog in darkness for a few weeks now. Sorry for the ansence, but I've been having fun.

Update on the dirt: not sure if someone kicked up a stink or offered to pay, but our supply ran out. We would have like a few more loads, but as I said before - I'm anxious to just finish the back yard, so this will have to do.

We've been on vacation. It was great. Unfortunately, Mark could not come with us as he had to work, but I got to spend lots of time with my Mom and the girls. We headed up to Mom's place on the first Monday and kicked back there. I hit an awesome sale at Marks Work Wearhouse and bought a couple of tops, 2 work capris, 1 jean capri and a pair of kahki's (sp?). Then I picked up my first ever Croc's on sale for half of what I normally see them for. We also spent time at the YMCA pool for twoonie swim a couple of times and at a local playground:)

Then it was off to Prince Edward Island. Woohoo!! I haven't been there in years. Unfortunately, Woodly Replicas, one of my favourite places, shut down this year. We stayed in a cabin on the North end of the island. I took my eldest for a trail ride and returned the next morning to left the little one enjoy a pony ride. They had cedar boats at the site and I took the girls out for a trip around the little lake, plus, for the first time ever, I started a fire. The other cabins were chopping up the wood into timber to get 'r going, but I guess I learned a thing or two from my Dad growing up.

We visited Green Gables and walked the Haunted Woods and visited the site where the old school used to be. We also went to Santa's Wood, a perfect entertainment grounds for the girls. Cavendish was so beautiful - I wish I could post a picture of the dunes, but my battery died just then. No plays, not too many touristy things, but lots of fun.

I tried to take the girls to Magnetic Hill and Magic Mtn, a water park, after returning to the mainland, but mother nature would not comply. We went shopping for school clothes instead. Then it cleared enough that I took them on Magnetic Hill (the 10 year old has dubbed this Optical Illusion Hill, lol).

Finally, the renters were gone from the cottage and we settled in. We were over at Heather's Beach every day. I love it there and it's life-guarded, plus the beach at the cottage is rocky and mucky - although beautiful to look at. I did so many Sudoku's I was dreaming in 9's. I totally relaxed. We thouroughly enjoyed Mom - she came to PEI with us and spent the week at the cottage, heading home on Friday as Mark was on his way up. I didn't get home until 8pm Sunday night, although I had planned to be home earlier to prepare for the work-week. Oh well. Then last night I worked at WW meeting as the weigher-inner. It'll be good to actually clear out the fridge and re-stock tonight.

Oh, I did hop on the scale for an unofficial weigh last night. I even left my shoes on because I knew it wasn't good. Well, I didn't reach the 2lbs over my goal, and that's all I'll say about that, except that I totally ate what I wanted and how much I wanted for 2 weeks. Funny, Mom thought what I ate was quite healthy, so I guess I've still come a long way. Water should shed a few lbs by Wednesday's official weigh-in.

Take care and have a great week.

Dirt, Work, and Weight

2008-07-31T08:57:00.003-03:00

Hello - I know I haven't posted in a while. It's been so busy getting ready for vacation I haven't had a lot of time.

We got loads of dirt for the backyard. I'm so stinkin' excited about it too. It's ditch dirt and free - gotta love it. We're going to wait until mid-October and get it levelled, add some topsoild, and call it done. After 8 years, I'll be glad to be done with it, too. Right now we have about 20% of what we'd like and will settle for whatever we get. It was still coming as of yesterday.

Weighed in last night and am back to 143.8 lbs. I seem to be playing with this particular number often and have seen it several times over the past couple of months. We'll see how things go on vacay. I bought 2 boxes of WW pretzels and 3 boxes of WW bars as snacks for the next 2 weeks.

Take care.

Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit

2008-07-22T12:44:00.002-03:00

Well, the lower body workout got trashed because you can only let navy beans soak for so long (gee, thanks Mark) before having to feed them to the composter or cook. So, I spent time getting a pot clean and boiling the beans and putting together the necessary ingredients. I went with this recipe last night since I couldn't find mine. We're not fans of ketchup in the beans, but I was in a hurry and didn't have time to look for a good molasses only recipe.

Then it was off to read to the 10 year old. She's into 'Elf Defense'. I'm not sure about this book, and I'm hoping she get bored with it. Anyone else read it?

So, tonight I'm working around 1 hour late to get in some processing whereby I need everyone off the system. Then home to get in my lower body workout. The weather has been suck and my consumption of baked goods has been up. My home scale is up several lbs - like 7 or 8. After the wine, heat, humidity and chocolate chip oat cookies it's not a surprise. So, here's to drinking some water - Cheers.

Weekend Wipe-Outs

2008-07-21T10:37:00.002-03:00

Wow, I'm exhausted. I've been exhausted all weekend. I was out Friday night (no booze, just visiting) and got in around 1 or a little later. Now, I got to sleep in on Saturday so that should have been enough. I was falling asleep by 7pm and struggled to function until I could get to bed. Sunday was no better. Hubby got up with the kids and I slept until 8:30, but was beat mid-afternoon. Today my eyes feel like they're popping out of their sockets.

What else did we do? Kids went for a play date and we visited a friend, who just happens to be 4 lbs from his WW goal. We haven't seen each other in a year, so we were trapsing off to see his exercise equipment and chat about the different leaders. He attends an at-work program, and I attended one of his leaders meetings. He's also been to my meetings - but we always missed each other. While there I had 3 glasses of wine. These exceeded the 2oz serving, but what the hey. Hubby planted some bushes for them and the missus picked me some greens. Yummy.

I finally made it to church on Sunday. The kids had friends over, so hubby stayed behind. I felt a little bad about leaving after having slept in, but he was good with it. Also, menu planning and the grocery list on Sunday. I went by myself - quicker that way.

And, the back yard got re-mowed. It's starting to look normal again. We need a couple more lengths of extension cord so hubby can finish clearing the back end. We worked so hard to re-claim our yard, it's discouraging to watch it grow up again. Finally, I took the 10 yo to the pool. The water was warm, but I didn't go in. She took the thermometer out of the pool and watched it drop almost 10 degrees farenheit. Crazy stuff.

Also, got in an upper body workout Saturday. I am doing reception training tonight and would like to get in a lower body session before bed, but it will be after 8:30 before I get home, so if I'm still feeling this tired, I'll be going to bed.

Take care and have a great week.

Water Retention? Clothes?

2008-07-18T09:18:00.002-03:00

Not sure why, but the scale is way down at this weeks WI. 141.6lbs - A new number. I'll take it.

I've been the weigher-inner at 2 meetings this week. It went well. I also reviewed how to do the tally. I did a 'remote' location on Monday night (trunks, tear-down) and the base location on Wednesday night. Good stuff.

After today - there's only 2 more weeks before vacation. So MUCH to do at work before then. We're going to PEI over-night during the first week and spending the second week at the cottage. Can you say Relax. I'm looking very much forward to it.

Good-Bye Sears and 28%

2008-07-16T08:45:00.005-03:00

Last week Sears had on their Warehouse Sale. Interestingly enough, we needed a new lawn mower. We bit the bullet and went to buy one. Mark wanted self-propelled with side and rear-bag discharges and big back wheels. I mean, he really wanted a ride-on, but this was the second choice. I had cashed in my Sears Club points for $35 in gift certificates and used them towards the purchase. The rest went on the card and then...I paid the card off. Woohoo. Thank you Sears.

Left to do: Cancel whatever insurance policy is going through that card and reduce the limit to $500. I do like this card for on-line purchases from Sears, but the 28% interest has GOT to go. I lurve Sears and can't bring myself to cancel the card - at least not yet.

The Mouths of Babes

2008-07-10T08:59:00.002-03:00

So, last night I was telling my daughter that I lost 0.6lbs this week and would like to lose another 3.8. She asked if I was still under my goal weight, to which I told her 'Yes'. "Hmmm, It would be amazing if you lost 10 more lbs (from goal)". "Really, you think it would be amazing?" "Pfft- the way you've been eating, Yes"

OK - I've been kicked and checked. Got it. So, my food yesterday did NOT include: ice cream cake from DQ, hazelnut vanilla spread, cheeze whiz sandwich, pours of oil for frying, or donuts.

It DID include oatmeal, eggs, berries, cottage cheese, frozen lf chicken meatballs, frozen veggies, brown rice, almonds, rice cake with a skim of peanut butter, sushi, and LOTS of water.

The Goings On

2008-07-08T08:24:00.003-03:00

This week is kind of crazy with planning a combo birthday party on Saturday. So, I have my supper meals planned out and posted by the stove top. Mark usually prepares the suppers, so I've included the meat, carb choice and veggies. Tonight is steak and I've put the meat in the fridge for him. I have my general lay-out for the days:

Meals:
Breakfasts: 5 pts oatmeal/egg mixes (berries, pb, pp, or cheese)
Morning snack: 3 pts dairy/fruit mix (cottage cheese or lf plain yogurt)
Lunches: 5 pts Meat source and green veggies (left-overs or chicken/beef stir-fry cuts, asparagus, green beans, lettuce and spinach, or snap peas)
Afternoon snack: 2 pts snack of rice cake and tuna
Way home snack: 2 pts almonds
Supper: 5 pts meat, carb and veggies (list is made for family for week)
Evening: 2 pts soy drink (or combo with pts of milk in coffee's for day)
Post-cardio/st: grapefruit/pro shake (no value assigned to activity or associated foods - it's a wash)
24 pt days. My daily points allowance is 19 + 4 for maintenance + weekly (I still have 10 left). On Thursday, the meals won't change substantially, except that I may switch out the rice cake for a Core option - especially since I've moved my carb to dinner with the family.

For my breakfast, I boil the water, add the oatmeal and egg together and stir. I later add the extra. Yesterday was blueberries and today was strawberries. Add a bit of splenda and a splash of soy drink (or not) and voila. I use 1/2C egg whites or 1 egg, depending on the day. With the egg white, it's less points (more for coffee milk and that splash of soy drink) and is a smoother texture. Hubby says he still tastes the egg, but I don't - or maybe I'm just getting used to it. I've been doing it this way almost every day for a couple of months now.

A few other things on my to do list:
Today: Get paper and do up invitations for hand out tonight and tomorrow.
Shop for party favours and prizes
Order cakes
Call Visa to get more low interest cheques
Pay off my student loan, Sears, my MasterCard and Mark's MasterCard

'Tis true, we came into a bit of funds with which I put on my Visa and will use low interest (3.99%) cheques to pay off my higher interest debts in full. The student loan is almost paid off (only a couple of months left), but has the largest cash flow effect. This will only leave the Visa - which will be a substantial amount - but over half will be at the low interest rate, so I can't complain. Kudos to planning - funny how things happen.

Happy Birthday, Little Ones

2008-07-04T17:07:00.004-03:00

Maintenance and Core

2008-07-03T10:56:00.002-03:00

This week was, amazingly, a 'stays the same'. Since I AM in WW maintenance, I'll take it. Yet, I would still like to lose another 4.4 lbs and get to my personal goal of 140 lbs.

SO, last night I took all my little books down to my meeting and went through them to make sure I have everything I need. I picked up a new week 1 package, since I'm missing the Getting Started book. Got a new slider and everything. I wanted to make sure I had everything, especially the Getting Started book because I've decided to try out Core. For today I'm documenting and counting.

Breakfast: 6 almonds, oatmeal, 1 egg, slice of processed cheese (6)
!st thing at work: Tims coffee (1)
10:45 am: 1/2C cottage cheese with approx. 1/2C mixed fruit (3)

Total so far is 10 pts. For lunch I have salmon, 1/2C rice and frozen veggies. Later this afternoon I have some baby carrots and 15 almonds. For supper I don't know what we're having.

Why the switch? I was following some menus I was getting from PnP. They were good and I learned a lot of new ways to eat healthfully; however, they were also extremely high in protein and, although I am working out, I don't feel I am working out to support that menu. And the bottom line - the menu was very expensive. For the summer, I have 2 kids in daycare and will be running at a deficit each month - this was adding to that deficit. I don't want to scrimp on food, and think that Core will fit into my budget and my life much easier.

Why Core? Mainly because I'm not a fan of journalling. It's been my nemisis. I've also been eating mostly Core foods anyway. I'll still be planning the weekly meals out and using that to create my weekly shopping list - so there's still the element of journalling to some extent. Also, I find I have started (the past 2 weeks) for some crazy reason, to dip into non-Core, fatty and carby items such as donuts, hazelnut vanilla spread, ice cream. My daughters have their birthdays tomorrow and their party next weekend, so this seemed as good a time as any to start a new program.

It's exciting to start a new program. You feel all energized and eager to succeed. Life is good.

I won't likely be posting again until next week. Everyone have a great weekend, and to my American readers, Happy 4th of July.

Eats and Treats

2008-06-27T09:06:00.003-03:00

I'm trying to post my food in Sparks again this week. They have some neat new features, such as adding extra meals, copying a meal from another day, and exporting your report to excel. They also still have all of the great tools I remember, such as my 'favourites' list, where I added many of my favourite foods or specific items we buy that are not on the general list, such as my PC foods from Superstore.

For anyone starting an exercise regime, this site is also a great resource on how to properly do certain moves. They'll even design a program for you. And it's all free! That's right - Free! Well, what are you waiting for? Go sign up.

Ditchin' The Clothes

2008-06-26T07:49:00.002-03:00

I think I'm going to have to start working out in the mornings. The thought of waking up early certainly does not appeal to me, but with summer such as it is I may not have a choice soon.

I started my lower body workout on the deck last night, with alternating lunges, dumbell squats and bunny hops. Then I made my way down to the basement. It's nice and cool down there. I proceeded with the next superset and, before too long, I decided I didn't reeeeaaally need a t-shirt on. In my last superset I also ditched the shorts 'cause they were sticking to me. My dd laughed and told me that she couldn't believe how sweaty I was. I guess I never really appreciated how much those clothes absorbed. On a related side-note, I also need to vacuum that area before lying down on the carpet again. And another nice thing - I was half way getting ready to jump in the shower afterwards.

So - before all that, I went to meeting last night. I did weigh in - up 1.8lbs. I'm figuring it could be just about anything and am not getting upset. 144.4 is still well within my comfort zone for now. I've been picking up the pace with this new schedule, but not focusing on cardio. I've also been slightly off with my eating for weight loss, and I jogged 15-20 minutes to the meeting. Any or all of that was likely a supporting factor. I am back on an eating plan - by that I mean I actually have my daily eats written out and will stick to that until Sunday when I switch it up. Subbing my protein pancake this afternoon for a grapefruit and 2pts of almonds though, since I ran out of time this morning. So, I expect to be smoothed out a bit again next week.

Take care and have a great Thursday - today is a great day to plan your menu for the weekend so you can make sure you've got the food you need in the house. I call it simple logic - you write what you are going to eat and then just eat it. It works for me.

GARBAGE!!!

2008-06-25T14:07:00.003-03:00

A little vent here. I'm a liberal gal - I can lift, lug, and mow a lawn. I don't mind helping move furniture, etc. But, I still like to have the door held open for me by a gentleman AND I like to have the garbage, compost and recycling taken care of for me. So WHY am I the one and only who lugs these things to the curb?

Yes, today was compost and recycling day. Never mind the recycling that hasn't made it out of the basement yet. Is it not enough that I actually put the recycling bags on the deck when they're full for ease the morning of? Is it not enough that I request regularly to take the compost out to the composter? Do I have to drag both out to the curb every other week?

What's good about this arrangement? There are certain things I can get to the curb on garbage day that good 'ole hubby would contest. Yes - I can be evil.

Temptation, etc

2008-06-24T08:58:00.004-03:00

Can anyone tell me why, oh why, people want to bring Timbits into work? Oh, and not the yucky plain ones, but chocolate glaze. Gee thanks. Not that I would normally have any - then again, yesterday wasn't 'normal'.

Last night I didn't have a workout planned, but...umm...Burger King wasn't on the plan either. Why is it we just say OK when we're tired. In all fairness, I did get the new Walnut, Cranberry Chicken salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette and a water. Then I had some french fries. Anyhoo - I'm extremely over-tired, so will be doing lower body workout tonight. I'm going to cut down the reps on my lunges and squats and attempt 3 sets tonight. My hamstrings hurt for 4 days last week and I don't think they need to hurt that long. Then I think we ALL need to be in bed early tonight. Being this tired on a Tuesday is bad.

Pictures - Like ya'll need more

2008-06-22T13:44:00.009-03:00

Hi - This just in: pictures of the suites. Hubby was kind enough to take them today before my workout. I'm using them as my 'before' pictures and am hoping to be more comfortable in the 2-piece by vacation, which is August 4-17. Meanwhile, Mark loves the 1-piece and I guess I don't mind it. Tried to take the pictures on the deck, but the teenage boy neighbour came checking things out, so I abandoned that.

And of the size 8 jeans. Gotta go - family is waiting for some outside adventure.

It's the Attitude

2008-06-20T08:00:00.002-03:00

I've been doing some listening (and reading) lately and this is my conclusion: We are more likely to succeed when we focus on the good. I'm hearing in meeting that "It's so hard." Yesterday I mentioned about people not changing their lifestyle. I know slips happen, but I'm thinking I never struggled this way with food because I embrased the changes wholeheartedly. Sure, I can still scarf down a days worth of points on a Saturday night in potatoe chips - and sometimes we do that. The difference is, I don't do it regularly AND when I realize what I'm doing I try to remove temptation. Really, a stir-fry is SO much more satisfying and those spices, like cajun or 5-spice, have a perfect flavour.

Exercise I DO struggle with. It's about getting into the head-space for it. I REALLY want to get out and enjoy walks, looking forward to the pool opening up in - yikes - 1 week. Overall, I don't think I have a problem with activity. It's my workouts. I admittedly struggle. SO, I have re-focused my attention to some extent. I am committed to 2 strength sessions a week - 1 for lower body and 1 for upper. With the lower body I am only focusing on 2 sets of my routine and with the upper body I will do 3 sets. Last night I did lower body and after my first superset (20 walking lunges with pulse, 20 side squats and 30 calf pulses, repeat) I was wobbly walking down the stairs. I have a long way to go, but I'm still here - 7 months after joining PnP.

Just a weigh

2008-06-19T09:47:00.002-03:00

Went to meeting last night. Subject was on the path to success - and all those lovely detours along the way. Bored much? Not changing lifestyle? Anyhoo - scale says I'm down 0.4lbs. And that's the mid-month update.

On-The-Fly

2008-06-18T10:14:00.002-03:00

Eating and working out on-the-fly don't usually work for me. It generally turns out badly, actually, with my feeling guilty. So far this week I have done very little planning, so I'm going to do a bit now.

To re-cap, Monday I worked late. Groceries are whatever is in the house. I have a list, but that's it. Tuesday I went home for supper and sent Mark to the grocery store. The girls were whiney, so we cuddled and read - 2 chapters of Scooby Doo to 1 chapter of The Worst Halloween Ever. We got through 4 rounds of that before I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

So - to plan. Food - I think I'm going to keep flying on this one. I had intended to journal this week, but...well...I guess I better start. Plus side - the scale is down a bit today, so I think I'm not doing too badly - BUT, journalling or planning is very important for me as I have a tendency to over-do things.

Exercise:
Wednesday: Strength - lower body followed by 20 minutes on elliptical.
Thursday: Cardio session - I haven't decided yet, but if it's nice I'd like to try a jog - maybe 5K. I know where my 2.5K marker is, so I'll just do a return trip.
Saturday: Strenth - upper body followed by, hopefully, a long walk - pending weather. Otherwise I'll do the lwr body 16 minute workout from h-e-ll that involves my getting sick of looking at my stairs.

Other:
Clear the Clutter: I got rid of 3 bikes and a dresser so far this week. I'm thinking a box of books for Friday.
Meet Peggy Friday night - Her turn to be accountable this week.
Church on Sunday morning. We haven't been going and I think this is a good time to start again.

Weekend Fun

2008-06-16T07:00:00.002-03:00

I guess I had lots of weekend fun. Some highlights:

Used clothing: I took the 9yo to Frenchy's and she picked up some tops. I also needed summer clothes - some for work, but I haven't boughten much for kickin' back either. I picked up 3 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of capris, a dress and several tops.

ALSO, I bought a 2-piece bathing suite on Friday night. I'll try to post the suite pictures this week sometime.

Meat: I went shopping at the wholesalers on Friday night and picked up a chunk of pork and a huge chunk of beef tip. I spent some time with the pork on Saturday morning and ended up with 3 pork loin and some other cuts. The beef took me around 1 hour on Sunday and I ended up with 2 roast, some nice steak cuts and a bunch of fast-fry cuts, some beef tips for stir-fry and some stew meat. I decided if I'm going to do this again, I need a better knife. I figure I saved around $15-20 - not great when you're considering the time factor, but it's a learning curve. Also, I decided I'll need a glass cutting board instead of the hunk of wood I use.

Friends: Had friends over Saturday night for a few drinks and chatting. The kids had some fun. Sunday, next door the 4 or 5 yo twins were visiting their aunt. They're always good for some fun - my girls are crazy about them and love it when they visit. Later in the afternoon we went visiting ourselves for a BBQ and swimming. I didn't go swimming, but the kids were in - well, the LO sat on the edge and managed to set down the ladder until under her arms before coming back up - repeatedly. Good times.

Cuddles: Got some great cuddles in last night as we snuggled down and watched Water Horse. Good movie - the 4yo took off near the end and brought back a kleenex box for the tears (hers and others).

Well, it's getting late. Gotta throw on some 'new' clothes and get to work. Have a great day.

TAXES - Ahhhhh!!!

2008-06-13T09:05:00.002-03:00

OK, in Canada taxes are due to be filed by April 30th. Umm...yeah. Did I mention that I worked in public accounting for 5 years worth of my career? Hmm. You'd think I'd be organized and psyched to file KNOWing that I get a return every year (childcare fees may be a killer on the budget, but they help on the taxes).

So, I did them late - sometime in May - and made my list of outstanding items. Still waiting on my interest papers from RBC federal student loan, but I can file a T1 adjustment for that. I asked the daycare for receipts, the dance school, etc. OK - all set, right?

Gonna complete them last Tuesday. Duh - have the child fitness stuff, but seem to have lost the daycare receipt. Called the daycare. Got the receipt Wednesday and updated the taxes. Where the heck is our access codes?

Found them this morning. Phew! Filed them today. Not bad - only 1.5 months late. No interest or penalties - both of us are getting refunds. Now to decide if I should do the debt reduction thing or go shopping... Just joking - I think there's room for a bit of shopping. Duh - I still need a 2-piece bathing suite.

Progress and comparison photos

2008-06-11T22:10:00.013-03:00

Ohhhh, Ahhhh, I know EVERYone is SOOO excited about this post. Ya'll have been on the edge of your little 'ole seats. I'll try not to disappoint.

No - I wasn't sitting on her. She actually crawled up there and was squeezing in behind me and I was becoming annoyed at being shoved off the couch. Hubby snapped the photo and I'm not a fan, but it's a rare shot of my big butt and how I could fit on the couch with company.

Interestingly, all the pictures I could find of myself I was sitting and had some form of child or other camouflaging my front. Most of my weight was carried in my stomach - this crazy illusion of being flat chested - ahem, anyway...and my butt.

Then here I am able to button up my 14's. Very happy day, indeed.

Gotcha!

I'm just kickin' back enjoying some fun on the weekends. Totally loving the new bod.

Better get my feet off mil's couch before she catches me, though.

Clear the Clutter

2008-06-11T09:35:00.003-03:00

I am taking this one to heart. I read a book a few years back - now long since donated to the library or sold to a second-hand bookstore - about clearing clutter with Feng Shui. I was moved, not by the prospect of living in a wider vs. longer home, or having rounded corners for energy to move, but rather by the prospect of digging myself out of the clutter we have.

Have you noticed that those with clutter in the homes also tend to have clutter on their bodies? Or maybe it's just me. Why is that? Is it our desire to hang onto things - or not caring about things - or not having the determination to do something about it? Maybe it's one or more, but what I do know is that I have a lot of crap in my home.

So, I have been able to get rid of some clutter from my body and now I am tackling other stuff (mine and theirs). Yup, you heard me. Mark, if you're reading this, we ALL need to comply. OK, how long does it take to find your keys each morning. I seem to have lost mine last weekend - Mark has them, they're in an article of clothing I was wearing, or I left them at mil's or sil's. Regardless, if they're in my kitchen I've wasted numerous minutes looking for them already this week. HELLO??? Time is either money or time away from my family. What about the bank cards Mark mis-placed. Again, they're either in Truro or 'lost' in our home. This has negatively affected our ability to take the 9yo to Frenchy's and she NEEDS some shorts for Friday. Time's a tickin'. Then there's the 10 minutes I spend every morning looking for various things I need to make breakfasts and lunches for the day. Really? I'd rather sleep, thank you very much.

OK, there's my ramble. Clutter - Be Gone. Need some help? Pick up 'Clutters Last Stand' and get started.

Roller Blading my worries away

2008-06-10T08:46:00.003-03:00

The 9yo wanted to head out and do SOMEthing last night, so off we went. In all fairness, I planned to go roller blading with her last night anyway, but hadn't mentioned it. 2.5km with the mild to moderate inclines. This is the third time I've done this route. It's a pretty good one since the hubby can take the 4yo in the car to the playground and we meet him there. It's definately a nice change from walking and left me feeling invigorated. I could have kept going.

Black flies are making a seasonal come-back and MY time in the playground was cut short. On the grocery list this weekend: bug spray and sun screen. Also, the 9yo and I are heading to Frenchy's on Saturday for some much needed summer clothes shopping. She's grown and I've shrunk - neither of us has much that fits well enough, and it's important to look good while you're stumbling over gravel crossing driveways while rolling down the sidewalk.

Cheers, ya'll

Menu planning and Goal updates

2008-06-06T11:09:00.001-03:00

Well, I wasn't going to follow Corinne's menu next week, but guess what? I looked at it and am psyched. Wasn't crazy about the chicken again (it was in 2 meals last week and 1 this week and what with egg whites I've started to grow feathers), but she said I could substitute white fish or sirloin for variety if I wanted to. So now I really need to decide when I want to sub what and that means...this won't impact my eating with the family for suppers. They can eat what I eat and everyone is happy.

Well, we're on the third week with asparagus on the menu. I'm enjoying it, too. So is the 9yo. She told me it was the best part of my menu - but she's also putting away her share of chicken breast, too.

I'd say the only thing I'm missing is my soy drinks, so I'm going to work it in. I guess, with subbing stuff, I can kind of still make this menu my own quite easily. I'll stick to the 'as written' version for during the day and just switch up suppers for variety.

My goals are going well. I don’t have my notes with me today, so I’m going by memory here.

28 Inches: I am doing good with my food lately, as you can see from above. I’m really focused and am trying to get energized for ST. This week I am only focusing on my ST sessions, and I’m only concentrating on getting 2 in. Any cardio I do is bonus for this week and next – I am just enjoying life right now, but do want to begin incorporating more cardio in. It’s such a great time of year for it. I am inspired by the ‘Hood’ routine – check out PnP today for a blog post by Becca via Corinne on the subject of incorporating cardio and plyo into your daily walks. Corinne also did a video for this on YouTube.

Debt-Down: I was doing a bit of research for opening debt balances and finally broke down and called the student loan centres. I had guessed around $2K on the federal portion and $500 on the provincial portion. Well, the provincial in now paid off and the federal is just over $600. I felt like I won the lottery. I’ve decided to pay off the federal portion with the tax refund since it has the biggest impact on cash-flow, even though it is the lowest interest and the only interest I pay that is tax deductible. Cost vs. benefit – I’d rather re-direct that monthly payment elsewhere.

Positivity: 1) Find them right; 2) Thank them; 3) Ask them to do something easy. I have really been focused on thanking people lately. It is getting easier. Oh, BTW, thanks for reading meJ

Family time: This involves 1) weekly 1-on-1 time between each member of the family, 2) inexpensive or free family outings each week, 3) monthly family dates. We’ve been doing good on this one. Mark and I need to find time for more 1-on-1, but hey, we’re trying.

Learn to swim: I have done absolutely nothing with this. I mean, I learned to swim in the ocean growing up, but I’ve always wanted to learn proper technique. The 9yo taught me some stuff last summer, so I’m looking forward to learning more this year.

Have a great weekend ya'll

Thoughtful Thursday:

2008-06-05T10:14:00.003-03:00

Be warned, this post is a bit lengthy, so I’ve included a summary.

Did the virtual post-it note work? You asked, I answer.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Eating Clean. What happens when you don’t have your cooler?
Weigh-In Results Show.
Would you consider working for Weight Watchers?
What’s a BLT? The act or the food? A musing.

1. The virtual post-it note. Did it work? Yes – and No. Or maybe No – and Yes. No, I did not get in my ST session on Tuesday night, but thanks to all my great blogging buddies I felt extremely guilty and put in a session this morning. Superman, Chest press, Overhead press, toe taps, lunges, squats, bicep curls, lat raises and some others. 3 sets of mostly 10 reps using mostly 10 lb weights - 12 activities in total. Check that one off. Next scheduled workout is Saturday.

2. My meals for any given day consist of breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, late afternoon snack – all before going home to supper and evening snack. Well, that’s a full 4 meals I take in my cooler every day. Yesterday I asked my 9yo to take my lunch to the car. I looked around on my way out the door and saw that my cooler was gone and proceeded with the morning kiddie drop-off. When I got to work I looked in the back seat. Hmmm, maybe she put it in the trunk. No – look back in the car, again in the trunk. I’m very confused and really not sure how I am going to get through the day. My yogurt and berries; My chicken, broccoli and asparagus; My tuna, egg and rice cake; My cottage cheese and almonds. All gone. Well, I survived. The 4yo hadn’t wanted her oatmeal, to I ate that late morning, then went around 2pm to Tim Horton’s for chili, ham and cheese roll, coffee and a donut. The donut should have been a don’t, but I’m moving forward. Meanwhile, the 9yo felt extremely guilty for having stuffed my lunch in her backpack so she asked her teacher to keep it in the teachers’ fridge. The teacher asked if it was OK for her to look to see what I packed. Well, I’ve told you what was in there. Her comment was that this was the healthiest lunch she’s ever seen. That comment made me feel very good indeed.

3. I went to weigh-in last night and am in new territory, with a 0.8 lb loss. I am now 143 lbs. Ooooooh, so close to 140, but I am aware these last few pounds are painfully slow to take off.

4. After the WW meeting I was asked to hang back a bit. Would I ever consider working for Weight Watchers? Yes, I would. My leader will put my name forward and I am not to be surprised if I get a call. I have thought about this, but really didn’t ‘think’ about it in reality terms for just yet, you know. It made me feel very good, though.

5. Finally, a musing. The definition of BLT: Bite, Lick, Taste. I kind of laugh, because my musing isn’t really about not BLTing, but the definition of a BLT. It's not about how you shouldn't like the knife after spooning out ice cream for the kids or 'steal' a fry from someone else's plate. For instance, if I am making my snacks in the morning and lick the spoon after filling my container, is this a BLT? The food was measured and is on my eating plan for later today, but is that the point? Or even weekly food prep – if it is my food for the week, does it matter if I taste-test on Sunday? Now, part of me says no it's not a BLT – it’s your food, destined to land in your stomach (I would otherwise scrape the spoon into the container, see). Another part of me says, the ACT is BLT and there is a treacherous path between going from licking the spoon of yogurt in the morning to licking the spoon of ice cream for the kids in the evening. The act is a lick – and the act is mindless and often goes unnoticed. The act is a bad habit that I, for one, need to focus on.

That’s it for today. I had a lot to get out, so I hope you enjoyed some or all of my daily ramblings. Cheers for today.

Gorgeous night to get gorgeous

2008-06-03T18:01:00.001-03:00

Tonight is my strength training night. I've actually been in a funk, so I'm posting this note to self.

DO NOT come back here tomorrow and say you didn't do it. No excuses chickie - it's 40 minutes. Go get 'er.

The Food Focus

2008-06-02T16:41:00.002-03:00

I'm going to follow my current eating plan for 1 more week. Basically, we eat almost the same thing every day for 7 days. Heck, I usually ate the same breakfasts and snacks anyway and stressed over the other meals. This consists of a lot of high quality protein choices which tend to get rather expensive. You won't find ham or pork on my menu - no sir.

I did 'slip' to some extent this weekend. As much as I tried, my scheduling was off on Saturday. We got home at 10pm from the recitals - yes, the kids were still awake - and decided to have a thin-crust frozen spinach & fettucini pizza. It was tres yummy. I was thinking metabolic boost meal (or cheat, high point, off-plan, whatever), and was going to stick to schedule on Sunday. Then company showed up and we hauled out some sole. I also had a couple beers. I didn't go over-board, but it certainly wasn't the focus I thought I would have.

So, I'm back at it again today. This week we get lots of meat. Steak every day at lunch and chicken every night for supper. It's actually a very good menu this week. My concern is getting to the financial end of this. How can one afford steak EVERY day. Well...it is only 3 oz. I cooked 1 steak this morning and it'll likely last through Wednesday. On Wednesday I'm planning to switch steak to the evening to eat with the family. And likely next Saturday too. Tonight we're all having chicken breasts, brocolli and asparagus. Oh, they'll likely also have some mashed potatoes, but I already ate my sweet potatoe today.

I finally bought some natural pb for the first time ever. I was worried about the oil, but it was amazingly easy to stir up. And the flavour was so much richer than the regular stuff. Very good - highly recommended.

After this week I'm going to do up a regular menu with lots of variety. I'm starting to feel like I'm dieting. But, I will do one of these menus once a month or so. The food is very good and filling - I don't feel deprived. I forgot my jello today - yeah, we get jello, too. I'll have to eat it tonight. I wish meat were half price all the time. I picked up a good fair bit of fish on sale last Thursday. I think our freezer is busting with salmon and haddock right now. Chicken breast was on sale at Superstore this week. Good thing too - what with me eating it every day.

So I'm looking at my weekly grocery bill and thinking: I really hope some of this stuff lasts more than a week. My gas/grocery budget has already pushed its way into next week, so it won't have a choice.

T.G.I.F

2008-05-30T14:55:00.003-03:00

Yes - I know you love some playin' on the weekend. Looking forward to a busy Saturday myself.

Tonight I meet Peggy for some chit-chat on my goals and 'tings that happened this week. It's been a busy week actually. Then I gotta get home and get me some sleep tonight.

Tomorrow morning I'm planning a fun ST session in the basement. Might even have to try it with an MP3 player - I always forget we have those. I did a good workout Thursday morning too.

Then it's off to dance recital #1. The LO doesn't want to wear makeup - she hates having to wash her face, lol. She's very excited about dancing on the big stage. I'm volunteering and get a T-shirt out of the deal. The 9yo is jealous, so I told her that it would likely fit her OK too and she could have it after I was done. It's big on her, but she's not arguing.

Next is home for some laundry and moving about. Back to the evening recital where the 9yo dances 3 times in 3 different outfits.

So, I have my menu for the day and will pack my cooler for myself and the girls. It'll be fun. We'll be tired.

Sunday I would LOVE to relax and stay home, but I'm going to need to come into the office. It'll make next weekend all the sweeter for the wait.

I've been tagged

2008-05-29T23:01:00.003-03:00

The rules: Rules are made to be broken. But basically it involves telling 5 things about yourself and then tagging 5 more people. I was tagged by Debbie - who follows rules like a good teacher.

Five Things About Me:

1. To steal from Debbie, I attended 9 public schools between P-12. I was in #4 by Christmas grade 3. One included going to QEII for summer school - I like to count it. Dad retired from the Air Force when I was 9, and then we moved when I was in High School, but I went to the big city for a while during the transition to live with my brother. I may have her beat in post-secondary, though. I started at Acadia before moving out west. I took course at Mount Royal College, SAIT and through Athabasca just because before moving home to finish up at Mt. Saint Vincent. 5 universities before I got my degree and now I'm studying through CGA.

2. I was dehydrated most of my life. I have periodically given blood over the years and it has always been a labourous task, taking 45 minutes or so. After I joined WW last year and was struggling to drink 6 cups a day (I laugh now at how hard that was) I donated in 12minutes. Also, I was a regular advil/tylenol popper, but I rarely have to take them now. Water is an amazing thing.

3. My second child was borne on my first child's birthday. I love that one. I was induced and when the doc set the date I just sat there and tried to explain it wasn't a good date. After being informed that he was going away for the weekend, and based on what he saw I wasn't going into labour anytime soon, that the choice was mine to wait it out. I was already 1.5 weeks over and agreed. Then I went home to give the whole thing a positive spin. "Honey, it looks like this baby is going to be borne on your birthday. If that happens, I want you to know that you're the luckiest little girl getting a birthday present from God." She bought it, but we had some possessiveness issues to address the first little while. "I'LL take care of it Mommy. After all, she's MY birthday present."

4. I still cry driving by Miller's Lake in the spring when the snow melts. It makes driving difficult, but it also reminds me of the spring I lived in Halifax and Dad used to pick me up for the weekends and we'd always have bets if the ice was still there. And I'd always laugh at the crocodile in the lake because I was from a small town in Colchester County and all this stuff was more quirky than I was used to.

5. I am an accountant who hates doing personal tax returns. Mine are currently a month late getting filed.

OK - now YOU - the one reading this - yeah you -

you've been tagged. Let me know in the comments if you're posting a list.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

2008-05-29T13:08:00.001-03:00

See that ladies - back down to 143.8. I've been here before and am hoping to see some new numbers sometime soon.

Food check

2008-05-27T12:40:00.002-03:00

I've got my food in check the past little while. I'm following one of Corinne's menus this week. Eating 8 times a day is interesting. I'm not sure I can continue with the every 2 hours thing. I'm used to eating 6 mini-meals a day and that's more my grove. I'll stick to it this week - I'm loving the scale results.

Now to get my exercising into check. With all this lean protein I've been eating, I told the hubby that I NEED to do some exercise to support the food. So, tonight I'm pushing some weights and taking a cruise on the elliptical.

Sunday I did 2.5km roller skate again. I think it's going to be a regular route, but I can see getting to the point where I just turn around and head home from there.

Soccer started for the season. We're getting the questions as to why the 4yo isn't signed up. It's big here, but she wasn't interested and, I for one, am glad to have another relaxing summer pool-side instead of swatting flies on a field.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!!!

2008-05-23T09:22:00.002-03:00

YUP. It was May 23rd, 2007 that I realized that my 4 days of trying to cut out sweets and bready products was destined to fail. I sat at work looking down at my ginormous belly and thought about 2 of my friends who had lost weight on Weight Watchers. One worked out at Curves and the other walked up and down the highway and some other exercises. I'd seen both withing the previous month. The scale that I'd purchased the previous weekend scared the crapolla out of me. AND, my body shape came with all sorts of personal insecurities. If you're there or have been there, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't - well, kudos to you or maybe you're missing out on part of the journey we're on. Regardless, that's another post.

SO, here it is 1 year later, 40 lbs lighter, and what have been the highlights:

Octoberbest: Thanks to Kim for hosting this and introducing me to Sparks.
Silver 33's: 33 inch waist Silver brand cords. I couldn't believe they fit. They're getting big now.
Losing over Christmas Holidays: Thanks for my Holiday plan, and those of others I was ready for December.
Inches lost: I did not take my measurements until July when Octoberbest started. I'm am very pleased with my progress since joining Phit-n-Phat as well.
Increased Energy: Keeping up with my kids and actually having to help them along.
Making WW Goal and Making WW Lifetime.

There have been others too numerous to mention that have given me the motivation, encouragement or determination to continue. I'm still working on more goals and still want to lose some more inches. As it's been a year I'm thinking I'll stop updating my graph for now. What I know is I'm back to a body I can like and have brought with me a whole heap of confidence this time around.

Have a great weekend everyone. Believe in yourself and you can accomplish whatever goals you set our there for yourself. Cheers,

The ProBar

2008-05-22T16:32:00.003-03:00

Well, Kendall posted thinking I was snacking on ProBar. Sorry - no - my pro bars are homemade and less than half the calories or yours. However, the reason I'm posting the link is because I decided to check out this brands site. They actually look really good and are all-natural. If you are into protein bars check them out if you can find them and let me know how they taste.

I really can't go any longer without sharing the Trish's Homemade Protein Bar recipe from Phit-n-Phat. I make these EVERY week. I do a basic batch for myself every second week and a batch loaded with 'stuff', like almonds, walnuts, pinenuts, chocolate chips, dried pineapples, raisins, dried sugared ginger, etc for hubby and the 9yo. It's my cake substitute and mine are generally around 3pts.

Trish's Homemade Protein Bars:
3.5C Old fashioned rolled oats
1.5C LF powdered milk
4 scoops protein powder of choice
1C lf maple syrup (I actually just use a LF syrup 'cause I can't find lf maple syrup)
1/4C egg whites (or 2 egg whites if you're into separating)
1/4C orange juice
1/4C apple sauce
1 Tbsp vanilla
Mix and put in sprayed 9x14 casserole dish. Bake at 325 deg. for 20-30 mins until browned on edges.

NOTE: For the 4yo I remove the protein powder and add extra powdered milk. ALSO some chocolate chips. Next time I'm going to bake hers as drop cookies.

The Beast

2008-05-21T17:04:00.003-03:00

I really dislike having to weigh my food all the time and keep in check those BLT's. I was reading the mouse today and I can so relate to her reaction to the Armstrong ad. I don't so much care about his use of the F-word either mouse, but the idea that there is a way out of measuring and weighing is really appealing. Guess what though? It's unrealistic.

OK - here we are. I have admitted that I have a food problem. Never thought I did, but my ability to pile on almost 50 lbs over 8 years years or so emphasizes the point - doncha think? If I had known how to eat I would have lost it when it was only 5 or 10 lbs. Instead I felt over-whelmed and sulked my way from a 10 to a 12. Then I later convinced myself that 14 was the new 12. Still later I choked down pride and began to purchase 16s. It felt horrid. Weight Watchers taught me a lot. Blogger friends taught me a lot. Phit-n-phat taught me a lot. With all this knowledge you'd think I COULD just put down the fork.

If you were at my house last night for pork loin, potatoes and asparagus maybe you'd understand that I sometimes can't just put down the fork. Frig it was good.

Long Weekend

2008-05-20T12:02:00.003-03:00

Weekend went well. I got in an ST session Saturday morning and took Baloo for a 6.8 km walk. On Sunday, the 9yo and I decided to break in our wheels and went 2.5km. I tried roller-blading a couple of years ago on a flat parking lot for around 15 minutes. This trip with flat, mild and moderate incline was fairly intense for me. After 5 minutes I was wondering what I had agreed to. All I kept thinking was the biggest incline just before the end. We made it though. Monday we headed out again for another trip, likely around 3 km since it was return and not as far as the first trip.

We went to see the new Narnian movie. I hadn't read this book because I couldn't find it when we were reading them. We read the first one (the creation of Narnia), the second (LW&W), the third (A boy and his horse, i.e. Caspian), missed the fourth, read the fifth - the ship one. We didn't get to the last 2. I thought the movie was very well done. The 9yo said we need to get it for keeps.

Also went through the boxes of clothes that are between the 2 kids in size. Organized and cleared out a bunch of stuff for donation. We drove by a house with a Princess 2-wheeler with training wheels out by the corner. Hubby stopped to ask if they were putting it out for someone to take, so we took it. In return, we told the 4yo that she should put her tricycle by the road since it's too small for her. She liked that idea and is very happy for the upgrade. Hubby put a note on it saying it needed a new home. The trike disappeared yesterday afternoon in the trunk of a white car.

The home scale actually dropped down a bit this morning from hovering around 150. It's notoriously higher for the past few months than the WW scales. I was glad to see the drop. For my part I went over my points Saturday. I didn't indulge. I took the kids to McD's Saturday and just had fajitas and a couple of fries before leaving them with hubby and going to look at books. I also stuck to water and a couple of small nachos at the movie before handing them on to the 9yo who finished them up. I took it light at supper since we'd been out.
Sunday food was good. We did have chicken cordon bleu, potatoes and fiddleheads for supper. It was so good. My points for the day were around 22.
Monday I was good until supper. I had some steak and prolly too many potatoes, onions and brocolli. nah, not too much brocolli, but I did eat to being a little more than satisfied, so I'll have to work on that.

Tuesday:
Morning: .5C cottage cheese, 1C berries, .5 scoop pp (4)
Snack: coffee with whole milk (1)
Lunch: steak, potatoes, onions, little bit of brocolli, coffee with whole milk (7)
Snack: pro bar and carrots (3)
Supper: pork loin, half sweet potatoe, lettuce & spinach salad (6)
Snack: 0.5C lf soy drink, 1 scoop pro powder (3)

ST: repeater of Saturday morning followed by elliptical or blading with the 9yo - I feel like I'm in a second childhood and so glad I can share this with her. That she WANTS me to :))

Total for day: 24

Goals Update and Menu

2008-05-16T09:19:00.007-03:00

Sorry I can't be more exciting today. But - actually - I am excited about some of the progress on my goals.

Goal #1: This one is hard because it's not measurable, really. I always feel like I've missed the opportunity to thank someone - like last night. A girl taught me how to do a 3-step turn that I was having problems with and I didn't explicitly thank her. Missed opportunity - but at least I am recognizing it and that's progress. On the plus side, I have been thanking the girls at work for all they do and my family for being so great.

Goal #2: Operation Debt Down. I did NOT contribute to my emergency fund this week. But, I did not touch it either. It currently sits at a little under $300. If I am threatened to have my power or phone cut off I can at least pay on the accounts and still be safe. Other than that I paid OFF my first credit card - the HBC. Now, I fully expect the next statement to have residual interest that will need to be addressed, and when I get that statement I will be able to make that payment quite easily. Yesterday I cut up the card and cancelled it today. Woot!!! 1 down, 4 to go.
I was worried about the 3-mortgage month, but neglected to note that Mark gets paid the day before the mortgage is due. I tend to have a reserve for these months, but I had spent it. Anyway, all is good.
So, since I get paid semi-monthly and Mark gets paid bi-weekly, I am going to have to ear-mark his cheques for gas and groceries because it's easier.

Goal #3: 28 inches. Hmmm, you already know that I've gained weight and haven't been exercising, so I guess I'm sucking the big one on this. BUT, I have decided to focus on what I have been doing (see the transition in Positivity: Goal #1 here - finding MYSELF right).
Monday: I went for a great walk with the family on Monday night. I don't want to count this kind of thing as exercise, because this is WHY I exercise - so I can keep up. Mark felt we went too far, Ci biked and had a great time, J went in her jogger and laughed a lot. I pushed the jogger for over half and really hoofed 'er. I walked the dog the rest of the way and really hoofed 'er. 40 minutes of good cardio walking trying to keep up with the bike.
Tuesday: I worked late Tuesday night and missed my scheduled ST, but did volunteer to take the deposit to the bank. It's not far, but I did walk it, then side-tracked to Tim's for a coffee. I think it was 20-30 minutes out. Not what I planned - but it was something.
Wednesday: When hubby went to shower I could have settled in with the kids, tidied up, whatever. NO, NO, that's not what I did. Instead I got them ready and leashed the dog. We walked down the road and up a dirt road in the area so the LO could trike - it's really too small for her, but we'll work on that in a couple of weeks. Anyway, I ended up carrying the trike while walking 'pully dog' most of the time. The walk was slow, but it's the stuff life is made of.
Thursday: I got ready for dance class last night and poor Baloo got SO excited. I felt badly for her. I can't say it was kick-ass cardio, but it was a great, light workout. The stretch was much-needed. 45 minutes of dance and 45 minutes of yoga. Sadly, the season is almost over.

So, in conjunction with my 28 inch goal I also need to reign in my eating. So, I will post my nenu for today to be accountable to that (did you like that segway?).

Early morning: some water - did you know that drinking some water .5-1 hour before breakfast actually kick-starts you metabolism. Mark usually brings me coffee, so I've requested water instead. I drink it in bed while he's getting ready then hunker back down for a while.
Breakfast: Super-smoothie with coffee. Sometimes I add my 1C coffee directly to my smoothie so I don't have to use a point for the whole milk I add. It's kind of a gimped up latte and I usually drink it in 5 seconds. It's great for Mondays and Fridays. I do 5 points. 1C lf soy drink, .5 banana, .5 scoop pp (I used Lead Dessert Banana Cream today), .25C prepared oatmeal, 1C brewed coffee.
Drive in: Tim's coffee (large, half milk, half cream, splenda) 1 point
Snack: Orange and coffee with whole milk 2 points
Lunch: Sheppard's pie (points estimated by comparison to PC product) 6 points
Snack: less than 2C carrots, 12 whole almonds 3 points
Supper: Tim's coffee, 12 almonds 3 points
Before bed: 1C lf soy drink 2 points

Total for day: 22 pts

Sounds like an exciting day so far. In my cooler I have almonds, peanut butter, can of tuna and can of black bean soup. I'll need to work the details out for the rest of the day. The pb and canned stuff are just staples I keep at work, but I don't go home for supper on Friday nights, so will eat before I leave work and bring a snack (likely some almonds) for through the evening. Fridays are left-over days - lots of fun. The plan is 24 pts today.

Oh - Have a great weekend. It's a long one for me - technically. Hubby missed out on OT as the union guys took all the spots (can't blame them at triple time), so I may go in for a day or so. For those who celebrate, Happy Victoria Day. Have a great weekend.

Accountability, Baby!

2008-05-15T10:24:00.007-03:00

Yeah, I gues that's what I got last night at 6pm at the fire hall. And I guess that's what I'm doing now. So much for my Re-commitment promise last week. I'm up another pound. And, I'll be honest here, it had nothing to do with the pants I was wearing. In fact, I was wearing the SAME pants I wore 2 weeks ago and, likely the same top as well. If not the same top the weight difference would be immaterial.

There - I've put it out there. I've talked the talk, but haven't been walking the walk. I've run out of excuses for my lax behaviour. I have not exercised at all, except for some walking, in almost 2 weeks. My elliptical is wondering what it's purpose in life is. My weights get more action being used as a balancing tool by the 9yo than anything else. I'm feeling relaxed, lazy, and unmotivated. On the food side, measuring is fine - sometimes. Journaling gets done on Thursday and part of Friday before taking a nose dive. Luckily I am planning my meals or I'd really be in a tail-spin.

So - for myself I am going to journal my food here. For ALL of blogland to ignore. BUT, this has always been MY back-to-basics - the thing that gets me moving again. My daily points, based on weight and age, etc is 19, plus all the other stuff. I smooth my weekly pts and just go for 24/day while in weight-loss mode. If I put in a kick-ass work-out I'll have and extra 2pts just for kicks and giggles. YES - I eat all my points. The goal: at least 4 kick-ass work-outs this week, 2 for ST.

SO:
6am: Coffee with whole milk and splenda (1)
7:30am: Super smoothie (1C yogurt/milk, some strawberries, 1/4C prepared oatmeal, 1/2 scoop protein powder) (5)
9am: Tim's coffee, 1/2milk, 1/2cream, splenda (1)
11am: Homemade protein bar (3)
1pm: 1C brown rice, 10 shrimp, topped with frozen veggies and drizzled with oyster sauce (less than 1Tbsp) (6)
4pm: 1C baby carrots and 1Tbsp pb (2)
6:45pm: 1.5 C chili made with ground chicken (5)
9:30pm: 1/2C lf soy drink (1)

Activity: Dance/yoga - low impact cardio for 45 mins and some great light stretching for 45 mins.

Less Housework

2008-05-14T10:19:00.003-03:00

Anna liked the idea of the simple mirror. Wish I could take credit. Oh, I'm so excited about this new book I bought. "Make Your House Do the Housework." When we decided on our bathroom it was really strictly "What look do I like?" What I've come to discover are a few things.

- Pedastal sinks take away much-needed storage space.
- White moulding shows the dirt far more than grain wood.
- White tub/toilet/sink needs cleaning far more often than darker colours (grey or light brown would have been ideal).

In other areas of my house:

- The pretty victorian style couch, loveseat and chair I bought this winter collects lint and dog hair in the buttons.
- The solid dusty rose colour shows all the dog hair and other mishaps that come with family 'life' (at least ours).
- The legs and open space below the couch allow dirt, toys, shoes, books, dust balls, etc to collect under said couch and does nothing to hide it from visitors eyes. My last couch still collected, but the skirt hid it all until I could get under there.

I did buy furry black throws to camouflage, but it mostly just makes me miss the fact that it's the dog curled up there (i.e. camouflages Baloo instead of her fur - ugh).

So this book has a lot of ideas. At the end of the day, hubby and I decided to plug away at project that NEED to be done and we are planning to sell in 4 years. Ideally I would like to build and incorporate more of the ideas in this book into our plans.

You can catch more flies with Sugar

2008-05-13T09:43:00.005-03:00

Well, I am wanting to report on my positivity goal today. I am SOOOO excited that we finally got up the casing on the bathroom door. Hubby has vowed never to do another 45% angle, but I do like them so much more than the blocks. Next step - frame in the bathtub. There's a warp in the wall that is giving him some problems, so he's been dealing with it by not dealing with it. Long weekend coming up - we'll see.

Left to do in the bathroom:

- Frame in tub
- Decide on cabinets and mirror above sink
- Hang said cabinet and/or mirror
- touch-up paint
I am actually thinking something like this for functionality. Easy to clean, cabinet is recessed, and no handles. I also have a wooden mirror that won't fit there. We were thinking about putting it above the toilet, but I may just leave it in storage until another day.

Getting this far is no small feat. It was labour day 2006 that I took the kids out of town for the weekend so hubby could tear out our old bathroom. We feared major mold issues, but it turned out to be surface, mostly. He put in a new 3-piece tub, new toilet and new pedastal sink. Word to anyone considering pedastal sinks - save it for the half-bath. You lose your counter, under-counter storage. I now have toys, magazines, bottles, etc everywhere else but in the drawers and cupboards that they used to be stored. He doesn't seem to mind that it has taken almost 2 years to get to this point - and in fact it may very well take the rest of the summer to motivate him to finish this. He's definately not a full force ahead until complete kind of guy. The plumbing is done and the floor is laid - I think he would have quit there.

Speaking of positivity, the girls both complimented on Sunday night supper so much so that hubby decided to try for a similar effect last night. Sunday we went to mil's and I made pork loin, boiled potatoes, boiled carrots and spinach. Last night he was motivated to try to please them in similar fashion with some chicken breasts. They liked it, but I have a feeling Sunday may have had more to do with the fact that we were at Nanny's. Anyway, a compliment goes a long way, and that's important stuff.

Anyway, I am so excited and really want to buy a new, vinyl bathroom door as well, but I'll wait until the other stuff is done first.

The Movie in Review

2008-05-12T13:42:00.003-03:00

The Movie: IronMan

The results on the movie: Good

The results on the ending: Dumb

The results on the actors: Very good

2 Steps Forward...

2008-05-09T09:18:00.004-03:00

1 Step Back. You're going in the right direction, so it's all good.

I decided to go to weigh-in last night at the Dartmouth location. I'm up 1.4 from last week to 145.2. I'm still 4.8 less than goal so it's all good. Could be I ate more food yesterday than last Wednesday, pants were heavier, whatever. I don't stress - Just re-commit.

The message this week was Weight Loss Bargain. What did we spend on exercise equipments, foods, fad diets or other programs before joining WW. What have we spent as members? Why do we freak over the cost of lettuce, but don't question the cost of a round of drinks, often tipping more than the lettuce would have cost. What is the cost of not buying healthy foods?

I never really spent a lot on trying to lose weight before joining WW. I bought books and can list them here: "Fit for Life", "A New Way of Eating", and Dr. Phil's book on weight loss. I actually like the idea of Natural Hygein (Fit for Life and A New Way of Eating) and find it co-incides in a lot of ways with Core - I just wish the recipes were less time-consuming (if you read me regularly you'll know how much I love cooking - not). I didn't make it very far into Dr. Phil's book, but made lots of notes about my psychological issues;0)

I think I've spent more money on health items after starting this journey. Still, I bought my weights second hand, my elliptical was free and my yoga mat and ankle weights were from Winners. Maybe $100 in total. Plus the gym I joined this winter. The joiners fee was quite low and I only joined for 2 months - another $140 or so.

Do I spend more on groceries than before? I don't think so. If you plan right healthy eating doesn't have to cost a fortune. I also look at the cost of food in more than 1 way now as well. Usually I try to buy lean ground beef, but last week I hesitated because it was expensive. Turns out ground chicken was on sale so I picked up 4 packages. I swing by the fish section every time I'm in the store to see if there are any marked for 50% quick sale. I then freeze it as soon as I get home. Last night I enjoyed Tilapia that was purchased as a result of a quick sale sometime last month. Sweet:)

So - why can I relax and not get excited about a 1.4 lb gain. Is it because I'm already under goal? No - I'd still like to get to 140. Moreover it's because I've been here before. In October I charted a 3.8 lb gain one week. I know this isn't a race. It's a lifetime. And that's what last nights message was all about. I'm glad I made the time to go to the meeting. Can you believe I felt more rejeuvinated after than 1.4 gain than last weeks loss? It's true.

YUMMMMMMY!

2008-05-08T13:07:00.008-03:00

What is the protocol for sharing recipes that you paid for? I'm never sure about that. Anyway, I suppose it's OK as long as you made the recipe, tell people where you got it, and encourage them to buy the publication. So, I'm going to share.

First off, if you haven't picked up a copy of the recent Clean Eating Magazine, do it now. Wow, I am so impressed with this. I've tried 2 recipes so far and heard the term 'gourmet' coming from the hubby over chicken soup and 'delicious' coming from the picky eater 9yo over lasagna (although this recipe did put dairy in her system, I figured it was OK for a single serving every few weeks as long as she stays away from sneaking her sisters cheese strings).

Adendum: The 9yo dislikes ground beef and will not eat pasta with tomatoe sauce - yucky, she says. She does, however, like tomatoes and tomatoe juice - hmmm. So, for this to be a delicious choice is huge.

So, without further ado, a sample from the current publication. I think I'll be tempted to subscribe to this magazine...

Pasta with Turkey and Spinach:

1tsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1lb extra-lean ground white turkey breast (I used ground chicken 'cause it was on sale last week)
3/4tsp ground cinnamon
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes in juice
1tsp sea salt
8 sheets dried high-protein or whole-wheat lasagna noodles (I used PC whole wheat noodles)
1 10-oz box frozen spinach, thawed
1 15-oz container low-fat ricotta cheese (I bought a tub in the deli but couldn't find low-fat - think 500 ml)
1 egg
3/4C shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (no name, low-fat)

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med heat. Add onion and cook until softened (about 5 mins). Add garlic and cood another minute. Turn heat to med-high and add ground turkey, breaking it up. Cook until meat shows no sign of pink. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg, then add tomatoes with juice and the salt. Reduce heat to med-low, stir, cover and let simmer for 20 mins, occasionally stirring and breaking up with tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse and allow to cool in colander.

3. Preheat oven to 400 deg. Squeeze all remaining moisture from thawed spinach and place in a large bowl. Add ricotta cheese, egg and 1/4C mozzarella to bowl. Stir until combined.

4. Spread 1C of cooked tomatoe sauce into bottom of a 9x10" casserole dish. Lay a cooked lasagna noodle flat in front of you. Use your fingers to spread 1/8 of ricotta mixture across the noodle and roll it up (a little over 1/4C of mixture per noodle). Place rolled pasta, seam side down, into the casserole dish. Repeat with remaining noodles. Spread remaining tomatoe sauce over roll-ups, then top with remaining 1/2C mozzerella.

5. Bake, covered with foil, for 20 mins. Remove foil and broil for 5 mins or until roll-ups are browned and bubbly.

NI/serving: 234 calories, Fat 3g, Sat. fat 0g, Carbs 27g, Fibre 5g, Sugars 7g, Protein 28g, Sodium 508mg, cholesterol 76mg.

So, be you a calorie counter, weight watcher, or clean eater, this should be everything you need. As a Weight Watcher, I love whole foods. To me, clean eating just gives me another focus on what I'm already trying to do - eat healthy. The fact that this was easy to make, freezes great for lunches later in the week, and is family approved makes this recipe a perfect fit for my meal plan. 2 thumbs up.

Goal Updates

2008-05-07T10:29:00.002-03:00

It's been a crazy week I tells ya. The 4yo broke a fever again Sunday night, so I've been with her the past 2 days. Daddy took off work today to stay with her as Mommy needs to get caught up at work. But first:

The 9yo was in a dance festival last weekend. Her group took gold for their jazz routine and silver for their hip/hop routine. GO Sissy! This week she is at a Music festival with her school. I've never actually been able to see her at the music festivals, but will get to see them sing at their school soon. She's packing for the trips with brownies, pro bars, almonds and water. Not able to eat on the trip the say - ha! She hides the foods in her jacket citing that she just can't go that long without eating. And I agree. I couldn't either.

J is going on day 3 with this fever. I just called Mark to make sure her contacts the doctors office today. Hopefully he's there now. She's starting to get lethargic and has had very little to eat since Sunday mid-day.

GOAL#1: Project Manipulation.
Updates on this: I have really been focusing on asking the family to do simple tasks and making sure I thank them. I must admit though, that I've gotten grumbly a few times and let them know that the requests did not have optional answers. Gotta focus on NOT doing that. However, they have helped a few times with getting ready for dinner and putting some things away. The 9yo drew up a schedule for brushing the dog. Mark put my bench together. I've been focusing on being grateful to them. It's a work-in-progress.

GOAL#2: Operation Debt-Down.
GROCERY BUDGET: This is always a trouble spot for us with several small trips at $20-40 per trip plus the weekly trips. I managed to stick to my grocery budget. We did a really good menu plan last weekend involving treats, awesome suppers, etc. I'm testing the waters of batch cooking. I made lasagna Sunday night (serves 8) so there were left-overs - with a salad. A large chicken cooked in the crock Monday had enough meat for a couple sandwiches, lunches, and soup. Ground chicken was on sale so I bought that and did up a large batch which later was divided in 2. I mixed half in a small casserole dish as the base for sheppherds pie and the other was drained and returned to the pot and I added most of what I need for chili. When we want chili it's just add the beans and adjust the spices. Honestly, I think the only thing I'm running out of is milk for coffee. I even cautioned the 9yo that I made/bought her 12 snacks and when they're gone, that's it until Saturday. She's been a little more careful about eating them all up and is saving them for school snacks when she needs them, rather than wants them - hoping this kills 2 birds with 1 stone.

BUDGET PLAN: I drew up a base budget with all my monthly payments and monthly income. I called most of the credit card companies to get balances, due dates and minimum payments due and documented everything and made sure they were up-to-date. This is still in its infancy and I will need to work on this for a while. For now the student loans are just fixed monthly payments even though the balances are quite low. I think they're paid off next winter but don't want to check on that just yet.

EMERGENCY FUND: This is where I'm starting to waver. I put my money in the emergency fund last week, but realize that there is enough there to eliminate the HBC card (28%). Also, I have $1,000 room on the Visa if I need it. I guess the idea is that, as long as I have access to my emergency fund, does it matter if it's cash saved? Or am I running with the mindset that got me here in the first place?

GOAL#3: 28 inches.
Ab routine: I have not focused on that this week.
Strength training: I am thinking about dropping out of the Fast and Furious challenge at PnP for now and focusing on doing 2 ST/week plus 2-3 cardio session/week. I think that, right now, expecting myself to do more leaves me feeling guilty for not doing it. I may mean that the results won't come as quickly - or maybe it'll mean that I will actually stick with my routine and get there more quickly.
Menu planning and journaling: As mentioned in the budget message this is going very well. I know they grumble when I want to sit for a half hour and document meals for the week with their input, but this is such an important part. I need to know that I can stick to budgets and provide healthy, well-rounded meals that everyone will EAT. So, with the roasted chicken we also needed to provide canned gravy for the 9yo for dipping. Important information. I haven't been doing as well journaling - or measuring. Call it an emotional break. Will re-focus after weigh-in tonight.

Measurements

2008-05-02T09:01:00.004-03:00

Seems like a good month overall. Kind of mucking around with a lot of quarter inches, which are subjective (did you measure the same spot as last month, pulling the tape slightly harder one time over another, etc.). I am pleased with the fat reduction in my upper body - arms and shoulders. The loose skin, etc in my arms is reducing nicely.

My thighs aren't overly large in my opinion, so I'm not really concerned at this time. I'm also please with the waist reduction, as you can imagine. Below 30 - WOW!
As an NSV, I donated one of my bathing suits from last summer. It was a blue 1-piece and, although it still fit through the body (I could still get away with it because it wasn't stretched out) it was loose and I felt the chest wasn't supportive and the style left much to be desired. My black one, the top still looks good, but it was designed to hide the flab, so I'll likely get rid of it, too. The bottoms? I wore them so much the past 2 years that the arse was stretched out. The elastic in the waist and tummy still work, but there's loose, stretched material in the arse. So, I'll need to pick up a couple of new bathing suites. I'm very pleased that these are 'required' purchases so I don't need to justify them to my new budget. Hubby and kids all need a new suite too so we'll hit Wally-World when the stock comes in. The current selection leaves much to be desired.

I've been lurking and will try to get some comments out in the near future. Oh, and if you haven't been yet - go congratulate Barbie. She's having a baby (or babies) and I've never been happier for anyone to spend 3 months feeling lackluster, tired and yucky - then another 6 months getting big an uncomfortable. Steph - you so deserve this and all of the happiness it brings. While you're at it, pop by and see Amanda and her new baby - ahh, it just seems like yesterday that I popped on and her meeze was preggers. And I can't be talking babies without mentioning Mandy who is now in 2nd trimester. Check out her belly - there's 2 in there. Babies, babies everywhere. I must make sure that no other members of the Barbie Brigade are pregnant.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Weigh and Measure

2008-05-01T17:20:00.005-03:00

This is what keeps us accountable everyone. You don't have to post it, but do it for yourself.

Isn't it loverly that at first the scale loves to co-operate, and then we become complacent and can't figure out why the scale isn't moving anymore. Yeah! Measure your food. Weigh your food. The scale will then co-operate. Hey - so will the tape measure. I love the tape measure when the scale stops showing me some lovin'. I regret not having taken more measurements and pictures when I first started this. I mean, at the time I just didn't want to know - I could see my reflection as I walked by windows. Wasn't that enough? I was the woman that swallowed a beach ball.

Anyway, since meeting goal my weight has been dropping regularly. I struggled for so long - since October - with the last 11-12 lbs and now I'm dropping and am down 6.4 from goal weight. Granted, I haven't returned to maintenance mode since week 1 of maintenance, but since Easter I've had a real mental struggle to stay on track and I'm surprised at the scale and its continued downward movement. I knew I had a good week, and maybe April 16ths 0.2 lb gain was an illegal gain (ALL my gains were illegal since I started this, you know).

SO - MINI GOAL ACHIEVED>>>>>>LESS THAN 145>>>>>>>143.6

Slept in this morning, but pinky promise to post measurements tomorrow.

28 inches

2008-04-30T08:59:00.004-03:00

Goal #3: A 28 inch waist.

July 11th - 7 weeks after I started Weight Watchers and just as I was able to button up my size 14 capris, I measured 37.25 inches at the waist. March 31st measurement was 30.5 inches.

You measure your waist at the smallest point around. See, I always thought my waist was the point above your hips where there is a natural soft spot. The spot my hands rest in and, when you're looking head on is where the curve to the hip begins. Usually this is also the smallest spot, too. It was before I gained weight anyway.

Today my smallest point is actually around 3 fingers above that ideal waist spot. Because it's there I now have ribs to deal with in my measurements.

What does all of this mean. Well, it means I have some work to do. And some action plans to ensure my goal becomes a reality.

Action plan #1: Ab routine 3 x/week involving a variety of moves. Think Superman, Roman twists, crunches, bicycle crunches, planks. The routines tend to be set up as circuits or supersets, depending. Corinne has a bunch of them and even has a few free ones posted.

Action plan #2: ST 2-3x/week. Why? The core area is involved when you work on other areas as well. It is difficult to spot train (abs only) and it is the entire core that needs to be affected. By focusing on upper body strength, the core will be engaged. For example, Bent-over rowes work the arm, but one of the first things I noticed was that it affected my lower back. As my back (core) got stronger I couldn't feel it there any longer. Now that I've increased my weights on this to 15 lbs/arm (I do both sides at the same time) I am feeling a bit of pressure in my lwr back again and have to ensure proper form.

Action plan #3: Continue to plan meals and eat healthfully and at a caloric deficit. I tend to consume 24-26 points per day. This includes daily points, weekly points and activity points. If I go over a wee bit it still usually leaves me in a deficit for weight loss.

So, I don't know how long it will take me to lose another 2.5 inches, but I suspect I can drop at least 1 of those as my tummy in front slims out and my 'waist' becomes my 'measured waist'. I seem to recall having a 28" waist at some point in the past. I don't want to focus on the scale so much for this and will say that, if I find this to be unrealistic I will not focus entirely on the tape measure either. What I mean is, my goal is 28", but if 29" makes me happy then that's that. If there's too much droopy skin in the way for the last .25-.5 inches, so be it. The idea is healthy, so that is paramount.

Tomorrow is measurement day. I'll be reporting on the scale for the past 2 weeks, my WW meeting, and inches lost/gained over the past month and reflecting on the results. Have a great Wednesday.

Operation "Debt Down"

2008-04-29T09:23:00.005-03:00

BIG Goal #2 - Thin out debt.

Like most American families we have far too much debt and far too little savings. In fact, most of my savings have been cashed in over the past few years to pay bills. Why?

In 2004 my husband was laid off from a sales job. After 9 months out of work he took a seasonal position that turned out to be less than profitable when he was forced to pay for repairs to the pick-up that he borrowed to run a personal errand. He then moved directly into another seasonal position with snow removal. That winter there was very little snow and he requested a lay-off as it was costing us for him to work (childcare, transportation and I had to pay for his coffee on a 3-4 hour shift, which was all he was being offered). Everything seemed to be going well at his next job, but after his boss left on disability the acting manager turned out to be someone who wanted a job at that location - closer to his home. It took him around 2 months before my husband was let go. My husbands replacement once the manager returned - the former acting manager. A while later he took a job at a golf course - end of season - and then segwayed into a waiter position. He decided to return to the golf course the following summer (last year) and when the season ended found himself unemployed again this winter. The golf course did call him back - a week after he accepted a position locally at a plant. Wow - busy boy.

His current position will involve seasonal lay-offs; however, he will have summer OT to help with employment insurance payments and we can anticipate and plan for them a little better. Also, I work a fair bit of OT during the winter and have negotiated getting paid for it.

My career has involved some job changes during this time as well, but I have never been out of work except for 1 week between jobs that I chose to take for a break. Call it a vacation after over a year without one. I make a steady income - not stellar, but steady and could cover most of the required household expenses if needed. What I can't cover is our debt interest.

As you can imagine, we have used debt as a means of covering expenses during times of unexpected lay-offs or just unprepared lay-offs. Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Vacations, Childcare, Gas, Oil, sometimes even groceries have ended up on the credit cards. Not stellar choices for someone who is supposed to understand money.

So, I have unleashed "Operation Debt Down". I will apply the same principles to this as I have to weight loss. Seek out information from people who have succeeded (MSN Money articles, web research, and my favourite "Total Money Makeover" and other Dave Ramesey articles - he also has an on-line support group, so I may even join that). Then journal progress, review when slips occur, correct, try new things, and move forward. This process has proven successful for dropping 39 lbs - a task that seemed overwhelming a year ago, so I have no reason to believe these principles will not work to make my finances look as attractive as my legs, LOL.

I have read a few things that are leading me towards my first action plans. Fortunately I am already working on my 'Emergency fund". I had started it as a Vacation and Health fund, and will continue the contributions based on money not spent on WW meetings and gym membership as well as $50/each of mine and hubby's pays and $400 from our tax refund. The plan is to build up to $1,000 then re-direct these funds towards principle pay down of the smallest credit card. We only have a few, but most of them are doozies. As each gets paid I will cancel it, except for the last one - our joint Visa - which I will keep for on-line purchases and reservations. I will reduce the limit on this as it gets paid down.

Well, this should take some time - like a couple of years - and then I want to start building a savings account for rainy days equivalent to the debt I have now. That will mean building on my emergency fund. Since I won't be fighting against interest, this stage shouldn't take as long. Oh, I'm sure there will be further stages, but for now, I will work on my $1,000 emergency fund (currently at $138) and that pesky HBC credit card - I think I owe less than $300 on that. This should take a month or so.

Action plan #1: Creat household budget. Be sure to leave wiggle room in the grocery department. I have started a 'loose' plan and will work on making this hubby friendly.

Action plan #2: Make minimum payments on all credit cards.

Action plan #3: Contribute as much as possible to emergency fund.

So, this week we each get a paycheque. I'll let you know next Tuesday how it goes.