Unloading!

Today, my best friend's sister came through town with various family members in tow.  They were returning from a baseball tournament and on their way home to Texas!  I sent with them a boat load of clothes that no longer fit me but will still fit my best friend.  While I would love for her to be on this journey with me, some of us must travel the road alone and some never go at all.  But if I have something that can benefit her, I would much rather she have it than just donate it to any charitable organization.  Trust me, she can use it.  And, because I am pretty easy on clothes and tend to buy quality (do not read expensive into that) the things I have sent her she will be able to use for a while.  How come I don't feel really great about this?!

Weigh In and What I Deserve!

I got what I deserve.  A .8 gain.  Actually, I probably deserved a bit more than that, but it was a gain regardless.  So, with nothing celebratory on the immediate horizon (meaning I have no excuse to eat foolishly), I will get right back into this thing and try to knock of a couple more pounds quickly.  I would like to hit 160 by Christmas.  That would be an amazing gift to myself, don't you think?

Incredible Eats

Holy Smokes, I just made this incredible Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.  It is 0 Points a cup!!  I have died and gone to heaven!

Ooops!

Well, I hope its just an Ooops!  Yesterday, we feted my aunt who recently passed away.  It was done well and I think that everyone that came appreciated seeing each other.  We met up with old friends and even managed to make a few new ones in the course of a couple of hours.

And there was food!  Of course there was food.  And I thought I did really well, eating just a bit of lean ham, some black olives and, while I did indulge in some chips, I was circumspect about it, at least I thought.  But this morning, the tale of the scale said something totally different.  Something I did not want to see at all.  I am hoping it is water and will dissipate by tomorrow morning, otherwise, I need to start scoping out a bridge to jump off of (we seem to be really short on bridges around here!).

Where is My Discipline and Self Control?

I have obviously misplaced those two items.  Last night, while feeding pizza to my cousins, I managed to eat not one, not two, but three pieces of pizza!!  WOW!  That's all I can say.  I didn't eat 3 pieces of pizza when I wasn't a Weight Watcher! Man, it tasted so good, but I have to pray its not a set back.  I have been otherwise very good this week.  I know I am not supposed to punish myself for these "interesting choices", but my inner child needs a serious whoopin'!

Is Sunday Where Blogs Go to Die?

Weigh In and Hot Damn!!

I wanted so bad to post pictures today, but my camera has died and I am too dense to figure out how to do this from the cell phone, so you are going to have to use your imaginations to visualize the 4TH 10 POUND RIBBON I got at our meeting today.  That's right folks, I have lost 40 lbs (actually 41) as of this morning!  I had a 3 lb loss this week which is so cool and so motivating.  I was just stuck for soo long and I really needed this. 

This meeting was about celebrating and did we ever!!  We really didn't have much of a meeting because there were so many people with great losses, 10, 20, 30, me at 40, a 75 lber, and a new lifetime member.  It was awesome.  I love our group so much and would almost consider not going any longer if, for some reason, I could not be a part of this particular group.  We have a blast.  Its irreverant, funny as all get out, and super supportive.  Just what you need for this kind of trip.

I think that when you are first starting this journey and the weight comes off fairly quickly, its easy to get a little nonchalant about the program.  You know "Well, hell, I can do this standing on my head.  I don't even have to try!"  Well, guess what?  As you get closer to goal, it gets harder, not easier and requires your full attention to the program.  You cannot just half-assed it.  I am thankful that I maintained while I went wandering off gathering wildflowers instead of paying attention to the path.  I am back and I am rockin' this thing!

Life Interrupted

On Sept. 4th, I posted the following:

When I typed "Getting Closer" I realized it had a couple of meanings to me this week. Yesterday I was contacted by my fathers only sibling, an aunt I have been estranged from for some time. She wants to kiss and make up (get closer!). I am not so sure that I'm ready to make nice. She is high maintenance and I do not have the time nor patience anymore for that kind of nonsense. I will meet her halfway. See what comes of it. I can always back away if things get hard to swallow again. Geez, family!!

Well, I did meet with my aunt and we had a nice breakfast, mended fences, hugged each other and told each other we "I love you" in a meaningful way.  This morning, I got a call from her daughter in law that my aunt had had a massive stroke while on vacation visiting her son, his wife and kids. She is not expected to survive. 

Man, I am so glad we had the opportunity to patch things up.  I would have forever regretted that.

Weigh in and WTF!!

Ok, I maintained!!  Only I don't want to maintain at 174 lbs!!!  I did so good this week and I am really frustrated.  Then I didn't get to Zumba today because I have blisters on my feet and I wasn't about to aggravate those babies.  So PooP!!!

So, because I needed a pick me up, I came home and measured myself!!  I have lost 22 inches over all, that's 4 more inches than the last time I took my measurements (a couple of months ago!)  So apparently there is progress, just now where I want to see it, ON THE FREAKING SCALE, damn it!!

I am not quitting, not giving up or giving in.  But I sure need a kick in the ass here, folks.  What is going on?

New Followers!

Welcome, rni_altares.  I try to welcome each new follower and acknowledge how much you all mean to me.  I know we don't always post, but we always read and check in on our buds to join the celebrations when there is one and to prop each other up when necessary.  Hugs to all of you!

I am a Good Girl!!

I have tracked faithfully this week and believe it will pay off on Saturday.  I have stayed out of my weekly allowance and still ate well, totally satisfied at the end of every day, both in the satiety and taste of my food. I have had soup (2 days), a chicken and swiss sammy, and today I had a wonderful salad with greens, baked apple slices, sunflower seeds, some goat cheese crumbles and my Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinagrette along with a couple ounces of Roast Pork Loin.  It was really good.  I ate that about 5 hours ago and I am still really full.  I am actually looking forward to weigh in.  When you follow this program the way you are  supposed to, you generally lose weight. At least, that's been my experience.  Of course, I will let you know!

Weigh In and Stagnating!

No change in my weight today.  I am stagnating.  Like a pond! With duck shit in it!!

So, I am sending myself Back to Basics!  I am going to really start over again, leave the creativity to TJ, Gina and the rest for awhile and just concentrate on making sure I am following the plan to the letter!  I want to get some momentum before I get caught up in the holidays and much colder weather that makes me want comfort food by the vat.  I will still be blogging, but with a new focus and that is the Plan!

Good Food!

This morning I made the Roasted Vegetable Minestrone that is posted on the The Pioneer Woman's website and it is amazingly good.  She says it serves 8 and, judging by the size of the servings, I would guarantee you those are 8 incredibly big appetites, you know, cowboys and all.  I have already portioned it up and I got about 10 - 1 1/2 cup servings out of it.  Part of it is in the freezer already and part will be my lunch for the week.  Take the time to make this.  Follow her recipe even tho' it might seem a little time consuming (oh, and double up on the mushrooms).  I promise you won't be sorry!

Weigh In and Boring!!

Well, weigh in was good, down .02, ok weigh in was eh!!  But that's ok, down is down.  And Zumba is ass kicking!!  I am telling you, it is amazing how fun and exhausting it is.  There is no warm up, just 50 minutes of incredible body movement, accented by trying to catch your breath and not sweat into your eyes, before a 10 minute cool down so your muscles don't go into the rigor mortis they expect after death by latin beat!!

Can you tell I like this Zumba stuff?

Have you noticed I haven't been posting alot of recipes lately?  Its cause I am boring.  I am one of those people who eat the same thing over and over again and am perfectly happy with it, until...  (queue Jaws music!) I MUST HAVE SOMETHING ELSE!. Yeah, its really kind of that crazy.  One of the blogs I follow, along with half the planet at least is The Pioneer Woman.  She posts some great recipes and I loaded her Roasted Vegetable Minestrone Soup recipe into the WW Recipe Builder today and am gonna make soup tomorrow.  That'll last me at least a week!  See I am boring.

But here's a recipe you might enjoy:

Maui Luau Salad

POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 5
Ingredients
1 box Organic Quinoa Pasta
1 Tbsp Brummel & Brown Soft Spread Margarine
2 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar
1 slice(s) cooked lean ham
2/3 cup(s) canned pineapple, packed in juice
2 1/2 oz Kraft 2% Milk Natural Cheese Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup(s) grapes
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp light sour cream

Instructions
In medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar. Add diced ham and saute until ham is lightly browned. Drain and quarter pineapple chunks, reserving 3 tablespoons of liquid.
In a large bowl, combine ham, , cheese, grapes and pineapple. Cook pasta and add to bowl. Toss lightly.
Combine mayo, sour cream and reserved pineapple juice, blend well and pour over pasta mixure. Toss lightly.

I just found this Quinoa Pasta today.  I found it at Frys (Kroger) and it looks like this:

Its a bit blurry, but you can see the name well here.  I am gonna give it a try.  I'll let you know!