Roller Coaster

Wow has it been some time since the last time I have posted. I am still sticking with Weight Watchers and now have a large support group of friends that go with me. :) I am trying new recipes all the time and will be sharing those in the next few days. The past months have been a roller coaster of my weight going down and up (a little here and there). One of the big reasons I think my weight is so inconsistent is that I don't track what I am eating each day and I need to start doing that. I need to come up with a way of doing that and I am thinking that blogging daily about it may just be the reason (plus it will help me blog more to keep track of what I am eating and my thoughts o the recipes). One thing I have learned thru the process of Weight Watchers is the healthier choices of things to eat, don't get me wrong I am not making the best choices 100% of the time however I am learning and that is HUGE!

Weigh in tonight.....not the greatest

I had my weekly weigh in on Wednesday and I knew walking in the door I wasn't going to hear the words...."fantastic job Amanda, down another blah blah blah". I was expecting to hear I had gained, it wasn't that I ate horrible or anything this past week I could honestly just feel that I was up. So when I stepped on the scale I was waiting and waiting and she comes back with "you are up .8lbs". Seriously .8lbs? I was expecting 2+lbs so .8 was nothing and I know I will lose that and more this coming week.
Gaining those .8lbs did trigger something in me though. I thought about the meals for the week and what I was going to buy at the grocery store. I actually wrote down the different meals and am putting them on a new calendar so I can stay organized and on track. I went onto the E-tools portion of WW and got some recipes that I am going to try to make. I looked more for things not to cook in the oven since I am told it is going to be in the 80's and 90's next week so we will see what happens.
I need to start getting out walking and running again, it is just so hard to be a single parent and figure out when to get out there exercising. It use to be so easy to just put Camdon in the stroller, pack snacks and walk for 90+ minutes. Now that he is 4 and full of energy it is a challenge to get him to stay in the stroller so I can just move, instead he wants to walk with me....but that also means we have to stop at every sewer and find rocks to drop in there. That isn't my idea of exercising and I think this slow paced, stop and go action is going to do no good to my exercise routine. I know I can't use him as my excuse and I am not but it just being me makes it hard. So my goal in the next month is to start exercising more and finding the time to do it.
I need to get some pics of me still, maybe I can get to that this weekend. I want full body shot photos so I can monitor my loss but I guess I can also post up pics from when Camdon's recent birthday party so at least they are up there to remind me of why I am changing how I eat and what I eat.

5%

It has only taken me 16 weeks but I have finally hit my 5% marker at Weight Watchers. I know I could have lost more than that in the 16 weeks, but life has been a little hectic and I am happy with my 13+ lbs in 16 weeks. I have weigh in on Wednesday and I am hoping to hear I have lost more so I am closer to the 15lb marker.

It has been forever since I have blogged and I need to get back on track. Blogging not only helps me clear my head but it is a great way to track where I have come from. I need to take some pics of how I look now relatively soon so I can compare thru the time how I look to motivate me to keep going.

So so busy

I have been so busy lately it is unreal. I haven't forgotten about myself in all of this but I also haven't had time to clear my head by jotting things down on here. I have made some really yummy dishes lately, but not as many as I would like since we have been so busy!
I haven't had time to update on my weight loss so I guess I need to put it all down on here, where I come to see my journey of changing my life. :-)

I don't have much time but I figured I would at least get the past 2 weigh ins logged and start from scratch with the week coming.....so may I have a drum roll please......

Week 2/17 weigh in......I LOST 3.2 lbs bringing me down to 243.6lbs and a total weight loss of 8.4 lbs. SUPER EXCITED!!!!

Week 2/24 weigh in.....I LOST 1 lb bringing me down to 242.6lbs and a total weight loss of 9.4lbs. I am even more EXCITED!!!!

I am now 3.6lbs away from loosing 5% of my weight! 5% may not seem like a lot to some but to me that is HUGE (no pun attended).

I think I need to find a chart or something to put up that I can see how it is going....that might just motivate me even more than I already am. I am also itching for the warm weather to hit so I can get back out on the roads walking/running. I know with that I will be loosing more weight and inches along with burning calories like crazy!

Busy and challenging

I haven't been on here in forever and part of it was because I was disappointed in myself with not my last weigh in but the weigh in before since I ended up gaining weight. On my 2nd weigh on in WW I ended up gaining 1.8 lbs bringing my weight loss from 4.4 lbs to 2.6 lbs. Yes I didn't eat completely like I should have but I still did really well and it kinda threw me for a loop.

Last week I had so much going on from Saturday to Saturday. It started off with a gathering at my friends house in which we all ate YUMMY food. Sunday was dinner at my bosses house where he served us GINORMOUS steaks (again very YUMMY). Tuesday was my birthday, Wednesday was weigh in where I gained 1.4lbs and than pizza dinner while the kids opened Christmas presents, Thursday was girls night doing pottery and Saturday was a gathering at Margaritas for my "30th" bday again. OH MY was the night at Margaritas so much fun...and so YUMMY (as I had 6 frozen margaritas, appetizers, chips, dinner and DESSERT).

I went into my weigh in Wednesday night knowing that I was going to be told you gained! I was ready for it! I was expecting it. I walked in, took off my coat and shoes and stepped on the scale. I told the rep that I knew I was going to gain but that it was okay. So I was standing there and all of a sudden heard "You lost 2.6 lbs"! I am sorry can you say that again....You lost 2.6lbs is what I heard. HOLY MOLY!!!! Really 2.6 lbs, HECK YES!!!! I am not even sure how it happened but it did and now I have lost over 5lbs in 3 weeks!

Each time I weigh in, no matter up or down, I get more motivated to continue my journey and make better choices of my eating habits, drink more water and overall take better care of my health. I have a friend going with me which may also be a help....but the thing I find the most help is that I have to weigh in every week in front of another person who gets to see my weight. I feel accountable for my weeks changes and I feel as if the person weighing me will be disappointed in me if I gain. I am motivated by my child, who I want to be able to run around with, to go on rides at the amusement parks with, to have him not ashamed in what his mama looks like....I just want to be around for him for a very very very long time. :-)

Last night I made a new dish....and may I say it was rather tasty! I got it off the WW website, where I have found many more that I plan on trying.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

(1 serving is 1/6 of the pie and is 5 pts)

1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cup(s) water
1/2 cup(s) wine, dry white (I used Martini & Rossi Dry Vermouth)
2 cube(s) chicken bouillon cube, crumbled (I used 4 cubes instead)
2 medium carrot(s), chopped
1 cup(s) frozen green peas
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion(s), chopped
3 Tbsp white all-purpose flour
5 oz fat-free evaporated milk
15 1/4 oz canned white corn, drained
6 sheet(s) phyllo dough

Place chicken, water, wine and bouillon cubes in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook gently, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside one cup of broth and chop chicken into chunks.
Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Coat a deep 8-inch (20cm) pie dish with cooking spray.
Microwave carrots and peas for 2 minutes. Drain. Heat oil in a medium nonstick pan, add onions and cook until soft. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and stir in milk and reserved broth. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add carrots, peas, chicken and corn.
Pour chicken into prepared dish. Layer sheets of phyllo over pie, trim edges and press down firmly to seal. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, lower temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes more.

Guess What!?

I had my first weekly weigh in last night at WW and I LOST 4.4 lbs.

Let me say this again....I lost 4.4 lbs in the first week at WW. I am so super excited. I officially way under 250 lbs (which was my heaviest weight EVER!) I so excited! I now weigh as of last night 247.6 lbs. Thank goodness to watching what I eat and thinking before I put anything in my mouth. This week I tried my hardest to think before I eat something and make sure I am eating foods that are going to keep me fuller longer.

This week coming is going to be a challenging week. I have a get together on Saturday night where everyone is bringing something to share...and I am bringing my heath bar trifle (SO GOOD but not good for you). I am hoping that there are healthier foods there, but I plan on eating a fulfilling dinner prior to leaving so I wont' be so tempted to munch. I also have a cookout on Sunday, my birthday on Tuesday so we will have dinner and possibly cake (oooooh maybe I will make an angle food cake instead), Wednesday is another get together and weigh in. What a challenging week I have a head of me, but it will be a good test to see if I can handle it and see if I can make the right decisions.

Day 5/6

I wasn't able to blog last night, I was too tired and was getting ready to go to work after being out a week with Camdon. What a week but even being home I stuck with WW and did what I think was my best for the first week. I ended up making another rather yummy meal......

Chicken Marsala

(4pts per serving)

4 (1/4 lb) thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tsp all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Marsala wine*

1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.

Add mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms with flour, stirring to blend. Add the Marsala wine* and broth, bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken.

*Now I didn't have Marsala wine so I used Martin & Rossi Dry Vermouth and I think it turned out just as well....It was SCRUMPTIOUS!!!

With the Chicken Marsala I served it with 1/2 cup brown rice and steamed mixed veggies. My dinner all together was 6 pts and kept me full for the rest of the night.

For lunch that day I also had a healthy salad with cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, lettuce and 1/2 cup of tuna salad. I ate as much of the salad as possible without salad dressing and just mixing it with the tuna fish, what I didn't have tuna fish for I used my new FAVORITE salad dressing. It is Ken's Steakhouse LITE Red Wine Vinegar & Olive Oil.....so good!

I am really proud of myself and hoping that at tomorrow's weigh in it will show with a weight loss of at least 2lbs. I know not too expect it all to be gone over night because I didn't gain this all overnight. Seeing a negative number on my book would make me so happy and even more motivated to continue this journey I am on.