Weigh In Number Two

Well, this week was a little harder. I only lost ONE measly little pound this week. At one point earlier this week (because I weight myself compulsively throughout the week instead of just waiting until Sunday like I'm supposed to) I was down THREE more pounds than last week. But, I guess it's true that the first week is a lot of water and sodium leaving your system.

This week was also SUPER hard for me. Way way way harder than the first week somehow. Here are some of my biggest challenges:

- SNACKING. I know this will pass as I get more used to the program but it's so hard! I've been religiously painting my nails recently just to have an excuse NOT to be able to use my hands to eat while I watch TV!

- SWEETS I talked about this yesterday. Sweets are my complete downfall. I LOVE THEM! Cupcakes, cookies, cakes, candy, chocolate... it's all so wonderful to me.

- CHEATING. Ok I admit it. I may be cheating this week. When you enter a food into the Weight Watchers app, there sometimes come up with multiple matches, with lots of different points values. I may sometimes just pick the lowest value option, even though I know that's probably not what I'm eating. Or, sometimes I'll fib on the portion size too. Need to get more honest!

- WORK Work has been incredibly stressful and tempting to me lately. First of all, our standardized testing ended this week. Not only did this mean added stress, it also meant that the kids brought in lots of extra food and snacks and temptations to just SIT. IN. MY. CLASSROOM. ALL. DAY. LONG. Staring at me and begging me to eat them. And, the test also brings along a celebratory pizza and ice cream party on Friday afternoon!

On top of that, I found out this week that I am almost definitely going to be moving from 3rd grade to 1st grade next year. For a number of reasons, this absolutely terrifies me. And it's causing my anxiety to sky rocket, which in the mean time means less sleep and more eating.

SIDENOTE: I would like to mention that I'm very proud to say that I only ate 2 slices a the pizza party and brought my own frozen yogurt for the ice cream party!

- BEER I love beer. Plain and simple. However, I do not like the 4-5 points it costs me for just one! Last weekend was obviously St. Patrick's Day and I may have overdid it just a bit. But it's so hard when your friends want to share a drink with you after school or on the weekend! Did I happen to mention how much I love beer by the way?

- WEEKENDS This goes along with the beer in part. However, weekends are so hard because temptations are just EVERYWHERE! If I go to the mall with my mom, I have to plan out what I'm going to eat before I go. And I obviously don't pack my lunch on the weekends, so ALL OF THE FREAKING FOOD IN THE HOUSE is just out and available to me. It's much easier at school when I can only eat what I've brought and that's it. I couldn't even run out and get something more if I wanted to!

I think that's it for now? Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for how to combat these speed bumps? They'd be much appreciated!

I need to buckle down and get it together this week. This will be my third full week on Weight Watchers. It will also be my last week before I leave for Savannah to be with one of my best best best friends Lauren for spring break! My goal is for her to see a noticeable difference in me, since she hasn't seen me in over four months. Hopefully I can get it back on track!!!!

Purpose

This is what I do. I blog. And then I don't. And then I do again. Usually it's because I don't really feel like I have anything all that interesting to say. I lack purpose in my blogging. However, I think I've found one... finally.

The past two years or so, I've been very back and forth with my weight. I gained a lot of weight due in part to an anxiety medication I took in college and in (more) part to my unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity after graduation. But, after breaking down and buying all new clothes in a size or two up, I thought I had come to terms with the fact that this is just part of getting older. We can't all be skinny Minnies forever.

Then, earlier this month, I went on an amazing trip. A friend of mine is getting married in April and instead of going to regular go out, get drunk, stumble home bachelorette party route, she decided to have a long weekend cruise! It was my first cruise and I don't know if it was because of the wonderful people I spent it with, the amazing Bahamian sunshine or because I didn't have anything else to compare it to... but it was THE FREAKING BEST. Here are some pics...


It was these pictures that mostly drove me to really find some sort of solution to my unhappiness with my weight. Now, before anyone starts leaving angry comments, I KNOW I'M NOT THAT BIG. I know there are people with weight issues far surpassing mine who have been dealing with them for most of their lives. But, I'm not happy with myself and this is my blog, where I'm allowed to talk about it.

So anyway, my aunt has spent the last 3-4 years losing over 100 pounds on Weight Watchers. I always though WW was for older women or like incredibly overweight people. But then after watching Katie's journey through WW, my mind starting changing a little... Honestly if you don't follow her blog, go over and do it now. Her transformation has been incredible. And the best part? She wasn't so big to begin with AND she's not an old lady!

I've tried working out and eating "healthy" but I'm not really sure I know what healthy is anymore, with all the reduced fat, low sugar, blah blah blah out there today. So, last Sunday March 10th, I officially started my own Weight Watchers journey.

I'm hoping that blogging about my process will not only keep my on track, but also help me to see the changes that are (or aren't) happening with my body. So, without further ado, here are my before pictures... Ignore the nasty face I'm making please....


Hopefully this will be where I can blog about my ups, downs, and post more transformational pictures!!!!

EDIT: I saw a few other bloggers do this and I thought it could be a good idea... My motivation picture, from August 2007 I think:

I Heart Pampered Chef

So, as you all might know I absolutely LOVE Pampered Chef! My mom got me hooked at a very young age and I could just rave for hours about their products and super, super simple recipes! I even had my own first party in July and it was a huge success!

During my very first P.C. experience years ago, the consultant whipped up a delicious chicken and broccoli braid that I have loved ever since. My dad isn't a huge fan of garlic or onions or breaded things so we didn't have this much when I was still living at home. Since moving out, I have been really wanted to try it out for Antonio and I. I was SO excited when one of the cookbooks I bought from my own party had the recipe in it:

Chicken and Broccoli Braid

1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
3/4 cup broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dill Mix
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 package (8 oz each) reduced fat refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Optional: 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine the chicken (Antonio cooked the chicken for me - hey I'm not that advanced in the kitchen yet! He added some olive oil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and balsalmic vinegar dressing in a frying pan), broccoli, red pepper, cheese, mayo, dill and salt in a large bowl. Use a rolling pin to roll out the crescent rolls into a long, rectangular strip. Pile the mixture in a strip down the middle of the crescent roll. Using a pizza cutter, cut 1 inch strips along each side of the pile of mixture. Alternate folding the strips over to create a braid effect. Brush with to top with egg white. Sprinkle with almonds. Cook 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. I cooked mine on the large rectangular baking stone from Pampered Chef. I LOVE MY BAKING STONES!!!

Here's how mine turned out:


When Antonio got home, he surprised me with dessert from a cupcake bakery, Baked and Wired in Georgetown.

A delicious and simple Monday night dinner!!!

Turkey and a Baby

I am sitting here, waiting for the Ravens game to begin, dreading the thought of going back to work in the morning. Though it has definitely been a relaxing one, this Thanksgiving break has also been a busy one as well! My festivities revolved mostly around turkeys and babies. First, the turkey portion:

Thursday afternoon, my parents, Antonio and I drove over to my big brother's house for a big Turkey dinner. It was my sister in law's first attempt at cooking a turkey or gravy from scratch, among other things. Since my brother is really only my half brother (we have the same dad), it was definitely a full house with my parents, his mom and stepdad, his half brother from his mom, all 3 kids, my sister in law, Antonio and me! The place cards that Kameron and I made the day before come in handy!

As it got closer to dinner time, everyone started to pitch in to get everything together. My brother and his stepdad fried a turkey outside (which is apparently a "southern" thing, but definitely SUPER delicious and highly recommended), and the kids set the table. My sister in law, mom, and brother's mom all mashed the potatoes, stirred the gravy and checked the turkey. My dad and brother carved both of our spectacular turkeys and Antonio and I prepared the cranberries and got the food to the table (a very important job, if you ask me!).

Dinner was great, and there was definitely more than enough food. For her first turkey, I think that my sister in law did a phenominal job! It was great to have the fried turkey as well, which had a very distinctly different taste from the traditionally cooked one. But, both were great! As usual, I overate and got the "itis", as Antonio calls it, and had to lay down after dinner. It was a short lived nap, though, since Antonio and I had to rush to his family's Thanksgiving dinner very soon after finishing eating! Luckily, it was over and hour drive, so my stomach had some time to make room for more yummy turkey :o) Now on to the baby portion; don't worry they're not connected so you can stop imagining a sitcom-like rush to the hospital for a Thanksgiving delivery, or something equally ridiculous...

Yesterday, I went to a baby shower for my little sister in Phi Mu, Mrs. P. She and her husband are expecting a little girl in January, so her mom and one of our sisters planned a surprise shower for her before they headed home to North Carolina! A bunch of my sisters, as well as some of her family and neighbors gathered together to surprise my little and her little one! It was really great to see some of my sisters. We have all gotten so spread out across the country in such a short time, from North Carolina, to New Jersey, to Georgia, so catching up was a definite must. Even though I rushed Phi Mu more than five years ago, and have been an alumni for over a year, it still amazes me sometimes just how close we all became. Even though a lot of use haven't spoken in months and months, it was almost as if nothing has changed. They were still my sisters and that's what mattered. I loved joking around, laughing, and catching up with my sisters.

There were a TON of presents, plenty of "AWWW"s, and the traditionally silly baby shower games. My favorite was guessing which melted candy bar made the "poopy" mess in the diaper. Not to brag or anything, but I sure do know my candy bars, melted or not! My little loved the zebra footed pajamas I got her, complete with ears AND tail. Tie dying was our t-shirt craft of choice in college so I also tie dyed a couple of onesies for the little princess.

All in all, I had a pretty amazing Thanksgiving break. I got a ton of rest, some extra time at the gym, and lots of delicious food. But most importantly, I got to spend some true, quality time with my families - my real family and my Phi Mu family. Now, on to the ironing of work clothes for tomorrow...

please mom? just a little bit longer?

As I read through all of your blogs, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE!, I see a definite trend: everyone is so excited about Fall! I am not one of those people. I am, however, inspired by all of your enthusiasm and optimism. Since I just CANNOT bring myself to be excited about Fall yet, I have decided to be optimistic about something. And that something is SUMMER!

So that I have something to look back on when I am miserably cold and stuck inside, I wanted to record for you all of my favorite things about my most favorite time of the year. Here goes...

Summer Food
In general, I like food no matter what time of the year it is. However, food in the summer is just different. First of all, the atmosphere of eating in the summer is fantastic. I love to sit out on the back deck in the evenings in the summer and eat a freshly prepared dinner. Summer is also a great time for cookouts and barbeques. Hanging out by the pool, eating a bunch of different foods and having some beers is one of my favorite activities, ever. They also are home to some of my favorite foods (more on that later). Grilled food is also a favorite of mine, the smell, the texture, the taste is all so very uniquely summer. My personal favorite is teriyaki marinated steak on a nice, hot grill outside!

Food also just seems fresher in the summertime. It feels good to eat vegetables that you know were grown right around the corner (or even your own backyard! MMM tomatoes and squash from the garden...), picked, taken to the store, and now sit on your plate. There are definitely a few foods that are also simply just summer foods, and they happen to be some of my favorites, including: fried squash, fried green tomatoes, watermelon, hot dogs/hamburgers/really any type of cookout food, corn on the cob, fresh salads, cantelope, strawberries, and most importantly, CRABS! Which brings me to one of my other favorite things about summer.

Crabs and Beer
I'm from Maryland. I was born and raised on this combo (though I couldn't actually particpate in the latter until recently). Crabs and beer = perfection. Enough said.

Being Outside/Water
I just love to be outside! As I've said many times, I hate being pale. Summer is the perfect time to lay out and soak up some color. All day, I lay out by the pool or on the beach, reading and relaxing. In the evenings, walking is my activity of choice. Sometimes I wish dusk would last forever in the summertime so that I could just walk and walk and walk. Being near the water is also part of being outside in the summertime. Since I live pretty close to a number of rivers, I have quite a few friends with boats, and a day on the water is just perfect for me.

Reading
I don't have very much time to read during the school year but I really really love to do it! The summer is a just a great opportunity to catch up on some of the titles that I've been dying to dive into. This summer, I think I read more than I had in a long time. Some titles that I really enjoyed reading this year were Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, The Last Summer of You and Me by Ann Brashares, Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos, and Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan.

Vacation
I've always been one to love traveling and being on vacation in general. However, now that I had a job that allows me to be basically without responsibility for 2 full months, I value my vacations even more. This summer was one of the first in a long time that was truly a vacation; a relaxing and rejuvenating break from my everyday activities. I went to quite a few places this summer, all of which were absolutely amazing. Florida, Kent Island, Ocean City - all places that made this summer the best I've had in a really long time.

At this time of year, I'm always reminded of a particularly cheesy Dashboard song, whose lyrics I will leave you with.

Hand out the window
Floatin' on air
Just a flip of the wrist
And I am wavin' you goodbye

Drive past the lifeguard stand
Where I sit around waiting for you to remember
As I drive

How the girls could turn to ghosts before your eyes
And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying
And how the grace with which she walked into your life
Will stay with you in your steps,
And pace with you a while
So long, so long [x2]

The speaker in this door is blown
So nothing sounds quite right
Takin' my time, takin' this drive, wavin' this town goodbye,
And I drive this ocean road and remember
The small of your back
And the nape of your neck
I remember everything as I drive, wavin' this town goodbye

I remember

How the girls can turn to ghosts before your eyes
And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying
And how the grace with which she walked into your life
Will stay with you in your steps,
Pace with you a while
So long, so long...

And I will leave under the cover
Of summer's kiss upon the sky
Like the stone face of your lover
Just before she says goodbye
I was certain that the season could be held between my arms
Well just as summer's hold is fleeting
I was here but now I'm gone...
I'm gone... I'm gone, I'm gone
I'm gone...

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