Taking a Break

So, I haven't posted in a few weeks.  You might be wondering about my weight loss goals each week.  I have stopped my diet for the holiday season with two things in mind. 

First, it is a terrible time to try to lose weight, so instead of keeping tight records I'm just trying not to over do my eating. The holiday season is upon us, but also my job has become terribly demanding since we have become short staffed and they haven't hired a new person.  This all comes during our busiest time of year.  Now I'm doing twice the amount of work in the same amount of time.  I was finding it hard to keep my journal for Weight Watchers. 

The second thing is the adjustments that will be going on with the Weight Watchers program.  I received an email that there will be some 2012 adjustments for the Points Plus program.  I want to start the new program fresh after the holidays with the new information.  I also want to have an exercise program in place.  My husband will be back on the day shift soon and has shown interest in exercising with me.  The new year is always a popular time to start a new healthy program, so I'm taking the holidays to get my information together and have it in place before the new year gets here.  I don't like fad programs so I want to really search what I might like to use this year.

So, that is my confession.  I hope you will stay with me over the holidays and I know that I look forward to getting back on track and I hope to have a new set of starter pictures for my new plan.

Happy Holidays to all!!!!!

Weigh In Week 8

This week looked a little better.  I'm still not tracking my food like I'm suppose to, but I did track it some this week.  My weight went down 2 pounds this week so I'm at 203.5 and I really want to break that 200 line in the next two weeks, so I'm going to start an exercise plan as soon as I can shake this head cold.  I have to say that exercising with a head cold is never a good thing for me because my balance is off and that can prove disasterous.  Other than that, I have been getting some inspiration from bodybuilding.com, not that I'm going to become some big body builder but they have a set of articles called female transformation that can really give you ideas on nutrition and exercise.  My biggest question is about supplements.  For those of you on a regular supplement regimen, what do you take and why?  So far, I've only taken a series of vitamins that were suggested for endometriosis- a multivitamin, vitamin C, B complex, and E, flaxseed oil, and calcium because I don't eat a lot of dairy.  Do you eat protein bars or drink whey shakes?  What do you do?

That's all for this week.  Happy Halloween!!!!!

Weigh in Week 7

Much like week three, I feel awful, haven't been tracking my food, and haven't been very active.  Well, it all showed on the scale this morning when I came in at 205.5 a gain of 3.5 pounds.  So, I'm going back to the basics and finding that track again.  Not much else to report this week, so I'll hopefully feel better next week.  Wish me luck!  Have great weekend!

Weigh In Week 6

I'm glad to say that it is much of the same, although I'm not sure it was done right this week.  I weighed in at 202 for a weekly loss of 2.5 pounds and a total of 14 pounds.  I didn't think I would lose any this week because I didn't feel as if I had been eating right.  Well, your body will tell you if something is wrong and mine has for the past few days.  I've had stomach problems all week, which might have lead to the actual weight loss.  I've already started to remedy that by making a great and filling WW broccoli and cheese soup for dinner last night, with leftovers for lunch today.  I'm also sticking to water because I have felt very dehydrated this week.  So, overall there was a loss this week, but I would like for it to not be due to tummy trouble.

Have a happy weekend everyone!  I'm headed on a little overnight trip with the hubby over the weekend with dinner at a fancy place.  I'll watch what I eat, don't worry!!!!

What is Meat?

Conversation this morning while getting dressed.

Abbey: Mommy, I don't like meat.

Me: Abbey, you eat meat all the time.

Abbey: No, I mean I don't eat cooked meat.  Just bologna and ham.

Me: You eat chicken nuggets.

Abbey: But that is bought meat.  I like that.

(I think it is time to give up McDonald's for good)

HAPPY FRIDAY, EVERYONE!!!!!!!

Weigh In Week 5

I don't have much time to blog this week.  Unforunately, one of my co-workers left the office (not on her terms) and the work has been pushed off to the rest of us.  It has been a very long, difficult and stressful week.  However, among all of that I was still able to stick to my WW lifestyle and here are the results.

I weighed in this morning at 204.5 so I lost another 2.5 pounds this week, which makes my total weight loss 11.5 pounds.  It also means that I reached a weight loss goal of 5% and I got another star.  My new weight loss goal is 10%, so that will get me down to 194.4 pounds.  I hope I can manage that goal by Thanksgiving if not before.

I'm still working on activity level and intake of veggies and water.  With the fast pace and stress of the week and the weeks to come throughout October, I think it will be an ongoing struggle, but maybe by November things will settle a little and I can start planning healthy meals for the holidays. 

I would like to take just a small moment to congratulate my dear friend, Renee, on an accomplishment that I could only dream of.  Last weekend she along with some of her friends ran a 50 K (that's 31 miles, people) and survived.  Not only survived, but did well for their first time.  I'm very proud of her.  Way to go Renee, Julie and all the girls. 

Happy weekend everyone!

Weigh In Week 4

Well, I'm back on track for the time being.  I weighed in at 207 this week which means I have lost 2.5 this week and 9 overall for the month.  Not too bad, especially since I had such a bad week last week.  I still have a lot to work on.  I was a little surprised that I had lost.  I'm still not getting enough water and veggies, and I have got to get a workout routine going.  However, I did put out my fall garden last weekend and that gained me some much needed activity points.

 I also paid closer attention to what I ate and even included some chocolatey treats, but they were homemade and used the least amount of points I could get.  It is hard to cut points out of an OREO milk shake, but I did and portion size was a big key.  It was very rich so I could only handle a cup size portion, and by using Nutella instead of regular peanut butter, low fat milk, and no sugar added ice cream it only came to 8 points a cup.  The whole family enjoy it too.

That is all I have for this week.  I topped it off with a trip to the beauty shop for a new color and cut.  Maybe by the end of this month (October) I will need to go shopping for some new fall clothes, in a different size.

Happy rest of the week to you all!!!!!!

Weigh In Week 3

It is time for dreaded week three.  The reason I call it a dread is because for some reason on week three of every weigh lose plan I have ever tried, my body and mind get off track.  This week was no exception.  I actually gained weight this week by about 3.5 pounds.  I weighed in this morning at 209.5 which to most people might be discouraging, but as I mentioned I always seem to have this problem.  I think I get too comfortable with the plan and think I can slack a little and still be alright.  Here are the problems I have found this week:

I ate out three times this week, instead of only once as in previous weeks.
I didn't drink my water like I was suppose to (I have to track it and I didn't meet my water goal one single day this week).
I didn't meet my veggie goal either (I track it also and didn't meet it one single day.)
I have found this week that I didn't measure things exactly, instead I thought I could eyeball servings and clearly my eyes need to be checked.
I didn't take my vitamins each day (I think I only remembered them two days this week).
I did add some activity such as painting Abbey's room and cleaning house, but I wasn't very regular about it.  I just had a burst of energy on Saturday and Sunday.
I didn't eat much for breakfast, but I had heavy dinners, so heavy in fact that I used up over half of my extra weekly points.  I believe I need to be more balanced for the plan to work its magic.
I'm bloated from stress, not enough water, heavy meals, and "monthly" responsibilites, which makes me very fatigued.

These are the things I have to work on this week to get back on track.  Next week, if I get with the program, I should lose the three pounds I gained and possibly more.  Here's hoping!!!!!

Weigh-In Week Two

Things are going very well in the world of Weight Watchers.  I love the new commercials with Jennifer Hudson.  I just think she looks great and it is rated the number one weight loss program by USA Today.  That is fantastic!  So, now that I've plugged my program, I bet you are wondering about my progress.  Alright, I won't keep you waiting any longer.  I weighed in this morning at 206, which means I have lost three pounds this week.  YEAH!!!  Because I lost a good amount last week, my points count went down.  Now I can have 32 points a day and 42 extra weekly points to use if I go over.  Four out of seven days I was able to stay within my daily points range.  The other three days that I went over, wasn't by too much.  By the end of the week I still had 36 of my 42 weekly points that I didn't use.  I have earned both my star for losing my first 5 pounds and my star for 5 additional pounds.  My next star will be for losing 5% of my body weight.  I am only 2 pounds from that goal, so I hope to have that one next week.  :)

This weeks personal goal is to add some activity into my daily routine.  I will probably start slow: maybe a brisk walk a couple of times during the week, spend a little extra time cleaning or climbing the stairs at home.  Every little bit can be tracked and traded for food points during the day.  The more activity you do, the more points you can trade for.  This week I just want to add a little, then over the next few weeks I would like to get into a regular exercise routine.

Finally, I'm sad that because I am behind in starting all this and because my husband has been working so much, I am not in any shape to walk/run the 5K for my daughter's school on Saturday.  I was really looking forward to participating in that but I just don't feel that I would do well at all since I haven't been so much as walking lately.  Maybe next year!

So it has been another successful week and I have my next goals set. 
Have a wonderful weekend!!!!!!

Weigh In Week 1

Today is my first weigh in for Weight Watchers and it was a great one.  I have lost 7 pounds, which means I am down to 209 pounds already.  This is not really the norm for the week, but it is normal for my first week to be big.  I have lost my water weight which is common for the first week, and this time I had some bloating from my monthly friend that seemed to take a hike.  I really feel better.  I'm sure next week will be a different story.  I am happy to say that for my first week I did pretty good with the points.  I used all my daily points as you are suppose to do and 33 of my 49 extra weekly points.  This too is normal for me because it takes me a week or two to use up the food already in the house and get used to scaling down, but I was very happy that I didn't go over my extra weekly points.  They are there for special occations and I try not to use them when the plan really gets going. I am taking my vitamins and drinking my water and I can tell.

This week I will continue to work on scaling down my extra points used and on portion control.  I have a meal plan worked out that includes more fruits and veggies and some WW recipes that are favorites of Jennifer Hudson (I just think she looks fabulous).  I'm going to really work on the eating this week and then next week, when Clark is back on day shift, I will begin to add exercise and activities to boost myself.  I'm off to a great start!

The Unthinkable

I have decided to do the unthinkable.  I'm going to post my weight loss success on my blog.  I would have never in a million years done this before, but since I refer to my blog often to remind me of my past few years, I have decided that it will be a reminder of my progress as well.   When we first decided to try to get pregnant, I had read that lossing weight could help, so I joined weight watchers in 2004 and lost 25 pounds in about 4 or 5 months.  It is the only plan that I have ever tried (and I've tried a lot) that worked for me.  It is a lifestyle change that works.  I have tried just eating healthy, fad diets, quick fixes and nothing seems to work as well as WW.  It forces you to make wise choices and think about what you eat, but most of all how much you eat.  After some stress issues and noticing that lately I just feel bad and bloaty, I have made the choice to go back on WW and get back to simple healthy eating, but not having to give up some of my favorite things.  I love that about WW, you just have to decide if that piece of cake is worth it now, because you will have to eat salad later.  This is a picture of me and my sweet baby girl last year at her cousin's wedding.  Since I am often the one taking pictures of my family there aren't very many full length ones of me, really showing my shape.  So, although this one is a year old, it is the best example.  (Please excuse my white legs, I didn't get out in the sun much last year) I weigh and look the same today as in this picture.  Well, here goes nothing.  I hope you enjoy this journey in pictures as much as I hope to in life!

216 pounds

September 1, 2011

Depleting the Disney Fund (already)

You might notice from my Disney Fund sidebar that we went from $400 to $40. I said that money would not be touched because we are saving for a vacation (of some sort, hopefully Disney in 2012), but we made a decision that was meaningful to our family. We decided that since I was able to save so much so quickly, we would put it to better use for us, for right now. I withdrew the money from my hidden envelope and PAID OFF a loan. Now, our debt is a little lighter and I'm happy with starting over on my Disney fund. Sometimes, you have to think about the long term. With fewer bills, I should be able to make up the funds I spent later on. It is what is best for us right now, and when I pulled out that money, my husband was surprised and thrilled at what I had been able to save this summer while he was out of town for work. Now, he knows that I am determined to have a vacation soon, and we can work toward that goal together. I am happy with our decision, but I still can't wait to see Mickey!!!!!!

A goodnight prayer

Abbey:

God is great
God is good
Let us thank him for our food
And all our people
And all our things
And the nursery of our bodies
Pray in Christ name
Amen


I did it just like Poppie!

(Poppie prays before eating for the food to be a nourishment to our bodies.)

I'm sooooo over Summer

Well, it always seems to happen about this time of the year. I get so very tired of summer, the heat, the food, the gardening, the skinny people going to the beach. I'm just over it. I'm ready for my favorite time of year...FALL. The leaves turning, the crisp air, the sunny yet cool days, the football, the food. I just love Fall. It appeals to me in every way. There is a rebirth of the year it seems. No matter what type of year you are having so far, it can begin again, fresh and new as if it were January 1 all over again. I love that about fall. The kids are back in school, the summer vacations are over and it is time for business.

I am trying my best to get organized for this time of year, because I know we will be involved in so much more that we were in the spring and summer, and even last school year. I only have one daughter who is three and a half and you may say, "Well, how busy can you be with just a three year old." As simple as it should be, our lives are not simple. Abbey is in Day Care three days and pre-school two days a week. I work full time, have a little side business, and serve on a town authority board. My husband also works full time. Right now he has crazy hours with shift changes and overtime and he has already spent much of his summer in another state for work(boy am I glad that is over). So we have busy lives. This year we will add dance classes to that and hopefully more involvement in the church where she attends pre-school (that is another ballgame altogether). So, I have to stay on top of my game in order to pull this off.

Many years ago, when I was trying to get organized with housework, I made a daily cleaning list. The concept was to clean a room of the house each day, so that it would always be in some type of order. Each day had a checklist of what should be accomplished in that room. Along with the "a room a day" idea, I had a list of simple daily chores such as pick up toys, clear table, make up beds, that were daily jobs overall. My job was to set aside time each day to work on this list. I haven't worked on that list in a very, very long time, but I do believe it is time to reinstate the list.

Also, a task to save time in the past was freezer cooking (or once a month cooking). I always seem to love to cook and put away food in the fall. I like to actually bake fresh bread and use up the last of the garden and farmer's market finds. I have a very extensive list of foods that freeze well and in order to help save me time in the evenings when I need to be cleaning or spending value time with my family, I will only have to cook minimally due to the prep work and menu planning for each month. There will more on this in future posts, because I would like to keep up with my progress on my blog.

Finally, Sunday afternoon. It is a wonderful time for rest and since my daughter loves her Sunday afternoon naps, I intend on taking advantage and prepping for each upcoming week. My idea is to already have the laundry fixed so that I have each family members clothes laid out for the week (and yes Clark will pick his own clothes, I'm not that obsessed with this). I also will have lunches planned for the week (this will be part of the menu plan and freezer foods). All the bills for the week will be signed, sealed and ready for the mail the next day, and any school work that needs to be planned, signed, and/or sent to school will be looked over and ready in Abbey's backpack.

I know this seems very detailed for the normal, everyday life, and there will be kinks in the road, but having it written will hopefully set it in stone for me. I pray that you will make me accountable for my plan and that I can blog more regularly with my results. Now, that my computer is in operating order, I really hope to make that happen.

Now, tell me, what do you have planned for the Fall????????

Conversations with Abbey

#1 - While driving to work earlier in the week.

Abbey: I have two boyfriends, mommy.
Me: You do?
Abbey: Yea, Isaac (a little blonde boy from day care) is my number 1 boyfriend.
Me: Oh, well, who is boyfriend number two.
Abbey: Zac Brown Band, but I haven't seen him in a while.


#2 - While stopping at Linda's Market, a local convenent store, for a biscuit for breakfast before work.

Abbey: What is the place called that we get our biscuits.
Me: Linda's Market.
Abbey: Yea, Linda in my best friend.


#3 - And some of you might have seen this one on facebook.

Me: Who is that singing, Abbey?
Abbey: Thompson Block.
Me: No, it's Thompson Square. What is the name of the song?
Abbey: If your gonna kiss me then what.


We have just had so many memorable conversations this week.

Farmers Market

I've been in a fix lately, trying to save money by couponing and stock piling instead of buying local fresh food.

My name is Carrie and I have failed to buy local.

Coupons are great, especially for things like cleaning supplies, makeup, and things that you can't get locally. But when this time of year provides you with the best the ground has to offer, you should take advantage, and I haven't.

Hubby got home from two weeks in Michigan and mentioned that he was living off IHOP and Burger King. I knew he would love to have some real food while he was home, so I went to the Farmer's Market, one of my favorite places, to re-energize my love for local. I'm glad to say that it worked. I came home with broccoli, english peas, cabbage, lettuce, onions, squash, cucumbers, and the desire to make an incredible meal.

Tonight's meal:

Steak (as requested by hubby)
Steamed Broccoli
Fried Cabbage
Squash Casserole
Pea Salad
Garden Salad

I almost went back to buy extra peas to freeze, but didn't know if I would have time to shell them today. I have heard that you should shell and preserve them as quickly as possible. I just hope there are some available next week, so I can start adding to my freezer for the winter. Well, I know this hasn't been a very exciting blog, but I was just happy to enjoy food again and needed to share. Here is the pea salad recipe that I have fixed. It isn't really healthy, but there are ways to make it so.

Peas Salad

16 oz. Fresh or Frozen Peas
1/3 cup onion
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 Ranch dressing


Blanch the peas for one to two minutes in boiling water. Drain. Mix all other ingredients together. Fold in peas. Chill for at least a half hour before serving.

** To make this healthier use turkey bacon, low fat cheese, and make this dressing

Let me draw your attention...

...to the right side of my blog. I have decided to keep up with my preserving this year, by putting a gadget on the right side of my blog and listing the summer and fall foods that I put up for the winter. This will help me know how much I store of each item to make a reference for next year, in case I need to add or subtract the amount. It can also let you all in blog land know what I'm up to these days, give you a chance to ask questions, and see my progress throughout the season. I will try my best to have pictures for you as well (if I can get my home computer working again). Also, I am proud to say that I have added to my Disney fund. So, please take a look at what is added to the side bar and let me know if you preserve your seasonal goods as well. I believe there are more and more of us doing so each year.

How does the cow go?

Bones

On the drive into work, Abbey and I have some of the most interesting conversations.
This morning was no exception.

Abbey: Hey, mommy!

Me: Yes, honey?

Abbey: (serious) I have a bone in my arm.

Me: (Slightly giggling) You do?

Abbey: Yes, feel my bone mommy!

(I reach back into the back seat and feel her arm.)

Me: You do have a bone in your arm.

Abbey: (sounding surprised) There is a bone in this arm too. Feel it.

(I feel the other arm).

Me: Yes, there is a bone in there too.

Abbey: (giggling) I have bones in my arms.

All I can say is discovery is FUN and FUNNY!!!!!

Easter Pics

All Eastered out

We have had a whirlwind of a weekend. Abbey had Easter parties at school and day care, then we had our second annual Easter party and hunt at church (a huge success) and then our actual Easter day yesterday where her Poppie insisted that she needed to hunt eggs one more time. It was a fun filled, exhausting, wonderful weekend. I hope you all enjoyed your Easter weekend as much as we did. I will post pictures as soon as I can get them off the camera.

PS. I saved $10 in coupons on Saturday, so that has gone into my Disney fund. I have a new total. YEAH!!!!!


Conversation of the day:

Abbey: Look mommy, they are going to say surprise for Minnie's birthday.

Me: I see.

Abbey: That is ridiculous!

(I just laugh!)

Walt Disney World

I love Disney. I have always loved Disney and I am so excited that my sweet baby girl loves Disney too. Her favorite show has always been Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, she will go for anything if it has a Disney princess on it, and Tangled is her favorite movie. The ultimate vacation for this Disney loving momma and baby girl - Walt Disney World, of course. I have never been to WDW. My parents weren't very interested in taking me as a child so I just never went. As an adult, I haven't really had the money to go myself. Now, I'm making it a priority to take Abbey. It just so happens that Clark has never been either, and although he doesn't think he will like it very much, I'm out to prove him wrong.

To help with this goal, and on the advice of my friend Laura T. who has taken her boys to WDW a few times, I have been stalking the Couponing to Disney website to find great deals to help along the way. Basically she posts the best deals on the market and with her savings on things like groceries, gifts, and more she pays her way to Disney every year. When she uses a coupon, gets a rebate, or reward bucks on something, instead of just saying "Oh, I saved $$ on this." She takes that money that was saved and puts it in a fund. At the end of a year, she has enough money in the fund to pay for her family of four to go to WDW. The idea to me is a great way of using the savings you get by researching and being prepared.

I started my fund last year and used it recently to go on a last minute trip to Gatlinburg with the ladies of my family. It wasn't very big, but it did give me a little extra spending money. Now, I have to start over, but this time I am going to have a tally in the right column of my blog so I can be accountable to my friends on my blog and know just how much I am saving. I don't know that we will get to Walt Disney World next year, but we need a vacation badly and I want to be able to pay cash when we go. I think we should be able to save enough in the next three years to pay for WDW in cash and be able to really enjoy the experience of Disney.

If any of you are searching for the deals to save money, be frugel or fund a vacation, go check out www.couponingtodisney.com. Kristin is great!!!!!

A little girl's prayer

Abbey:

God is great, God is good
Let us thank him for our food
And for mommy and daddy
And all our people
And our friends
And Meme and Poppie
And Granny and Grandpa
And pink blanket
Jesus name
Amen

Abbey at a baptism.

We are so joyous that my sweet cousin, Kayla, was baptizied last Sunday. She has been thinking about it for a while, talked to my dad, and talked to our preacher, then made the wise choice to become a Christian. It was a glorious day and a new experience for Abbey Claire. Keep in mind we are a very small congregation and a baptism doesn't happen very often. After her confession, my mom and I got up to help Kayla and her mom get ready. I told Abbey to stay with her daddy. My dad went to help the preacher get ready. Afterward, my husband told me about his conversation with Abbey.

Abbey: Where are they going daddy?

Clark: To help Kayla and Brother Dan get ready?

Abbey: But where are they going?

Clark: Into that little room right there.

Abbey: I think we need to go too.

Clark: No, we need to stay here.

Abbey: But we need to go in there.

Clark: No, let's stay here.

After they were in the water.

Abbey: Why is Kayla in there? Is she taking a bath?

Clark: No, just watch.

After church was over. Abbey says to Kayla.

Abbey: KayKay, I liked your bath.


Our family is so proud of Kayla's beautiful choice to "take a bath".

Let's Catch Up

I thought I would post a few pictures to help catch you up on the things that have happened since I stopped posting. These are just some of the big events that happened back in the fall with Abbey. She is amazing! We are always so surprised at what she has learned, at what she does, and how much she has grown.

Grandpa took Abbey on her first fishing trip in the middle of the summer. She loved being on the lake, she just wouldn't touch the fish.








Abbey started pre-school this year. She just walked into class like it was nothing on the first day of school and has loved it every since.







In September she was asked to be a flower girl in Clark's cousins wedding. My wonderful niece, Bonnie, was one of the photographers and got some great shots.








That will get us through the fall. I'll post about winter next time. :)

I'm back...

I have taken a lot of time off, but I have decided that I am ready to get back in the blogging game. For my dear friends, I have not forgotten you. Although I have not written in some time, I have been reading your blogs over these long months. It's just that I got so wrapped up in the quick and easy status reports on Facebook and didn't feel like writing a lengthy message on a blog. I have discovered that I have missed out on documenting my daughter. This is a great place to put things I might want to look back on later because it is dated and has the comments of loved ones and dear friends, so I am going to get back into this blogging game full force. The summer is coming up and it is my favorite time of year to share fun family outings, info about good eating and gardening, and just the everyday fun of my favorite time of year. So, watch out world...I'm back.