Lovin Today!

Hello peoples!

First I have to talk about my pet peeve, Computers! Yesterday I was trying to fill out some forms and my numlock was on, which meant where certain letters were I was getting numbers in my typing. I could not figure out how to fix it, and I was not happy. I finally googled, which is my solve all for info I don't know. And I discovered it was my numlock on. Wow, I felt silly. But really? Does it have to be such a pain?

Okay so there's my rant on that. The other thing we did yesterday, Cody and I got the money order for my immigration papers! WHOO HOO! I'm excited, now everything is complete. All that work...it really was more difficult than I thought it would be. But it's done, and ready for me to walk it to the post office tomorrow and mail it. Then it will be up to the US department of homeland security...OI! Hopefully that is a good thing. It'll be nice, then I can go get a job!

UPDATE WEEK 5! This week I lost everything I gained by eating that blasted birthday cake! YAY, plus another half a pound. All together 1.2 pounds of weight lost this week. Thats a total of 8.6 pounds lost! Wow that feels good. And I feel good too, less and less aches and pains. I think I'm even sleeping better. I definitely have more energy, and I'm loving finding more foods to cook that are healthy and delicious. I googled (i love google) weight loss recipes. Guess where I found some of the best ones? The Mayo Clinic website, how cool is that. I think I will make one new recipe every week and see how I live them all. Some of them husband will even like, some definitely not. But that's okay, because I can freeze my extra portions.
...what else...Oh, my friend that is losing weight with me lost 6 pounds last week just by keeping her food journal. Props for her!

So here's the recipe I will try and make this week for my lunch with my friend.

Chicken and Spinach Calzones! Courtesy of the Mayo Clinic Staff
Serves 6

Note: to make vegetarian saute 1 pound of sliced mushrooms and 1/3 of a cup chopped onions in a tsp of olive oil and use in place of chicken.

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained.
8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4 tsp parmesan cheese
2 egg whites, divided
1 frozen whole-wheat bread dough loaf, thawed not risen.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large non-stick frying pan, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add the chicken and saute, turning occasionally until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cool to the tough cut the chicken breasts into cubes. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, garlic, parsley, parmesan and 1 of the egg whites. Mix until well blended. Set aside. In another bowl use a whisk to beat last egg white lightly.

Cut bread dough into 6 equal sized pieces. On a floured surface, press each piece into a circle. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into an oval 8 inches long by 6 inches wide. Brush the edges of dough with lightly beaten egg white.

Place 1/6 of chicken cubes in center of each oval. Add 1/6 of spinach mixture to each. Fold dough over the filling, pressing the edges together. Crimp with fork and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake until browned and crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serving size: 1 calzone.
Calories 377
Total fat 9g
fiber 4 g

I think this will be a great recipe. From now on there will be a new recipe every post. And I'll put them on facebook too. In general life is pretty good, I'm almost to my first reward point (15 pounds lost) and then I will probably buy a new dress or something. I'm so looking forward to that!

German Chocolate Cake

oi, German Chocolate Cake is the DEVIL! LOL, I had two pieces this week, and now I understand why it is not on the menu for people losing weight. I gained 0.8 of a pound back! I had no idea there were that many calories in a single piece. It's like, sure I can eat that, if I don't eat anything else at all today.
Oh well, I've learned my lesson. The hard way, but I'll only need to learn it once. I'm definitely not going down the slippery slope of chocolate again. My goal is way too important to me. And not just so I can look cute or whatever. The real motivating factor for me is my health. I've been sick and tired for so long, sick and tired is all I know, and guess what? I'm sick and tired of it! Go figure. I don't want to have heart disease, or high blood pressure, or arthritis so bad I can't stand up straight or can't walk. I don't want to be at risk for stroke, and diabetes. And I just don't want to be plain old worn out long before I should be. I don't want my husband to have to watch me die through decades of ill health. Nope that life is not for me.

I want to feel good, and of course I want to look good too. But that desire isn't the one that will get me through another 61 pounds of exercise and food journaling.

I'm also very excited to be able to share my progress with my friends. And even more excited to help some of them do the same. They are amazing women who deserve the best. But this life doesn't just hand it over, we have to work for it.

Awesome week! So Sore! lol

Hey,
This week was great. I started my exercise goals this week in my weight loss program (self created). I'm using EA Active for Wii, it's challenging, and fun. I love it. I admit I am a bit sore after my first work out, my back muscles will be much stronger if the soreness is any indication.

Yesterday I got to hang out with my friend Leslie! It was a blast and exactly what I needed, men just don't understand the need for "girl time". We went to books-a-million and read parts of a couple of biographies. I read about a woman's quest to lose weight. It was hilarious. Leslie got a memoir about autism. We enjoyed fruit smoothies and lots of chatting. Then we went over to my new favorite clothing store, Cato, and looked at lots of gorgeous clothes. I told her all about the things I'm doing to lose weight, and the charts I made to break it down and track my progress. Then we ate mexican. Mexican is very different down here then it is back home.

When we got back to my place Cody was home from work and playing 360. So I left him be and we went to the bedroom to make her own weightloss plan. She is very excited, and I am really glad that I can help her out. Plus it's nice to have someone close by to share the journey with. It really is a journey.

Well, it's no longer insanely difficult for me to watch my food and count my calories. My mom always said it takes 21 days to form a habit, and I've done it. YAY. My next habit will be 5 workouts a week, hmmm, that could be tougher. Especially if I'm going to be this sore everytime I work out. But we'll see, my body can only protest my lack of couch potatoeness for so long before it gives up and I win!

Let's see, other things...I've started a new scripture study ritual which is awesome. Now I feel lighter in body and spirit!
I still miss my family, but I'm sure that will be the case forever. Love to all!

One of those weeks...

Overall this week was a good one. I spent most of the week out of the apartment, which is always a good thing. Unfortunately, I got to spend most of it painting. Which would have been okay, except for my sensitive artist eyes. The colors chosen by the renter for the house were...less that tasteful. Chocolate brown, which was okay. Dijon mustard yellow, or poo yellow, and tropicana yellow/orange. We weren't really sure. But all the living room needs now are a couple of beach chairs, paper umbrellas, and a palm tree. Glad thats over.

So the part of my week that was tough actually had nothing to do with painting or anything else. It was more the part where I had to eat fast food every day and I was very discouraged about my weight loss goals. I didn't think I could manage to make any progress this week if I ate Arby's and Taco bell for lunch every day. And I must admit that I'm still scale happy, so I stepped on it a couple of times during the week and saw some loss, and some gains. BAD IDEA! I vow, before all blog readers to only weigh once a week at my appointed time.

So how did I get my motivation back and not just eat the entire container of low fat ice cream in my freezer? I went to facebook and connected back in with my weight loss groups. Silly, I know, but it seems to keep me working. I read discussion boards and made a post here and there, and suddenly I was like,"Yeah I can do this. Fat here I come, Buh-Bye."

So the complete update of my progress...2.6 pounds lost this week, 60.8 to go! And after three weeks a grand total of 7.4 pounds lost! Maybe it doesn't seem like a lot, but in a couple more weeks my jeans will not only fit, but actually look good. It's been far too long since I could say that. And then I will swear of stretchy pants! So, just wait for the blog that says NO MORE STRETCH! lol

Easter!

Hey all,
I'm sure everyone knows this weekend was Easter weekend. Well, I did something I've never done before, and hopefully will never do again. I forgot. Until yesterday, thankfully though I had insisted that Husband and I go visit his folks today. And we did, it was great. The 5 of us visited with his parents and lil bro for several hours. They played wii games (I am too sore to really move much, my new exercise game did me in), got KFC, and watched Avatar the new movie. It was great. All of us together, just like the six months we lived with husband's parents...only better because at the end of the night we still have our own little home to go to. I'm sure everyone agrees that too many married couples sharing a household is not good in our society. In all it was kind of like going home, like a home away from home really. Part of me will always be back in Canada, in Stirling with my parents and sister's and brother. The open space, and the house I grew up in.

Anyway, at one point Husband (if you wonder why I call him that, it's because he isn't in on this...so it's best to let him be anonymous to anyone that might see it and not know us. And those that do, well, they know this wouldn't be his thing anyway) was messing with his lil brother, chasing him around the yard. Then he tells me that it helped get rid of some of the stiffness he has from our new exercise game. So I thought it might be a good idea for me to do some walking around too. Good news, I'm no worse for wear. But I don't feel much better either.
However, while we were out there my Mom did call, and that was the highlight of my weekend. I know I'll never miss my family any less, and I'll probably never really get used to it either. So it was really awesome to get to talk to all of them on the phone. I was maybe most excited about talking to my brother, he's the one I get to talk to the least. According to him (in his teasing) he can no longer call me "cracker", no he has to call me "hillbilly"...he's always good for a laugh!

In all it's been a great weekend, started out kinda rough, but things are looking up!

P.S. At this weekend's official weigh-in I lost 1 pound this week- total of 5, 63 to go!

My how you've changed...

Holy, things seem so different to me now. I'm mentally making grocery lists, and lists of things to fix and clean and make. And of course the infamous husband list...it's a list of things you really don't want on your list. That you figure eventually you'll get around to getting him to do them. The only thing is, it usually takes more effort to get husband to do the list you give him, then if you did it yourself. It never ceases to amaze me all the things that I want done, that I just don't want to take on myself. For example, there is this old, broken down entertainment center taking up valuable space in my bedroom. And considering that we live in a one bedroom apartment, space is...coveted. I told husband I wanted him to break it apart and take it to the dumpster, that was back in January, it is now April. I will admit that one day I decided to take it on myself, and I whacked at it with a hammer for about ten minutes. I only got one piece off, which did go to the dumpster. But then I realized that if I kept banging on it with the hammer, eventually it would collapse and probably on me. That's why it was a husband job. See, if I had gotten it apart and carted to the dumpster I'd hear,"Well I would have done it hunny, you didn't have to do all that." And if I had injured myself it would have gone something like this,"Why didn't you just wait for me to do it? All you had to do was ask." *chuckle* oh the irony. He forgets, I did ask, and I have waited, and yet...it's still taking up that space. So, there's my wife thought for the week.

So the change part! I remember the days, not so long ago when I was very different. I wouldn't say care free, just very different cares. My thoughts centered around where I wanted to go with which friend, and when I would have more money to spend on frivilous things like clothes. I spent most of my time just having fun really. And I'll admit I have fun now, but it's different. It's...responsible fun. Now I plan an afternoon with a friend a week or more in advance, which usually gets cancelled due to "husband needs this" or "got extra work" or "Whopper of a headache". And I suppose thats part of being a unit, a family. I don't know yet, how I feel about the title of house wife, when it doesn't include that of Mother. But this little family of mine is pretty wonderful.

All those things I do now, that I didn't even think about being involved in married life, I love. I'm very different from how I thought I'd be, but I'm more complete then I've ever been. Of course life isn't perfect. Like the fact that when I go to buy the groceries I have to push the shopping cart down several blocks to our apartment. The wheels screeching and bouncing the whole way, not my favorite thing ever. But it's a strange sort of little fulfillment, an accomplishment all my own.

I still have big dreams, and I know someday I'll be chasing them down just as determined and bullheaded as ever. I think now though, I'll be appreciating the little things along the way.

P.s. I am chasing one dream, and I'm sure all women have it at one point or another. To be thinner, or smaller, or skinny, how ever you want to put it. But bottom line, I'm a woman with a mission. I have a goal, a plan, and it's working! And I am so excited! My goal is to lose a grand total of at least 68.2 pounds, 5 down, 63.2 to go! I'm going to be healthy.........and wise. !