Hello everyone! It has been a LONG time since I've done a Ten Things Thursday. And they are always one of my favorite things to read on other blogs. So what am I waiting for? Here we go!
1. Today is John's birthday!! The big 45. I'm exceedingly glad that he was born. It's kind of a regular work day for him, plus he's SUPER busy at work right now, so we're sort of waiting until Sunday to do our full on, proper celebration. But in the meantime, I made these for him to take to his office and share with his co-workers. Just a warning....I've done a lot of baking in my lifetime, but I think this might be the most caloric thing I've ever attempted. Look if you dare. http://www.bakerella.com/kit-kat-cream-cheese-brownies/
2. Really starting to become more.....aware....of my port. Like...it sticks out. Is this something that just comes along with weight loss? Please let me know what your experience has been.
3. The WLS peeps I follow on Instagram all seem to LOVE their Polar Heart Rate Monitors. Specifically the Polar FT7. After lusting after one for months, I broke down and bought one this morning. The Polar website has all the info, demo videos, etc, but DON'T buy one from the site. The model I got was literally $50 cheaper on heartratemonitorsusa.com Amazon and other places have them too. Shop around.
4. Teacher Appreciation Week is this week. I've gotten a lot of sweet cards, notes and gifts. What hasn't been so cool???? The MASSIVE amount of food we've had in our Teachers' Lounge. Seriously....donuts, cookies, pizza, pasta, cheese trays, sandwich trays, cakes. Can someone appreciate me with some new Under Armor socks, perhaps?
5. Speaking of school... this year has kinda flown by. We had 5 snow days this years which is a TON for us. I enjoyed every single one of them, but we have to make them all up. So...our last day this year is going to be June 4th. Not bad at all. I don't have ANY plans this summer, and I'm thrilled about that.
6. I've upped my calories slightly because I felt like I was eating too few. Especially with my workouts. Right now I'm in the 950 range.
7. This song. Cannot stop. It's my official Song of the Summer. Thanks, Jordan. :)
8. I never did binge-watch The Walking Dead like I planned. I got about three episodes in and I was just kinda ehhhhh about the whole thing. Next on the list...House of Cards. Both seasons. And Orange Is The New Black returns June 6th. Woo hoo!
9. This is eventually going to be an entirely separate blog post, but I need some help to get the conversation started. The world is an entirely different place for me than it was 100 pounds ago. In ALL kinds of ways, but especially in how I'm treated by strangers. I remember reading a post that Lap Band Gal wrote quite a while ago about how the only person who didn't treat her differently after she lost weight was her cat, Pemberly. I'm experiencing this for myself now and it's a complete and total mindf*ck. Thoughts? Experiences? Please share.
and......
10. Happy Mother's Day weekend to all you moms out there. Especially to my BFF Rachel. Her FIRST Mother's Day ever! Even though John and I have chosen not to have children (probably a whole other blog post, huh?), I recognize and appreciate how hard all you moms work. A mother truly is the heart of the family, and I feel like I won the "Mom Lottery". She's just amazing.
I'll be back in a couple of days with a Weigh-In Saturday.
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Weigh-In Saturday
Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 205
Today's weight: 204
Total loss: 97 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Some weeks are golden. Those weeks where everything seems to be headed in the right direction. Everyone is happy, the sun is shining, and all seems right with the world.
This was not one of those weeks.
In fact, this week was the exact opposite of that.
Oh...where to begin?
I'll begin with the obvious. I'm sure you guys are well aware that a devastating tornado ripped through the central part of my state on Sunday night. Tornadoes are commonplace here, but this one was so violent, so destructive, that even lifelong Arkansans like myself are left speechless. Thank you so much to those of you who emailed to see if John and I were okay. We were lucky. So many were not. The tornado hit about an hour north of us. The main two towns affected were Mayflower and Vilonia. President Obama will be here on Wednesday to tour the tornado damage. I feel so badly for all the families who are suffering. I cannot fathom what they are going through. Because Arkansas is such a small state, almost everyone I know has a friend, a relative...someone who was a victim of this horrific event. Several of my coworkers have family members that lost everything.
Everyone was pretty tired Monday morning when school started. The kids were very subdued. Many had been up all night because of the tornado sirens and weather radio warnings. It was a weird day. Our school clubs immediately began to organize a relief effort drive. Things like dog and cat food, hand sanitizer, first aid supplies, gas station gift cards, etc. All to be collected and taken by our local police department to the towns affected.
I was scheduled for a workout Monday afternoon, so I changed into my workout clothes and headed to the gym. I got there and the parking lot was completely empty. I guess more people than me just weren't feeling it that day. I don't know what is going on with me lately, but I have just been so tired. Not just on that particular and not just from lack of sleep. It's a full body fatigue. It's been concerning me a bit so I have scheduled a doctors appointment to do some blood work. I am way overdue for a physical, and I figured with almost 100 pounds lost, this is a great time to go get some numbers. Like many overweight people tend to do, I avoided going to the doctor for years. No more. I have decided that for the rest of my life, I will be an advocate for my own health and well-being. Now that I'm in my early forties and I have seen people my age affected by all sorts of things, it's even more of a necessity.
So anyway...back to the work out. You guys know that it has only been recently that I've started to truly like exercise. Hated it for YEARS. I had this thing that I used to do on days when my motivation was lagging. I would tell myself..."hey...just get dressed and go to the gym. If you aren't feeling better 15 minutes into the workout, you can leave and go home." Well...you know how that went. I never took myself up on it. After 15 minutes, I was always..."hell yeah...I'm here, I'm doing this!!" I haven't had to do that in a LONG time. But as I walked into the gym on Monday, I was steadily making deals with myself. "Just get this done and then you can go home." I lasted about 8 minutes. Seven minutes and 43 seconds, to be exact. I hopped off the arc trainer, grabbed my water bottle, and flew down the stairs to my car. The whole time I'm thinking "what the hell am I doing? This is not what I do!!!" But my body was speaking to me louder than my conscience. And it was saying "just get home and rest."
So I got home, got something to drink, and I sat down on the couch to watch the national and local news. Although the tornado had been the main topic of conversation all day, these were the first pictures and footage I had seen of the destruction. And I boo hooed like a big ol' baby. Even harder when I realized that one of the people being interviewed, one of the people who had lost their homes, was a former student of mine. A pretty young girl I taught 20 years ago. Now a grown woman who must somehow begin the arduous task of rebuilding her family's life.
After about an hour, my hunger was getting out of contol, so I decided to cook a healthy dinner. The whole time I'm thinking "okay...I completely bombed my workout, the least I can do is be healthy with my food choices." So I went into the kitchen, and made some tilapia and broccoli. And it was delicious.
But the trick is not letting days turn into weeks into months. I've been in that downward spiral and I know exactly how it works. I've learned a thing or two about myself in the past year. And I now know how to put that knowledge to good use. Have the moment, let it go, and move ON.
Furry Lewis and I are gonna catch up on some TV tonight and chill at the house. I have the past three episodes of The Good Wife on the DVR and I'm quite excited about that.
I'm also going to make my junk food tacos. They aren't really junk food, but they taste that way. If you're a fan of Jack in the Box tacos...and really...who isn't?.....you'll probably like these. Unlike a lot of the recipes I post, the brand of the ingredients matters a lot on this one. If you have a Walmart Supercenter near you, you should be able to find the La Tiara brand. After trying it for the first time last summer, I'll never use anything else. I'm not going to go to tell you how to make tacos, you already know that, so I'll just post a pic of what you need.
Oh! But definitely warm the taco shells in the oven. That's a crucial step. And don't skip the processed cheese. We are going for trashy here, people. Healthy Trashy!
Hey...that is a great idea for my first cookbook. Healthy Trashy LapBand Eats. I'm sure my surgeon would be so proud.
Here's to better weather, and better days ahead. I hope each of you has a great week.
Thanks for reading.
Last week's weight: 205
Today's weight: 204
Total loss: 97 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Some weeks are golden. Those weeks where everything seems to be headed in the right direction. Everyone is happy, the sun is shining, and all seems right with the world.
This was not one of those weeks.
In fact, this week was the exact opposite of that.
Oh...where to begin?
I'll begin with the obvious. I'm sure you guys are well aware that a devastating tornado ripped through the central part of my state on Sunday night. Tornadoes are commonplace here, but this one was so violent, so destructive, that even lifelong Arkansans like myself are left speechless. Thank you so much to those of you who emailed to see if John and I were okay. We were lucky. So many were not. The tornado hit about an hour north of us. The main two towns affected were Mayflower and Vilonia. President Obama will be here on Wednesday to tour the tornado damage. I feel so badly for all the families who are suffering. I cannot fathom what they are going through. Because Arkansas is such a small state, almost everyone I know has a friend, a relative...someone who was a victim of this horrific event. Several of my coworkers have family members that lost everything.
Everyone was pretty tired Monday morning when school started. The kids were very subdued. Many had been up all night because of the tornado sirens and weather radio warnings. It was a weird day. Our school clubs immediately began to organize a relief effort drive. Things like dog and cat food, hand sanitizer, first aid supplies, gas station gift cards, etc. All to be collected and taken by our local police department to the towns affected.
I was scheduled for a workout Monday afternoon, so I changed into my workout clothes and headed to the gym. I got there and the parking lot was completely empty. I guess more people than me just weren't feeling it that day. I don't know what is going on with me lately, but I have just been so tired. Not just on that particular and not just from lack of sleep. It's a full body fatigue. It's been concerning me a bit so I have scheduled a doctors appointment to do some blood work. I am way overdue for a physical, and I figured with almost 100 pounds lost, this is a great time to go get some numbers. Like many overweight people tend to do, I avoided going to the doctor for years. No more. I have decided that for the rest of my life, I will be an advocate for my own health and well-being. Now that I'm in my early forties and I have seen people my age affected by all sorts of things, it's even more of a necessity.
So anyway...back to the work out. You guys know that it has only been recently that I've started to truly like exercise. Hated it for YEARS. I had this thing that I used to do on days when my motivation was lagging. I would tell myself..."hey...just get dressed and go to the gym. If you aren't feeling better 15 minutes into the workout, you can leave and go home." Well...you know how that went. I never took myself up on it. After 15 minutes, I was always..."hell yeah...I'm here, I'm doing this!!" I haven't had to do that in a LONG time. But as I walked into the gym on Monday, I was steadily making deals with myself. "Just get this done and then you can go home." I lasted about 8 minutes. Seven minutes and 43 seconds, to be exact. I hopped off the arc trainer, grabbed my water bottle, and flew down the stairs to my car. The whole time I'm thinking "what the hell am I doing? This is not what I do!!!" But my body was speaking to me louder than my conscience. And it was saying "just get home and rest."
So I got home, got something to drink, and I sat down on the couch to watch the national and local news. Although the tornado had been the main topic of conversation all day, these were the first pictures and footage I had seen of the destruction. And I boo hooed like a big ol' baby. Even harder when I realized that one of the people being interviewed, one of the people who had lost their homes, was a former student of mine. A pretty young girl I taught 20 years ago. Now a grown woman who must somehow begin the arduous task of rebuilding her family's life.
After about an hour, my hunger was getting out of contol, so I decided to cook a healthy dinner. The whole time I'm thinking "okay...I completely bombed my workout, the least I can do is be healthy with my food choices." So I went into the kitchen, and made some tilapia and broccoli. And it was delicious.
And then about 20 minutes later I ate 9 chocolate chip cookies and a Cadbury creme egg.
And guess what? I'm fine with it. Some days are gonna be like that. Considering the way I was feeling, I'm pretty proud of myself that a bottle of tequila wasn't involved. I recognized what I was doing, which was stress eating, and I let go of my ideas of being "the perfect bandster" in that moment.
And guess what? I'm fine with it. Some days are gonna be like that. Considering the way I was feeling, I'm pretty proud of myself that a bottle of tequila wasn't involved. I recognized what I was doing, which was stress eating, and I let go of my ideas of being "the perfect bandster" in that moment.
But the trick is not letting days turn into weeks into months. I've been in that downward spiral and I know exactly how it works. I've learned a thing or two about myself in the past year. And I now know how to put that knowledge to good use. Have the moment, let it go, and move ON.
On Tuesday after school, I went to see Rachel and sweet baby boy. BFF time always makes me feel better. We went to Chipotle, and then to J.Crew. I wanted to go there becuase I've had my eye on this shirt for a while.
They had it. I bought it. And the best part was that I didn't need extra-large this time. I got an a large and rocked it yesterday with some dark wash jeans and my new Donald J. Pliner wedges.
Shout out to my sister for those, by the way. She is the generous soul that gives me my all time favorite thing....Nordstrom gift cards ....for my birthday and Christmas. :) Thanks, Jen! :)
Wednesday was back to the gym. And I don't mind telling you that I was a bit concerned after Monday's debacle. But I needn't have been. Wednesday's workout was just fine. Afterwards, I went and met my friend Rory for a wonderful dinner. I haven't seen her in almost a year. She is the mother of 5 year old twin boys, so yeah...she's slightly busy.
And finally Friday arrived. I had an early dinner with my friend Jordan after school, and then we went to Target. Always fun.
Oh and I lost a pound this week. That seems sort of beside the point, but I was grateful for that.
John's band is in Fayetteville, Arkansas tonight playing a wedding. About 5 hours away. Yes… Wedding Season has officially begun. I like it for him, because he so good at what he does, but kind of bummed that I'm not seeing him tonight. He'll get home in the wee hours of the morning, and will likely sleep all day tomorrow. The life of a musician with a day job!
Furry Lewis and I are gonna catch up on some TV tonight and chill at the house. I have the past three episodes of The Good Wife on the DVR and I'm quite excited about that.
I'm also going to make my junk food tacos. They aren't really junk food, but they taste that way. If you're a fan of Jack in the Box tacos...and really...who isn't?.....you'll probably like these. Unlike a lot of the recipes I post, the brand of the ingredients matters a lot on this one. If you have a Walmart Supercenter near you, you should be able to find the La Tiara brand. After trying it for the first time last summer, I'll never use anything else. I'm not going to go to tell you how to make tacos, you already know that, so I'll just post a pic of what you need.
Hey...that is a great idea for my first cookbook. Healthy Trashy LapBand Eats. I'm sure my surgeon would be so proud.
Here's to better weather, and better days ahead. I hope each of you has a great week.
Thanks for reading.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Weigh-In Saturday
Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 207
Today's weight: 205
Total loss: 96 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Hey everyone....happy last weekend of April to you!
Another two pounds gone this week. REALLY happy about that. I'm feelin' that BIG number coming around the bend. You know the one I'm talking about...and I just cannot wait for it to get here. All in good time.
My mentality this week can best be described as "in the trenches". Making my plan, and working that plan. Grocery shoppin'. Meal prep. Workouts. Resisting temptation. Daily focus. Self-care. Stress management. Seriously...can I get an assistant?
Anyone who has weight loss surgery and doesn't think they aren't going to have to work hard EVERY day is in for a rude awakening. Do you hear me? Every. Day.
Work. WERK.
And I've been workin' it like the rent's due TONIGHT!
How have I lost 96 pounds in 10 and a half months? Hard work.
I hope you all have a great week. Thanks for reading.
Last week's weight: 207
Today's weight: 205
Total loss: 96 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Hey everyone....happy last weekend of April to you!
Another two pounds gone this week. REALLY happy about that. I'm feelin' that BIG number coming around the bend. You know the one I'm talking about...and I just cannot wait for it to get here. All in good time.
My mentality this week can best be described as "in the trenches". Making my plan, and working that plan. Grocery shoppin'. Meal prep. Workouts. Resisting temptation. Daily focus. Self-care. Stress management. Seriously...can I get an assistant?
Anyone who has weight loss surgery and doesn't think they aren't going to have to work hard EVERY day is in for a rude awakening. Do you hear me? Every. Day.
Work. WERK.
And I've been workin' it like the rent's due TONIGHT!
How have I lost 96 pounds in 10 and a half months? Hard work.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Weigh-In Saturday (Non-Scale Victory Edition)
Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 207.5
Today's weight: 207
Total loss: 94 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Hey everyone! Happy Saturday. So the weight loss this week was just half a pound. Kind of what I was expecting. After losing 4 1/2 pounds in the last two weeks, which is a lot for me, I knew that the number would be small. Also… this is not the time of the month when I usually lose weight. Do you feel me, ladies? I think you do. :)
So this week… I thought I would take the focus off the numbers just a little bit. I will be the first to admit that I have a giant tendency to get so wrapped up in those damn numbers. Especially now that I'm so close to seeing a 1 in front of my weight...the first time in over a decade that I've seen that number. It is close and it has made me a little bit crazy. It's very easy to get so laser-focused in on the numbers, that you lose sight of why you're doing all of this in the first place. You know? For me, it's to lead a healthier, more productive life. A life where I am not limited by my weight. A life where I actually have energy left over to do the things I want to do. So let's hear it for the non-scale victories, y'all. These are the things that make all of this so worth it.
The first one is just a little one, but something that struck me out of the blue this week at one of my very favorite places. Target! I've mentioned to you guys before that Target is right by my gym, and it's super convenient for me to run in there after I work out to get anything I need. And let's face it...sometimes I like to look at shoes while I'm there. I'm only human, people. This week, I saw a pair of sandals that I liked a lot, and I needed to try them on. You already know I like a heel, but this heel looked too high even for me. I had to find out! I had tennis shoes and socks on and I wasn't too keen on plopping down right there on the floor. So what did I do? I balanced on one foot and changed shoes. Like it was no big deal. A hundred pounds ago, I wouldn't of been able to do anything like that. I used to have to sit down to even tie my shoes, and much huffing and puffing followed. If you've ever been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I didn't end up buying the shoes, but I did find out I can now do this neat little trick. Hot damn.
The second one is a little more important. Last fall I posted about being able to fit into the desks at school again. I told you guys that we have a lot of impromptu faculty meetings around school, and how it was always awkward for me to have to pull up a chair and use the desktop as a tabletop. Well guess what. We had another faculty meeting this week, and I found out that not only do I fit, there's a lot of room to spare! I've been enjoying it so much that now I'm looking for excuses to sit in student desks. I'm sittin' in desks all over the place. Oh…"You need help conjugating that Spanish verb? Well let me pull up a desk and help you!" I cannot be stopped. :)
And the third one…it's just sort of fun. This afternoon I'm going to a clothing party at Rachel's grandmother's house. I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about. Kind of like a Pampered Chef or a Tupperware party, but with clothes. I've only been to one clothing party before, and guess what… I couldn't wear one thing they offered. I remember feeling extremely self-conscious...standing around looking at the handbags and accessories. This time, it will actually be fun. I previewed the items online, and even if I don't buy anything, I know that I could. That I have the option. And that the clothes would fit me. Cool.
We are headed to my sister's house tomorrow for Easter and I'm so excited about it. After I get home tonight I'm making my special green beans and Cheese Grits Soufflé. Easter food is my favorite food of all. There will be Honey Baked Ham, Deviled Eggs, homemade rolls....all the good stuff. I'm going to have a little bit of everything and enjoy my time with my family. I hope you all get to do the same.
Here's to ignoring the numbers. Sometimes!
Thanks for reading.
Last week's weight: 207.5
Today's weight: 207
Total loss: 94 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Hey everyone! Happy Saturday. So the weight loss this week was just half a pound. Kind of what I was expecting. After losing 4 1/2 pounds in the last two weeks, which is a lot for me, I knew that the number would be small. Also… this is not the time of the month when I usually lose weight. Do you feel me, ladies? I think you do. :)
So this week… I thought I would take the focus off the numbers just a little bit. I will be the first to admit that I have a giant tendency to get so wrapped up in those damn numbers. Especially now that I'm so close to seeing a 1 in front of my weight...the first time in over a decade that I've seen that number. It is close and it has made me a little bit crazy. It's very easy to get so laser-focused in on the numbers, that you lose sight of why you're doing all of this in the first place. You know? For me, it's to lead a healthier, more productive life. A life where I am not limited by my weight. A life where I actually have energy left over to do the things I want to do. So let's hear it for the non-scale victories, y'all. These are the things that make all of this so worth it.
The first one is just a little one, but something that struck me out of the blue this week at one of my very favorite places. Target! I've mentioned to you guys before that Target is right by my gym, and it's super convenient for me to run in there after I work out to get anything I need. And let's face it...sometimes I like to look at shoes while I'm there. I'm only human, people. This week, I saw a pair of sandals that I liked a lot, and I needed to try them on. You already know I like a heel, but this heel looked too high even for me. I had to find out! I had tennis shoes and socks on and I wasn't too keen on plopping down right there on the floor. So what did I do? I balanced on one foot and changed shoes. Like it was no big deal. A hundred pounds ago, I wouldn't of been able to do anything like that. I used to have to sit down to even tie my shoes, and much huffing and puffing followed. If you've ever been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I didn't end up buying the shoes, but I did find out I can now do this neat little trick. Hot damn.
The second one is a little more important. Last fall I posted about being able to fit into the desks at school again. I told you guys that we have a lot of impromptu faculty meetings around school, and how it was always awkward for me to have to pull up a chair and use the desktop as a tabletop. Well guess what. We had another faculty meeting this week, and I found out that not only do I fit, there's a lot of room to spare! I've been enjoying it so much that now I'm looking for excuses to sit in student desks. I'm sittin' in desks all over the place. Oh…"You need help conjugating that Spanish verb? Well let me pull up a desk and help you!" I cannot be stopped. :)
And the third one…it's just sort of fun. This afternoon I'm going to a clothing party at Rachel's grandmother's house. I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about. Kind of like a Pampered Chef or a Tupperware party, but with clothes. I've only been to one clothing party before, and guess what… I couldn't wear one thing they offered. I remember feeling extremely self-conscious...standing around looking at the handbags and accessories. This time, it will actually be fun. I previewed the items online, and even if I don't buy anything, I know that I could. That I have the option. And that the clothes would fit me. Cool.
We are headed to my sister's house tomorrow for Easter and I'm so excited about it. After I get home tonight I'm making my special green beans and Cheese Grits Soufflé. Easter food is my favorite food of all. There will be Honey Baked Ham, Deviled Eggs, homemade rolls....all the good stuff. I'm going to have a little bit of everything and enjoy my time with my family. I hope you all get to do the same.
Here's to ignoring the numbers. Sometimes!
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Weigh-In Saturday
Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 209.5
Today's weight: 207.5
Total loss: 93.5 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Down another 2 pounds! Woo hoo! Thrilled with that.
This was a whirlwind of a week. It seemed to go by really fast because I was so very busy. Nothing major, just a lot of different stuff. It was standardized test week at school, so that was kind of blehhhh, but there was plenty of fun stuff too. I went to get my hair done on Monday and it was MUCH needed. There's just something about fresh, new highlights that make a girl feel like a million bucks. Not to mention my stylist Jeanna is the absolute best. We always manage to solve the world's problems, discuss fashion at length, talk about travel plans...she just got back from Tulum...and of course celebrity gossip. Gywneth and Chris....why?
During....
After....
On Wednesday I got to spend time with Rachel and sweet baby Shepherd. School has been such a drag with Rachel on maternity leave. I'm literally going through withdrawals. But...she is right where she needs to be. She is a complete natural at motherhood and is head over heels in love with her boy. I'm completely smitten with him myself.
Friday night, I had dinner with my friend Jordan. She is a world traveler extraordinaire and has just returned from a trip to London and Paris with 29 kids!!! The very thought of taking that many teenagers to Europe makes me break out in hives, but Jordan is the perfect person for it. She is an unstoppable force of nature. We caught up over dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and I'm sure you can imagine that she had PLENTY to tell me.
I did manage to get to the gym for three killer workouts though, and I was proud of that.
My eating this week has been pretty repetitive and streamlined. You guys know that I begin every single morning with my Unjury coffee. Cannot. Live. Without. It. Now that it's getting warmer, I'm getting ready to make the switch to iced. I'm pretty damn excited about that. I use the Pioneer Woman method to make my iced coffee, and it has never let me down. I have been having the same breakfast every day for about the past month...a hard-boiled egg and my beloved Greek yogurt.
Lunch has been a chicken pita from Sam's Club. I used to be able to find these at Walmart, but no more. There are several different varieties of these pita sandwiches....hamburger, cheeseburger, gyro. They are great for Bandsters. If you can find them, that is.
Dinner has been a little varied. Homemade chili a couple of nights, chicken sausage another night, and some Chick-fil-A nuggets one night when I was on the go. And I cannot forget snacks. VitaTops, of course. But...hold onto your hats, because we've got a new contender. Have you guys tried Skinny Pop??? It is sooooo good.
It tastes like Target popcorn. If you've never had Target popcorn, know that I mean that as a huge compliment. It comes in three flavors, butter, white cheddar, and black pepper. I've only had the butter flavor, but I will eventually try all three, I'm sure.
This weekend I'm just enjoying NOT having anywhere to go. I'm catching up on stuff around the house, doing tons of laundry, and a little bit of meal prep for the coming week. John had a gig tonight, but he'll be home a little later and we're going to catch up on some shows and just relax.
What are you guys up to now that Spring is finally here? Tell me!
I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for reading. :)
Last week's weight: 209.5
Today's weight: 207.5
Total loss: 93.5 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Down another 2 pounds! Woo hoo! Thrilled with that.
This was a whirlwind of a week. It seemed to go by really fast because I was so very busy. Nothing major, just a lot of different stuff. It was standardized test week at school, so that was kind of blehhhh, but there was plenty of fun stuff too. I went to get my hair done on Monday and it was MUCH needed. There's just something about fresh, new highlights that make a girl feel like a million bucks. Not to mention my stylist Jeanna is the absolute best. We always manage to solve the world's problems, discuss fashion at length, talk about travel plans...she just got back from Tulum...and of course celebrity gossip. Gywneth and Chris....why?
During....
Friday night, I had dinner with my friend Jordan. She is a world traveler extraordinaire and has just returned from a trip to London and Paris with 29 kids!!! The very thought of taking that many teenagers to Europe makes me break out in hives, but Jordan is the perfect person for it. She is an unstoppable force of nature. We caught up over dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and I'm sure you can imagine that she had PLENTY to tell me.
I did manage to get to the gym for three killer workouts though, and I was proud of that.
My eating this week has been pretty repetitive and streamlined. You guys know that I begin every single morning with my Unjury coffee. Cannot. Live. Without. It. Now that it's getting warmer, I'm getting ready to make the switch to iced. I'm pretty damn excited about that. I use the Pioneer Woman method to make my iced coffee, and it has never let me down. I have been having the same breakfast every day for about the past month...a hard-boiled egg and my beloved Greek yogurt.
Lunch has been a chicken pita from Sam's Club. I used to be able to find these at Walmart, but no more. There are several different varieties of these pita sandwiches....hamburger, cheeseburger, gyro. They are great for Bandsters. If you can find them, that is.
Dinner has been a little varied. Homemade chili a couple of nights, chicken sausage another night, and some Chick-fil-A nuggets one night when I was on the go. And I cannot forget snacks. VitaTops, of course. But...hold onto your hats, because we've got a new contender. Have you guys tried Skinny Pop??? It is sooooo good.
This weekend I'm just enjoying NOT having anywhere to go. I'm catching up on stuff around the house, doing tons of laundry, and a little bit of meal prep for the coming week. John had a gig tonight, but he'll be home a little later and we're going to catch up on some shows and just relax.
What are you guys up to now that Spring is finally here? Tell me!
I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for reading. :)
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Weigh-In Saturday
Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 212
Today's weight: 209.5
Total loss: 91.5 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Surprising? Yes! Welcome? Very. It's been a long, long time since I've had a 2 and a half pound week. I like it!
One thing that is helping tremendously...I'm pretty sure I'm firmly ensconced in the Green Zone. I mean...at almost ten months I should be, right? I love it here.
For me the Green Zone means...
About Greg...he's awesome. We talk about all kinds of stuff and I ALWAYS learn something from him. He lost 150 pounds with the lap band and has maintained his loss for a number of years. The last time I was there he said something that has resonated with me literally EVERY day since. It may be one of the most important things I've learned so far and it's this:
When you're in the Green Zone, you will not experience perfect restriction every day. There will be days when you have to work harder. However, the good days should outnumber the bad, and if they don't, then you probably need a little fill.
So simple. I keep this in mind on the days when I AM having to work a little harder and it helps my perspective. I hope it helps some of you too.
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading. :)
Last week's weight: 212
Today's weight: 209.5
Total loss: 91.5 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013
Surprising? Yes! Welcome? Very. It's been a long, long time since I've had a 2 and a half pound week. I like it!
One thing that is helping tremendously...I'm pretty sure I'm firmly ensconced in the Green Zone. I mean...at almost ten months I should be, right? I love it here.
For me the Green Zone means...
- I can still eat bread, but not an awful lot. You all know how I feel about bread. :)
- I'm not hungry for about 3 hours after waking, but I try to eat a little something as soon as I can just to get the metabolism going
- I don't obsess over when I'm going to eat next. I live my life and then after a few hours get the "oh...I'm getting kind of hungry now" feeling
- And the hallmark of the GZ....being satisfied with a small amount of protein dense food. My band is finally "speaking up" a little bit louder when it's time for me to stop eating. This is HUGE. For so long I've felt that I could eat more than I was "supposed to".
About Greg...he's awesome. We talk about all kinds of stuff and I ALWAYS learn something from him. He lost 150 pounds with the lap band and has maintained his loss for a number of years. The last time I was there he said something that has resonated with me literally EVERY day since. It may be one of the most important things I've learned so far and it's this:
When you're in the Green Zone, you will not experience perfect restriction every day. There will be days when you have to work harder. However, the good days should outnumber the bad, and if they don't, then you probably need a little fill.
So simple. I keep this in mind on the days when I AM having to work a little harder and it helps my perspective. I hope it helps some of you too.
Have a great weekend and thanks for reading. :)
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Haiku Review: Michael Angelo's Parmesan Crusted Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ahem....is this mic on?
"Crispy chicken parm
Hot, cheesy, deliciousness
Get it at Sam's Club"
I also need to tell you that John and I did NOT like the sauce packets that come with this. The tomato sauce wasn't all that great, and there is just SO much. It's all you end up tasting. Which is not good, because the chicken and cheese is so delicious. We topped ours off with some Bertoli Light Garlic Alfredo and it was REALLY tasty.
Thumbs up and Beatnik snaps all around. :)
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