Definitely not going anywhere for awhile!

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You know the commercials that end... 'not going anywhere for awhile?'
They are promoting a favorite candybar.  Apparently what they meant by it was that after you eat it, you woun't be going anywhere while you work off the calories!  Since Halloween is upon us, and because I love you, here are some helpful tips when you consider digging into your candy stash. 

Candy Name	Serving Size	WW Points Value	Activity to Work off
Dots	12 dots	3	36 minutes of walking
Hot Tamales	20 pieces	3	39 minutes of walking
Hard candies	5 candies	2	30 minutes of walking
Mike & Ike	23 pieces	3	39 minutes of walking
Laffy Taffy	1 Bar	4	41 minutes of walking
Nerds	1 tbsp	1	15 minutes of walking
Riesen	4 pieces	4	28 minutes of walking
Runts	13 pieces	1	15 minutes of walking
Skittles	.25 cup	4	44 minutes of walking
Starburst	8 pieces	4	41 minutes of walking
Sugar Babies	30 pieces	4	46 minutes of walking
Tootsie Roll	6 pieces	3	40 minutes of walking
Butterscotch Candies	3 pieces	1	16 minutes of walking
Blow Pop	1 pop	1	13 minutes of walking
Dum dum Pops	2 pops	1	13 minutes of walking
Tootsie Roll Pops	1 pop	1	15 minutes of walking
Strawberry Twists	3 pieces	3	34 minutes of walking
Junior Mints	16 pieces	4	44 minutes of walking
Payday Snack Size	1 bar	2	23 minutes of walking
Peanut Butter Cups (42 g)	1 package	6	59 minutes of walking
Reese’s Pieces  (43 g)	1 package	5	57 minutes of walking
Almond Joy Snack Size	1 bar	2	23 minutes of walking
Hershey’s  Kisses	9 kisses	6	59 minutes of walking
Milk Duds	13 pieces	4	46 minutes of walking
Whoppers	1 pouch	2	26 minutes of walking
Peppermint Patties	1 pattie	3	41 minutes of walking
Hershey’s Miniatures	5 pieces	6	59 minutes of walking
Kit Kat	4 piece bar	5	57 minutes of walking
M & M’s	.25 cup	5	54 minutes of walking
Peanut  M & M's	.25 cup	5	57 minutes of walking
Snicker’s (2.07 oz)	1 bar	7	72 minutes of walking
Milky Way (2.05 oz)	1 bar	6	67 minutes of walking
Twix	2 cookies	7	72 minutes of walking
Butterfinger Fun Size	1 bar	2	26 minutes of walking

Maybe instead you should have a cup of my 2 point chili!  You can find the recipe here.

Happy Halloween everyone.

2 Point Chili

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Two Point Chili
WW PointsPlus per serving:  3

My Weight Watchers leader shared a recipe for 1 point chili recently.  I was able to twist Sheri's arm into having her mom make it for our scrapbooking weekend.  Judy (Sheri's mom) is pretty awesome in the kitchen, I have to say, because she also made the Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate drizzle for me us.  Anyway... I told Sheri that I loved the chili and that Dan (who is particular about his food) loved it almost as much as I had.  She said she wasn't entirely happy with it because she likes her chili to be chunkier.  This got me to thinking ... and playing around in the recipe builder on the WW eTools.  The 1 point per cup chili has now become 2 points per cup chili.  What do you think?

56 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 medium yellow squash
30 oz. fat-free beef broth
3 large stalks celery, diced
30 oz. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large green peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 medium vidalia onions, diced
20 oz. Turkey, 93% lean, cooked
15 oz. kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. Cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained

Chili Powder, Cumin, and Garlic Powder to taste (or use a packet of chili seasoning)

Once you've got the turkey browned, throw everything in the crockpot and cook it until the vegetables are at the right tenderness for you.  High for about 4-5 hours is good, if you put it on low it can go much longer since the turkey is already cooked it's perfectly fine.

Pride is apparently low fat/low calorie

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Luckily this week I swallowed my pride.  For those who maybe missed a post or two, let's recap.  Two weeks ago I was down 6.2 pounds and last week I was up 6.4 pounds.

This week I was anxious, to say the least, to go to my weigh in.  Fortunately, if for my self esteem alone, I made my leader's jaw drop, again.  This week I am down 5.4 pounds.

I'd gotten to the meeting/weigh-in early so I had a minute to talk to my leader.  She congratulated me on my weight loss and I said I was relieved because I was down.  I explained about last week and the week before so I was nervous about the weigh-in this week.  Someone said this at the meeting last night, if you go through the effort of any sort of weight loss regimen and then you weigh in and you've gained you feel like you failed.  Why, with all the yummy food out there, would you want to do that?

I also told my leader that I very nearly didn't come to weigh in this week.  I told her that I was still determined to work the plan, just not sure about the weigh-in.  She said that's normal and that it's ok to feel like that.  There is another person at the 'office' where we go for meetings and her name is Pat.  I spoke to Pat about the loss/gain/loss and she said maybe that's your pattern.

I thought.... Huh?

She said that some people get into a weight loss pattern like this so there is nothing to get disappointed or nervous about. 

I thought.... Ok, maybe.  This hasn't been my pattern so far, but maybe my body is still getting into the pattern and I should relax a little.  This, of course, is so much easier said than done.

So, this was apparently a good week but somehow it still doesn't necessarily feel like it.  I'll keep working on that.  Any suggestions?

No celebrating this week...

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This weightloss thing isn't about one individual week.

I'm going to repeat this to myself at various times throughout the week because last night we went to our weigh-in.  The results were not good.

+6.4

Ugh.  What was I saying?  Oh yes, this weightloss thing isn't about one individual week.

Ok, anyway... There isn't even a good reason for this other than I ate deliciously flavored, full fat crap this weekend.  When I started WW, Dan entered a competition at work to see who could lose the most weight (based on a percentage of starting weight) and he said that when the competition was over he was going to get wings and shrimps to celebrate.  So we did.  The good news is that I counted the points.  The bad news is that Hooters buffalo shrimp and Buffalo Wild Wings wings are full of points.  I normally try not to use my weekly allowance, you know those extra 35 points they give you to use throughout the week, but last week I did.  I used all but 4 of them.

So, this week will be more about vegetables and fruit.  Getting more activity into my day and hopefully losing what I've gained. 

Also trying to stay positive would be a good but you can only make so many changes!  :)

Clothes....

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I like to shop online because I do not like crowds, I get a little panicky if there are too many people around.  I also don't like pushy sales people.  This makes shopping online for many things, especially clothes, very convenient.  I am, however, not so good about returning things that I do not like or that don't fit properly.  I've been getting better about this but traditionally, I'm not so good at it.

This is where my great fortune happens to come into play this week.  About two years ago (I think, maybe it was last year, I don't know for sure) I bought a Chicago Bears sweatshirt.  It is really nice, looks like it's been worn for years but it didn't quite fit.  I said to myself, I'm not going to send this back because someday I'll be able to fit into it and it'll look great.  Apparently, that day is today.

Today, my bestie Sheri and I are going to stamp camp and I was looking for a sweatshirt to wear in case it was cold where we are going.  I thought to myself, just try on that sweatshirt and see, who knows?  Well.... it fit.  How awesome is that?  I also pulled out the third pair of jeans in my 'I'm going to order 4 pairs of jeans all in different sizes' to see if I was close to fitting into the next smallest size.  Apparently, I'm on a roll because those fit too.  The work towards weight loss is really paying off!!!

Though I suppose this also means that I only have one more pair of pants to fit into so I'd better start looking around for new pants again.  :)

HOLY RAVIOLI!!

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I went to my weigh-in meeting tonight, stepped on the scale and I watched the jaw of my leader hit the floor.  She was shocked and so was I.

When I go to the weigh-in I usually forget what my previous weight was because the scale at my house isn't the same as the WW scale, when I weigh at home throughout the week I track more with the +/- of weight than I do with the actual number.  This week I made a point of checking my tracker while waiting in line.

Did the scale really say that? 
The shock registered on my face.
My leader said, oh my god you hit 10%! 
She then high-fived me which was awesome because that's how I roll.
The loss this week was 6.2 pounds.

I texted Dan to tell him the loss and his response:  HOLY RAVIOLI!!

So the other thing I like to do is put the weight into realistic things.  Like, I lost five pounds so that's a bag of sugar.  Twenty pounds was a bag of dog food.  So, this week when I looked at the weight tracker I thought.... hmmm... that's TWO BAGS of dog food. 

I LOST TWO BAGS OF DOG FOOD.  42.2 POUNDS TO BE EXACT. 
And yes, while I was thinking about this I was screaming in my head (hence the capital letters).

So, I finally got my key chain.  I put my 25 pound charm on it and can't wait to get more charms.

When doing the celebrations my leader always asks something like do you have any inspiration or words of wisdom for the others?  I thought... not really.  I'm still fat.  I'm not as fat as I was and that's a good thing.  Apparently, I wasn't thinking about it at this point because I actually said that out loud.  I said, I'm sorry if that's offensive to others but that's why I'm here, the rest of you are fine.  You can celebrate my 10% by having a cookie!

See, I have to make myself accountable for my actions, both past and present in order for this to be a lifestyle change instead of a diet.  If I'm accountable for this the same way I'm accountable for paying the Com-Ed bill or the water bill, then I feel like I don't have to work at it quite so hard.  Or maybe the time is just starting to make these things more familiar to me.  Either way, I've learned good habits.  I'm happy. 

Someone remind me of this the next time I have a bad week, ok?

I think my body is 'winterizing'

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I spent several hours this weekend with my friend Sheri doing some crafty work.  Sheri, coincidentally, is also a member of the Fatties Unite Tonight and one of my besties.  Anyway... she made a comment and I'm still stuck on it two days later.  She said something about the fact that she felt like she was eating more the last few days.

As I said, I've had this stuck in my head for a few days because I've been wondering if when the weather changes if our eating habits change?  The weather where I live in Illinois has gotten colder in recent days.  When it was warmer and sunny I felt like I was hungry for fruits and vegetables all the time.  Now that the weather has turned towards fall I feel like I'm more hungry for heartier meals.  Pastas, chili, stews etc...

Coincidentally, this was one of the topics at our meeting tonight and apparently it's more common than I thought.  People do start craving the homey comfort foods rather than the summertime fruits that we've so carefully added to our daily meal plans.  So,  what kinds of foods are you craving this time of year was the question posed at the meeting.  The first answer was sweets to which my leader, who is awesome by the way, replied I have a great trick for you.  Take an apple and slice it, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sweetener (e.g. splenda, truvia, etc... whatever your fancy) and then microwave it a little.  It's not quite pie but it is a homey comfort and it'll help use up all those apples that you'd been stocking up on.

Now I know that Sheri is cringing when I say this but this is the time of year when I pull the crock pot out from the back of the island where it's been since last winter.  See, Sheri is an avid crock pot cooker, and having THREE of them she can make a professional chef blush with the tasty vittles she cooks up.  She also likes any recipe that has 5 ingredients or less, preferably if it can be made in said crockpot.  Anyway, this is the time of year when the stews and soups start sounding really good.  So, besides a vegetable soup which is generally low in points, what are other ideas of low points or low cal/low fat that I can make?

C'mon... help a fattie out with some recipes or websites that have good ideas!

Imitation is - well it's delicioius!

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I have an older sister, Brenda, who I have always looked up to.  Brenda has done an amazing job of managing her weight and she runs half marathons which makes me a little jealous but mostly uber proud.  Anyway, I have always looked up to my big sister and a couple of years ago Dan and I were at Brenda and Alex's house and they were telling us about this program they were part of called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). 

Essentially, local farms sell a 'share' of the farm.  You, as the shareholder, get a portion of what they grow.  I thought this was really cool so I looked into it the night we got home but I missed the deadline to sign up for that year.  So, I checked it out again this spring and found one that looked like they delivered a good variety of produce.  The farm is called Angelic Organics and it is located in Caledonia, IL.  I also did a quick google search on the farm and the CSA and I couldn't find any negative comments about it.  So, we signed up for a 12-week share of vegetables and a 6-week share of fruit.

This meant that beginning in August every week we pick up a box of vegetables and every other week we also pick up a box of fruit.  The farm that we use delivers a bunch of boxes all over the area and even into Chicago.  This was one of the selling points for me, convenience!  In addition to that nifty convenience, our CSA writes a blog post for each vegetable delivery and each fruit delivery so that you can know what you're getting.  They also offer a 'trade' box so that if there is something that you don't like you can leave it for someone else and/or take something that someone else has left. 

Our first vegetable and fruit box!!

Before the first week that we picked up food, we received a package in the mail from the CSA.  EUREKA!  The farm wrote a cookbook based on the vegetables they grow and share with their consumers.  Each item has several recipes but it also gives storage instructions and even some interesting stories from the farm.  For those who don't know me well, I love cookbooks.  I love reading them, I love looking at the pictures I really love everything about them.  So, this cookbook was right up my alley and now I was doubly excited to get our first box.

We have been delighted with our vegetables and uber delighted with our fruit.  I've purchased a few other fruit items in addition to what we've gotten in our box and I've always been tremendously disappointed in that fruit.  All of the items we get from our CSA have been so ripe and delicious.  In all of the produce that we've gotten during our time with the farm, we've only had two mis-steps.  The first was a smushed tomato that got in the way of a watermelon and the second was a box of figs that were moldy.  I was disappointed, but the rest of the delivery was fantastic.  I mean, yum times a thousand!

Anyway, this is my way of saying THANK YOU to Brenda and Alex for inspiring us to invest in our neighbors, in their farm, and especially in our health by joining the CSA.  If you can join a CSA, you should really consider it.  The produce you'll receive is way better than what you can find in the local grocery store.

Do you have any interest in joining a CSA?  You should probably check them out now because if you wait until spring it might be too late.  You can start your search for a local CSA here.  If you're currently a member or you join one I'd love to hear your thoughts on your experience.  I'd also love to hear any recipes that you've whipped up as a result of your fresh vegetables.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

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Pumpkin Spice Muffin
WW PointsPlus per serving:  2

1 Spiced Cake mix
1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just pumpkin)

Mix both ingredients together, pour into 24 muffin cups
Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tomato-Basil Salad

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Tomato-Basil Salad (Serves 4)
WW PointsPlus per serving:  2

2 large tomato(es), 1 red and 1 yellow, heirloom or beefsteak, thinly sliced    
1/4 cup(s) onion(s), sweet-variety, very thinly sliced    
4 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin    
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste    
1/2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped, or 1/4 tsp dried oregano    
20 leaves basil, fresh OR 1/2 tsp dried basil

Instructions
To make each salad, arrange 1/4 of tomato slices on a salad plate and top with1/4 of onions. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil and season to taste with salt and pepper; crumble a pinch of oregano over top.
Let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes for flavors to develop. Just before serving, sprinkle with basil. Yields 1 salad per serving.

Two bad things and a good thing

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A few weeks ago my bestie Sheri told me that my pants were noticeably too big.  Like really big.  So, I went out and ordered four new pairs of jeans in different sizes.   I did this both as a reward for losing 20 pounds and a goal to keep going.  That and I had a coupon for 40% off!  I opened the biggest (which was still smaller than any of the pants that I currently have) pair and wore them a few times.... including on Oktoberfest, then I threw them in the laundry pile.

I had lunch plans with my friend Judy today.  I was so excited because I haven't seen her in awhile.  So, I took a bunch of laundry downstairs including the aforementioned pair of jeans.  When it was time to go I went to the dryer and pulled out a pair of jeans and then realized I knew what the 'thunk-thunk' was while the dryer was running.

I'd left my pedometer on my pants.

CRAP.

But I had to get going so I took the pedometer off the pants and felt in the pockets to make sure they were dry.  Then I looked at the pants and found a hole on the back thigh.  Seriously?  I'd only worn these pants a few times, literally.

DOUBLE CRAP.

What made this even worse was that I was afraid I didn't have any other pants that fit.  I went upstairs and found the next biggest pair of pants I had.  The same style jeans but one size smaller.  I pulled them out thinking that these probably wouldn't fit but I had to at least try.  So, you can imagine my absolute shock when I put them on and was able to zip and button them.  I had to go look in the mirror and make sure I hadn't split the pants or something, but nope, they fit.  They were maybe even a little bit too big. 

HOLY WOW!

This was one of those things that was a major victory to me.
So I ask you - what do you do to celebrate these kinds of victories?

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go try on my other smaller pants and see what happens!