Addition. :~) -.6

I was down another -.6 this morning, and so decided to go ahead and log it since I am so close to -20 pounds, and that extra puts me right on track for where I wanted to be this week.

Happy Camper! :~)

I am working on some healthy freezer meals. I will post as I try them out.

303.6 -1.6

Yay! Lost another -1.6 this week. I was hoping for a half pound more, but I'll definitely take it!! I'm down -19 pounds total and I'm feeling grrrrrrrrreat!!! I am actually starting to feel it in my clothes a little bit more. Not so much in my hips and thighs, where I really want to, but in my upper body definitely. To meet my 1st small goal of -10% of my start body weight by the end of March, I figure I need to be down about -21 lbs by the end of Feb. That would be a little more doable if it wasn't a short month, but by next week I'm hoping to meet that -21 pounds goal and be on my way to -32 by the end of March. If I can just cut down on the junk food and up my fruits and veggies, I'm sure that I can do it. Feeling really great!!! :~)

Nutella YUM!

I have found another recipe using Nutella that I really want to try! I will share once I have tried it out, but it is basically a Nutella/banana wonton that is baked. Everyone is raving about it on My Fitness Pal, so I'll try it out. Maybe even tonight if I have the calories to spare. :~)

You may be wondering why in the world I keep talking about Nutella on a weight loss blog? Well, my philosophy is that if we deny ourselves completely of the food we love, then it will only lead to bingeing on it later. I even went a whole year without any sugar and was convinced that I could not control myself when it came to sweets, so I should just cut it out completely. That worked for a while, but only temporarily. I am finally learning how to savor and enjoy a small amount of the things I love without overindulging on them, and it is so much better. I am still losing weight and haven't felt deprived at all. Yes, I have not eaten nearly as much of the sweet/salty snacks that I love, but I have learned to eat them slowly and really enjoy the taste rather than just wolfing tons down without even really tasting it. I am also learning to pick and choose what I really enjoy, instead of just shoving in whatever is on hand. I have been stopping to think, is that really worth the calorie content to me? Sometimes it is, but often times it isn't. That has been a big help. I've still got a long way to go, and I'm sure as I get closer to my goal weight I will have to be even more careful about what I eat, but for right now this is working out great for me. I am losing and feeling better every day. 100 calorie packs are my friend.

Plus, Nutella does have some good nutrition in it! It's not all just empty calories. :~)

The best breakfast EVER!

I just have to share this breakfast discovery I made, because I am in LOVE with it. I am a big fan of nutella and frozen waffles, and this was a combination I came up with yesterday that turned out so good......mmmmm....*drooling*

The best part? Not only was it delicious, it was FAST! About five minutes to throw together, which is definitely a requirement for me with five kids. By the time I actually get to eat, it's almost lunch time!!

Here it is. Drum roll please.....

Alright, wipe the drool off and I'll tell you how I made it. ;~)

So, this is what it is. I used Eggo Lowfat Nutri-grain waffles and spread 1 teaspoon of Nutella on each one. Top with 1/2 C cut up strawberries, and drizzle about a teaspoon of agave nectar over the top in place of syrup. That's it!

If you've never used agave nectar, it is fabulous. I have been using it to replace sugar in a lot of things. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener with a very low glycemic index. It is actually sweeter than sugar, so you can use much less, which lowers the calorie content. I buy mine at Costco. You can get two bottles for around $7 there, but you can buy it in pretty much any store. You can use it in place of sugar in any recipe, but you use 1/2 - 2/3 of what you would use in regular sugar.

I ate just the waffles for breakfast yesterday, but decided I should probably try to add some extra protein with it today, so I included 3 turkey sausages. A glass of milk or veggie sausage would also add a good amount of protein if you wanted to do that instead.

Nutrition info before the sausage, so just the waffles, strawberries, Nutella and Agave is as follows: Cal-263, protein-7, fiber-5, carbs-47, fat-7, sodium-396

With the turkey sausage it comes out as:

Cal-383, protein-20, fiber-5, fat-14, carbs-48, sodium-886

The sausage really pumped up the protein, but also added a lot of sodium and fat, so you can modify based on what is most important for you.

383 calories is a pretty good amount for me. I usually average between 300-400 cals per meal, but if it's high for you, you could just do one waffle or omit the sausages.

Use one waffle, Nutella and strawberries with a little light whipped cream on top, and you have a fabulous dessert! Gotta love it!!

My tummy is VERY happy right now. :~) Which means I am very happy right now! :~)

Happy healthy eating everyone!!!

~Susan

Heart rate monitor

Ok, people! I had to make a quick entry to let you know about an amazing deal I found today on a Heart Rate Monitor. I ordered it, and can't wait to get it. If you don't know what a heart rate monitor is, it's a watch that monitors your heart rate and tells you how many calories you have burned during a workout. I've been wanting one for a while, but haven't been able to justify the $50 - $100 or more it would cost. Well, I found one today on Tanga.com for $14 shipped!!!! This one does not require a chest strap like some do, and for $14 I am willing to take a chance and see how it works. :~) Here's the link

I also just had one of the most delicious breakfasts EEEVVVVEEERRRR!! I am kicking myself for not taking a pic before I gobbled it down. Grrrrrrr... It was even beautiful!! I am going to make it again tomorrow and I'll give you the details then. I know the suspense is killing you, but you'll have to practice patience. (I know, I'm mean) ;~)

305.2 -17 and counting!!!! YAYAYAYAYAY

I am VERY happy with my weigh-in today!!! I was hoping for at least 305.something, but couldn't have hoped for nearly 305 even! I am really hoping to have lost 20 pounds by the end of Feb. I think it's doable. A week and a half to lose about 3 pounds? Yeah. I can totally do it!

I am completely and totally exhausted, and just want to go collapse on my bed right now. It's been a busy day. My workout today consisted of wii fit yoga and strength training, and I received Just Dance 2 today, so I got some cardio "dancing my pants off"! :~) It was fun. I also ordered Just Dance Kids, and my kids are in love with it!! They must have played it for over 2 hours today, and my 4yos beat my 8yos quite a few times, much to the chagrin of my 8yos.

I also wanted to share a couple links that a friend of mine on My Fitness Pal shared with me. I thought they had some great recipes, although not all completely low cal and such. Here they are:

http://www.400caloriesorless.com

http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com

http://www.5dollardinners.com

Pics posted

I posted two pics, one "before" pic and one that was taken on 2/12/11, about one month in and -14 pounds. I am trying to figure out how to get them permanently on the sidebar, but right now they are listed under "pages" on the sidebar. You can click there and see the pics. I'll have to spend some more time trying to figure out how to get them to show up on the main page.

I won a small battle today! We went out for dinner to IHOP, and I had the fit fair 2x2x2. It was 2 scrambled egg whites, 2 buttermilk pancakes, and 2 slices of turkey bacon. All that for 400 cals!! I was really happy that I made a good choice, since I could have done A LOT worse. I also chose to use sugar-free pancake syrup, which was a ton less cals than regular. I am trying to avoid artificial sweetener whenever possible, but I didn't have the cals to use on syrup, so there ya go. :~)

308.4 Down a little!

I'll take it! I am hoping for an average of about 2 pounds a week, so hopefully I can keep things in check better this week and lose 3 next week. I'm not complaining. I'll definitely take it!

I took my measurements the other day, so I'll keep you updated on inches lost from now on, as well. I'm going to measure once a month, around the 5th of the month.

I still need to take this month's progress picture. My Dad's been in the hospital and was transferred to ICU yesterday morning, so it's been ponytail and no makeup every day to try and keep up. I'm going to a Valentine's dance with my handsome hubby on Saturday night. Maybe I'll get a picture in my duds on Sat.

I've really had to make some conscious choices about not eating when I get stressed out. It's my biggest weakness. It's how I've always dealt with stress. The first time I really remember using food to deal with stress is when I was 14 years old. My Mom was diagnosed with cancer, and before long we realized that it was terminal. It was the hardest time of my life. I used to babysit two boys in my neighborhood all day during the summer. One day their mom had a loaf of homemade lemon poppyseed bread in the fridge that a friend had given her. She told me to please have some, and I did. Oh, I did. A little piece here and a little piece there. When she came home and there was only a small piece left, she got upset at her oldest boy for eating so much of it, and I had to admit that I had eaten it. It was mortifying. But somehow, that didn't stop me.

It's like I try to fill the emptyness inside by filling my stomach to overflowing. Somehow, it seems to numb the pain a little. It's very temporary, and brings more emptyness and pain right with it, so I know it's not the solution. It happens so subconsciously now, that I really have to STOP and think about why I am eating sometimes. I'm getting better. The other day, after being very stressed about things, I felt like eating and did Wii Fit boxing instead. Yesterday, I went and played basketball rather than sit at home and eat and worry about my dad. This week has been stressful, and I haven't done as well as I would have liked, but I won a lot more of the battles than I lost, and that's a huge victory in itself.

309.6 Still here!

Sorry about the little absence. I am still here and still kicking!!!

I've decided that I will only record my weight on Thursdays. I'll probably still weigh every day, but posting all the normal little fluctuations was getting a little annoying to me.

I have also decided that I am going to take measurements and a pic every month. It's been about a month now since I started, so pic to come tomorrow. I can't really tell much of a difference yet, but maybe I'll be able to tell in a pic? My husband and I have a little joke. It goes like this.... "I can really tell you've lost weight right through here" Stroking chin and neck. DANG Why can't it ever be my hips and buttocks!!!! LOL

I wanted to share this link which I find very inspiring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6hz_s2XIAU

Love you my peeps!