Weigh In Saturday!

Well, I don't usually weigh in on weekends but due to being at an all day conference where I had to get up extremely early (plus the combination of my date that evening so I wanted to look spiffy) I did not have time. So I had decided to weigh in on Saturday!

Honestly, I am suprised that I LOST! HOLY MOLEY! My eating has been average...and you know what? So was my weight loss! I know that after some splurging in NY with my mom and then going out to dinner Wednesday, I wasn't going to be looking at a big loss. In fact, I was expecting a bit of a gain! But so far I have been doing well with exercise. I still need to do that exercise bike this week to meet my exercise goals but I've been walking and parking far away from my patient's homes and doing everything I can to get extra work during exercise.

So...

Previous Weigh In: 257.2
Weigh In 3/31/12: 257 (-0.2)

0.2...better than nothing! And it's just the beginning of this challenge! So I can STEP UP MY GAME! I'm going out to the movies and the Cheesecake Factory on Wednesday with Brian again but I'm not too worried about making good choices. I am going to be eating lightly, getting activity, and then picking a healthier option when we go out! Piece of cheesecake!


Today the rest of my furntiure comes. HOORAY!!!!!!!! I'm so excited. The couch with the memory foam mattress for guests and the ottoman are arriving today! I am beyond excited! It's going to be super awesome. I will take some pictures when they get here! I will probably update when the furniture arrives so at that point I'll be posting the hungry girl Sesame CHicken recipe that I made, of course Lisa Lillen made the recipe but I made a few changes that made it better for me!

Also...I just want to say that it's snowing here right now. Boo. Come on warmer weather!

FRIDAY!!

It feels like this week has been one of the longest I've had in a while...busy weekend followed by a solid week of working (I went to that conference on what was supposed to be my day off). And I'm just ready to relax! The rest of my new furniture is coming tomorrow! And thank goodness they are not coming at the buttcrack of dawn! Last time they were at my house at 6:45am. That's a little early...especially when you live in a condo and have neighbors! Tomorrow they're slated to arrive around 11:45am. Much better! And man am I soooo excited to get my new furniture. YAY!

I actually have been doing good! I've been making good food choices! Last night for dinner I made Hungry Girl Sesame Chicken...I'm going to post the recipe this weekend. It was GOOD! I have to say the sauce was too sweet for my taste but when I put in some spicy sriracha sauce onto my chicken, it was fantastic! I've been sticking to my Sparkpeople regimen and no wavering for me! This morning for breakfast I made myself and my mother Hungry Girl's All American Egg Mug (my way) which is posted on my blog. She loved it! And it was a great meatless meal (I use maple flavored veggie sasuage!). Then for snack I had a 90 calorie special K bar and some fruit. And lunch was a Lean Cuisine Shanghai Chicken. And for dinner I'm making lemon pepper fish and some green beans! YUM! I figured I should stay meat free this one Friday before Palm Sunday, lol.I've been a really bad Catholic. Honestly, I feel like I just get so busy that sometimes I don't even realize its Friday until its too late! I know God will forgive me <3

So I had such a crazy week but today was lighter. I got home around 1pm and did some charting while I ate lunch. And then around 3pm I decided to go out for a walk...down to the gas station 1/2 a mile away and buy myself some Megamillions Tickets. The lottery jackpot is 546 million dollars...I am not a gambler. I haven't bought a lotterty ticket since the day I turned 18 (I did it because I could). LOL but DARN! That's AMAZING. I couldn't pass it up!!! Everyone's all hyped about it, I'm just buying a ticket in case its my lucky day! I guess I should not have reminded God I forgot to abstain from meat on Friday for most of Lent right there :/ Hehe.

Laundry is going, the dishwasher is going...I'm going to be changing the sheets on my bed tomorrow. This weekend is about ME! I also decided it was time to really go through all my clothes. I have to donate my scrubs that are 3XL. I can barely keep them on me anymore and I only have 2 pair of the XL scrubs. SO I bought some new ones online from the same place. And they were on sale, which is quite rare for Cherokee Workwear scrubs (If any of you are regular scrub wearers you'll know what I mean!). I got three new sets for $78 (that included shipping and such). I also bought some new clothes from Old Navy. I put on a pair of my jeans to go take a walk and they were literally coming down around my knees. And the bagginess made me look bigger and bulkier. It wasn't attractive...

I'm going out with Brian again next wednesday. We're going to see The Hunger Games and then going to Cheesecake Factory (which is across the street from the theatre). So I think it'll be fun! I'm also seeing my primary care doctor that day for a physical. I haven't had one since 2008...yeah. We'll see. I know I'm still obese but whatever, I'm making progress one pound at a time! They just have one nasty APRN in the office who tends to be rude about it. Oh well!

Everyone have a FANTASTIC WEEKEND!

Post-Date Update

I don't know if anyone really cares about hearing about my dates, lol. But it helps me if I can do a postmortem on what happened. I have to say...I think there's something fundamentally wrong with me. I don't know. The guy was really nice and I liked him...but every time he told me I was beautiful (three times) or that he liked what I was wearing, I got very uncomfortable. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't beautiful... which is how I honestly felt. And I could barely make eye contact when he told me how pretty my eyes were. I need to work on this and I'm planning on discussing it with my LCSW when I see her next Wednesday. Self-esteem is something I have struggled with my whole life...but I'm only just realizing it now. And I really want to overcome it.

So the date. I was at a conference on CHF all day today from 7am-4:30pm. So it had already been quite a day but I was looking forward to going out with this guy. So I got there a little early, earlier than I expected, and had some time to relax. I of course got bogged down with my boss calling me...it just never ends, I'm telling you!

 But then we went to this little Italian place that was really excellent. Not really authentic but I had this arugula salad that was TO DIE FOR. It was baby arugula and bitter greens in a very light citrus dressing with sliced pear, a little bit of goat cheese, some pecans and tomato and then I added 4 grilled shrimp on top. It was amazing! So tasty! And I did get some dessert but I savored every bite and did not feel guilty! Brian, the guy, was very nice. He's very TALL. I guess I didn't realize, haha. He's also working on getting healthy and losing weight so I think that's good; I've been very open with him about having lost 50 pounds and that I'm working toward a goal and he seemed very supportive. He was very pleasant and we laughed a little. I just don't know if we 'clicked'. If that makes sense... he was perfectly nice and was a true gentleman (He's an Army veteran, so very traditional values). At the end of the evening he gave me a hug, I didn't feel pressured for sex or anything...which I honestly did feel when we started texting each other. I had to put him in his place because it got a little too much for me (but he was very respectful and took it very well). So I don't know...I think I'd have to get to know him better before I say it wouldn't work. This guy at least had clean teeth and listened to what I had to say! We are making improvements! Little by little!

He's texting me right now, actually, saying what a great time he had. So... what do you think? Second date? I'm thinking so!

Hope you all are having a good evening!

Varying Degrees of Success

I am working hard on my goals but this week seems to be giving me some trouble...or is it all in my head? I tracked religiously over the weekend and today. There was an inservice at work today and I was told they were providing lunch. Hey, free lunch! I'm not complaining! WEll I get there and lterally there are 2 large pizzas and 2 bottles of soda. That's the lunch! NO salad, nothing. At this point I am STARVING. I have to say, I overdid it a little...yes, I ate 4 pieces of thin crust pizza and a cup of diet soda. Not my most shining moment. But I tracked it, I ate a light breakfast (Finished up my last Jenny Craig cinnamon rolls, waa!) and a light dinner. And have a light snack planned for tonight so I don't feel deprived...and I met all my nutritional goals for the day! So...not a total failure?

Tomorrow I have a full day conference where they're feeding us breakfast and lunch. This is at a hospital so I'm really hoping there will be healthy choices! Breakfast I'm sure I can do fruit and something. And lunch they usually do sandwiches and salad. So I'm not too concerned...then tomorrow night...I have another date! So that means eating out all day tomorrow...but I can be good. I know I can!

I am not as nervous as I was for the last one...even though that one wasn't very good. This guy seems very...shall we say, pushy? So I'm going to have to show him that I'm nobody's fool ;). You don't lose 50 pounds without knowing how to kick some butt, hahahahaha. Anyway, he's a US Army Veteran who's going to nursing school on the GI bill. So I feel like we have a lot in common. He seems very nice and despite being a little clingy I think it could turn out well. I'll keep you posted ;). We're going to a very upscale Italian restaurant so it should be nice. I'm going out with him right after my conference so I hope I don't look awful! Wish me luck!

All in all, I think I'm doing well. But am I at my potential? No. I need to get my BUTT in gear. I need to be READY FOR SUMMER when this challenge is over...although, my pants are falling down! I went to the Goodwill today and I got 2 new pair of jeans (SIZE 16!!!!!!!!!!!!) One pair fits well but the other is just a little too small. I can button them but the muffin top it makes isn't good. But holy crap...I started at a size 26...and now I can fit into a 16? WOOO. THat's a NSV if I ever heard one! PLus I got this amazing Antropologie sweater in a Large (down from size 3XL) and it looks great. I'm going to wear that tomorrow with some black slacks, black flats, and a pretty blue shirt.

Hope everyone is having a nice Tuesday!

Get on the Wagon Monday! And WEEK ONE READY FOR SUMMER!

It was a bit of a crazy weekend but it was so much fun. The six hour car ride each way was a bit hard and my shoulder and back were really achy on Saturday night and Sunday. I think too the mattress at the hotel was basically sooo soft. I like my firm mattress and it is very supportive. One night on it and I was back to 100%!

Food wise this weekend, I could have done better. I went out to dinner Friday night but made excellent choices. Then Saturday I snacked a bit too much. I was really nauseous in the car and I ate a few cheez its which helped soak up some of the acid in my stomach, probably from the coffee I drank. It was a small iced coffee but I had a touch of cream and one splenda in it (I can't drink coffee without cream without major heartburn). And then we packed lunch so I had made myself turkey and lettuce on a La Tortilla Factory low carb wrap and ate it with some carrots and hummus. That night we went out to a mexican place and I had one frozen watermelon (YUM!) margarita, ate literally less than 1/3 of my GIGANTIC mexican meal...but then I was snacking on Easter candy. Which wasn't good. I didn't go nuts but I definitely overindulged. Sunday we ate continental breakfast at the hotel, I had a bagel and some cream cheese. And then for lunch I ate half a hamburger (I ate the other half for dinner). So all in all, I don't think I did THAT bad.

And today I'm back to tracking and healthy choices! Nothing can stop me now!

I am trying some new Healthy Choice dinners. They have less sodium than Lean Cuisine *very slightly less* but were on sale. So I thought I'd give it a try.  But I also bought some delicious chicken breast, ground turkey, tofu and veggies to cook things with! I also got some nice fresh mozzarella and basil so I'm looking forward to some yummy recipes coming up!!

I am SWAMPED at work right now. Today I didn't even have time to go to the bathroom between patients and ended up not being able to eat lunch until 3:30pm. I did have a Fiber One bar in the car and that saved me! Then I came home and made a Lean Cuisine from the freezer and ate while I made the 6,000 phone calls I needed to get done! (Okay that might be a slight exageration). But I do have some really big things coming up and I'm going to wait a little bit to share what they are...but big changes could be coming my way!

I may postpone weigh in wednesday this week because I have a huge conference to attend on Congestive Heart Failure. And of course that's usually my day off. I will have to leave my house extra early to drive an hour down to the conference to be there for 7:15am... so... I am going to do weigh in Saturday this week! I get the rest of my furntiure that day so I'll be up fairly early! And I can relax and blog about things!

Today I am setting my GOALS!

NSV:

1) Get my house organized and ready for new furniture.

2) Enjoy the conference I'm attending Wednesday and use the knowledge in my clinical practice.

3) Buy some new clothes at the Goodwill (I'm falling out of everything)

Weight Loss Goal:

* - Lose 1lb this week.

Nutritional Goal:

1) Make good choices when eating out. Food is provided at the conference and I have a date that evening at the Cheesecake Factory. HEALTHY dining out choices.

2) Track religiously at Sparkpeople.com

Fitness Goal:

1) Walking x 7 days. BIG walk on Sunday w/ mom

2) Park far away from clients' homes and walk extra distance with weight of supplies.

3) Exercise bike x 1.

Weekend Update

Hi all,

Thanks for all your supportive comments about my little situation. I never give out my phone number to guys unless I'm really sure its going to go somewhere and we've already met (for my safety!). So I don't know his number...but he hasn't made any effort to contact me so, I hope I'm in the clear? I have another date on Wednesday with another guy...not really sure if this one is going to pan out either. But it never hurts to try! I'm going to be attending a day long conference on Congestive Heart Failure at a local hospital. I was asked to go by my agency even though its on my day off...I'm getting paid for the day so...I guess I can't complain. Plus it should be very interesting and I'm looking forward to it!

This weekend I'm going on a little roadtrip to bring my brother back up to school since Spring Break is over. Eating this weekend is a little difficult... yesterday I ate on plan and had a small splurge dinner. But then I had a couple glasses of wine and ended up doing some munching. Oops! Back on track today, I am at my mom's house who doesn't seem to have anything for breakfast. I decided to have a serving of pistachios. They have good protein and good fat, so I'm not too concerned about it! Lunch I packed up a turkey and lettuce wrap (La Tortilla Factory wrap) for lunch. Tonight we're going out for Mexcian but I think it will be fine! I brought my swimsuit and we're going to be doing some swimming and there is a fitness center too. But beyond that it's a BEAUTIFUL day and we're going to be doing some walking. It is just too nice to be inside.

Need to watch my alcohol intake...I don't drink very much. In fact since last night, it has been quite some time since I've indulged. And we're going to a Mexican restaurant so...FROZEN MARGARITA MADNESS. YES PLEASE. I'll have one. I don't do it often!

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend! Get some activity! Make good choices! See you soon!

Post-Date Update

You know,

When you tell people you're a nurse...it seems to automatically equal them telling you everything in their entire medical history. Usually over dinner. Now, I am pretty used to this. But I was really hoping that this might be different. This date was probably the worst in my life. First of all, I nearly had a panic attack before I went to meet him. I was on the verge of throwing up...possibly peeing my pants...and there was the thought of not even getting out of my car. Thankfully Taryn talked me out of it... or maybe not so thankfully (KIDDING TARYN I LOVE YOU!).

This was a good foray back into the world of dating. But the date was absolutely horrible. Sorry...the guy was absolutely not like his profile at all. He seemed to have some personal hygiene issues. His teeth looked like they had never been brushed. Also, if you don't know this about me...the smell of salmon makes me tremendously nauseous. I have gotten physically ill from it before! I casually mentioned it before we even ordered how it made me sick. What does he do? ORDERS SALMON. Which okay whatever buddy... but I literally just said it makes me nauseated. I ordered a spinach salad with grilled chicken which was delicious! I used the restaurant website and it came out to about 450 calories and about 13g of fat for my whole meal. TOTALLY on plan. Even if I was nauseous as hell eating it. Did i also mention he took 2 hours to eat the salmon? I was about to lose my cookies.

Perhaps the worst part of this date was not the fact that he told me that at 27 he already had gout and diabetes... but the fact that he literally did not stop talking about his Ipad and his computer the entire date. He even interrupted me a few times to tell me about his computer or something he looked up on his Iphone. How about you date your Ipad buddy...he told me he takes it into the bathroom with him. Right.  Needless to say, I was not that impressed. He didn't seem to care that I was even THERE. He just wanted to play with his little phone and talk down to me like I didn't know how to use a computer. Not good.

But I might have made a mistake...please don't throw anything at me. He asked me out again and I panicked and said "yeah". I really wanted to say no but I was really afraid of hurting his feelings... yes, I was a coward. Now I am not sure how to fix it. I kind of want to ignore it and hope it goes away...is that wrong?

Anyway, I came home and relaxed, finished up some things for work, did laundry, and got all the nerves out of my system. My mom says you have to go through a few bad ones to find the good ones. I guess that's true in my case! Dating horrorstories? I want to hear them. Lol also...anyone have a brother or a cousin? Man oh man. LOL.

Weigh in Wednesday and Ready for Summer Goals!

Hi all!

I haven't updated much these last couple days because it has been insane at work. I feel like I'm running from sun up until sundown. It really isn't the number of patients I have but more how high acuity they are. I feel like everyone is demanding my attention every hour of every day! And then this weekend I didn't even get a minute to myself to relax! Constant phone calls, trying to go out and do visits, not to mention trying not to lose my mind. I've had a horrible headache the last 4 days that I've been nursing with water and excedrin; I think its a combination of weather change, allergies, and stress.

But I've been good on plan until last night... yesterday was really hard for me because I got an emergent call to go see a client who has mental retardation. And he started becoming violent and coming at me, which is very frightening. Especially when you are the only person in someone's house...this person lives alone and I didn't have anyone there to help me. Long story short, I did get help and so did the patient but I was so scared. I was shaking and felt so sick...and on top of it I then had to drive an hour away to see a patient who was in a very bad mood...I was ready to cry my eyes out the entire trip home as I sat in deadlock traffic for another hour and a half.

Thankfully my mother works right near my house so I had called her and she came over...and we decided we needed to have some girl time. I didn't make the best food choices last night but I have made improvements. Instead of coming home and bingeing, I went out with my mother and I had one beer and we shared a plate of nachos. Old me would've had several beers and eaten the WHOLE plate of nachos and probably have had dessert or an entree. I still ate to comfort (Although at this point it was after 6pm and I had eaten lunch at 11:30am... so I was hungry for sure). But I think that I did an okay job of making choices.

So, weigh in today...

Previous Weigh In: 258.6
Weigh In 3/21/12: 257.2 (-1.4)

HEY! That's not too shabby! Especially with a bad meal last night!!! The upcoming week I am going out tonight for dinner but I'm going to make good choices. But then this weekend I'm going to be away. I'm going with my mother to drop my brother back off at college and we're staying overnight (its a six hour drive each way). So I need to rely on good food choices, I'll be tracking what I eat and getting lots of exercise!

Tonight I am going out on a date...yes, a date! As some of you know I started online dating and I think its been going pretty well. I'm extremely nervous...like, can barely eat nervous. I still have this voice in the back of my head that's telling me that no one is every going to want me. I'm working on this a lot in therapy and in my life...but I still can't make that voice go away. So tonight I'm going out with a really nice guy who I have a lot in common with...I'm dipping my toe into the pool of possibility! For my safety, I told my mom I was going out...and we're meeting in a very public place. So don't worry, I am being safe! I'll let you know how things go!

Today is also my day to set goals for the Ready for Summer Challenge! WOO~


I'm setting very general goals today!

1) Weight Loss - Duing this 10 week challenge, I want to be in the 230s. So 239.0 is my goal for this challenge. That is a loss of 18.2 or approx  1.8lbs per week. I can DO THIS!

2) NSV - During this challenge I would like to be wearing a size 16/18 in pants. I also want to be comfortable dating and work on my self esteem. I want to get to know myself better during this challenge as well.

3) Exercise - Couch25K program, walking, riding bike. I am looking for a weight loss buddy to help keep me motivated. Exercise is where I have the most issues with during this. I don't love exercise but it nees to become part of my routine.

4) Nutrition - Clean eating x 1 week, I want to get away from eating so much processed food. Recipes, I would like to post 10 recipes during this challenge that I have made or have made from other people's blogs/Pinterest (Skinnytaste, Dashing Dish, etc). I will track my food religiously and stick to my nutritional levels (which I am already good at but it keeps all my other goals focused).

I'll tinker these as necessary when I go along but these seem like great goals to me! Can't wait to get started!

NEW RECIPE: Cheddar Veggie Turkey Burgers

There's nothing like Spring and Summer to make delicious burgers...and there's nothing worse than a big fatty burger to weigh you down or possibly even worse--a flavorless patty that tastes like nothing! I was so busy yesterday (today is just as bad). But I decided I wanted to make turkey burgers because I had bought ground turkey to make another recipe and realized I didn't have all the ingredients. With no time to go to the store, I decided to rifle through my cabinets and use up what I had and OH MY GOODNESS these turned out AMAZING!

Cheddar Veggie Turkey Burgers

Minutes to Prepare: 5

Minutes to Cook: 15

Number of Servings: 6

Cheddar Veggie Turkey Burger and some Alexia sweet potato puffs. YUM!

Ingredients

1lb 93% Lean Ground Turkey
1 packet Vegetable Soup Mix
1 cup Sargento Reduced Fat Mexican 4 Cheese Blend
1/4 Cup Minced Onion

6 Light White Buns (included in calorie count!!!!!)

Directions

1) Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands until combined. (Do Not Overmix)

2) Form into approx 6 patties approx 3oz each

3) Cook in a skillet or grill at medium high heat for approx 12 minutes (6-7minutes per side), until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (74 C)

3) Serve on light white buns and top with all your favorites!

Serving Size: Makes 6 Burgers
 

 

Nutritional Breakdown

 

 

The Verdict:

 

These are super moist, delicious, FILLING turkey burgers. You don't need to add any ketchup or anything because they are just so flavorful and delicious. The cheese inside makes these super gooey and delicious too. No need to smother with cheese! And if you want to add shredded lettuce, just add 2 calories for 1/4 cup! I served these with Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs and this was an amazing dinner. You will love these!!! Give them a try!

Spring Chick Wrapup!

This weekend is insane...I hate it when its like this. I keep getting calls and then there's the visits I have to do. I really can't wait until this weekend is over. Monday is the first day of SPRING! And the wrapup of the spring chick challenge.

I set a very advantageous weight goal and I didn't get there. But you know what? I have made BIG PROGRESS.

My weigh in at the start of this challenge was 271.2. Now, I am at 258.6! A loss of 12.6 pounds!! Also known as 50.4 sticks of butter. And it also means I averaged a loss of a little over a pound a week during this challenge. Not too shabby! Especially with a 2 week trip to Italy in there! Although I didn't meet my weight goal, there were a lot of other things I accomplished during this challenge. I stopped focusing on the scale and started focusing on my overall health. I started seeing a counsler who has been extremely helpful to me! I also found new friends and a new confidence which has enabled me to put myself out there and start dating! I also decided to stop going to Jenny Craig and start my weight loss journey on my own terms!

There were some things I could have done differently. And I know I need to change my habits in order to maintain my weMy ight loss long term. I do a lot of walking and staying naturally active, but I need to up my exercise. And start exercising on purpose! I also am working on giving up the processed foods that I love so much...I think I would've liked to make more recipes during this challenge.

I am springing right into spring...and continuing on my journey! I also will be starting the Ready for Summer challenge! I like the challenges because it forces me to be focused.

My advice to anyone signing up for a challenge is that support is what it's all about. Support your peers and accept constructive criticism! We're all in this together!

Onward I go! Ready to take on the world!

My new scale and weigh in Friday!

Hi all!
Well my new scale arrived from Amazon.com and I couldn't be happier. If you're looking for an awesome scale, I would TOTALLY reccomend the EatSmart Precision Digital Bathroom Scale. It can hold up to 400lbs, it has large numbers that are easy to read, and you just step on it and it reads your weight. No toe tapping it and waiting for it to zero out! No sir!

And it's pretty. It cost $28 but it came with a TAPE MEASURE and the scale is clearly very high quality. I think it's a really good scale (for a really good price). I'll just say for reference I bought a Tanita bathroom scale from Jenny Craig back in 2008 and I paid almost 100 dollars for it. I was told there was NO better bathroom scale. It measured BMI, weight, and remembered your weight and told you if you had a loss or a gain that week. It basically did everything...but it broke after just 4 months of my having it. And the design got really dirty and grimy very quickly. Ick. Price does not equal quality (every time).

So I'm weighing in this morning! On a NEW SCALE! So let's just say this is my starting weight for my new journey of losing weight WITHOUT Jenny Craig!

Starting Weight: 259.8
Weigh In: 258.6 (-1.2)
Target Weight: 240
Pounds Until Goal: 18.6

YAY! I mean, I know that I stayed awesome food-wise this week and have been walking a lot. But I'm not totally sure if the loss is higher or lower because this is a brand new scale. From now on I know that my start weight on this one is 258.6! A total loss of 51.4 pounds...and I have more proof than just a scale to help me recognize it! Woo! FYI: Weigh ins will return to Wednesdays this week.

I have a lot of personal things going on these next few weeks...I decided that I'm going to try online dating and made myself a profile! And I have a few dates lined up that seem promising. I'm extremely nervous...especially since I always think to myself 'they're not going to want me when they meet me, I'm a fat girl'. It's hard to break out of that way of thinking and start recognizing that I'm pretty kick ass. Yeah I'm not at my goal weight but I've got a lot going for me! And someone to support me through this journey and to have a good time with is always a plus! I know a lot of people have had sucess with online dating...my cousin recently married his girlfriend that he met online. And I have two very good friends from college who met their spouses online. That's good enough for me!

Hope you are all having a splendid Friday. I am working this weekend, oi. But hopefully it won't be crazy. TGIF!

NEW RECIPE: Meatless Buffalo Chopped Salad

I was feeling creative in the kitchen today and I found myself something new at Target the last time I was there. Morningstar Farms meatless Buffalo Wings. I am a conisseur of buffalo wings...they are totally my downfall. I love their spicyness and the richness of the sauce. Nom! But they're not exactly calorie friendly...according to That's Fit.com in "One dozen sauce-spun wings with their bleu cheese sauce have 1,014 calories and 76 grams of fat." No thanks, I'll take my yummy recipe any day!


Check these out! YUM!

These are amazingly yummy little nuggets and totally meat free! YUM! And they are perfect for my easyyyy chopped buffalo salad! WINNER WINNER NOT CHICKEN DINNER!

Meatless Buffalo Wing Chopped Salad
Serves: ONE!

Ingredients

1 serving (5 wings) Morningstar Farms Buffalo prepared in the oven according to package.

1 cup Dole Shredded Lettuce

1 slice of tomato chopped (or to taste)

1 large slice of onion chopped (or to taste)

2 tbs Fat Free Bleu Cheese Dressing

OPTIONAL:
Frank's Hot Sauce
Fat free bleu cheese crumbles
Celery
Carrot

Directions

1) Cook Buffalo wings in the oven according to package (Forget the microwave, you want these crispy)

2) Put lettuce, tomato, onion into a bowl.

3) Cut buffalo wings into bite sized pieces. Top salad w/ bleu cheese dressing (I did 2 tablespoons frank's hot sauce and 2 tablespoons blue cheese dressing)

4) ENJOY!

Nutritional Facts

A delicious meatless meal, made in under 20 minutes, that is healthy and yummy? YES PLEASE! Enjoy!

Non-Weigh In Wednesday

It kind of bummed me out not to weigh in today... I really wanted to see how I was doing. But you know what? I think the obsession with the scale needs to stop. I ate really well this week and tracked, drank all my water, exercised, and that number doesn't really matter! I FEEL GREAT! I put on a pair of jeans that were tight a few weeks ago...they're getting really baggy. Especially in the back, they were practically falling down my butt! I've also noticed it in the legs. My thighs are definitely smaller and I think they stretched out my jeans, because right around my knees there's a lot of bagginess in my pants (a really odd place to have bagginess LOL). You can see it in my latest progress picture how that happens. WIERD!

So...today my furntiure arrived at 6:45AM!!!!!!! Yeah. I'm not kidding. Blah. I got up at 6 and had to rush through my morning shower and getting dressed. Thankfully I had everything else in order for when the guys came this AM. Only half my furniture came, the other half is scheduled to be delivered 3/31/12...because the couch and ottoman were on backorder and I wanted the one with the memory foam mattress. But it's a start! That's a little over 2 weeks away and time is flying; it'll be here before I know it!

I have made a decision on the Jenny Craig issue that I've been having. Even from the start of this weight loss journey, I have had problems with my consultant and the Jenny Craig team. I called on Monday (2 days in advance) to let them know my Wednesday was going to be busy and was forced to make an appointment I knew I couldn't keep. SO I called back and said, please just let me weigh in and get food. The woman on the phone was very rude...so I said "Okay well I won't come in then. Not a big deal". Then she changed her song and dance...and said that my consultant would call me and get my food order so they could pull it and have it ready for me when I arrived at whatever time to weigh in. I never got a call. No one ever followed up. And when I checked my messages this morning there was one phone call from Jenny confirming the appointment that I cancelled two days ago.

This was not that hard a decision.

I will end my time with Jenny Craig which is not a problem at all. I've been doing 85% of food on my own whether it is breakfast cereal for breakfast, a lean cuisine meal (love the new Market Collections) or cooking up a healthy chicken breast with veggies for dinner. I am tracking on Sparkpeople.com religiously and actually not going to Jenny Craig is going to save me money, time, and GAS. No more fighting to get to Jenny Craig in the mornings on my day off. Not going to happen. What I've told myself is that if I find that I want to return, I paid for a year of service (no refunds, ugh) so for this year, if I wanted to I could go back. But honestly? I got this...

Thanks for the supportive e-mails and blog posts! I feel like this is a super positive thing for me! I need to buy a scale though, haha. When I do update my weight, there may be a fluctuation that's strange as I adjust to a new scale in my own house. So be aware of that!

SO per request, I took some pictures of the pieces I do have! Please enjoy!

New Loveseat! Situated by the front door, it looks amazing! New lamp coming soon



New dresser all set up with my clothes in it! There I am! I'm looking good! ;)

For those of you who haven't seen it, the other side of my room (taken from my doorway)

Have a great day all!

Goals! OOPS!

I was supposed to write up my goals yesterday but I was absolutely SWAMPED at work. I am usually supposed to have 6 visits a day which equals 24 a week which I'm salaried for. With my patient load, that's a lot for me! Yesterday, I had NINE VISITS. Which made for an extremely busy day AND a lot of charting last night. After I did it, I didn't feel like writing anymore.

Just a quick update for those who follow my weigh ins...the loveseat and my dresser/mirror are being delivered tomorrow so I can't get to Jenny Craig to weigh in. I called and asked if I could just pop in and weigh in and get food...and the static I got was extremely disheartening. I am NOT going to be going to Jenny Craig tomorrow. And honestly, I'm thinking about leaving the program for good. THIS DOES NOT MEAN I AM ABANDONING MY WEIGHT LOSS! What this means is that I'm going to stop buying the JC food, buy a good scale for my house, and continue on my own tracking on Sparkpeople. I've given this a lot of thought recently because..I am not even really buying that much Jenny Craig food. I am buying healthy food items at the grocery store, cooking, and eating lean cuisine meals for quick lunches and such....all of which I did last week and had a nice loss. Thoughts? I could use an objective opinion!

Goals for this week:

NSV:

1) Move all my clothes/sheets/linens into my new dresser when it arrives!!!!

2) Clean up around the house - too much clutter for my taste right now.

3) Clean out the fridge/freezer. I have some old stuff i nthere that's gotta go.

Exercise:

1) Walk 7x a week

2) Bike 2x week

3) 30DS x 1

Food:

1) Track on Sparkpeople.

2) Make recipe I was planning on psoting last week (was missing key ingredients :( )

3) Decide whether to stick to Jenny or do this on my own!

Rewards Galore!

Good morning ladies and gentlemen!

Well, I went yesterday and got myself an amazing deal on furniture and I decided this was my gift to myself for losing over FIFTY POUNDS! And reaching 1/3 of the way to my goal. I am getting my house in shape, just like I'm getting my body in shape!

As some of you may know, I purchased my house last year and I was basically starting with nothing. I was just graduated from college, I had a good job and I wanted someplace permanent to call my own! I was living in my parents house, I lived there during college and commuted (not the best idea). But I had money saved, I didn't want to play the renting game, and I knew that the real estate market was at my fingertips. Let's just say, I got my beautiful condo for pennies of what it was worth. It was an estate sale and was pretty much being sold 'as-is'. The estate did have to fix the electrical panel that was a complete and total disaster...but it was in very good faith they did that and I was incredibly grateful for it! My house is definitely a fixer-upper but I came in and made the changes that made it perfect for me! I had to rip up all the nasty, smell carpet and I put in laminate tile, redid the tiling in the bathroom and put down LVT in the kitchen while I was at it. The house was completely outfitted with a beautiful soft paint and so I didn't need to paint, so that was excellent. And I still need to redo the kitchen and  bathroom...those are a few years out. But that didn't leave ANY budget for furniture.

My neighbor down the street at my parent's house lost her husband a year earlier and had decided that living in a big house by herself was too much. She gave me her furniture that she couldn't fit and I had some of my own. The piece she gave me was an antique couch from the 1930s. It was definitely sturdy but...not very attractive.

Yeah...not exactly my style but it worked. But now that I'm settled in and I'm saving money and getting things in order...it's time to MOVE ON! This couch will be going to a friend who lives in NYC, this is the perfect couch for a small NYC apartment. I take very good care of my things and this couch was well loved before (just worn because of its age). But it will make a perfect addition to her home!

I went with something a little more upscale:

Yay! I got the couch, the loveseat and a matching ottoman to go with it. The couch has a full sized memory foam sleeper inside. And I also decided it was time to stop laying my clothes in an old bathroom caddy that I bought from Pier One over TEN years ago. Yeah, I cannot believe it either. I actually first used it to put VHS recordings of Days of Our Lives that I watched during highschool. And to keep my other DVD box sets in line. BEFORE they started playing back episodes on the computer. Hell, before I even had a COMPUTER.

So I bought the matching dresser/mirror to my bed!

I have been putting my clean sheets that aren't on my bed on top of the dryer...which is a waste of space. I can now put them in here. I also have room for my underwear, socks, and bras...which are now crammed into that old caddy. I will even have room for all my WORKOUT CLOTHES! So they're not just kind of dumped in a laundry basket for me to go find! I seriously cannot wait. The first delivery I get is this Wednesday, I will get the love seat and the dresser/mirror. Then on March 31st, I get the sofa and ottoman. They had to do it this way because not everything I ordered was in stock! But I got a GREAT price...you wouldn't believe me even if I told you. And I am amazingly excited. This was just the little boost I needed to enjoy the last 2/3rd of my weight loss journey!

On the other hand, my goals this week were an abysmal disaster. I was extremely sick and was barely able to climb the stairs at my condo or, on Wednesday and Thursday, get out of my bed. So I didn't do much exercise. I did go walking with my mom around the neighborhood yesterday! I didn't write lists about my goals, I didn't meditate (unless you count sleeping  on and off while praying for health 'meditating'), and I didn't cook. I didn't want my sicky germs all over the kitchen while I tested a new recipe. I am still having a little runny nose and occasional cough but it's SO much better. I can taste food again, YAY!

I did write a post of my favorite snacks...that was about all I accomplished. I will do better next week! I need to take some time and think about what goals I want to set for this week! We're coming in on the END of the SCC challenge and I want to finish it out with a bang.

Look for goals tomorrow <3 Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday!

Awesome Healthy Snacks that I Love!

AS part of my goals this week, I wanted to do a post about my favorite snacks that are yummy and healthy. Today was a hard today and I had a raging headache all day... but now it's Friday, I am going to buy my new living room furnitre tomorrow, and I am in a good mood!

Let me start with a brand NEW snack that I'm absolutely in love with.

Archer Farms Strawberry Mango fruit twists. They are 80 calorie, 0 fat nuggets of LOVEE! Let me first start off by saying that if you used to love Gushers...you will love these. Caveat: I opened my package and these little guys are a little, uh, moist. WEll that may be because they're made from REAL fruit. And count as a fruit serving! I loved this as a healthy, sweet snack! It's also ALL natural and made from yummy healthy ingredients. A totally awesome snack!

Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisp peanut butter candy bars. Oh dear god. This is like a reese's peanut butter cup met one of those yummy crisp cookies. They are amazing and only 110 calories. SO good. One of my FAVORITE snacks ever.

Sabra Supremely Spicy hummus is amazing. It is VERY spicy though...and I'm no wimp. I eat habaneros and jalapenos right out of the jar or sliced fresh. I put sriracha on EVERYTHING. This stuff will clear out your sinuses. But Hummus is an amazingly delicious healthy snack. It's gluten free, packed with protein and fiber and excellent with reduced fat cheez its or baby carrots!

5g of fiber in a delicious SOFT brownie? Ummm...yes please? I don't eat these very often but as a treat, 90 calories is an amazing find!!

My favorite on the go snack is Special K chocolately pretzel 90 calorie bars. They travel SO nicely and are delicious! Just the right about of sweet and salty that it really keeps me going during the day. Without being tempted by office snacks!

POPCORN! I have an air popper and I freaking LOVE target brand popcorn seasonings. Nearly ZERO calories and they spice up popcorn SO nice. No butter or anything needed. Although a good spritz of I Can't Believe its not Butter spray is awesome!!

Other awesome snacks include Skiny Cow Ice Cream! And today I bought a bunch of Lean Cuisine snacks including: Thai Egg Rolls, Garlic Chicken Egg Rolls, and Spinach and Artichoke dip. I haven't tried them yet but I can't wait!

What are some of your favorite snacks??

On the Road to Recovery!

I am FINALLY feeling better...thank GOD! I had such a rotten day yesterday, I was completely and totally sick. My stomach was a mess (I'll leave it at that) and my head was pounding, I was SO congested. I spent the entire day in bed napping and watching House Hunters and Property Virgins on HGTV while drinking copius amounts of tea. I also ate my cureall which is Wonton soup from this little Chinese place down the street that delivers. Let me just tell you...it works. There's no getting around it. Last year I had a horrible bug and I was SO sick for a whole week. I ate some of this wonton soup and the next day I was better! The soup didn't make things 100% today but I do feel a whole lot better. Better enough to post a real blog post!

AND UPDATE THE SIDEBAR! ME AT 259.8!!!!!

I am officially 1/3 of the way to my goal... today when I was resting in bed I went back and read some of my earliest posts. The me that wrote those posts is so different from the me I am now. And I'm happy about that! Back then I felt sad and overwhelmed. Now I feel like I can take on the world! Maybe its because I've lost weight or simply grown as a person, but it's a very happy time in my life!

I can't wait to keep moving forward in this journey and reach my goals!!!

Weigh in Wednesday: Still Alive...sorta.

Barely...

Last night was brutal. I took a nap yesterday from 5-7...then I got up and had some tea and ate a little bit. Then went back to bed and slept until my alarm went off. I debated not going to my Jenny Craig weigh in but I decided I needed the fresh air. After a quick weigh in, I had to go to CVS and get more dayquill, I needed to buy some Vicks vapor rub and some more cough drops. Then it's back in my bed to rest... except I vomited TWICE when I got back home. Ugh. New symptoms, yay. I also feel like I'm going to have diarrhea. So this will be a very short post.

Starting Weight: 261.2
Weigh In: 259.8 (-1.4!)
Target Weight: 240
Pounds Until Goal: 19.8

I'm in the 250s...can you believe it?

When I actually don't feel like dying I will upate the side bar with a progress picture. And I'm officially 1/3 the way to my goal. Holy crap.

I'll write more when I feel better <3 Thanks for all the comments. I love you all!

Deathly Weigh In Eve

Well...

My cold finally decided what it wanted to do. I am so sick. Horribly croupy cough, running nose, runny eyes, stuffed up head and chest, and my nose is raw from blowing it. I have been getting almost no sleep because I'm so congested I keep waking myself up coughing. I've been wearing an N95 (very heavyduty) mask, washing like crazy and wearing gloves to see my patients...thankfully the census is relatively low and I have been able to do my few visits then come home and chart and rest and try and recuperate. My boss has been very understanding thankfully. And thank GOD I am off tomorrow because I think today is the worst day so far... I can hardly talk, I feel super congested. I'm drinking tea tea tea (and more tea) and water! Those are the things that are going to help.

This week food wise has been awesome. I didn't splurge or go outside of my calorie range, I didn't eat out. I did not buy very much Jenny Craig food at all. I went to Target and got a bunch of the market fresh options and used those instead. So I'll be interested to see what kind of a loss I have this week (I sure hope its not a gain!). Aunt Flow is due in 2 days and I'm feeling a little crampy...so with the added fluids I'm taking in to try and fight this cold and such, I suppose we'll see tomorrow!

This post will be short because I really feel like crap. Just thought I'd check in...I'll update tomorrow. Send healthy vibes in my direction, please!

Sicky Sunday.

Morning all!

The wierdest little cold has been plaguing me for a couple days now. And what's bothering me the most about it is that it cannot seem to decide whether or not to become a cold or go away!!! Wednesday I had a sore throat and a little cough and I thought it was the start of something...but I woke up Thursday morning and it was gone! No sore throat, no cough, nothing! By Thursday evening though I had a very occasional cough that really only started in the evening right before bed. It continued Friday morning when I first got up but during the day, I wasn't coughing...and it's continued like this through the weekend! It's just a nagging little cough. I'm not really sure if its allergies or a little bug...but it's definitely a pain. And I feel very tired today but I'm not sure if that's a result of it being another grey day for the fifth day in a row...

I got up and had a delicious cup of tea and made my egg mug! I took a picture...I remembered when I was halfway done eating it and so here's a picture inside my morning breakfast!

It's sooo good. Today after putting my calories and such into sparkpeople I noticed that I was really low on protein and also didn't meet my calorie count with the dinner and lunch that I put on my counter. So I decided to have 2 extra morningstar farms veggie sausage on the side of my breakfast (they come in 2 packs and I find if you leave them even 1 day in the freezer even in a baggie, they get super freezerburnt and icky). SO yummy. LOVE it. And Mmmm...and hey for a huge egg mug and TWO sausages, my breakfast was under 350 calories. WOO.

So it's Sunday which means its time to look back over my goals for the week...

NSV

1) Buy new scrubs.... it's way past time for me to get new ones.

* I did buy new scrubs but I had to order them online...but you know what? I bought a size XL!!!!!!!!! There was a time not that long ago I was struggling to fit into 3XL!! WOO!


2) Continue moisturizing every day x 7 days - Slacked a little on this one. I forgot last night but for the most part I did well!

3) Get 8 hours of sleep each night!
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Exercise

1) Buy a new pair of sneakers ASAP!  I went ALL OVER looking for reasonably priced sneakers. But I decided to buy a pair online that came highly reccomended. They didn't have my size anywhere (I wear a size 10) and all the shoes looked flimsy and wouldn't be good to walk in all day!

2) Walk every Day x 7 days
3) 30DS x 1 - Did not do.

4) Bike x 2 - Fail.

Food

1) Make and post TWO recipes on my blog! I did one but this week was so busy that I barely had time to cook.

2) Track on sparkpeople
3) Eat 5 fruits/veggies per day! DId awesome on this! I love veggies!


So looking ahead to next week as we get closer to the end of the challenge, I'm definitely not going to meet my goal weight...but you know what? I'm okay with that. It was a CHALLENGE. I made  a lofty goal and hey, you know? I'm not that far off from it. I am hoping this week puts me into the 250s...a place I haven't been since about my freshman year of highschool. So I'm looking forward to finishing off this challenge in a positive way AND starting up on the NEW CHALLENGE!

Check it out! It's going to be awesome!

Okay goals for this week:

NSV:

1) Write a list of the positive changes I've made over the last 8 months.

2) Write a list of areas I need to improve in to be successful in my weight loss.

3) Take some meditation time every evening and say 5 things I'm thankful for.

Exercise:

1) Bike x 3 Days - Need to do this.

2) Walk x 7 days

3) Take a walk with my mom.

Food:

1) Blog about my favorite healthy snack items.

2) Post ONE new recipe on my blog, which means cooking one new recipe, lol.

3) Use up some of the food in the freezer before purchasing new items.

Hungry Girl Weekend! And a SHOUTOUT!

Hi all,

I hope you're enjoying a nice relaxing Saturday morning! Me...I'm working this weekend. Ugh. It doesn't look too bad though. I have an admission today that's not too far away from me, so at least I don't have to do a whole lot of travelling and driving. Which is nice because its nasty as all hell outside...last night it was sleeting and snowing again. I could hear it pounding on my window! At first it sounded like somoene was trying to rip the screen...which woke me up. Then I remembered I lived on the third floor, there's an incline that makes my house steeper than others so my windows seem higher up, there's no bushes or anything to climb up and that was probably not very likely. I have to say though, I think my neighbors across the hall got a notice from the association about their noise...because I haven't heard them or their constantly barking dog all hours of the night for a while! I hope it's taken care of for good!

This morning I got up around 7:45am, it was nice to sleep in a little bit! And I decided I was going to make a HUNGRY GIRL breakfast! WOW! I have to say, I tinkered with it a little bit (I'm going to post my recipe today YAY!) but Lisa Lillien is a GEINUS. I used to hate egg beaters...and she makes them palatable!!!!!!!! I can't wait to have the same thing tomorrow.

I'm sorry there's no picture of this recipe...I was hungry and scarfed the thing before I had time to take a picture. Oops. So you'll have to use your imagination of what it looked like. I'm going to make it again tomorrow for breakfast so I'll try and remember to take a picture then!

But first before I post my recipe...TODAY IS TARYN'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Taryn is awesome and she writes Fat Girl in a Skinny World! I was just a nervous lonely little blogger with no followers when Taryn wrote one of the first comments I ever got on my blog! We're both nurses who started at the same starting weight... I like to call her my lost twin! She is amazing so if you don't already read her blog, check it out. Taryn is smart, super funny, not to mention sweet and caring. So I want to say a gigantic HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Taryn! I love you lots! Go leave some birthday love on her blog!  :D

Today my recipe will be dedicated to Taryn :D

All American Egg Mug**: MY WAY

Let's pretend this is it...okay?

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup egg beaters
1 frozen Morningstar Farms MAPLE FLAVORED sausage
1 tablespoon sugar free maple syrup
2 tablespoons Kraft 2% shredded cheddar cheese
Hot Sauce to Taste

Directions:

1) Find a large coffee mug and spray it with just a little Pam cooking spray. I made the mistake of using a smaller one and the eggs almost overflowed!!

2) Add the frozen sausage patty to the bottom of the mug and cook on high for 45 seconds.

3) Cut up and crumble the sausage patty with a fork. Then add the syrup  and mix it around. Add the 1/2 cup of egg beaters, STIR WELL! Microwave on high for 1 minute.

4) Gently move around the eggs in the cup. Microwave for approx 30-45 seconds more or until the eggs are just set. **Hungry Girl cookbook says 1 minute but mine were done after 35 seconds and almost overflowed. My eggs were nicely set after just 35 seconds**

5) Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese and microwave for 15 more seconds.

6) Remove the mug carefully, IT WILL BE HOT! Stir it around a little and add a little hot sauce to the top (if desired).

**ADAPTED FROM: Lillien, Lisa. Hungry Girl 300 under 300: 300 Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Dishes under 300 Calories. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2011. Print.


The Verdict:
I loved this recipe. It was AMAZING. I love sweet/spicy things and as far as breakfasts go...this one was amazing. I'm full, I feel good. And I LOVED IT!

SOOOOO Let's look at the nutritional breakdown. It is nothing short of eggs-cellent! (You had to let me get at least one egg joke in today).

In total there are:

Calories: 189
Fat: 6g
Carbohydrates: 8g
Protein: 24g!
Cholesterol: 12g
Fiber: 1g
Sodium: 617mg

AWESOME! It certainly meets my dietary requirements! I hope that you'll enjoy it! I hope everyone has a good weekend! I'll check in tomorrow!