George Foreman Smart Kitchen Multi Cooker

For Christmas I got this AMAZING all in one HEALTHY cooker. Called the George Foreman Smart Kitchen Multi Cooker. The reason why they call it a MULTI cooker is because it does just that! It cooks Multiple things at once!

I have not quite figured out everything I could cook in it. But it is pretty easy to figure out. It comes with a pot, steamer basket and a lid. Then of course the electric outlet where you can choose your cooking temperature or setting. Which in my opinion makes this pretty snazzy!

It is made to be able to cook rice in the bottom.Then fish or other lean protein with a vegetable on top in the steamer basket. I am all good with cooking the rice in the bottom and the veggies on the top. But I am not quite sure about having my meat dripping drip into the rice in the bottom??

So...In this case I used pre-cooked chicken that I simply steamed to heat up.
Now maybe if you use Fish? That may not be so bad.
You can also use this to make one pot dishes and NOT use the steamer basket at all and make stews and chili's. All I know is that I am going to get a WHOLE LOT of use out of this little contraption!

It has a heat setting up to 500-550..I think!

Now there is one issue with this..It comes with a measuring cup for rice and is marked in the inside. It also comes with an instruction book. But you are pretty much on your own when it comes to figuring out how much water to add! In my opinion..Just go by what the box or bag says. That is what we have done so far. We did find an old manual online from an older version of the same cooker. It gives a bit more information.We have also found that other owners of this product are having similar issues. But I would still buy it again!


BOILING THE RICE!



VEGGIES AND CHICKEN FOR FAJITAS!


Jack has already used it more then I have. He likes healthy cooking just as much if not more then I do.
He is the one that is always after me to EAT MY PROTEIN! So having another kitchen appliance in which he can cook chicken...Lets just say he too is VERY happy!

I did notice that it makes REALLY good rice! If you like STICKY rice? Then this is for you!

I just love the fact that it takes ONE pan to make our entire dinner!

So MERRY CHRISTMAS to me!!! I am VERY happy that Jack bought me..Well US THIS for Christmas..( :

Some of the other things it does and settings

You can set it to just steam or brown rice,white rice

Set Temp from 180 250 350 450 500

Warm Simmer Cook Brown Sear

It has a Timer.

It comes with a measuring cup and a spatula.

The inside is marked for brown rice and white rice measurements.

You can unplug the power cord. Then place the pot on the table!

I recommend this to EVERYONE!!!

Weigh in

It could have been so much worse!!

I weighed in this morning at 187. That is a GAIN of .5
To me that is pretty much a maintain. For one I am on my period. Usually I gain a couple of pounds.
So I will take the .5

Looking back on what I ate the past week it was enough for a one pound gain..MAYBE
I had a piece of pie and a cookie..I also ate out a couple of nights ago at a Mexican food restaurant and had a deep friend taco.

For the last few days I have been right back on track.
I am feeling really hungry. Not sure why??
This morning I had an orange. Then a while later I made steel cut oatmeal with half a banana.
But now I am hungry AGAIN..I mean I really feel hungry. The whole stomach growling and empty feeling.

What they say is true..If you eat like crap you crave crap. When I ate sweets over the holiday for days after I wanted sweets! Same with eating Mexican food. I ate one taco and for days after I craved Mexican food. So the cure to that is not to eat it then you won't crave it!!

It feels good to be back on track!

To my fellow bloggers! "updated"

This is just a quick post!

I just had something I needed to put out there.
I may just be really tired WHICH I AM!! Or I could be being emotional???? Which I am all the time.
But I am getting better!

But I wanted to take a second and say THANK YOU to the few people that ALWAYS comment on my POST. EVERY single post that I put up and it always puts a smile on my face.

I appreciate EVERY reply! I know that not every one has the time to post every day! Thanks for the time that you do take to read my blog.

As I have said before. This is my online journal which I just happen to have available to the world.
For 2 reasons...1) In hopes that I may one day help you as you all are and have helped me! 2) For this very reason..The replies keep me going and keep me posting. I know that someone is reading. I may be helping you but in return it is helping me. If that makes sense???
So THANK YOU!!!!

You know who you are..The ones that reply frequently..I love getting your replies. I also love reading your blogs.
There are so many blogs out there and when you reply it gives me that opportunity to then check in on you to see if you have posted lately.

No one knows how hard it is to do what we are doing or how hard it is to live being over weight!
Of course we did this to ourselves. I get that! But we are all making the smart choice to change our lives and get healthy.

So thanks for being there for me!

Better for weight loss!!!

I have been slacking BIG time in keeping track of what I have been eating for weeks!!
I have been eating the same things. But I can not remember the last time that I
actually logged onto caloriecount.com and logged what I have ate for the day!

Well that all changes today!
I told Jack last night that starting today I was back to calorie counting.

I had a visit with my PCP last week and we talked all about my weight loss
and he was blown away at not only what I have lost but that I have been able to do it during the holidays!

He asked me what it is that I did for exercise. Due to the fact that I have MS and it is harder for me to exercise consistently I always feel like I am not getting enough exercise. He explained that it is actually more beneficial for weigh loss to exercise in smaller increments then larger ones. So say walk for 10 minutes 5 times a days verses 2 miles all at once. He says but now if you are wanting to do it for cardiovascular reasons then doing it all at once is more beneficial.

So I am thrilled! I have one of those treadmills that is either at 10% or 20% incline and is killer! 10 minutes on that and I am drenched! So I am gonna start doing that a few times a day now that I know it is better for weight loss then to be on it for an hour. Before I would get on it for 45 minutes and then I could not get back on for another week!!!

The new year is almost here and I am excited to hear what every ones resolutions will be??
Mine are really already in place. I don't see much changing. As of today I am back to counting calories. My eating won't change and has not changed. I added more grains a few weeks ago. The first week that I added more grains and cut out the honey I lost 2 pounds after being in a plateau for 5 weeks!

I just started my period....ERRRRRR
Tomorrow is weigh day. So I am not expecting much out of that. But I will be sure to report it.
I am just hoping for at least a maintain..

Christmas 2010

☃Another Christmas has come and gone!  This has to be one of my favorites and Jack agrees!

I love Christmas. I love everything about it. I love decorating my house and finding all those little trinkets that I had forgotten about. I love to bake and when I say bake I mean I BAKE !!! HUGE plates full of all kinds of goodies for my neighbors and family. But NOT this year of course.

I even love the shopping with all the crazy people just days before Christmas as I was doing myself.
It was exhausting to say the least.It was fun to watch Jack open his gifts that I worked so very hard trying to find. Every year I search to find him the perfect gift. He is VERY hard to shop for. I know what he likes. But I am never quite sure if he already has it or if it will be the wrong kind etc because his hobbies are very specific.


BELLA IS THRILLED TOO !!!! JACK IS STILL SLEEPING LOL



This year one of his BIG gifts other then his bike was a full spectrum light for his art work. I searched high and low for this light and for the perfect one. These lights are not cheap and as soon as you think you found the right one you find an even better one. But he was over the moon happy. He also got a PS3 MOVE and an art portfolio and some stocking stuffer. He was really happy!



I was starting to feel really guilty..I had explained in an earlier post that many years ago this game started where we had to stop putting our presents out because if we did he would would have to out number me. Well he had three under the tree and I had like 10! ..So I was feeling like I had to do more shopping. Now I know what you all are thinking. But we have fun with this. But thank god only ONE was a BIG gift! We had went shopping for last minute gifts when I seen this great multi cooker made by George Foreman. It must be his newest product.This thing is amazing. But I figured after Christmas I would  go back and get it. That was what he got me for Christmas other then my Bike and I Love it!! I also got some Cd's.Gloves,Slippers,Phone Case,Car Charger,Cool Water Bottle and lots of sugar free candies plus some meal replacement bars.

GEORGE FOREMAN MULTI COOKER

I got everything I wanted and then some. I can't wait to go ride my bike! I sound like a Little kid..Hahhahah

My eating yesterday was not HORRIBLE but it was also not top notch either!?!?!?!?

For snack my Nanny had out some of those veggie fries. So I had like 4 of those. Then for dinner. I hadmash potatoes,ham,corn casserole,bean salad, and a roll...Just one serving

I had no plans for dessert but a few hours later I got a sweet tooth. So I had a slice of coconut cream pie and a while later ONE cookie.

THEN we all decided to go and see a movie. We went and seen THE TOURIST. I thought it was really good.

I went with my sister,brother,sil,nephew and his girlfriend and of course jack.

It would have been even better if I had NOT chose the POPCORN..ERRRRRR

Oh well....Today is a new day..I had a great day with my family!

No stress. I was not all worked up about what I was eating or not eating. I just ate till I was satisfied. It was not about the food this year for me..I did not even bring anything!!! I felt kinda bad about that. But for right now I have to do what will get me to my goal and baking and having a bunch of temptations around the house is the worse thing I could do.

I made it through Thanksgiving and Christmas with 2 slices cheesecake,1 slice of pie and 1 cookie..

In years past I would have ate an entire cheesecake in one week by MYSELF!!! So I have come a VERY LONG WAY!!!!

I hope everyone had the BEST Christmas ever!!! I am really excited to hear and read every one's plans for the new year!

STOCKING STUFFER

What a day !!!!

What a day! I don't even know where to start!

The day started off with going to my PCP appointment. We go over what's new with me and refill my meds. I use to go monthly for 6 years and then he went to every two months which I LOVE.
Jack is the same way. So we always go together and we are seen together.
Today I had to discuss this whole weird nerve thing I have going on and was prescribed a new medication. I sure hope it help. I just took my first dose.
My doctor was over the moon proud of me for my weight loss and went on and on about what I can do to lose more weight and I will write about that in a separate post. Otherwise we will have a book here!
Jack needed to have FMLA paper work done and he asked that we come back in a few hours and give him some time to fill them out.
We had some things we needed to do in town so that was fine.

We left there and decided to go have lunch. (I am being completely honest here)
I ate bad alllll day. It started out with lunch. We went to our Favorite Mexican food restaurant that we never go to anymore and usually only go when we go into town every 2 months to go to the doctor.
I could have made a better choice. I had a chicken taco with rice and beans. I thought about ordering the soup but my mind frame was completely off today.

After this we ran a few errands,returned a few things and then went to Target.
Well....we were on our way to target. All of a sudden I see this store called Rue 21.
Recently a friend and fellow blogger went shopping there.
I was not even looking for it. But I had to go in. I was in there for 2 HOURS!!!
I looked at everything. I ended up getting a purse and a Juicy Couture nock off. I have the real thing. But this was $10. So I had to get it. I have been looking forever for a new purse.
They have great deals right now where if you spend so much you get a coupon.
Jack also got a gift card for his gift swap. So I was glad I stopped.

At this point I am exhausted. I never made it to Target.
We now had a 30-40 minute drive home. All of a sudden I realize that it is Christmas eve tomorrow. What was I thinking. I am telling you. My mind is off today and that is not a good sign.
Usually means my MS is acting up.

I needed to get my haircut. So when we got into town. I went into great clips and Jack went into Walgreen's to fill my script. When he picks me up he says...are you hungry??

I was...where did we go?? TACO BELL..I don't even like taco bell. But I was so tired. There was NO WAY I was cooking. I had a taco and a nacho. Now this is all I ate today. I am sure it came out to about 2000 calories. I also know I could have made better choices. But I didn't and life goes on.

I am far from perfect. I am human! What's important is that I don't continue to have days like this.

I was exhausted,tired,grumpy and just did not care..I am also not beating myself up for what I ate. I am eating 99% better then I have been in my entire life and I would eat like this EVERY DAY!!!

This was the first time in 3 months I have had 2 bad meals in one day! So that is not good. But I know the signs to look for and hope that I do better if  and when it happens again.

So we had our dinner and drove home..

Now I have wrapping to do and I have not even made anything to take tomorrow night to my grandmas or to take to my other grandparents on Christmas day...UGH

I am sooooo tired!

Side note...I have no idea why I went to great clips..I needed a hair cut. You would think somone could cut a straight line. I am NOT happy!! But I am also VERY picky.

Weigh-in

I don't have much to say....REALLY??
I am actually kind of a quiet person. I am not a HUGE talker I am some where in the middle.
I am also not really shy!
But when it comes to writing..I can go on and on..
Maybe that is a good thing. I know it has been good therapy.

I have a GYNO appointment today.I am having my annual and I am also having an ultrasound for some crazy weird twinges I have been having.I have to drink about 32 ounces of water. Which is a breeze. But when you have MS..YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO PEE!!! So this is going to be a challenge. It is 5 minutes down the road. So I am gonna wait till 30 minutes before my appointment. I don't want to drink to soon. Then I will never be able to hold it. Then right after I see the doc for my annual.

I woke up this morning grabbed my camera and stepped on the scale. It could have gone either way. I woke up through the night peeing a lot. So I was hoping for a pound and I got 2-2.5LBS
I say that because it teeters on BOTH scales from 186-186.5..I am gonna go with 186.5
This being a number I have not seen in YEARS!!!!! Plus it all evens out anyway.

I mean I am actually getting there! That is just crazy. I no longer have to lose 60 LBS or even 50LBS.
I now need to lose 46LBS.

This next week I am going to try and change things up. I am going to keep my body guessing.
I have done a lot or research on plateaus. They all say to keep your body guessing. Some recommend to eat more calories one day then go back down the next. Or do each for a couple of days. But not to stick to the same calorie count each day or your body will get comfy..Then you stop loosing.

So to try and bump up my weight loss so that I lose EVERY week I am going to try this.
I was stuck at the same weight. Going around the same few pounds for 5 weeks.
I am NOT going through that again.

So my motivation..Weight loss!!!
It's really easy to lose motivation when you get stuck on the same weight FOREVER!
My fellow bloggers are also motivation. But without that scale moving. It can get very frustrating.
It seems to be moving again. Now to keep it moving.

Holiday Baking..

It's a BIT depressing..

This is the first year that I did not do a TON of baking and hand it out to my neighbors and family.

We are in a NEW home this year. So these neighbors that actually keep to themselves have no idea anyway!

But usually as gifts I hand out a BUNCH of homemade treats. I mean I go all out.

Everything from thumbprints to peanut brittle and chocolate covered pretzels. I mean you just have no idea the amount of baking I am usually doing at this time of year. I am usually scrambling to get it all done in time.

NOT THIS YEAR!!!!!!!

In a way I am a bit sad.

But it is just ONE YEAR!

I think...well I know that by this time next year I will be at a healthy weight and I will feel better about having all that stuff around the house.

I do miss it though. Not the cookies and treats so much.

I miss the Christmas spirit that it brings into my home.

We have so much fun doing it every year.

I spend weeks picking out just what I want to make.

I spend hundreds at the stores buying all the ingredients

Then comes baking day. It pretty much goes on for a week straight 12 hours a day.

So you could say I am getting a bit of a break!

You are right. It is a very odd feeling to not to have my counters covered in baked goods.

Lack of sleep and lack of energy making sure each package is JUST PERFECT!

After all I am a giver..I love to give gifts to the people I love and care about!

NEXT YEAR...next year I will be feeling a lot better about my weight and eating issues!

This is my gift to myself this year.

MOTIVATION

Have any of you watched the Biggest Loser??
It is one of my favorite shows. I have watched every single season since day one.
But I did not actually start to eat healthy until this past summer when the show was not even on.
So does the show create motivation? For some people it may. But for me it didn't.
This past season one of the contestants made a comment that while watching the show she would be sitting eating a bowl of ice cream.
Me and Jack would laugh because every time it came on we too would be eating really crappy food.
For one I like the show because I am a reality TV junkie. But I also watched because I liked to see the transformations in hope one day it would give me the motivation to do the same.

So what is it that gives us motivation? I am talking the kind of motivation that finally makes us decide that now is the time to lose weight and get healthy. Is it that model on the cover of your favorite magazine? Or maybe you have an upcoming event like a wedding or a class reunion.

Then you lose some weight. The pounds start to drop off. Then somewhere along the line you lose that motivation. So now what keeps you going?

This is something I am struggling with.
I started out so well. For me my motivation was to be a skinnier and healthier person. That is the gods honest truth. I want to be able to walk into any store and buy what I want. What I like and not what will cover the bulges or what size they happen to have that will fit me.

So I have lost a 1/4 of what I need to lose and I am also losing my motivation.
I was so happy yesterday to see 187.5 on my scale and I knew better then to weigh today after having subway for dinner and I was right. It read 190 !!!! That really sucks. I know it is not permanent but it still sucks.I have done this before and then come weigh day I DO lose a few. Tomorrow is weigh day. So we shall see.

So I have been trying to think of ways to get motivated.
For Christmas me and Jack both got bikes and that is going to be sooooo much fun and it will also be low impact exercise that I can do more then walking and I am sure I can also burn a lot more calories.

Jack is also wanting to lose weight. He typically does not have weight issues. But in the last 7 years he has packed on some pounds because his job is at a desk half the time. He is also getting older and can't keep the weight off as he use to.
So we have taken his before pics. Then I had this idea today to do a challenge and see who gets to 5 lbs first. Then we get a NON FOOD prize.
Of course he wants to wait until after the holidays. So I will give him that. I have no plan on NOT sticking to my program through Christmas.

So what keeps you motivated???

My GOAL string!

I don't know why I get So stressed about weigh-ins!

This morning I stepped on the scale IT IS NOT WEIGH DAY.
But since I have been having scale issues I figured I should weigh more so that I stay on top of it.
Today I weighed 187.5..I mean OMG..I don't remember EVER seeing that number.
I was there I am sure about 5 years ago because there was that Christmas that I fit into a size 13/14 for about a week. I have ONE pair of 13/14 because it did not last long and I have no idea how I even got there and it was gone in a flash. So I never weighed.

When I met my husband I was about 150. At least....I think. Within a year I was up to 200LBS
We married 2 years later and I was wearing an 18 size wedding dress.

I know I will get there. I have NEVER wanting something so bad in all my life.
But this is not a temporary thing. It does not end once I get to 140. So why am I so stressed??
As I sit right now I have NEVER seen the number 187 on my scale!!!!
That is just AMAZING and so exciting.

This is so much fun to see the scale go down and down. Even if it is slow moving.
If I gave up today and said I am gonna go buy a cheesecake. I guarantee you I would put all the weigh back on in one week. I know my body. Why would I do that to myself?? For cheesecake? I mean think of how ridiculous that sounds! But we have ALL done it before. Yours may not be cheesecake. Mine is cheesecake, mexican food and ice cream. I am still having the last two but in a healthier way. So I don't feel deprived and I am still loosing weight!! Imagine that!

I took some NEW before pics. The one that I have was taken at 203 and in dark clothing. So as time goes on you and I would not be able to see the difference.
So I took pics in a white top and pink shorts. We also took pics of my husband because he too needs to lose weight. For him I think it is just cutting his portions. I have seen him lose weight and he is very capable!

I have a friend whom is a also a fellow blogger and I tell her a lot so sometimes I sit here and think did I blog about that already? I get confused if I blogged about it or told her about it..Hahaha

A couple of nights ago I got down my "string" I made this string early summer to mark my progress and my gaols. So if it is not showing on the scale as much as I would like it to. I mean I have lost over 20 pounds!!! That is just amazing. Then I pull this string down which is hung in my kitchen over my apron and I placed it around my waist. At the time I just marked a couple black GOAL dashes on what is actually cooking yarn. I was over the moon excited to see the difference. Even Jack was amazed at the difference. So even if I don't see the scale moving as much.That "string" tells the story.

I even sit some nights on my laptop on my sofa at night and I can tell a difference in my stomach. There is no longer that roll to balance my laptop on anymore.

This will be the first beginning of the year that I am already eating healthy,losing weight and have goals in place. How awesome is that!

My way of eating

OK..I needed to do one more blog tonight

First off I know how to eat.
I have read just about every diet book.
My husband did Body for Life and was successful!
I have also been successful at losing weight but just never stuck with anything very long.
I do not believe that one way of eating or one plan works for everyone.
You may do low carb and that works for you or high protein.
When I started this way back in June I started with doing weight watchers once again and once again I quit but I did lose...some
It was not until I decided to count calories that I realized that I had to do what works for me.

So I get that "they" say to have 5-6 meals
That you should have protein for breakfast and not skip lunch.
I get all that and for some of you that may work.
If you read skinny bitch it is ONLY fruit for breakfast and that is what works for me.
I don't have a set regimen. I don't have 6 small meals or eat BLD and snacks.
I eat when I am hungry. I eat NO PROCESSED FOODS.
I eat NO CANDY
I pretty much eat WHOLE FOODS.
If your great grandmother has no idea what the heck it is I don't eat it!!!

That pretty much is my plan. Lot of fruit,veggies,lean protein and natural sugar.The way it is suppose to be. So no matter how I ingest it or at what hour I just make sure that I stay at about 1200 calories.
I am far from perfect. Some days I go over and many days I go under.
I also am not very active. I also sleep a lot more then the average person.
So having less wake hours means there are less hours in the day to eat.
That can be a good thing. I use to have insomnia pre-eating healthy and I would sit up all night and eat. I started eating healthy and what would you know??? I now sleep!!
But since I have fatigue so bad from the MS I am only up about 12 hours. Try fitting 6 meals into 12 hours.
I am NEVER hungry at lunch and if I do have lunch I am not hungry for dinner and I miss the only meal I have with my husband.

So as you can see. It works different for everyone for different reasons.
Don't get me wrong...I appreciate all the advice but felt I should explain my reason for the way I do things.
I may try add a very small something mid day. But eating when I am not hungry just won't happen.

Oh and if I drink any more water I think I will float away.
120 ounces is more then enough.
Talk with yah later..I have to pee (  :

New Plan

Because I am in a HUGE plateau I had to sit down and think about EVERYTHING that I eat and what I should change up AGAIN!
Earlier this month I decided after reading Skinny Bitch to add in some more grains.
So for the last coupe of weeks it has been lots of stir frys with quinoa. I have been having fruit for breakfast and usually skip lunch.
Just about every day I have honey on something but usually on no sugar added ice cream.
I know how lame does that sound.
But at least it is natural! RIGHT???
looking back I know I am eating way to much honey. So looks like I am going to have to cut it out for a while.
I can do that. I have in the last 15 weeks cut so much out of my diet and made huge changes. There is no way that honey of all things will get the best of me.
Otherwise my diet is pretty flawless. There is the occasional Panda Express. There for a while it was once a week. But even that is not enough to keep me from loosing because on those days I had almost nothing to eat.

The only other thing is that I need to be more active. But that is not as easy as it sounds when you have MS. One day for me of say a 2 mile walk will put me out of commission for 3 plus days. I mean I can't move. I am either in bed or on the sofa.
So I am starting to think maybe just doing floor exercises. It will be some activity without overdoing it so much that I can't do anything for days.

All I know is that this scale needs to get moving.
I have been looking at other blogs and seeing how and what every one else loses.
There are many people that lose just as I do. About one pound a week on average. Then there are others that lose HUGE amounts and I just don't know how they do it. Some of them are just way more active then my body will allow.

So that is my plan for the next week or weeks.
NO HONEY
Floor exercises
I may also cut out some of the carbs.
I also plan to really watch the sodium. I don't eat processed food. So it will have to be added salt or natural sodium if there is such thing?? But I will track it.
If this does not work then I will just have to assume that this is the way my body loses weight and go with it.

REJECTING 300

Thanks for your reply. I wanted to make sure you got this. So I am making it a post!

REJECTING300....
Thanks for your reply!
It makes complete sense to me and in fact about 2 months ago I noticed and even posted that on the weeks where I ate more I seemed to lose more.
It happened to be the weeks that I had Panda Express for dinner. I was good all week and on Friday for two weeks my husband brought Panda Express home and on both those weeks I lost weight. Quite a bit of weight.Last night I was not feeling good and he brought dinner home again. I am curious if it will happen again. Since I WAS feeling so horrible I did not eat but a couple hundred calories of it. Probably about half of my dinner.
Being at a "stall" for weeks really sucks and I am hoping it gets moving very soon!
This next week I am going to try eating all 3 meals. Lately I have been just having breakfast which is fruit and then I have dinner and maybe sugar free ice cream. I don't think I am even hitting 1200. That may be the problem. My body thinks I am starving and is hanging on to those calories that I AM eating!
I will add some calories this week and see what happens. I will for sure to let you know!

This is what I love about blogging. I get great support and answers from people I would otherwise never speak too..
This whole plateau has been driving me crazy!!!!
I work my butt off for a month and get no where.
What I keep trying to tell myself is that it does not matter how long it takes to get there. Just that I DO get there. It may take 6 months or a year. But the time does not matter because this new way of eating is a lifetime thing. It does not end when I reach goal. But when you work so hard to achieve something and you don't see any results it makes me feel as though I am failing. But I do know that there is no way that I can go through this process of losing over 50 pounds and it be perfect from beginning to end.

PITY PARTY!!!!

When you lose week after week it helps keep you motivated.
I have been stuck on the same few pounds for 4-5 weeks now.
Four weeks ago I weighed one pound more then I do now.
I just went up and down over the last 4 weeks.
I am sure many others have been through this.

Over the last couple of weeks I even changed up what I was eating. I added more whole grains.
I also have not been feeling well. I have been having a lot of stomach issues.
Maybe that is from the whole grains and I am just backed up?

I would just think that if I am doing everything right that the scale would move.
When I think back at what I use to eat OMG..If I started eating that way again I would start gaining the weight back over night. So how is it that I am not dropping the weight if I am eating the complete opposite.

There is NO WAY I am giving up. That will not happen! I have come so far and learned so much about nutrition and about myself in the last 15 weeks.
But when you work your ass off for a month and step on the scale week after week and it is not moving..It is FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!!

So that's where I am at right now..I am throwing myself a pity party!
I will get over it!

What do you all do when this happens. Or maybe I am alone in this?

Weigh in wednesday

I got out of bed this morning. The first thing I thought when I opened my eyes "it's weigh day"

It never fails. When Wednesday rolls around and even the night before I start to get anxious thinking what the scale will say.

It is always sooooo unpredictable. Some weeks I have had very odd big gains and other weeks I have had HUGE losses with no big difference in what I eat from week to week or the amount of activity that I do.

This past week I worked out twice.I know...Nothing to brag about but at least it was something and I spent two days busting my ass cleaning my house. It really needed it!!!! What better time then when my mom was coming for a visit.

I ate really healthy. I had one day which was yesterday I had a McDonald's ice cream cone. I looked it up when I got home. Not bad 150 Cal and 3.5 Fat. So not bad at all. The rest of the week was healthy dinners and fruit for breakfast or Steel cut oats with blueberries.

I know without a doubt I stayed under 1200 a day.

My mom was here and I did not take the time to log everything. But I know it was under 1200. Just by what I ate every day.

So I was really expecting at least a 2 pound loss.I even feel thinner. I know sounds crazy!

I stepped on the scale right when I got up and it read EXACTLY what it did last week. 188.5

I had no loss and no gain. I maintained and for some reason I always see that as worse.

But looking back when I have a maintain I lose BIG the next week. Last week I lost 4 pounds. So maybe that has something to do with it.

But moving on to week 16.

By now I am so use to eating this way. I could never go back to the way it was.

I am also doing really good considering it being the holidays.

I do miss all the baking I would usually do. But that is just setting myself up for failure and I won't do that. I know better then to do that.

The old me would come up with some excuse as to why I should just bake it. Or I would say "but I will just freeze it" and before you know it everything is gone.

I still have intentions to bake as I always do. The only difference is that I am going to wait till the last minute and NONE of it will be staying in this house. If Jack wants any he will have to eat it then and there!

Mom has come for a visit

Good Morning!

WoW it's been a busy couple of days with my mom here. But not really..LOL
We have been pretty much just been laying around the house chatting, watching movies or OUR favorite TV shows. We both love reality TV. We both love watching shows like Kendra or housewives of ? ( Just about all of them)
Does anyone ever watch Mike and Molly?? I love that show and we watched it last night but not before I explained the whole controversy surrounding the show. If you are not familiar do a google search for Marie Clair Mike and Molly article. Oh heck I will just give it to you..DUH !!
Marie Claire

Tomorrow is weigh day and I am not nervous what so ever. If anything I am just anxious. I really want to know if I have a loss or what it is.
I have done SO good this week. It has been one of my better weeks even with my mom here!
She usually eats pretty healthy but she does like to have snacks. I don't really have snacks. I have fruit for snacks. So last night Jack stopped to buy wheat thins and cheese..
I guess 3 months later I have gotten use to not having snack food. I had two wheat thins while making dinner last night because she had it out but that was it.
So I am quite proud of myself!

Today we plan to get out and go into town since she has never really been here. She lives here in AZ with me but I live in a small town 45 minutes from her.
So I am gonna take her in town and take her to the small boutiques and just drive around a bit and maybe have lunch.

I am really looking forward to weighing in the morning..I just feel thinner this week. I know sounds crazy..So here is to hoping and of course you all will be the first to know ( :

Jeans victory "THANKS" and the NEW harnesses.

Thank you soooo much to every person that congratulated me on my recent jeans victory..
It is a great feeling to know that everything I am doing or even not doing is paying off.

For anyone that is just starting out on their journey give it time. If there is any advice that I could give you from where I am at right now is to give it TIME. Nothing will happen over night. But it will happen. You will be so very glad that you did!

About a week ago I had gone to walmart to do a bit of shopping and came across some cloth dog harnesses. I knew they would be perfect for my Pomeranians. It is so hard to get them in a harness when they are squirming all over the place excited to go for a walk. I use harnesses for safety. We live in a very dark neighborhood and I am able to just lift the leash in the air if I have to. You can't do that with just a leash and collar. What sucked is that they did not have the right size..A few nights later Jack came home with two. A green one for Prancer and a pink one for Bella. They did not have any other colors. Green would not have been my first choice. I was tempted to put Prancer who is male in a pink one..LOL

Bella..I just LOVE this picture!

Prancer in HIS green harness.

It's very similar but solid in color and different material.

So later that night when Jack came home with them. I was so excited!!! I just hate when I go shopping and they are out of something I want or need!
After dinner I strapped them in..

WoW Bella freaked out she was beyond excited. I actually had to wait a bit till they both calmed down,drank some water and cooled off before we took them out. Our plan was to just walk down the street. I was in my PJ's and flip flops..Before we knew it we were walking over a mile. It's easy to do that when your town is having a Christmas light contest and you can look at all the lights.

It was nice to sneak in a walk you did not expect.

Jeans Jeans and more Jeans...!!!

Even with a total loss since June of 20 Pounds I have struggled to see where the weight is coming off at..I see it here and there I have those places that I know for a fact are smaller but I have always wanted a smaller stomach. It is that one area that bugs me the most. It has not always been there but the older I get the more rounder I get. When I was younger it distributed more throughout!

So since I was not seeing a HUGE difference I was afraid to try on any of my "small" clothes.
Well last night I could not sleep. It was something like 4 in the morning and I decided to venture into the garage and into my closet and pulled out everything that did NOT fit. A lot of it has not fit for a couple of years and during that time I did not buy any new clothes. Last year I bought one pair of TORID jeans because all of my other jeans were way too tight. I am talking so tight that I could either not get them up over my butt or was about 5 inches from buttoning them.

So on my bed lay probably about 20 pairs of Jeans..
I started by trying on the ones I don't like as well. That way if they seem tight I don't have to have the disappointment of trying on my favs and they be too tight.

The first couple of pairs were 18's..They went on fine with plenty of room
Then came the size 16's.. I got really nervous here. With each pair I tried on I got more and more excited and would have to go out and show Jack just how well my Jeans fit.. He was of course not as excited as I was though he did his best to show that he was..LOL
It was the craziest feeling to try on pants that were one day to small to pull up and now fit GREAT.. I have NEVER experienced that!

As I got through the pile I pull out a pair of size 18 jeans that I don't really remember. As I am sliding them on I recognize that all too familiar TORID tag. I slip the pants back off and take a look realizing that I bought these jeans last winter when none of my clothes fit and I had no choice but to buy something that fit. It was that or leggings for the duration of winter. I put them back on only to realize that they were wayyyyy too big..I mean they don't look flattering at all!
This did kinda upset me. I don't spend much money on clothes. I don't have the money to spend. But I have always bought my jeans from TORID because they fit so well. In a way I probably save money and time not running around buying one pair after another because I hate how they fit.
Now I have this really expensive pair of jeans and can't wear them!
But I also have another 18 pairs that I CAN wear!
I mean think about that...I went from being able to fit into one pair to 18 pairs.

I had one more pair of jeans laying on the bed. These WILL NEVER FIT!!!
Oh heck..I'll see how close I am. Being a size 13/14 this is crazy !
You know that feeling when you pull a pair of pants just to about your knees and you pretty much know if they will fit??
These were gonna fit! REALLY????
OH MY GOSH...THEY FIT!! A bit tight in the stomach. I would not quite wear them out because I won't wear anything that gives me a muffin top! eeewwwww Not flattering. But just the fact that I am able to get them on and buttoned is AMAZING !!!

I am so excited to see what 20 more pounds brings! That will be uncharted territory!



SIZE 18.. WAAYYYY TOO BIG !



SIZE 16...FIT GREAT!!!!!!!



SIZE 13/14..TIGHT !! BUT THEY ARE ON  (  :



BLOG HOP

A blog hop started by Lucy......( :

A little this and that..

WoW...I just realized that I did not even blog today..
I guess I did not have much to say. Plus the fact I have been working my butt off all day.
I know I burned a ton of calories. I cleaned my house for something like 6 hours.
So lets see.. Sitting on the sofa or cleaning.. Yeah I think the later burns more calories. So I will take it.
My back is still recovering from a relapse I had a while back so my back muscles are still pretty weak and I am feeling it..I pray to god they just do their job and not give out!

So far today I had a Banana 8 oz OJ and a Turkey sandwich on whole grain. Then as a snack I had low fat no sugar added ice cream..I just won't give up ice cream. I will take it low fat. But no not giving it up. This is a lifestyle change and there is no way that I will go the rest of my life without ice cream
I mean heck yogurt has more sugar then the ice cream I eat. That's why I don't eat yogurt it is FULL of sugar! I don't get why the supposed experts say to eat yogurt.. Ok yeah it has probiotics and what not but you can get that from supplement or other food's.. Here is an informative article on probiotics and foods you can get it from.http://vegetarian.lovetoknow.com/What_Foods_Contain_Probiotic Oh and I love the part about the honey.. Because I love honey and have it just about every day!

This morning I spent hours researching a Christmas gift. Christmas shopping is a whole new ball game this year. We are down to one car because my husband needs breaks and well..We would rather spend our money on other things. So since I would also rather spend my weekends with my husband and we live 30 minutes from any shopping and all we pretty much have is a Walmart. I have been shopping online.
Well... there are so many stores online that have the same product and different prices or they have free shipping and the more you dig the better the deal you can find. So yesterday I found what I thought I wanted but was going to think about it..I go back on this morning not even 12 hours later and SOLD OUT..Greatttttt.. So now I had to start my search all over again!!! This online shopping thing takes skill that is for sure! But I am kinda liking this whole shopping from my sofa. I never wanted to do it before just in case I did not like it. It would be a pain to send back. I have not started buying clothes online. I  am not quite there yet..Maybe one day when I have lost more weight. Then it will be easier to buy clothes period!

Cooking Fish..Recipes?

So...

I mentioned the other day that I have not been a big FISH eater.. A little talapia here and there. But I usually stick to shrimp..That I have made plenty of !

I consider myself a pretty good cook. I can make just about anything and have just about every kitchen utensil you can think of., I even have bamboo steamer baskets that I have had probably 5 years still in the box and NEVER used..Now I have all this fish..So I need to come up with some ways to cook it..
Sure I can make fish! But I am looking for some of your recipes!
What is your favorite way to cook Salmon?? It is on the menu tonight! I thought about just cooking it with a little olive oil or steaming it. Just for the first time since well...It has been over 10 years since I have tasted it and even then it was just a nibble.
But for future reference when you make salmon what is your go to recipe..?

An Award ( :

I got an award from an AMAZING Friend..She has been MY motivation! She is nothing short of a great person inside and out..She has been a friend when I needed one. But has also given me a swift kick in the butt when I needed it and I appreciate it all.Me and Trisha battle some of the same things in life and we also have crazy things in common and both have a zest for life..Life has threw us some curve balls and Trisha picks herself up everyday and tries to makes the best out of every situation.

When I  can't get my butt off the sofa I think..What would Trisha say to me??? So as you can see I think the world of her!
Thanks Trisha

Who does she think she is???

Ok so I go to my GYNO this evening to have a little chat with her about some twinges I have been dealing with..This is a NEW doc..New town and a really far drive to go see my other one which I love. But I have heard great things about this office which has multiple locations.

My appointment was at 6PM..So they were pretty dead.I am just about positive that I was the last appointment.

I found it odd that they did not have me fill out my medical history.
Then when I get into the office she has something kinda like an IPAD..
So she asks me all the needed info.
Then The supposed Doc comes in and asks me the same questions!!!??

I was told to undress and she would be back..She did a quick head to toe exam and I was out of there...
I had to do the whole pee in a cup thing and when you have MS you always have to pee even when you don't. But they managed to get a test done with the few drops I gave them..

Ok so why am I telling you this story...?

When I had to give her my medical background MS came up..(Of course) and she proceeds to tell me that she has 2 cousins with MS. She asked if I am working. This was part of the questions and I tell her no. She kinda shrugs and then says well some people are still able to work on the computer and what not. I explain that I never know how I will feel from day to day and that makes it hard.
So I asked how her cousins were and she says one is a RN and the other was a college professor..I said well that's good they are doing well and she proceeds to say that some people are more active then others and that because they are more active they do much better then say ME..She says that due to their personality they live life as though they don't have it. She does not know me from Tom Dick or Harry!!!!! Plus I HATE when someone that does not have MS thinks that they can say anything about how it feels to live with the disease or that because one person is more active then the other that they deal with MS better..Ok now if you are fit and were really active pre diagnosis it may help to an extent..But an MS flare is just that..If you can't walk.. Being active is not going to tell your brain to move your legs!!

I just don't get where she gets off having an opinion about my not working while living with MS??
Like mind your own business..It has nothing to do with my GYNO issue..It was almost like she was judging me for not working.. And not almost she WAS!

Then as I am leaving. She tells me to go to the front desk and make an appointment and then you will get to see the DOC?? She was not even the doctor she was a NP !!! Greattttttt
I left not getting anything resolved or even getting to ask any questions..! The questions I was asked was all the information she wanted. It was like she was a freakin robot!

The fact that it is in town and I have to do an ultrasound and drink all that water I guess I will be going back..But I won't be liking it one bit..

That's my rant for the night!  Thanks for listening!Or reading ( :

Weigh-in and Steel cut oats

I was really nervous about my weigh-in this morning..With it being TOM and all and I have not had the best weigh-ins this last month. Last week I weighed on the wrong day which was Tuesday and I weighed 189.5. I then weighed on Wednesday and I was up to 191.5 This morning I weighed 188.5
So I lost 4 POUNDS..I am thrilled with 4 pounds but I am still not seeing much scale movement. It is going up and down.. I hope with eating more whole grains and fish I will drop more pounds!

This morning I made Steel cut oats..Last night Jack made a batch to take to work this morning since they take a bit to cook. I had a couple bites and they are quite tasty.. Really good with a bit of honey. I don't know what I expected them to look or taste like. But they don't look anything like I pictured. I made a batch this morning only to realize I was not very hungry. So that just means there will be some already made up for tomorrow. That is a great thing about them. They are hardy enough to have the next day!!


Boil water...DUH !!! LOL



Even look healthier then rolled oats!!!

COOK 5 MINUTES



Lower heat and cook 20-30 minutes



Add a little honey or fruit

I went shopping today!

After reading the book Skinny Bitch I knew that I wanted to change up what I have been eating.
I think our bodies get use to eating the same foods..So hopefully by eating these foods I will be healthier and start to drop more weight!

I have never been a big fish eater. I guess because I just always chose the more unhealthy option. I always looked at fish as a health food..Not something that could be tasty. I have NEVER bought salmon this is the first..

I also read that quinoa is very healthy and has more protein then any other grain.

I have been hearing for years that still cut oatmeal is the best for you. I think I heard it first on Oprah but have never bought it before. I just love Oprah..I hate this is her final season!

This is my favorite Stir Fry..And of course California vegetables are really filling!

The Chicken will be great to add to salads for lunch..To think for years I would never allow my husband to to buy pre-cooked chicken. I always thought it was a waste of money!

CHRISTMAS TIME..........

I love Christmas..I love EVERYTHING about it..Even the crazy shopper.

I have never gone out on black friday and almost did this past year but was way too tired from Thanksgiving.

This was the first year to decorate our NEW home and it was partly fun and partly frustrating.

When you have decorated a home for 6 years everything has it's place and here at the new home I felt that I had no where to put anything. I still have so much in the boxes and a lot that is not pictured. Who knows maybe through the week I will put some more out..Jack is still working on the outdoor lights!

But so far this is Christmas ( :





OUR TREE



VILLAGE I HAVE HAD FOR YEARS



GINGER BREAD MY SIL MADE



OUR STOCKINGS



THOSE FRUIT ARE ALL RED..GUESS THE FLASH MADE THEM PINK



STOCKING I MADE



LIVING ROOM



A NEW day

It's always great to have a fresh start....
I made it through yesterday but not without having 6 lorna Doone Cookies..Just being honest here.
Then I went to bed..I had enough for one day. I woke up at 8PM and got up for a while.I ended up having left over vegi stir fry. I stayed up for another hour and went back to bed.
It was just one of those days which I am happy has passed.

Jack woke up not feeling so well today so he is home for the day.I always enjoy having my husband home but sucks that he don't feel well.

Yesterdays meals turned out like this..



 KASHI CEREAL "DRY" AN ORANGE PLUS WATER




TURKEY ON WHOLE GRAIN WITH SPICY BROWN MUSTARD. VEGGIES WITH FF RANCH



VEGI STIR FRY WITH BROWN RICE AND CHICKEN

For snacks I had 4  cutie oranges and don't forget about the Lorna Doone cookies! I also had one bite of ice cream. Oh yeah and between breakfast and lunch I had 2 slices of toast one with PBJ and the other with honey.
So regardless I think I did OK. Better if I had left out the cookies.
Before I started this journey on a day like yesterday my calorie count would have been triple this..
I have not added all the calories yet but when I do I will update this post!
TOTAL CALORIES 1442......Not as bad as i thought! Plus I burned 350 on the treadmill!

What I am proud of for this day...
Walking on the treadmill for 40 minutes!