Big People Can Exercise Too

I think the sentiment for my upcoming weekend is “sleep is for the weak.” At different points between tomorrow morning at 6:30am and Sunday night at about 8 pm, I plan on exercising twice, grocery shopping, attending a coupon party that Whitney is hosting, driving to Birmingham, driving to Chattanooga to have lunch with my family, watching 4 Oscar movies and having dinner at my parents. This is a weekend that I am used to though…I usually stuff every ounce of things I can into a weekend because it’s my only time to get things done, see my family, etc so I don’t usually just have a free open weekend with nothing to do…I like it that way…I won’t exactly get a ton of rest but that’s OK.

I weighed in this morning and I was down .6. I am happy to be down but I am going to have to find a way to pick up the pace. My birthday is in EXACTLY 15 weeks and I wanted to lose 15 pounds by then but I’m not sure that I can accomplish that at this rate but I am going to give it my best. I am going to stick to the same routine for awhile and if I don’t notice a difference by the Friday after Valentine’s Day (I can’t miss out on a cheat piece of cheesecake) then I will probably take away a cheat meal…which would be pretty upsetting considering how flawless I am with my diet habits during the week and also how hard I work with exercise but WHATEVER. I am sort of cranky today due to a caffeine overdose yesterday that caused insomnia and then when I actually DID get to sleep, I had TERRIBLE nightmares…so…that .6 of a pound wasn’t quite enough to put me in a good mood. I am looking at the big picture though…I’m down a total of 83.2 pounds! I am SO close to that 85! I am excited to change my picture.

As you may remember, I participated in a program called Couch to 5K and I completed it so I’ve been running for 30 minutes 3 days a week for several weeks now. It is most definitely part of my routine. I wouldn’t say I am very fast or that I’m running with ease or anything but I would say it’s a permanent fixture in my routine. I am hoping to improve my posture, longevity and speed over time but for now, I am so proud to be kind of a runner. Because I am so dedicated, I will run in pretty much any condition. I haven’t skipped a day at all because I am so scared that I will not start back. I am not a member of a gym because they were in the process of building one at my office….that took a little bit than expected so I’ve been running in the freezing cold, rain or snow…I’m the mailman for running. It was starting to get a little old though so I was ready for the gym to be done. The gym at work is done now and I’m very grateful for that…I went running for the first time in it yesterday and I had two people look at me in shock as I outlasted them and basically out-exercised them completely. One of them told me how proud he was and one girl (she may weigh 120 pounds soaking wet) just looked amazed and said how good I was doing. I appreciate the praise but if I had a toned, thin body, they wouldn’t have said a word. It was like I was some fat girl phenomenon…they couldn’t believe that someone of my size could move that long at a steady pace. I promptly posted a Facebook status that said, “Just because you are skinny does not mean you are in shape, and just because you are a big girl doesn’t mean you can’t school a size 2 girl on the treadmill.” It’s true…why are people extra proud of me for going to the new gym ONCE. I’ve been exercising every day for like 2 years now. I know people mean well but jeez.

Anyway, I watched two Oscar movies this week…



The first was Toy Story 3. I will preface by saying that I really enjoyed the movie. I love the Toy Story movies, they are funny and adorable. I have to ask though, why do animators find it so necessary to make children’s movies so dang depressing. I cried like 10 times during this movie. It was nothing like watching Up last year though…I was inconsolable for a couple hours after the beginning of that movie. I guess writers feel like the tension in the movie brings a needed reality to a child but I don’t know…it was tough. It was a great movie though…I love Buzz and Woody!



I also watched The Town. This was a directing and acting project from Ben Affleck. It was about a prominent group of bank robbers in a town outside of Boston. The movie was really good. The only major nomination it received was for Jeremy Renner for Best Supporting Actor. I think that’s fair as the only nomination. The movie was good, don’t get me wrong. I do feel that there wouldn’t have been rampant gunfire on people in my nightmares last night though if I had never watched the movie. I am also super opposed to scary faces and masks and there were a couple creepy masks in this movie. My other complaint would be that at times during the movie, it seemed a bit contrived. I feel like ever since Good Will Hunting, Ben Affleck has been trying to walk across that stage again to accept another Oscar and I feel like he might as well have “I’d really like another Oscar and this time, I don’t want it to be associated with Matt Damon,” tattooed on his forehead. I realize that all that makes me sound like I hated the movie…I REALLY didn’t…I thought it was pretty good and I think Jeremy Renner is deserving of the nomination but based on what I’ve seen, he’s not deserving of the win. I adore Jeremy Renner, I think he is a wonderful actor but I was telling Jordan the other day that I think he needs to do a romantic comedy or something so I know he’s not crazy because I’ve seen him in 3 movies, one where he plays an obsessive, explosive disposal sergeant, one where he is a violent, misogynist miner and most recently, a gun happy bank robber. I’m glad he can step outside of the box but I’m concerned he may actually be disturbed…which is fine because he’s still extremely hot.

Well, as I said earlier, I’m going to be checking a lot of movies off the list this weekend so I should have lots to report next week.

I hope you all have a nice weekend! Please take a moment to remember those who lost their lives 25 years ago on the Challenger!

Bye!

“Through every fall
Through every flame
Through every trial
Along the way
I hope you're there
Behind the clouds
Just like the sun

I'd climb to the edge of a mountain for you
I'll go to the ends of the world to find you
We'll dance in the shadows until we reach a
Breakthrough
Breakthrough
What we need is a breakthrough
What we need is a breakthrough

I lose my way
I lose my trust
I lose myself
When I lose us
I find my strength
To start again
When you're with me.” Break Thru-Natasha Bedingfield

True Grits

Good afternoon all! It’s been a crazy busy week so far in work and also regular life. The Oscar nominations came out this morning and I will certainly talk about those…I made some progress this weekend. Other than movie watching, I didn’t do too much this weekend…I hung out with friends and family as usual. As per every Tuesday, I have a recipe to share…



This dish was Creamy Polenta With Sauteed Mushrooms. The dish was actually supposed to have mushrooms AND peas but I don’t eat peas. I was going to use green beans instead but I had a major can opening issue. All I will say is that I wasted a perfectly good can of green beans and I put can opener on my shopping list. If you aren’t familiar with polenta, it’s yellow grits (hence my silly blog title that was an attempt to tie my movie talks together with my recipe). They use polenta a lot in Italian dishes...and on the food network. This was very easy to make. I will have to remember how easy it was next time because it took so little time to make that I overcooked the polenta. Basically all you do is sauté mushrooms and add vermouth and let it boil…that makes a sauce and then you pour it over the cooked polenta (that you mix with some parmesan cheese). Because I cooked the crap out of the polenta, I just mixed everything together so it wouldn’t be too thick. The vermouth and parmesan gave it great flavor. It was quite tasty and it kind sounded fancy so I was satisfied overall.

As I said earlier, the Oscar nominations came out this morning and I am pleased to say that I have already seen 5 out of the 10 nominated for best pictures. I plan on watching Toy Story 3 at some point this week. I also have plans to watch The Town which wasn’t nominated for best picture but there was an acting nomination in there. The goal will be to watch at least the nominations for best picture, acting, directing and writing. If I get to all 16 of those, any others (animated, music, etc), that will just be a bonus. Like I said, I’ve only seen 5 so I have a lot of work to do. I will tell you a bit about the two I saw this weekend.



The King’s Speech featured the AMAZING Colin Firth. I wasn’t sure I would like this movie because I have little to no interest in British history but I should have known that Colin Firth would make me change my mind. This movie also had Helena Bonham Carter in it and while unfair to her, I basically despise her because of the character she plays in the Harry Potter movies. Luckily, I was able to move past it and I thought she also did a wonderful job. I think this movie definitely deserves the acclaim it is receiving. The directing and acting were both great and the movie was poignant. Colin Firth is definitely worthy of his nomination because he did an amazing job portraying a member of British royalty that has an awful stammer. The movie had the whole package…I laughed and I cried so that’s pretty good. I wouldn’t say it is the kind of movie I would buy and watch repeatedly but it was certainly a work of art.



The next movie is True Grit. I didn’t know much about this movie before I saw it. I knew it was a remake of a movie I hadn’t seen and that it was a western. In general, I have very little knowledge of westerns. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an old western, nor do I think I have interest in seeing one. I will say that there have been two modern westerns prior to seeing True Grit that I loved and they are Tombstone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Those two movies took me by surprise…and so did True Grit. Perhaps I should rethink my dismissal of westerns…we’ll see. Jeff Bridges really is an awesome actor. This movie was funny and honestly, gut wrenching at the end. Luckily, my dad went too and he was so disturbed that there were animals being harmed that he distracted me from the difficulty of a couple scenes. I would argue that Hailee Steinfeld was a perfect addition to the movie that helped make it great. She played the young girl in the movie seeking revenge for the death of her father. She’s a cute girl with some great talent. I think the King’s Speech is a bit more deserving of the big award but not by much.

Out of the five movies I’ve seen so far, Inception is still my absolute favorite. It basically has no chance of winning but I LOVED it. I have been really itching to watch it again and as soon as I get all the other movies out of the way, I plan on watching it like once a month or something. It’s SUCH a smart movie and my fave, Leo, is wonderful in it as always. I would say the other movie that I’ve seen so far that I would probably buy is The Kids Are All Right. I saw this one a while back…it was pretty awesome. The movies have been good so far. I think I will probably see The Fighter this weekend…my goal is to be three more movies deep by next week’s blog. I can do it!

Have a great remainder of your week! Bye!

“And I don't know
This could break my heart or save me
Nothing's real
Until you let go completely
So here I go with all my thoughts I've been saving
So here I go with all my fears weighing on me

Three months and I'm still sober
Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers
But I know it's never really over

And I don't know
I could crash and burn but maybe
At the end of this road I might catch a glimpse of me
So I won't worry about my timing, I want to get it right
No comparing, second guessing, no not this time

Three months and I'm still breathing
Been a long road since those hands I left my tears in but I know
It's never really over, no.” Sober-Kelly Clarkson

So, When Do We Eat?

It’s Friday Y’all! It’s that day we all live for…or at least I know I do. I will start with some good news, I weighed this morning and I was down a pound! That takes me to a total loss of 82.6 pounds! I was SO happy to have a loss since I didn’t lose any last week. You know 3 weeks isn’t too bad to lose all the holiday weight plus a pound, so I can’t really complain. I have to stay on this track though. If I want to lose 15 pounds by my mid-May then I need to lose an average of a little over a pound a week. I know it’s unrealistic to think that I will lose over a pound every week but I’m hoping that there will be certain weeks I will lose closer to 2 pounds to make up for the bad weeks. Basically, with each passing day, I need to work harder. My biggest problem seems to be that I become complacent and I can definitely tell when I’m not as strict with the rules that I created for myself. I went to the doctor yesterday for a checkup and he was showing me how consistent I’ve been in losing weight, starting from 2009 and he pointed out that there were a couple of times I didn’t weigh at all before then and he said he didn’t know why and I told him it was because I was refusing to weigh. It’s amazing how far I’ve come…I went from refusing to weigh because I didn’t want to face it to now, when I basically only go for my checkups to weigh so my doctor knows how much weight I’ve lost. My, how things change. Before I started dieting, I felt sort of hopeless…I had SO much to lose (and still do) that I didn’t think there was a point. I thought, “it’s not like I just need to lose 15 pounds, what’s the point?” I am so glad I snapped out of it. I mean…yes…it took 30 pounds before people even noticed but I feel so much better now and even though I’m not close to my goal, I am MUCH closer than I was 82.6 pounds ago.

I have been thinking a lot about the most challenging part of being a food addict that is trying to lose weight…



I think the most challenging part of the whole thing is that I am CONSTANTLY thinking about food. I can’t even burp from the food I have just eaten without thinking about the next meal or snack I’m going to have. It’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s weird because before I started caring about what I ate, it was like I was numb…I just ate without thinking. If I was bored, sad, happy, nervous, excited, content, I would eat so I guess I didn’t really obsess over it as much because I just ate all the time. Now that I have to pay attention, it’s ALL I can think about. I have been to amazing places and had awesome experiences but most things that I do are based on food and when I’m going to eat. It’s not just the typical places either…I mean it’s normal to think about food at work or when I’m writing this blog but seriously…I’m on the Vegas strip or at the top of the Eifel Tower and I’m all, “I wonder when lunch is…I hope everyone else is hungry.” Seriously? I wish I could just get a grip. I think it’s proof that food addiction is a serious problem mostly because you have to eat to survive so knowing that you get to feed your addiction at certain points of the day makes it that much more difficult. The addiction is crippling because it’s all encompassing. I don’t really have any advice or tips about this because all I can see in my head is my future lunch. I am STARVING now, lol.

Oh well, nobody promised that losing weight would be easy. I have a nice weekend planned. Jordan is headed to T-Town and Operation Oscar is in full swing. We are going to be watching two this weekend so I am sure I will have some reports next week. Other than that, I just need to run some errands, maybe clean some stuff and as always, exercise.

I hope you all have wonderful weekends!

Good luck and Roll Tide to the Alabama Gymnastics Team tonight!

Bye!

“Without hope, life’s not worth living.”
Harvey Milk (snagged from the movie “Milk)

Twice-Baked

Good day everyone! Unfortunately, it’s only Tuesday and I can tell this week is going to be a slow one. The work day yesterday seemed like an eternity and as usual, my free time after work went by before I could even blink. I guess that is just the way it goes. Even though I had a disappointing weigh in Friday morning, I pressed forward this weekend and worked out and had my allotted cheat meals so hopefully I will weigh a little less Friday. I am really going to keep my fingers crossed that I do because if I don’t, I’m going to have to get even stricter…and who wants to do that? It’s good to know that I can maintain weight though so in the future when I actually get to a goal weight, I may not have that much trouble maintaining but at this point, I don’t want to maintain, I want to LOSE! So, we will see how it goes.

Last night was recipe night-



I made Twice-Baked Potatoes. As you can see, I served my Twice-Baked Potatoes with a side of broccoli and some chicken. They don’t look very pretty but they sure did taste good. I love twice-baked potatoes so I was happy to see a healthier version. You may be able to tell that there is broccoli in the potato as well. If you don’t like broccoli, you could leave it out or substitute it with something though I’m not sure what vegetable may go well…you put onions or carrots I guess…not sure. I happen to love broccoli so I not only put it in the potato, I roasted some in the oven with garlic and put it as a side dish as well. The process was very simple. You just bake a potato (which I did the night before because it takes about an hour), slice it in half length-wise, scoop out the insides, put them in a bowl and mix with some cheese, milk, olive oil, broccoli, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper and some salt. After you mix it all up, you spoon the mixture back into the potato halves and put them in the oven for 10 minutes or so until they are all bubbly. It was super easy and because I like to eat my peel, I put a little barbecue sauce on the side to dip the peel in. You get both halves of the potato so if you serve it with a veggie and some chicken or pork, it’s very satisfying.

This weekend, in addition to having fun with friends and family, Jordan and I began our Oscar movie marathon. You may or may not be aware of this but Jordan and I always see most of the movies nominated for Oscars. We see all the best picture nominees and all of the movies that have people nominated for best actor/actress and best supporting actor/actress. We see at least those, we try to get in a few others as well that may be nominated in other categories. I think this will be our third year. It’s always a close call because living in Alabama, we don’t always get the smaller, more independent movies. Last year, we BARELY made it. There are days when it means we watch two or three movies in one day. It can be daunting (and expensive) but it’s totally worth it when you watch the Oscars because you know all the movies and can make appropriate judgments. The nominations haven’t come out yet but preliminary lists from magazines and the Golden Globes gave us a good idea and Jordan was able to make a preliminary list. I’ve seen Inception which I loved and I’m very sure I’ve talked about. I’ve seen The Kids Are All Right which was also awesome. Before this weekend though, those were the only two I had seen. This Sunday, Jordan and I saw the Black Swan…



This movie was very…different. I can definitely see why Natalie Portman has received such acclaim. She did an amazing job transforming into the part of a paranoid dancer who is cast as the queen swan and truly believes she is transforming into a black swan. I heard this movie described as a psychological thriller and that is EXACTLY what it is…the movie is very sexual and aggressive and flat out creepy. I absolutely am not a fan of scary movies. This movie has multiple disturbing moments that will probably prevent me from watching it again but the more and more I dwell on it, the more I think it’s a fantastic movie. I only had a couple of nitpicky issues after I watched it and if you know me, when it comes to Oscar movies, I think about everything wrong with it. I actually get on my own nerves but I want to really understand why it’s nominated and I can say with 100% certainty that out of three movies I’ve seen, it deserves a spot at the Oscars. If I think about the movie too much it gives me chills because it’s so dang strange…but I can’t deny the quality of the directing and acting of Natalie Portman.

I will probably mention most of the movies I see over the course of the next few weeks, especially the more popular ones. I know that really doesn’t fit in with the weight-loss theme but it actually pertains more than you think because of my wretched need to have popcorn when I’m at the movies. It’s a pretty trying struggle. Also, I enjoy giving my two cents about movies…so you may just have to deal with it.

I will probably watch a couple more this week and then try to watch at least one, maybe two this weekend so I’m excited. I love award season (such. a. nerd.).

Have a wonderful week!

Bye!

For Jordan- : )

“Every day I fight a war against the mirror
I can't take the person starin' back at me
I'm a hazard to myself

Don't let me get me
I'm my own worst enemy
Its bad when you annoy yourself
So irritating
Don't wanna be my friend no more
I wanna be somebody else.” Don’t Let Me Get Me-Pink

There is no forest without trees...

“The sky is the limit and I just wanna flow free as a spirit on a journey I’ll go…” That is a quote(the album cover is above) from Natasha Bedingfield’s new CD “Strip Me.” I also had a quote from another song on Tuesday. I adore Natasha Bedingfield. There are a lot of times that I listen to music that is sort of melancholy or angry but Natasha is my go to girl if I want to be happy and this new CD is no different than her others…it totally lifts the spirits. I think “Strip Me” has something for everyone! It’s got pop and rock tones and she even does a song with Rascal Flatts. Anyway, that was my plug for the new CD…I like to give shout outs when my favorite artists have new stuff…I LOVE new music!

How has everyone’s week been? Mine has been nice but really long. I don’t know what it is but it seems like 4 day weeks take longer than a regular week. It’s been pretty busy and expensive for me the past few days. Last week, while I was at a friend’s house, I somehow managed to drop my iPhone in my drink and it really screwed it up. Even though I took it immediately out of the drink (it was completely immersed) and tried to dry it out a couple of days, the backlight on my screen was still broken. The phone worked, I just couldn’t see it. That wasn’t going to work for me very long, it was driving me nuts so yesterday, I rectified the situation by buying a new iPhone. Unfortunately, I am not in a financial place to get the one I wanted, the iPhone 4, but I’m happy with my 3GS so that’s what I have and I feel SO much better now that I can actually see my phone.



So, I HATE the scale today. I really only like it when I’m losing weight. Last week when I weighed, I was only a pound away from my pre-holiday weight. I weighed this morning and I basically weighed the exact same thing I did last week. I know I shouldn’t be frustrated because I knew it might take a couple weeks to start losing again, but I am frustrated. I can’t help it. I worked really hard this week and aside from an unplanned Wheat Thin binge earlier this week, I was pretty much flawless. It really goes to show you that you really do have to be perfect in order to lose weight. Oh well, there is no point in dwelling on it…I just have to continue doing my best and if I don’t start losing more in a couple weeks, I will have try something different with my cheat and weigh-in times. I may need to make an adjustment. We will see…I will keep doing what I’m doing a little while longer and if that doesn’t work, I will either throw the scale out the window or figure something else out. Wish me (and the window) luck for next week. Looks like I am confirming what I already knew, it’s an uphill battle.

Now that I’ve lost a significant amount of weight, one of the more common questions that I get from people is, “How much more do you want to lose?” In theory, I don’t guess there is anything wrong with this question. People ask it innocently I suppose but for some reason, it bugs me. I don’t get mad at the person that asks (even though it’s not really their business) but I must admit that the question puts a lot of pressure on me because the honest answer is, “I don’t know.” I have said this before but I think one of the major mistakes you make when you have a lot of weight to lose is focusing too much on the wrong things. You may think that the big picture is to be skinny but ultimately, especially as you get older, the big picture is becoming healthy. To view this big picture, you have to accomplish smaller goals. Someone used to always tell me not to miss the forest for the trees but my argument would be that without the trees, there would be no forest. Each metaphorical tree in the forest should be a small goal. It took me a long time to learn this. I know what the insurance companies tell me I should weigh but that would mean I needed to lose somewhere between 80-100 more pounds. If I looked at my journey like that every day, it would be very discouraging. I’ve lost 80 pounds and now you are telling me I’m not even close?! So, I don’t do it that way. I’m not saying what I do is the perfect answer but for me, it has been my complete motivation the past couple of years. Right now, my immediate goal is to lose 18-20 pounds by mid-May. That’s what I tell people. I don’t want to get bogged down with the idea of a goal weight until I’m close to it. If you lose 1 pound or less a week, it’s much more inspiring to think that your goal is 18 pounds rather than 80, 100, 150…whatever you may need to lose.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Bye!

“So don't try to change my mind, I'll tell you one more time
It's none of your business.” None Of Your Business-Salt ‘N’ Pepa

Ice, Ice Baby!

Hi All! Is everyone bundled up? If you got a snow day today, I have to say that I am pretty jealous. If you aren’t someone that lives in Alabama, we had quite a winter storm here on Sunday night. In the northern parts of Alabama, they got 3 or more inches of snow. Where I live in Tuscaloosa, we only got a dusting of snow but we got A LOT of sleet. It was raining ice for several hours which made the roads freeze over so I was off of work yesterday. I was happy to have the day off but at the same time, it was boring and almost unbearable as far as dieting goes. When you are trapped in the house all day, all you want to do is snack but I was good and I managed to make it through the whole day without breaking my diet. Other than the rough driving conditions, I had a nice weekend. As I told you Friday, I weighed that morning and I was only one pound away from getting rid of holiday weight so I was excited. I went to the gym meet with my friend David and saw Jordan and his family and my Mom and Oma…it was a fun time. Saturday, Jordan came over and we went to dinner and I ate WAY too much on my cheat meal…ugh, it about made me pop and then I went out with some friends. I didn’t do too much Sunday, after I ate dinner at my parents, I had to hurry home to get away from the ice. Hopefully, by the end of the week, I will have gotten rid of that extra pound and I will be on my way to losing again. *Fingers Crossed!*

Normally, I would put a picture of the event that I am discussing but I don’t think I can bring myself to post a picture from the National Championship game last night. In case you missed it, Auburn won the BCS National Championship game against Oregon. If you aren’t a football fan, you may not know that this news is devastating to most Alabama fans. Alabama and Auburn have a fierce rivalry and now we have to hear them talk about this for the ENTIRE year. Ugh, there isn’t really anything that can make a silver lining but I guess if you were REALLY reaching, you could be happy with the fact that the state of Alabama has won the BCS national championship game two years in a row and the SEC has won like 7 times in a row. Of course, I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that the SEC is the best conference…I never really disliked Auburn that much until we moved to Tuscaloosa. The atmosphere between the two teams is hostile. I do know some Auburn fans that aren’t obnoxious but for the most part, I don’t care for them…I especially don’t care for the team. I think some of their players play without class and unfortunately, it reflects upon the whole team. Anyway, football season is over and I’m going to miss it…there is always next year!!! Roll Tide!

As usual, I have a recipe to share with you…



I made Shrimp Scampi. Shrimp is the only seafood that I really love…I will eat a tuna sandwich, scallops and fish that is fried or blackened as long as it isn’t fishy. I have been known to try grilled Alaskan Salmon, Tuna Steak or a Tilapia as long as they are extremely fresh and not remotely fishy. Basically, I’m not a huge fan of seafood. I despise a really fishy taste and every time I’ve tried sushi, I’ve almost lost it…gross. Even though I like shrimp, I only think I’ve tried to cook it once or twice. I’m not sure why…maybe I just don’t like the preparation part. This was pretty easy though. You can use fresh or frozen shrimp (I used frozen because it was the only shrimp I could find that had the tails and was deveined…I REFUSED to do all that). Basically, you just sauté the shrimp with olive oil and then add in a lot of garlic. Then you put the shrimp to the side and add some low sodium chicken broth to the pan with all the left over oil and bits of garlic, add parsley and lemon juice if you like the citrus flavor (I don’t) and pour it over the shrimp. I made some garlic bread to go with it. I was a bit skeptical since I was using frozen shrimp but it actually turned out delicious and it was really simple to prepare. It was also a nice, hot meal for a cold day!

Keep warm and have a great afternoon and week!

I’ll talk with you Friday!

Bye!

“I’m at the point of almost breaking now
I’ve knocked on every door in this cold town
(Yeah)
The higher you go the harder you fall
If I wanna be safe then I just stay small
Wanna grow to the sky where it’s beautiful
But I can’t see that from the forest floor

How can I hold it together
When nothing I try makes it better
I just wanna lay here forever
Cause if I don’t get up, then I can’t fall down

There is no manual for a broken heart
I want to use it but it’s all in parts
(Oh)
The more you fall in, The harder to see
If this time it’s different will I want to release
And I don’t know if I have it in me
To love again in a face of defeat

How can I hold it together
When nothin’ I try makes it better
Just wanna lay here forever
Us if I don’t get up then I can’t fall down
(Yeah yeah yeah, oh)
(And if I don’t get up I won’t let me down)

Hope is irresistible
Hope is irresistible
Cause if I don’t get up one day I will some how

Nothing I try makes it better
I just wanna lay here forever
Cause if I don’t get up then I can’t fall down
And if I don’t get up it can let me down
(No no no)
If I can’t get up now one day I will somehow
Cause if I don’t get up one day I will somehow.” Can’t Fall Down-Natasha Bedingfield

Back On Track!

Happy Friday to everyone. I hope everyone had a nice week and that they have lots of fun weekend plans. My week has been OK. It’s been a bit of an adjustment because I had gotten used to 3-day weekends and short days and parties and food. I knew this week would be tough but it could have been way worse. In fact, I weighed this morning (I think I am officially switching my weekly weigh-in to Friday morning) and I am less than a pound away from my last lowest weight. Hopefully by the end of next week, I will not only be back to normal but I will be on my way to losing more weight. Honestly, I am pretty proud of the fact that if I continue doing well, it will have only taken me a couple of weeks to recover from a pretty intense December. I worked really hard this week so I need to make sure to stay on track so I can inch closer and closer to the next goal!

In my quest to start the year off right, I asked for a food scale for Christmas.



Ain’t it cute? When I first started Weight Watchers, I was very meticulous about measurements and weights but over time, you sort of stop caring about that as much and you being to eyeball things and you really shouldn’t do that. I’m sure there are those very few occasions where I underestimate how much I’m supposed to have but I would say that most times if you just guesstimate how much you are putting on the plate, you are probably missing the mark. I have measuring cups and spoons for recipes but I didn’t have a food scale. I had always heard that 3 oz of meat was about the size of your fist and then other than that, I would just try and guess how much I was supposed to have by estimating from the nutrition facts and serving sizes. I knew that I wanted to really buckle down on guessing this year because one chip here and one ounce of meat there can really add up…it’s all about portion control so I thought a food scale would be a great way to get on track with that. I love the food scale I have…I think I am missing a step in the instructions or something though because it keeps giving me a couple messages that I’m not sure of but for the most part, it’s been awesome. It’s amazing what I THOUGHT was 3 ounces of food and what actually is 3 ounces of food. I do think that there is such a thing as “too extreme” when it comes to measuring…I mean, I don’t sit there and spend 5 minutes perfectly fitting the croutons in the tablespoon just to make sure I don’t go over, but I do try to accurately portray a serving size on my plate…the serving sizes are there for a reason. I’m also being quite diligent with exercise. I always exercise every day (45 minutes during the week and at least 30 on the weekends) but towards the end of 2010, I was shaving off minutes of exercise because I was counting the minutes it took me to walk from the car to the store. I would hardly call that exercise. It is physical activity though, don’t get me wrong…any movement is great but I got back on my actual exercise routine this week and it really helped…I am still running too and I know that’s helping. Part of being back on track for me is to find that first love I had with Weight Watchers, I get to eat but I need to respect serving sizes and specificity! So, one week down in 2011 and I’m already almost right where I was before the holidays. Woot!

I don’t have much else today, it’s been a crazy week at work so I’m worn out and ready for the weekend! Tonight, I am going with my friend David to the first Alabama gymnastics meet of the year so that should be fun…plus I’ll get to see my mom, Oma and Jordan because they are all going too! Tomorrow, after I walk with my mom, Jordan is coming over and we are going to spend the day together just chilling! It’s been awhile since we got to spend the whole day together and do what we want so I’m looking forward to it! I don’t have many plans on Sunday other than running and spending time with my folks so it should be a nice weekend. If you are trying to start your year off right, good luck! I am here for you if you need someone to lean on…you never know, I may need to lean on you too!

Enjoy your weekend!

Since I won’t talk to you until AFTER the national championship game, GO OREGON DUCKS!

Bye!


“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y.” Firework-Katy Perry

You Gotta Try A Frittata!

Welcome to the first blog of 2011! I hope you had an awesome New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day! I had an absolute blast on New Year’s Eve! Some friends and I went out and danced and had a great time. I didn’t take many pictures for some reason but I did post a couple below. New Year’s Day was also nice, I was able to relax and watch Alabama totally dominate in their bowl game against Michigan State (I also posted a picture for that too). The bowl game was bitter sweet. It was sweet because it was a nice, strong way to end the season and a ten win season is not necessarily bad but it also made me bitter because if we had played with that intensity in every game this year, I feel confident that we would be headed to that national championship game again. Oh well, there isn’t much good in dreaming about what could have been and I suppose you can’t win the national championship every year…there is always next year. I miss football season already. After the game, my mom made her traditional New Year’s Day meal. I guess it is good luck to have black eyed peas and greens…well I despise black eyed peas and nobody in my family really eats greens so my mom makes spinach dip for the greens and black eyed pea jambalaya. She started making the jambalaya years ago…it’s DELICIOUS…it’s one of my favorite meals…it has rice, sausage, shrimp and of course black eyed peas which I can easily pick out. I do make myself eat one or two of them though so I can get whatever good luck I can get. All in all, it was a great holiday and a really nice way to end the year. I am totally back into my routine now. I am glad to be back in the saddle but it has been a little more challenging than usual because I am used to waiting in anticipation for the next opportunity to have a cheat meal and now, other than my standard two cheat meals on the weekend, it’s going to be awhile before I get to go crazy. I weighed last Friday and I was up and then I cheated both New Year’s Eve and Day so my best guess is that I gained 5-7 pounds over the holiday season. I have a lot of work to do but it could have been worse. The good news is that I’m still very determined to reach my next goal and I am right back on track. I’m hoping to knock a couple of those extra pounds off this week. I will weigh Friday and let you know…hopefully it won’t take me more than a few weeks to get back to my last lowest weight.





My first recipe of 2011 was Spaghetti, Artichoke & Zucchini Frittata…



It’s quite a mouthful to say and also kind of tricky to type but it’s way easier than it sounds. I know that those of you out there who aren’t crazy about vegetables (especially artichokes and zucchinis) are thinking that nothing could sound more gross but I promise, it wasn’t that bad. I wouldn’t really say I love artichokes. Honestly, until last night, I’d only had them in dips or on a pizza so I have never really tasted one. Last night though I tried a bite before I mixed them in and honestly, they didn’t have that much flavor…they have an odd consistency but when I used them in my recipe, I didn’t even notice that they were there. I also feel like zucchinis don’t have that much flavor but if you don’t like the texture, I don’t see why you couldn’t substitute them with a potato. Basically, you mix together eggs, cooked whole wheat pasta (the recipe called for spaghetti but I used the whole wheat pasta I already had in the pantry), artichokes, fat free cheese, salt and pepper. After you sauté some onions, garlic and zucchini, you put that in the egg mixture and then dump the whole thing into a skillet. Let it brown on the bottom for a few minutes and then pop it in the oven for about 5 minutes until it is firm in the middle. While it’s cooking, warm up some tomato sauce (I used store bought spaghetti sauce that had a little extra flavor) in a sauce pan or in the microwave and drizzle it over the pieces of frittata after you get it out of the oven. Before I started the recipe thing, I don’t think I had ever made a frittata…I may have never even eaten one (I’m not sure) but since I’ve been making recipes every week, I think I’ve made three. They are really easy and low fat and quite filling. Don’t be afraid of mixing eggs with things…I’ve been surprised…eggs taste good on burgers, with veggies or even topped with spaghetti sauce. If you don’t experiment with new food, you’ll never make it!

I think that was all I had for today! Wish me luck with the new year and I will do the same for you!

Talk with you soon!

Bye!


“I don't want to talk about it to you
I'm not an open book that you can rifle through
The cold hard truth that you see right to
I'm just basket case without you

He's not a magic man or a perfect fit
But had a steady hand and I got used to it
And a glass cage heart and invited me in
And now I'm just a basket case without him

You're beggin' for the truth
So I'm sayin' it to you
I've been saving your place
And what good does it do?
Now I'm just a basket case
Now I'm just a basket case

I don't say much and it'll stay that way
You got a steel train touch and I'm just a track you lay
So I'll stay right here underneath you
I'm just a basket case and that's what we do.” Basket Case-Sara Bareilles