Take Those Pounds And Shove It!

Welcome to the weekend everyone!!! I am ready to relax and I have the vision of a 4 day weekend coming to me very soon and I could not be more excited about that. If I can make it through Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (and I’m confident I can), I have 4 days of food, family, friends and football and well…I just can’t think of a much better way to spend time. I weighed this morning and I knocked out around two of the 4ish pounds I had gained over the past several weeks. I was happy about that and I expected to lose because I’ve been SUCH a good girl. I was flawless last weekend so, SIANARA 2 pounds! I feel confident I can keep those two pounds off for a grand total of 2 or 3 days. Between our work Thanksgiving celebration, Thanksgiving at home and leftovers, I might as well have a parade for the return of those 2 pounds because they are coming back with a vengeance. I’ve come to terms with the fact that my original goal for January 15th isn’t going to happen. I’ve been eating way to good over football season to expect to drop almost 14 pounds in the next 7 weeks. I’d have to lose 2 pounds a week and with my lose some, gain some routine, it’s just not going to happen. My goal now is to maintain this process of putting on a holiday and football pound here and there and then getting rid of it the next week. If I can do that, I can go full speed ahead beginning in January so I will keep exercising and doing well MOST days but rest assured, that goal is mine and while this fall season has been a bump in the road for me, it won’t be a sink hole that sucks me down into an abyss. Trust me, I run over bumps all the time, in my car AND in life but I just keep on driving and that’s what I plan on doing.





This week’s recipe comes from the Hungry Girl and she calls them Hot Stack Ruby Sliders. They are a nice breakfast substitute for those fattening sliders you can find at Ruby Tuesdays and many other places. For the bread, you use the Arnold Sandwich thins. Cut the bun into thirds to make three sliders. The recipe called for Canadian Bacon and fat free sliced cheese but I used sliced deli ham and sliced Reduced Fat Sargento Colby Jack cheese. Use about 2 pieces of the thinly sliced ham on each slider and split one slice of the cheese into thirds. Heat a skillet and cook egg beaters in the bottom of it. Place the ham and cheese on top forming little piles that you can add to the bread. Put a lid over it for a minute or so to get the cheese to melt and then place the nice little stacks on the bread. This turned boring egg beaters into something yummy and different. It was quick and easy and that’s always my favorite way to cook.



Well, the ticket fairy arrived to me on Friday of last week allowing me to go with my Mom to the Mississippi State game. We had a great time. It was chilly and the cowbells proved to be pretty annoying but it was an easy drive and other than Bama’s complete inability to kick a field goal, it was a pretty easy win.





This will be the last before and after picture until I go back to my regularly scheduled updates when I hit a milestone. The main reason I’m not doing anymore is because I’m out of fat pictures. Trust me, there were plenty but I went on a deleting spree of them awhile back and there just aren’t enough to keep up with anymore. I know you are devastated but just try and understand. Also, if at any time you need to be inspired or feel better about how you currently look, you can look at archives and my standard/official before and after pics are always there for your viewing. I will come up with something magnificent to talk about since this section won’t be here anymore. In this before picture, I was apparently angry at something. I look like a giant yeti that is about to purposefully cause an avalanche. The after is from this past weekend. My Mom took a picture of me in front of MSU’s stadium which is small but surprisingly tall…trust me…the 500 ramps we had to climb up to get to our seats were no joke.





Since next week is Thanksgiving, I will not be blogging next week at all. Since I won’t be talking to you again until December, I wanted to go ahead and wish you and yours a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!



Also, since I won’t be blogging, I won’t be able to slip in a ROLL TIDE for the next two weeks. Alabama plays Georgia Southern tomorrow and hopefully, they won’t be a problem. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Alabama will head down to the plains to play Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Even though Alabama appears to be a better team this year, the Iron Bowl’s are traditionally unpredictable and since Alabama is playing them at their house, it will be an exciting game. I will watch that one from home unless the ticket fairy visits me again…I’m not too hopeful that will happen but I’d LOVE to go if I could.

That’s all I had!

Have a great weekend, week, Thanksgiving and weekend!

Roll Tide!

Bye!

“I wish I was cold as stone,
Then I wouldn't feel a thing.
I Wish I didn’t have this heart,
Then I wouldn't know the sting of the pain.
I could stand strong and still…” Cold As Stone-Lady Antebellum

11/11/11

I’d like to give a shout out to all the Veterans out there who have served our country (including my Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Kevin and many others in my family) and also to those who continue to serve. For the next several paragraphs, I will whine and complain about many things but remembering those who miss holidays, birthdays and other events with their families puts things in perspective.

It’s Friday and that always makes me happy but I’m having a hard time getting on board with the good mood that I should have. It all started last week when Alabama lost a gut wrenching game against LSU. Then, there is all this tragic garbage with Penn State. In addition to the bad football news, I weighed this morning and well, that put me over the edge. Today was the first day I weighed in a few weeks. I gave myself this week to do an awesome job…and I did…but when I got on the scale this morning, I was up 4.4 pounds. I expected to gain…but jeez. I am mad on multiple levels. I’m mad at myself for eating too much. I’m also mad at the world because even though I should be punished a little for my bad behavior, 4.4 pounds seems a bit harsh. I was still good a majority of the days and I never once faltered on my exercise. In fact, I even upped the ante a bit on my treadmill runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Whatever. The real test now is how I treat this surplus. Someone suggested this morning that I should just say, “forget it,” until the holidays are over. Do you have any idea how much weight I could put on between now and after the new year? You don’t? A LOT. I could gain 15 or 20 pounds in the next two months if I decided to just eat what I want. I really believe that so just saying, “forget it,” isn’t really an option for me. However, I still think I deserve to enjoy my holidays SO I am going to be completely strict about everything unless I am attending a holiday party at work or I’m eating a holiday meal with my family. If I can manage to be completely great every other minute I’m not celebrating the holidays, I should be OK. If I see myself slipping into other areas, I may have to get drastic. I’m hoping I can get most of those extra pounds off between now and next Friday because I plan on sticking to my weekend plan perfectly. I haven’t had a weekend where I didn’t cheat in awhile so it’s going to be tough but I have to in order to get back to normal.





This week, we are going back to healthy recipes, which evidently I need. The first and second pictures are different variations of Lavash Flatbread Pizza. Lavash bread is a flat, Kosher bread. You can get it in the deli where you find the other pita breads and Hawaiin bread. You get 4 in a pack and they are big squares that are perfect for making pizza. The best part is that the whole thing is only 100 calories and they are loaded with fiber. The only problem is, they are very thin, so the more you add to them, the more likely they are to buckle in the middle. I don’t even care though, I love the fact that I can make this as a pizza and eat the whole thing. The first version is a cheese pizza. These are a bit sturdier since you aren’t adding the weight of meat but this one has pizza sauce, reduced fat mozzarella and parsley. That was the first one I made. I like it so much, I started making them all the time. I have made them with and without all kinds of ingredients depending on how many points I have left. Since I always loved Meat Lovers pizza from Pizza Hut, I decided to make my own version with pizza sauce, fat free mozzarella, turkey sausage, turkey pepperoni and sliced chorizo sausage. I also added mushrooms and onions. It’s so tasty!!!



Last Friday, I went to see Matt Nathanson in concert. He’s really cute and I love his voice. I didn’t get a great picture but I wanted to give a shout out to my friend Nish for hooking me up with the tickets. Thanks Nish!





Despite our devastating loss, I posted the pictures of me, David and Cassandra at ESPN’s Gameday. We got up really early and brought signs. We weren’t quite early enough to get on TV but we had fun anyway. We learned what we need to do next time if we decide to go back to Gameday.





They added some new playground equipment at the park next to my parents house and David and I went and played on some of the new stuff Sunday. I am not as young as I used to be, that’s all I’ll say about that.





This before and after makes me feel better and worse at the same time. I’ve changed a lot and I have lost enough weight now to feel it and see it when I gain…even if it is just a few pounds. I can feel each of those extra pounds on me…I know they are there…and I want them gone. I’m DETERMINED! By the way, the penguin is a punch ball my mom got me. I love penguins and punch balls, so, THANKS MOM!

Alabama plays Mississippi State tomorrow in Mississippi so I think I am watching it from the house. I would love to go but I a might have exhausted my football budget already this year and those tickets were $75 a piece. There is still a chance if a lot of things happen Alabama could go to the National Championship game…it’s unlikely…but I hope Bama plays their heart out the rest of the season regardless of the outcome. Mom and I are also going to see My Fair Lady on Sunday with my friends David and Jordan so it should be a fun weekend.

Also, I found out yesterday that my best friend from childhood’s mother has cancer. These people were certainly an extension of my family when I was a kid and I am heartbroken to hear that. I loathe cancer and I hope that she will be able to win her battle. I won’t say her name, I just wanted to mention her in hopes that you keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Roll Tide!

Bye!

“Sometimes I wish I lived by a pier
In a light house with a chandelier
I’d watch everybody’s ships come in
And then I’d sail away with them

Unanchored in a storm
Or save me on the shore
If this is all I need
Why do I want more.” Airstream Song-Miranda Lambert

Are y'all ready for some football?

Hey y’all! I am so excited that it’s the weekend that I can barely think straight. I’ve going to dive right in because I want to get in and get out today.



Ok-so, this is not a healthy recipe, it’s not my recipe and I didn’t even make them (though I did attempt to help) so I know this is a total cop out but I have a healthy recipe to talk about next week so, please forgive me. I made cake pops a couple months ago but my brother was having a Halloween party and even though I swore off the little monsters, my mom decided to tackle them again. They are fragile and difficult little things but my mom is a very determined soul and she finished them and made them into eyeballs for Halloween and they turned out awesome and they were DELICIOUS! I have to say, I will still stick with my cake pop moratorium but I will happily consume them should anyone else brave these complicated little treats.









So-for the party at Jordan’s…I was a pot of gold, he was a rainbow and Nichole was a leprechaun. They turned out cute and a MAJOR shout out to my mother who worked tirelessly to sew my costume BY HAND!!! Thanks Mom!!! I appreciated it so much. At work, our whole department set up a carnival/Where’s Waldo scene and we all went as a different version of Waldo…I was 80s Waldo, there was a Jersey Waldo, a Pirate Waldo, a Darth Waldo…and others…there was also the ACTUAL Waldo. We had games and candy and cupcakes. It was lots of fun. It was another great Halloween season in the books.





This before and after pic is the last of the Halloween themed fat pictures. I was a devil a few years back and this is a much slimmer picture of me in a costume. I have been eating way too much but I am determined to get back in the groove for good next week. I’ve had a decent week but I didn’t weigh. I will meet the scale next Friday to see what damage has been done and get ready to work hard. Hopefully, you will hear of pounds lost and not gained soon!



I am mostly filled with excitement because the game EVERYONE is talking about is TOMORROW! #1 and #2 will face off in Tuscaloosa and even though I’m nervous and I’m trying not to think too much about it, the fans and media are making it IMPOSSIBLE. Everyone is talking about it, ESPN is here and this town is absolutely CRAZY. I hope Bama can pull this out despite the enormous amount of pressure they are facing.

I know this was short and sweet but I am busy and distracted.

I hope you all have a fantastic and safe weekend.

ROLL TIDE!

I will hopefully have a good weight and football report to share next week!

Bye!

“Yea, Alabama! Drown 'em Tide!
Every 'Bama man's behind you;
Hit your stride!
Go teach the Bulldogs to behave,
Send the Yellow Jackets to a watery grave!
And if a man starts to weaken,
That's a shame!
For 'Bama's pluck and grit
Have writ her name in crimson flame!
Fight on, fight on, fight on, men!
Remember the Rose Bowl we'll win then!
Go, roll to victory,
Hit your stride,
You're Dixie's football pride, Crimson Tide!” - Yea,Alabama!