Good morning, Well I had a crappy new years. All day new years eve I wasn't feeling well and by the evening I was full blowen SICK. We had tickets to go to the Gala in town and I made it through the first 2 hours and had to go home. My husband stayed with our friends and had a blast. Oh well..theres always next year. I weighed myself this am and I am down 1/2 a pound. I hope to get back to working out tonight and get back on track now that all the holidays are almost over. We have one more meal this weekend for Ukranian Christmas.
jillybean720- glad to hear that you had a great New Years. Congrats to you for having controll at the restaraunt.
missingmyerica- congrats on your weight loss. You'll hit onederland before you know it!!
stillovecartoons- you sound very motivated. I'm sure you'll reach all your goals with that motivation. Your motivation is fuel for me too.

Morning :coffee:

Hope everyone survived the first day of 2008. I had a rather lazy day and didn't get up to too much of anything.. oh well back into the swing of things today. Gonna hit the gym and go to Costco to stock up on healthy snacks.

Wooohooo Lisa - you will be in onederland in no time !!

So what did you think of the biggest loser? I think it will be a good season, lots of high numbers were posted last night. Has anyone else noticed that at the beginning of the season that the ladies weigh in their sports bras and the men take their shirts off and then towards the end of the season - when they have lost substantial amounts of weight - that they all wear tshirts. What's up with that?!?!?

Hey everyone! Wow, what an active group on this thread! I had wanted to join in with you all in the beginning, but then I was out and about with the holidays, so I'm just now getting back in the computer swing of things! Ha! I'll catch up with you all!

I'm looking forward to this new year. It is so much better now than it was last year and I feel so hopeful about this year (and I'm feeling much more confident). I won't even let myself remember the Christmas pictures from this year (ugh!). They are at least a little better than last year and maybe next year's pics will be glorious!!!

Howdy y'all!

Well, I weighed in yesterday--322.8 lbs. I'm not getting on the scale again for awhile--maybe in a week, maybe in a month. We'll see...

Today, I have concentrated on how my body feels and feeding it when it was hungry. While I'm not counting calories per se, I kind of add it up in my head. So far, about 750 calories. Part of my new lifestyle is to stop about halfway through eating and wait a bit to see if I am still hungry. That might be a little rough at first, but I am determined to eat like a thin person!!

Jilly: good for you for listening to your body!

Lisa: Knock knock knockin' on Wonderland's door!! Cool!

Day 2 - So Far So Good
 

Well, I started off the year with a killer hangover, but started off the year not eating any sugars!

I have discovered that if you take a leaf of romaine lettuce, and a slice of turkey and a slice of reduced fat cheese, roll it all up with a dab of RF Mayo, It's really really good! You actually taste the lettuce!

I also made myself breakfast this morning, and packed a lunch to take to work! DH just made us dinner and left the butter off of my beans.

There were sweets abound from everyone coming back to work after the holidays, and I stayed away from them. AND I AM SO MUCH HAPPIER FOR IT!

At no point during the day did I have hunger pangs, and at no point did I feel like I was going to crash. It was nice to have a little bit of extra energy and to know that that will only increase!!

Believe it or not, two of my friends actually told me I was having a skinny day.. I think it is because I got new jeans for Christmas that actually fit, and I was wearing my MBT Sneakers that have some height to them, so I looked taller too... BUT HEY, I'm not gonna turn down compliments!

Day two - Success!!

Next up, Day 3.

Hang in there ladies, days will pass, and pounds will drop!

I think i've got a mini goal of losing 10 lbs by Feb 1.. That will put me in 2-derland by month 2! (is 2-derland a term here?)

WooHoo!! I am so glad I have people to share this with, usually I'd be too shy about my weight to talk to anyone at all!

-J

Wow! It sounds like everyone has started the new year with a bang! So many success stories already. Congratulations to all of you!

I've not weighed myself but I certainly FEEL much better already. I think Jilly mentioned it before but I am always so amazed at how even a few days of healthy eating improves my mood and energy level. Truly, nothing makes me feel better than being in control. What's funny is that when my eating is in control so is the rest of my life...work is better, the house is cleaner, EVERYTHING feels better! I must remind myself that my eating does not get out of control because the rest of my life isn't in order...I let the rest of my life become disorderly when I let my eating get out of control. From what I've read most people are the opposite...they turn to food when they can't control anything else in their life. For me, though, as long as I keep my eating habits in check everything else falls into place. I suppose because I know that if I manage to eat healthily and within reason then everything else is easy in comparison - nothing else seems quite as challenging. And now I'm rambling...SORRY!:dizzy:

I haven't seen it called that here, but I have seen it called Two-terville, I believe. But, whatever you call it, it's a better place to be! I'll be following about 10 pounds be hind you ;)

Well, my sister called yesterday. They took Izzy to the orthopedic specialist yesterday and had to have a hard cast put on her leg. So much for learning to walk right now--it will be on for about 6 weeks. The specialist also said the fracture in her wrist was more recent than the hospital originally thought, that it is "healing," not already all healed. He said it probably occurred about 2-3 weeks ago, which means when I saw Izzy at Christmas, she had a broken wrist! No wonder the poor baby was so fussy.

I did something yesterday I haven't done in weeks, possibly even months--I didn't eat out at ALL. Sounds like a silly thing to be happy about, but I've gotten into such a habit of eating out for dinner or stopping at McD's for breakfast or ordering pizza at work for lunch...but yesterday was all MY food.

Today, I may have lunch out, as I haven't gone grocery shopping yet, but I know if I do, it will be Wendy's. They have a salad there I like (and fat free honey mustard dressing!), or I could do a baked potato and cup of chili. As long as I steer clear of all things fried and anything that comes on a bun, I'll be okay :p

I'm so glad this thread is helpful to so many. I wasn't sure if anyone would join me when I started it, but I knew I needed it. Thanks to all who are here to help each other out along the way :hug:

On the biggest loser subject: OMG....I would have killed my Dad if he bailed on me like that! Grrr. I like the Mother/Son, ex's and the Mother/daughter teams. It looks like it's going to be a good season!

McMoo: Doesn't it feel good when people notice we look good? I know we need to feel good about ourselves, but sometimes you just need a little boost, right? Congrats.

Jilly: I'm glad you started this thread too. A smaller group makes it a little more personal and adds that extra bit of support. Thanks.:hug:

Lucky: I'm with you all the way....my life gets out of control when my eating does. I feel lazy and without direction. When I eat right I have tons of energy and my mood is so much better.

Jen: My daughter is naturally thin, we joke around that she was switched in the hospital. She will take two bites out of a donut and just leave the rest sitting there. Of course you-know-who would have to eat it instead of throwing it in the trash where it belonged. She eats as an after-thought, food means nothing to her. It drives me nuts, but I'm trying to be more like her.

Slash: Welcome. I know what you mean about the Christmas pictures. Ugh...that's what fireplaces are for!

Louie: LOL....I comment about the women wearing bras, every season! It is so disturbing. I guess it's all about the drama, but I don't think I'd want t stand in front of America with my stretch marks glistening under the lights. Blech. I give them credit.

Soon2be: Hope you are feeling better.:hug:

Luvz2Teach: I have trouble drinking water too. I never feel thirsty. I don't drink anything but herbal tea and water now, I totally eliminated diet soda. I bought one of those big coffee mugs that you use to drink coffee in the car and I fill it with herbal tea. I just carry it around with me and fill it whenever I'm done. It's the only way I can get myself to drink in the winter. I have my TOM too and someone at work made homemade dark chocolate "turtles", I allowed myself one small one and let me tell you I savored every bit of it! Mmmmm.:dizzy:

I'm joining up ladies! 2008 all the way!

I haven't gotten up the courage to get on the scale just yet. I'll be there on Monday, though, to get back on track with weekly weigh in. I can tell I put on a little weight at least over the holidays.

I did pretty good yesterday, but I'm slacking when it comes to exercise. Maybe if it would warm up to above freezing at least, it would be more comfortable to be outside!! But, no excuses! I have a coat, gloves, ear muffs, boots... I can do it.

Welcome Rocker!:hug:

Welcome to the gang, Rocker !!

Hope everyone is having a good week. The weekend will be here before we know it and then I will have to go back to work on monday :(

On Saturday I am scheduled to have a fitness assessment at the gym. Not sure what it will entail but I hope that I get through it okay. I'm glad that it is happening now, rather than in October when I first started exercising... that would not have been a pretty assessment !!

I didn't get to Costco yesterday, instead DH and I are going to head out there tonight. Looking forward to picking up some healthy snacks - feels like it has been a month of carbs and suger <<bleech>>

Well I am off to make myself some lunch - have a great day and TTYS :)

Hi y'all...checking in!

I had a big revelation last night:

I have never been thin. Ever. So I have NO CLUE how a thin person eats! The thing is, I don't have anyone close to me that is thin so I can observe their habits! So I'm on a mission! LOL!

Welcome, rocker!

Slash: I admire you wanting to get out there in the freezing cold. I live in Florida, and today has been the coldest day of winter so far! I'm such a weenie now!

Jill: I haven't been to the grocery yet either. So I am "making do" with stuff at home until I get there....can be kinda frustrating! Come this weekend, I will do a BIG shop!

I ended up getting stuck at work and couldnt get out for lunch, so I had to eat out of the vending machine. Definitely not my first choice! But tonight will be Wendy's chili!!

Talk to you all later!!!

Have you tried Boca chili? It's made with no meat and it tastes really good... I tried it last year when I gave up meat for 3 months. ONLY 150 cal for 269 grams where as there are 220 in a small chili from wendy's that's only 227 grams!

Okay ladies, so my cold has some what gone away... My throat feels better, still not sounding too sexy, but at least I can BREATH again!! So I'm starting my workout program today!! No excuses! 7 days a week, at least 30 minutes to 1 hour a day!! I was on a mission to lose some lbs a couple years ago, would kick it into high gear on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes per day, and became more food conscious and after about 2 months i dropped 15 lbs.... So, I am committing to watching my portions, and I WILL do this this time, and it will be a permanent life change!!! I'm also going to start keeping tabs on calories and start reading labels. I've decided to USE my food journal!!!

PS. I read on the comp (don't ask me where, I think it may have been either msn.com or a local site here.) that people who REGULARLY weigh themselves have a higher success rate than those who don't. I can understand this b/c when i lost weight before I weighed myself daily and found that it kept me motivated and made me challenge myself. Anyway, just wanted to share that with those of u who have banished the scale!! Talk soon!!

Hey Ladies,

So Day three... Success for me!

I haven't weighed myself, but I feel so much better! I doubt I have really lost anything, but I have been so much more active, I actually ran ( I use ran very loosely) up a flight of stairs! I've got spring in my step and it feels great. I don't know if it's related at all, but cutting sugar out of my diet has made my knees feel dramatically better right off the bat.

I made myself breakfast again, and like you, missingmyerica, while I was cooking my eggies, I put the kettle on to boil and made my big travel mug of tea to carry around with me. It was empty by the time I got to work, and I kept filling it all day. I drink water too, I've never really had a problem with water, I guzzle it like it's my job.
I found a tea, I think it's from the republic of tea, and it's called 'get clean.' It's a detox tea, and I like to think that it's helping me not want sugar.

Lastnight, as I was drinking some Tension Tamer Tea, I was reciting to myself... I like this better than the IceCream DH has in the freezer... but I was doing it jokingly. Usually I would have been fighting myself to stay away from the freezer!

Lunch today, I went out with the girls from work. I got a beautiful Cobb Salad with shrimp instead of chicken and it was Delicious! My co-worker got a pizza and an appetizer of fried calamari. I joked that she was trying to sabotage me. I had a few little bits, but am very happy with myself, as I would have normally scarfed half of the plate. The two other girls cheezy gooey pizzas were very tempting, but as I was squeezed into the small booth, I kept thinking of one day not having to move the table so I can get into it.

I just had dinner of two eggs, and a thin slice of ham. I took tiny tiny bites, and it worked. Usually I would have finished it in two bites. That's the good thing about cutting out sugars for me.. The hunger goes away.. Now I want to eat for the taste of it, not the swallowing of it.

On a slight down note, the detox headache is creeping in. I'm drinking so much water to help it pass quickly. I guess it reminds me that it's working though, right?

Going to watch some Kitchen Nightmares on the BBC America Channel, watching Gordon Ramsey dig through the fridges and find all the rotten food makes me not want to eat too.. and he's kinda nice to look at :)

Good luck tomorrow... Fridays are big sweets and donuts days in the office.. I will Win!!!

Helloooooooooooooooo everyone!!

Today was the big day... I went to my first WW meeting tonight. I was going to go to the meeting closest to my house but I changed my mind at the last minute and opted for the location that had the most meeting times. I'm glad I made that decision. I loved the environment when I walked in. It was alot of people there, but it was also right after work, so I knew that there would be a crowd.

The leader was quirky in a perky sorta way and she seemed really nice. I joined officially tonight and had my first weigh in. I'm actually 3lbs lighter than I thought! Man was I thrilled to find that out. OMG... imagine losing 3lbs over the holidays?!! That was really a great way to start this journey because now I'm motivated to keep losing. Hey... if I can lose 3lbs not doing a thing, what might happen with some effort, right?

My weigh-ins will be on Saturday, starting next week. How are all of you doing?

Welcome Rocker! Question: Why "Rockerinsideafatgirl" Why not just a Rocker? I understand the idea of fat obscuring who we really are but why does that mean we are someone else in the meantime?

If you want to be a rocker, well be a rocker at the weight you are! I'll salute you (and if you actually get that reference I am waay less lame than I thought I was)!

I've never liked that "skinny person trapped in a fat body" mentality. Just makes being overweight feel more victimizing and we can all use all the empowerment we can get. Its a vicious circle. If you veiw the fat as a punishment of sorts then you stay fat because you feel like you deserve to be punished because you are fat (and the million other toxic ideas that people who have been overweight have about themselves).

Jen415: I know the feeling! I have found it really helpful to look at the fitdays of the successful women here like Meg and Mandalin318 (sp?) though its still all pretty baffling to me. Sometimes it seems like Tons of food even though in my head 1500 cals isn't much at all.

Personally, I had a less than stellar day. My scale broke (the battery died) and I had a day full of fast food but I at least kept the soda to a minimum (MAJOR weakness of mine) and I started a blog that I am excited about (still debating if I want to link to it or not).I'm sick and have the joy of TOM which makes a real work out rough but I have been pacing all day which I guess is better than lying in bed. And quothe Scarlett "Tomorrow is another day!"

Im new and wondering how you get the cute little trackers?

Thank you!

Hi y'all!

Healthygoals: Go to the UserCP button at the top left corner of your screen, then click on edit signature and it will give you directions.

Rocker:I haven't tried the Boca Chili, but I have some of the other products. Not bad!!

Thazard:I like your enthusiasm! And if weighing daily motivates you, then go for it!

McMoo:That's the idea--to FEEL better!! :) And I'm with you--I loves me some Gordon!! :)

TEach:So glad you found a good encouraging environment! I've been on WW a couple of times, and for me both experiences were not good because of those in my meetings. I just knew I needed more support than they could give. BTW, have you checked out the WW forums here on 3FC? Lots of good folks there!

Mirth:I love your outlook! I whole heartedly agree--be a rocker NOW!! Why wait? Why wait to do ANYTHING until you lose weight? As that John Mellencamp song says..."Your Life is NOW!"....Hope today is better for you!

I am having a great day so far!! I've had a good breakfast and still feel full. I'm having lunch out with a friend today--not sure where yet. But wherever it is, I will eat mindfully!

See y'all later!

Hey Mirth: I got it your reference! I'm so proud of myself. I guess it is just a good thing that it was a reference to classic rock (is there any other kind?) and not the music of my kids, or I would have been lost. There I go again, showing my age!

Luvz2Teach: Losing weight while not being on plan? Just think what you'll do with a solid plan. You'll be unstoppable.

McMoo: I always liked ****'s Kitchen just so I could watch Ramsay in action. Hot!

Rocker: Boca chili... is it frozen? I'm assuming not canned??

thazard: Glad you're feeling better!

Well, for me, I didn't exercise yesterday. It is amazing how easily I can justify being too busy and having too many other things to do. I am turning myself back around and getting back to how I was before the holidays. I am having a little trouble amping up my water intake. One step at a time!!

Hello Ladies

Just dropping in to say hello :wave:

Boca chili is frozen not canned and it is really good.

House: I don't mean it to victimize myself. I'm in a band, I am the only girl, the lead singer, lead guitarist and I DO rock. BUT it is hard for me to physically rock out and sing at the same time. The rocker I want to be is a thinner, healthier rocker than I am now, one that can actually rock and keep a pitch! :)
I have to say... I really love how you are concerned though. It means a lot that people here care when people say negative things about themselves. Again, my sn is not to victimize myself, but to motivate.

P.S. I got your reference. 10pts for a good rock allusion. AC/DC is awesome!

Hello everyone,
I had a great workout lastnight, finally feeling back to myself after the flu. Took the kids sledding this morning and had a blast.
I have read everyones post but don't have to much time right now to comment on all. Will get to that little later.
Have a great day everyone...

Good Morning :coffee:

Up early again today, so enjoying a cup of coffee and catching up on posts. Always lots of good information to read !!

Anyone have any big plans for today? I have my fitness assessment and it is date night. Not sure what date night will entail as it is hubby's night to plan.

Soon2beslim, glad that you are feeling better. I am not much of a snow lover, but sledding sounds like fun !!

Well, I'm off to read some more. Have a great Saturday :D

Hi y'all....been doing domestic stuff this morning. Just having a cup of hot green tea and chilling out.

We're meeting some friends later for drinks. Tomorrow will be more domestic stuff like cleaning out closets, etc. Woohoo!! NOT!

See y'all later!

Not much time to post today, but I hope Everyone's doing well. Day 4 went great. I treated myself to Sashimi for dinner, and was worried about the soy sauce making me swell up.. but when i stepped on the scale this morning...

I'VE LOST WEIGHT!! I'M ONLY 6 LBS AWAY FROM 2-TERVILLE!!! WAAAHOOOOO!

Have a great weekend ladies!!

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy McMoooooo!!!!!!!! Way to go!!!

Afternoon everyone... its a lazy Saturday around here (though I should be doing lots of things). Day 5 is going well so far. Just trying to be careful since I'm home all day. Had a good, on-plan breakfast, so I'm proud.

No real plans for the day other than to cook some meals for this coming week. I had some things prepared in advance last week and that really helped give me some options instead of standing in the pantry looking for something to cook (and probably pick the wrong things).

Have a great one everyone.......... :)

Woohoo McMoo!!

Have fun going out tonight, Jen!

Soon2beslim, glad to hear you're feeling better.

I somehow managed a loss as well. The last time I stepped on the scale, it said 321.5, but htis morning, it said 318.5. I'll take it. I think the loss come primarily from having just gotten over my TOM, but I won't argue ;)

No big plans for us. We tried to go out and buy an artificial Christmas tree on clearance, but Target, Walmart, Lowes, and HOme Depot are all already sold out. I had seen some at the Target in Md when we went to stay with Jeff's cousins, but we couldn't get it at that time because it would fit in our car (with the puppies, 2 puppy crates, a full suitcase, and Christmas gifts--our next vehicles will have to be bigger than Civics!).

I did pick up some paint swatches, though, and I think I've decided on a color for my living room. The next week is supposed to be pretty warm here (mid 50s to low 60s), so it seems like a good time to paint as I might be able to keep the windows open for a couple hours in the afternoon.

Tomorrow, I plan to go grocery shopping and stock up on everything I'll need for a successful week.

OH, and I know some people on 3F have mentioned what a great workout the Nintendo Wii can be. We have a Wii, but the novelty has worn off a bit (we've had it since the spring), but we also have an Xbox 360, and Jeff just bought the game Rock Band for that. We played it today, and I played the drums--talk about an upper arm workout! What fun--I really enjoy the more active video games. Jeff likes regular video games, but for those, I just sit and watch him play.

Hey everyone.... hope your day has been great so far. I had to jump online and share my joy with you. Remember how worried I was about weekend eating, right?

Well..... I decided to have breakfast this morning with my kids. We usually do a larger breakfast since we don't get to eat really good breakfasts during the week. I think I waited longer than I should have this morning simply out of fear... lol I modified my meal, but enjoyed a high point breakfast this morning. It was about 13 points total. I know.... not so good. The good part is that I was satisfied and full and that kept me out of the kitchen the rest of the day. By the time I realized that I was hungry, it was time to start cooking dinner. Now, here is where it gets good....

I decided to make Chicken Cacciatore. I served it with spaghetti and a little parm on top. Corn on the cob on the side. It was good and since I had only used 15 points all day long, I allowed myself to have seconds. I went upstairs to enter the recipe into the tracker on WW online to see just how many points that was and wouldn't you know that 1 serving of my recipe was only 3 points? I was so shocked yet very happy to know that I could modify one of my favorites and enjoy it! If anyone wants the recipe, I'll be glad to share it. My kids thought it was wonderful, plus it made a total of 8 servings which was enough for all of us to thoroughly enjoy it and leave a little for lunch on Monday. Now I'm stuffed and I still have to use 14 points today... smh... I love WW!

Sorry so long... I guess I was excited. :D How are all of you surviving the weekend?

Hi guys!! I'm back from Sedona and I wish you all much more success on trips, eating and exercise than I had! But it is done and that is life and life moves on.

Congrats on all the wonderful losses this week. Yea, McMoo!!! Can't wait to celebrate your next milestone with you!


Luvz2teach,
I am very interested in your recipe. Sounds yummy. Way to make those lifestyle changes!

Luvz2Teach--great job modifying your recipe! So many people start a weight loss plan and think they can no longer eat their favorite foods, but in most cases, those same foods can just be adjusted a bit either portion- or ingredient-wise to fit into their plan. Hurray for being able to lose weight while eating yummy foods! :D

midwife--glad you're back! And glad you've got the attitiude of just moving on and putting it behind you rather than harping on it, feeling guilty, trying to starve yourself to make up for it...I've been reading some other sections of this board and some other boards recently, and people try to do the craziest things to "make up" for a bad trip/day/meal/week/whatever. Drives me insane! :dizzy:

As for me, I'm waiting for Jeff to get out of the shower, and then we're going to go to Subway for some lunch (love Subway as a quick, plan-friendly option) and then hit the grocery store to stock up for the week. I'm hoping to clean up my kitchen some when we get back and maybe start preparing meals for during the week. I REALLY need to get back into the habit of cooking dinner at HOME instead of eating out every night. My wallet will appreciate the change as well. I can't even imagine how much more disposable income we would have to spend on things like home improvements if we could just stop eating out all the time (we just moved into our first owned home together in August, so lots of things we'd like to do to make it our own!).

Hello! I've only had an opportunity to quickly scan everyone's posts but it sounds like everyone is right on track! That's awesome and very motivating. I have decided to weigh in tomorrow, the first weigh-in since I've committed to losing weight again. I'm a little nervous. I've hade an terrific week although I could have exercised more than I did. I exercised but didn't bust my rear end the way I should have! So, I'm not worried about how well I've done but that my eating behaviors from before I got back on the weight loss bandwagon might just now register on the scale. But, that's what I have to remind myself off....This past week and a half may actually just balance the scales for me, not tip them in the right direction. That will be okay because I KNOW next week will give me a more realistic idea of where I am weight-wise. In the meantime, I FEEL so much better. More energy, less bloat, and a better mood. I can't complain with results like that!

Jilly - we have a Wii too and I love the thing. We got DDR not too long ago and, although I'm not very good at it yet it still makes for a fun workout...ceratinly better than a game that allows me to sit on the couch! Also, I got Guitar Hero 3 for Christmast and we love, love, love it. We'd never played before...it doesn't get my heart rate up but it certainly isn't a sedentary game either (especially if you don't mind playing it like a spazz, which I'm told by my children that I do!).

I'm going to be in the kitchen all afternoon today trying to get as many meals as possible prepped and packed. The kids go back to school tomorrow and I know that if I don't give myself a headstart with my own lunches and healthy dinners for the family that it will be MY progress that suffers. Last week was easy since we didn't have to worry about their busy morning routine but starting tomorrow the chaos begins again!

Hi, Gang :wave:

Hope everyone is doing well. Just having a relaxing day, although I have already been out and picked up groceries and started on the laundry.

Jen - hope you had a good night out with friends. Hubby and I went and saw 'Charlie Wilson's War' and then we went for dinner.. a nice evening, I hope yours was the same.

McMoo - looking forward to a twoterville celebration !!!

Luvs2 - sounds like you have a great OP day..good for you ! Your dinner sounds yummy.

Midwife- welcome back, hope you had a good trip.

Jilly - we have a wii and I love it. Over the holidays we had many bowling tournaments. We also have DDR, which I love and is a great cardio workout. Hope the grocery shopping went well and that your cupboards are all stocked up!

Lucky - good for you for prepping your meals for the day. I don't think I could spend that much time in the kitchen - what am I saying, I hardly spend any time in the kitchen - DH does most of the cooking in our house :)

Well I best go finish up the laundry and I have some ironing to do... CIAO :D

Oh, that would be my dream come true! I hate cooking, but Jeff doesn't know how to cook anything beyond a frozen pizza in the oven or a Hot Pocket in the microwave :dizzy:

Right now, I'm waiting for water to boil on the stove to cook up some whole wheat lasagna noodles. I'll make a pan of lasagna with some reduced fat cheese, and that'll hold us over for dinner and lunches for a few days.

I got lots of good stuff at the grocery store today. I bought things to make wraps for lunches, some instant whole grain rice side dishes, some frozen vegetables for side dishes, some apples and bananas, some 99% fat free thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets...I was also able to find something for my girlfriend at work. She found out recently that she is pregnant (hurray for her, as they've been trying for months), and she's been craving some sliced peaches, but she's a health nut and couldn't find any that weren't packed in syrup. I found some that were packed in pear juice, so I got her a couple cans of those. I checked the ingredients--only peaches, pear juice concentrate, and ascorbic acid. I picked up some canned fruit for myself, too (also only packed in juice).

I'm going to plan some dinners for the week. Hope no one minds if I jot them down here:

• Monday - leftover lasagna
• Tuesday - chicken breast tenderloins w/bbq sauce and thin-sliced Swiss cheese, side of broccoli w/cheese
• Wednesday - turkey keilbasa and low-fat mini pierogies
• Thursday - turkey burgers on whole wheat buns
• Friday - chicken breast marinated in sesame ginger marinade, side of organic chicken and veggie pot stickers

Hey gang! Hope everyone had a restful Sunday and are all ready for a great start to the work week tomorrow. I had another modified, yet OP day today. I'm so glad that I didn't blow it this weekend, because I was would have been pretty disappointed. At any rate, I spent yesterday on the island - Lazy Island, that is - and I spent today in the city - Housework City. LOL (My mom and I came up with those crazy names...) The housework has certainly been good to keep my activity level high and metabolism going.

I've done a little prep cooking for the week.... made some chicken and rice soup for lunch for a few days. Will probably make some spaghetti sauce to go with some whole wheat rotini for later in the week. Might even do a little chicken and broccoli stir fry too.

Midwife (and anyone else who is interested), here is my recipe for the Chicken Cacciatore.

3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - trimmed and cut into chunks or strips
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of mushrooms or 1 cup of fresh ones, sliced
1/2 cup each of onions, bell pepper, celery - all chopped
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Dried Italian seasonings (use whatever you have in your pantry and season to taste)
Salt & Pepper (season to taste)
1 tbsp of olive oil

Heat oil in non-stick skillet to medium high. Add in chicken and saute until cooked through. Add in onions, peppers, celery, and garlic. Saute until veggies begin to cook through. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, and dried seasonings. Stir in, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-to-low heat. (If sauce is too thick for you, add no more than 1/4 cup of water to thin it out. But the tomatoes will probably do that on their own) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over pasta of your choice. Makes about 8 servings - Enough for everyone to enjoy and for you to have some left over for lunch!

I calculated the WW points to be 3 points per serving, including the pasta. I used about 8 oz of regular vermicelli cooked al dente' and that made more than enough for us.

If you try it, let me know how it comes out! It was really easy to make and very good.

I'm really sick and I'm really sleepy and hopped up on medicine... I think my workout will take a blow so I think I might have super strict on my diet... Thank GOD for lean cuisine paninis.