Just a quick note to let you all know my vacation will be ending tomorrow. I have had a wonderful time visiting with the children and grandchildren. However, I came down with some sort of stomach flu about 4 days ago and I still have it. I sure hope it gets better before I take off early Monday morning. Gene is doing very well and the people at the home are really spoiling him. However, he does miss me. My bowling partner who has my dog says everyone that meets her wants to take her home. She is doing just fine and she, also, is being spoiled.
I am ready to come home because I do miss sleeping in my own bed and doing exactly what I want to do.
Nita - So sorry to hear that you have been sick. I hope your stomach flu is gone by the time your travel. If not call the airline I"m sure they would help you out. I"m glad the rest of your time there has been wonderful. Have a safe trip home and feel better.
Friday was my weigh in and I lost 3 lbs I won't get measured until end of month. I have been journaling and watching what I eat for the last 10 days.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Hope to hear from you all soon!
Sorry I haven't been in contact more often. I'm sort of a bit busy right now. In fact one could say I am up to my ears in work. And I don't have access outside of work hours at the moment so life on the net is not too easy.
Nita, glad you have had a good time while away. But isn't it good to get home to your own bed!
I hope this finds everyone finding some time to enjoy themselves, all the while remaining true to our resolutions and new year goals. So far so good for me. I gained 3 pounds over the holidays, and took them off the first week of January. The next week I gained 1.6 pounds, and last week lost 2.8.
So, I'm down another 1.5 pounds for the month of January - continuiing my saga. That works for me. The weight came on slowly. I am motivated and remain dedicated. I feel in control just knowing I am weighing in each Saturday good or bad. I am still on the montly pass program which offers the use of ETools, very neat stuff.
I bought ingredients tonight to make a recipe I found on WW ETools that is a spinach/cheese tortilla baked or pan fried. It uses a shallot and garlic along with some feta and parmesian cheese - not much - just a tad. It has 4 points a serving, and the serving size is a good size.
It is so cold here, I hope you guys are keeping warm. We are in for some record cold. This comes just a week after record warm temperatures.
Nita: I am so happy to hear all went well on your trip with the exception of the stomach virus. On the positive side, I am sure you did not gain any weight as you thought you would. Hopefully you can plan to go again soon now that you have done it successfully. There is no place like home and no place like your own bed. LOL
CatLover: I sent my email to you. Thanks for trying to send your poems. I always enjoy reading your work. Hope your visit with your DD went well.
Thin: Always good to hear from you! Sorry you are chillin in Arizona! Just heat up a nice cup of warm tea, and kick back. That picture was so beautiful, you are very blessed. Hey, I had a few red pepper strips at a training I attended. I am making every attempt to eat more fruits and veggies. WW says I need extra ones until I lose a few more pounds. It is a chore to do that. I'll do my best tho.
Shad: I can only imagine what it would be like to try to communicate here without internet at home. I can post from work, but like you rarely have a second to even contemplate it. Life should be slower, more relaxed. So, what is the skinny on Nichole and Keith your way? According to news reports here he just got out of a 3 month rehab. I hope things work out for each of them. You will have to tell us more about what/where you are when you have time.
Mooz: Hey girl, Hal is comiing your way next month. LOL Let's hear from you and how you are doing! I hope you and your family are enjoying quiet and restful times this new year. How is the art work going along?
Well, I am resolute to get plenty of sleep and exercise as I monitor what I eat this new year. I feel good about these resolutions. Thanks for giving me a supportive place to share and get ideas.
Hal - don't know of much gossip on the Nicole and Keith front. He was supposed to front here for some show in Brisbane and also the Golden Guitars country music festival in Tamworth. However I read somewhere that he doesn't want to go back to Tamworth since he 'has already been there and done that' and doesn't think he needs to go back to his roots.
As far as the drug and booze rehab goes - I don't know and I wouldn't bet on any long term cure for ex-addicts, there's only a few who make it through.
Got a mountain of work to do here, so won't be back for a couple of days. It's pouring with rain in Townsville and the rivers are breaking banks, roads are flooding and being closed. Gotta love the rainy season in the tropics. Who'd want to come here in summer
Hey Chicks~~
Time to check in. Eating plan is going pretty well, cept for last weekend! Had take-out pizza cause we worked way too long of days and were exhausted. But we did not gorge on it. had some for bkfst and lunch the next day! cold pizza is still pretty good. But have alot of healthy choices this week, cause i baked a turkey breast on Mon. Had only mashed rutabegga and 1/2 of a yam with it. (no spuds and gravy like normal). Then decided to make a yummy turkey pot pie (no crust) w/some of the lefover. Also saved a little of the clear broth for another soup for me. I actually prefer the clear broth, but for DH did the creamy one also. I put a bunch of healthy veggies and even some mushrooms in the pot pie, so it was real healthy and it was made w/o sodium, so that is what i am really striving for. Cannot just buy a can of anything, cause the sodium content is oh-so-high on that stuff. Home cookin' is the only way to regulate it. and most of the time i like to cook from scratch. Just need the time of course.
HALGAL~~I think i forgot to thank you for the Christmas card. And the pic of you and Rocky Road. Good job on the wt.loss for Jan. YGG! Keep on adding those veggies. Sounds like you need a new recipe to try...how about green beans and almonds? Here is one that i think i will try soon:
Roasted Green Beans and Almonds
Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/4 tablespoon Chinese 5-spice powder
1 tablespoon canola oil
salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Toast sliced almonds in oven or toaster until fragrant and slightly golden, about 2-3 minutes.
Toss green beans with oil, spice powder, and almonds.
Spread out on rimmed cookie sheet and roast for about 10 minutes or until beans are tender.
Season with salt and pepper.
I know you like to do alot of veggies in the oven this way, so give this a go! or maybe you all will like this one( you can try cutting back to 1 potato and cut the oil too)
Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pinch salt and pepper
Directions:
Peel 4 medium sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch-thick sticks.
Toss with 2 tsp. olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast at 450 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, turning twice, until browned and tender.
Oh, by the way did you do that spinach/ch tortilla recipe yet? Is the spinach froz or fresh? Can you write down the exact recipe for me? Thanks.
1DAY~~~ Way to go on the 3# loss! YGG. I am staying steady. And still journaling(on my computer). I got 1/2 of my walking in so far today, and after my lunch digests i will try to do the other 15 minutes. EAting the Cheerios for bkfst almost every day. Let us know how the measuring goes when they do that again. I haven't done my waist in awhile...dont' see alot of results there. Well, i'm sure if i do more exercise it will happen. Keep up the good work and post when you can. It helps keep me motivated Do you have to go far for your exercise classes? And did you succeed w/your plan of adding the pilates? So do you do that on one of the same days you do other exercies? or go another day to class? OH, and yes that mountain range is close by. It is huge and looks close even when you take a distant ride. But i'd guess the base of it is only 3-4 miles from me. My sister in law and her companion climbed up it(to a spot called flat-iron--i don't believe it's actually at the top, but it sure it an all day climb to go up and back down!) 2 yrs ago when they visited. She along w/some friends who are 60+. and here i am just turning 50 this year and i'm lucky to walk on the flatlands! Well, there is this one hill i want to tackle here, but haven't gotten built up yet. called silly mountain! of all things. its' still steep enough for me.
NITA~~ are you home yet? Hope you are fully recovered from that tummy bug. You picked a good time to be away as our weather was not anything to brag about. Was there snow anywhere that you went? I bet it's been awhile since you've seen that. Well, we can see it from a distance on the mountains here occasionally, but that is not real winter! The superstitions even got it 2 wkends ago. Just like last year! How is Gene and did he enjoy the people taking care of him ?
Next time i want a pizza type meal i am going to try this new recipe using Tandoori Naan breads that i found at Trader Joes. Have 3 gr fiber and low cal & sodium is not too bad. I will put a tad of goat cheese and olive tapinade on them and bake till hot. Saw this recipe on TJ's site also. Pretty healthy stuff. I just found out that cheese has alot of sodium too, but i am not able to forgo it totally! I will do other things to cut back first.
SHAD~~hope you are having a good day and get time from your busy job to post more. You don't have a computer at home right now? hope things get better soon in that dept.
I found myself with some time to catch up today. It is so cold here, but that is relative to 2 days above 60 degrees just 2 weeks ago, almost any degree of a temperture decline would feel COLD. We did not get out of the 20s today, and it is going to be colder the next few days. I love all four seasons, but just a tad of each and I'm ready for the next. LOL
I know I am better on plan when I work. So, today I had breakfast, and breakfast, and breakfast. It is my favorite meal, and Raisin Bran is so easy. I did make some eggs and a WW bagel for the early morning meal. I have fresh strawberries, and that is a real treat - they are actually good.
Thin; Here you go. I have the ingredients, and plan to make this tomorrow as in Friday.
Spinach and Feta Quesadillas
Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced (I watched Rachel Ray grate these today.)
1 medium shallot, minced
10 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 TBS fat free creamer
1/4 cup canned aannellini beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 medium flour tortilla(s) - 6 inch
Directions:
1. Place olive oil in 10 inch skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add shallot and garlic and saute 1 minute.
2. Stir in spinach. Cook until spinach is hot and liquid evaporates. About 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Add feta and Parmesan cheeses, creamer, beans, pepper and lemon juice to skillet. Stir until well mixed.
4. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture on half of each tortilla. Fold tortilla in half to enclose filling.
5. Recoat skillet with olive oil (1 tsp). Place 2 folded torillas in skillet and brown over medium heat. About 2 or 3 minutes per side. Set aside and cover to keep warm. (Wrap in foil and place in warm oven works nicely.)
Continue with remaining tortillas.
5. Cut each tortilla in half to form quarters. Serve with lemon wedges.
Yields 2 quarters per serving. 4 points per serving.
I would have to have some sour cream on the side with these! Yum! Just a tad to lighten it up.
Enjoy!
SHAD: Thanks for the word on Keith and Nichole. I really hope for the best for each of them. Addiction is a difficult thing. He was in rehab for 3 months, and certainly says he is serious. I hope so for each of them. Always good to hear from you.
Well, if it's not one thing it's another. The dog we've had for 16 years has been having a lot of health problems, but always seemed to bounce back.
Today DH took her into the vet, and she said it's time to put her down. The vet is very tenacious, so she would not say that if there were any other choice. It's heartbreaking, because, although she's lost weight and her breath is raggedy, she still was tugging on the leash in the park (her favorite walk). She looks at us like, "Why are you all so sad? Can I cheer you up? Let me cheer you up."
Hang in there... there is nothing easy about what you are facing. I had my previous dog almost 18 years. It took me almost 3 years to get another. It is not easy, they are the unconditional love members of our families.
Hal - We've had pretty cold weather here to. I think another front was suppose to come down this weekend but it stopped short at the OK border. We're suppose to have sunshine tomorrow.. WTG on sticking with your WW plan. That is the thing about the weight loss for me, one week i'm up the next i'm down. I just have to keep reminding myself i'm doing everything right and this will happen, OH and thanks for posting the recipes. Any good low carb ones on there?
Thin - I think climbing "silly mountain" sounds like a good goal to me. I'm sure you could figure how many miles it takes to go up and down it and from there try and increase you walking to get there. The place that I workout from is about 5 miles from me, takes about 10 minutes in the morning. No, I haven't worked in any evening workouts. This month has been very hetic for me. I will need to just put it on my calendar and pretend it's an appointment I can't cancel.
I weighed in again yesterday and lost 1.5 pounds. For the month of Jan. had a total loss of 4.5 pounds. I lost about 1/2 in thighs, hips, and waist, but lost a inch in bust... It's that back fat around the bra strap that I really want to lose. I'm still journaling which is making me realize what all I am eating. If i eat bad, I write it down. I had one day at work, where I was so stressed I think if I would had a big bag of candy, I would of eaten it. Lucky I was offsite and they only had cheese crakers..(ate those). But the time I got home I was somewhat relaxed. I'm only buying healthy foods, so on days like that I can't come home and pigout.
Ok ladies - Any goals for this month? Any challenges? Drinking water, Minutes of Exericse... Come on??? anyone...
CAT~~so sorry to hear about your dog...we had ours for 14 years and boy is that hard news to hear from the vet. We had similar thing, were told after she broke a leg that she had bone cancer (and thus more things would just keep breaking) and pain would soon come to her. So we had to decide to do it b4 the pain started for her. Very very hard. And she was like our kid, since we don't have kids. You hang in there and know we are here for you!
1DAY~~yea! way to go on the wt loss. Great #'s on the new lower measures for your body! YGG ~~Keep up the journaling and i totally agree that just not having the 'bad' stuff in the house(or at work) helps. I just don't have anything to go crazy with when the mood is there. I have that high cocoa chocolate. (70% cocoa pwdr) and i have a bite of that if i need something at night. I don't have it daily, only about once a week and that soothes my cravings.
My challenge for Feb will be WALKING! getting it done, even if it has to be in those increments like DR.Oz says still help. So today b4 work i did 15 mi, and now b4 supper I did the other 15. And take it a baby step at a time and see if i can't add on the other exercise he says to do(some wt lifting for the bone, and some stretch type). I weigh in Monday w/my friend from back home checking up on me and vice-versa. We usually IM each other that morn. It does help to report it to someone!
Good day to all, and Happy Superbowl Sunday tomorrow.
May it be a good game. That is all i will say. I really would love to see them both win, but that ain't possible! They both deserve it so much.
OH, I had such high hopes for DA Bears.. It was exciting the first few minutes. Can't image having to play the biggest game of the year in the rain.
Thin - Let us know how your weigh in goes on Monday. You know it's all about taking baby steps. If you can't do the whole 30 minutes it's much better to do 15 min than nothing. What kind of cocoa do you drink? I thought about getting that dark chocholate, but I know me and I would eat it either way. The hardest for me is getting veggies in. I definitely need to work on that this week.
Down 3# this morn. Got to get me one of those tracking icons like you have 1DAY~~is is on this site or another?
Course this is not in 1 weeks time. Had bad TOM last week, and showed no loss, but i thought it should have. It's just now showing up on the scale.
That makes me feel very encouraged!
Got to go walking and then we are going to shop for a new gas grill. Had a junky charcoal one (small and bought used) and the briquettes are sooo expensive now, might just get the better gas one. With 3 burners. We've never had one w/the 3 controls, but we have used his mom's that is like that. Very nice to control the temp. on meats and such.
Well, everyone stay strong today, stick to plan and post soon. Together we can do this!
Thin - WTG on your 3 lb loss I know it is so much easier sticking to a plan when we see results, BUT we need to remember if we're doing the right thing eventually we see the results...Good luck on your grill shopping. I have a Weber, the small one and I just love it. I got the tracker here on this site. I will look and see where the instructions are.
I won't get measured until end of month. I have been journaling and watching what I eat for the last 10 days. 
Do you have to go far for your exercise classes? And did you succeed w/your plan of adding the pilates? So do you do that on one of the same days you do other exercies? or go another day to class? OH, and yes that mountain range is close by. It is huge and looks close even when you take a distant ride. But i'd guess the base of it is only 3-4 miles from me. My sister in law and her companion climbed up it(to a spot called flat-iron--i don't believe it's actually at the top, but it sure it an all day climb to go up and back down!) 2 yrs ago when they visited. She along w/some friends who are 60+. and here i am just turning 50 this year and i'm lucky to walk on the flatlands! Well, there is this one hill i want to tackle here, but haven't gotten built up yet. called silly mountain! of all things. its' still steep enough for me.
to all
Got to get me one of those tracking icons like you have 1DAY~~is is on this site or another?