Day One of a New Life

Yes, I have lived a day without cheese.

I wasn't certain that it was possible, but I did it... and honestly, it wasn't so bad. 

I woke up this morning with a dedication to a new lifestyle... not a diet.  And no, I wasn't perfect, but as I near the end of my day, I am pretty content with myself.  The positive is that my Peanut is home this week and she is eating what I am eating.  We need to nip her eating habit now, before she has a lifelong battle with her weight like her parents do.

That being said, here is what we ate:

Breakfast:  2 egg whites and 1 egg - scrambled and 2 slices of bacon.  Plus a cup and a half of grapefruit.  (It is spring break, and we slept late, so we had a late breakfast)

Snack for me:  banana

Snack for the Peanut - yogurt covered pretzels (I had about 7 of them myself)

Supper:  spinach, strawberry and blueberry salad.  (This is big... my kid actually ate spinach!!)

               1/2 marinated pork chop

Snack -   homemade granola - recipe to follow.  Probably had 2 cups--- delish!!

I had one sweet tea, 2 diet cokes and water/crystal light.  This is big... not just the only 1 sweet tea, but the only 2 diet cokes!!  I've been in the bathroom all day!!

All in all, it was a good day.  I weighed myself this morning, so I have a good starting point.  Maybe tomorrow I will do pictures or measurements.

Now... the granola recipe...

I got this from Betsy Karetnick, who used to do the morning show on Martha Stewart Radio.

1/3 cup Maple Syrup   (I use sugar free)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use extra light olive oil)
1/3 cup honey (I use honey :-) )
4 cups old fashion rolled oats  (Today, I used 1 cup oats and 5 cups corn chex in an effort to use less gluten)
cinnamon
nutmeg
clove ( I use cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice)
salt

Now the fun stuff.... nuts, dried fruit, whatever you like.  I just pull out whatever I have in the cabinet.  today I included pistachios, almonds and sunflower seeds. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the syrup, oil and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  I add the spices into this mixture.  In a large bowl, combine your oats and other ingredients.  Pour the syrup/honey/oil mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well.  Pour onto a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes.  Let cool and dig in!!  Its delicious and addictive.

So... a good day... time with my little one, some work around the house, got my sewing machine out of the shop, and didn't pig out.  Let's call it a success!!

Until next time....

Beginnings...

I am reading two books right now.  I NEVER read two books at the same time, but I am now.  A couple of trips ago, I bought "The Happiness Project" in paperback so I would have something to read until we reached 10,000 feet on the airplane.  It's a great book, and something that I can relate to.  The author is someone who wasn't unhappy, but wanted to find a deeper and greater happiness.  I get that.

Gretchen Rubin tackles a different area of her life and happiness each month.  For April, she suggests writing a blog.  She talks about her blog and how it opened her creativity.  So... here I am!  I need to figure out a way to find 15 minutes a day to blog.  It is something that I enjoy, and feel oddly creative when I do it, even if I am not blogging about something creative.

On my iPad, I am reading, "Ada's Rules".  This isn't really one of my normal reads, but it is set in Nashville and it is about someone trying to lose weight... again... things I relate to.  "Ada" is approaching 50, very overweight, unsatisfied with her marraige, and preparing to go to a college reunion where she will see "the one that got away."  She has a lot on her plate between being the "first lady" of her church, running a daycare, and taking care of aged parents.  While I don't have all the same issues that she does, I certainly relate to her lack of free time to concentrate on herself and her need/desire to lose weight.

She has a series of rules, like "Drink 8 glasses of water a day" and "walk 30 minutes a day, every day."  Another of her rules is to keep a food and body journal. 

My idea is to combine the two "rules" right here.  I can blog everyday about what I am eating and if I am moving.  It is going to make me accountable... even if no one is reading.  I will post before and after pictures.  I might even post measurements... I have to think about that one. 

This all plays into my need to be "Authentic" this year!  So.... stay tuned... I am going to get happier and skinny, right here before your very eyes!!  Oh, and I will post some crafts, recipes, tales from the road and more. 

Until next time....

New Year... well, sort of...

Another year has come and gone, leaving behind successes and regrets.  As I look back on 2012, I am happy with many of the new projects and adventures that I have started with my sewing business, and I am pleased with the job that I did at the CVB.  I am blessed to have two beautiful girls who are healthy, happy and well adjusted.  I have a husband who loves me, a job that I find rewarding and a beautiful home to live in.

All that being said, somehow I still feel somewhat unfulfilled.  I haven't lost the weight that I want to lose.  I haven't put my house in order as much as I would like to.  I travel too much.  I don't have enough hours in the day to do everything that I want to do.  It is time for me to refocus, plan and do things differently.

This year, 2013, is going to be the year for change.  My word for the year is AUTHENTIC.  I want to live an AUTHENTIC life.  I want to know that I am being true to everyone, but mainly to myself.  I am not saying that to suggest that I have been dishonest, but I haven't always been AUTHENTIC.  I haven't said what I've wanted to say and done what I've wanted to do.

Tomorrow is the first day of change... yes, I know that I am nearly a month late on the new year.  My travels have overwhelmed me this month, so now is the time.  Tomorrow, I will really start changing our eating habits, not just mine, but also my girls.  I will start to exercise regularly.  I am going to schedule my time better, so I can do the things that I NEED to do, as well as the things that I WANT to do.  I am going to learn to say no... even to myself.  I am going to try to travel less and spend more time at home. 

This blog is going to be my outlet.  It might be crafting, cooking, sewing, parenting... or just ranting!  So.... hold on for the ride... it's time for CHANGE!!

Valentine Recap

Valentine's Day in Blogland has inspired me to do some fun projects with the Pnut.  I saw this blog with the "Love Blossom Tree" and I thought... I can do that!  You can see the blog here.  So, at the first free moment, the Pnut and I headed for the craft room.  She was clearly thrilled to get to play with paint and hang out with her mom!

 Look at the joy on this kids face!

 Brown paint on the hand and arm.

 Pink and red thumbprints for the leaves.  So cute!  We made one that I framed for my mantel, gave one to Nana Jo and sent one to Aunt Connie.  Why not share the joy, right?!?

I also saw several different versions of personalized Valentine's for the kids to exchange at school.  So, we pulled out the camera and had a little photo shoot.

 Cheese!!

 My personal fave...

 And since this kid has never met a camera that she didn't like... she started coming up with her own poses and jumps.  Please disregard the basket of laundry between her legs!

 The final products.

 So cute!

And this is my personal favorite.  It definitely shows her personality!

We did her cards at the end of January, on a day that I had some extra free time (trust me, that doesn't happen often!)  She was so excited about taking them to school, it just about killed her to wait two weeks till Valentine's Day.

Now, you might ask the question... isn't there another child in this household??  Why, yes there is, but she is 13.  For those of you with teenagers, that explains everything.  She is far too cool to be involved in crafting or cooking with her mom.  That would mean that she would have to leave her bedroom, put down her phone or take her earbuds out of her ears.  She did, however, have a Valentine's dance last Thursday.  Mom was cool enough to be in charge of curling hair and driving to the dance.

Isn't she beautiful??

Of course, her best friend came over to get ready with her.

Let me tell you about the deal I got on this dress!!  I'll forgo the details, but tell you that I bought it at Macy's and it cost $8.25 including tax!!  Yep, I am a bargain shopper!

Well, Valentine's day is over.  The stuff is put away and I am working on some cute decorations for St. Pat's!  This is fun!

Until next time,

Frances

Our Valentine's Day Treat

I have been having such a good time in blogland.  I follow so many blogs and am getting so many great ideas.  I'll show you some of the projects soon.  The Pnut and I are having a good time doing things together. 

I found this blog about a Guilt Free Valentine's Cupcake.  You can see it here.  Very simply, you take a strawberry cake mix and mix it with 12 oz. of diet lemon/lime soda.  Sounds good and easy, right?  Well, off to the grocery store that I go, ready to get my cake on.  When I got there, I realized that I would much rather make it with a sugar free cake mix, because hubby is diabetic.  So I grabbed a sugar free Devils Food cake mix.  Now, somehow mixing that with a lemon/lime soda didn't sound too appealing....


So what do do??  Being from the South, I've heard about Coca Cola cake all my life, so the logical choice was....


It was as easy as that.  Mix the cake mix with 12 oz. of diet coke!  Yum!!

We mixed it up and but the batter on a cookie sheet... I had a plan, you see!  Once the cake cooled, The Pnut and her sleepover buddy used heart shaped cookie cutters to cut out the cake.

  We cut out two different sizes of hearts. 

 Yum!!  The crumbs were the reward for cutting out the hearts!

 On Valentine's Day, we added a little red food coloring to some Fat Free Cool whip.

 Then we assembled our chocolatey goodness!

 The Pnut looks delirious with Valentine's delight!

The final product... with pink Cool Whip, some red sugar sprinkles and a Conversation Heart. 

It was delicious, sugar free, and low calorie.  By my best estimation, each helping was about 100 yummy calories.  Definitely something we will do again.

I'm looking for more low calorie, sugar free, tasty treats... do you know of any??  Please share if you do.

Valentine's recap coming soon...

Until next time,

Frances

25 Things

1.  I love sweet tea, but I am trying to give it up!  I haven't had one since Thursday!
2.  I am more committed than I have ever been to losing this weight.  I WILL do it this time!
3.  I have the greatest friends in the world.  They love me for who I am.
4.  I have a sad addiction to reality TV.  Dance Moms, Real Housewives, The Voice, you name it, I love it.  NO Survivor though, that is where I draw the line!
5.  Swamp People makes me laugh out loud.  "Shoot em Lizabeth!"
6.  I have a great job that I really enjoy.
7.  I have been to all but 13 states. 
8.  I was in an airplane in the air on 9/11/01 when the planes were crashing into buildings.  I refer to it as my "near death experience."
9.  I live in my dream house but can't keep it clean!
10.  I miss my mom and dad more than I can put into words.  Every day. 
11.  My biggest fear is losing one of my children.
12.  Everyone thinks that "Pnut" acts just like me, but the reality is that "the Big One" is far more like I was at her age.
13.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing things through the Pnut's eyes.  She finds joy in the little things.
14.  I am adopted.  I wonder about my birth parents, but I am too afraid to look for them.
15.  I love to spend time in my craft room... even if it is just a few minutes.
16.  My husband is my best friend.  I hope that never changes.
17.  I want to learn how to quilt.
18.  I love living in the South.  I love the culture, the people, the food (in moderation :-))  I can't imagine living anywhere else.
19.  The best thing that I have ever done was to become a mom.  I love my girls more than anything.  I would love to have another, but I guess that is not in the cards for me.
20.  I love my church.
21.  I really don't like to work out, but I try to do it several times a week anyway.
22.  My aunt has become one of my closest friends.  I don't think I could have gotten through my mom's death without her.
23.  I love to read.  I especially love books that are set in the South.
24.  I have done two mission trips to Mexico.  They changed my life.
25.  Most important, me and Jesus are tight.  I am blessed beyond belief and feel so fortunate to know the Grace of God!

I have seen several of these on other blogs and thought it was a great way to share some blurbs about myself.  Plus, my hubs isn't feeling well and went to bed early.  My camera cord is in the bedroom and I don't want to wake him to get it!

Until next time,

Frances

My Weight Loss Wonderland

Welcome to my Weight Loss Wonderland!  LOL, if I am trying to convince myself that if I call it something fun, it will be fun!!  Anyway, I mentioned in my last posting that my husband and I have been losing weight since last July.  He is at his goal.  I'm not even close.  My goal is to lose 75 pounds this year.  What that really means is that I would like to lose 75 pounds next week and that it will drop off quickly and be fun to do!


This is my before....



This is after the first 50 pounds. 

I took new "before pictures" on Sunday... but I am not emotionally ready to share them yet!!

Now, being a girl who has struggled with her weight all her life, I know that it is going to take time and it probably isn't going to be as much fun as eating pizza and watching movies, but I also know that I have to do it.  So, what's my plan?? 

Well there are several parts of my plan.  First, I have a fantastic app... My Fitness Pal.  It looks like this...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/#mfpeasy_video

It has made it very easy to keep up with the number of calories that I take in each day. Because I travel so much, I am forced to eat out a lot.  This is the best tool that I have found for making good choices when I eat out.

Next, I am using products from the Cinch system with Shaklee. 


I have one of these shakes, mixed with Chocolate Almond Milk in the morning, most days.  This system is proven to help you lose weight while maintaining your muscle mass.  And... it tastes yummy!!  I also have the vanilla shake mixed with fruit.   If you want more information about the Cinch shakes, click here.

They also have great meal bars and energy teas.  I attribute a good deal of my success to the supplements that I take every day!  Shaklee is good stuff!

And my last, and newest part of my Wonderland.  For my birthday, hubby bought me 12 sessions with a personal trainer at our local gym.  I liked it, but for the last 4 or 5 months, life has gotten so busy that unless I go to the gym at 5am, I just don't have time to go.  And, let's be clear, I am NOT going at 5am.

A few days ago, hubby tells me that he watched an informercial about Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer.


He thought that it might be something that I would like, since each workout is only 10 minutes and I can do it from home.  He bought it for me and I got it last Friday.  I started the workouts on Sunday.  I try to do 3 of the 10  minute workouts every day.  Some days I can only get 2 of them done.  Now... here is the good news... after 4 workouts, I have already lost 1/2 inch in my waist!  DID YOU HEAR ME??? 4 workout!!!  1/2 inch!!!  Very motivating.

I try not to let the scale get me down.  It seems like when the scale doesn't move, my clothes seem to get bigger, and when my clothes don't change, the scales move. Still, being the person that I am, I step on it every day.... multiple times.

So.... that's what I am doing.  I will share some Cinch recipes from time to time and give you updates.

To my other friends, who are trying to lose weight... good luck!  If I can help or offer support, I would be happy to. 

Until next time,

Frances