Weigh-in: Week 39

This week's loss:  -1.2 pounds 

Total loss to date:  -89.8 pounds

Seriously?  89.8??  I couldn't get that last .2 to hit 90 pounds?!?!  Grrr!!  It better happen next week!!

I'm finding it hard not to get frustrated when I have a small loss week.  I'm just so close to 100 pounds that I am anxious to get there.  I remember when I started this journey and 100 pounds seemed next to impossible and now I am only about 10 pounds away and completely confident that I will get there.

Someone I hadn't seen in a while told me tonight that I looked like I lost a whole person.  While I don't think it's that dramatic it sure it good to hear!  I love being able to buy regular jeans that don't look like "mom jeans."  I feel more confident about my appearance.  Sometimes I miss nachos...and chocolate...and butter...I can't even tell you how much I love butter...but the changes I already feel are totally worth it.  I look forward to feeling even better about myself and more healthy as I continue on.

Fingers crossed that my next post will be me telling you I have hit 90 pounds!!!  XOXO

Recipe: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

We ate this twice--once over rice and then had the leftovers on tortillas with a little cheese on top.  Mmmmm!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Ingredients

• 24 oz (1 1/2 lbs.) chicken breast (I used 2 lbs.)
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (I used plain diced tomatoes and tossed in a small can of diced mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 oz frozen corn (I used a bit more)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped (I didn't have any so I didn't t use)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Combine all ingredients except chicken in crockpot and stir .  Season chicken with salt and lay on top.

Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.  A half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.  Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.  (I didn't even remove it, I just shredded it in the crockpot) Serve over rice or tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Santa Fe Chicken

I served it over rice

Recipe: Chicken Francese

Chicken French is my favorite!!  I hated the idea of having to give it up except for special occasions so when I came across this recipe on skinnytaste.com I was excited to try it!  It didn't disappoint and it will become a regular in my house!!

Chicken Francese

Ingredients:

• 4 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced (I just used 1 lb of really thin cut breasts)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup egg whites, beaten
• juice from 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons, to taste)
• 1/2 lemon sliced thin
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 15 oz. low sodium chicken broth
• cooking spray
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter

Season the chicken with the salt & pepper.  Place the flour in a bowl and the egg whites in a separate bowl.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat.  When hot, spray with cooking spray to lightly coat the bottom.

Lightly flour chicken, then dip in eggs and add to hot pan.  Saute chicken 2-3 minutes on each side (I am a freak about chicken being well done so I did it longer!).  When cooked, transfer onto a plate.  

Place the chicken broth in the bowl with 1 tablespoon of flour and whisk.  Add to the pan along with the juice of the lemon, white wine, lemon slices, parsley and butter and simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes so it reduces slightly and thickens.  Return the chicken to the pan with the sauce.  Serve immediately.

Healthy chicken French--sooo good!!

I served with white rice and asparagus.  We spooned a bit of the sauce over our rice.

5 Point Breakfast

I am one who LOVED (I am saying it in past tense!) to go through McDonald's drive thru or Dunkin Donuts and get one of those yummy, greasy breakfast sandwiches to start my day.  Sigh!  I admit I will still occasionally go there....only now I get the Egg White Delight McMuffin (8 points) at McD's or the veggie flatbread (10 points) at Dunkin.

So I've had to get creative at home so that I could still enjoy a yummy breakfast!  Here is what I made today--and for ONLY 5 POINTS!!

Breakfast sandwich at home--5 points!

I must say, it was quite yummy!  It is made from some egg beaters egg whites (0 points for 1/4 cup), 2 slices of chicken bacon (1 point), a slice of fat free cheese (1 point) and a light multigrain English muffin (3 points).  Oh, and a little spray butter on the muffin (0 points).  Happy breakfast!!

I seriously love this chicken bacon!  2 slices for 1 point and it's pre-cooked
 so you only have to heat it in the microwave.  Definitely check it out!

Another version of a healthy breakfast sandwich--bagel thin (4 points),
egg beaters egg whites (0 points) and 1 slice of fat free cheese (1 point).

4 Week Update!!

I've been a real slacker with updating lately!  A couple of you have pointed that out to me so I am here to bring you up to date!!  It's been a roller coaster ride lately....some ups and some downs....but I'm still making progress!  As long as there's more downs than ups it's all good, right?  Well, at least when we're talking about weight loss...  :)

Week 35:   -1.4 pounds this week

                  -85.0 to date

Week 36:  +2.0 pounds this week (Yeah, this was a BAD one!)

                 -83.0 to date

Week 37:  -4.2 pounds this week (Got rid of the 2 gained last week plus two more!)

                 -87.2 to date

Week 38:  -1.4 pounds this week

                 -88.6 to date

Life has just been busy with the boys being back to school, soccer practices, piano lessons and all the other crap!  I'm still at it and still attending meetings each week, I just haven't taken the time to update the blog.  I am feeling pretty good and still determined to do this!!  Thanks to all for your support!  You are the best!! <3

Weigh-In: Week 34

Loss this week:  -5.2 pounds
Total loss to date:  -83.6 pounds

I was very happy with this week's weight loss!  More than 10 pounds in the last 2 weeks...that's the biggest loss I've had since I first started!!  A few weeks ago I was excited because I had gotten to the 70s, something I had never done in previous weight loss attempts, and now I'm in the 80s!!!  90s here I come!!!

Happy dance!!

I've had a lot of stress this past week which is probably helping my weight loss efforts.  I am not a stress eater like so many are...I find I lose my appetite and don't feel like eating.  Not a method I recommend but hey, a loss is a loss!

I still haven't added in exercise.  I know I really need to but I am struggling to find the motivation.  And now with the colder weather coming I am afraid I will be moving even less.  Can someone please kick me in the ass?

Weigh-In: Week 33

I am BACK ON TRACK!!  WooHoo!!

Loss this week:  -5.4 pounds
Total loss to date:  -78.4 pounds

Phew!  I got rid of the extra I had accumulated over the last couple of weeks and am headed in the right direction again!  I was struggling for a couple of weeks and eating everything in sight.  Last week I found myself trying to come up with an excuse to skip the meeting.  That is the first time since I started in January that that thought has even crossed my mind.  Usually I look forward to the meeting so I can see my progress.  When I realized how dangerous that thought was I realized I was in trouble.  I knew the scale was going to go up....but I also knew I HAD to go!  I truly believe I was at that point where I could have easily gone the other way and that quickly I would have seen my progress slipping away.  I didn't want to face the scale...seeing a gain is tough...but I am glad I went.  It was a reality check--I can't allow myself to live the way I was before--and that the food I was eating was NOT worth it.  I didn't feel good about it--I felt guilty--and for the first time in a long time I actually felt sick because of the crap I was putting into my body.  I can't say I didn't enjoy the food (and the drinks....OMG, lots of drinks!) but afterward I realized that the temporary enjoyment I got from eating it wasn't worth the guilt I felt after.  Duh!

So I refocused and have rededicated myself to this new life.  Maybe I needed that little journey off track to give me the jump start that I needed.  I know this won't be the last detour on this path but I am hoping that I am learning how to recover from the detours and not let them be the end.  This is a lifelong thing....not a diet...and it's not realistic to think that I won't have "bad" days.  But before a bad day would become a bad week, and a bad month....I will NOT let that happen anymore!  And I was pretty psyched about a 5.4 pound loss this week...that is the biggest one I've had in a LONG time!  Would love to hit 80 pounds next week!!!  Fingers crossed!

Adirondack Vacation

Wanted to share a few pics from our vacation in the Adirondacks in August.  We went with friends of ours who we vacation with every year.  We have 2 kids and they have 2 kids and this year we let each kid bring along a friend.  So 4 adults trapped in the woods with 8 teenagers!  Sounds like a recipe for disaster, huh?  It was actually GREAT!!  The kids all got along and couldn't have been better!  We had tons of fun exploring Lake George & Lake Placid.  Can't wait till our next adventure!!

All the kids in Lake George

The boys at Lake George
(they were waiting patiently as the adults were wine tasting!)

The whole gang!  Great group of kids!

Evan & Jake on our dinner cruise

We went on a dinner cruise on Lake George.
Perfect night for it!

Cody & Connor

Evan & Jake at the beach

Cody & Connor

Me & Brenda

All the kids again!

Evan, Beth, Connor & Andi--the 4 kids we always travel with! :)

Our group of 8 that vacation together each year...

The boys and their bear slippers--they had to have them!

Kids on the deck of our home away from home

Keith and I with all of our boys

At Lake George

At the top of the ski jump in Lake Placid

Connor, Evan & Cody--Lake Placid

Cody & Connor going down on the ski lift that goes up to the ski jump

The boys checking out the rink where the Americans won the
gold medal over the Russians in 1980--
the "Miracle on Ice"

Evan & Jake in the gondola going up Little Whiteface Mountain

Evan & Connor on top of Little Whiteface
with Whiteface Mountain in the background

The boys on top of Whiteface Mountain

Climbing down Whiteface Mountain

Keith & I during the climb down Whiteface 

Girls Trip 2016

I recently was able to get away for 5 days with 3 of my best friends in the entire world!  These chicks kinda rock!  We had a great time but I definitely didn't stick to my WW plan.  I tried to make smart choices with my food....and we walked quite a bit...but there was definitely too much alcohol consumed!  As the saying goes:

Anyway, we were able to get away to Baltimore/Washington without kids or hubbies!  We are trying to do this every year.....last year was Atlantic City.....next year is Florida!  We are thinking camping the year after that....and then Vegas!  Yes, we like to plan!  Gives us something to look forward to!   I am truly blessed to have these girls in my life and I am so glad we are able to take the time each year for our trip.

Here are just a few of the MANY pics from the trip....  please note that we did do lots of sightseeing....visited educational places....brushed up on our US History.....it wasn't just all drinking... 

On our sightseeing cruise in the Baltimore Inner Harbor

When we were in Annapolis the weather turned on us and we
just HAD to take shelter somewhere with beer!

We found this wine bar in Annapolis called "Red, Red Wine"....get it??  Think 80s music!
 The wine was good and the cake wasn't bad either.
Are you starting to see the problem?

Watermelon margarita, where have you been all my life?

On the tour bus in DC....this was the "before" pic....
I will spare you the "after" one where we are sweaty messes!

Tammy and I at the White House

Tammy and I at the Lincoln Museum/Gift Shop

Brenda and Katie at the Inner Harbor

Tammy & I at the Inner Harbor--
I hate that my shirt was so big that it hung down and made me look fatter than I am!

The Capitol

Washington Monument & the Capitol

Sangrias at the Hard Rock Cafe in DC

The Inner Harbor

The ship we took our sighting cruise on

Jefferson Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Brenda & I...we were in Annapolis where the Naval Base is located 

Watermelon margarita with a Corona at Bubba Gump....delish!!
I bought those blue bottle holders so I can recreate it at home!

Cucumber Chiller....very refreshing on a hot day!
Yes, there was vodka or something in it...

Ford's Theater--the booth where Lincoln was shot

Hilary and I--this is not a political statement--they both suck!
I just think she sucks a little less...

Katie and the Donald
(Yes, she is obviously confused but I still like her in spite of it!)

I would like to note that the other 3 of us split some bruschetta while Katie ate this.
 I did have one bite or two though...