Moving on Up!

Hey everyone!  I thought I would get this done early on in the blog before I have too much content and it becomes a huge project.  Anyway, I have moved the blog over to wordpress.com, because I have had some people who haven't been able to comment and a few other problems.  I actually started the blog on wordpress before blogger, but already knew the blogger system so I stayed there.  Now with the problems I've been having, it finalized my decision to switch.  Please update your blog rolls on google readers!  I don't want to lose any of you awesome readers because of the move.
The new Shrinking Carrie Website!

Or, if you're having problems accessing the site the address is shrinkingcarriewww.wordpress.com

Start of the Week Sunday Goals!

Yay!  It's Sunday again, which means another set of goals is just around the corner.  This couldn't come any quicker considering that I felt the start of a binge today.  I go to church for 3 hours on Sunday starting at 11:30. I usually eat breakfast around 8 and don't eat anything until sometimes 3:00!  That's a LONG time to go with no food.  Oatmeal only goes so far people!  When I get home I tend to just start eating, no plate or utensils.  Today I had some roasted chicken, triscuits, ranch, & cream cheese.  Oh, and a couple of Almond Joy mini's (ok, maybe 3).  I caught myself about half way through my tornado and took a step back.  Hopefully this little set back falls in the 90/10 rule.  If you eat good 90% of the time, that 10% won't matter.

I'm pretty sure that I got cocky this week with how easy it felt to eat good and make good choices.  I just knocked myself off my pedestal though, so now I need to re-focus with some good goal setting.   Let's see how last week goals checked out!

1. Gym 5 times........CHECK!  Yes people, I finally made it to the gym.
2. One new recipe...........Didn't happen.  I was going to try and make spaghetti squash spaghetti (instead of noodles) but every time I went to the store, they didn't have any spaghetti squash. Boo.
3. Read for 1 hour daily.....CHECK!  I've finally made a dent in my boring book I'm reading.  I'm almost done with "The New Rules of Lifting for Women".  Recap to happen sometime this week.  Man, I love to read!
4. Master grocery list.......Nope, even though I went to the store enough times this week.  It was the last thing on my mind for some reason.
5. Spend less time on computer.......No.  I made a Facebook Fanpage and did some other things as well.  I did do less mindless computer work.  You know, when your just bored and looking for something to look at, I did way less of that.
So here we are a new week and a new set of goals, who's stoked?! Me!

Start of the Week Sunday Goals!


1. Go to the gym 5 times.  Getting sick of that one yet, cause I am!  I can't deny that my week went a whole lot better considering that I started it with a workout.  
2. Do a mock run through of the first workout from "The New Rules of Lifting for Women". This  book will now be known as TNRLW.  I'm tired of typing out the entire title.  The first workout can easily be done at home.  This way I can tell how much weight I will need when I start the ACTUAL workout.  I can see if just doing it with my body weight will make me sore.  Then I will really know how weak I have made myself by being this obese.  Oh well, I gotta start somewhere!  Workouts will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
3 Track.  It seems that this has to be on the list because if its not I get lazy.  My tracker will be tied to my hip.  
4. Baby proof my house.  Hanna is getting into EVERY THING!  She tried to put a piece of the cat scratcher into an outlet the other day, and my heart about stopped.  I've never moved so quickly.  And Apparently she's learned how to crawl through the sideways chair to get to the cats food and water (and littler box, yuck!).  This kid is going to kill me.
5. Try to get the baby blanket I've been knitting finished.  Yes, I started it when I first found out I was pregnant almost a year and a half ago.  It's time to get it done.  Good thing to keep my hands busy and eliminate food binges.  


Phew!  Another week, another set of goals.  This week seems very doable!
No Excuses!!!!!!!


Do you do any type of handy craft?
I can knit(barely), and a little sewing. 


What is a goal you are shooting to hit this next week? 

Odd Feeling....

Sweat it Out:
45 Minutes Elliptical

Do you ever have those days that don't feel like your regular routine days?  I'm having one of those days today.  I have done everything the same as the day before, but I feel odd.  I get this way the day after weigh in.  Its when I realize that I have done really good, but I have a whole week ahead of me until next weigh in day and that is 7 days that could be packed with who knows what.

Like I said in the last post my hub's has been working non-stop, and he also told me of the upcoming days he will probably be working.  There doesn't seem to be an end in sight.  Don't get me wrong we really need the money right now, so this is a total blessing and I don't want to take it for granted, but it feels like life is kind of at a stand still.  The only positive (besides the money) is that my husband and I are not tempted to eat out and I have complete control over everything I eat during the day with no influence.  The negative is that I do the same things day in and day out, and it is getting a little mind numbing.   

I'm going to assume this is the reason I have the odd feeling.  Too much tv and computer make Carrie a little paranoid. I think when I start the weight lifting challenge in August that will be pretty time consuming and I am excited about it.

Anyone have any fun weekend plans that I can live vicariously through?
What book are you reading right now?
I'm almost always reading two, if not more.  I'm a Gemini.  It's my thing.  The first is, of course, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women", and "The House at Riverton", which has kind of been slow and boring.

What I Ate Weigh In Day!

Yay!  Today is the first installment of "What I Ate Weigh in Day!  This is the first weigh in day that I didn't feel like eating everything in sight, and I know it was because I was going to have to post it here for all to see.

Let me start off by saying that I planned on not going to the gym today because I had some appointments that were in the morning and I didn't want to shower twice.  But I am on track to make my "5 times going to the gym" goal.  Woohoo!

So the magic number when I got on the scale today was.......268.4!  That is a 2.8 pound loss.  Apparently, I need to keep this gym thing up, it seems to help.  Does anybody know what that means? No?

I made my 5% Goal!  This means that I have made my first official milestone goal!
Here are some of the benefits that I am reaping from losing 5% of my weight:

• Lowers your body’s cholesterol levels
• Can improve blood sugar control
• Reduces aches and pains
• Improves mobility
• Can improve your breathing
• Helps you to sleep better
• Reduces the risk of sleep apnea
• Helps prevent angina – chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart.
• Decreased your risk of sudden death from heart disease or stroke
• May stop the need from regular medication
• Reduces the risk of certain cancers

Can you believe that losing an amount like 14.4 pounds can help my body reap all of those benefits?!  

Now it is on to goal number two which is 10% of my starting weight.  The next goal weight is 254.5.  That number seemed impossible when I started this journey 6 weeks ago, but today I have tasted accomplishment and I want more.  

Next things next:  What I Ate Weigh In Day!

Breakfast: 1 egg with 3 egg whites, whole wheat bread with Peanut Butter, cherries, and sliced strawberries. 8 Weight Watchers Points Plus.

Lunch: Whole Wheat bagel thin with tsp. mayo, mustard, slice of Colby jack cheese, Black Forest Ham, sliced tomatoes, spinach.  Side of broccoli salad (raw broccoli with TBS of poppy seed dressing), and baby carrots.  13 Weight Watchers Points Plus.

Snack:  Weight Watchers Strawberry Creamie.  2 Weight Watchers Points Plus.

And a glass of my new best friend:

Dinner:  Chicken Cordon Bleu, green salad with English cucumbers, tomatoes, and a serving of ranch dressing. 11 Weight Watchers Points Plus.

Whole day: 34 Weight Watchers Points Plus target is 41 points. Guess I get to enjoy one more creamie.  Hehe.

Ok, one more thing I need to say before I sign off for the night.  I have to say some lovely words about my hub's.  He has been working his tail off 14+ hours a day so that we can get our money issues behind us.  He sacrifices more than I can say in words for me and our daughter and I love him dearly for it!  Dustin you're the best!

Last thing I promise!  I created a Shrinking Carrie fan page on Facebook.  Look at the side bar and take a moment to like my page.  Thanks guys!

Weighing in on Weighing in.

Sweat it Out:
45 Minutes Elliptical

***Disclaimer*** This post talks about poop, if you don't like it stop by tomorrow for a different post!

My workout is pretty monotonous right now.  Oh well.  At least I got to the gym and I'm still bucket sweating so I feel ok about it.  No weights because I'm giving myself a break before I start the weight lifting challenge extroidinare.  I'm almost done with the first part of the reading.  The author is hilarious so it keeps the facts and figures interesting.  I cheated a little and looked at the back of the book at some of the workouts.  Whoa.  They look pretty killer, considering I haven't done any serious weight lifting in a LONG time.  This will be an adventure for sure!

So my topic of interest tonight is on how often you weigh yourself and why you do as often as you do (say that 5 times fast!).  As I've stated in the past, I weigh myself everyday.  I do this for a few reasons:
1.  It's a habit.
2.  I went so many years without weighing myself and I think the ignorance helped me get to the weight I am today.
3.  It helps me know where I stand for the day.
But the main reason I weigh myself everyday is to stay in tune with my body.  I know that doesn't sound like a reason, but there's a lot you can read in your morning weight.

Things I have learned from Weighing Myself Everyday
-That fatty meal that I just ate, won't show up until the day after tomorrow.  So that means if I eat something fatty again today I'm already set back two days.
-Holy crap Carrie, cut back on the salt.
-Whoa, you totally didn't drink enough water yesterday.
-You didn't eat enough yesterday.
-That number is a fluke, try again tomorrow.
-Wow, I ate a lot of cheese.
-Did I poop yesterday?
-Um I should probably poop sometime today.
-I'm pretty sure there is 2 pounds of poop in me.
-I need to cut back on the cheese so I can poop.

Ok, so a lot of what I learn from weighing in is that I need to poop, and eat less cheese.  But in all seriousness, have you ever weighed yourself  before and after a BM?  There is quite a difference.  This is very frustrating for me because it always falls on a weigh in day that I don't BM until after my meeting and I lose another 2 pounds.

Aw, I feel so much better getting that off of my chest.  Sorry to get so graphic, but it has really been bothering me lately.  I guess I'll start loading up on the Metamucil and get things back to regular.

Do you like the taste of Metamucil?
I LOVE it.  It's like having a glass of juice or something.  It may be because I use to drink it so much I grew taste buds that really enjoyed it.

How often do you weigh yourself?

Ho, hum....

Sweat it out:
45 Minutes Elliptical

Being a stay at home mom sometimes leaves me with days that I don't have a ton of stuff to get done.  Today was not one of those days.  I had to get supplies to do tie-dye shirts for an activity, and then make Hanna some baby food.  I know, it doesn't sound like a lot, but it takes orchestrating when you're making baby food.  I've got it down to a science.  I usually take two days out of the month and those are the days that I make all of the upcoming fruits and vegetables puree's for little Hanna-bear.  Plus, I can only run the blender at certain times during the day so that Hanna doesn't wake up from her nap.

The point is that I can always find a reason to not workout.  Hanna slept in until 8 which throws my whole day off because then her naps are messed up.  I thought to myself that maybe I shouldn't go to the gym because I need to keep her schedule, but then I read this article about having no excuses for not working out.

I will workout if I plan it into my schedule.  After I read that article I immediately put my gym clothes on and went to the gym.  I had a good sweaty workout too.  And it didn't throw Hanna's schedule off at all. I need to just not think and go.  I could probably apply that philosophy to a lot of different areas of my life.

Did you workout today?
Have you ever tie-dyed?  

Waiting it Out...

I'll write a post while I wait out the Presidential message that is airing over my "Hell's Kitchen"  show.  Ugh, I hate politics.  I have a hard time around election time, you want to be informed on the issues, but it just makes you more angry.  Just my opinion.

Anyway,
Sweat it Out
45 minutes on the Elliptical

That's right, I started out my Monday with a shweaty workout.  Maybe its because I'm doing a different elliptical machine or because I'm drinking an a** load of water, but I have been a sweaty mess when I've gone to the gym!  It felt so good today!  I kept the tempo in strokes on the Elliptical with the music I was listening to.  It was just what I needed to start the week off with a bang!

A new addition to my workout starting on August 7th will be a weight routine.  I am reading the book "The New Rules of Lifting for Women".  "Lift Like a Man, Look like a Goddess".

I like to lift weights.  I like to feel strong.  I remember when I was in high school (still over weight)  and was at the community center  exercising with a group of friends.  We were playing around in the weight room while we were waiting for a slide class to start and we started doing some bench pressing.  All of my friends were athletic and so imagine my surprise when not only could I bench more than them, I smoked them!  If I remember right I benched almost double of our strongest friend.  Ever since then I noticed that I had some decent muscles under all the fat I was hiding it with.

I've joined the Prior Fat Girl Group Challenge to try this books way of exercising for 6 months.  Big commitment, I know.  I will do this challenge to the best of my ability, considering that I am at least 100 pounds overweight and there may be some difficulty in some of the moves.  The book says that you will possibly weigh the same, but gain muscle replacing fat.  I'm only on page 25 right now, and will give a summary before I begin the program.  It also has a nutrition program that goes along with it, but I will be sticking to my Weight Watchers routine.

I will also be taking my measurements as well as weighing in.  Measurements will be done once a month.  First measurements will be taken on August 7th when I begin the program.

Wish me luck on this new endeavor!

Have you ever used a workout program like The New Rules of Lifting for Women or Body for Life?

Start of the Week Sunday Goals!

First off, remember when I told you that I weigh myself everyday?  Today I gasped a little bit when I saw the number.  I won't say it out loud because I don't want to jinx myself for this weeks weigh-in.  All I'm gonna say is that if it stays the same number until Thursday I will do a happy dance (maybe I'll even record it for you all to see).

Just so you know, I love this weekly post.  One of the things I miss about working in management is the making of weekly goals.  It's like a to-do list that feels so good when you get to check something off of your list!

Let's recap last weeks goals and see how I did!

1. Go to the gym 5 times this week.  I will give myself a silver star for this one because I went to the gym 3 times and cleaned my house for 5 hours one day.  I think that is pretty good activity considering I'm usually a couch potato.

2. Track everything you eat everyday=  Check!  Even the mini binge I had the other day.

3. You will bring healthy snacks to Harry Potter=  Totally failed this one.  Apparently movie theaters are a trigger for me.  I brought the snacks , but only ate the carrots.

4. I will not go out to eat=  I'm not going to lie, we had $1 burrito supremes this week.  And we were so busy this week that Cafe Rio slipped in there once.  Let me tell you it is a HUGE improvement from the way we use to eat on Dustin's week off.  We ate at home the rest of the week.  Yay us! (Here I'll say "week" one more time because I didn't say it enough in the last paragraph)

5. I will make a grocery list and stay under $100.
=  This one I made, but only because we had some extra cash from coin star and a $25 rebate MasterCard.

All-in-all I only made 1 of these goals that didn't have an excuse tied to it.  Oops!  Well, here's to a new week with new goals to achieve!  So gear up for the new week, and get ready for some goal setting!

Start of the Week Sunday Goals!


1. I will go to the gym 5 times this week. This will be a goal until I make it happen.  It will most likely be a goal every week until I have to quit reminding myself.  
2. I will make one new recipe this week.  I like this goal the last week I did it.  I need to diversify my recipe book.
3. I will read for one hour before I go to bed.  I have so many books that I need to read, but the tv seems to get in the way.  One day I will make a goal to turn it off at 7:00, I'm just not ready this week to do that yet :/
4, I will come up with a master grocery list to make grocery shopping easier.  My dad does this every week.  He has a detailed grocery list that maps the store he shops with.  It makes it so you're not running all over like a chicken with your head cut off, and helps you to not buy unplanned things.  Money saver as well!
5. I will spend less time on my computer.  I spend way too much time on the computer.  And I need to be spending time with my daughter.  Sometimes its just mindlessly reading dumb articles or blogs I don't really follow.  So I will limit my time to when Hanna is napping or after she has gone to bed, with a couple SHORT checks throughout the day.  But I will not plant myself in front of the tv while on my computer.  


Aw, I have direction this week.  It feels so good ;)


What's a goal you have for yourself this week?
How many goals can you set before you feel overwhelmed?
Five, otherwise I lose site of why I'm goal making.  The object is to make the goal and not overwhelm yourself.  

Slobber=Money.

Sweat it Out Friday
45 Minutes Elliptical
15 Minutes Abs

Sweat it Out Saturday
5 Hours House Cleaning (yup, that counts as activity!)

The last couple of days feel like they have been crazy.  It all started on Thursday night when I caught Hanna sucking on my cell phone.  From then on whenever someone called me I could hear them, but they couldn't hear me.  So frustrating.  I spent all day on Friday searching for a new phone plan while my husband got called out to work.  I had to call him from the phone stores since he couldn't hear me talking on the other end.

Switched from AT&T to Verizon.  AT&T is great if you love in a big city, but out here in the sticks the service is not so good.  Hopefully, the reception is much better so that Dustin can use his phone at work. It costs A LOT to switch carriers.  We haven't switched for 7 years, I had no idea the hoops you have to jump through.

The lesson learned is that no electronics should be within reach of a certain slobber monster.  So far she has ruined my phone and my power cord to my MacBook.  I live in fear for the day she starts walking.

Friday started out very laid back.  I'm still trying to get Hanna on her old nap schedule since before vacation.  Good luck.  She wouldn't take her morning nap until 11:00 and then I thought since it was so late I was getting out of going to the gym.  I was shocked when my husband forced me to go with him!  Have I created a monster?  Usually if I say I'm not going he just goes with it, but not this time.

When I got to the gym I thought that we would just do 30 minutes of cardio and then I surprised myself and did 45.  It felt good and afterwards I was a sweaty mess.  It felt awesome!

Today I have cleaned the entire house, did all the laundry, and picked up my beautiful Bountiful Basket of fruits and vegetables.  Aren't they beautiful?!

Loving the Instagram App for iphone.  It has some interesting filters for pictures.

Have you ever had an electronic ruined by slobber or water?
Did you workout this weekend?

Taking a Step Back/Weigh in

Normally, I post at night after little Hanna-bear has gone to sleep, but I need a distraction from the mini-binge that I felt a brewin'.  I went a little off the path today because its weigh in day, and I have to get it out of my mind that I should get a "free day".  There will be no such day as a "free day" for this lady.

I weigh myself on my own scale on weigh in day (I have a high quality scale that is trust worthy).  I do that because I'm naked, haven't eaten, and get to potty before I get on the scale.  I want to know the "real" number, not the clothed, watered and eating number.  Does that make sense?  When I got on the scale today I felt a little defeated......but its not because I didn't lose weight.

I weighed in today at 271.2.  That is a 1.4 pound loss.  I know I should be happy over a loss of any kind, but the last 3 weeks have been all 1.something pound weight losses.  I would be ecstatic if it was just 6 points higher for a 2 pound loss.  At this rate it will be around 2 years for me to lose all the weight I need to lose.  That just seems discouraging at the moment.  I got started eating for lunch and found myself not stopping.  So I'm taking a step back and re-evaluating my priorities.

I'm pretty sure that I can find the culprit of me not losing as much as I'd hoped.  The Sam's club hot dog, cherry coke, or possibly the free popcorn at Harry Potter.  2 Almond joy minis, mini cheesecake bites, Pork ribs etc.  Now that I'm looking back over some of my eating, its a miracle I lost the 1.4 in the first place.  I am a lot more grateful at this moment.

Moving forward, I know what I did wrong, and I know what I need to do right.  A new weekly post that will be coming to the blog is "What I ate Weigh in Day".  I will keep a post food journal of what I eat on weigh in day so that I am more accountable for the things that I am eating on the day formerly thought of as my "free day".  Let's be honest, on Weight Watchers you get to eat what you want as long as you stay in your points, I'm not deprived anything.  There is no reason for a "free day".

Do you give yourself a "free day" from healthy living?

Five a Day Challenge!

Sweat it Out:
30 Minutes Elliptical Intervals
30 Minutes Weights, Legs

Man, my arms are stiff from yesterday!  I love that feeling!  My legs feel like Jello so hopefully they will be stiff tomorrow as well.  That's how I know I got a good workout.

Back in the day when I first lost 86 pounds, I was a recovering Diet Coke addict.  My dad loved it so much there was a fridge in our garage dedicated to Diet Coke 2 liters.  I had a nasty habit of swigging it straight from the bottle (drove my family nuts!).  When I started working out and doing Weight Watchers I challenged myself to start drinking more water.  I NEVER drank water and it was going to be a challenge.  I came up with a plan that after one of the 2 liters of Diet Coke was empty I would fill it with water and continue swigging it from the fridge (I'm sure the swigging just became a habit).  I didn't even notice a change and felt better than having all of that carbonation.  Plus, I lost 15 pounds in two weeks!  All form stopping carbonation (and eating better).

This was the one habit that I continued on with even though I was continually gaining weight.  Lately I've been drinking only about 64 oz. a day, if that.  So I've decided that I am going to challenge myself with my water drinking.  I've heard that you should be drinking half your weight in ounces of water a day.  That would mean that I would have to drink about 135 ounces of water a day!  That seems INSANE! But not so much that I won't try it!  My Nalgene bottle holds 32 ounces, and I am challenging myself to drink 5 a day, that's 140 ounces.

I definitely don't think that I'm going to lose 15 pounds like I did the first time around.  I don't really drink a whole lot of carbonation anymore anyway and come on, I'm like 12 years older, things are slowin' down.  But I have been doing it for the last 2 days, and I already feel better.  I do have to pee every five minutes, but I will just have to deal with that.

Do you have a water quota throughout the day?
Do you feel better when you've drank a lot of water consistently?

Weigh-in tomorrow!  Fingers crossed that it's a good number!

This Day Needs to End Already.....

Sweat it out:
30 minute Elliptical Intervals
30 minute weights Biceps/Triceps

Look who finally made it to the gym today!  This morning Hanna slept in until 8:00 so I decided to go to the gym before her morning nap instead of after.  The hub's went with me which is nice because I like to have a buddy when I'm lifting weights.  I love to be able to go to the gym before I eat in the morning.  I work out so much better on an empty stomach.

Few things I hate when you haven't been to the gym in a while:
1. I don't have the drive nor the stamina to do my regular routine.  30 minutes on the elliptical seemed like forever and was all I could handle.
2. I hate that there are mirrors everywhere, and you can't escape your sweaty unattractive image.
3. I am hungry ALL DAY LONG afterwards.  Especially if I lift weights.

Few things I love about the gym when you haven't been in a while:
1. Accomplishment.
2. I'm taking a shower for a reason and not just cause that's what you do everyday.
3. I love to feel stiff the next day.

I can't help but feel tested when I go to the gym.  I know its where I should be, but when I see myself in the mirror it doesn't match the image in my head.  And its frustrating.

I remember reading something about girls with disordered eating.  They put a piece of paper up on the wall and had them trace what they thought they looked like on the paper.  They always drew themselves bigger than they were.

I have the opposite image in my head.  If I was to trace a picture I would make it much smaller than what I am in reality.  I think the reason that I have been in denial about my weight is because in my head I am thin and fit.  Does anybody else have that issue?

It doesn't help that the full length mirror that is in my bedroom is one of those "thin" mirror's where the image looks thinner than it is.

Anyway, I've been hungry all day and resisting the urge to eat has been tough.  Therefore, this day needs to end already.

Did you workout Today?
Are you way more hungry after a good workout than on rest days?

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Today was my hub's first day off of the week, so as always it is a busy one.  We tend to think that we need to get everything done in one day because we never know when or if he's going to get called into work.

Started off the day having no idea what to have for breakfast considering that I hadn't been to the store in a week and so we are very low on food.  We did have a TON of eggs and so Dustin made us some eggs with ham and cheese.  I like to have lots of fruit with breakfast, but after looking in the fridge I only saw almost bad grapes and green apples.  Apples are really more of a snack for me so I looked around further to see if there was anything else.  Then I remembered that I had freeze dried strawberries in our food storage.  I thought they would make a good yogurt topper right?  Wrong.  I followed the directions on the can and they were horrible.  Had to bag that idea and make time for a trip to Sam's Club (no Costco in GJ, BOO!).
Lesson learned that freeze dried strawberries will have to wait to be eaten until we are jobless and REALLY can't afford food.

The Good
I saw Harry Potter this afternoon and it was amazing!  What a great way to end the series.  I wanted to watch it immediately after it was finished.

We cashed in our change at Coin star and had $69 in change!  Not bad for people who hardly ever have cash on hand, right?!  Then I found a Regal Cinema's gift card for $10, a free movie ticket from the rewards card (couldn't use this time, the movie was too new), a mail in rebate MasterCard for $25, and two free Chik-fil-a sandwich vouchers that I got over a year ago that don't expire!  Sheesh, I got free stuff coming out my ears!

The Bad
Went to Sam's club and it was lunch time.  Got a hot dog and the hub's and I shared a Cherry Coke (damn you cherry coke!).  We almost went to Taco Bell on the way home to get a Burrito Supreme for $.99, but we made it home without.
Then my husband wanted me to make cookies because he was hankering for something sweet.  I promptly told him "no", more like yelled it at him.

The Ugly
In the midst of all the free stuff that we found laying around, they also gave us a free popcorn at the movie for using our rewards card.  FREE!  I could have totally bypassed it but it. was. free.  My will power went out the window and we got some popcorn.  Luckily I had packed my nalgene of ice water so that I wasn't tempted to get another carbonated drink.  I also had apples and carrots. Our friends had met us at the movies and they brought in a purse full of chocolate.  Dustin and I shared the top half of the popcorn and then traded it for 2 mini Almond Joys (for me) and a Reese's Peanut Butter cup (for Dustin).

Oh, and I didn't go to the gym.  Great start to the week of goals that I set for myself.  I will have to try a whole lot harder tomorrow.

Start of the Week Sunday Goals!

I am so glad its the beginning of a new week and I can start working on some new goals.  Last weeks goals kind of went down the tubes with the whole sick baby thing.  But let's see where I sat with them just for fun!

Totally tried 2 new recipes which turned out delicious (if I do say so myself), which you will find here & here.  Check!
Tracked EVERYTHING I ate EVERYDAY. Check!
Non-Weight related, made a family budget. Check!
Went to my Weight Watcher meeting even though I thought I didn't lose anything (but I did 1.2 lb's!).  Check!
The only goal I didn't make was to go to the gym 5 times this week.  Oops!  So guess what's at the top of my list again this week?

Start of the Week Sunday Goals!
1. Go to the gym 5 times this week.  I'm serious Carrie.  There will be consequences (that I haven't come up with yet) if this goal isn't met.  eating well alone is not going to get the job done.  Suck it up and get to the gym.  Plus, your new shoes are calling!  


2. Track everything you eat everyday.  This will be a goal until I can get it through my head that tracking is the only way to go.  One thing I've learned about keeping a food journal is that when I feel like I've eaten horrible I usually throw in the towel and just eat whatever because I think the day is shot anyway.  When I track I find that I don't eat as bad as my head makes me feel so it makes me want to keep it up. 


3. You will bring healthy snacks when you go see Harry Potter.  I use to have a major relationship with movie popcorn with butter.  But alas, I say farewell because not only are you going to kill me at a young age, but I'm hungry an hour later. Not worth it.  And that giant Cherry Coke that I "just can't live without" I will just have to.  My water will have to suffice. 


4. I will not go out to eat.  This one will be easy considering the fact that we have no money to go out. But somehow me and hub's always find a way.  There will be no way this week.


5. I will make a grocery list and stay under $100.  This applies to me keeping my budget.  I only went to the store twice this week, and I can only do it once this week.  I can do this.  


So there are this week goals.  Now I am off to make "Italian Meatloaf"  with mashed cauliflower and potatoes on the side. Yum!


And could the ice cream truck that has been circling my neighborhood kindly move on.  I'm really sick of hearing your music.  


Harry Potter tomorrow, so excited!

According to the Video......

I've been working out everyday!

I stole this video from The Tortoise, and laughed so hard I had to steal it. He has the WORST form and it makes my knees hurt just looking at him do those squats!

I do have a baby that only giggles if you are very active. I even have found myself stiff the next day if I did an extended play period with her. Pretty pathetic, I know.

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Anyone seeing Harry Potter this weekend?

I have to wait till Monday, and try to find a babysitter. The hubs and I are going to go cash in our change at "Coinstar" so that we can justify spending $10.50 on a movie (ridiculous!). And yes, I am a MAJOR Harry Potter fan. I've read each book like 3 times and I'm so sad it will all be over after Monday. I think I'll watch the 1st half of 7 today to get me pumped for next week! (I know I'm dumb!)

Bigfoot Sighting

My last indulgence before the budget crunch down came in the mail today (bought while we were still in financial ignorant bliss).

My new Nike Running shoes!

So stinking comfortable, which is good because this will be the last pair of workout shoes that I get for a long time.  I probably should get the gym thing going considering that it has been on my goal list and it would definitely speed up the weight loss process.

I looked at 4 different stores and 2 different online stores to find these shoes in my size.  See, I have something called big foot issues.  I am a size 12 in gym shoes 11 in regular shoes.  Check out these bad boys:

Yes, my toes are like fingers.  Anyway, I'm so excited to get back to the gym next week and put some miles on them!

Made an interesting recipe concoction last night.  Turned out really good, but ate it so fast that I didn't get to snap a photo.  Here is the recipe:

Chicken Peanut Noodles
6 Servings
10 oz Chicken Breast
3 T Creamy Peanut Butter
2 tsp Sugar
2 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 T Reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 T Water
1 1/4 tsp Rice-wine vinegar
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 c Brussel Sprouts
1/1/2 c Barilla Plus protein noodles

In small bowl combine the peanut butter, sugar, and garlic until smooth.  Add the soy sauce, water, vinegar, and cilantro and stir until combined

Cook noodles, grill chicken breast,  Steam brussel sprouts.  Throw brussel sprouts in food processor until chopped.

Combine noodles, peanut sauce and brussel sprouts.  Spread chicken on top.

Nutrition Facts
Calories: 316
Fat: 6
Carb: 43
Fiber: 5
Protein: 22

Weight Watchers Points: 8

It was delish!

What kind of running shoes do you have?


What was your last big spend item?

I love Weight Watchers Grand Junction!

Yes, I am declaring my love for the Weight Watchers center in Grand Junction.  It was so nice to be in the meeting room that I am use to.  There was such a BIG difference between the meeting here and the one in Utah.

When I walk into the WW in GJ there is a feeling of camaraderie.   It is a room full of lifetime members that have made friends and are truly a support group to each other.  I'm not saying that I'm a chatty Cathy or anything.  I come in, do my weigh in, listen to the meeting and go home.  I use it as my reminder of the journey that I'm on.

The WW in UT was kind of sad to me.  It was silent.  No talking.  Nobody sitting next to each other.  The leader was kind of awkward and it felt like I was in a church meeting.

Anyway, I am glad to be back home.  Now lets get down to the nitty gritty.  This week I lost 1.2 pounds.  I am impressed that I lost at all.  Maybe the extra day helped a little.  One thing I can say helped is lemon water.  There is a reason that you put lemon in water and its not for the way it makes it taste.  Lemon is a diuretic.  It is a natural cleansing system that rids your body of salts and toxins.  Its pretty much like my coffee, and has the same effect coffee has on my digestive track without the jittery feeling.  

So vacation will no longer be affecting my weight loss.  Now I can focus.  But isn't it always something?    I'm on vacation, my child is sick, Aunt Flo is visiting.  It seems like there is always a reason to not be working on being healthy.

My husband and I have been trying to adjust to a single income, since we decided that I would stay at home with our daughter.  Unfortunately, we have been spending like we still have two income's.  This week we have forced ourselves to focus on our budget.  My husband has been getting extra hours at his job on his off weeks and that has been helping, but those hours may be going away next month.  I may have to give up my WW monthly pass and do it on my own.  I have all the tools to do this, but it is still scary.

Here is my need from you!  I need some help with accountability (did you think I was going to ask you for money?  We're not THAT destitute!).  I look at my blog stats everyday and there is a lot of people checking out this site.  I need you to follow, leave comments, and anything else that is possible just so that I know you're out there and not just lurking my site (lurkers are still welcome but if you feel comfortable following that would be appreciated).   I would love to know if there is anyone out there with the same struggles who can relate.  Anyway, enough begging.

Moving on.  I'm going to try to salvage some of the goals that I made at the beginning of the week and see if I can't complete some of them.  With Hanna's ear getting better I should at least be able to catch up on all of the housework, blah.

New Recipe & Antibiotics

No, its not a recipe that requires antibiotics silly!  But unfortunately, Hanna requires the antibiotics because she has another ear infection.  Poor little thing has had a rough few days with seeing Dr.'s and being poked and prodded.  At least this time they gave me ear drops to help relieve the pain.

Still have been totally stressed, still haven't binged. Yay.  I did find a total indulge recipe, that is actually healthy!  Mac & Cheese, yum yum!  If you haven't tried any of Jessica Seinfeld's recipe's you need to get on that.  I have her cookbook and so far I have loved ever recipe that I have made from it.

Macaroni & Cheese from "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld

1 1/2 Whole Wheat Elbow Macaroni
1 Cup non-fat (skim) Milk
1/2 Cup Canned navy beans or chickpeas or white beans, rinsed, drained, and pureed
Nonstick Cooking Spray
1 1/2 Cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Paprika
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook according to package directions until al dente.  Drain in a colander
While the macaroni is cooking, combine the milk and beans in a food processor and process until pureed.
Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and set it over medium heat.  Add the bean mixture to the pan and cook, stirring until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the cheese and cook until melted and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes longer.  Stir in salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper.  Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

I added 2 Tablespoons corn starch because the milk and bean mixture seemed a little runny, and it gave it the perfect consistency of regular mac & cheese.  I also used the Barilla Plus protein Elbow Macaroni and I couldn't tell the difference between that or regular pasta.

Check out the nutrition facts on this bad boy:
Calories: 250
Fat: 6g
Carb: 33
Fiber: 4
Protein: 16

Weight Watchers Points: 6 per serving/8 servings

I suggest using this as a side dish and not the main dish or you may want to eat too much, its that good.  I paired it with a 4 oz piece of chicken.  Here's what it looked like:

It was sooooooo good.  I know my plate is missing a veggie, but I got distracted by a sad baby and had to eat fast.  The seasoning on top of the chicken is chipotle seasoning, which is a staple in my seasoning cupboard.  One of the best things about this recipe is that I had pretty much every ingredient in my house already so I didn't have to spend anymore than I already had.  That's a good meal to me!

Me and my husband are really cracking down on our budget and because of that I  have to find budget friendly recipe's that aren't gong to break the bank.

Do you find eating healthier is more expensive?


Do you have a food budget, or just go willy nilly?

ARGH!

What a frustrating day this has been!  Last night Hanna cried for 5 hours straight and wouldn't sleep until I finally put her in my bed.  I think she has another ear infection. Needless to say, I started off the day going on almost no sleep.

Secondly, I called to make an Optometrist appointment so that we could have Hanna's clogged tear duct looked at.  Come to find that in order for us to get it unclogged she has to have SURGERY!  Like, real live surgery with a general anesthetic and everything.  As if its not bad enough that my poor 8 month baby has to go under, but it will cost over $2500 to have the procedure done.  All due at the time of surgery.  I feel like its just one thing after another.

I'm driving home going past Carl's Junior, Wendy's, McDonald's and other fast food restaurants feeling hopeless and that I just can't catch break.  I wanted to eat.  I wanted to drown the days sorrows in a milkshake and fries.  Wouldn't that just make it all go away?  No.  And that's the issue.  Instead of going through a drive-thru I came home and had a healthy eating binge, and calculated everything I ate into my points.  I have no points left for the day, but I did feel a little better.

I have always questioned the reason I eat.  I never thought about connecting the dots between eating and my emotional state.  I have come to terms with the fact that apparently, I am a stress eater.  When I feel a lot of stress I figure "one more thing like food couldn't make any of this worse".  Wrong.  It's amazing the things you can find out about yourself when you take a step back and ask a question like "why".  Sheesh, I guess one more thing to work on.

Weigh in days have changed to Thursdays so that I can take Hanna to the Mommy and me Weight Watchers meeting.  That means I have an extra day to try and salvage the last week of vacation eating.

Still trying to find two new recipes to make this week.  The only problem is that I don't want to make something that I have none of the ingredients for.  The search is on.....

Do you have an easy healthy recipe that you'd like to share?


How do you handle your stress?
I would go to the gym if my child would quit being sick!

Fly by the Seat of Your Pants

I can't believe how fast this day has gone by.  I've been trying to recover from my vacation and try to get back in my old routine.  Hanna doesn't want to cooperate, and has been having to cry herself to sleep for naps and I am now listening to her scream in her bed right now.

Today has been a tiring day of budget making.  Nothing is more depressing than going over finances and seeing how little you have left after all of your bills.  I don't know about you, but I carry all of my stress in my jaw (is that weird?).  My teeth and jaw are killing me right now.

The most important thing for today is that I did not let the stress get to my eating.  I have tracked everything.  Even-though, I'm pretty sure I can't listen to my daughter scream for any longer or I may need some ice cream.  To bad I didn't get anything but fruit at the store today.

Not only am I trying to lose weight, but I'm trying to get my life together as a whole.  My husband and I have a tendency to "fly by the seat of our pants".  Weight, Church, finances.......I'm on a mission to get my life in order. Today was a good start.  Now if only I can stick with it.  I guess that would be another goal I'm working on......following through.