Holey Donuts, Batman!

I have officially tried (an devoured) a Holey Donut! Let me just say...they exceeded my expectations! We ordered 3 varieties:

Triple Powdered Winter

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip

Lemon Coconut Cream Pie

These Donuts were 3-4 points a piece and only 2-3 grams of fat each. One Dunkin Donut is 15-24 grams a fat a piece...woah! Here is the biggest difference - density. The Holey Donuts were very light and airy like little sugary clouds. Normal donuts have the heavy somewhat greasy mouth feel. I like normal donuts, but every time I eat them I get a tummy ache. Not the case with these! The Triple Powdered Donuts were perfect and simple and delicious. The Chocolate Chip had a very nice vanilla glaze with big semi-sweet chocolate chips on them. They were also very yummy and a huge hit with the kids! My favorite (which I got for free) were the new Lemon Coconut Cream Pie donuts (a combination of the two most popular flavors). Oh. My. I am normally not a coconut fan - love the flavor, not the texture...BUT...I have been converted! These perfect little pillows of deliciousness had melt-in-your-mouth glaze with a sprinkling of coconut on top which would have been great in and of itself! However, the best part was the decadent lemon curd inside. I say lemon curd because it wasn't that cheap, imitation lemon glaze jelly that tastes like Pine-Sol. Nope! This was the real deal - and it was divine!

I am going to order again for sure! The donuts come shipped in dry ice and are ready for your freezer. I set mine out the night before we ate them so that they would be room temperature. They have detailed instructions on how to care for your donuts in the box...and a lovely heavy-duty styrofoam cooler - SCORE! ;) I guess on April 1st everything is going to be 53% off, so I will probably order again on that day. The biggest expense is really the shipping which I believe was $15. I'd love to find some other people who want to place one big order and then we could all split the shipping! Any takers? These pictures might change your mind!

Tomorrow I will be sharing my favorite Chicken Fajita recipe...adios!

Warfare

I have really been thinking this week about how much my weight has affected my life. I think about how much it has been a spiritual and emotional battle. God didn't create me to be self-conscious. God didn't want me to feel isolated and shameful. God created me so that I could bring glory to Him. I know that there have been many times in my life that I have shied away from following His lead because I was too scared about what other people may think. That makes me sad. The evil one loves that...loves to revel in my pain...and loves that I am not "all there" for God.

I am changing that right now, every day, and the evil one hates it. I really felt the lies creeping in last week, telling me that I am doomed for failure; that I always fail. Reminding me of all the times I have been down this path before and how many times I have ended up right where I started. These lies were working on me pretty good. In fact, I was so nervous today to weigh-in that I was almost sick to my stomach. There are two songs this week that have really been a light to me in my mental darkness. Here are some of the lyrics. I hope they can inspire you too:

"When I feel like caving in/My heart, my soul is wearing thin/I just wanna give up/And nothing seems at all to add up/Can you hear me, Lord?/My face is down upon the floor/It's then you whisper in my ear/Be still and know I'm here..." "Be Still" by StorySide: B

and:

"And if our God is for us/Than who can ever stop us/And if our God is with us/Than what can stand against?" "Our God" by Chris Tomlin

Very. Powerful. Words. I know that God is up to something bigger than I can even imagine - He always is. And I hope that He will continue to use me to inspire others, and to teach my children, and to bring Him the glory that He SO deserves!

This week I lost 2.8 lbs! So far, my total is -17.6! One day at a time, one choice at a time...

Stay tuned for Monday's full Holey Donuts review complete with pictures...mmmmm!

Deep Thoughts...

I am realizing why tracking (journaling, writing down what you eat) is such a huge part of WW success. This week I was a little less aggressive in my tracking. It is SO easy to nibble throughout the day and forget to write it down...and it adds up FAST! One night I sat down to enter my final foods after the kids went to bed and realized that I hadn't written down several small items throughout the day...I went over by 9.5 points. That bothered me. Since that day, I have been very careful to accurately track during the day.

One thing that has kind of thrown me off is making large meals for the whole family. For instance: whole wheat mac n' cheese (which was very good and fairly easy to track), beef stroganoff, and chicken taco soup (hard to figure portion size). WW has a great tool on their site called "recipe builder" that allows you to enter each ingredient and it gives you a total for the entire recipe. It is VERY helpful, but it doesn't tell you how much is in a portion size. it is hard for me to look into a large crockpot of soup and determine what 1/8 of the recipe looks like. I could have measured out all of the soup first, but it was hot and I am clumsy...you do that math! ;) So...guess what I did? I added (to the best of my ability) the ounces in each item and then divided it by 8 - because the recipe said it yielded 8 servings. I came up with 14.66 oz in a serving...so a little under 2 cups (the amount of oz in a cup is actually like 7.997 something, but I'll go with 8 Yeah, I am a big nerd)! Oh and there are approximately 5 points in a serving, just so you know!

Speaking of Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup...this is a recipe from my sis:

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 7 Hours

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can chili beans (u can find them @ meijer or Kroger with no sugar added in the ingredients)

1 (15 ounce) can black beans

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn,

drained (we used the frozen bag of corn)

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (again no sugar added @ walmart)

1 (12 fluid ounce) chicken broth

2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (found no sugar added one @ walmart)

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning (made our own)

3 whole skinless, boneless chicken

breasts

Directions:

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Here's the ingredients for the taco seasoning!!

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

I really enjoyed the soup...it was pretty spicy though - too spicy for the kids. I added a zucchini and a pinch of cinnamon which gave it a lot of depth. Next time I make it, I will probably add more corn and zucchini and less beans...it was very "beany." Also, I will take my sister's advice and make my own seasoning. I didn't have some of the spices she listed, so I used a packet of Taco Seasoning. I think tortilla chips would have been awesome with it, but I didn't want to waste the points, so I opted for fat-free sour cream. I actually liked it better without it. Here is the finished product:

"Before" Pictures

The purpose of this particular post is not to put myself down. I want to have some "before" pictures to compare to when I am in the "after" stage, and also along the way in my journey. It also helps me to see where I started in a very honest way. Sometimes I think I get caught up in life and just don't really realize where I am, where I've come from, and where I want to be. I know I don't want to be the person in these pictures anymore! I don't want to make anymore excuses....Lord knows I have many! To give myself a little credit, though, most of these pics were taken during or right after a pregnancy...

This is Christmas 2008. Jadon was born 8/28/08. I thought I looked good that day...yipes!

This is Summer 2009. I was pregnant with Ethan. I was pretty miserable. (photo by Morgan Young)

This is Fall 2009. I included this pic to show how round my face had gotten. I was very pregnant with Ethan in this picture. As you can see I was having a good time! (photo by Morgan Young)

This is February of 2009. A Romantic getaway to Chicago complete with the stomach flu. Little did I know...I was pregnant for Ethan here. I think I look like Sasquatch...just sayin'.

I hate this last pic...and I hate that I hate it, b/c it is Jadon's 1st b-day party. Anyway, I wanted to show how big my arms had gotten. I was very, very pregnant with Ethan!

I will hopefully take pictures periodically to show my progress...here is where I want to be again...

Love it! Can't wait!

Fun with pictures!

Now that I figured out how to add pictures to my posts...let the fun begin!! :)

Looking into my fridge these days makes me smile! We just got our first order from B&B Organics a co-op in Kokomo for produce. Here is my happy, healthy fridge (hee hee...check out the milk crammed in on the bottom shelf):

Here is a shot of all the bananas and oranges and apples...we go through A LOT of bananas in this house!

By the way, the oranges are from Sam's and they are SO very sweet and juicy. My mother-in-law convinced me to forego my usual Clementines to buy these...they are worth it!

And here is my favorite pizza made with the Flat-Out "wraps."

Mmmm...now doesn't THAT look yummy!!

In the next few days I am going to compile some "before" photos so that I can have some pictures to compare my progress to. Normally I would pick the best of the best pictures - ones that hide most of my imperfections, but not this time. I am digging deep for the worst of the worst...the ones that I try to hide away and never look at! This will serve as my motivation and inspiration!

Ups and Downs

So...let me just start with a big *SIGH.* Here we go with a week 4 update:

It has been a month now since I started WW. I have to say, collectively, I FEEL so much better already. My mind is clearer (most days), I have more energy, and I am enjoying tasting and preparing new foods. I always have been a veggie and fruit lover, just too lazy to prepare them and too overwhelmed to buy them. It is so much easier to eat junk, really. That's sad. Now, I just feel like it is part of my life. I feel like each week gets easier in terms of fitting the new me and new habits into the rest of the chaos! Yay God for that!

This week, I really felt like I only had one "bad" day. I tried new veggies - loved them! Zucchini is probably a new fave for me (recipe at the end). I tried to make tilapia, but due to the fact that it was frozen and slightly freezer-burned...I choked it down even though I hated every bite! My hubbie tells me that Meijer has the fresh stuff on sale this week, so I will try fresh Tilapia next week. I also attempted to make a healthier version of my husband's beloved childhood favorite - Beef Stroganoff. It didn't go so well. It didn't taste bad, but it didn't resemble beef stroganoff either...maybe because I used soy crumbles instead of ground beef? ;)

A big round of applause goes to Applebee's. (clap, clap, clap) We ate there last night and I had the Grilled Dijon Chicken & Portobellos - excellent! It is one of the five under 550 meals. It is a a grilled chicken breast with red onions, portobello mushrooms, and cheese. It came with steamed broccoli, carrots, zucchini AND seasoned red potatoes! I was able to (thanks to Hungry Girl) find exact stats on it and it only weighs in at 450 calories! Way to go Applebee's! However, I am disappointed that Applebee's doesn't post nutrition facts on their website...shame, shame. At least Chili's isn't ASHAMED that their salads are thousands of calories a piece...man up!!

I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with the scale this week, BUT I still had a loss even though it was small. This week's loss was 0.6 pounds and total weight loss is 14.8...not bad for one month, eh? Congrats to my 2 WW buddies who both had awesome stats! :)

I am excited to try out my new food scale this week AND my organic produce through B&B Organics. Did you know there is a co-op in Kokomo???? You should join! :) Oh, and I can't forget the Holey Donuts that will be arriving at my door...can't wait to try them out AND I don't have to feel guilty about it! ;)

Scratch recipe #3: Italian Zucchini

I remember making Italian Zucchini in one of my college cooking classes...yes, I took Foods 1 and 2. (I really wanted to go to culinary or pastry school.) I know I have the recipe somewhere, but I didn't really want to dig for it, so here is what I came up with. SUPER easy and SO SO good!

2 Zucchini sliced into "coins"

Olive Oil

S&P

1 small onion (I didn't have one, so I used my *Onion, Onion! seasoning)

1c. Tomato Sauce (I used Hunt's plain tomato sauce)

Italian Seasoning (I used my *Italian Garlic Bread seasoning)

Kraft Italian 5 Cheese (Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Romano, Asiago)

Slice the zucchini - not too thick, not too thin and throw it into a pan with the olive oil, salt and pepper, and onion. Saute it until slightly fork-tender. Add tomato sauce and Italian seasonings. Let it bubble for 5 minutes or so OR until your kids are quiet enough that you remember to check on it. ;) Sprinkle with cheese and eat. This was SO good and the fish was SO bad that I ALMOST ate all of it by myself. It is so good for you and packed with so many nutrients, you should really just go make it right now!

* These are items sold through Tastefully Simple. You can substitute them with just "minced onion" and "italian seasoning," or you can ask me how you can acquire them.

Changing my mind...

It's funny how I view things a little differently already. Yesterday, I felt I failed. I didn't go over my points, but I just felt like the food I chose to eat wasn't the best use of my points. For instance: I was a very good girl and portioned out the Girl Scout cookies that were staring me in the face. I figured up the point values on each box and decided that the only box WORTHY of "wasting" points on was my beloved Thin Mints. I pulled out the good ol' Ziploc baggies and portioned them out into serving sizes. The serving size is 4 cookies. Who REALLY can only eat 4? I could eat the whole box. However, I only ate four and put the rest away into the freezer. Still...4 points were wasted on crap...yummy, but still crap. That's like 2 apples or 4 cups of fresh pineapple, or 2 large bananas. *Sigh*

Instance #2: The fam wanted pizza last night. I was game, and we got our pizza. Not a great move. Afterwards, I felt sluggish, had horrible heartburn, and used up every last point I had for the day on sub-par pizza (not a reflection on the restaurant, just on take-out in general). I have decided that I would much rather, from here on out, make my own at home. It is less money, less points, and much better for everyone involved. Each slice of THIN CRUST (Dominoes) pizza is STILL 3-4 points a slice, and that is just veggies and cheese. Pizza Hut and Papa John's are even higher. I can make one w/ turkey pepperoni and all the veggies I want for like 5 points...and that's for a whole pizza. (OK a whole pizza means the size of a Flat-Out wrap which is comparable to a burrito-sized tortilla) Oh well. Live and learn.

Today has been much better! :) I made pancakes for the kiddos (they LOVE pancakes!) and was able to restrain myself and only eat 2 small pancakes with just a little drizzle of maple syrup (envision the old me drowning my stack o' pancakes in a pool of fakey, imitation, butter-flavored "syrup"). This only cost me 4 points! And...I was full!

I am really digging the edamame and the risotto turned out pretty good as well even though it was time-consuming! Going to have some lemon-pepper tilapia tonight...

Veggies at Wal-mart

I went to the grocery this weekend to stock up. We were running pretty low on just about everything. It was quite the humorous experience! When I got to the checkout line about 75% of my cart was fruits and veggies in their little cellophane bags. This made me smile...until the sales attendant started to scan my items through. "Ummm....what is THIS?"

"Well, mam, that is an acorn squash." It was quite humorous, really. The people behind me in line weren't laughing so much though! Here are some items we are going to try this week:

1. Edamame (I have had it in salads before and liked it, but I want to cook it as a side dish...any suggestions?)

2. Acorn Squash

3. Kale

4. Zucchini

5. Jasmine Rice

I am anxious to try them all. Sometimes we get in such a rut and I am trying to expand the kids' palettes as well as mine (and Brent's). So far, roasted sweet potatoes with a drizzle of maple syrup have been a huge hit, Makayla and Jadon ate asparagus like it was going out of style, and Jadon loves broccoli and cauliflower - the girls are still getting there. They all love the typical 4 veggies: carrots, green beans, peas, and corn - only I am trying to break away from the canned variety.

Tonight I am making Mushroom Risotto (a WW recipe) and Panko breaded Shrimp w/a spicy orange sauce. I am so glad Chef (Gordon) Ramsay will not be attending our supper tonight. If you have ever watched any of his shows - he is quite particular when it comes to risotto. I have heard that it is hard to get the texture just right...we shall see.

I am looking for some great (not so bad for you) dessert and cocktail recipes for a party this weekend...I'll let you know what I find!

mmmm...French Onion Soup!

Sorry...couldn't think of a better fitting title this week. I am currently deeply enjoying my "pat on the back" treat - French Onion Soup from Panera. I LOVE Panera. The french onion soup clocks in at 6 points...not too shabby...and that includes the cheese and croutons, which in the world of french onion soup...essential! ALSO...big yummy news: Panera has low-fat fruit smoothies. I am trying the black cherry today....it is...say it with me now...FAB-U-LOUS! (imagine me snapping my fingers as I say it). They are made with Stonyfield organic low-fat vanilla yogurt (for all my au natural pals) and they are only 6 points...great for breakfast if you're in a hurry or for a special snack...and who can resist those giant straws that Panera puts in their drinks? No one. I am fully confident that with this new find I will be able to fight the urge to drive around the corner and purchase some Kokomo Frozen Custard (which is now open for those who do not know)...well...maybe 7 out of 10 times. It's hard when you can see the yellow lights beckoning you when you look out into your backyard. i do love those chocolate malts...anyone have stats on that?? ;)

OK, here goes:

Week 3 update:

This was a rough week. Lots of stress and lots of mind games BUT that is why WW makes it fool-proof and gives you an extra 35 "bonus" points per week. I tapped into those bonus points this week for the first time and felt pretty frustrated and defeated at first (darn you chocolate) but I still had a great week! This week's total was -4.4 lbs!! My total loss is now at 14.2 lbs! Woot, woot (that's for my buddy Morgstar)! I am pretty excited to say the least, and to top it off my friend that attends the meetings with me also lost 4 lbs this week!!! :) Love you, girl!

My goal this week is to get back on the treadmill (or weather permitting walk more outside) without Jillian. Jillian, I love you, but I am not ready for you quite yet. I need to work up to the boot-camp type work-outs. Last week I gave up on the treadmill b/c my legs hurt so bad that I was hobbling around the house. I am a preemie when it comes to exercise...I need to start slow and let my body get used to it - if not, then I am setting myself up for failure.

On a totally different subject...anyone else psyched for the new show coming on ABC with Jamie Oliver?? It's called "Food Revolution." Very cool. Jamie Oliver is awesome - used to watch him on Food Network. He will be going into schools and looking at what kids are really eating and then teaching them how to eat better...sounds inspiring to me. Also, congrats Nanny Jo on 100 episodes. If you don't know - she is "Supernanny." She is someone I'd love to talk to...we could totally be BFFs. I am sure she'd have a hay day with this family! ;)

Reality Check!

So...the last several days have been really hard for me. Yes, people, this blog is all about truth - I'm not going to sugar-coat anything! Is WW easy to follow? Absolutely! Do I love it? Absolutely! Is it going to magically make everything that has gotten me to this place magically disappear? I wish, but sadly, NO!

Did I blow it? Nope...but I have just felt out of control the last few days. I am having to really lean on the knowledge side of it all and ignore all the impulses firing in my brain. By God's grace I will get through this. I can't do it on my own. I have done a pretty crummy job thus far trying to maintain "control" of anything in my life! I wish I could just figure out where all of this is coming from...stress? *sigh* Unfortunately that's not going anywhere!

Today I made it through a rough spot b/c I opened up my Dining Out Guide and realized just how horrible my options were. It just wasn't worth it to me to use most of my points in the middle of the day on something that would probably not fill me up for more than an hour or two. That didn't stop my brain from telling me to find the greasiest, cheesiest food I could find and inhale it. (this is odd to me b/c my usual stumbling block is chocolate and sweets...)

So what did I do? Don't laugh. I high-tailed it home and decided to eat...the leftover cauliflower that I had steamed last night. Weird?? ;) It did the trick though and tided me over until I could put the kids down for their naps and have a clear enough mind to choose more wisely. Breathe in. Breathe out.

I have read that in times of stress your brain and your gut have a little chat (this isn't REALLY what I read...I'm paraphrasing) and start sending signals that you are hungry RIGHT NOW and that you need to eat something that has a quick energy boost - mainly carbs. You can either choose good carbs or junk carbs, and since most of us have junk carbs so easily accessible to us 24/7...we choose junk. This feeds the cycle and causes us to crave junk anytime we are stressed. Suzie...am I getting this right at all??? Thank you God for getting me through this rough patch.

Thanks for listening.

I'm a foodie, you're a foodie, wouldn't you like to be a foodie too?

I love The Food Network, I love a good cookbook, I love new recipes! Lately I have had to challenge myself to use new ingredients and less butter (haha...I blame that on my mom and Paula Deen). I have become quite the scratch cook - I try to use up whatever is in my fridge or pantry that is going to go bad. This first "recipe" is an adaptation of a WW recipe that was in one of our weekly newsletters. I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I made it up on the fly.

Recipe 1: Garden Veggie Rotini w/ Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage

Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (5 links)

Olive Oil

2 cans of Hunt's diced tomatoes w/basil, garlic, and oregano

1 small green pepper, sliced

1 10oz package of Baby Bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced

1/2 medium-large onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 box of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest 7 grain Rotini

Cut each sausage link up into 8 equal pieces (this helps them cook better and also helps you control your points). Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onion and sausage until color starts to develop. Turn the heat down slightly and add the mushrooms and green pepper and continue to cook until tender. I put the lid on for a few minutes to help the mushrooms cook down a bit and release their juices. Meanwhile start a pan of salted water and when it starts to boil add the rotini (the rotini takes up to 12 minutes to cook). If you like your sauce chunky then put both cans of tomatoes straight into the sausage and vegetable mixture. I like it a little chunky, so I threw one and a half cans of the tomatoes into the food processor and pureed it and then left 1/2 a can chunky. I think it was the perfect texture. The entire sauce portion of the meal is 24 points. I figured on 4 servings which the website calculated at 5 points per serving...hmmm...not sure why, but 4 servings made for a very hearty portion - a little too much. I think 5 would be more realistic. The pasta is 3 points per cup of cooked pasta - also a pretty large portion. This was very good...I loved it! It's a great way to get your veggies in for the day!

Recipe 2: Bacon Egg and Cheese "Biscuit" knock-off

1 100% Whole Wheat Arnold's Sandwich Thin

1 egg

Canola Oil cooking spray

1 slice of turkey bacon

1 slice of Kraft 2% American Cheese (optional)

This isn't really even a recipe, but it helps me on preschool days when I know I am going to want to go through the drive-thru. I eat this BEFORE we leave. Pop the sandwich thin into the toaster, spray your pan with the canola spray and plop the egg onto it (once the pan is up to temp). I like my egg over medium (yolk is runny but the white is set) - you can make it however you like it. Place the turkey bacon on a plate with a paper towel wrapped around it and cook in the microwave for 1 minute. This makes the bacon crispy which to me is the only way to eat it! Once everything is done cooking and nuking and toasting, put it all together and voila! The total for this is 4 points w/out cheese, 5 w/ cheese. Yum!

That's all for today...I hear a baby screaming...

Hodge Podge

This is going to be so random that it will make your head spin...you just wait!

Why do I dislike breakfast so much?? Anyone else out there that has to be very cognizant about eating in the morning? I have to literally remind myself everyday that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." (this is said in a nagging, motherly voice when I hear it in my head) I KNOW that you need breakfast to get your metabolism running and to get your blood sugar back up...I just don't really LIKE it all that much. Cereal is pretty blah, and I could live without everything else except maybe bananas.

Meanwhile I was thinking about fat the other day...the fat in our bodies. Where does it go when we lose it?? Anyone really know the answer? Does it dissolve? Does our body break it down and send it out as waste? I'd like to know, so if you have the answer...TELL ME! Also, do you think that fat cells have memory...stay with me for a minute. All of our other cells have somewhat of a "memory" stored in them. You know how you hear about transplant patients receiving an organ from someone else and all of the sudden they have recollection of things that they didn't before...like that other person is being expressed in some way through their organs...hang on I'm getting there (land the plane! as my hubby says). So...maybe our fat cells have "memory" of the time our lives when they were created and just maybe that is why we have plateaus? MAYBE we stop losing weight at times b/c we haven't worked through something yet and we are holding onto it...and MAYBE once we work through it and release it we allow ourselves to lose that fat that we are holding onto. I know it's a little out there, but that's the way my brain works...just a thought...

Finally...my kids are driving me CRAZY!!!! I just needed to get that out. Thanks. :)

Gettin' Schooled

So...I started reading this book about 4 months ago (and, yes, I will start every post with, "so..."). I say that I started it because like most books, I haven't finished it yet...but I want to...really bad...when I have more time (hahahaha) because it is a really interesting book. It is called, "The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood," by Dr. Sears (the dad) and his whole family. It not only made me think a lot about what I am feeding my kids but it also made me think about my own nutrition - which is why I am writing about it now.

The ideas of "metabolic programming" and "nutrigenetics" got me thinking. I am going to do my best to explain them with my half-functioning mommy brain, so here goes:

Our cells were programmed to accept the optimal energy source - fruits, vegetables, and proteins. (ding-dongs and onion rings - not so much) When that energy source is readily available, our bodies function properly and our cells are happy (I chose the word, "happy," it's not very scientific, but it helps for me to see my cells with happy faces). When we eat a lot of processed, junky food, our cells don't know what to do with it, so they morph and adapt to accept this foreign energy source. We are still able to function, but we are sluggish, foggy, cranky, sick, and tired. Our body starts to produce chemicals that wreak all kinds of havoc on our cardiovascular system, organs, and our immune systems. In fact, the chemicals trigger the immune system and it starts attacking our own bodies...that is a whole other topic though. The best part is that our body can recover...even though it is best to eat the "right" way from the start...as adults we can still undo some of the damage that has been done and retrain our gut to crave good foods rather than junk. The process will take time and will in the beginning require a lot of more thinking and planning, but eventually the cells can be restored. You see this happen on shows like the Biggest Loser when people walk in with Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and walk out healthy.

Isn't that fascinating? ;) It really makes you think about how perfect God made our bodies down to every little cell! It gives me hope.

A friend of mine, who is very wise, uses the phrase, "fake it 'til you make it." I like that phrase. Until all of this stuff becomes habit and is second-nature to me, I am going to be that annoying consumer...you know the one I am talking about. The one who stands for like and hour in front of the cereals at the grocery store with a calculator and a WW book trying to find the healthiest one. The one who looks at every label scouring it for ingredients that they can't pronounce. I AM going to spend an hour deciding what I can eat at Chili's before we leave (I did this last night), I WILL ask for the nutrition facts while we are at the restaurant (I also did this), and by golly I am going to smile all the way to the car knowing that I made a good choice!

Every journey starts somewhere...

So...after much coercion from my friends and family...here is the beginning chapter of what I hope to be a lifelong journey of healthy living and healthy eating. I have struggled most of my child and adult years with my weight and I have decided that it stops here. Actually...it stopped as of 2/20/10 when I finally mustered up the courage to visit Weight Watchers. That day, with the strength that only God can give, I said no more to pop (poison as I like to refer to it these days...kinda ironic since my hubby works for one of the top soft drink companies in the US) and hello to a healthier and happier me.

Some of you may read this and say that I am being over-dramatic about it...just eat right and exercise...how hard can it be?? Well, if you don't understand how hard it can be, than you never have had to struggle with weight, and you surely have never had an addiction of any kind. Food is an addiction for me...plain and simple. It's how I cope. It's how I celebrate. It's how I got to where I was on 2/19/10...miserable, sad, ready to give up. I am currently looking at gall bladder surgery - no biggie but the Dr. is concerned that they will not be able to do laproscopic surgery because of my weight. That scares me. I have no energy. I am struggling with depression. I have four babies that rely on me, that love me, and that mimic every little thing I do - good or bad. At the biggest I have been in my life, 321 pounds (I am OK with admitting it because I will never be there again), my health and the well-being of my family is in jeopardy, and I am going to fight for it!

I am in the process of retraining my brain and my body...teaching it how to eat (the good way) all over again. Trying to do something so drastic with four babies under the age of 3 is quite the challenge, but I have no other option at this point. I either do this and live or stay the same and die.

So this will be a peek into my journey. I can't promise I will update it daily, but I definitely will do a weekly update. Here is what has progressed so far:

I joined WW on 2/20/10. I love it...it is so easy that I question if I am doing it right. Week 1: I started eating lots more fruits and veggies and made sure I ate breakfast - something that was very easy to neglect when 4 kids are crying for their own breakfast! I stopped pop consumption completely (I had actually planned on slowly weaning myself off of it, but I realized that I didn't want it - God took that desire away). I started drinking water all of the time again. I ate more than I ever thought I should, but instead of eating all of the "wrong" stuff, I ate the good stuff - and it worked! Week 1, I lost 7 pounds.

Week 2: I made it my goal to get on the treadmill which I was scared of - I know, ridiculous! I surpassed that goal and got on it twice. I got a little more creative with my meal planning and will try and post some of my favorite meals and short-cuts as time goes by. We made pizzas using Flat-Out Lite Italian Herb wraps and they were delish! I was even able to enjoy going out to eat with the family because I planned ahead and knew what to eat BEFORE we got there! Week 2, I lost 2.8 pounds.

I am taking it one day at a time, one choice at a time, and one step at a time. There's no turning back!