Week 31

Week 31: 199.6
Last Week: 200
Progress: Down .4
Starting Weight: 270.2
Total Weight Loss: 70.6
Average Weekly Loss: 2.78

It wasn't an awesome week, but I got the job done. A loss of .4 brought me into "Onderland!" I am hoping to stay here for a long time. I know how to do it, it's just a matter of keeping with it. I'm hoping to hit 198.2 next week. That would mark my third 10% as is my next mini-goal.

Tonight at our meeting we discussed "What do YOU need to do for YOU?" This biggest topic was tracking, since most people hate doing the task. So far, I have not had a problem tracking what I eat. There were some great suggestions made such as focusing on one meal a day to track, tracking water and veggies for a week and going from there, planning and packing a lunch during the week, only track on the weekend as the weekdays are usually a routine day. I will continue tracking everything, all the time as I don't want to get into a habit of not doing it.

I shall bask in the glory of Onderland now!

Two for Twosday

I thought I'd share two of my favorite portion control tips for the day today.

First, using measuring spoons/cups as serving spoons. I never thought to use my 1/2 cup measuring cup as a serving spoon, but since it was mentioned to me by someone I can't recall now, it has made a huge difference in my portion control.

Second, buying food in single servings. I know it's not always the most cost effective, but this has also helped in my portion control. I tend to eat as much as is offered to me and if that's all there is, that's all I'm eating.

Two simple ways to measure indirectly and they have helped me tremendously. I hate weighing and measuring, but simple tricks to use have really made a difference for me.

The Cravings Begin
So my wife sent me out to the store for some chips tonight. Anything with salt, Doritos, Fritos, etc. I told her we had tostitos and pretzels, but I guess I have no idea what it's like to be pregnant, so I'll just keep my mouth shut and do as I'm told!

Mantra Monday

Today I introduced Mantra Monday to the GOAD message board What's your Mantra?

I have to admit that my mantra of "No mindless eating," lasted until about 10:30am. My office mate made peanut butter kiss cookies with a group of residents this morning. Unfortunately, those are one of my favorite cookies and the four cookies that were left did not last long in our office. I shall do better throughout the rest of the week. No mindless eating! The rest of the day was great and I have ended the day with plenty of points, so I'm not worried, but it sure does urk me when I give in to the mindless eating. I have to keep reminding myself that it is not a sprint rather a marathon and if I want a cookie I can have one. It's eating four in one sitting that is not quite a wise choice.

Guinea Pig
I don't think I've mentioned, but I take care of a guinea pig at our nursing home. We had a guinea pig for over 8 years and "Peanut" passed away in early August. We got a new "baby" guinea pig on September 7. "Misty" was only 6-7 weeks old when we got her...Halloween, she had a baby. I had no idea guinea pigs could have babies so young and the pet store owners were quite surprised as well. Our baby happened to be a boy, so today we had to return him to the pet store. We traded him in for a girl and "Misty" is definitely showing her new cage mate who is boss. I'm hoping our two guinea pigs can get along as it was terribly noisy today as they "got-to-know" each other.

Routines

Yesterday, I made my lunch and stuck it in a bag and put it on top of the stove, which I have been doing for some time now. Unfortunately, yesterday was different than most other work days. My wife had off of school as she is a teacher and our three kids were staying home with her. This meant my whole routine of rushing to remember everything as we run out the door five minutes late was disturbed. I had plenty of time to lounge around and play on the computer, watch the news and eat breakfast before leaving the house in a relaxed state.

I forgot my lunch. The one thing that I had to remember yesterday and there it sat on the stove. I managed alright as there are always salads, soups and plenty of fruit available at our cafeteria. It happened to be "Loaded Nachos" day. How could I pass up nachos? I loaded a bed of lettuce in a bowl topped with tomatoes, a sprinkle of cheese, olives, and one small scoop of taco meat. When I brought my bowl up to the counter, I was reprimanded for not taking the nacho chips. I told the dietary staff that I looked at how many calories were in them and put them back down. One bag of chips had 170 calories, 11 grams of fat, less than a gram of fiber. That wouldn't have been so bad, but each bag was THREE servings. There couldn't have been more than 15 chips total and that was three servings.

I enjoyed my "Loaded Nachos" without the nachos and I felt much better about my choice afterwards. Next week, I will be putting my lunch bag in my work bag instead of leaving it on the stove to forget.

I'm an Uncle

Thought I'd add a bit about my sister-in-law. After 30 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing, she had a c-section early this morning.

Baby Quinn Constance was "Born" ((it's their last name)) at about 1:30 this morning. Mommy Katie and Daddy Mike are doing well along with baby. We are once again proud Aunties, Uncles and cousins once again. Next cousin due date January-early February.

Thanksgiving went well. My mom had all good stuff available. My sister-in-law brought tons of fruit, which lasted through supper. We had our big meal at noon rooting the Packers onto victory. My mom read that my mother-in-law had three veggies during her Thanksgiving feast and didn't want to be outdone, so we had broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and brussel sprouts during our meal and raw carrots and cucumbers before. I said I was going to pass on the potatoes as that is something I can have any day, but I still had a some scoop. I had a small spoon full of stuffing as that is something I never have otherwise. Overall, I did well. I did splurge for a tiny slice of dutch apple pie and turtle cheesecake. My Banana Split Torte was almost all gone without much help from me.

Thanksgiving Tidbits

"When we count our many blessings, it isn't hard to see, that life's most valued treasures are the treasures that are free. For it isn't what we own or buy that signifies our wealth.It's the special gifts that have no price: our family, friends and health." -Author Unknown

Things to be Thankful For...
FF Products that taste good!
Enough food for everyone!
A big, roomy house!
Microwaves!
Computers!


Thanksgiving Blessing
I was leading a Prayer Circle at my nursing home this week and we discussed table prayers and I recognized them all except for the tag that one resident shared and I thought it was very fitting:

...And may there be a goodly share, on every table every where!

Happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating today!

Week 30

Week 30: 200.0
Last Week: 203.4
Progress: Down 3.4
Starting Weight: 270.2
Total Weight Loss: 70.2
Average Weekly Loss: 2.34

An amazing week! I was hoping to get to 200 by Halloween and after my losses slowed I revised it to Thanksgiving. I hopped on the scale and the numbers kept teetering back and forth 199.8-200.2 and it settled on 200.0 I am very pleased and couldn't have done it without reading many other supportive bloggers journeys.

Tonight, we discussed "Making it through the stressful holidays." I can definitely feel tension in my back and my neck that has just arrived and usually stays around until well after Christmas. We have several family birthdays during the first few months of the year including mine in early February, so the stress usually just keeps building till then.

I am riding a big high tonight after that "scale victory" and I won't want to do anything to make my stay in "twotersville" longer than necessary. Have a great Thanksgiving and drive safe if you're leaving town as I am.

TAG

I hate games especially tag, but here it goes...I'm not tagging anyone else, but you're welcome to join in the "fun?" if you'd like!


TAG
8 Random Things about TB
~I was the mascot for my High School ((Cardinal))...I was actually in good shape back then.

~I have played Santa for several years, inheriting the suit from my Grandpa who wore it for over 70 years.

~I have read several books on tape for students who have learning disabilities.

~I love red licorce and could easily eat a pound in 10 minutes.

~My wife and I named our first daughter Elizabeth after Elisabeth Hasslebeck from Survivor~now on the "View."

~I played Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof" in High School and needed padding in my tummy.

~The only class I skipped in college was a 10:00-12:00 class to watch "The Price Is Right," and eat Chicken Strips in the cafeteria.

~I hate walking barefoot and usually wear shoes or slippers at all times.

Another Tag??

Four dishes I like to cook:
Tacos
Spaghetti
Pork Tenderloin in the Slowcooker
Any Breakfast dish


Four qualities I look for in people:
Compassion
Humor
Intelligent
Personable


Four things in my bedroom:
Queen size bed
9 inch TV/DVD combo
Dresser w/hardly any clothes in it ((keep them all on top??))
Coat Rack w/wife's clothes to be ironed


Four dirty words I like/tend to use:
Honestly I do try not to use horrible words, my kids are always listening
Fudge!!
Oh, crap!!
Man!!
Doouuh!!

Water

Someone on the GOAD message board left a link to an article called Drinking Cold Water. I usually drink my water room temperature at home, if I drink water at all. At home, it's been a constant stream of Crystal Light. At work, I have been slamming the water with lots of ice. I have to say it was an interesting little article and got me thinking, but I won't be changing my habits anytime soon. I've just gotten into the habit of drinking pretty much all water and our refrigerator just isn't big enough to hold any water. With three kids, our apartment sized frig has definitely outlived it's effectiveness.

Water is the way I start my day. I drink 32 oz. with my morning vitamin. After which I have breakfast and usually drink another 10 oz. Once I get to work, the first thing I do is find the bathroom and then I fill out the water container. I drink another 32 oz. as I check my email and other stuff online. Fill the water container again and it's off to do some activities. After 2 hours with residents, it's back to the water. In an average day, I consume at least 96 oz. of water. I hate to think about what I was drinking before.

I have found that I am enjoying my hot chocolate and I have even ventured into the coffee territory. I have never been a coffee drinker, but the caffeine and the no points is rater appealing.

Anyway to get the water is a good way!

Levi's

I never owned a pair of Levi's in my life. For one, I tried them on a long time ago and they never fit quite right. And for another reason, on the back waist, both the waist size and inseam size are stamped on the Levi logo. Why in the world would I want to advertise that my waist size was 42" and my inseam only a 30"? Over the course of the years, I stopped wearing jeans altogether. When I started buying size 42" pants, I just never got around to getting a pair of jeans. Well this weekend, I bought a pair. I tried on several different brands and settled on a pair of carpentar pants that seemed a bit more roomy where I wanted them to be roomy and tight where I wanted them to be tight. I really didn't even pay attention to the back of the pants until I got home and realized they were Levi's. Fortunately, there is no Levi logo on the back waist, but if there was I would be proud to show off my new 33x30's. Seems the stigma of having my waist size branded on the back of my jeans has worn off and I will proudly wear my Levi's.

I Do!

I haven't worn my wedding ring for at least 3 months now. I've gotten pretty used to not wearing it and have kind of enjoyed my naked finger. My wife finally noticed about a week ago and said that I should get it fixed. So yesterday, I went to the mall to do a little shopping. I hadn't gone to the mall in a long time and there were a lot of new stores that I don't remember being there before. I sure some of them are seasonal stores, but still the variety of stores was amazing. A uniform store, a NASCAR store, a Men's clothing store, a few cool sports memorabilia stores where I spent a lot of time. I was going to go with the whole family, but my wife decided it was best if I just go alone as a few of the kids weren't feeling that great either. I stopped at Kohl's to buy a pair of black pants. I have a Christmas concert coming up and my size 42" waist just isn't cutting it anymore. I did try on a size 42" just to see how far I've actually come and they were HUGE. I settled on a size 34" waist. I getting close to an overall goal, probably another 15 pounds and I'm thinking that 34" will be my comfort zone. I also bought a pair of blue jeans, since I haven't wore any for a long time. Those I even got smaller, size 33" waist.

After my purchases, I walked the perimeter of the mall to get a few steps in since I was inside and had the time. What a crowd already and it's not even Thanksgiving!

I was surprised to see how cheap a ring guard cost. I went to Kay's Jewelers and it was only $7.00 and now my wife is happy. I guess that's all that counts.

Another Joy of Parenthood

My kids have had stuffy noses, coughs, watery eyes, and headaches all week so it was just a matter of time when I started feeling the symptoms. It started Thursday and last night, I woke up every few hours to get a tissue. My head is stuffed and we'll see what that does to my appetite and my attitude towards exercising. Not really in the writing mood, so I think I'll be pretty lazy today.

Week 29

Week 29: 203.4
Last Week: 203.0
Progress: Up .4
Starting Weight: 270.2
Total Weight Loss: 66.8
Average Weekly Loss: 2.3

I didn't make it to my regular Wednesday meeting this week and I had a hard time making it to a meeting tonight. My wife worked late last night and I worked last tonight, but it didn't keep me away from the scale. Unfortunately, I gained .4, but considering the feast I was confronted with over the weekend I am not too surprised. Upset yes, surprised no! I hate to see the scale go up even if it is only a fraction of a pound. Considering that this is only the second time in 29 weeks that the scale has gone up and they have both been on nights that I normally do not attend meetings, I would chalk it up to differences in routine.

Tonight we discussed Thanksgiving and what the "normal" points would be for a Thanksgiving feast. Given there was only space for two desserts instead of six, I still came up with about 40 points. I know I didn't have quite that many at my Mother-in-law's feast, but I would have to say I came mighty close. We brainstormed about ways to cut back on the points, but that is so much easier to do when you're preparing the meal yourself. I'll be going to my Mother's on Thanksgiving for round two of the feasts. I know this will be a more point-friendly feast as my Mom does watch what she eats and my Dad has diabetes, so there are not quite as many sweets.

It sure is different going to a meeting that you normally do not attend. I have a greater appreciation for the group that I am normally part of as they are very open and willing to participate along with the leader being much more personable. I'm glad I tried another meeting, but will be glad to get back to my Wednesday group next week.

"You've Lost How Much?"

Our company is once again selling spirit wear. I have two XXL shirts that I have bought in the past and one fleece jacket. Today, I went into the room where everything was on display and the administrative assistant who was also my mentor when I first started my current job was amazed. She had seen me in the halls on occasion, but never really took note of my weight loss until I came to view the apparel. The first thing I picked up was a red fleece size large. I put it on and the new nurse manager commented about how red looked very good on me. Well, I bought a new fleece and I also bought a size large T-shirt. As I was trying shirts on, the administrative assistant commented again by saying, "You've lost how much weight?" I proudly rounded the number up to 70 and she stopped and said, "Seven-zero?" I smiled and said yes. The few people looking at the clothes were amazed at my progress and now that I thought about the rest of the day, I discovered that I'm very amazed as well. This has not been an easy process, but it has been very rewarding. Sure, I have a few pounds to go to reach 70, but I've taken note and finally realized that this is a major accomplishment worth a double-take.

20 Platters of Christmas Cookies

Imagine every different kind of Christmas cookie possible and multiply it by 20. That's how many cookies sat in front of me at the annual Ladies Auxiliary Christmas Tea this afternoon. I know it's a bit early for Christmas cookies, but our Auxiliary always throws this event during their November meeting since they do not have a meeting in December. There were so many cookies and I decided to dance with a few residents instead of feeding into the temptations of all the Auxiliary Ladies. They come around to each table at least four times trying really hard to stuff everyone full of Holiday Treats. I am so proud of myself for resisting the cry of the cookies and don't feel deprived at all because it is WAY to early for Christmas cookies.

Now if I can only lay off the eggnog. I checked in the store last week and it seems that a 1/2 cup of eggnog is close to 5 points. Last year, I was chugging that stuff without hesitation a good 3 cups at a time. Thinking first this year. I'm the only one in the house that likes it, so I don't think it will be worth it. If I get any it will be the Silk brand for about 2 points each 1/2 cup, but I hate to drink away my points. If there's no chewing involved, it doesn't seem worth it to me.

XL or not XL

I haven't gone shopping for new shirts since I've started losing weight. Pants are a different story, I'm on my fifth set of pants since April. I hate baggy pants, but the shirts on the other hand scare me. I haven't wore a large shirt for as long as I can remember. I know my XXL shirts are REALLY huge on me right now and I haven't been wearing them much at all. Even my XL shirts are very loose, but I hate the idea of losing that X. I'm sure I could easily fit into a large, but to me a large signifies that you are skinny and in good shape. I don't feel that way yet. My Mother-in-law was Christmas shopping today and mentioned that the XL shirts look so huge. When my wife looks at my pants and shorts, she has mentioned that they are so small.

So I suppose I should be asking for large shirts for Christmas, but I sure do like the idea of hiding behind the X.

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Walking Faster
Last week was our 7th anniversary and as my wife and I were heading to TGI Friday's, she mentioned how fast I was walking. This was the first time that someone mentioned the speed at which I was walking as being "fast." The next day, one of the residents at my nursing home also mentioned that I looked like I was walking so much faster lately. I guess since I've been walking more for exercise, I've been trying to go faster so I can get the biggest bang from my buck.

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Update on "Old Bitty"
Last week, I mentioned one of the residents at the nursing home who couldn't remember my name, but mentioned my gut. Well, today was another bingo day and the first thing I hear was my name. She remembered and then looked right towards my gut. So much for her forgetting! LOL

"Attack of the Thankgiving Pies VI"

Saturday, we had a big Thanksgiving feast at my mother-in-laws house. We are celebrating early as one of my sister-in-law's is due with her first baby any day and Grandma and Grandpa plan on driving out to New York next weekend and will stay there through Thanksgiving.

The normal drill involves many appetizers, followed by filling full, followed by lots of turkey and stuffing, followed by filling full, followed by six slices of pie grasshopper pie, pumpkin pie, lemon meringue, banana cream, usually a chocolate pie of some kind and mince meat, followed by filling extremely full.

Well, I had prepared myself for the worst and done and extra work-out on the elliptical on Friday night, followed by an hour on Saturday morning. Our feast did not disappoint, but it was a bit different this year. We arrived early for lunch and I feasted on a salad that was specially made just for me. The taco dip was made with reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream so I feasted on that as well. Drank lots of water and went for a walk with my father-in-law and Kozmo, sister-in-law's yellow lab.

After our walk, it was time for the real feast to begin. Lots of turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and tons of veggies. This seemed different from past Thanksgivings when the lone veggie would be green bean casserole loaded with the works. I stocked up on the veggies and besides having a second helping of turkey, the veggies were the only thing extra added to my plate.

It was after dinner that I had really been dreading. There were six different desserts including the regulars: grasshopper, pumpkin, lemon meringue, banana cream, apple. The chocolate was missing and I had brought a fat-free banana split dessert. I had a sliver of grasshopper and apple and feasted on my fat-free dessert and I'd call it a successful Thanksgiving Feast!

I'm very glad I have about a week and a half to prepare for the next one at my mother's house. Luckily, I know there won't be six desserts there as my dad is diabetic and doesn't do well with lots of temptations. I plan on making my dessert again, but this time it will be sugar free instead of fat free. Not much different only a different cool whip.

Humility

The words of the young and the old are always honest. I'm not sure when we lose that sense of being honest with people, but it happens sometime. Yesterday, at the nursing home, I was helping a few residents play bingo. I was wearing a blue jean shirt with our nursing home logo on it. Fridays are a dress-down day for wearing nursing home shirts and jeans. I don't have any jeans right now that fit, so it's been a regular day for me. I did decide to wear a logo shirt however. This in itself was a big deal, because I have not been tucking my shirts in. So I did it! I tucked my shirt in yesterday and a mean old bitty asked me about my weight. She said, "I thought you've been losing weight, you still got a good gut on you!" I smiled and said I was still working on it. Luckily, I know this nice lady and she was saying it all in fun and she has dementia. If I saw her today, she wouldn't even remember saying it. Heck, she can't even remember my name, she kept calling me Bob. I reminded her that she had a son with the same name as mine, but I had to remind her every time she called me Bob, which was often. In the meantime, I'll keep working on my "gut" and untuck my shirts once again.

Sewer Stress

Today I stayed home from work in the morning to take care of a lingering problem in our basement. Our sewer has been backing up on occasion since August. I tried getting it unplugged with my Dad at that time and had seemed to work until last night. Last night, I did three loads of laundry and noticed a big puddle near our basement floor drain. This morning, I went downstairs and after our family showers, the puddle was much bigger. So I called a plumber and had him snake out the sewer to the street. Not a pleasant smell to say the least. I was very stressed wondering how much it would cost and wondering if this would solve the problem. I kept eating the whole while the plumber was at my house. Nothing bad, mostly grapes, dried fruit, a few kissables that my 3 yr. old didn't like, but it was very stressful. The outcome was not a very pleasant one. The plumber pulled out a bunch of tree roots and advised me to have someone come out to see where my sewer pipe has collapsed. This involves running a video camera down the pipe which is somewhat pricey. What is more pricey is the part that would come after that. Either replacing the drain pipes inside the house or outside the house all the way to the street. We really haven't had a problem with our sewer before now, so I think I'll pray that the snaking out has been sufficient for a while.

I usually don't let stress get the best of me, but the idea of spending money on something that is so costly got me eating. I'll going now to work on the elliptical for a second time today. I have a few Milky Ways to work off.

Tomorrow will be more temptations with a Thanksgiving feast at my Mother-in-laws. She has already informed us of the SIX pies that she has made. My wife is planning on making another one and I was planning on making something low-fat, but am kind of thinking, "what's the use?" Wish me luck with the first round of Thanksgiving!

The Joys of Parenthood

Last night, I went to bed at 7:30pm. I actually went to put our 3 yr. old to bed and I was the one falling asleep. I woke up at 11:00pm and decided I wasn't tired anymore so I got up did the dishes and blogged for a while. Tonight, my wife went to bed at 7:30pm with our 6 yr. old. We usually have her lay in her own bed and we stay upstairs for a few minutes, my wife went in our room and when I came upstairs with our 3 yr. old at 8:00pm, my wife was fast asleep.

This has seemed to be a common trend in our family lately. One person is left up alone. Because my wife is pregnant that one person left up alone has usually been me. That would not be a horrible thing, but when left alone, I eat! Since being on Weight Watchers, I have done a great job of tracking and staying true to myself, but when I am up alone at 7:30pm it is very tempting to throw everything out the door and eat till my stomach's content.

Proudly, I can say I have not given in. Another trend happening in our family is that my wife is not eating dinner. Since her pregnancy, she has not been able to smell chicken of any kind and does not partake in dinner. In fact, she goes in a different room during dinner as not to catch a wiff of the food. I miss making chicken, but have survived on other foods so far. I have a lot of chicken in the freezer and the kids really like it too so I'll be braving it soon. Making dinner and doing the dishes has always been my duty when my wife has been pregnant, don't know why I thought number four would be any different.

Last night at my Weight Watcher meeting, one of the longtime members stopped me afterwards and asked if I'd been on plan since starting. To me, it was a dumb question because of course I've been on plan since starting temptations in life are just something that will continue and has to be made part of the plan. I politely responded that I've been doing well.

One of the "Guys on a Diet" starts a thread on the message board daily called the "Make a Better Choice!" thread. I contribute often to this discussion because I know I don't always make the best choice, but every time I make a bad choice I try my hardest to make the better choice next time. Today, my not-so-good choice was eating 5 mini doughnuts for a snack this morning. My boss, who happens to be on Weight Watchers, was celebrating her birthday and decided to bring in doughnuts and Kringles. I passed up the Kringles, but the doughnuts were calling me. The better choice I made was to go for a walk as soon as I consumed the doughnuts. It made me feel a little better knowing that I was trying to work them off right away.

Week 28

Week 28: 203.0
Last Week: 204.6
Progress: Down 1.6
Starting Weight: 270.2
Total Weight Loss: 67.2
Average Weekly Loss: 2.4

Good week considering that I encountered "Attack of the Candy Corn II." I've been on a candy kick and eating only a few candy corns at a time until my boss put not one, but two bags of candy corn in my mailbox. Well, to say the least, it's gone! Took four days for two bags. I'm not proud, but I am glad that's it's gone so I can get on with it.

Meeting tonight focused on "Intuition." What is your body telling you? My body is telling me that I don't have to snack. It's alright to be hungry. I never let my stomach feel hungry before, so this is definitely a new concept. I've been drinking more of my points lately in the form of Hot Chocolate. I've been drinking Swiss Miss, no sugar added. It's only 1 point, but still I hate to waste my points on something I can't chew.

Ordered Chinese tonight. I try to do this on my WI day so I have plenty of time to recover. By the time I got home from my WI, the rice and the fried noodles were pretty much gone, but I still feasted on the steamed veggies and my "Triple Delight" (scallops, beef, and chicken with a bunch of veggies in brown sauce).

Last Supper

Not long ago, I was listening to the radio and heard the morning show DJ's talking about meals that people have requested as their last meal on "Death Row." Today, they were discussing more "last suppers." I decided to listen since the other station I usually listen to has non-stop Christmas. It is customary to allow inmates to choose whatever they would like to eat for their final supper. It got me to thinking about how much food is a part of our lives. We center everything around it! Even those getting ready to die have food as a centerpiece. What would I want as a final meal? I have some many favorites it would be hard to pick one meal. I'd probably be begging them to keep me alive for another week, just so I could enjoy all my favorites one last time.

So what would I ask for? I'd request a big juicy Beef Tenderlion, a plate full of steak-cut fries, and a tub of carmel cashew ice cream. For dessert, I'd take a pound of Peel-n-Pull Twizzlers~cherry flavored. Some frozen liquor drink would help ease the pain too!

Time Change

The change in time has really played havoc with my eating. Can I use that excuse for eating too much candy? The kids have been very confused with the time change. They went to bed too late Saturday night, woke up too early Sunday morning, and all were in bed by 7:00pm Sunday night. Yesterday was our anniversary and I pretty much snacked ALL day. I hate to think about what I would have eaten if I didn't track everything I was eating. That has really kept me honest as I hate seeing that I've eaten more than more daily allowance.

Friday, I was able to go to a meeting at work since my boss was off. I'm glad I don't have too many meetings to deal with because it seems there is always food and it's never point friendly. Well, I just happened to go on the right day.

RECIPE
I'm not big into recipes, but this recipe was made and served at a meeting this last week and it was delicious. I may make it for Thanksgiving since it's so easy to put together and the best part, NO BAKE!

Banana Split Dessert
2 cups reduced-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 8 whole crackers)
5 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine
1 can (12 ounces) cold reduced-fat evaporated milk
1/4 cup cold fat-free milk
2 packages (1 once each) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
2 medium firm bananas, sliced
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1 carton (8 ounces) reduced-fat frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
5 maraschino cherries, quartered
3 tablespoons walnuts (optional)

Combine cracker crumbs and margarine; press onto the bottom of a 13in.x9in. dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk the evaporated milk, fat-free milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Spread pudding evenly over crust. Layer with bananas, pineapple and whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts; drizzle with chocolate syrup. Top with cherries. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Makes 15 BIG pieces for 4 points each
Easily cut into 24 pieces for 2 points each
Nutruitional Facts: (15 servings each serving) 194 calories, 6g fat, 4mg cholesterol, 312mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g protein

Tidbits for the Week

Anniversary
Today is my anniversary. 7 years can go so fast. I don't know where the time has gone. We've had 3 children that are turning out all right. We've bought a house, car, switched jobs, went back to college. Gone to family functions, weddings, funerals, and countless birthday parties. Through it all, we've always enjoyed food. Friday night, we went out for an Anniversary Dinner at TGI Fridays. I ordered a great Key West Shrimp dish with grilled shrimp and steamed broccoli. My wife on the other hand, ordered mozzarella sticks, a cheeseburger and fries and two new mini dessert mousse served in shot glasses. My wife got a Chocolate Mint mousse and a Peanut Butter Cup mousse. I know she did that on purpose since she knows I like peanut butter and couldn't resist. She tried a bite and left the rest for me. It was a great evening and I actually enjoyed going out, which we haven't done much since I've embraced eating healthier.

Other notes
Can't believe it, but a radio station here in Milwaukee started playing Christmas music on November 1st. What makes it worse is that I'm actually enjoying it. I've had it on while I'm on the elliptical and it goes me moving.

The News
And oh hey, baby #4 is on the way. Due in late May...my family is actually reading this as the word has spread all the way to Missouri pretty fast too ;)

"Tuesdays with Morrie"

Christine of Finding Myself commented on this book in her blog yesterday. I'm been reading this book in the book club at the nursing home that I work at. After the first few chapters, I was concerned about the content being to close to home. Talking about death is usually not done in a nursing home even if someone in the nursing homes dies, they are usually not talked about or mentioned much as to not upset the other residents. I have been surprised about the book and will have many memories of the discussions that it brought about. During one chapter, Morrie talks about what animal he would like to be. I really can't remember what he chose, but the discussion that followed was very memorable. We discussed about the craziest animals and what would be good or bad about being them. I decided I would be a Turtle: with a tough outer shell, but a soft side as well. Not to mention, they usually have a long life and take everything in "stride" so to speak. One resident's response will stick with me forever. Out of no where, Margaret King shouted, "I'd like to be an elephant!" When asked why, she said because they're smart, big, strong and like to eat! I have to say, I definitely agree with her responses. The next day after our book club, Margaret was gone. Passed away in her sleep! Makes me wonder if she's hanging out with the elephants somewhere now.

Lots of important issues are discussed in the book and it definitely gets you thinking about exactly what we take for granted and if losing weight is actually THAT important. It's family, friends, relationships that are focused on in the book. Cherish the moments you have, and take care of yourself so that you can have many more moments to come!

Halloween Pics and Others

Here's a few quick recent photos.




To satisfy the families need to see pictures, here's the Halloween display. 6 yr. old was Dorothy from "Wizard of Oz", 3 yr. old was Dora the Explorer and 1 yr. old was "RRRRR". Who's the other kid? Oh that's our neighbor, Ariel.

Reflection on 6 months

It's amazing that six months have flown by as fast as they have. What has happened within the last six months?

Top Ten Difference Makers!

1. Enjoy yourself~I've taken time to reflect on the journey and have enjoyed my new lifestyle. I enjoy the food, the new "virtual family" I've gained and I've learned to like exercise. I actually get pleasure from exercising; it's a great stress reliever and an excellent time for needed "me" time.

2. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables~in the past, I wouldn't make this a focus and sometimes didn't eat them at meals at all. Now even if we're eating pizza our spaghetti I make a special point to make a side vegetable. Fruit has been a staple at breakfast and lunch.

3. Exercising regularly~walking at least 10,000 steps 5-7 times a week and using the elliptical machine 5-6 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time.

4. Eating Breakfast~This had always been a luxury as I always made sure to get our 3 kids fed and ready and out of the house before I took care of myself. Now I make sure to eat breakfast even before getting the kids theirs.

5. Tracking~I have not been great at weighing and measuring and usually guessimate on point values, but I definitely write everything down.

6. Compliments~I've heard compliments from people that I hardly even know, but each one makes me more motivated to keep on going and continue with this journey.

7. Blogging~I'm still pretty new at it and sometimes feel that I have very little to add that is inspiring, but I have enjoyed meeting others working toward the same goal and have been inspired all the their stories.

8. Weight Watcher Meetings~Adding a sense of accountability to the journey has been important. Those gold 5 pound stars are one of my most valued possessions right now and I look forward to getting another one every time I get to that point.

9. GOAD~This message board on the Weight Watcher site has become an automatic place that I go after I track my food for each meal. The guys(and guygals) have been very inspirational especially on those not-so-good days.

10. Lost 65 pounds~Even though I know I shouldn't worry about what the scale says, I can't help but be amazed at the numbers. Hit 65 pounds lost on Halloween and although I was hoping to get below 200, I know it will happen as long as I keep on going the way I am.