WHAT THE?????

Ok...momma had a rant. I was watching CNN today and they were having a "special report" about Jessica Simpson's weight. I guess she weighs a whopping 130 lbs and everyone is going on like she's some big moose. I started yelling at the TV and hubs was like "well that is ridiculous" agreeing with me of course ;). Then I get on yahoo and they posted these photo's of Jess Simpson. Honest to God I can see why the youth of today have body issues. Nearly everyone on my facebook in their 25 random comments mentions body issues (people I would have thought didn't). It just makes me so very, very angry.

Well...now I think I can breath...

Tomorrow is SUPER BOWL!!! WooHoo GO STEELERS!!! (Or Stillers if you're from 'round here). We have plans with friends of ours. We were going to have the snack fest, which scared me a bit because they are NOT veggie fans...but decided to go with a Thanksgiving style turkey dinner!!! Whew...saved by the bird. It's funny this year we were invited to 3 different parties. In years past that was never the case because I was ALWAYS at work. We just went with the first people who asked us. Here's a link to an interesting site about the way Pittsburgers talk...enjoy

Today I found two new pieces of free software that I'm about ready to install. One is a startup program that will help keep the unnecessary stuff that boots up with your computer out of start up...You can find it here Startup Program

The other is a group of sites from a womans newsletter that I just adore...so many helpful hints...anyway, it's about finances: budget program, account tracking...etc. Kim Komando.

Eat a groundhog??? No I'm not going all crazy on ya...Feb. 2nd we "celebrate" the furry pest. Punxsy is a 20 minute drive from my house but I've never been to the festivites. I had to laugh the other day when MotherEarthNews sent me an email about cooking groundhog. Depending on whether he sees his shadow or not we'll see about a groundhog pie...LOL Here's a link to the Whistle Pig. I wouldn't actually cook one up but I did like the little video that is on page 2 showcasing the various groundhogs around town.

As for OP wise...well I had my first totally OP day yesterday with no Flexies!!! WooHoo. I'm trying to ween myself off of them slowly. I'll have to look back thru my food journal and see what made the difference. I think it was the scrambled egg sandwich with ketchup! (May have something to do with having to go to the grocery store too)

Another snowy day

Ugh, when will it ever end? I was talking with my MIL yesterday and we were commenting on how we haven't had this much snow since 93/94. There's one difference though, way back in the "olden days" it was blizzard/thaw/blizzard/thaw...Not this year. We just keep getting dumped on and no thaw!!! K...enough whining for the day ;)

Just a couple of odd ball snippets today...

I found a website that does a neato thing to photo's. It's called TiltFishMaker and it does this to a photo...












You can change where the focus of the picture is. It mimics the results of a very expensive camera lens...hey I'll give anything a go around once! This one I think I'll be using quite a bit!


A few quotes of note from Whole Living...I LOVE Martha Stewart!!!

"Eat close to the source. The healthiest food doesn't come in a wrapper"

"When you push the boundaries of your strength, you tap into the body's true power" I dedicate this one to Tony at "The Anti-Jared"

"Health is the manifestation of internal balance"

So other than being surrounded by snow I'm doing A-O-K. My BFF and I got in a fantabulous walk last night at the mall, 1 hour long, lord knows how many laps!!! We were both pooped afterward and my shins hurt but I felt so darned good!!! We tentatively have walking "dates" Sunday and Monday which I'm hoping the newest batch of storms doesn't halt!

Stir A Bout Post...

A little o' this, a little o' that!!!

First a couple of pictures...











This is the cold white winter "wonderland" outside....I HATE it! It is beautiful but I want to be outside walking in some warm weather!!! Oh and we've got more severe weather warnings...more snow and ice coming...UGH!




















This is me (another laundry room photo) and my new "baby". A Sony a200 that I treated myself to! I always aim to please everyone else and go without...well for once I treated myself and I'm having so much fun with it. I didn't have to photoshop the background to make it appear like it had depth of field...the camera did it for me! The best part is the telephoto lens I had for my film Minolta Maxxum 4 works with this camera! BONUS

















This is one of the first pics I took with the new camera. Gotta love a boy and his kitty!!!


Now for the other stuff...just sharing some stuff I read today...

This is from my Better Life Unlimited Newsletter that I get in my email...

Which foods contain the best proteins in a daily diet?

The best sources of animal (complete) proteins are:

· Fish and other seafood, i.e. tuna, salmon, flounder, bass, etc.

· Lean meats, such as lean pork and beef

· Poultry, turkey, de-skinned

· Skim dairy foods and cheeses, i.e. milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, string cheese, etc.

· Eggs and Egg Substitutes, i.e. the white of an egg is 100% protein

The best sources of vegetable proteins (incomplete and must be combined) are:

· Beans, peas, and other legumes, i.e. red, black, white beans.

· Nuts and seeds, i.e. walnuts, cashews, etc.

· Whole grains, i.e. oats, brown rice, barley, quinoa, etc.

Now for an example of how I could apply this information to my own protein needs. Remember, I calculated that I would need 56 grams of protein per day. Additionally, I am a vegetarian. I do eat eggs and some dairy, but no meat. So, where and how am I going to get my protein needs met? Here are some possibilities:

1 cup cottage cheese = 28 grams protein

½ cup Egg Beaters = 10 grams protein

1 cup black beans in soup = 15 grams protein

1 cup brown rice, cooked = 5 grams protein

½ cup tofu with stir fry veggies = 20 grams protein

2 Protein Bars (snacks) = 15 grams protein each bar

How much protein is there in the foods (not vegetarian!) I eat every day?

On an average, here is how to get 7 grams of protein per serving:

1 ounce of meat, fish, or poultry

1 whole egg

¼ cup tuna in water pac

½ cup cooked beans, peas, etc.

2 tablespoons nut butter

On an average, here is how to get 8 grams of protein per serving:

1 cup skim milk

1 cup LITE yogurt

1 ounce string cheese

1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese

I hope this information helps and does not confuse you. Now you know why dietitians walk around with a calculator in hand. And why you can trust BLI to help you get the right amount of nutrients in the foods you eat every day.

Better Life Unlimited Website

Tea for Two and Two For Tea

Me for you and you for me...sorry had to get it out of my system. Anyway I saw on Blog2Lose that people were talking about tea, decaf to be exact in most cases. Well I've had a momnesia attack...earlier today I read on someone's blog about how to decaffeinate tea at home, any tea. Oh my gosh, I wish I could remember where I read it...anyhow...lol here's a few tips that I see reoccurring and the links I got them from...Enjoy!

How to remove caffeine from Tea

Approximately 80% of the caffeine in tea is released during the first 30-seconds of steeping, therefore to remove most of the caffeine from any tea simply
1) Pour boiling water over the tea leaves
2) Allow the leaves to steep for 30 seconds
3) Pour out the brew, saving the steeped leaves
4) Re-steep the same leaves with more boiling water for the recommended steeping times.

From: http://www.clusterflock.org/2006/10/how-to-remove-caffeine-from-tea.html

Removing caffeine from tea is a matter of 'washing' it

Discussing the process of coffee decaffeination in an earlier post, I mentioned my "trick" for keeping the caffeine low in tea: steeping
the leaves more than once (and yes, I did admit to using tea bags, a topic for a future post I'm sure). Bruce Dearborn Walker piped in
and mentioned that many tea drinkers "wash" their leaves in one quick steeping of hot water before drinking to remove most of the
caffeine.

With good tea, a 20- or 30-second steep won't remove much flavor and, in fact, many tea houses wash some types of leaves before
serving as a matter of course (like the Tao of Tea in Portland). My big question is, how much caffeine does this really remove? And
does it really remove the nutrients, as well? Have any great chemistry minds done the research? And if not, do we have any readers
who'd like to dive in and test the caffeine in several varieties of post-wash tea?

From: http://www.slashfood.com/tag/remove+caffeine/

And last but not least...

How to Make Caffeine-Free Green Tea in Your Own Kitchen

by Kristie Leong MD, Sep 3, 2007
Green tea has an amazing array of health benefits. Unfortunately, not everyone can tolerate the caffeine in green tea. Here's how to
remove caffeine from green tea in your own kitchen.

It seems we learn more every day about the amazing health benefits of green tea. This amazing drink is thought to reduce the risk of
a variety of chronic diseases including heart disease and certain types of cancers. Drinking green tea each day has even been
shown to lower the risk of contracting certain infections. Is it any wonder that the medical community is recommending drinking this
drink every day?

Unfortunately, not everyone can tolerate the side effects related to the caffeine content in green tea. Caffeine acts as a nervous
system stimulant which can result in such unpleasant symptoms as excessive nervousness, a rapid pulse rate, increased blood
pressure, and difficulty falling asleep. In persons who suffer from heart disease or hypertension, caffeine in high doses can be
dangerous.

If you can't tolerate caffeine, but you'd still like the health benefits of green tea, what are your alternatives? You can buy decaffeinated
green tea, but your tea may have been decaffeinated by a chemical process which removes many of the beneficial catechins that
are thought to be the active substances that protect against disease. Plus, it can be hard to find a good selection of flavored green
teas that are caffeine free.

Why not prepare your own almost caffeine free tea at home? It's a lot easier than you might think. This caffeine removal process
works because more than 80% of the caffeine in green tea is released during the first 30 seconds of steeping. Here's how to make
caffeine free green tea in your own kitchen:

1. Prepare your boiling water as you normally do.
2. Arrange your tea bags or loose green tea leaves in your pan.
3. Pour the boiling water over your tea bags or lea leaves and allow it to steep for 30 seconds.
4. Discard the hot water which should contain more than 80% of the caffeine found in the tea leaves.
5. Prepare a fresh pot of hot water and steep your tea as usual.

While this method won't produce completely caffeine free green tea, it will remove 80-90% of the caffeine. Since green tea naturally
has anywhere from 20-40 mg. of green tea, removing 80-90% of the caffeine leaves you with somewhere around 2-8 mg of caffeine
which is a level most people can tolerate. Plus, the caffeine removal process is so quick and easy!

If the caffeine in green tea is causing problems for you, give this method of producing almost caffeine free green tea a try. You can still
benefit from the health benefits of green tea without all those jitters.

From: http://www.gomestic.com/Cooking/How-to-Make-CaffeineFree-Green-Tea-in-Your-Own-Kitchen.43694

I knew the info existed I just had to find it!!! Now I think I'll have a cup of Earl Grey in the morning!!! Or maybe some spiced Chai!!!

I don't frequent any of the above sites and the info I'm posting is just copy and pasted from other sites, so the highlighted links are their doing, not mine!

Share and Share Alike...

Between Kim Komando and all the blogs I follow I've compiled a haphazard list of "must check these out" sites!!! Enjoy :)

Feel free to add your own as well...

This is a swift kick in the pants for someone interested in diet and exercise...I haven't tried it out yet...
http://www.peertrainer.com/

This is a site where you can watch full length TV shows
http://www.veoh.com/

This is a site where you can upload a photo and give it the look of a tilt shift lens (a very expensive lens I might add...)
http://tiltshiftmaker.com

Another library of TV shows and such
http://www.hulu.com/

Thought this was too cute not to post...Valentines cards from paint chips
http://www.craftevolution.com/?p=635

Two Pic's - NSV and my Gym

A little back story...

The Gym photo is self explanatory. I got the stepper for $7 and the weights for 99¢ at Good will. The balance ball is hubs from physical therapy!

The Rings photo is a big NSV for me. When I first lost all my weight I was amazed I could wear my mom's rings. She had the smallest, daintiest hands I have ever seen...so being able to wear them was a tremendous accomplishment for me...And after a long hiatus I'm able to wear them once again!

Is good...is good...

Let me tell you I'm feeling so much better about this slight change in point tracking. I don't feel so desperate after 6pm anymore!!! The scale hasn't moved much either way, though I'd like a loss I'm glad it isn't a gain! I'll keep you posted on the progress...

Now off to warm myself up! Oh and I might be getting a Sony A200 DSLR today or tomorrow. It's something I've been wanting and I never, ever, ever treat myself :)

Later...

Trying something new...

Yesterday I started going backwards...I'm journaling starting with the previous days dinner. I have been looking back thru my food journals, breakfast and lunch is a breeze as are the snacks through the day. Even when I have 10 points left for dinner I always seem to blow it from 5pm on! So in an effort to "fix what is broken" I'm going to start my day at the end of the day. The first 50 lbs I lost way back when where when I was on night shift and that's how I journaled. So we'll see what the effects of my experiment go!!! I jumped on the scale today and I'm down to 206.4!!! I'm seeing one-derland again!!! It's on the horizon :)

You want sprinkles on that?

Tonight as I was reading PioneerWomans blog about her ballet headshot (before I read of her brush with death afterwards) it got me to thinking about something the Nidge said to me a few weeks ago...

"Momma"
"Yes monkey"
"What's those?"
"What's what baby?"
"Those" as he points to my forehead...
"Oh, those...those are mommy's wrinkles"
"Why you have sprinkles mommy?" as he wrinkles his nose up to make his own sprinkles...
"Oh cuz momma's old and I got those from working too much" *wink*
"Momma?"
"Yes monkey"
"Read me story?"
"Yes monkey"

I live for these moments even when they do bring to light that I'm not getting any younger!

I think, no I know I'm SAD...

I was reading in another bloggers post that she thought she may have Seasonal Affect Disorder...and I came across this today

Health News

Health Tip: Understanding Seasonal Sadness

1/14/2009 12:00:00 AM

(HealthDay News) -- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is triggered when the seasons change, most often with the onset of winter and the corresponding decrease in sunlight.

The American Academy of Family Physicians lists these common symptoms of winter-onset seasonal affective disorder:

• Appetite changes, particularly a desire for sweets and starches.
• Gaining weight.
• Sleeping too much.
• Lack of energy and a feeling of fatigue.
• Feeling irritable, anxious and having problems concentrating.
• Not wanting to participate in social activities and a general lack of interest in things you once enjoyed.
• Increased concern about being rejected socially.

Treatments are available for SAD. Talk with your doctor if you have these symptoms.

Here's the link to it... http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/news/view.aspx?id=622879&xid=nl_EverydayHealthWomensHealth_20090119

Now here's my take on it ;)

• Appetite changes, particularly a desire for sweets and starches.
  

Yep, bread and cookies...ugh :|

• Gaining weight.

Well, a few gains here and there, but basically maintaining where I don't want to be...

• Sleeping too much.

Now this one...Not so much. I'm up late looking at blogs and catching up on emails and the Nidge won't let me sleep past 8

• Lack of energy and a feeling of fatigue.

Yep, that'd be me...course I'm sure two bouts of the stomach flu haven't helped either

• Feeling irritable, anxious and having problems concentrating.

What's that? Finish the dishes before I clean the living room??? Cranky??? Who me??? LOL

• Not wanting to participate in social activities and a general lack of interest in things you once enjoyed.

I'm so here, I want to in my head, go out and be amongst people...but getting the body to get there is another. Of course the 2 feet of snow and bone chilling sub zero temps aren't helping that either.

• Increased concern about being rejected socially.

Yeah, this makes me think a little more. I have been withdrawing from my friends a bit. I go out here and there...but I always feel judged because I've made a career decision that's not all together "sane" and I've put on those pesky 40 lbs...I know they aren't, but I feel like I'm being judged...and I guess in a way I am BY MYSELF!!!

Just another thought for the day! Cheerio!

I don't wanna...

It's single digit here, with negative double digit windchills....I HATE COLD!!! I have "raynauds syndrome" and even when it's in the 90's my hands and feet freeze, turn white and sometimes purple so these temps don't make it any better.

Ok, now I've got my whine outta the way...here's my observation.

Everyone that's ever had a weight problem has said this to themselves in one form or another..."When I get skinny"

When I get skinny so and so will love me more
When I get skinny I can wear anything I want
When I get skinny I'll land the job I always wanted
When I get skinny I will magically change

PEOPLE...there isn't anything magic about a number on the scale and I just realized that today!!! Even when I was skinny I thought I was fat. At my lowest of 163 I still battled those 10 extra pounds the "charts" said I needed to lose so as not to be considered "overweight". Now I look at the photo's and wonder...WTF was I thinking??? Girl, you had it...No one loved me more, I was still the same person just in a smaller package...I could wear anything I wanted...but jeans and a T have always been my forte'...I did land "the job" that I now regret taking because it took me away from the people I love...BUT I did not magically change. I lost the weight but I hadn't lost the habits...When my very best girl friend died of pancreatic cancer suddenly I found solace eating with friends...When I got the job and had no time I ate whatever was fast and easy...These things don't help you have a healthy lifestyle. I now am dealing with Oprah's "40 lbs". Thank's be to God I didn't regain all 140!!! Now I'm eating mindfully, exercising when and where I can (last night it was dancing with my bff and today twirling my son around) and realizing that even though the numbers aren't going down as fast as I'd hoped they will if I keep on, keeping on!

Just another two cents worth...

Hollywood

I was watching something on TNT today and Jewel was on there singing. So? nothing special, till I noticed her teeth. They aren't perfect!!! Wow! Then I got to thinking...I was just watching one of those "Inside"programs on the network where they were going over everyone's perfect dresses from the Globes...and they had on there about Kate Winslet...I love this woman. Anyway, she was on Oprah and Oprah thanked her for having "real boobs". She's so right you know...Real boobs!!! Kate made a reference to how boobs take sanctuary in armpits. Mine do that, have done that forever!!!

Have hope my friends, there are some real people in Hollywood!!!

Part of the gain...

Ugh, after a wonderful evening out with my BFF dancing and sticking to only 3 MGD 64's (that's an NSV) I woke up way to early for being out till 2:30. When I did my morning dash to the potty...I discovered that my dear aunt has payed me a visit. You can't set any clocks to mine...I can go for months without one...go figure. So I never really know when she's a coming...So I'm not getting down about that scale as I'm sure at least a little is due to this lovely work of mother nature.

I shoveled for 2 hours this morning as well and went sled riding down the hill out back, so I'm thinking that's good exercise! I worked up a sweat shoveling let me tell you.

And now that I've grossed you out with all this talk about TOM and sweat...I leave you with a thought for the day....Woman without snow pants get very wet bum...

I will not return

Ok, along with posting my annoying weight this morning I want another reminder, a visual one, of the reason I need to eat healthier...

I will not go back here...

These are photo's from a trip with my friend Amy to Chincoteague Island VA in 2003

Ouch

You know those times when you know you've been bad but you just PRAY that the scale doesn't reflect it? I had one of those moments this morning. I've been trying to eat healthier, watching how many snacks, eating dinner (or supper) later so not to have the evening munchies...BUT well meaning though slightly depressed hubs has been nourishing his sweet tooth with...chocolate cake...(I threw half of it in the garbage yesterday). I didn't cave though, I wanted to drown myself in peanut butter and wallow in self pity...Instead I decided after getting a text on the way to baby sit, that I didn't have to baby sit, to go shopping instead. Allow me a rant! I can see why the "super-low-mega-mart" businesses do so well while the rest of the retail world is suffering...they're open!!! What a concept :). I for one this morning didn't feel like going to the aforementioned store but rather wanted to go to the Dollar Tree for batteries, broom and degreaser. Batteries for the new/used spongebob TV game friends gave my son, broom for sweeping the snow away from the steps and degreaser for cleaning off the cupboard in preparation for painting. Then I was going to go to Aldi's to stock up on some fresh fruit and veggies. I need my produce, I know that I'm snacking on carbs, refined sugar and processed foods simply because there aren't grapes, apples, oranges and cauliflower in the fridge!!! Boy am I taking side roads today (lot to say and I want to get it all out). THEY WERE BOTH CLOSED!!! It was 8 am...UGH. So I drove back home, decided that I wouldn't just become a tater and watch TV...grabbed the crappy broom on the porch, swept off the front steps and then shoveled out the back steps. I also ran up the back hill twice this morning and before bed last night did 50 reps of balanced lifting on the ball (I mentioned in an earlier post). I will beat this winter weather blah if it kills me!!!

Now....since I've been avoiding it with that gimungous paragraph above I'm now going to post my weight....

208

Ouch...but I know I need to be accountable to myself and seeing it in black and white and blue allover....I'm sticking with it, sticking to it and not letting this win. I'm ticked off that I let myself have too many liberties!!!

On other notes, I've decided to step into the fire. I need a little "cha ching" and don't want to go full time or have any brain taxing jobs right now. A friend of mine owns a pizza shop and said I can pick up a few hours here and there. It's by no means a career nor something I'll be sticking with long term but it will get me out of the house for a few hours, give us a little money and hopefully get me up and moving again. I'm starting to feel atrophied!!! I know I can stay away from the food because I won't be working there for long hours and hopefully will be too busy to munch!!!

Anywho...there's my rant for the day!!!

Miscellaneous

I'm sitting here typing this on my balance ball, I read somewhere it's supposed to help strengthen your core. I don't know if that's the case, but it really is just the right height for the stand my laptop is on. I just got done doing 4 min. on the stepper and 3 min. lifting weights while balancing on my ball. It really is quite at sight. I drape myself over backwards so I'm looking at ceiling (which usually cracks my back) grab one of my 6.6 lb. free weights and pull it towards my toes with both hands. I can feel it strengthening those core muscles!

While I'm typing I might as well share a quick and easy recipe...Take 1 package of choice Ramen...if you have any left or can find any (they quit making it but I got a ton from a "bent and dent" store), bring water to a boil, add noodles and seasoning. Boil 3 minutes. I add to this while it's boiling or like the last minute...1 can of mixed veggies and 1 can of chicken. It's nice, warm and yummy!

The noodles are 5, veggies I figure at 2 and the meat usually around 4...so half the recipe I figure generously around 6 or 7 points. I will have to upload the pic from my desktop computer and share.

Do I have any thoughts for the day? Not really, just have cabin fever and can't wait for this weather to change!!!

Not resolutions...promises

So I've been thinking all night about what to resolve in the next year to do...

I already know I want to reach my goal weight which is 154...half my former size.
I want to eat healthier...not as many processed foods.
I have the tools and the knowledge and I'm finding the strength slowly to do it again...

So I'm making promises to myself...
Once I get below 200 again...I'm going to go ride a horse.

I know it sounds silly but when I was over 300 lbs. I was afraid to ride a horse for fear that I'd hurt the calm peaceful creatures that they are. I've never ridden a horse and I want to!!!

I promise to at least run one mile...to start out with. I feel it, I'm ready!!! I want to run!!! Now if this cold winter would just fly by!!!

I promise that when I get to 190 I'll spend a day window shopping ALONE!!!

I promise that when I reach my previous low weight 163 that I'll treat myself to a day of photography...

I promise that when I reach goal I will know I deserve it and will buy myself something super special!!! I'll keep you posted as to what that will be!!!

For you all I promise in the next week to post pics of all my equipment, cooking and exercise. I'm also contemplating a blog about my sweet little Nidge!!!

Till later...

Quote

Saw this today on an email newsletter...

Change takes place when the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of the change.

So true!!!

State of the nation...

I was listening to NPR the other day and also saw something on TV regarding the recession that we're in now. Mainly what I got from these is that we can survive and we will survive. All things happen for a reason and I think the lesson for our country is
1. get back to our family roots. So we don't have money to go out to eat. Stay home, get the family involved in meal preparations. It's better health wise anyhow!
2. Shop and stay local, go to your nearby local parks. We're lucky enough to have a couple of National forests around. They offer programs all year round.
3. We need to get back to what makes America, America. The creativity, resolve and ingenuity of it's people. What I've been researching about the depression is: When people got back to taking care of themselves and kept plugging away...they were able to rebound. It will help us also not to become such a disposable people. We dispose of people as we dispose of our trash. We need to surround ourselves with family and friends. We can help each other!!! I'm not entirely comfortable with the economy but I know WHO is truly in control and will lean on Him to get me through!

Ugh...

I hate it when I have a brilliant idea in the shower and once I get dressed...poof!!! I do recall it was about accountability to myself and about loving myself. If it comes to me later today I'll share it with you all :) It really was a good thought process!

Yesterday and today have been rather a disappointment. I've realized that I'm shutting people out of my life that I need, simply because I don't want to leave the house. I feel guilty for being unemployed (not technically, I can go back if I want to...but that's a whole other post). I know I shouldn't feel guilty about not wanting to work right now and enjoy my son...I know I have to get to the bottom of my emotional problems and soon and quit using excuses to abuse myself. I abuse myself by not getting out to walk...cause it's too cold and I make excuses...it's a vicious circle.

I want to have a more positive outlook, want to be more active and want to quit making excuses...