Week 12 Day 1 or when whales become butterflies

I am writing this at 4:00 in the morning.  I can't fall back asleep probably because I was asleep by 6:30 yesterday evening.  I thought I would be productive by putting down my thoughts about my last Weight Watchers week before I know the results of the scale.

This past week has been a challenge at work and at home.  I fell down on several things such has not writing down what I ate and I only drank half my water one day.  We ate at Chick-Fil-A last evening as a political statement which explains the waffle fries, right!?  Yesterday I even found out what "sin" tastes like.  A co-worker brought me a very small piece of Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie and now I know why humans sin!  Oh my gosh it was the most amazing goodness in my mouth.  She gave me the recipe which I will treasure and make at the holidays for my family.

I also found out that if I take snacks to work that I want more and that I will eat them even if I'm not hungry.  If I snack I want more and more and more.  The days I didn't take snacks I was fine and didn't go hungry and stayed more focused.  I suppose I won't be taking snacks to work on a daily basis.

I didn't eat many fruits nor vegetables last week and I will change that.

Here are the positive things about last week.  I took my lunch to work every day.  In the evening I had my turkey soup.  I had turkey, carrots, onions, rice, thyme and rosemary in it.  After I boiled the carcass, I put the pot in the ice box and the next day, I got as much fat as I could off the top.  There was quite a bit of meat in it.  Really the turkey soup was delicious and filling so there wasn't a lot of after dinner eating last week.

I have found my back hurting less and less and my energy level increasing.  I find my thoughts turning to making decorating changes in the house which hasn't been there in years.  I curled my hair and that was new and positive.  I slept a lot, probably from the stress at work. 

A couple of nights ago I jumped up out of bed and sat on the edge of the bed thinking something was wrong or different.  Then I realized I hadn't flailed around like a beached whale trying to get out of bed.  It is easier to tie my shoes and my girlish snicker's are getting a little waddish.  I wore a long sleeved white shirt yesterday which was much looser then it had been.

I suppose I will never have a perfect week but I want to re-energize myself.  I am going to make my sweet and tart cucumbers today.  I will pull some chicken out of the freezer to thaw and bake a couple of potatoes.  I am going to take a walk this weekend and see what my stamina is like.  I want a nice salad!

All in all I like this past week and I shall see at the scale how well I did!  Stand by...............

Week 11 Day 1 or This little piggy made magic!

The above saying is SO apparent to me today!  I had such a tough week filled with challenges galore.  I didn't think for one moment I was gonna lose this week when I stepped on the scale.  I was SO sure I wore my jeans which are heavier weight wise.  I figured if I am gonna gain I might as well wear my jeans and then just continue to wear them thru the winter and spring until next summer.  I guess I made magic happen, I lost 2 pounds!  I am 0.2 pounds away from losing 20!  Yes my fine friends, I have lost 19.8 pounds!

This is my score card and you can see my weigh in every week.  I am so amazed and really look forward to seeing my doctor in January and showing him what I have done.  The last time I was to see him I was in tears and asked him not to give up on me.  I think he will be pleased.

 

This little piggy went to the market and spent big bucks!  I screamed wee-wee-wee all the way home because my bank account was $144 poorer!  I would have been proud to have my Ms. Casey see my grocery cart.  I did get my Prince some Little Debbie snack cakes so he would leave my Weight Watcher snack cakes alone!  They are expensive, six snack cakes are 2.99 and Little Debbie's are 12 for 1.50 so he should be happy.

 

I got my Weight Watcher meals and my AE Yo-Lite yogurt.  There was chicken and light margarine and celery, lettuce, tomatoes, turkey bacon, green grapes, bananas, Weight Watchers ice cream treats, bread, cooking spray, orange cake mix and frosting (for a co-worker's birthday Monday).  I got my diet Pepsi, cottage cheese, Morningside griller crumbles for chili, Flax seed oil (Omega 3) gel caps, Pantene shampoo and conditioner and paper products.  So see I was a good girlish girl! I had $8 in coupons and missed one of my $1 coupons because it stuck in the homemade coupon keeper pocket.



I want to share that these Weight Watcher Divine Triple Chocolate Ice Cream treats are to die for!  3 points and they are creamy, fudgy and delicious.  They are not cheap, 6 bars are 4.99!  But to me they are worth it!

I did treat myself to some of my wonderful needlework stashy goodness.  Of course my Uncle Si had to get into the picture!  Actually my Brother 2 bought him for me.  He knows I love Duck Dynasty.

This will conclude my missive for today and I want to thank everyone for their loving support.  I appreciate the love more then you can imagine.  Until we eat again!





Week 10 Day 2 or all is right in the land of Pink Crickets

So I just wanted to let everyone know that I added several new links to "The Cricket's Favorites" on the blog.  Lots of  new sources for figure friendly meals.

I just finished the best banana and I am getting ready to start on some water. 

The sleeping dog is lying. 

The Prince in happily ensconced in domestic bliss.

The turkey was good yesterday and I went over my points by 7 but I recorded them.  If I bite it, I write it.  And that is about it from the Lilac Thicket.  Do check out some of the favorites.  One site had baked liver and onions which my family knows I am a slave to good liver and onions.  Until we eat again!

Week 10 Day 1 or Who's Not a Turkey?

Another week passed and yet the Lord continues to bless me.  I was certain this past week was going to be a turkey.  Little money prevented buying my beloved quick fix Weight Watcher meals to take to work or eat when I got home.  I actually had to cook something. I know, I hear your gasps! 

A couple of nights it was great chicken sandwiches on toast with lettuce, tomato and mayo.  Then a couple of nights I had fried eggs, toast and hash browns.  All cooked on my Orgreenic pan with non stick spray.  I did pig out on ice cream I found in the freezer last night.  But low and behold, in my darkness and despair I lost 3 pounds.  I have lost a total of 17.8 pounds.  I was gob smacked!  I am closing in on 20 pounds.

I lugged in a 12 pound turkey from the freezer 3 days ago to thaw in the frig.  When I got home this morning I hoisted into the kitchen sink.  It was so freaking heavy and cumbersome as I was unwrapping it and getting it ready for the oven bag, then I was thunderstruck as I realized I have lost 5.8 MORE pounds then that turkey!  That is a LOT of weight! 

I know I have shared in my missives how I have thoughts that I will stop losing and be stuck in fatness. Our topic at our Weight Watchers meeting today was "Do you Believe?"  My belief in my ability waivers.  It isn't that I can't do it, I have the ability to do just about anything I choose to.  I get scared and my belief vanishes but then the Lord strengthens me again.  I don't want to lose weight for any other reason then I want to feel good, physically and mentally.  I am not looking for a man or attention, I don't want that.  I want to be able to hike thru a theme park or fit in an airplane seat or see my feet when I look down.  I want to shop in the regular sizes and wear cute panties and bras.  I want to be able to tie my shoes in the exact center and cross my legs in a lady like fashion.  I want to be able to sit on the floor and be able to get back up.  I want to be able to fold myself up in a dining room chair and not have my butt cheeks flow off the seat.  I can't wait to be able to wrap myself in a regular bath towel and have it go ALL the way around me.  I want to have someone say to me "you don't have to watch what you eat" even though I know that I will always have to watch what I eat.  I want to be something I have never been, thin.

I love the little weekly mini magazines we get at our meetings.  They are filled with inspiration and wisdom.  I have every one of them since I joined and I will never get rid of them. They are great to re-read.

Casey, our wonderful Weight Watcher meeting leader often talks about her experiences in the grocery store.  When she sees a Weight Watcher they usually high tail it the other direction because they don't want her to see what they have in their cart.  Well I wouldn't, I do a good job when I grocery shop.  Here is the proof!  The things you don't see are the eggs and milk and the Weight Watcher ice cream bars which are all in the frig or freezer when I took this pic.  The bananas and grapes don't last long because my Prince and I fight over them.  The turkey gravy probably isn't the smartest choice but I am cooking a turkey and I want mashed potatoes and gravy.  I can't make gravy to save my soul. 

This was a new product that I am excited about.  I saw it in our WW mini mag.  Progresso® soup partners with Weight Watchers and some of their soups are made to WW specifications.  These 2 have 2 points per serving and they are 2 serving cans.  So 4 points and you have a satisfying lunch for work.  Love it! 



I wanted to show off my 10 weeks of food trackers!  I keep them, you never know when the police will show up and say I am a suspect in an over eating crime.  I have the proof of what I ate so no court could convict me!  Oh yes, when I checked in at the meeting the gal said she had good news and bad news.  I lose a point, now my food point total is 36 per day but she said the good news is I lost 3 pounds...AND I DON'T WANT IT BACK SO IF YOU FIND IT, IT'S YOURS!

I really want to send my love out to everyone and I hope your weather is cooling just like ours.  I hope your heart's desire comes to pass and I will close for now.  Until we eat again!

Week 9 Day 1 or Until we eat again.

And here I am on the precipice of having lost 15 pounds.  When I weighed in this week I was not sure what to expect but I lost 2 pounds for a total of 14.8.  I was off work this week and money was really tight so I could not depend on my Weight Watcher meals.  I did not weigh and measure as I should and yesterday late morning my Prince and I took advantage of a gift card from The Fig Tree.  I had their biscuits and gravy and eggs and potatoes.  I ate half and took home half.  That was all I ate.

Then Wednesday I made a special meal to celebrate my Prince's 50th birthday.  I made spaghetti, salad and Italian bread and butter with a Pineapple-less Upside Down Cake, again no measuring.  I ate small portions and was lucky that I lost weight this week.

Each week I think I will quit losing and be stuck in fatness and each week the Lord has blessed me.  He is changing my appetite, my thoughts are fewer and fewer about food.  I feel my back aching less and less.  For the first time I looked in the mirror and saw a thinner face.  I put on a pair of jeans which I had been avoiding because they were so hard to zip and button.  Guess what, no problem with closing them and they didn't feel like they were cutting into my waist.  Progress is slow, but I am seeing it in small ways.

I don't want this to be about numbers on the scale but it seems to be the major factor in how successful I feel about my weight loss journey.

I made a great potato soup which was filling and only 2 points per cup.  For 4 points it really satisfies the tummy.

Crock pot Potato Soup

8-10 (1 cup per 2 points) serving

 

1-26-30oz bag frozen hash browns

2-14oz cans non-fat chicken broth
1-10¾ oz can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ teaspoonful black pepper
1-8oz pkg low-fat (1/3 less fat) cream cheese
1 cup fat free skim milk

Add the first 5 ingredients to the crock pot and cook on high for 1 hours.  Add cream cheese and cook another ½ hour or until the cheese can be stirred into the mixture.  Add milk and cook 10-15 minutes longer.

Optional: Garnish with chopped green onion and bacon bits (add 1 pot for bacon).

I ladled it out into serving size portions in my plastic containers.  This would be great to take to lunch for work.

Wednesday we went to our favorite thrift shop and I found a great cook book called "Fat Free Baking" by Sandra Woodruff.  It has muffins, breads, cakes, cobblers, brownies and cookies.  It is very easy to convert into points and some of these recipes could be reduced even further using egg substitutes.  I want to try the "Applesauce Maple Muffins".  They would be 2 points without the raisins and nuts or 4 points with them.  Most of the recipes call for whole wheat flour and I stopped at the grocery and got some of that.

I hate this, I have spent the last hour looking for a recipe I thought I have saved, alas no success!  It will turn up I suppose.

Anyway I am gonna close this thing with a hooray for me, the Pink Cricket!  God Bless and until we eat again!

Week 8 Day 4 or My kingdom for a snack!

I made the Pumpkin Spice Cake and as you can see only crumbs are left.  Delicious!  I cut it into 12 pieces and each piece is 3 points.  I am going to put each slice in a sandwich baggie and then in a big zip lock bag and put them in the freezer.  It would be good warm with a dollop of low calorie whip topping. 



You mix one spice cake mix only with 1 cup of pumpkin and 1 cup of water.  I sprayed my cake pan with no calorie no stick spray and popped it in a 350° oven for 30 minutes.  I will definitely make this again.

 

This is my latest venture in my sweet vinegar veggies.  I used red onion, green beans, carrots, radishes and cucumbers.  The radishes, cuces, onions are terrific.  The green beans and carrots not so much.  I need to cut the carrots thinner and the green beans shorter and maybe run a knife lightly down their seam to open it so that the vinegar can penetrate them easier.  This is a great evening no point snack.



Week 8 Day 3 or This little piggy is off to the Farmer's Market

I was wondering when peak season was for fruits and vegetables in our area.  We are blessed here where we sit on the state line between Kansas and Missouri and not too far away is Nebraska and Iowa, the four corners of the Midwest I guess you could say.  I searched and found this marvelous guide for the states at this link: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap
A couple of things surprised me.  First Missouri has peak season for fruits and berries, Kansas has none.  A second surprise is how different the peak seasons are for Kansas and Missouri.  So here is the list for my area.


September

Apples
Carrots
Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Grapes
Lima Beans
Melon
Okra
Pears
Peppers
Salsify
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watermelon

October

Apples
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Endive
Grapes
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Pears
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Raspberries
Salsify
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash

November

Apples
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Horseradish
Pears
Pumpkins
Scallions
Spinach
Turnips

　

December

Broccoli
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Turnips
Winter Squash

January

Growing Season is dormant

February

Growing Season is dormant

March

Asparagus
Spinach
Turnips

April

Asparagus
Lettuce
Peas
Radishes
Scallions
Spinach

May

Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Collard Greens
Cherries
Cauliflower
Endive
Gooseberries
Leeks
Lettuce
Peas
Radishes
Scallions
Spinach

June

Apricots
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Collard Greens
Endive
Gooseberries
Leeks
Peas
Potatoes
Radishes
Rhubarb
Scallions
Swiss Chard
Turnips

July

Beets
Blackberries
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Corn
Melon
Nectarines
Okra
Peaches
Plums
Radishes
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Turnips

August

Artichokes
Cantaloupe
Corn
Eggplant
Lima Beans
Melon
Nectarines
Okra
Onions
Peppers
Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Watermelon