One Step At A Time-My 2 Yr Review

Thursday, June 25, 2009

When my 2 yr anniversary came up, i was working splits...and too exhausted to actually write a blog...by the time i was over that hump and rested, i had other things to write...but i feel what i have to write is important...for me later down the road and for those that just might be inspired by what i have to say. Hopefully, you are one of them.

When i first started on SP, i really didn't think i could lose the weight....i mean...i had before...and gained it all back... or...i would last 2 days on my DIEt and then binge... so when i started SP, i didn't put a lot of hopes into losing weight...but what i did do, was concentrate on one thing at a time...first it was drinking my water...then eating a healthy breakfast... one step led to another...and then a year and a half later...i knew i just had to start exercising... it's not that i hate it...i just did not have the time nor energy for it... so i started with 24 wall push ups every morning... i have since graduated to doing those 3 times a week only....but every day except sunday, i now ride my bike...it started as 5 minutes, and is now holding steady at 25 minutes.... we are starting to throw some walks in on top of that also... and 3 times a week, not only do i do my wall push ups, but i actually add at least 9 more different types of strength training exercise in...wohoo!!! i am feeling great...yea...i'm still tired... but really...not as tired as i was before exercising... i feel better about myself...my self esteem is going through the roof... and underneath this extra fat...i can actually feel some muscle under there....wohoo!!!! and you know what... i am actually thinking about dating again...ok...not right NOW...lol...but i can actually see it for me in the future... i have now officially lost 35 lbs...wow!!! i can actually see things getting too big on me...my underwear practically fall off now...lol.... and i can actually say...i'm lovin' it...i am excited to ride by exer-bike in the morning...i can't wait for strength training days...and i look forward to finding new things and ways to eat healthier.... and i am really loving the calorie counting...making it a game to see how much i can eat instead of what i can't...

so friends...here is to another year!!! let's get it done!!!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MISSBEAR11 7/1/2009 2:06AM

Woohoo Kitty, I'm so proud of you. You're doing great. I have something to say though .... get your tired arse to Walmart and get yourself some new undies, dang girl! LOL Hugs. Report Inappropriate Comment

WILDCARD1 6/27/2009 3:34PM

WTG Kitty! It took you a while, but you stuck with it and it is paying off now. I am so proud of you and so glad that you came into my life. I enjoy the LAP team! Keep up the great work! You can do this! Report Inappropriate Comment

RHALES199 6/26/2009 9:34AM

You go, girl, Keep up the excellent wrok, Kitty! Congrats on being 35 lbs down! Report Inappropriate Comment

LINDA! 6/25/2009 9:12PM

Yay, JoDee! You are feeling better and your outlook on life has changed...how cool is that!! I think it is amazing how much we can improve our lives with Spark People. You are an inspiration! Report Inappropriate Comment

STREGGANANA 6/25/2009 9:06PM

Great work!!!!! you should be so proud of yourself. I hope were still here 2 years from today cheering each other on. hopefully, we will be amintaing our weight by then LOL Report Inappropriate Comment

Our Freezer Meals

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

A couple weekends ago, i had made a couple dozen muffins-1 blueberry and 1 banana. Then i saved enough for the next days breakfast, and then threw the rest into freezer bags by serving sizes. Since we want a variety of things for our breakfast, this helps to spread it out without anything going bad. We also have bagels of different varieties (no, these are not homemade but was bought on sale for real cheap) and also english muffins. this week, we started doing the same with out dinners. We usually make enough for a small army.... and eat like we are the small army...lol...well, with everyone getting into the new lifestyle that i have set forth, we decided that we like the variety we get through breakfast, and we want to do the same with our dinners (or for future lunches) so we have started making things that can be frozen and later warmed up. I would like to share a few of our recipes to hopefully inspire...i would also love to hear some of your favorites to freeze for later use :)

Kitty's Cabbage Roll Casserole
recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.asp?recipe=549778

Kitty's Sausage and Noodles
recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.asp?recipe=590536

Tuna Salad Sandwich
Freeze the bread separately, and before serving tuna salad, mix up-good as new :)
recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.asp?recipe=148803

Kitty's Hamburger Helper
recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.asp?recipe=675525

hamburger pie
recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.asp?recipe=675742

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LNPHAP 7/11/2011 12:06AM

Wow.. Thanks for sharing! I did a search for Freezer Meals, and this blog showed up. Looking forward to trying some of these recipes! Question on the Cabbage Casserole Recipe. I'm new to freezing food and wondering when is the best time to freeze this. Before the Baking Step, or do you bake it and then freeze it and reheat it?? It looks great, and I can't wait to try it!! Same question for the Hamburger pie.. :-) Comment edited on: 7/11/2011 12:18:01 AM Report Inappropriate Comment

JAYCEE77 6/25/2009 9:55AM

Kitty, I make my own Hamburger Helper that is sorta like yours and I can't wait to try the hamburger pie. My guys are gonna love it. I like to freeze chicken chili and all kinds of soups. I'm usually at Jazzercise around dinnertime so I need things that I can make ahead and heat up quickly when we get hungry. I'm gonna go raid Missbears freezer now. Sounds like lots of goodies in there! Report Inappropriate Comment

MISSBEAR11 6/24/2009 8:25PM

Oh girl ... now you did it!!! I always freeze batches of stuff. Get a cup of coffee this is gonna take me a little while. LOL First of all I can't wait to try that cabbage roll casserole. And the hamburger helper I'm going to try with ground chicken next time I find it on sale. Now I'll tell you whats in my freezer! lol I have homemade ground chicken barley vegetable soup chicken breast cooked and wrapped separately then bagged ... theres original shake and bake breasts, cajun shake and bake breasts, baked breasts with just garlic, salt and pepper (to use for chicken tacos, chicken soups, to add to rice or pasta dishes, to add to fajitas or quesadillas. I buy the 10 pound box when its on sale and cook the whole thing up. Right now I have fajitas mix made up with chicken breast, red and green peppers, onions and mushrooms. I either eat that on a flatout rollup or put it on a tortillas with a bit of lite cheese and then put another tortillas on top and melt it. I heat the tortillas up first and crisp them a wee bit so they dont get soggy. I also take the plain chicken breast, slice it up, crisp up a tortillas, put some lite ranch mixed with franks hot sauce on the tortillas, then the chicken, then some cooked mushrooms and onions, add some cheese and I call it a buffalo pizza. I also make some with pizza sauce, veggies and chicken. I love zaitarans rice especially the smothered chicken one. I cook the zaitarans according to directions and when its almost done I add chicken pieces, onion, mushroom, black beans, kernel corn, and peas mixture to it. Stir it in and let it finish. I freeze this in 1.5 cup packages. I make a thing we call chicken penne. I put penne pasta on the bottom, then a mixture of cut up chicken, onions, mushrooms, lite cream cheese, mushroom soup and garlic on top of the penne and then some lite mozza cheese. I heat it up and package it up. I freeze lasagna. Chicken chili freezes really well. I add some salsa to it. I freeze brown rice mixed with onions, cabbage, mushrooms and peas and eat the chicken chili over top of the brown rice mix. I take bread dough ( you can buy the frozen loafs) roll it out and fill it with whatever I like and seal it up. I bake it and freeze it. I sometimes roll it out and cut it with a glass to make circles and then put in some filling and seal up in a half circles. I have used pizza mixture, hamburger mixture with mushroom soup and veggies, chicken, broccoli and mushroom soup with veggies, chicken with veggies and casear dressing, cut up steak with onion, mushroom and mushroom soup. I always cook my fillings first so that I just have to cook the dough, cool the filling before putting inside the dough. I freeze perogies. I freeze angel food cakes and all kinds of muffins. I peel bananas and wrap and freeze. They are sort of like ice cream. I mix unsweetened jello with lite whipped cream and berries and freeze it in cupcake liners. Very good. Everything I make and freeze I figure out the calories for and put it into my favorites then I just have to add it to my food tracker when I eat it. I have also made chicken muffins and froze them. Just mix ground chicken with some salsa and some broken up stuffing mix and an egg. Cook in muffin tins and freeze. I know I'll think of a million things as soon as I press post. lol The shake and bake chicken breast is great heated up and added on top of a salad. Pork chops with mushroom gravy freezes well. I make my hubby frozen meals. One of his favorites is mashed potatoes with the porkchops and gravy. Stovetop stuffing freezes well too. I add that to some of his fried chicken dinners. Roast beef and gravy freezes great. Fried chicken, sausage, smokies... oh its a never ending list!!! I'm gonna finish up now cause your coffee is probably gone now. lol Hugs. Report Inappropriate Comment

A Better Day

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

To say yesterday was he!! is an understatement....uhg...i went to bed later than i should of on Sunday night, so got up late on Monday...never a good start...go into work and the floor shiners had been in and had everything moved around...blocking both microwaves...and of course...i had something to microwave for breakfast...then they had unplugged my monitor, and i can't reach the plugs, so i was running around trying to get another computer to boot up so i could start working...then boss and i got into a huge argument.... and this was all within the first hour....oh...and i started my TOM.... today was a much better start...i got alot done before leaving for work...and the boss...uh...was actually nice this morning...and asked me if i needed help i was actually scared he was going to fire me for yesterday...lol.... but i made it through the day without the pink slip... then i went and paid bills and off to grocery store to pick up a few things...now home to cook dinner and relax...and the best part is...i recorded everything i did eat and going to eat... i have been having much trouble getting between the allotted amount of calories...much less anything else...today...i hit spot on...on everything...carbs, fiber, all of it...wohoo!!!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KALISWALKER 6/24/2009 1:21AM

Way to go with your food today! Report Inappropriate Comment

RHALES199 6/24/2009 12:33AM

glad today went better than yesterday, and good for you for hitting those ranges right on! Report Inappropriate Comment

MISSBEAR11 6/23/2009 8:10PM

Way to go at hitting those ranges!!! And congrats on not getting fired. lol Some days are just yuck and some are even YUCKIER and you sound like you might of hit the YUCKIEST! Hugs. Report Inappropriate Comment

Remembering Dad

Sunday, June 21, 2009

a couple years ago, i lost my father suddenly...but not suddenly...unexpectedly yet...not.... see...my father had a heart attack the day i turned 13. He was told then that he had very little time to live and to say his good bye's. Because of my mom's tenacity and God's wonderful love, they did a triple bypass that they swore would only kill him quicker... about 10-12 yrs later, he was again told that he only had days to live and to say his good bye's... and again with my mom's tenacity and God's wonderful love, he got to meet 4 more grandbabies (i had already had the first 2 and was pregnant with my 3rd and my brother was expecting his first of 3). at that point, he had a quadruple bypass. So when he had his massive heart attack on March 10th, 2005-it was something we knew was coming....yet.... one never really expects their last good bye's to actually be their last.

As daddy's little girl, i really could do no wrong...and if i did...refer back to the other half of this...lol... yea...we had our rough times...on my 13th birthday, we had gotten into a huge argument.... i was a teenager after all...and yea, i thought i knew it all...he had been sober for 6 months, yet i still judged him as if he was still drinking.... needless to say, i just knew it was my fault he had a heart attack....it wasn't...he was actually having one before we got into our argument which was why his temper was extra short with his baby girl that day... but it years of convincing... uhg... and i wish i could say i was a perfect daughter after that....i mean, knowing your father could pass away at any time...right?? but we never really think it will happen, even when we know...the day he passed away, him and mom had a special morning and talk of the future and all lovey dovey.... which really wasn't all that unusual, but just seemed more special that morning....dad and i got some time to talk and enjoyed a cup of coffee together....he even got to eat lunch with my brother that day... in all respects, it was a very special day...and none of expected when each of us, at different times, said good bye. Never thinking it would be our last.... we were very fortunate.... we had 25 more years with him than any doctor said we would have.... that day was very special because we did get extra time with him....as if he knew.... to settle anything from the past, to say our i'm sorry's and to say i love you.

This morning, i got up earlier than the normal sunday wake up call, so i could spend some time alone with my thoughts...and if you will, have coffee with my father... yea... the tears flowed...as they are now... and yea, i know he would chastise me for it (he never liked to see his baby girl upset, he thought he should be able to fix it all...lol) i thanked God and dad not only having a wonderful dad, but the extra time we got with him.... the special time we had even on the day of his passing....to say i loved him and missed him but yes, i knew he was still near.... and in each child, there is a special part of him. and though i do miss him, i am also at peace today....i know he is in a better place....no pain, and lots of rest...and that...for all he had done for his family....he deserves.

Dad...i do miss you.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

STREGGANANA 8/13/2009 10:52PM

Beautiful tribute to your dad. How luck he got to see his grand babies. that is why I'm on my journey to thin and better health, I have 3 grandsons and a granddaughter is on the way. Hopefully, fine and healthy. I miss my dad too, he passed 3 years ago at the age of 89. I started walking a few weeks ago at the cemetery where he is. I put in a little flower garden at his stone, so I go and water the flowers and take a walk there. Report Inappropriate Comment

LESLIECOY 6/23/2009 10:42AM

Thankyou Report Inappropriate Comment

DBD398 6/22/2009 11:43AM

This is a beuatiful tribute. Report Inappropriate Comment

MJA716 6/22/2009 1:45AM

What a beautiful blog! Hugs to you on this Father's Day! I know your dad is smiling down on you and loving you from heaven! Report Inappropriate Comment

RHALES199 6/22/2009 12:25AM

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KALISWALKER 6/21/2009 7:02PM

He was lucky too, to have you as his daughter. Lynn Report Inappropriate Comment

MISSBEAR11 6/21/2009 4:39PM

Hugs and more hugs. My father had a massive heart attack too. We had a great Christmas and my birthday was four days later and it was great. I was 26 and he called to tell me he loved me and to wish me happy birthday. My mom called us at 7 am New Years Eve morning to say something was wrong, really wrong. We got there and there was nothing we could do. I thank God he didn't suffer. And I thank God that we were a family who always said "I love you" as we left the house or talked on the phone. My dad never ever let anyone say "goodbye". He would always say "so long" as a goodbye to anyone. Its been 20 years and I still miss him and think of him daily. Today I thank God once again for giving me such a loving father. I was his "little sweetheart". I still am. Just keep remembering the good times with your father and keep holding him dear. Someday you'll meet again and you can give him the biggest hug ever. Report Inappropriate Comment

Wow!! A Good Day

Saturday, June 20, 2009

I get up this morning with all these things i wanted to get done...yet...so little time... so i said good morning to my teams....my day truly does not start until i have had my coffee with my spark friends....then weighed in...wohoo!!!! 2 lbs gone...i then read my bible and did my exercises...which i usually don't do on saturday...but i was just feeling too darn good about the 2 lb loss that i wanted to throw in a couple extra minutes :) it's funny...i really had my doubts when spark upped my calorie intake....yet...it worked... i just measured myself, and i have lost 1/2 in off my neck, 2 off my waist and 5 off my hips...wohoo!!! anyways... sorry, got off track...lol.... so after i exercised, i realized i still had to make a bomb...not only a bomb.. but The Bomb.... and before anyone calls the police or the FBI..i'm talking about this recipe: recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.asp?recipe=670030 gee...what were you thinking?? i haven't worked THAT much....tehe. anyways...i go to make it and realize i had not gotten out the whipped cream from the freezer... so take it out and pray that it defrosts at record speed....i was making this for our sunday school picnic...which i had to meet my mother for in 2 hours.... so i go get my make up done and hair brushed... during this time, girls wake up, ex shows up to get ds and getting the bomb ready...made 2 recipes...one for here and one for there... girls and i met mom at her house and then we stopped by store to get buns...then off to the picnic...it was nearly a wash out...but we survived....and had a good time just talking with the others.... i'm the youngest of the group...and really...i shouldn't even be in this class...this class is for the 60 plus women who's husbands are gone or just don't come to church...but i've always felt more comfortable in this class..and these woman have accepted me into their fold without question or judgement.... i love each and everyone of them and love just listening to their stories...over half of them are double my age...and i get a kick out of listening to how it use to be... girls and i then return home to clean... well...ok...not alot of that got done...i was pretty much in lazy mode by then.... ate too much at picnic...the down side of all these wonderful women is they know how to cook...lol... the good old fashion made from scratch food....oh yum....after drinking lots of water and watching tv with girls, i did manage to get some dishes done, fold 4 baskets worth of clothes and then swept kitchen up. now...i'm just ready for bed...good night

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

RHALES199 6/21/2009 1:22PM

Congrats on 2 lbs lost! glad you had a fun day! I totallyunderstand about getting along so well with older people .... same for me.... they seem to understand things (in your case being single, in my case dealing w/ disability/ disabled family member) better than people my own age... Hope you're having a great sunday! Report Inappropriate Comment

STARTSPARKING 6/21/2009 6:08AM

Congratulations on your two-pound loss and all those lost inches! I'm also you enjoyed a great picnic. Keep up your great work! Report Inappropriate Comment

154BYAUG 6/21/2009 5:56AM

Kitty! CONGRATS on the weight loss & inches lost! Keep it going, Girlfriend! The summer months are the easist for me to NOT eat as much. when it gets HOT, I drink iced tea & am not into sweets as much (altho there's always ice cream...eeek!) And I know what you mean about church covered dish meals... such great food! Your church women's group sounds fun & supportive. Glad you had a good day on Sat. & way to go on the pounds GONE! Nanc Report Inappropriate Comment

KALISWALKER 6/21/2009 3:09AM

I like how older people are such good listeners. You had a very productive day! Report Inappropriate Comment

MISSBEAR11 6/20/2009 10:49PM

Older people are very interesting. People with experience ... I'm getting pretty experienced myself. lol I went and looked at the recipe ... I printed it. MMMMM Anything with cream cheese is delish!!!! Thanks. High 5 on losing 2 more pounds. You have been doing great!!!! Have a great night. Hugs. Report Inappropriate Comment