Roadkill....

...is at peak aroma when it's hot and at a 100% humidity level outside. True story. High humidity levels suck. Especially for running. I sweat until I can't see. Rashes pop up on me even though I used body glide. Roadkill is at peak aroma, but I did it anyway. I ran despite all the things that could have been used as an excuse. I even saw two of my WW members while I was out. They cheered me on, which is exactly what I needed on a day like today. I used write proud blog posts like this one:

http://thewwchick.blogspot.com/2009/05/walk-it-blog-it-challenge-week-3.html

Sporadic tid-bits of running. Building myself up. Proud as a peacock for going as hard and as far as possible! Things are changing. That was posted May 7th.

Today, Juy 11th, we went back and did that same 4.25 mile route, and I ran the entire thing start to finish without stopping! No walking as a warm up. Just a fabulous stretch in the family room...and out the door we went. It looked a little something like this (map made on www.mapmyrun.com):

:o)

Cooking Video: 2 Point S'mores

The perfect summer treat for just 2 Points each, and no campout is required for this portion control version!





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qakxd7SRg5o

Sorry to those unable to view videos for whatever reason. The recipe is embedded in the video.

Losing It In Lebanon: No walk group in July

To all my Losing It In Lebanon peeps.  Between vacation, having company in town, and starting the new meeting at the Y (on July 25th)... the walking group has been put on hold for the rest of July.  No worries!  We'll pick up where we left off starting August 1st.  We'll walk AFTER the meeting, but I'm not for sure what time that will be just yet.  Let me get through the first meeting so I can get a good idea of a time frame.  I'm thinking 11:00, but who knows.  :)

A great quote that opened my eyes...

"Don't worry about anyone else's judgment of you; just continue doing the right thing so you're ready for success when it arrives."

That was the last sentence in my horoscope today.  I found it wildly appropriate for this journey.  This phase in life.  This day.  This hour.  This minute. 

If you had to create a list of all the things you worry about regarding weight loss, what others are thinking of you during the weight loss process, and how they feel about your efforts towards a healthier life --- what would that list look like?  Are any of your worries regarding the judgement of others holding you back?  If so, it's time to make some changes from within.  Stop worrying about what others think of YOUR journey.  That's right, it belongs to you.  No one else.  No one can lose the weight for you.  Just do your best, and be ready for success when it comes your way.

And be sure to celebrate those successes as they happen!!!! (In a non-food way of course.)

Adding color to your meals....

...isn't nearly as difficult as one might think. And it doesn't require eating salad morning, noon & night. It doesn't even mean you have to eat "chunks" of veggies! Here's what's going into my semi-homemade pasta sauce for this evening's dinner.

Sweet onion, snow peas, broccoli, red bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, and a bunch of herbs from the garden which aren't pictured. From there, I cook it all down in a large pot with a huge can of low fat spaghetti sauce & browned hamburger meat (or my already prepared TVP meat substitute). It simmers on low for a couple of hours. Serve it over pasta come dinner time. The house smells great. My family gets a ramped up dose of veggies in their meal. My cooking (and mama) world is happy. As Weight Watchin' people, we totally get the benefits of eating more veggies (they help fill you up, more fiber, more fluid, vitamins, etc.) So I don't feel the need to explain why I add in more veggies. However, you might be wondering why I bother "de-chunking" them all. Let me explain.....

I'm the mom of one VERY picky eater. (It used to be two picky eaters, but thank God one finally discovered his love for veggies.) Being the mom of "pickies", I learned long ago, it's the texture that my kids didn't enjoy. The flavor was fine, as long as the texture was hidden / take care of / disquised / etc.. And since I refuse to make two meals each night, I learned to adapt my veggie lovin' ways to a more kid friendly format. They know the veggies are in there, and they VERY much appreciate my blending skilz & efforts.

So, that brings me to my blender. Have I mentioned how much I looooove my blender? A must have, in my opinion, for anyone with picky eaters in the house or those who cook a lot. I've owned multiple blenders in my 15 years of marriage. This one knocks my socks off.

And here's how the finished product turned out (it was so delish!)....

the sauce

the goulash

Berry blue muffins (full of color!)

Today was supposed to be house cleaning and cooking video day. I didn't want to do either! So I worked on the computer, sipped coffee, & baked instead. I love days off!!!!

I had several pints of blueberries in the fridge that needed to be used ASAP. I could have popped them in the freezer, but I was in the mood to bake. Personally, I can't think of a better way to add color to my food than adding blueberries into muffin batter!


Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 24

Ingredients
4 cup(s) Bisquick Reduced-Fat Baking Mix
2 cup(s) fresh OR frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cup(s) light vanilla soy milk
1 cup(s) Egg Beaters Egg Beaters
2/3 cup(s) McNeil Nutritionals Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 cup(s) uncooked oatmeal

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400. Place 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins & lightly spray with PAM (that keeps the liner from sticking to the muffin).

Mix everything EXCEPT blueberries together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Once everything is mixed well, fold blueberries into the batter. Bake 18-20 minutes @ 400. Cool before peeling liner off! These can also be placed in zipper seal sandwich bags & frozen (up to 3 months) for future use and portion control.

Fruit & Veggie Challenge Week 1: go for color!

This week kick starts the "fruit and veggie challenge" for Weight Watchers! Why? Because people whine and moan and complain --- they haaaaaate eating fruits and veggies. Obviously, we NEED a challenge. So, in lue of this challenge, I whipped up a chart to keep track of it all. There's a different goal for each week (as you can clearly see on the chart below). At the end of this challenge, everyone should be eating at least 5 a day (combined...not each). (For those of you already eating this amount, your challenge is to find different ways to get them in.) We're starting off simple, color! Go for colorful fruits and veggies with these thoughts in mind....

• Start off with what you're already comfortable eating!
• Then try a new one (or two or three)!
• What all could you add them to (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks)?
• What benefit would you get from adding fruits and veggies into each meal?

I'm giving myself big green checkmarks for days I meet my goal. You could add a sticker, or list the new fruit or veggie you tried that day, or just put a big "X" in each box. Whatever works for you. Print yourself a copy today by clicking the link (or image) below:

http://www.freewebs.com/thewwchick/fruit%20and%20veggie%20july%20challenge.pdf

For those of you attending my weekly Weight Watchers meetings, participate! I'm going to talk about it non-stop each week, so you might as well do it. Each completed chart will be used as a raffle ticket for a door prize at the end of the month. You must have your chart (filled out) with you to get your name entered in the giveaway.

If you are resisting this challenge because you dislike eating these filling foods, then you stink you're the one that needs this challenge the most. You're not 8 years old. Eat "grown up" foods that will make your body strong and healthy! Nothing will change for you if you don't start making changes TODAY!

PS....all four members of our family will be participating. If an 9 , 11, and very hesitant 38 year old can do it, so can you! I'll be sure to keep you posted each week on our progress. :)

Disney or bust!

I booked our room for the Princess Half Marathon today! Step by step, Tanya and I dig ourselves deeper into the Disney World hole. She claims it was a moment of insanity when she hurried home to register for the event. I simply followed suit. We often times look at each other with that "what were we thinking???" look on our faces.

Remember my big goal? To be able to run the entire half marathon, March 7 of 2010. That's the only reason I'm participating in these local summer races. They're my attempt at creating stepping stones for Disney. I have to keep training. I have to prove I can do it (for myself...not anyone else).

For anyone interested, the sports package is an incredible deal compared to what I've paid in the past for a DW trip. Just $453 for each person. That's specifically for 5 days worth of park hopper passes, a 4 night stay at Riverside (one of the moderate resorts), and transportation. Dining is NOT included, and can't be for the sports package. So....I guess I have no excuse to eat until I pop this time around, folks. Damn it! That will keep me on track for sure. Actually, the last time we went I did fine with the food part of things. Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland serves a mean veggie burger.   The 50's Prime Time Diner has a rockin' Stuffed Red Pepper with brown rice and smothered in smoked veggie ratatouille (it was delish!).  Ooooo, and the Kona Cafe with their fabulous Mahi Mahi.  We won't discuss the awesome onion rings at Sci Fi Dine In Theater (my all time favorite place to eat other than Cinderella's Castle).  I might even squeeze in a Mickey shaped ice cream and a frozen chocolate dipped banana between rides!  :)

You can read more about the PHM (princess half marathon), or get yourself registered here: http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/events/eventDetail/detail?name=PrincessHalfMarathonDetailPage

Proof that tracking activity works!

Had I not started making these silly little calendars several years ago, I wouldn't move at all. I simply don't enjoy exercise. It's very forced when I do it. However, I do like a good challenge. Which is why I've taken to running. It's not the ACT of running I enjoy. It's the CHALLENGE it provides. I suck at it, therefore I must work harder.

I posted my personal activity tracker for June in all of my meetings last week on a big flip chart. Perhaps you didn't have a change to look at it though. Check it out, in June, I did a combo of walking and runnning that put me at a whopping 92.5 miles for the month! Me! The gal who hates movement! Wow. Who knew what a good challenge could do for me.

Here's a link to July's calendars. It's not too late to get started!!!!! There are 7 designs to choose from. I spent a lot of time on them making them myself...does that guilt you into printing one? They're FREE. Free is a very good price! There's even a plain one for those of you concerned about printer ink. So, print one today & start filling it out. Track exactly what you do so you'll have a number to impress yourself with at the end of the month. I find this to be MUCH more motivating than just slapping a sticker on the chart (which is what I had done for the past three+ years). I would have NEVER known how far my feet traveled had I used stickers like always before.

If you don't change anything, nothing will ever change for you.

Cherries & Berries Jam

So I picked up this delish jam at Costco a couple of weeks ago. I've really enjoyed it on my toasted english muffins. Not too sweet. Not too tart. Big chunks of cherries! REAL sugar! Yum! It's like fruity heaven in a jar. Just 25 calories per Tbsp. No fiber is listed on the label. (How does a whole jar of cherries and berries not have fiber? I mean....it's fruit. Hmph.)

Anyway, according to the WW.com calculator....
1 Tbsp = 1 Pt.
2 Tbsp = 1 Pt.
3 Tbsp = 2 Pt

Debby does Dr. Suess

If you haven't read Debby's blog yet, then your missing out. Because she is a total crack up! Check out the poem she wrote in Dr. Suess fashion & how she feels about her new found fat-less skin...

I do not like my thighs that shake.
I do not like my butt that quakes.
I do not like my boobs that sag.
I do not like my gut that bags.
I do not like my arms that flap.
I do not like my fat that slaps.
I do not like them, I confess.
If they were all still full of fat,
I'd like them even less!
I may have skin that hangs a yard,
But at least it's not still full of lard!


I've been noticing the wiggles and jiggles lately. Yesterday I turned around quickly while naked in front of the mirror...and I swear my butt fat nearly whacked the belly button. I can see my thigh fat jiggle when I walk...and well you get the picture. I was bemoaning this fact to myself when it occurred to me....having the sagging skin is better than having skin full of fat.


So, let the good times sag and screw the rolls.

She is a hoot! And I can not only feel her pain on the topic of jiggles and wiggles and flapping and slapping (click here to hear some of my recent whining about the issue), but I can laugh along side her. Because if we don't laugh...we'll cry. lol

My first official running event

Our plan was to walk the first mile, which happened to be a rather steep hill. Then, I wanted to run the remaining 5.2 miles. Mission accomplished!

I wasn't sure how I would do. I wasn't even sure if I could make it through without walking once I started running, but I did it! Not only did I do it, but I noticed myself really pushing to pass other runners. It took 1 hour 12 minutes 49 seconds total.



The challenge running offers has been incredible for me. And to think.....I was totally dreading this event when I woke up Saturday morning. I knew I had to go because Tanya would be waiting for me (and would have been wicked-furious with me had I not shown up). I hope you each find whatever it is that keeps you feeling challenged with this journey. No excuses. No regrets. Nothing will ever change if you don't make change happen!

Weight Watchers weighs in outdoors (again)

My boss says there's a little black rain cloud that follows me around. Kind of like the one on Bewitched. You remember the one, right? Endora made it follow "Durwood" around on more than one occasion. Yes, I watched a LOT of TV as a kid. (And still do!) Anyway, I guess I can see where my boss is coming from with this feeling. If something is going to go wrong, funky, strange, or collapse at the last minute, it will be one of my meetings it happens to. I've held meetings in parking lots (4 times now), city parks (3 times), storage rooms in the basement of a creepy old hospital (twice), and now a covered walkway (once as of last Friday).

We were locked out of Friday's location (again) due to the holiday, but did locked doors stop us from weighing in members????? No. Not a bit. Card tables & folding chairs were not invented for card games. No. They were not. They were put on this earth for last minute Weight Watchers weigh ins.

Judy and I are both so glad we hosted the weigh in Friday! Lots of members showed up not knowing the church was closed, and nearly all of them had a great week that is now officially documented. We even had someone new join! What a memorable "joining" experience she'll have to tell on down the road.

I do send updates for all of my meetings when an emergency pops up (like snow closures, being locked out of the building, etc.). You just need to sign up for my email newsletters to get them. Obviously, if there's an issue we walk into at the last minute, I won't have time to send a newsletter about it. If you're not from this area, and are on the list just because you want to be (giggles and kicks)....no complaints from you come winter when I'm sending out meeting closure notices left and right! Cincinnati winters can be brutal & life is full of wild cards. :)

Click here to sign up for my newsletters, updates, and announcements!

New spiffy look

I finally did it! After three (plus) years of wanting to change the look of my blog, I finally did it. Now it matches my business cards. :)

I also created a domain name so everyone can find me a little easier (blogspot names are soooooo long and difficult to remember). No worries, everything is exactly where it used to be. There's simply another, easier way to find me. :)

Welcome to www.LeadingTheWeigh.com!

PS....this transition somehow totally screwed up my blog roll (the list of blogs I read on a daily basis through google reader). So I'll slowly add those blogs back into the sidebar. What a pain!!!! I should have known it wasn't as easy as just changing the background and logo like my brain told me it would be. lol

Cooking Video: Cheesy Eggs

Got this posted JUST in time for breakfast this morning! I've had a lot of questions from members this week regarding the "Laughing Egg" recipe I posted in my meetings a couple of weeks ago so I went ahead and whipped up a video for it. The secret is to...well...just watch the video and find out for yourself! :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jr-ZiZ4ig0

As always, my apologies to those unable to view videos from their computers for whatever reason.

Ficken (fake chicken)

So, this evening we tried something new. Actually, it has been an entire day of new stuff, but first things first.

Tonight, we tried "ficken" (my loving name for fake chicken). It's real name is It's All Good Chick'n Filets. They're 3 Pts each. Here's what's in them...
Water, soy protein, vital wheat gluten, ancient grains (quinoa, amaranth, millet, and kamut®), natural flavors (from plant sources), potato starch, expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil, pea protein, modified vegetable gum, carrot fiber, organic beet root fiber, organic evaporated cane juice, yeast extract, vinegar, sea salt.Rub: Spices, red bell pepper flakes.

The texture was similar to that of a chicken breast. I'm not a HUGE fan of meat. I'm really super picky about it, actually. If one little thing is too fatty, or contains gristle....I cannot finish eating any of my meal. It just grosses me out too much. So the fact that I could eat this and not run into any of the issues I face with meat is huge to me! I ate the entire thing, and loved it.

Though these are seasoned, I had honey basil chicken on the menu for this evening, so I went ahead and prepped them as planned. 1 Tbsp honey, as much fresh basil as you want, salt, and pepper. Heated them in a skillet until slightly browned (they're fully cooked so how long you cook them really doesn't matter). I served them with a side of millet and salad. Even my picky 11 year old went back for seconds. Delish!

Read more about it over on the company's web site:
http://www.itsallgoodfoods.com/our-products/p4.asp

Someone called me a "runner"

It's true. Kent and I went for a 6 mile walk today since it's our day off from running. We took a shortcut through the parking lot of the Y. While walking across the lot, I heard a guy shout out, "Hey, there go the runners!". So I looked up to see what was going on...because I'm curious by nature. The guy was looking at US! What the......

As he walked closer to us, he asked where we ran off to yesterday on the trail. That's when it clicked. It was a guy who ran behind us the first 2+ miles of yesterday's run on the bike trail. What happened was, we eventually hit our "turn around" spot (3 mile mark) & he passed us to keep going. We exchanged pleasantries. I moved on with my life never thinking we would see him again.

I'm glad we did see him though. He had on a super cool "belt" with drink bottles all over it. I have one of the bottles to wear on the top of my hand during short walks, but had never seen the belt. Didn't even know it existed. So I made sure to ask him this evening. It's a Fuel Belt. I will be ordering one soon. He said they're easier to pack all your water in, and they don't shift around while you run. Brilliant, Mystery Runner Man!

PS...I guess this officially makes me a runner since a stranger, who just happens to be a triathlete, said so. :)

Health Nut Cookies

Someone in blogland blogged about these cookies before Mother's Day...so of course this is what I made for my Mother's Day treat. I wish I could remember who posted the recipe - I would like to give credit where credit is due. I guess this means I read too many blogs?

The original recipe is from a deli in New York (I think). They call them Cosmic Cookies. I call them "health nut cookies"! They're full of heart healthy oils, natural ingredients, no dairy, no egg, no nuts. (I can't have tree nuts, so this is a perfect "nutty" cookie with out the actual nuts.)

The texture is chewy and dense. I knocked the oil amount WAY back. Originally, it called for 3/4 of a cup. I just refuse to do that. They are more than moist enough. A little dense due to the lack of butter or oil. However, knocking that amount down took it from a 4 Point to a 3 Point cookie. Well worth it to me, and they are super delish & filled with dark chocolate!

I had to buy the spelt flour, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and unsalted sunflower seeds at Whole Foods. Our local Kroger and Wal-Mart just doesn't carry that kind of stuff (AKA: healthy stuff!).

Cosmic "Health Nut" Cookies
POINTS® value 3
Servings 48

Ingredients:
2 cup(s) spelt flour
2 1/4 cup(s) old fashioned, rolled oats
1 cup(s) unsalted sunflower seeds
3/4 cup(s) unsalted pumpkin seeds (hulled)
1/2 cup(s) packaged shredded coconut
1/4 cup(s) whole Flax seed
1 cup(s) organic cane sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup(s) water (forgot to add this and they turned out fine)
1/4 cup(s) molasses
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup(s) 8th Continent Light vanilla soy milk
1 1/4 cup(s) Ocean Spray Dried Cranberries
1 2/3 cups (9.40 oz) bitter sweet chips


Instructions:
Mix all together in stand mixer (or by hand if you don't have a big mixer), and bake at 350 for 22 minutes on a silpat mat covered cookie sheet.

My 2 Cents:
They are super healthy, full of heart healthy oils, and totally get me through my crazy hormonal chocolate cravings. Perfect with a cup of coffee! I bought the bittersweet chips at Costco in a giant bag (everyone remember the fly incident?). Bittersweet chips are totally different than semi sweet. SOOOO much better. I love dark chocolate! PS...these cookies freeze well. Just throw them in a zip seal bag and pull out what you need, when you need them. :)

July 2009 Motivational Calendar

Good old Zig has done it again! Thanks for making these awesome calendars for us, Z.!

Here's the deal, guys. Print this calendar, and hang it somewhere you'll see it multiple times throughout the day. Read it. Love it. Embrace it. Use it. Milk it for what it's worth (which happens to be a lot if you're printing this on your own dime). Think about what each day has to offer, and then make the most of it.

If we keep sitting around thinking we can't get into the pool...because that would require getting in a swim suit in front of other people...which would mean someone outside of your immediate family would see some skin (gasp!)....then you're not living. And you're the one not having fun with your kids, spouse, cats, gold fish, loved ones, neighbors, friends, or yourself. Don't be that person anymore.

You started this weight loss journey because you wanted change. Mainly, so your ass wouldn't be so ginormous anymore. That's why we ALL started the journey. (Ass fat does a number on one's spirit.) At any rate, it was change you were seeking. Start changing the inside instead of focusing on the outside. Losing pounds each week is superb, but there's actually a lot more to it than that. If you only focus on the outside....it won't last. Take it from someone who has actually kept a huge chunk of weight off for over 7 years. It has to start up here (I'm pointing at my brain right now) first. Start off small (baby steps):

1. Read each day of the calendar below, and think about what it has to say.

2. Pick a goal for that day (like wearing a sleeveless shirt to the grocery store without a sloppy hoodie over it in a feeble attempt to cover your jello jiggler upper arms), and follow through with it. No one in that store gives a hoot what YOUR arms look like. They're too busy worrying about their own. Pinky swear.

http://freewebs.com/thewwchick/calendar_July_2009.pdf

July Activity Calendars

July's activity calendars are ready to print & fill up with all your activity and exercise. There are 7 to choose from, including one that's very plain for those of you not wanting to blow printer ink on colorful stuff. Keep your activity calendar somewhere you'll actually see it, or it does no good. They're a great reminder, as well as a fabulous visual motivator. I hang mine on the side of my fridge. Right under the dinner menu. Now, get movin'!

Beach Toys

http://freewebs.com/thewwchick/activity_july_2009_beachtoys.pdf

Bees

http://freewebs.com/thewwchick/activity_july_2009_bees.pdf

Hummingbird

http://freewebs.com/thewwchick/activity_july_2009_hummingbird.pdf

Ladybug

http://freewebs.com/thewwchick/activity_july_2009_ladybug.pdf

Strawberries

http://freewebs.com/thewwchick/activity_july_2009_strawberries.pdf

Tanning Oil

http://freewebs.com/thewwchick/activity_july_2009_tanningoil.pdf

Plain Jane

http://freewebs.com/thewwchick/activity_july_2009_plainjane.pdf

Confession: I bought a maternity top

No, I'm not pregnant. Nor do I plan to be ever, ever, ever again. However, I do love my new shirt. Very comfy. Hides my belly, which is more like an "apron of skin" after having 2 kids and losing 80 pounds. Ugggg...the skin, the skin, the skin from a big weight loss is disturbing. You either have skin that stretches and bounces back....or you don't. I don't. At all. Over the years, I've bounced the idea of a tummy tuck back and forth. Here's the way I see it:

1. Keep it (the apron of skin) and live with larger size pants just to "tuck in" the old bag I carry around with me 24/7.

2. Or have it (the apron of skin) chopped off & sport a giant scar that goes from one side of my body to the other. (FYI, I scar easily and they never fade for me.)

Decisions, decisions. The good news is....It doesn't matter when you have a fab maternity top like this one.

And check out the tan I'm getting thanks to all my long walks and outdoor runs! I tried to get a good picture of the tan (for proof!), but all I ended up with was about 107 dorky shots like this...

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a good "behind" shot of yourself in the bathroom mirror? Not easy my friends. Not at all. And you can't even see my awesome, ultra sexy (not) sports bra tan line. No matter how I moved or shifted or stood. I so badly wanted to show it off to the world. I've never had a sports bra tan line before. It's like a trophy of sorts. lol

My garden....

....is too much work for words. So I'll just tell you all about it with pictures instead.

Let's start off with the good....

(Flowers are always good. No matter what.)

Then I have to show you the bad....

(Wasps, hornets, large things that fly and sting. They like to chase me. They try to build nests where they shouldn't. They're really bad this year for some reason.)

And of course, the ugly....

(This is what working all day in the garden did to me yesterday. It hurts like crazy. And luck me....there's an identical twin on my left hand. Ouch!)

Since I worked so hard yesterday mowing and weeding and yanking up bushes and shoveling and working the hoe and raking and earning tons of Activity Points and getting tan sunburned....well...you get the picture. I thought I'd take some time for myself today & learn how to use my super awesome zoom lens. All of the pictures in the slideshow below were taken from really far away, but you wouldn't have ever known that had I not spilled the beans. :)

Product Review: Veggie Crunchers

I found these at Costco yesterday, but I've heard that other Veggie Cruncher lovers around the country are having a hard time finding them now. Costco must have one time only contracts with vendors. Annoying.

Anyway, these are a delish 3 Point addition to either a snack or meal! I hope I'll be able to find them at local grocery stores from now on. They're sliced up veggies made into "chips". They somehow vacuum seal them so they have a freeze dried-like texture. Then they salt them so they're chipariffic! I love them. My kids hate them, and were telling me so before they even took one little taste. Why? Proably because they LOOK like veggies (sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, taro, and green beans). Sigh.

The carrots, taro & sweet potatoes are sweet with a salty twist due to the fact they're salted. And the zucchini, yellow squash, and green beans are salty. All of the flavors are super crunchy, but each veggie has its own kind of crunch. For instance, the squash is more dense....while the green beans are almost hollow inside they're so light. It's an incredible texture sensation.

I force fed the kids (including a friend of my daughter's who was here for a play date) one bite of each simply because I'm a horrible mother. They looked at me with horror in their eyes. As if I had poisoned them or something. And then I watched Ben sneak one more of the Taro (had to look it up because I've never in my life heard of it) chips into his mouth when he thought I wasn't looking. Is it possible that he likes this kind of stuff, but is putting on a show for his sister and friend that were watching??? Hmmmmm.

The company has a web site, but there's nothing listed about the Veggie Crunchers. So they're either super new...or on their way out. Either way, keep an eye open for them just so you can say you tried something new. :) http://www.amportfoods.com/

Work related drama makes me want to....

...not eat anything at all. Strange, huh? It's true. That's how I react to major stress I guess. I just go kind of numb. I feel nothing. I want nothing. I'm just there. But then watch out! Because once my world is happy again, bring on the all you can eat buffet. So should we all have a nice blog chat about emotional eating? I think so. Not eating due to major life stressors and then chowing down once things are all good....that's emotional eating. Even though the eating technically doesn't start until later in the equation.

Stress has crept into my world. For those of you who haven't heard already, the company employing my husband announced Tuesday that they have decided to shut down their Cincinnati facility. That means no more job for him very very very soon. Job losses are a dime a dozen these days, and it for sure could hit any of us at any time (obviously). The last time we went through this with his job, I ended up 20 pounds less than I am today. I looked scary, unhealthy, my hair was falling out like that of a chemo patient, I was exhausted & sick all the time. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was fabulous to be 20 pounds under my goal. Like a dream come true. Forget that my life was totally falling apart. What never popped into my head was...what happens once this is all over? Let me tell you, it was total brain trauma for me to gain the weight back once the stress was over - even though that put me back at my goal weight.


So what do I do each and every day, but especially days where I'm questioning the universe & stressed out? I read my horoscope. Like it's a Bible verse or something of equal value. Ugggg. Here's today's, and I made sure to add my thoughts in red text:

Your role at work is undergoing a subtle yet profound shift [really?]. It seems like only a few days ago you were engaged in a struggle to be heard [True! I'm always left out when it comes to promotions or anything good, and I make sure to pipe up about being left out like a classic middle child always does. Marsha, Marsha. Marsha!]. Now, however, your authority is being acknowledged as long as you don't overextend yourself [When do I *not* overextend myself? Wait, what does overextend mean?]. Remember, it's not about being in control [Yes it is.]; it's about facilitating big changes without necessarily trying to be in charge [What the.....?].

Hmph. I dunno. Does this mean there's work drama headed my way, too? I want to hide in a hole and choose to not find out! And I'll force feed myself at least 18 Points a day while I'm in that hole so I don't have to live through what happened last time we were faced with this. That's my plan. Wish me luck!

I would love to hear your reaction to stress. Have you encountered major stress during your weight loss or maintenance journey (job loss, major move, death of a loved one, major surgery, etc.)? How did you react? What was the outcome? I can't wait to hear from you about this!

Mini Biscuit Pizzas.....

...are perhaps one of the most delish things I've ever created. And lucky for you, you have a super-groovy WW leader willing to show you how. They are affordable, family friendly, low Points (with the right toppings of course). The version I make in the video came out to be 2 Points each! I originally came up with this idea when I needed a fun breakfast idea for my kids. Instead of traditional pizza toppings, I used country gravy for sauce, scrambled egg whites, Canadian bacon, diced bacon, and topped them with cheese. My next adventure with this concept will be "Mexican style". After that, "buffalo chicken". My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Think of how many fun versions YOU could come up with for your family!

I had SUCH a difficult time getting this uploaded to youtube. I have literally messed with it since last Thursday (ugggg). After 15+ hours of uploading this video (no exaggeration...I thought I would pull my hair out when I noticed it was only 75% uploaded by 6pm yesterday), you have the option to watch it in HQ (high quality). It really is a much nicer viewing option, but I obviously need to remember to compress the file next time so it doesn't take so long. lol Live & learn!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbg7JM0zZgI

PS...So sorry for those of you who can't watch videos via your internet connection! I have no idea how you function. I would wither away. Seriously.

PSS...I am fully aware that my shirt was twisted around all funky making my melons look tweaked. Moving on....

These numbers are shocking & give me hope

I'm very much a results oriented person.  So to see numbers like this, it just gives me goosebumps!  I won't even try to explain it.   Just check out what Nicole, one of the marketing gurus for the W.I.C., has to say:

"Hi Heather. Thank you again for your participation in the Weight Watchers Momentum Walk-It challenge, and for doing your part to get others motivated. You made the challenge a success by walking/running, sharing your story with your readers and encouraging them to get moving. With your motivation, they walked, they ran, they formed walking groups, trained for eight weeks, joined a 5K, and motivated others to get moving, too.


We are excited to announce that 88,112 Weight Watchers members participated in the Momentum Walk-It Challenge this spring by either taking part in existing walking teams or by creating their own! The program made a broad impact, not only in participation numbers, but in reinforcing the importance of physical activity.


You played an important role in the success of the program. It’s great to know that you were an ‘official Walk-it Blog-it’ who had an enormous impact on the overall challenge.


We hope that you share this with your readers.


We loved your enthusiasm and insights along the way. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you again!"

It gives me hope because I know others are in the same boat I'm in: the S.S. Needs  An Official Push Challenge To Get Me Going With Exercise.  Those results are proof that there's strength in numbers.  We provided each other with the Momentum to keep going! 

The challenge was a success.  Thanks to everyone who participated!

Attention Costco shoppers....

I found these at Costco yesterday.....

Obviously, compare the prices to what you can get at the grocery store. I bought the family size LC pizza, but not the quesadillas. I'll post about the pizza tomorrow. It was delish. Just wanted you to know we're starting to see more and more lower calorie options in warehouse stores. :)

Hot, crispy, & I have nice melons

I walked 12 miles yesterday. Yes, I said 12. A little over 5 with the Losing It In Lebanon walk club chicks, and then an additional 7 with Kent. I think it took 5 hours total. I lost track of time to be honest. It was so stinkin' hot out...and HUMID. Ick! Oh, and somehow managed to forget sunscreen. The result: I am ultra red and crispy. Here's a picture taken around 5 yesterday after walking and then taking a quick trip to Costco. I didn't REALLY turn red until later in the evening, but you can already see it forming just above the melon on the right. Ouch!

I was so tired, and my feet were killing me. I'm sure my new obsession with watermelon will for sure help me stay nice and cool on this bright, fabulous, humid, hot, but very blessed fathers day!

Pros and Cons of the day

I made a new cooking video (yay!)
I can't get it to upload to youtube (boooooo!)

I have all the stuff for my new WW mtg ready to start (yay!)
The contracts are held up in the legal dept....so all the stuff is sitting in my house (boooo!)

We have some awesome plans for the weekend (yay!)
That means I won't be able to walk Saturday morning with the girls (booooo!)

I want to go hang out at the waterpark Sunday (fun!)
It's going to dump rain for the next week (booooo!)

I feel a huge funk coming on (booooo!)
I still ran  today anyway & finally made it to running 5 miles without stopping (yay!)

I stopped frantically eating frozen chocolate chips straight out of the bag a second ago because....

...I realized one of the "chips" wasn't chocolate at all.  IT WAS A FLY!!!!!!!!!  Oh my hell, I almost put it in my mouth during my frenzy of choco-crazed bliss.  Gag.  Blahhhh.  Nasty.  Had I not looked down as my hand went up, towards my mouth...well...I think we all know what would have happened.  The bag went back into the freezer.  I no longer want chocolate chips.  Cross my heart.