Weigh-In Day

This was a good week! Fridays are my weigh in days and I am down 1.8lbs this week!! Yea! I didn't hit my goal by Halloween but I'm ok with that. This is a learning experience for me, one that isn't easy and I know it will take me time. I just need to stay focused. The weightwatchers plan does work, if I just stick to it. Anyway, I am going to enjoy my small victory and hope for another one next week!

Happy Halloween!!

To get into ths spirit of the holiday, my DH and I decided to carve a pumpkin. Considering he is the artist of the two of us and I had not carved a pumpkin since elementary school, I wasn't real sure how it would turn out. But I love the finished product! I know alot of people make unique, detailed pumpkins these days, but we opted to go a little more old school. Here he is:

He was so cute, I decided to name him Wilson!

Happy Halloween!!

Going to be a good day

I have to be honest. I have not been doing well on the diet front. Things have been busy with work, my side business, and things just popping up. I know that is no excuse. I could have atleast worked out on my two days off, but instead I was busy running around getting things done. But today is going to be a good day. The food plan for the day is:

B: Frap on the Go (1pt)
Cereal with 2% milk (4pts)
S: Bananna (1pt)
L: Sandwich (4pts)
Progresso Soup (2pts)
S: Orange (1pt)
D: TBD

I have a meeting up at church tonight, so will be going trait there from work. This menu leaves 10pts left for dinner, so will most likely just pick something up on my way. Not sure what yet. So that is todays plan.

Jeff's Birthday Bash

My husband turned 28 this weekend and wanting to keep things simple we decied to have a poker night. Everyone had a blast, including the birthday boy (even though he didn't win). I decided that finger foods would be best to serve for this event. With the help of some friends, the menu included: pinwheels, bacon-wrapped jalapenos, mini chicken salad sandwiches, spinach dip, a veggie tray and then just plain ol' chips and dip. Everything turned out great. Here is some are a couple of the reciepes I used.

Creamy Artichoke and Spinach Dip
From the Deen Bros. Cookbook

Ingredients
Butter for coating dish
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and coursely chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, all excess water squeezed out
6 ounces Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic, minced
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the chips. Spoon the artichoke mixture into the prepared casserole. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Serve hot or warm with chips.

* After it cooked, I spooned it into a small crockpot to keep warm throughout the night.


Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies
From www.thepioneerwomancooks.com

Ingredients
Fresh Jalapenos
Cream cheese (softened)
Thin, regular bacon (sliced into thirds)

Cut jalapenos in half, length wise. With spoon, remove seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon and secure with toothpick through the middle. ( At this point you can freeze in a ziplock bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. (You don't want the bacon to squeeze the jalapeno. If the bacon doesn't look brown enough, turn on the broiler for a few minutes to finish it off. )

Serve hot or at room temperature.

These were a hit and were all gone by the end of the night!

Bad Weigh In

I have my weigh in on Fridays. I always do it first thing in the morning after waking up. I knew that there was a pretty darn good chance that I did not lose this week, but probably was at the same place I had been at recently. I was wrong! I gained 2lbs! I only have myself to blame. I did not workout Wednesday or Thursday like planned. Went to dinner with my best friend on Wednesday which lead to drinks which lead to me sleeping in instead of going to the gym Thursday. I also did not watch what I ate. So with the combo of the two, it was not a big suprise.

A postive out of this huge negative is that it has opened my eyes. I need to get my stuff in gear. This is by far the largest I have ever been and I am not fond of it. So todays plan is:

B: Oatmeal (3pts)
S: Banana (1 pts)
L: Smart One (6pts), Apple (1pts)
S: 100 calorie Popcorn (1pts)
D: TBD

That leaves 11pts for dinner. We are having friends over for poker night for my hubbys birthday. I have made some finger foods for everyone to munch on while we play. Some healthy, some not. I am going to post the yummy display with some recipes of the dishes I made soon.

Running, Day 1

I decided to make another attempt at running. I have always wanted to run a 10k or half marathon, but never got far in the training. One could say running is my nemisis. After reading several posts on the Weight Watchers message boards and seeing how they were successful, I decided to try again. I am doing the C25k program. Today was day 1 and I have to say it wasn't that bad. My legs started to hurt toward the end, but I finished. I know that as the program progresses it will get increasingly harder but I am welcoming the challange.

I have currently have worked out twice this week, so only two more days to go. The diet on the other hand isn't going as well, but tomorrow is a new day. My goal for tomorrow is to do Day 2 of the program and to stay within my points. Wish me luck!

To be Successful, one must have a plan....

I would like to lose about 20lbs that I have gained since college. I have joined Weight Watchers online to help with the diet side of the processes. I have several friends who have found much success from WeightWatchers and I decided to give it a try. (I love the community boards, they are so helpful with recipes and tips!) I plan on posting our weekly dinner menu and possibly my daily breakdown of what I ate ( help me stay accountable and OP). I also would like to workout 4x week. I am thinking about trying the C25K program, but right now sticking with classes at the gym. I bought Jillian's 'Making the Cut' book, and am reading that as well.

I usually start out well, but get off track just after a couple of days. Wish me luck!

Howdy!

Hi! This is my first attempt at blogging. I, like many, am trying to lose weight and follow a healthier lifestyle. ( I am going to Cancun in November for a wedding-big movtiation). I am hoping this blog will help keep my accountable and also provide some yummy, healthy reciepes for others. Please bear with me as I learn more. I would love to hear any comments you may have. Thanks!