Jean Scale

Most woman will tell you that you can measure weight loss by a pair of jeans.  They are the hardest garment to fit properly, well besides a swimming suit!  I am wearing a pair that hasn't been on my body in over a year!!  I am so excited to have lost enough weight that I can wear more than one pair of jeans.  I bought a pair that became my "fat pants".  They were the only ones that fit.  It's really hard to only have one pair of jeans.  Well at least for me.   I had taken all my bigger clothes to Goodwill and had nothing else to wear.  I can't wait to drag all my jeans back out and wear them until they fall off!  Then I can drag out the next size down.  I stockpile smaller sizes like the freakin Gap.   At one point, I was really close to being in a 14 and since the jeans were on sale I bought them.  I think I jinxed myself.  There is no chance in hell of me buying a size 12 until I walk in the store and it fits!  I am glad to see 30+ pounds gone and even happier that I can fit into my jeans!! 

Sometimes it's the small victories that mean more!!  

Blasted food sabotager....

My weekend festivities only showed a gain of 0.6!  Phew, not as bad as I feared.  I can get that off pretty quickly.  I hope...

I came home from the gym to an angry mom. [Note: I live with my mother by choice to help her out since she is getting older.]   I had to train on T/TH this week and I threw her completely off.   She was hungry and cranky waiting for me to feed her.  So she was in the process of ordering Chinese food.  I love Chinese food.  It was torture to tell her no and that I'll make myself something.  I had soup. I kind of pigged-out a bit during lunch.  It was so sad not to have any lemon chicken or fried rice but I am proud of myself for saying no.  Thank goodness I didn't like anything my mom ordered and I could ignore it.  I did steal a crab rangoon after my walk with the puppy.  Food is constantly a struggle.  It isn't always easy to have just a bite and be satisfied.  Yet, I know that I can't completely ignore my trigger foods for the rest of my life.   Each day I have to choose to eat this or that and remember not to beat myself up when I make a mistake.  

On a side note....stupid Cardinals....booo! I should have gone to bed and not wasted my time on this game.  Geesh! 

To 10k or not

I have never viewed myself as a distance runner.   However, I've been toying with the idea of running a 10k.  Over the last 5 years, I've done a dozen 5ks and while I enjoy doing them I feel like I could accomplish more.  The next logical step is doing a 10k.   Yikes, 6.2 miles all at once.  I am shaking in my Nikes just thinking about it.  I bit the bullet and signed up for a race the weekend of Halloween.  It's a race to cure lymphoma.  My mom was diagnosed in 1999 and through miracle treatments is living cancer free 11 years later!!  So with the heart strings tugged, I registered for the perfect race to test out my next running level!  Now I just need to add 2 more miles to my runs...I can do this!  When I survive this race, I suppose that a 1/2 marathon is next.  (Double Yikes)  Mardi Gras in NOLA anyone?  

I love kettelbells!  I think they are fun!  But I may have one hell of a bruise on my shoulder after last nights session.   God bless Ms. All-star for having patience because I could not get the newest exercise at all.  Ok, well at the end I kind of got it.  She was worried about my wrist hurting (which they should if done properly) and they do a little but nothing like the bruise I can feel forming!  I think some more practice will be in order and probably another 100 bruises!!  And perhaps I need to keep in mind that 15lbs of cast iron can hurt you....yep, Ms. AS is totally going "I told you so".  

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

I found this recipe over at A Year of Slow Cooking.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

--12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless breast halves
--1 cup brown sugar
--1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
--2/3 cup white wine vinegar
--3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
--2 T soy sauce
--1 tsp ground black pepper

The Directions.
Plop the chicken into your crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. It will bubble!

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

Serve over a bowl of brown rice with a ladle full of the broth.  

Verdict:  We liked it.  I used the skinless breast and in the future I would probably buy with the skin on.  The chicken was a little dry.  The broth did help moisten it up.  I will totally make this again!  

Is it nap time?

I had a wonderful weekend celebrating my BFF's birthday!  We went to two Cardinal baseball games and spent a day at the Herman MO Wineries.  It was an action packed weekend and I could really use a nap about now.  :P  We had a lot of fun eating, drinking and cheering!  I can't wait to see what next year brings! Hurray for birthday celebrations! 

Having all this fun pretty much meant I took my diet and drowned it in the mighty Mississippi! It was a big, fat binge of a time!  I'll now spend the next month trying to recover but who cares.  A girl needs to have some fun from time to time. Of course this is easier to say before I step on the scale and see the damage.  Then the reality of the wine, cheese and pulled pork nachos will slap me in the face.  Can someone hand me some wine?

There is good news amidst the sea of gluttony.  On Saturday, I FINALLY hit my highest heart rate zone.  Ms. All-star did lower the ranges and it was somewhat easier to reach but I still ran my ass off to hit it!  I was pretty darn proud of myself!  Then on Sunday, I ran 4 miles and didn't pass out (remember those nachos were consumed prior to hitting the gym)!  So at least, I ended the besties weekend of fun with an attempt at redemption.  

 After all, tomorrow is another day!

Weigh and Measure Day

Do you know who is a weight loss rock star?  This girl!  Yesterday, was my monthly weigh and measure day with Ms. All-star.  I was apparently stressing for no real reason.  I'll chalk it up to my OCD tendencies.  I really should write down the numbers or copy them but I'm not that smart!  So we'll have to go with the things I can remember!  

I lost 7.4 lbs for a weigh-in at 232.6!  That is 9.6 from hitting the 100 pound mark of my weight loss journey!  [I'll have to post before and after pix when I hit that point.] I've lost 23.4 lbs since starting with Ms. AS only 2 short (err long) months ago!!  I lost 10 lbs of fat and gained a little muscle.  So a total of 27 lbs of fat is off my body in two months!!  Woo hoo!  It is so reassuring to know that the fat is disappearing and the muscle is starting to build!  Contrary to popular belief, the fat has not migrated to my booty and it is still flat as ever.  Damn! 

I lost 2.75 inches from my waist, in a month....Seriously?  No wonder some of my pants are falling down!   I am down one entire chunk roll from my mid-section.  In case you were wondering what the heck is a chunk roll, that is what I call the rolls of fat that make up my tummy area.  I had three.  One whole roll has melted away!  For the record, I don't miss it!!  I think I've lost close to 4 inches off my middle...but I'm not positive.  

My other measurements were incredibly awesome as well but I can't remember all the specifics because I was so enamored with the above!!  I think neck, chest, hips, and calves were all down a little.  

Apparently, I don't need a reward to motivate my fitness.  Because I totally forgot to pick something and I still haven't watched last months reward.  LOL  I know small goals are supposed to motivate you and keep you going along the way but my eye is on the big prize at the end.  I can't wait to reach goal and be down an entire person!  Then again there is always those gorgeous shoes I saw on my shopping trip.....doh stupid car window.  (long negative story)

Any who!  I am so grateful that God saw fit to put Ms. AS into my plan!  I think having someone to push me is just what I needed to bring me back on the right path.  I may bitch about having to do push ups, etc but I understand the reason she makes me do them!  All our hard work is starting to show and one day I may even be able to balance, right?  

So thanks to Ms. AS and my awesome new gym friends for all their support and encouragement!! 

Push ups are the devil

Hello Blog Friends!  The weather in the STL is absolutely beautiful!  Moses and I are outside taking advantage of our patio!  I am killing time before heading off to the gym.  Tomorrow is my big weigh and measure day with the trainer.  I am going into it with anticipation and trepidation.  This past week hasn't been my best for eating but I have been exercising on schedule.  I am excited to see how much body fat I've lost and if I gained any muscle.  Keep your fingers crossed!  A la Biggest Loser, I will be last chance working it tonight, lol!

Typically, I like to exercise.  It's never a joyful, fun event but I do like the sense of accomplishment.  But I really hate doing push ups.  And of course because of my desire to never do them again, Ms. All-star manages to work them into every freakin circuit.  Well not every circuit but most of them!  :P I think she enjoys torturing me!  My arms and shoulders are so sore today that I can barely raise them above my head.  I can't wait to do more tomorrow!  What exercises are your least favorite?  I am sure that everyone dislikes doing something!  

Moses and I on the patio!

Puppy love and way too much thinking time

I just got home from taking the puppy for a walk.  We finally have a night where the temps are below 90!  Poor little man has been cooped up inside for weeks.  I feel like he has been averaging one walk a week.  We made this one extra long!  Now he's sitting on my lap demanding to go upstairs!  Men!   :)  He is super cute though! 

Today was a low zone day and I was super excited to make it a swim night.  I had the pool all to myself for the first 30 min!  It was so nice to just hear the swoosh of the water and be in my own little world.  Last time I swam, the pool was incredibly busy and I had to share a lane which was not only difficult but annoying.  So I cherished my empty pool and lane to myself.  The flip side to all this blissful alone time is that I am completely lost in my own thoughts.  Sometimes the recesses of my mind are a scary place and sometimes it's a helpful little organ.  Tonight I found myself second guessing all my food choices and realizing I could have made better ones.  The good news is that while my food wasn't the greatest this week(end) it was no where near the downward spiral of a few weeks ago.  I met my workout and step goals which is still a huge part of this journey.  There was a time in the not so distant past where I would have eaten craptastic food and then eaten some more.   I wouldn't have given a second thought to exercising or for that matter moving off my couch.  I know there are times I forget how truly mental weight loss can be.  The physical is obvious but the mental component takes just as much work.  I need to remember that I love myself and this girl that has made such a positive change.  She kicks ass!  Everyday I get up and try a little harder than the day before!  

See I told you my mind can be a scary place!  

New Yummy Recipe courtesy of Gina's WW Recipes!  Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Good Year Blimp ahead...

Yesterday was a struggle.  My head is congested, my body is bloated (thanks to my monthly friend), and I was still tired from my lack of Sunday night sleep.  I don't really know what brought on all the head swelling but my bet is allergies.  I went home to saline rinse and nose spray the hell out of it.  I needed to be able to breathe while at the gym.  It is usually a good thing.  I had really wanted to swim but that was out.  I couldn't breathe as it was and I was pretty sure chlorinated water would make it worse or at least more difficult.  So to the treadmill I went.  Part of me was like just use the elliptical but I really, really don't like them.  I ran for all of 30 mins and it was a struggle.  A struggle to breathe, a struggle to get the lead out of my legs, and a struggle to stay upright.  I was ready to throw in the towel at 10 min.  But I made it! I even walked for 15 min because I was struggling to get my steps in for the day.  Sure it sucked but I did it and I am really glad!  For the first time, I may actually understand why people exercise.  It did make me feel better.  Normally, it doesn't.  I don't feel the endorphin rush that everyone raves about.  I usually just feel tired with a side of accomplishment!    

Today is better.  My head is less congested thanks to loads of medicine.  My legs still feel like lead but that could be an aftermath from all the squats on Monday!  :)  I'm psyching myself up for whatever Ms. AS brings to the mat. And in the words of Joey Mac, "Let's get this"! 

Heart Rate woes

Greetings everyone!  I got to spend a little time with one of my bestest buds from college and his family last night!  I finally got to meet my nephew and they got to meet Moses!  There was the bonus of getting to eat some yummy Ted Drewes too!  Despite being really tired from my work out, the visit was good and I wish I got to see them more often.  :(   Why must Baltimore be soooo far away?

Speaking of working out....
My heart rate seems to hate me.  I don't really know if that is a possibility but I think mine does.  I try really hard to reach each of my target zones.  I hit them occasionally.   It could be a medication issue, although BP meds would lower it and the Asthma meds would increase it.  So wouldn't that make me normal?  [pause for a insertion of laughter about me and normalcy]  Ms. All-star thought it would be a great idea to torture me with a medium zone workout while she observed.  In other words, she controls the buttons of hell.  The entire time my HR stayed in zone 1.  It wouldn't budge no matter how hard I pushed myself.  See it hates me.  I was covered in sweat with little to show for it.  She suggested a HR monitor to get a more accurate reading.  I have this really great friend that is willing to let me borrow her monitor to test out!  I figure it's worth a try.   Did I mention I was covered in sweat...head to toe?  It was kind of gross.   Sadly, that was only part of my training last night and I still had more sweat to come.  It got grosser. 

Has anyone noticed that in order to lose weight and exercise to your potential you need a small village of people and gadgets?  It amazes me how much support is really needed to reach your goal.  Programs to track activity and food, gadgets to monitor things, ipods,  trainers, family, friends, even the dog, phew no wonder we lose weight!  So to all my supporters, I thank you and love you more than you possible know! 

 

2 new recipes

This first recipe has no picture.  I forgot!  But I think we all know what a thin cut pork chop looks like :)

Grilled Pork Chop with Pineapple
2 Tbsp lime juice (1 to 2 medium limes)
1 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pound thin, bone-in pork loin chop
equal number of grilled pineapple slices

In a large Ziploc bag, combine lime juice, oj, oil, oregano and pepper.  Add meat to the marinade and refrigerate fir 10 min to 8 hours.  Turn occasionally if marinating longer than 10 min.  

Preheat grill and grill chops for 4 to 5 min on each side or until no longer pink.  Then grill pineapple slices for 1 min on each side. 

Verdict:  It was really good.  The original recipe used turkey cutlets, however, we had just made a whole turkey.  It adapted really well to the pork.   I love finding any excuse to use my grill!  

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli  (WW recipe)
2 sprays cooking spray
12 oz uncooked pasta, gemelli or other twisted pasta
10 oz broccoli, small florets
1 tsp butter
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup onion
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper 

Preheat oven to 375.  Coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook pasta per directions on package.  Add broccoli to pasta 3 min before the pasta will be done.  Drain both.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 min.  Remove from heat and transfer crumbs to small bowl; stir in 1 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

In same saucepan, whisk together milk and flour until blended; add onion.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 2 min.  

Remove from heat and whisk in cheddar cheese, mustard, salt, pepper and remaining Parmesan cheese.  Pour over cooked, drained pasta and broccoli; toss to mix and coat. 

Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle top evenly with bread crumb mixture.  Bake until bubbly at edges, about 20 to 25 min.  Divide into 8 pieces and serve.  Serving size 1 piece.  

Verdict:  It was ok.   I grew up on homemade mac-n-cheese and this wasn't close.  However, I didn't have a few ingredients and had to swap things.  I didn't have cheddar so I used so left over fontina.  I used all 16oz of the pasta and had to adjust the milk.  It was a dry dish, in my opinion.  I added turkey because we had a surplus of it.  If I make it again, I would make a few changes that added some fat.  Perhaps, buttermilk instead of skim.  It needs something.   It does heat up better though! 

"Pound for Pound" challenge donation #1

I made my first food pantry donation last Friday!  It was awesome dropping off my first 80lbs lost!  Sure, I lost most of it a few years ago but I have gained and lost 30 of it a couple times.  I am tired of that cycle and this will give me some finality to that vicious up-down pattern.  I am moving forward and on my way to the next milestone of 100lbs lost and so on.  Most importantly, a wonderful organization has more food available to help their clients.  

I didn't realize just how much food and personal items it would take to equal 80lbs.  I may have been a few ounces short but I can pad the next donation!  I had so much fun shopping for all these goodies knowing that families would be able to eat and not wonder where the next meal would come from.  I loved being able to spend a day in this pantry, meeting the staff and the clients and knowing we helped out.  I hope to get the chance again. 

I leave you with this:
The families they serve are given 2 rolls of TP and 1 bar of soap for the month.  But only if they have it to give. Try living on those supplies...I know I couldn't do it.  I am so thankful for my job!! 

Back in the groove

I had a wonderful day shopping with my best friend.  It's tax free weekend and we decided to take advantage.  I needed new running shoes.  I found some at the Nike outlet.  I have a Nike plus and my current shoes are equipped to handle the device.  I didn't go into the store looking for a pair that could handle it but I found some!!  So yea!

My WW weigh-in went well.  I was down 6.4!  That is 34.4 total since February!  And almost 90 total pounds since I started this endeavor.  I am so excited that all this hard work is paying off.  Apparently last weekend's binge didn't impact my progress as much as I had expected or I really worked my butt off in the mean time.  :)

It was really good to have Ms. All-star back this week!  I always like to think that I push myself during my solo workouts as much as she pushes me during our sessions but I'm not entirely sure that is the case.  It's easier to let your focus slide.  I definitely give it my best try and dig in deep.  Some days are easier than others.  Today, it took all my effort to make it through my workout.  It may be a recovery week, thus no high zone torture but this medium workout was pure hell.  I can barely survive with only one minute slight recovery make it 30 seconds and I was ready to slit my wrist.   I did it and almost ran 4 miles.  That in itself is a huge accomplishment.  My endurance is getting better and some day I may actually be a real runner.  Maybe...   ;)  Just a girl and her treadmill; it's like a bad novel!

I finally got around to getting my reward for reaching my mini-goal with Ms. AS!  I chose to purchase Avatar (fabulous movie) and finally got a chance to pick it up!!  Now I just need time to watch it.  It's fun getting things that you want but definitely don't need as a reward!!  Now those gorgeous Steve Madden pumps from Off Broadway may need to be my next reward...drooling at the thought.  LOL

Sometimes we all need a little funny

I have to start this post with a caveat.  I promised my momma that I wouldn't blog about her.  I am about to break this promise for a one time only event!  :)

My mom was having a car issue and didn't want to drive in this heat to our dealer.  It is 100 degrees outside and a 45 min drive.  I totally understand.  We have a Jeep dealer right down the street.  She called me to look up their phone number.  My mother is computer phobic but loves to have me look things up for her!  I looked up the service number and read it to her, 1-888-etc.  She heard 1-8-ect.  So she dials and the nice recorded messages says that number can't be completed as dialed.  She calls me back and says what kind of stupid number did you give me.  I tell her it is a toll-free number like 1-800 only they've run out of 800s.  The light bulb goes on and she's like that was three 8s not one!!  God love lil old ladies!!  :)  We all needed a little chuckle today, right?

In other news, I am exhausted.  I feel like I've been going non-stop for days.  Tonight after training with Ms. All-star,  I am headed to bed.  I may eat dinner on the way upstairs, lol! I went swimming last night because I am pretty sure I would have fallen off the treadmill.  In hindsight, water probably wasn't a good idea with the whole chance of drowning thing.  :) I love the water and it always makes me feel better.  Plus it gives the knees a break!  Speaking of knees, my recent injury is feeling much better and not causing as much pain.  I can go down stairs almost pain free!!  Running didn't bother it either but the brace may have helped that situation!!  I'll take it though! 

I feel like I am soooo behind on blogging.  I am trying to keep up with my own and all of yours. I may need the weekend to officially catch up but I will.  So keep putting out those awesome inspirational post and I'll keep reading!  I have all these notes to myself about topics to blog about and I was worried I would run out of things to say.  Those of you who know me in person are laughing that I would be at a loss for words!   More soon....

Dude, have you seen my blog?

Hello blog friends!  It feels like forever since I've updated.  I am extremely behind in reading all your wonderful blog posts as well!  Life has been busy and I haven't been neglecting you out of laziness.   My mom had a birthday, I've had church activities and squeezing in all my workouts.

I've tried to keep up my workouts but eating has been the bane of my existence.  It all started with the baseball game for my mom's birthday.  She loves the fancy party room (and so do I).   They have ballpark favorites along with a carving station, pasta station, some sort of chicken dish and a vegetarian option.  Let us not forget the cookies and brownies or free drinks.  Yikes.  Add a rain delay and I rolled home...bad Briggie!  It kept going the rest of the weekend.  I tried to make better choices but it is still difficult to eat out sometimes.  I am back on track this morning but the damage has been done.  I am too afraid to step on the scale.  

The good news is that on Saturday while setting up for VBS and then running, I managed to have like 19,000 steps!!   I even had a nap that day, LOL!!    There is always a bright side! 

I am dusting myself off and heading into a new week.  I will have a couple more updates because I tried a new recipe and made my first "Pound for Pound" food donation.   That was an awesome experience!!  More to come....