What I want to be when I grow up.

In fall of 2008, I went back to school. I am currently enrolled at Trinity International University's REACH program. I am working towards my BA in Psychology. At the time I went back to school I did not know what I wanted to do with my degree but I knew that I wanted to help others.

Over the last year, I have learned more about myself and my relationship with others. It was more than I expected and then some. These changes in me has helped me to develop a deeper relationship with my spouse, children, family and friends. These changes are what helped me to see that I needed to change my life and lose weight. Without being at healthy weight how could I be there for them. Even more how could I be there to serve others the way that God has called me to.

The last two years in the REACH program has flown by quickly. Next semester, I have to narrow down my focus for the psychology program. I can with confidence say that I have made that decision. I want to use my degree to be a life coach for others. I want to help others transform their lives just like I have transformed my own. You can read more about life coaches here.

What's for Lunch?

Are you tired of the same old frozen meal for lunch? Here is something quick and easy that you can make ahead for your lunch enjoyment. Remember eating healthy does not mean boring!!!

Hot & Sour Slaw
From EatingWell July/August 2008
4 Servings - Total Cooking Time: 20 Minutes


Ingredients


3 tablespoons rice vinegar




1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce


1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil


1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger


1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper


1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste


3 cups shredded napa, or green cabbage


1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper


1/3 cup sliced scallions


1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained and thinly sliced
 
Whisk rice vinegar, reduced-sodium soy sauce, oil, ginger, white pepper and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Add napa (or green cabbage) bell pepper, scallions and bamboo shoots; toss to coat.
 
Nutritional Facts: 62 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 112 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.


Pair this slaw up with a grilled chicken breast that your co-workers will be drooling over! I like to buy the frozen chicken breast tenders from Aldi's. I find they are easy to throw in a pain or on my George Foreman grill while I am getting ready in the morning. They are also a perfect 2-3 oz serving of meat.

Weighing out Breakfast

Yesterday, I touched on breakfast being important to start your day. Often we forget that breakfast jumps starts our day by revving up our metabolism and improving our concentration. It is a common misconception by many that if you skip breakfast you will lose weight but end the end this will cause you to eat more later in the day.

If you are a runner or a morning workout person it is especially important to get those calories in. Most experience runners know that you have a greater chance of burning breakfast calories if they are consumed earlier in the day. Also, by eating a proper breakfast you will burn more calories during your workout because your body has been provided the proper fuel. This will make your run or workout more effective!

Here are some quick and easy breakfast ideas to get moving in the right direction:

• 2 tbs of peanut butter on some whole grain bread or low fat English Muffin. Top with banana slices. This is one of my favorites! You can try it with strawberries too. It makes it a healthy PB&J!
• Low Fat Yogurt topped with high fiber cereal or some chopped nuts. My personal favorite is All-Bran Wheat Flakes. Fiber One is also another great choice and it is endorsed by Biggest Loser. :)
• Mini Bagel with non-fat cream cheese with thin apple or pear slices.
• Breakfast Smoothie. Blend 1/2 cup each of plain low-fat yogurt and orange juice. Add in a 1/2 of banana along with some frozen berries. Viola! Enjoy!!!
• Scoop 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese into a 1/2 of a small cantaloupe or honey dew. YUM!
• 3 Egg Whites on a toasted Arnold's Sandwich Thin with a slice of Canadian Bacon. Another one of my personal favorite.
• If you really want to be creative try Jennifer Hudson's new favorite breakfast item shown here.

Breakfast does not have to be boring bowl of cereal or oatmeal. Think outside of the box. The results will be worth it!

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!!! Yes it is a scale victory!

Yes, that is right! I lost 1.4 lbs this week the same amount that I gained last week. We are moving back down again. I could not have done it with the support of my friends. When I walked into my meeting today my leader said she was happy to see me. She was told about my set back and that I broke down in my meeting last week. She was going to email me or call me but she was not sure how I would feel about that. I found that very touching to see that I am not another face in the chair at Weight Watchers. The leaders care and so do the other members. They really rallied around me both last week and many asked if I had a better week this week.

So what did I do differently this week? Well I switched my breakfast food. Instead of cereal I am now eating oatmeal. There are a lot of hidden dangers in cereal as I found out. Most cereal lacks protein. Protein is very important to fuel your body and keep you feeling full. Let's face it breakfast does set the tone for your entire day. Don't believe me? Just try it!

The next thing I did was I made sure I ate more on the days I had a lot of activity. I don't recommend this to everyone. But if you are earning more than 5 activity points in a day you may want to eat a little more. Also, eating more does not mean eating more pizza and beer. You are going to want to eat more lean proteinns or incorporate a few more healthy snacks into your day. Just be careful and listen to your own body. Activity does not give you the license to overeat. Calories in is still calories out...no matter what.

I am VERY happy to report a better weigh-in this week. Thank you to all of my loyal readers for your support.

Beware of the coffee!

This week's Weight Watchers tip is watching your calories at the local coffee shop. Oh man, I am guilty as charge on this one!! I love my coffee!!! There is nothing better than a large coffee with a shot of expresso and carmel. YUM! So if you are a coffee addict like me there is hope. Weight Watchers suggests to downsize that coffee to a medium or small. Or request fat-free milk, with one pump of syrup and take a pass on the whipped cream. I started passing on the whipped cream a long time ago when my coffee got cold and there was nothing but fatty wax at the bottom. Gross!

Having a special cup of Joe is fine in moderations. I used my flavored lattes as a special treat. Speaking of special treats here is a coffee treat weighing in at 2 points per serving...

Coffee Granita with Mocha Topping - Serves 4


24 fl oz brewed espresso, (3 cups) regular or decaf
1/3 cup(s) sugar
1/2 cup(s) fat-free whipped topping
1 tsp decaffeinated instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa


Pour espresso into medium saucepan. Stir in sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Refrigerate mixture until cold, about 2 hours. Pour mixture into 1 1/2-quart freezer-safe bowl. Freeze until slushy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from freezer; break up with fork. Return to freezer until slushy, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove. Using a fork, break up into small crystals. Spoon into 4 cups. In a bowl fold together whipped topping, coffee powder and cocoa. Yields about 1 cup granita and 2 tablespoons topping per serving.

Friday Fun - Put Play in your Day!

Happy Friday Everyone!  The weekend is almost here and it is the time of the week we forget about our healthy eating and exercise. Let's face it...for those of you who are parent's or even grandparents, we want to spend time with our families after a long week at work. But why not incorporate them into your fitness fun? Did you know that kids need at least 60 minutes of play in their day? Here are some ideas to get your family moving this weekend:

• Go for a walk or hike. Take 30-60 minutes from your day to walk around the neighborhood with your family. If you have a dog take him/her along with you. Many forest preserves have hiking trials. This is a great way to get children interested in nature. For those of you who live in Cook County you can check out hiking trials here.
• Go for a bike ride. Most children love to bike. I know this is a family time that we like to spend together. Babies and toddlers can even ride a long in a child carrier. Just like hiking and walking many forest preserves offer paved and dirt trails for biking. Again, those of you who live in Cook County can check out local bike trials here.
• Go for a swim. Summer will be here before you know it! Swimming is great physical exercise, especially for those with joint or other physical pain! Most park districts offer both indoor and outdoor pools.
• Go play tennis. Tennis is a great sport that not only offers physical activity but also helps improve hand eye coordination.
• Play volleyball. Most kids ages 8 and up enjoy playing volleyball. This sport requires a lot of movement and is something that everyone will enjoy.

No matter what activity you decided to do...Don't forget the water bottles, snacks, bug spray and sunscreen. Oh and don't forget to have fun!!

Still Trucking on...

In 1999, I saw a nutritionist after the birth of my first child. One of the things she suggested to me was to read health articles to keep myself focus. That was the one thing that has stuck in my head and it is has been useful information! The three magazines I subscribe to are Health, Cooking Light and Weight Watcher's. All of them have helped me in some way to stay on plan. I especially enjoy reading success stories of others. They usually provide wonder tricks and tips. Some are just reminders and others make me think "Why didn't I think of that?!?!"

Today, I was reading an article on fitness.com. It was very reassuring to me to keep doing what I am doing. Though I don't know why I have stopped losing and gaining little by little. I have realized that I am 100% happy in how I feel. I am eating the right foods to fuel my body. I am not tired and I have enough energy to walk my dog, play with the kids and ride my bike. I am going to continue to be focus on my exercise and building muscles.

I am going to continue to record my results good or bad because I am worth it!

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day!

I am taking a break from my normal blogging to say that tomorrow is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day!!! How are you celebrating? Maybe you haven't even thought about it. Tomorrow is a great day to get out, get moving and get saving! Here are some Earth Day Suggestions:

• Often our lives are too busy to stop and smell the flowers. We rob ourselves with connecting with God who meets us in nature. Use tomorrow to get out of the house and take a hike or enjoy a sunset.
• Replace one lightbulb with an energy efficent one. Replacing just one incandecent blub with a compact fluorescent lightbulb can save you $30 over the bulb's lifetime. A compact fluorescent lightbulb uses 75% less energy and last about 10 times longer. This saves you money in the long run!
• Eat more fresh fruits and veggies. Supporting local farmers or planting your own will help decrease the amounts of emissions in the air because there is no shipment required!
• Use reusable plates or mugs instead of paper. It goes back to the old saying Reuse, Reduce, Recycle.
• Take a break from your car. Ride your bike, walk or carpool to work or school.
• Do you really need that? Think about your needs and wants. If you don't buy it there will not be any discarding of packaging. Also, consider buying use verses new.
• Use a water bottle and filter your own water instead of buying bottled. Plastic bottles usually end up in landfills. By using a Britta Pitcher and your own water bottle you are not only saving money but you are also saving the environment!
• Plant a flowering plant or bush that will attract bees and/or butterflies. Did you know that the bee population is dwendling? Bees are very important to our environment and we need them. Help them out and provide beauty to your yard as well.

Celebrate earth day by reconnection with creation as well as the Creator! Be a good steward to the land that God has given us. If the weather permits, I will be riding my bike to work tomorrow and doing some planting with my kids.

Another Bad Weigh-In

I actually started crying in my meeting today. I have never done that and I felt very embarrassed but I could not help it. I have busted my butt over the last year only to get close to the finish line and start gaining it all back. UGH! YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! I have worked to hard for this and have waited too long. I have been exercising and tracking and this is how the scale repays me.

I have shared this many times in my meetings...I turn my set backs into motivations to push myself harder. As I sat here eating my veggie sub, I reflected back to what in my daily routine have I changed over the last few weeks/months. I came across this article on one of my favorite magazine's websites. A light bulb went on in my head. One change that I have made is I have been eating cereal for breakfast instead of my usual oatmeal. It add bulk to my cereal (though it is healthy) by adding fruit. By the time I am done adding things in I have spent about 5 of my 22 points for the day. My oatmeal is anywhere around 2-3 points depending on the kind. I am going to be sure to look at everything I eat this week and track my hunger levels. Hopefully, I can turn these positive numbers back into negative ones.

I already know my week ahead will be a stressful and difficult one. I appreciate the kind support I have already gotten from many of you. My mother is coming over this weekend and she tries to be my food police. Even at the age of 32 my mother still tries to control me like a little child. This causes me to sneak food and emotionally eat...something I have struggled with for many years. I can honestly say that I can relate to people who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. Food addiction and eating disorders can be equally hard to overcome. A clinical psychologist has never offically diagnosed me with an eating disorder. But I can say that for years I have used food to deal with some difficult times in my life. That is why I created this blog (a suggestion from a very good friend) to allow me to get through these difficult times without turning to food. Thank you again for being there for me with your kind words and support!

30 Mins a day keeps the stress away!

This week's Weight Watcher's tip is "one of the best ways to keep your stress level down is to excercise for at least 30 minutes a day". They suggest going to the gym, take the stairs at work, park in the back of the lot, or take a walk after dinner.

I think this cartoon says it all for most of us. I know it holds true for me. I can find a million other things to do than go to the gym. However, exercising does not have to be a boring chore. The key is finding something that you enjoy doing. In honor of my 80 lb weight loss I purchased a bike. I have to say it again, I LOVE MY BIKE!!!! I have made a promise to myself that I will not drive to any place close if the weather is good. This weekend we rode our bikes to the store, church and to subway. All to the tune of 12 activity points!

Another thing that I enjoy is gardening. It is also another great way to get activity in. You will be surprise by all of the muscles you use. I usually place my yard waste can a few feet away from me. This means I have to walk back and forth to get to it. It is surprising on how many steps you can add to your day that will add up to miles! This leads me to another thing I enjoy doing...walking. My dog Shogun and I usually go on long walks. A tired dog is a happy dog. I like checking out other people's flower gardens to incorporate how to add curb appeal to my own home.

So there you have it...exercise is only as boring as you make it. What things do you enjoy that will get you moving and kick some stress???

Drive Thru diet say what?

Last night I took the kids to Taco Bell for dinner. I was shocked and surprised to see a life size cut out of a lady that said she lost over 50 lbs on this drive thru diet.They gave a website so I thought I would go home and check it out. First of all, Congratulation Christine on your 54 lb weight loss. All I have to say is Christine must have been consuming a whole lot of fast food in her everyday diet if that is all she did to lose weight.

I don't recommend this drive thru diet for anyone. I do recommend if you are in a crunch and have no other choice the fresco menu at Taco Bell is great! For those of you on Weight Watchers a Fresco taco will only cost you 3 pts. A McDonald's Hamburger Happy Meal with apple dippers (no caramel sauce) will cost you 6.5 points. Burger King 4 piece Chicken Nugget kids meal with apple fries (no caramel sauce) will cost you 4 points. Subway 6 inch Veggie Sub no cheese or condiments is 4 points.

Your world of fast food does not have to end forever. However, eaters beware...going back to yesterday's blog you want to make sure you are hitting those GHG's. It is difficult to do this if you are eating fast food everyday.

GHG Reminder

Losing weight mean keeping your Good Health Guidelines (GHG) in check. That means are you eating your fruit and veggies? How about your water in take? Did you remember to take your vitamin? Lets break down the GHG's and see why they are important:

• Fruits & Veggies - They are high in fiber and water. This will help you stay full longer. I like to add fruit and veggies to bulk up my meals. Mushrooms, spinach and brocolli is wonderful additions to dishes without adding a lot of calories.
• Complex Carbs - Switch out your white bread and rice for something that is whole grain. I love fixing quinoa with green beans as a side dish. Complex carbs will give you long-term energy and they are higher in fiber, so they will stay with you longer.
• Protein - Protein helps you stay full longer as well. However, that protein does not need to come animals. But if you cannot live without your meat then be sure they are lean and high quality.
• Water - Be sure to drink plenty of water. It helps you not to confuse hunger and it also helps you to consume less calories. Water aids in digestion and will help you to break down your food more easily.
• Oils - Are actually essential for proper body and brain function, and are essential for helping the body absorb vitamins A,D,E and K. They also help to slow down digestion. Be sure to get 2 tbs of healthy oils in a day! Check here for list of Healthy Oils
• Multi Vitamin - They are important to replace any vitamins or minerals you might be losing by reducing your calorie intake.

How does your diet stack up? Are you getting in your daily GHG's?

I surrender!

Ok so I peeked at the scale this morning. I would be lying if I told you I don't peek. I try to do a mid week check and a before weigh-in check. It helps me to see where I am at and reduces sticker shock on weigh-in day. Today my wonderful scale said I was down .2! I will take it!!

I told you all that I accepted my leader's challenge this week on paper tracking. I will admit I have become very lazy about it. Anyone who has been on WW or is on WW will tell you it can be a tedious task but it is worth it. I have written down everything I have eaten so far this week and I can see where I have been going wrong the last few months. I have been blowing through all of my 22 points for the day and my extra 35 and probably the few activity points I earn. I have left myself in the red week after week after week and that is what has been contributing to my low numbers and gains. DUH! Why is it that something so simple can be so hard???

Well...it is easy for us to try to take control of our lives and think we know what we are doing. Especially, after we have been doing it for a long time. But there are times we have to surrender and go back to square one. So I surrender!!!!

Red Light...Green Light

Remember playing red light, green light as a child? Did you know that some foods are considered right light foods? Red light foods are foods that once you start eating them there is no stopping. Learning how to identify these types of foods will help you to be successful in your weight loss journey. Here are some foods I consider red light:

1. Chocolate

2. Swiss Rolls

3. Robbin Eggs (as noted in yesterday's blog)

4. Potato Chips

5. Trader Joe's Sesame Seaweed Rice Balls (I discovered this one yesterday)

6. Cake/Cupcakes - anything that has frosting.

7. Cookies

8. Pizza

9. Bread

10. 100 Calorie packs of hostess cupcakes

Now that you had a chance to think about your red light foods. What do you do about it? I suggest checking out Hungry Girl. She is wonderful about taking high calorie snacks and fast food and making a lighter version of it. I try not to bring any of the red light foods into my house. When it was girl scout cookie time I told my husband that if he bought them into the house, they would be donated to the food pantry.

The key is set yourself up to succeed and not to fail.

I'm stuck!!

Well it appears if you look at my online weight tracker that I am stuck. I lose a pound and I gain a pound. It takes me a month to lose the pound I gained. That is the ugly cycle I have been for the last few months. Part of me is frustrated but the other part is proud. I guess you can say I have learned how to maintain my weight. I have never maintained my weight before!

I was not expecting a good number on the scale. The last couple of weeks I have been addicted to sugar. I have finally got over it when I ate an entire bag of robbin eggs. Let me tell you I felt very sick afterwards but I no longer feel the need to eat sweets. Also, earning 15 AP in two days means that my muscles are still repairing and retaining water. However, I am fully back and focused. I have accepted my Weight Watchers leader's challenge of paper tracking vs. using etools this week. My goal for the week is to ride my bike for at least 30 minutes a day and to paper track EVERYTHING!!! NO EXCUSES!!!!

As you can see from my tracker above 13 lbs to go. I CAN DO THIS!!!

Surviving the Weekend

I got a new bike!!! I am really excited about it and wanted to show it off to my virtual friends. It is a Lamborghini Tonino bike and probably the best bike I have ever owned in my life! I am hoping to be able to ride it to work in a couple of weeks. I also got a really cool matching silver helmet. I was hoping to get a pink one but they did not have adult helmets in pink. Go figure! I did not realize just how many more activity points you earn biking compaired to walking.

After my bike ride with the kids on Saturday I rented a tiller and got my garden ready for planting. I have my heirlome tomatoes on my wishlist to order. Since I had the tiller I thought why not extended my flower beds. I am very pleased with how well everything is coming together by summer my yard will be in full bloom.

I really enjoy gardening and it is a fun way for me to earn activity points. It gives me results both on and off the scale. I love sitting out on my back porch doing my homework. It is way better than sitting in the house stairing at 4 walls.

Between my bike riding and gardnening I earned a total of 15 activity points this weekend. That is usually my weekly total!!!

I am running tonight.

I have been out of the gym for so long I have to restart my couch to 5K training. I am so mad at myself that I have to start all over again. I guess that is all part of the learning process. You keep doing things until you get it right.

I looked at some weights and excercise equipment at Target last night. I am very interested in the kettle balls. I had to laugh at Maddie who grabbed the lightest one she could find and swung it between her legs saying "Look mom! It's like Biggest Loser!" I don't have a lot of room at home to do workout videos so I don't want to buy something I am not going to be able to use.

I also decided that I need to make myself a schedule and stick to it. I have been putting everyone before myself and I need to reclaim my time!

Struggling

I have been overly stressed out with life these days. I have so much going on at home, work and school that I have had very little time for me. What I wouldn't give to have the day to myself to go shopping and maybe a mani/pedi and to come home and find dinner on the table and a clean house.

The last few weeks I have found myself off plan rather than on plan. I have gone back to a few of my old eating habits and I have not been to the gym in over a month. I just feel like I have no time. I come home from work and I am overwhelmed with all of the household chores that needs to be done. I guess you can say that I am a true mom and wife.

I know I need to get myself back on plan if I want to keep my weight under control. The weather is getting nicer. I need to just get up earlier, put on my shoes and hit the pavement with the dog. No more excuses!!!

Your help is needed!!!

I love my furry babies. Please take a moment to help these dogs not be return to the puppy mill. Time is running out for the 53 dogs rescued from the St. Anne's puppy mill raid last February.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/194/justice-for-the-st-annes-53

Thank you!!!

I am going to jump!

I had a pretty challenging weekend. My son who acts ADD and special is not. He struggles socially and it is just how he is wired. There is nothing wrong with him other than he likes to push all of my buttons. Well in church on Friday someone asked me to remove him from the service. So I did...kicking and screaming. I wanted to die because he had already been kicked out of the children's service.

The next day was not any better. I was working in some activity points with my dog Shogun. We were a little over a half mile into our walk, when he got into a fight with two other dogs. A few sitiches and a pocketbook that is $159 lighter...he is on the mend. My walking buddy will be back in service in no time. Praise God!

Needless, to say all of this drama triggers my emotional eating. I found myself craving sugary delights such as swiss rolls. It got so bad that I called my friend who spent 30 minutes talking me out of eating an entire box of swiss rolls and lead me to pray through my craving. Let's face it. I may have lost a little over 80 lbs but the old Dawn still lives within. I am human. However, little set backs does not mean you need to throw yourself down the stairs. I am thankful for my best friend who talked me down from that ledge. I am excited to say she is also joining Weight Watchers and I hope that I can provide her with the same support that she has given me. :)

My Story

My story begins as a small child. I was very lonely and depressed and food was my best friend. By the time I reached the fifth grade I went from being a skinny little girl to being overweight. I continued to slowly gain more weight. By the time I reached a sophomore in high school I was a little over 200 lbs. I was an unhappy teen that do would anything to avoid gym class. Unlike most of the kids in my school I did not have a boyfriend and I was not invited to parties. I sat at home on the weekends with cookie dough and pizza because food was what soothed me.

I met my husband and he loved food as much as I did. Food had become my world and nothing was going to tear us apart. As my love for food grew so did my weight. I went for an annual physical in January 2009 and I found out that I developed fatty liver disease and polycystic ovarian syndrome. My weight had reach an all time high of 250 lbs. I was having shortness of breath walking short distance. What had I done to myself?

I knew that I needed to make a change if I was going to be around for my kids and future grandkids. My first thought was to join Weight Watchers. I had joined Weight Watchers a few times in the past but I never stuck with it. However, I was determined to make it work this time. I wanted to get healthy and add years back on to my life. I found the more weight I lost the more it pushed me to keep going. With each pound I started to feel better physically and emotionally. I started to gain energy and no longer grew tired walking around the mall or grocery store. It was an empowering knowing that I was taking back my life.

A year after joining Weight Watchers, I went back to the doctor. She was amazed by my progress. My overall weight loss had made a big impact on my life and health. I lowered my blood pressure, my heart rate, my liver functions and my cholesterol. My doctor told me my blood pressure and pulse was that of a physically fit person. Me the girl who avoided gym class was now physically fit. I am no longer that lonely and depressed girl that was controlled by food. Weight Watchers has helped me to get my life back.