PAYDAY

Well, based on the title of this post, I bet you were thinking one of two things..money in the bank or an ooey, gooey Payday candy bar. Nope... you are mistaken. Actually, today is my PAYDAY for all of the hard work that I have put in this week and over the last couple of months with eating in moderation. Now, I won't lie...I have splurged several times but the best part is that I just got right back on program and cleaned up my eating act by the very next meal. I hopped on the scales this morning only to realize that (YES) I have broken through those chains that bound me to the 186 pound mark. I know...it's not Weigh Day Wednesday but I am a sucker on Monday to get an idea of how I am doing before Wednesday. Honestly, I had wondered if my scales were sabotaging me intentionally so that I would keep pushing harder. When I married my sweetheart in 2004, I was 185 but was "dieted" and felt famished most of the time. Today, I am 185.6 and feel absolutely stinkin' amazing and eating hearty! So...pushing harder is definitely what I will do so that I can leave those 180s behind me for good. 250 down to 185.6....64.4 pounds GONE!

Now, enough about that...I want to share another really awesome thing that happened today. I did my typical route for run/walk outside in the mid-morning 60s temp and it felt amazing. However, I focused today on finishing 3 miles in my ZONE. My fat burning ZONE is what I am talking about. I worked to keep my pulse in the range between 145-160 by running when I wanted to run but walking when I needed to slow the pulse. Here ya' go...it worked out nicely in that I still completed the 3 miles in just under 40 minutes. "What does this tell me?" you ask. Well, it tells me that I am getting fitter in the process of losing weight and toning and conditioning and so on. I used to be able to complete 3 miles in about 40 minutes but my heart rate was upwards of about 175 most of the time. That is more than tortoise versus hare pace for me...that is screaming HEART ATTACK..hehehe. So, I am working to keep it in the FAT BURNING ZONE moving forward. Wish me luck :)

When I made it back inside after my workout and then walking the dog another 1/2 mile, I tossed together a Kimberly's Kitchen Creation to share. As you look at the picture, don't judge it before you try it. If you even remotely like brussels sprouts or would like to try them for the first time, I highly recommend this recipe. It is quick, easy and fueled with flavor. I made it for my lunch at work yesterday but didn't snap a picture before I nearly licked the plate clean. SO, I made it again today (on my day off) for lunches over the next couple of days.

Here goes....prepare your brussels sprouts by package directions. I cooked mine in the microwave steamer bag. Slice your chicken sausage (I got mine from Costco but Sam's has it too.) and brown it up a little in the skillet. The sausage is already really cooked...you are just heating it up and browning it a little. Then, dump both of these together, add a little 4-1-1 seasoning (or seasoning of your choice), and serve it up. It is low in calories, high in protein, and reasonable in fat content.

Btw, the 4-1-1 seasoning is made up of 4 parts Kosher salt, 1 part black pepper, and 1 part Garlic Powder. If you want something wonderful to sprinkle on almost anything, here it is! Found it on Pinterest a while back and have been keeping it in the pantry every since. Just save your next empty condiment shaker or put it in an empty salt shaker if you have that tucked in a cabinet somewhere.

Ok, let's wrap this day of blogging my thoughts up for now. Gotta jump in the shower and do a little (a lot) of grocery shopping before the day is gone.

Here is your little taste of goodness today...hehehe. Every woman needs one of these boob separators, right?! I honestly have debated sharing this pic that I ran across in an ad that was in my email but then I said, "What the heck! Everyone needs a good Monday laugh to start the week off right." If only mine still looked like this after weight loss..or just ever...hehehe. I know...I don't have that filter between my brain and mouth in place every day :) Keep smilin'.

Memories Made, Pounds Lost

Boy, this last week has flown by. Wednesday rolled around before I realized it but I am looking forward to my next day off (Friday) so I can catch up on some home stuff. Between working this past weekend and heading to UT Knoxville for a quick over and back trip, I am feeling ready for a little down time.

Just to recap a great day captured in Knoxville yesterday, I wanted to share a few memories. Dannah and I visited with Captain Farley in the ROTC office at UTK. We were able to attend the Awards Ceremony that afternoon and enjoyed watching the numerous cadets receive awards for their extraordinary achievements over the course of the semester. Depending on how the scholarships are awarded in Fall of this year, Dannah may be wearing orange on The Hill as she studies Engineering starting in Fall 2014.

Well, I jumped on the scale this morning since it is Weigh Day Wednesday. Yes, I am a loser and proud of it! This week has just felt good all together when it came to appetite control and moderation in my eating habits. In fact, we ate at Moe's yesterday and managed to eat light and avoid the tempting chips and salsa bar.  Down another 1.4 pounds from 189.2! Love it!!

This evening's dinner was a joint effort. David and I made a couple of homemade pizzas
to share with the family. He made his loaded with cheese, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and jalapenos while I tried to slim mine down with turkey pepperoni, diced ham, mushrooms, and onions with minimal cheese spread over the top. We used the whole wheat crust from the Pillsbury can which tasted great for refrigerator dough.Through My Fitness Pal calculations, I calculated each piece at about 150 calories on my creation. It was not Old Chicago yummy but was definitely worth the effort :)

Ok...keeping this post shorter than usual since I need a few more hours of sleep tonight than the average 5 that I have been getting...ugh.

Here is your little taste of goodness for today. Our kitty, Gracie, voluntarily strolls into the dog crate and can be caught lounging when the door is standing open. Silly girl...

Cooking it up Costco style

I headed to Costco after work yesterday only to realize that I should have never gone there HUNGRY! I know, I know...I broke one of the cardinal rules of "don't shop hungry" but I didn't have much choice since I was shopping for our dinner. $198 later...I am loading up in the car and headed home.

The smell of that darn Rotisserie chicken about made me chew my way into the steering wheel on the way home. Something that smells that good should not be sold to women like me with obvious fat brains :) But, I managed to make it home with it still intact in the packaging.

It was like a buffet on the kitchen counter as me and the family made the decision to cook nearly all of it except the Chicken Alfredo last night. 

Since I will not be home for dinner tonight, the hubby and kids will enjoy a quick but yummy Chicken Alfredo with very little effort. Costco sure knows how to make this mamma happy :)

Last night's dinner tasted like a pricey meal at a fine dining establishment. Salmon with Basil Lemon Butter (thanks to Linda for this recommendation), seafood stuffed portabella mushroom, "squeaky" beans (as my hubby calls them), and sweet potato wedges (a staple in the house these days). All of these items were found so conveniently at Costco...I love that store!

This morning was destined to be an inside workout since I just didn't feel like heading into the muggy morning in the dark. I jumped on the elliptical and knocked out a 5K of cardio before jumping in the shower.

We had a staff meeting at the office this AM so I had to get their on time but also have 4 yummy Butter Braids cooked and ready to travel. I needed to rid the freezer from these temptations before they made it to our table or before they got freezer burnt. You will be pleased to know that I didn't indulge or even lick my fingers when preparing these warm, sweet loaves of goodness. Ok, maybe I did squeeze a little of the icing on my finger before tossing the baggy in the trash :) After all, I have goals to meet and I already know what these taste like because I have had WAY TOO MUCH of them in the past :).

Your little taste of goodness for the day:

Living my Life...Scales and All

I love getting mail and love getting BIG BOXES from Advocare even more. We stocked up on more of the bars (AdvoBar Snack Bar and AdvoBar Meal Bar) since these seem to just disappear from the cabinet overnight. :) In addition, we added some Rehydrate onto our order because Dannah was needing some replenishing after her P90X workouts. She is drinking Gatorade but thought we would try the Rehydrate for comparison. Speaking of that crazy girl...she definitely photo bombed my picture last night. When I asked her if I could still use this pic on my blog post, she said "Sure. What do I have to lose? I use to think I was cool. Now, I just think I am ME." I love that kid!

I also added the Chewable CorePlex to the order this time because both of my girls need to be taking an all around good supplement that is age appropriate. Katie hates to swallow pills, and Dannah doesn't necessarily like the over-the-counter Teen MultiVitamin that I bought for her before. So...we chose the CorePlex Chewable as a great option for them both.

Now, I can share my experience first-hand with you this AM after I used the SleepWorks last night. I do have to say.."I am impressed." I don't usually have any issues with getting to sleep once I lay my head down but have my doubts on the quality of sleep that I get since I wake up still tired most mornings.This morning was quite an exception. I jumped in the shower, prepared for my workday and was well on my way to the office in record time. No droopy eyes and yawns that kept me feeling like the pillow and blankets were a better idea than getting my day started "bright eyed and bushy tailed." I am a believer :)

Okey dokey...without futher delay...It's Weigh Day Wednesday. The results aren't quite what I had hoped for but I will take them with a smile. I had set a mini-goal for 3 pounds...instead I lost  from "190.6" to "189.2"...1.4 down. Guess I can say that meeting almost 1/2 of my goal is better than none considering I have engaged in several "splurges" this week. Beer and pizza, Au Bon Pain coffee and a cookie, and...oh heck...why dig up the dirt :) But, this week is gonna be FANTASTIC and I am ready to tackle the beasts in my head saying..."Just a bite won't hurt." I overheard my dear friend say something genius last night when we were talking on the phone. She was quoting another friend that has been successful at keeping over a 100 pound weight loss in check for several years now. To attempt to quote her words, "I don't need even one bite since I already know what it tastes like. It just isn't one bite for me." Thank you Joy for sharing those words yesterday. You are impacting lives day after day in such a positive depth that can't easily be described with words in a blogpost.

This day is guaranteed to be great with the sun shining and the 80 degrees of warmer weather out there. Hoping to catch a bit of the outdoors after work today...that black top is calling my name.

Your little taste of goodness for today:

Welcome to Sonic...Watch for Snakes!

Cute pic that I snapped in the neighborhood. Chalk on the driveway...gotta love kids.

My day off (yesterday) started off fabulous considering the weather was nice enough for me to get outdoors for my run/walk. By 8am, I started off with my brisk walk and then started to jog since their were several cars passing by and I needed to look like I had a destination and was goal oriented..hehehe. In fact, I think that the cars passing by and the people out on their porches had plotted against me. I really want to be a true runner so I try to look the part when I am passing others on the road. Come on..admit it...you do the same thing! If I am really just walking then I walk with a more determined step and if I am running..then I try to look like I am not dying in the process as I pass by other folks along my journey.  Well, back to today...the passing cars and porch sitters were strategically placed so that I had to keep my game face on almost non-stop :) Toward the end of my 3 mile mark of run/walk, I hollered out to a couple of neighbor ladies sitting together on the front step as I passed and said, "Now, ya'll aren't gonna let me feel wonderful after this exercise all day by myself are you?" One of them replied, "I haven't done my run yet but I am gonna head out soon." This statement can be interpreted in one of two ways:

1. She had no intention of running but felt the need to reply. (OR)
2. She is a real runner and doesn't really have to schedule her run. She probably just takes off on foot when she feels the urge.

If (2.) is the real truth, I despise her :) No..not really but I really envy folks like her. Signing off on my sappy soap box as this wanna be runner.

So, my results were not horrible but not fantastic either:

Before heading out on the town for the day, I threw together an omelet that ended up quite yummy. In fact, I had to make a second for my kiddo since she was staying home in the AM to finish a project for school and hadn't eaten in her working frenzy. So...the ingredients are as follows: 1/2 cup egg whites, 1 tsp of crumbled bacon bits, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 stick of string cheese (I used the Jalapeno flavor), salt/pepper, salsa.

The rest of my afternoon consisted of spending time in the MD office with my youngest girl. 15 y/o going on 30...she had to get her annual physical out of the way so I took her in to see the doc. It really hit home when I realized that she would probably not even need me to get her there after this annual exam since she will be driving in just a few more months. The years have really flown by! We topped the afternoon off with a late lunch at Panera and shopping at Ross and TJ Maxx. Great to have some good quality time with her since I am sure those opportunities won't always be plentiful. Boo hoo :(



BBQ Pizza...oh so yummy!

 I wrapped up the night with an impromptu date night with my sweetie followed by a Walmart trip to grab the essentials. We enjoyed some delish pizza and beer at Old Chicago but before I started to indulge...I was sure to take my Advocare Carb Ease to help prevent absorbing that full carb load. I am trying to learn the appreciation for fine beer. Just know...I am yet to be able to appreciate it or even like it for the most part. However, I enjoyed a nice combination of Guiness and Hard Cider called a "Snake Bite". Not sure exactly what to make of it since I had nightmares last night for the first time in years. I guess it really was a reaction to the venom (aka..poison) :)

  Enough for today...a little taste of goodness for you to take into tomorrow...

This Little Piggy Went to Market

I apologize ahead of time if you are counting on a report of my elliptical workout or how great I did at eating right today....neither of those happened completely. Instead I spent time working out today but it was lifting a 60 pounder several times and taking a leisurely stroll in the neighborhood. Then I topped off the day by pigging out on my sweetheart's homemade chili. However, if ever I have had a better day at work, I don't recall it with any more fond memory than today.

 I  spent 12 hours with my little fella (aka..my patient) and made loads of memories as we made our way outside for another walk this afternoon. After we returned back to his room, I held him in my lap and snuggled him up tight. We played Itsy Bitsy Spider, This Little Piggy Went to Market, Fard Knocker/Eye Winker, and so on. This young man deserves lots of snuggling and an unlimited amount of attention from everyone that crosses his path. Why? Well, primarily because he is precious but also because he is one of God's chosen living, breathing souls here on earth that already has a special place in Heaven. Cerebral palsy limits him from walking and talking but not from loving others to the Nth degree. He displays so much trust in his caregivers because he has no other choice. Doctors tell his mom that he is functioning on about a 6 month old level despite just celebrating his 12th birthday. If you spend more than an hour with him, you would see so much more to his being than his quirky facial expressions and rigid, erratic movements. He is brilliant but can't always communicate his thoughts. Our Sunday evenings include watching the TV show "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?" If you ask me, he would win that million dollars if he could just communicate his knowledge to the world around him. Jeff Foxworthy would be forking over the big $$ no doubt. The least I can do is treat him with the highest respect and try to love him back as much as possible in my time spent with him. And...I do my best to do just that...LOVE HIM! He definitely gives me a greater purpose in nursing than I could have ever imagined. So thankful and blessed to be his caregiver :)

Through his eyes along our travels today...I will share a few more pics that I snapped. I am working on a picture book for him to detail the seasons so Spring 2013 is in progress.

An eye catcher...1 of several that lined a yard.

In full bloom

Great color contrast

Well, it would be doing this day an injustice if I failed to mention that my man can flat out make a pot of chili taste heavenly. He has tweaked his recipe for a year or so now but I am sorry to tell you...he did not follow his infamous recipe tonight so I can't share the true recipe. He planned on halving the recipe so he started tossing the ingredients in but lost track and doesn't remember adjusting every spice. He also added some cinnamon sugar to the mix. The end result...breath taking! I ate two crazy full bowls of it with a few crushed up Fritos in each bowl. And if that wasn't enough to pack my gut with, he made some banana ice cream for us. Jeez a meez, I sure made a pig of myself but I had been dreaming of his chili all day long. Mouth watering and all :) The take home message is I may never have that same chili again but it has forever been seared into my memories as "the best he has ever made." I am going to have to INSIST that he start taking better mental notes on his recipe adjustments.

Wrapping up this post since I have to have a little snuggle time before this next week begins with the early morning alarm.
Your little taste of goodness:

Concoctions in the Kitchen

Today could be describe as just average overall since I spent most of it working. 12 hours away from the family doesn't offer much for excitement overall other than I did make it out to walk with my sweet little fella today. What an awesome day in TN!

However, I did return home to a scrumptious meal that the men of the house prepared so timely. Pork tenderloin, baked sweet potatoes, and grilled zucchini and squash were waiting on me as I walked in the door. These men can cook a mean meal in the Farmer kitchen for sure! I loved hearing them review how they prepared the pork from beginning to end. Homemade marinade made from a hodge podge of ingredients is what the pork basked in for a few hours in the crock pot. Just as it was about half cooked, they pulled it out and continued to cook it on the charcoal grill to flavor it a bit more. The flavors were a fantastic blend but I can't count on having it that same way again since both of them kept saying, "Now, I can't remember exactly how much garlic or apples sauce or seasonings we added this time." Ugh...gotta train these men to take notes :)

After dinner, I tried my hand at homemade "healthy" strawberry ice cream. We seem to have mastered the banana ice cream in the Ninja so I was ready to tackle the strawberry now. I added about 12-14 frozen strawberries, 2 cups of unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, and 2 tbsp of Stevia to the blender and let it blend like crazy until it looked like a nice, smooth consistency. This made 2 servings...one for me and one for my oldest youngen. Well, it didn't taste quite as yummy as the banana but definitely is a close second. I am ready to whip up some peach or pineapple very soon.

Strawberry "Ice Cream"

I almost forgot to share another recipe creation with you. Fruit smoothies seem to be the gold standard breakfast for me. I enjoy the Advocare Meal Replacement Shakes for a change up but I think a extra large fruit smoothie is a winner for those 12 hour work days on Saturday and Sunday. Today's creation was magnificent...

       1 scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

                     (Love the Vanilla Protein Plus Powder from Walmart)

       1 cup of frozen fruit (I use pineapple and strawberries)

       1/2 frozen banana

       2 Stevia Packets

       1 cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

       1/2 cup cold water

       1/2 tbsp Chia Seeds

       2 cubes of frozen spinach (or 1 handful of fresh spinach)

                     (I prepared these a few weeks ago by pulverizing fresh spinach and water in the blender to fill ice cube trays.)

Blend all ingredients until smooth in the blender. Our Ninja seems to do a fine job with all the frozen pieces. Best I can figure, it is about 300-350 calories.

Loaded Fruit Smoothie

Since the 5am alarm will come soon enough, better say goodnight. Still time to catch a few minutes of Saturday Night Live.

A little taste of goodness for you:

Beast Mode

I spent this day off catching up on a few housekeeping chores along with preparing the family a decent dinner after they had been at school and work. My strategy for sleeping in worked well until about 7:30 am when my brain went into full speed when I heard the garage door close as the girls left for school. Rise and shine...and off to the kitchen to start the day. But before I tackled the chore list, I jumped on the scale for a quick snapshot of how I was doing with being back on track since Wednesday. The result made me smile...

Almost back to where I was last Wednesday...down almost 2 pounds :) Amazing what abstaining from ETOH and eating cleaner does for your motivation and also for the digits on the scale.

Part of my morning was spent getting individual Grab 'n Go bags prepared with our favorite Spark flavors (pink lemonade and fruit punch). It just makes sense to buy in bulk since the hubby and I drink about 3-5 servings a day for that added energy that makes our days go smoothly. I purchased these little bags a while back for another purpose but they have come in handy for the Spark single servings. Buying the Spark in the canister allows for 44 servings versus purchasing a box with only 14 servings of pre-packaged. With a little effort, the savings make sense!

Today's workout was intentionally delayed since I had planned to do the P90X yoga with my girl when she got home from school. Well, that didn't happen quite as planned since she had a bit of a YUCK experience after donating her first pint of blood today at the high school. Despite being well hydrated and well nourished, she still had a near fainting episode after the blood letting was complete as she was recovering with juice and pretzels. Vision blurred with everything grayed out, sweat running down the back of her neck, and mouth lacking enough saliva to swallow...yeah, that was my baby girl's experience. In talking with her once she got home, it sounds like they did the phlebotomy too quickly which caused her to feel poorly. Hopefully this experience won't deter her from donating again but I really don't blame her if it did..ugh. In thinking about that, I probably need to schedule my next donation soon...this O positive gal tries to give when I can but not nearly enough in my life thus far.

Since I didn't get the yoga workout completed, I decided to go into Beast Mode on the elliptical while dinner was cooking. I think the Pandora Bonnie Raitt station put me into a perfect state of mind for a great workout. After completing the 3 miles on the elliptical, I knocked out some crunches on the exercise ball and worked with the kettle bell for some arm exercises.

After a great workout followed by a quick shower, dinner was served. I made up a quick Italian-style concoction with whole wheat rotini pasta topped with a homemade meat sauce (Sweet Italian Ground Turkey/Lean Beef, minced garlic, crushed tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and loads of spices). We sprinkled a little mozzarella cheese on top and topped with Panko-coated Baked Eggplant. Wow! It was quite yummy if I do say so myself. If anyone wants to full blown recipe for the meat sauce, just let me know.

Now, before I forget to share this little nugget of fantastic info...here goes. I have never really suffered more than a day or so with bad menstrual cramps in my 25 years of "mother nature" visiting. However, as I have aged closer to 40, it seems that my mood swings (labeled as PMS) have gotten pretty significant in my opinion. I try to remain as level headed as possible but I tend to  have a quick temper and am more tearful that week prior to the start. I started taking "Clear Mood" this week which is typically the week of contention. Temper in check and I haven't cried yet :) Advocare saves the week as far as I am concerned. If you have any desire to try it, message me at fluffyandfiguringoutfit@gmail.com and I can help get you a bottle delivered ASAP.

Well, I reckon I will wrap up this post since the workday starts bright and early for me tomorrow. 5am rolls around quickly...but I get to spend my day with my precious 12 year old patient.

I will end with your little taste of goodness:

The Not-So "Skinny" on my Week

The Best Crunch Instructor

Elliptical time...short and sweet

Starting this day at 5am on the elliptical was one of the toughest workouts that I have had in a while. And yes...I know exactly why! Two evenings in a row...cocktails! It's not like I didn't know that I was going to pay the price for the couple of glasses of Moscato on Monday night after work and then Girls Night Out last night with Mexican food and Skinny Margaritas. Guess I thought I would just do it and pay the price after. Was it worth it? Actually, NO.Yes, I enjoyed the taste but I absolutely despise the after effects of ETOH. Therefore, I am resuming abstinence from those beverages for a while. Not sure if the 300-500 calories added to my daily calorie intake or the weight gain on this Weigh Day Wednesday was the worst part. The scale read "190.6" this AM...couldn't get my silly phone to snap a legible picture this AM for the life of me. Last Wednesday's result: 188.0 Honestly, I have been pushing those calorie limits all week without increasing my exercise so I wasn't surprised to see extra pounds on the scale this       week. I exceeded last Thursday as well so sure glad to learn these lessons and move on. But...the best plan is to just buckle down and LOSE IT! This morning was a nice start...20 minutes on the elliptical, 100 abdominal crunches, and several sets of kettle bell lifts. In addition, I tried to add several extra steps to my day. All total, I found another 2-3 miles of steady walking in addition to the AM workout since I walked to and from the dentist from my office this AM(1/2 mile each way) and to and from the parking lot from the office (1/2 mile each way again). The walk to Sweet CeCe's doesn't count since I ate what I burned plus more. However, that fro yo was well worth those calories spent :)

Before leaving home this morning, I tossed a roast in the crock pot for dinner. I ran across a great recipe for Mississippi Roast a few months ago on Pinterest. I have adapted mine just a little by substituting the Hidden Valley Ranch with Onion Gravy Mix. I still use the Au Jus  Mix along with the butter and pepperoncini peppers. Before I tried this concoction, my roast always seemed dry and tasteless. Never again! The only concerning part is the stick of butter but I would not be opposed to leaving that part off in attempts to cut the fat. I ran into a little snaffoo when I realized that I hadn't bought any white potatoes to make mashed potatoes to serve along with the creamed corn. Never fear...I had some fresh sweet potatoes so I made the baked fries again. The hubby said that it was my ploy to prevent him from eating that "white stuff"...perhaps it was my subconscious working in overtime at the last trip to the grocery as I forgot to pick up those Idahos. :)

Before I wrap up this post, I wanted to share some beautiful sites that I experienced this past weekend at work . The special part of these pics is that I was able to share my afternoon outside with a special little fella that doesn't take the blooming trees, the running streams, and the road ahead of him for granted. Observing the amazement in the eyes of a 12-year-old dependent on others to take him on a Sunday afternoon ride in his wheelchair is what warms my heart to a depth that few have ever reached. These pics were snapped along our hour stroll through his neighborhood. Spring time is upon us...thank goodness! I am hopeful that I can share more afternoons like this each weekend that I spend with him.

                                             

Hope the remainder of your week is fantastic! I am setting my goals high this week...would love to drop those 2.6 pounds that I so casually gained this week. Heck, think I will shoot for a total of 3 all together but I have my work cut out for me. Better be thinking about bedtime now so tomorrow's AM workout will be more pleasant than today's. Sweet dreams....

Your little taste of goodness for today: