Winter Wonderland Warriors Challenge

I found a great challenge while reading one of the blogs I follow, Finding The Thin Within.  The challenge is being hosted over at life's Journey with a smile and it is called Winter Wonderland Warriors.  In order to participate, you have to come up with 10 goals that you want to meet beginning Jan 3, 2011 until March 28, 2011.  Each week there will be weekly questions to be answered and posted to your blog. If you want to join up, head on over to Amy's blog to sign up!

Here are my goals:

1. Lose 12 lbs (that's 1lb a week, which I think is doable).

2. Drink 48 oz of water each day.

3. Exercise 3x a week.

4. Read more of my Sookie Stackhouse series of books.

5. Get my daughter on a more "normal" eating routine/habit.

6. Scrapbook more!

7. Organize my home.

8. Be better about doing laundry! 

9. Be more patient with my daughter.

10. Make more home cooked meals and eat out LESS!

Wii Fit Plus = FUN!

DH bought me a Wii Fit Plus for Christmas and I finally got around to hooking it up this afternoon while DD was napping.  It is soooooo much fun!!!!!  I played for 45 mins and it went by so fast!!!   I love it!!!  I didn't even get into the traditional exercise pieces yet, and I feel so great about it!  It was soooooo easy and I love that it got me moving! I think my DD will love it as well!!!

Thank you DH for getting this for me! It is one more tool to help me along my journey to be the person I am destined to be!!!  XO

Playing Catch-Up

I haven't blogged in a week.  I don't even know where to begin with this.  To make a loooooong story short, my aunt passed away on Christmas Eve.  She collapsed on Sunday Dec 19 and had been on a ventilator since then. We made the choice, as a family and to respect her wishes, to take her off the vent on Thurs Dec 23.   She passed peacefully around 8:05 PM on Christmas Eve.  She was only 58 years young.  She was taken from us far too soon, even though we knew she had been battling a disease for many years.  

Here she is, last Christmas, with her two great nieces; my daughter and her younger cousin.

In life she was a wonderful, loving person.  She'd give you the shirt off her back, even if it was her last one.  She lived a tough life, but was always happy and joking.  She was my first best friend; we shared a room when I was little.  I can remember her working 3rd shift and coming home in the early morning.  She would want to go to sleep, but I'd be up rearing to go and wanting her to watch cartoons with me!  She would sit there, falling asleep, trying so hard to stay awake the best she could to watch them with me.  I can also remember, when we would go out to eat when I was young that no matter where I sat or where she sat I'd always find a way to kick her legs as I swung mine under the table.  Hehe... that was a running joke for years.  I have so many other wonderful memories that I could share about her; its so hard to pick and choose which ones.  She loved my daughter so very much and my daughter loves her.  She called my daughter "Mushmouse Jr" as "Mushmouse" is what she called me.  Aunt Gayle, you are loved so very much and missed even more.

 RIP Gayle Carbonneau

Oct 12, 1952 - Dec 24, 2010

___________________________________________________

In other news, my food intake has not been great.  I have not been stress eating at all which is GREAT, just not tracking or drinking my water.  I am supposed to WI tonight, but we are in the middle of a large snow storm so I have no idea if the meeting will be held or not.  I checked the website to see if it was canceled or not, but there was nothing.  Hmmm.... will have to play it by ear.    

Christmas was as good as it could be!  DD had a blast and got spoiled by all the grandparents and Santa!  DH got me lots of goodies as well as a Wii Fit Plus! I am so excited to get it set up to try it out!  YAHOO!  

I am jumping back on the bandwagon TODAY!  My aunt was attending WW over the past few months and was doing very well on program! I know she would want me to continue doing my best on program and not falling apart because she has left us.  I am getting back on track as a way to honor her. 

Current Weight: Week Twenty

158.8 (-2.6)

YAHOOOOOO!!!!  Doing the snoopy happy shuffle!!! I made my 10% and I am almost down 20lbs and I am in the 150s!!!!! OMG! What a GREAT week! I so needed this tonight!!!

Friend Makin' Monday: Three Things

If you want to link up, head over to Ken'z blog to join in the fun!!!

FMM: Three Things

Three of your favorite movies:

Young Frankenstein

Labyrinth
Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Three of your favorite things to drink: 
Water

Coffee

Beer (I don't do that one often, but there's nothing like an ice cold beer!)

Three of your favorite songs: 
Hanging By a Moment by LifeHouse

In My Daughters Eyes by Martina McBride

Lightening Crashes by Live

Three people who have been a positive influence on your life (outside of your family):
My first grade teacher Mrs. Owenson.  When I decided to become a teacher, I wanted to be just like her!

My friend Sheryl.  She is always there for me and is a lovely person!

My first WW leader, Suzzy.  She is an amazing woman who I still get Christmas cards from each year!

Three things you to do keep yourself entertained:
Reading

Blogging

TV
Three things you're attracted to in the opposite sex:
Guys with facial hair that is well kept

Kindness/Gentleness

Respectful
Three things you love about yourself:
I am kind.

I am a good listener.

I am VERY determined!

The last 3 people you text messaged:
My DH Damian

My friend Kellee

My co-teacher Meegan

Three things you're looking forward to this week:
My work holiday party

Watching my daughter open her gifts on Christmas

Starting my Christmas vacation


Now it's your turn to share your answers!

Sunday 12/19/2010

Saturday 12/18/2010

What parts have you found?

As I was in the shower tonight, I realized I have ANKLES! LOL!! I was like, "Oh my gosh! Look at THOSE!" Hehe.... Too funny!  Don't get me wrong I have always had them, but they have been bigger and rounder! I also noticed some muscles in my thighs are starting to show themselves!!!

What body parts have YOU found?????

Friday 12/17/2010

Came in under my points by 2; not something that happens all that often, but I just wasn't hungry and wasn't going to force myself!

Could it be?????

As I was getting on my exercise gear this afternoon, I noticed a distinct difference in how my exercise pants fit.  They have always been a bit snug in the hip area and today they are a bit roomy!!! I quickly threw on the rest of my clothes and jumped on the scale and it says I am at 160.2!! WOAH! That would mean that I have hit my 10%! Now, I know, I know..... this is NOT an official WI on the WW scales, but here's hoping!!!!  Wish me luck come Monday!

WATP 2 Mile Brisk Walk

I was running over the summer and LOVED it! I went back to work in Sept and it all went to hell and I stopped exercising at all.  Anyways, I am trying to get back into a grove since the weather has grown quite cold around here.  I have had the this set of the Walk Away The Pounds DVDs (now called Walk at Home) for many years. I love the program.  It is fun and goes by fast and you get a fairly decent work out.  I have done the 2 mile walk 2x this week and plan on doing it again tomorrow.  I know exercise is the key to weight loss for me so I am tying to add more of it into my weeks so I see better results on the scale.

Haven't heard of WATP?  Check out the website for it here!

(No I was not asked to endorse this program! I just like it so I wanted to share it with others!)

NSV

Yesterday at work 2 of my co-workers asked me if I was doing WW?  I told them yes and they said they could tell that I have lost weight! That TOTALLY makes my day and makes me SO happy!

Thursday 12/16/2010

Wednesday 12/15/2010

Tuesday 12/14/2010

Current Weight: Week Nineteen

-.4  (16.6)

Down a 1/2 lb.  I'll take it.  I know its cuz I had two not so great eating days and the lack of exercise.  I am so freakin' close to reaching my 10% goal and I just want to hit it so badly.  I am going to work my a*s off this week to hit it!

Monday 12/13/2010

Sunday 12/12/2010

Much better day today!! Back on track!

Freezer French Toast

I have been looking for some recipes that I can cook and freeze to have on hand and to make m life a bit easier. Last night I made Freezer French Toast.  The recipe says it yeilds 16 pieces of toast, but I was only able to barely make 15 slices.  Also the cooking/browning took longer then the recipe said because I had my oven rack up too high away from the element.  They smelled super yummy while cooking!  Each slice is 3 points plus for those of you following Weight Watchers.

Freezer French Toast Recipe

Make your own freezer french toast rather than buying similar commercial frozen ones from the grocery store! Makes 16 slices for quick breakfasts.

5 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp salt
16 slices white bread

Heat oven to 500F. Combine eggs, milk, sugar, and salt, mixing well. Dip slices, then place on baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake about 5 minutes, until bottom is goldenbrown. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Cool then freeze in single layer. Once frozen (about two hours) they can be packaged individually or placed in a single freezer bag.

To cook:
Remove from freezer, and heat in toaster or toaster oven, then serve.

W.I.D.T.H from Jack Sh*t

Over the summer I answered the call from Jack Sh*t for his W.I.D.T.H page! I am just getting around to posting it here on my blog as I think I need a reminder about Why I Do This Here.

If you'd like to join Jack Sh*t, here's how:

Saturday 12/11/2010

Yep, another not good day.  I am buckling down tomorrow and going to do GREAT! I will not let today and yesterday put me in a tail spin!!!! I WANT to lose this weight. I NEED to lose this weight. I WILL lose this weight.

Friday 12/10/2010

As you can tell from my journal today, I did NOT make good food choices!!! I know for sure it is because I did not plan ahead! Planning ahead makes it so much easier for me.  I did know we were going to have pizza for dinner so I should have planned my day according to that, but I did not.  We desperately need to go grocery shopping so we are down to left overs and bare bones, which is not at all helpful.  Le sigh....

Wednesday 12/8/2010

Not a bad day overall, but I really looked at my total journal today and realized that I eat a TON of carbs!!!! Oy!! Need to add more protein to my intake.  Also, I am struggling with getting my two milks in each day; I am unsure about what can be counted as a serving of milk other then actual milk.  Can anyone help me out???

Tuesday 12/7/2010

Monday 12/6/2010

This is not a complete daily, but I went off program for dinner tonight! No guilt and move on!

Current Weight: Week Eighteen

161.8 (-1.2)

Happy with my loss this week considering it was my first week on the new program!!  I am surprised that it was as big of a loss at it was since I had such a big loss last week!

Friend Makin' Monday: December to Remember

If you want to link up, head over to Ken'z blog to join in the fun!!!  

What will you do to make this a 

December to Remember???

Hmmm... this is a really challenging question for me as I have been a bit of a hum-bug this season.  I have some stuff going on in my personal life that I am having a hard time to feel jolly.  Let's see... I am going to try and work my hardest to keep weight off this December.  This month is always such a challenge for me food wise with all the rich foods and parties that happen.  I don't want to gain anything back; in fact I'd like to lose weight and break the pattern that I normally get into in December, which is a pattern of who cares?  Its the holidays! They are only once a year and I normally spiral out of control.  Not this year! No sir! Not this time! 

I will be in control of the food this month and not let it control me and that is how it will be a December to Rembemer for me!

Sunday 12/5/2010

So I've been doing dailys for a week now and I love it! Thanks to Nia I can now do them this way and its so much easier!!!!  YAY!

Saturday 12/4/2010

Breakfast 
1/2 everything bagel from Dunkin's - 5pts
1 oz ww cream cheese - 2pts

Lunch
progresso lite homestyle vegetable and rice soup - 3pts

Dinner
McDonald's double cheese burger meal - 28pts
16 oz water - 0pts
(I am SO PROUD of myself for figuring out the pts and tracking this meal! In the past I would have said forget it and not bother cuz it is an outrageous number of points! I am happy to say with this new WW program, I still have 22 weekly pts left to use! WOO HOO!!!!!)

Snack
1 large apple - 0pts
green giant just for one cauliflower and cheese - 1pt

Exercise 
None

December Goals

I have decided that I need to set monthly goals for myself.  It gives me mini goals to work through and achieve, instead of looking at the BIG picture and that awful number I still have left to lose.

1. Drink my water on the weekends! I do wonderful during the week, but on the weekends I fall apart when it come to water and I know that can effect my weight loss.

2. Exercise 3x a week (My week being M-S for weight watchers reasons.)

3. Hit my 10% loss (another -2.8lbs down)!

Friday 12/3/2010

Breakfast
1 slice white toast - 2pts
1 oz WW cream cheese - 2pts

Lunch 
Whopper Jr, w/out cheese and mayo - 7pts
small order of fries - 6pts
diet coke - 0pts
16oz water

Dinner
half portion baja salad from wendys - 13pts
16 oz water - 0pts
value size fries - 6pts

Snack
None

Exercise 
None

Thursday 12/2/2010

Breakfast
english muffin - 3pts
1 oz ww cream cheese - 2pts

Lunch
2 oz chicken - 2pts
2 oz ham - 2pts
2 cups salad mix - 1pt
1 1/3 tbls creamy italian dressing  - 2pts
texas garlic toast - 4pts

Dinner
Quiznos Veggie Sammie - 9pts
bowl of Quiznos Chicken Noodle Soup - 4pts
8 oz diet mountain dew - 0pts

Snacks

Exercise
Not today

November's Exercise

I have decided to begin tracking my exercise on my blog as a side bar and then at the end of the month make a post about it.  I haven't exercised in a while so November is shabby to say the least!

Nov 27 - WATP 1 Mile (15 mins)

Nov 28 - WATP 2 Mile (30 mins)

Nov 29 - None today!

Nov 30 - WATP 2 Mile (30 mins)

Total Miles: 5

Total Minutes: 75

Wednesday 12/1/2010

Woah... Dec 1st? REALLY?

Breakfast
english muffin - 3pts
WW cream cheese - 2pts
banana - 0pts

Lunch
8oz 1% milk - 3pts
1/2 c canned pears in water - 1pt
1/2 c green beans - 0pts
Smart Ones mac & cheese - 7pts
apple - 0pts

Dinner 
PLAIN baked potato from Wendys - 7pts

Snack

Exercise
Not today