THAT skirt!!

So, funny story....

About 14 years ago, just after my 2nd baby was born, I bought myself a skirt. It was a skirt that was just a little too snug to wear, but I just *knew* I was going to lose that baby weight and it would fit me in no time.

I've kept that skirt tucked in drawers and closets all these years, making it my *goal* that I would ONE day fit in that silly skirt. It was BRAND NEW for cry...ing out loud, I was GOING to wear it. <stomps foot>

And, well, today I was rummaging my closet needing something that didn't fall to the floor when I put it on. Grabbed THAT skirt and..... <drumroll>......

 IT FITS!!! I waited 14 years for this day. Just a wee bit excited.

 

Still Hangin'

I didn't even step on that scale this morning.  Too busy getting the day going.  So, I'm still teetering in wonderland...wondering if I'm in that next decade or not. ;)

My skirt was still looser fitting today than when I first bought it.

I ate well today. Really well.  Starch heavy at dinner, but it was comfort food at it's finest.  Ultimate Vegetable Loaf, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, corn, and mixed vegetables.

Happy sigh. 

Lunch was a large salad with my new taco salad topping. Onion, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, chard, and a bit of cilantro tossed in with pinto beans and corn.  Love that topping. I forgot to add in the home made taco seasoning, but it was still delicious. 

Breakfast was my new love, Chocolate Green Smoothie.  Creamy, chocolatey, and much easier to get down than the chewing that needs done with my breakfast salad.  Still, I need to not leave that behind all together. ;)

I ran out of non-dairy milk for mixing up the potatoes tonight. The local stores had only vanilla flavored non-dairy milk available. So, I had to give in to the moment and get some regular low-fat milk.  I didn't add much to the 'taters and I didn't eat much of them either. Still, I'm already itching in my poison ivy target spots tonight at bedtime.  I haven't had that issue for over a month. Crazy.  I'm not saying it's definitely the dairy. I'm just saying, it's an interesting coincidence.

Heading out tomorrow for a Girls' Day with my mom and oldest daughter.  We're going to do some thrift shopping, antiquing, and my first ever trip to Trader Joe's.

I am Giddy. How am I going to get to sleep??  The gym looms on my morning horizon, so I need to find a way fast!!

So close!!

I am SO close to that next decade, but it keeps eluuuuuuding me!!

And, then I went and pigged out today on a bean and sweet potato burrito from Dos Amigos, munching on the children's pb&j extras as the meal went on. Sigh.  My belly is way too full of tortillas to be comfortable.

So, likely tomorrow I will see a gain instead of getting UNDER that silly 180 mark.

When will I EVER learn????

Don't be surprised if I just ignore the scale tomorrow. :-P

Shapewear

So, while we were out tonight my husband asked if I was wearing shapewear under my jeans. :D

Ahhh, nope.  This is the first time he's really said anything that shows he's seen a difference in my appearance and I was thrilled. :D

That's all.  1.5 pounds until that next decade. About 5-6 pounds until I say goodbye to Obese FOR GOOD!!

Please keep me pressing on strong, Lord!

That scale. Sigh.

So, the scale was friendly this morning, finally. This week I'm down a little over a pound.  I guess I should be happy since this week during the month, I typically see more gain than anything.  Still, it is always frustrating to go down, then up, then down again.

So, I'm back to where I was last week, just a bit under.  I was really hoping to see the next decade LAST week and here I didn't even see it this week.  Likely hormones are playing the biggest factor in that right now. 

So, instead of grumping, I'm going to happy with my loss and keep plugging along. Chocolate smoothie for breakfast sounds richly rewarding. :)

One More At the Table

My mom is visiting with us for 10 days!! I've been busy getting ready for her arrival and now we're busy enjoying her company.

I was a little nervous having her come and stay, wondering if our diet choices would leave her uncomfortable or feeling poorly.  So far, all is well.  She's been so helpful to me in the kitchen. I sure wish I could have her here everyday!  Having an extra pair of already trained hands in the kitchen is such a blessing!

These two (my mom and my oldest) are the BEST kitchen helpers!!

Last night I made a variation of a new recipe, Southwestern Black Bean and Quinoa Casserole.  It turned out lovely and everyone liked it.  I was excited to cook up some quinoa.  I don't think I've used it before.

 

I used a veggie cheese product on about 3/4 of the pan.  Most everyone said it wasn't really needed so I think I'll just skip it next time.  I didn't think it was worth the cost and ingredient list. It drives me crazy how "vegan" foods can be so ridiculously processed and unhealthy. 

My weight hasn't dropped much in the last few days. I'm sort of plateaued again, which makes sense, I guess, since this was O week.  I keep forgetting about that.  I do feel like the new skirt I bought is fitting a little less snugly, so that makes me happy. :D

It felt SO good to hear my mom say how great I am looking right now. She really focused on my face and how different I look. Then, she mentioned that I look great from behind, too! Wow!! First time I've heard that one. :D

I haven't gotten in much exercise lately. But, I'm out of my funk I was battling last week. I was so stuck in carb-heavy-swamp that I didn't think I'd ever get out.  Back on track and feeling really great about it.

I also started making up some green smoothies this week for myself and the youngest children.  I'm finding it an easy way to get in my greens when I don't have time to fix up my breakfast salad. I love that I'm seeing my 1.5yo and my 3yo guzzle their greens each day. Woohoo!

Medival Feasting

The last two days found me in the kitchen.  So, what's new about that, right?

This time I was taking orders from my oldest daughter as she led the way in hosting her first medieval feast.  She planned this event all year, looking forward to her birthday.  She worked hard to make the foods, the table, the decorations, and the events as close to authentic as possible.

We invited some of our favorite friends to enjoy the day with us.  Their oldest son's birthday is the day before our daughter's so it was great fun to celebrate both of their days together. 

Now, when I say we feasted, I mean it!! Good thing I was so busy serving I didn't have time to overly stuff myself.

It was an amazing day. I'll post some recipes for the foods soon. Right now I sorta ache from my back to my calves to my finger tips. All signs of an amazing day!

See this shirt?

ItYooStaNotFit. :)

I bought it after I had my seventh baby just *knowing* I was going to be able to button it fully within months.  That was over three years ago. *ahem*

I've always worn it unbuttoned over another shirt, dreaming of that day. 

In less than four months, I can button it easily with a shirt underneath!! 

It's my new favorite shirt for our new favorite night out on the town.

Square Dancin' anyone??  In this shirt, I look the part. ;)

Steak for Dinner!

Iceberg steak, that is. ;) 

My 9yo thought I was so clever serving "steak" with pasta.  For the first time in a while, my picky girl devoured her dinner!!

 

 

Some cuties wanted in on the fun of taking pictures of their dinner plates.  Oh, to be like Mommy. :) 

 

We actually used KNIVES at the dinner table! I don't even know how long it's been since we've done that. 

Well, *some* of us used knives. :)

I was reminded of one of our favorite documentaries we've watched recently, Forks Over Knives.  It's a fascinating film that deals with whole food plant-based diets.  It's a look at other cultures that thrive on this lifestyle of eating, the history of the food pyramid in our nation, and a summary of an amazing source of scientific data called The China Study.  I think this is a film that every family should watch and see what they can glean from the information given.

Alert-Alert!!

New Decade in sight!! The scale was down again this morning.  1.5 pounds before I am in the next decade. 

Over.  The.  MOON!!

Strong Start to the Week

This Monday started with a bang! Okay, not a bang, more like a big YAWN and Do I HAVE to???? whine when my husband woke me up at 5am to head to the gym. BUT, I did it and the rest of the day was stellar!

I was running quite a bit today for the children's activities.  I packed a quick lunch of pb & j for them with carrot sticks, bell pepper slices, pears, and soy nuts.  My salad was half a head of romaine, a pile of spinach leaves, soy nuts, and mandarin oranges.  Not as filling as it could have been, but I was short on time.

I made up for it at dinner, though!! Check out this beauty of a stir fry!

 

 

I make my own sauce with the juice from a can of unsweetened pineapple chunks and add vegetable broth to make 2 cups.  Mix in 1 tbs ginger, a few red pepper flakes to preference, 1 tsp (about) of Bragg's, and 4 tbs of cornstarch.  I must have been hungry for stir fry because I was loving this meal!!  The children ate theirs over brown rice. David and I just piled high the veggies!

 

Scale was DOWN today. Yahoo!  

What have you Nutritized today?

I finally got to making this recipe for dinner. It's been on the menu for over a month, but something always comes up to bump it. 

I changed it a bit (see recipe below) to fit our preferences, ingredients I had on hand and to boost the nutrient value. I affectionately call that, Nutritized.

It's simmering now and I think it's going to be a winner with at least a few of us.  I'll serve it over or along side baked potatoes for the family. I'm having mine over steamed broccoli.

Spiced Chickpea Sauce

1 onion, diced fine

3 large white mushrooms, diced fine (so my children don't notice)

1 heaping TBS minced garlic (non-oil kind)

1 TBS ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp (or so) red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp ground cloves (only I didn't have those so skipped it)

1 TBS paprika

1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 cups no-salt vegetable broth

1/2 bag of frozen spinach

1 28oz can chickpeas, rinsed

Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms in water or vegetable broth until soft. Add seasonings and mix. Add tomatoes, paste, and vegetable broth. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer. I mashed the tomatoes at this point to make it less chunky. (I have many in my family that will appreciate that effort.) Add spinach and chickpeas. Continue to simmer for at least 15 minutes. Add more vegetable broth if desired.

To serve, place a slit on the top of a sweet potato (or white potato, your choice) and gently squeeze to open. Removed part of the insides, if desired, and reserve or mix in with chickpea sauce. Ladle sauce over potatoes. (I didn't remove anything. I just split the potatoes and let the children choose if they wanted the sauce on the side or on the potato. They all chose the side but most were mixing it in with their potatoes after they tasted it.)

In looking over the recipe, I could have increased the seasoning by quite a bit. However, the flavor was fine for my family and I wanted to be cautious of over-seasoning it on the first run. :)

Report:  Everyone thought it was good. Even my non-bean eater went back for a big, healthy second helping. I just had one 7 year old chickpea dissenter.

New Decade in Sight!

The scale was down in a big way this morning!! I have 3 more pounds to go before I reach the next decade. And, only 7 more pounds to go before I am out of The Land of Obese!!!

Whoever thought it would be so exciting to be Overweight. ;)

So, our experiment this week proved successful.  Each week David and I go out for date. We typically scrounge around to find a place to eat out that fits our Eat To Live choices. Often, we find something that works, but still has something that isn't ideal.  The biggest offenders would be the salt, oil, and white carbs. 

This week we decided to skip the meal out and just grab some kind of quick leftovers before we went dancing. (YES! We are taking square dancing lessons!! How nerdy is that?! Super, silly fun!)  So, after skipping the restaurant food, I stepped on the scale this morning and saw almost a full pound gone!  Clearly, those *cheat* nights with fried mushrooms or salty chips do make a difference.

I don't mind giving them up to see that scale move.  I just wish there was SOMEWHERE to go for a nice, relaxing meal together that didn't harm the body.  I sure do like having someone else prepare a meal and deal with the messy kitchen once in a while.

Today is a crazily busy day.  We have a mad rush to prep food and house before I head out for lessons and shopping with the children.  I am going to a different grocery store today, hoping to find some new food items.  Especially looking for some variations of the Ezekiel Bread I've been getting for the children.  Also planning to stop at an apple orchard for a big bag of drops.  I'm not sure when I'll have time to process them, but I can't pass up the price!

Nutritarian Birthday Feast!

My oldest daughter turned 16 yesterday.  We had some fun shopping, then stopped for an express lunch in the van.  Instead of fast-food, we went to the local grocery store and built three huge salads for David, myself, and our daughter. Grabbed a loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter and jar of all fruit for the other children.  We were all excited to have good stuff to eat and cheap for on the road!

After that we ate our way through the apple orchard while we picked to fill our bucket of fresh apples.  Now, that's some healthy fun!

We cruised home for a Taco Bar night.  We tried something new by baking corn tortillas in the oven like this, making some great taco shells for our filling of black beans mixed with onions, garlic, mushrooms, collards, and seasoning, brown rice mixed with mixed vegetable medley, dried onion, garlic, and more seasoning, and of course, a giant fresh salad and salsa.  Everyone was quite happy with the birthday girl for giving us an excuse to eat such yummy food. :)

The best part of the meal came at the end, of course. She was so excited to plan out her birthday dessert, Nutritarian style.

She chose Dark Chocolate Nice Cream mixed with Raw Brownie Bites.  We called it Live by Chocolate Nice Cream. (spin off of our old favorite, Death By Chocolate Ice cream).

 

 Delicious!!  She truly is a genius.

 

I always tease my children that their birthday is also MY birthday. After all, who did all the work, right?  ;)  So, I was pretty happy to see the scale down half a pound this morning. I'm calling that a belated birthday gift to me!

Sunday is the day

Seems that Sundays are a good weigh-in day for me.  I was able to see my weight follow that curve up and then back down for a total loss of 2 pounds this week.  I'll take it.

Tomorrow begins a little extra boost to my week. David rejoined our family at the YMCA.  That means I'm planning to get up with him early in the morning for a workout together before we start the day. Should be a good way to get me moving and rolling.  I already know that getting ME out of bed is the key to the rest of the day.

We had a super busy day.  Church in the morning in Concord (2 hour round trip).  Lunch with David's parents while there.  Headed back for church with our new friends near our own hometown with a quick stop home to grab Babykinz a change of clothes and whip up a quick salad to share with the church family.  I am SO grateful for that food processor that lives on my counter now.

So, this salad is called Apple Bok Choy salad, but I have yet to make it with bok choy. Every time I've made it, I've used different vegetables, but it's always turned out really good. 

Tonight's version:

Half a head of purple cabbage cut into shreds
1/4-1/3 head of cauliflower cut bite sized
4-5 carrots, shredded
2 apples, diced
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

Dressing:
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup almonds or walnuts
1 TBS Dijon or regular mustard
1 TBS balsamic vinegar (or whatever vinegar you like)
1/2 cup raisins

Puree in food processor, adding water as needed to thin

Mix everything in a large bowl. The mixing takes a little bit to spread out the dressing evenly.

I like this salad a lot. The romaine wilts easily, so using the cabbage works well. I would imagine the bok choy would hold up better too. The first time I made this I put in broccoli flowerets and it was really good. It reminded me of a broccoli salad my friend makes that I love. This recipe has a similar flavor without the sugar. 

I'm feeling motivated and excited to work hard this week to get to that next decade. Only four pounds to go!! :D

Finally a drop

This week I've been frustrated with the scale. Not in a 'give up' sort of way. Just can't figure out why it is going up instead of down. I finally saw enough of a drop this morning that I'm finally under what I was on Monday.  Stinks to get so excited at losing for a few days in a row and then go back up and start all over.

Has me wondering about how my cycle affects my weight loss.  Has me wondering about what habits I have going on that could be making an impact.

I looked at the chart on the Wii and I did see a pattern.  I go in these waves where I have a week with big drops and then the next week clusters with gains or plateau and then another week of a big dip.  Odd.  I'd love to see what causes that. 

I realize it could simply be how my body chooses to lose the pounds.  The overall trend is loss, so that's the great thing.  I guess I'm just overly curious on the why of how it all works.

Do-Si-Do!

Tonight we headed out for an interesting date.

First stop: A local health fair. We had them check our cholesterol and blood sugars. I think we did pretty well. :)

 

 

We also spent some time sharing with others about our adventure moving to a plant-based diet. It's so great to have such a thriving testimony to share. There's just no denying how much our lives have changed for the better by simply changing what we put in our mouths! Just LOOK at us.  There's no denying life is SO much better!!

 

Then we headed over for dinner at Dos Amigos.  Vegan Chili burrito in a whole wheat tortilla. Yum.  The chips were not so smart with the salt and oil. I'll have to make sure they skip those next time.

 

After our sidewalk dinner on a gorgeous fall evening, we headed over for our first square dancing lesson. Oh my, what fun!! The people there were amazingly friendly and fun to be with. We worked hard trying to learn the calls, but spent even more time laughing at ourselves!  By the middle of the evening, we were sweating.  I couldn't believe that we could work that hard learning some basic steps.  I think we're going to really enjoy having such a great way to get out and have fun this winter.

 

We've been getting in our walks in the morning, which is fantastic!  Still going strong with the 6 week plan.  I chopped up some broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in the food processor the other day. Those are going great on my head of romaine for lunch every day.  I found a great creamy Italian dressing from theprotectivediet.com website. It uses chia seeds to thicken it and make it creamy. Really great flavor, too!

 

All in all, life is great and I'm plugging along. Down a pound so far this week. :)  REALLY close to that 30 pounds down mark. Maybe tomorrow?? Maybe not. Those chips I had at dinner may hold me back a little yet.