Drum roll please

OK, OK, OK, already!!!!

Geez, I just wanted to catch up on some blogs but I couldn't. The guilt fairy was niggling at me. I hate when that witch does that. She wouldn't let me appreciate the blogs I was reading until I got back here and did what I said I'd do.

Operation Fat Blaster.

Before I discuss my goals, I need to discuss how they're going to happen. What am I going to tell myself to fight urges to eat? What plans am I going to put in place until I hit the end toward which all my effort is directed? I thought about that a lot today while I was at work. I swear to God there's never, ever, ever, a 5 minute span at work that I don't want to eat something. I don't give a rats ass if I'm hungry or not. I see those cheesy, buttery, sticks and I want them. I want them dipped in ranch dressing too. I see all the pizza's I carry out to the buffet and I want them. God played a cruel joke on me today and there was a cheesecake that, if one of us didn't eat, we had to throw away. I lived for those moments last year. Our cheesecake is divine. I want it, and I want it all. It's very difficult for me. So...I decided the following.

1. No unplanned eating at work. Yes, I know I can have pizza etc. All I have to do is count the points for it. Thing is, I plan my food in the morning, so if I eat the pizza, I'm doing it because I can't stop myself. It's an urge. Nothing wrong with having pizza, or even cheesecake for that matter, but to wolf it down at work when it can't even be enjoyed is just silly. If I want it, plan for it, then have it. Don't grab it as I'm walking by and shovel it in. I vow not to eat anything I'm craving at work that I haven't planned for.

What am I going to tell myself to get me through the rough spots? Oh, don't kid yourself, I talk to myself daily. Sometimes out loud, sometimes internal. There hasn't been a day in a long time that I've not had to fight with myself. I had a great run from January to the end of April. Every day was easy. Rarely did I want to have what I shouldn't or not exercise. Ya, it's not the end of April anymore Toto!!! Everyone says (I don't exactly know who 'everyone' is, but they are saying it!!)you have to do it for yourself. I'm breaking the mold. I'm going to do it for you. Yes, that's right, you. I want to show you that it can be done. So, when I want to eat, I'm going to tell myself that I can't. I need to suck it up for you. I need to stay strong for you.

What are my goals?

OK, I'm having trouble with that certain number. One hundred and eighty eight. That would be the magic number that will allow me to collect my next star and slap it on my bookmark next to my other 35 stars. Yes, it would be my #180 weight loss. Is that my goal? No. Is it a number I can't seem to get below and stay below? Ah, yes it is. I get .6 pounds away and then promptly eat everything in sight for a long time. So, my first Operation Fat Blaster goal is to get to #188, collect my star, and keep moving that scale needle downward. OK, so they're digital scales. You get the metaphorical drift.

My second goal is to lose 50% of my body weight. Even I don't need a calculator to dived 368 in half. One hundred eighty four. When I weigh #184, I'll have lost half my body weight. So, my second OFB goal is to reach my 50% off.

My very, very good friend Rosanna always says 'So it is written, so it shall be done'. Amen Rosanna. It is indeed written.

I'll have to hurry and set another goal when I achieve those two as they're close together. I don't want to relapse and have to make them goals to reach again. I hate doing things twice. My Mama had a saying that she said often. My boys knew it by heart by the time they were 5 I think.

When a job is once begun,
Never leave it til it's done.
Be it great or be it small,
Do it right or not at all.

This one is for you Mama.

:-)

Coming attraction

I've put it off for too long.

Today, my goal is to give this it's just due. I shall compile my list and get back with you after work.

I'm old. I can only do one thing at a time!

This awesome gal started it. I'll go there before work. Find the 'rules', and ponder away while chopping and dicing today. Maybe it'll keep me out of the cheesy sticks and ranch dressing!



C'mon, you know you wanna join too!

:-)

Not The Rolling Stones

I definitely can get satisfaction.

I've had a picture perfect evening. I lost at my WW meeting. A lot.

I love fires. I could be a pyromaniac I think....really. We were going to have a bonfire all last year. Never did. Today, we'd planned that we'd toast weenies (yes we do call them that) over an open fire after I got home from WW.

I got home and started the fire in the outdoor, metal thingy with 4 sides and a top, so you don't burn the neighborhood down, fire thingy. Brought out the other 1/2 of the bottle of wine for me and a beer for the big man. Oh ya, we know how to live. We sat there and chatted and imbibed. Life is indeed good.

If you don't live in Michigan, you won't understand the draw of Kogel's hot dogs. Vernors either, but that's another post. I was hungry for Kogel's. That was on the dinner menu tonight. Potato salad also. Nobody could make potato salad like my Aunt Lou. I miss her but I sure do think of her often. Today I made her potato salad. Yep, Hellman's mayo and all. Just can't make Aunt Lou's potato salad without Hellman's. I got some Bush's baked beans too. Tonight's meal was to be potato salad, baked beans, weenies, and Ruffle's. God what a feast we had!! I made cupcakes earlier in the day. Yum.

What's different about this meal? Well, in the past we'd have had 4 Kogel's each. We'd have chowed down at least 3 helpings of potato salad and a large can of baked beans. We'd have eaten the whole bag of Ruffle's and gone on to polish off the whole batch of cupcakes. Not so tonight. I'm satisfied. I'm not too full and I'm definitely not hungry. Was I counting points? No. I never do Wednesday night after Weight Watchers. Was it an all out eating frenzy? No it wasn't. It would have been in the past. I've become so much more mindful of my eating.

The wine was exquisite. It was Traverse Bay Riesling. Yes, another Michigan product. It was freaking awesome. I had 2 glasses. Not large ones. I have lovely, smallish, Princess House wine glasses. I have one less now as the big man just came down to the Oasis and told me he broke my glass. Sighhh. Anyway, just 2 glasses. Yes, I'm blitzed. I'm such a cheap drunk. Not sure if this has more alcohol than most or what, but after 1 glass my lips were tingling. After 2, I wasn't sure if they were still on my face! So, I was starving to death, and having a meal that I love, and I was drunk. Wow, what a combo!!!

I had one small helping of potato salad. When I was making it this morning I said I was going to use one potato as I always make too much. You'd think that 2 potato's would make enough salad for 2 people, but it really makes enough for 4! So, today, I finally used 1 potato! I used 3 deviled eggs, onions, and red peppers. Aunt Lou used green, but I like red. I used Hellman's mayo too. Yum. This was about 1/4 of what I'd have eaten in the past. I was satisfied. It was so very good, just what I wanted, but I didn't need a mountain. Who knew?

I had 1.5 Kogel's hot dogs. I don't like buns, I like my weenies au natural now. They were to die for. I'd have eaten 4 in the past, with buns. I put 2 on my plate, but after 1.5 I was just perfect. I was satisfied.

I had a small spoon (less than 1/4 cup) of baked beans. Just perfect. I was satisfied.

I had only a few Ruffle's. Not into them tonight. I was satisfied.

I bought one of those small boxes of cake mix yesterday. Makes 12 cupcakes or an 8 inch cake. As I said, in the past, we'd have eaten every single one of a full batch of cupcakes. Today, making a half batch (I got 11 instead of 12 out of the box), I put 6 in the freezer for next week and there are still 2 sitting on the counter top. That's unheard of! You know what though? I'm satisfied. I don't even want another one. Those will go in the freezer also if the big man didn't inhale them already.

I ate what I wanted tonight. I enjoyed every bite. I was mindful of what I was eating even though I was tipsy as hell. It tasted so good. More wouldn't have tasted better. More would have been bad. Satisfied is where it's at.

Oh my gosh am I actually learning stuff???

Poof goes the pickled Pixie!

:-)

Pizza pizzaz!

OK guys, here's the pizza pics I promised along with my whole grain crust recipe. I loved it. I'm having it for dinner again tonight along with a sausage kale stoup I'm trying for the first time. Tonight, I'm having just a plain cheese pizza which is my all time favorite. I've been adding veg to it because I need veg. Tonight, the veg will be in the stoup and I plan to savor every single bite of my yummy cheese pizza! Oh ya!!!

Recipe:

WHOLE GRAIN PIZZA DOUGH

4 servings (use 1/2 a serving for a personal size pizza thin crust, whole if you like it thick) Cooking times are for thin crust, adjust as necessary.

6 Weight Watcher points for a whole serving, 3 for a half serving.

1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/4 cups oatmeal
1 package yeast
1 cup skim milk
2T honey
1t salt
4t olive oil (1T is plenty, I use 4 so each serving has a full serving of healthy oil in it. The points don't change using 1T or 4t)

Heat skim milk, honey, olive oil, and salt in small pan. Remove from heat to cool.

In food processor, grind the oatmeal into flour. Add the whole wheat flour to the food processor and pulse to mix.

Check temp of milk as if it's too hot, it'll cook the yeast. When it's between 98-103 degrees, add the yeast to the milk mixture. Stir to mix and let sit for about 5 minutes to activate.

Add milk to running food processor in a stream. Continue to mix until a sticky, clumpy dough has formed. You want it to knead the dough.

Spray mixing bowl with cooking spray and then turn dough into bowl. Cover with a towel and let raise for an hour or so.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface or a sprayed one and divide into 4 equal balls. I weighed the whole dough ball and divided by 4 and made sure each ball weighed the same. I sprayed the inside of a Ziploc bag and placed dough balls in that for storage in the fridge. I haven't tried freezing it yet, but I will.

I rolled out the dough on a well sprayed pizza pan and baked it for 4 minutes at 400 degrees. Took it out and loosened it with a thin, metal spatula and flipped it over and baked it for 2 more minutes. I then took it out and topped it with stuff and baked it for another 6 minutes until the cheese was all melty and yummy.

This is the pizza I made for lunch before work yesterday.

This is the spinach, 1 cup, before I slivered it and steamed it.

Here it is steaming in water.


Here's the dough all pressed out thin like I like it. This is 1/2 serving of dough, so 3 points. That piglet cup holds all my measuring spoons. Thank you Ian, love my cup!


I buy roasted red peppers at Sam's Club and use a ton of them. I'm using 2 full ones on my pizza today.


Here's the spinach after it's steamed down. Remember, I don't like veg, so I do what I can to get it in but not really notice I'm eating it!


Here's my roasted red peppers all diced up and ready to go. You can see what that huge pile of spinach cooked down to here!

I made up a batch of black beans a while back and this is one serving of that heating in the pan.



I used 1/4 cup of Hunt's canned spaghetti sauce for 0 points.


Here's the spinach going on.


Now the black beans. I wanted it to be filling!

Now the cheese. This is 1/4 cup of 2% shredded cheese and 1/4 cup fat free cheese.



On goes the roasted red peppers.

Here's the finished product!


I cut it into 4 and this is on a big dinner plate if you want scale.

It was yummy and filling! I like it. So, final tally. Crust, 3 points. Sauce 0. Cheese 3. Red peppers, spinach, 0. Beans, 1. 7 points, the same as a little measly WW pizza but way more filling and a lot bigger! You could easily cut down the cheese. I messed up and thought I was making a whole batch of dough and not the 1/2 batch so measured out the cheese for that. I like it cheesy though so left it! You'd also probably not use the beans...so you could have a 4-5 point pizza if you wanted and just load it up with veggies. I would have put ham on this but didn't have any. Fat free polish sausage would be good too I think. Ohhhh the possibilities are endless!!!

:-)

Salivation station!

Good afternoon boys and girls!

I'm having a fab-u-lus day off work today! We found out we had the same schedule as last week and thought we'd go right back to that same campground. You remember the one? Heated indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gym, sauna, cable TV, internet, sighhhh. Anyway, we decided we should be responsible. #1, we don't have the money to go camping again. #2, we've got a ton of things to do around here! I've got paperwork up the ying yang, and well just too much to go into. There is so much I have been wanting to do, but I just don't have the oomph after work to do it.

What type of things you might ask?

Well, for one, I have been wanting to make a whole wheat pizza crust. As you remember, I work in a freaking pizza joint that has the best pie on the planet I think. It's so damn hard day after day to see all that gooey goodness and not partake. Oh sure, I can have it, but at about 13-16 points for a personal, that's way over half my daily points. It doesn't fill me up either. I just can't do it.

Today after a leisurely coffee time and breakfast, I dove into the paperwork. I had that paper shredder on high speed for sure. I found my Weight Watcher book that I had lost. You know the one they enter your weight into? Kind of important! I had to just take the sticker last week in hopes that I'd find the book. I did! Woohooo! I then went on a mission to find my key chain library card. Every time I want to stop and get a book, I don't have my card with me. It's a pain in the ass. I was given a little card to put on my key chain, but I've not been able to find it for over 2 years! No, I'm not that disorganized. I just knew it was in the top desk drawer. I mean, I'd never have put it anywhere but there. I of course have looked there 2 million times. Well today I was on a mission from God. I took everything out of that drawer. Took all the pencils out of the pencil holders. Nothing. I was so bummed. I then moved the 18 inch ruler that lives in the front of the drawer. There's a little pencil ledge there that runs the whole length of the drawer. Well, low and behold, when I moved the ruler, there was the little key card. All wedged in cute and tight against the front of the drawer. I never could see it before. So woohooo!!! I now deserved a treat!

I decided today was the day to experiment with pizza crust. I couldn't find a recipe anywhere. I wanted one that was totally whole grain. No artificial sugar either. Healthy oil too. I decided to just wing it and holy shit was my concoction good!!! It was so good that dinner plans have changed! We were going to have hamburger cooked on the grill and now I'm going to make taco pizza for dinner. I shall take a picture and blog about it another time and share the recipe too. I really, really, liked it. It ended up being 3 points for a crust about the size of what any personal pizza would be. Very thin of course as that's what I wanted. Crispy and just yummy as all get out! The big man loved it too! I'm just so happy I could spit. I expected the first try to be nasty. I thought I'd have to rewrite and re plan...but it was awesome first time out! I ground oats to oat flour and used whole wheat flour. I used honey instead of sugar and olive oil. I used skim milk too...holy shit it was great!!!!

I just had to share!

:-)

Help me Rhonda!

All the rest of ya too!

OK, here's the skinny. I freakin hate veggies. I know my body needs them, so I gag them down. I hate it. It ruins my meals knowing I have to choke down those damn nasty things that grow in the ground. I need ideas.

Here's some guidelines.

I don't like salad. It tastes like dirt. Lima beans should be stricken from the face of the earth. Okra is only OK if it's fried. I like corn and peas are OK. Ya, you know, the stuff they fatten pigs on!! I put onions in everything as it's a veg. I need to get the rainbow in.

The less I have to eat to count as a serving, the better. Last night I got the bright idea to take 1 cup of baby organic spinach and saute it in 1 teaspoon of olive oil (needed the oil or I'd have done it in water) and garlic. Reduced that nasty stuff down to about a tablespoon! Yay me! I had a lean cuisine lasagna (Yes I counted the tomato sauce as a veg too!) and just spread that over the top. Couldn't really taste it. Yay! A new idea. I figure if that never occurred to me over the last 50 years, there have to be other ways to disguise veggies out there too. I'm hoping all my blogging friends may have some ideas.

Things I do now:

I grate zucchini in my spaghetti sauce and other things as you just can't taste it.
Ya, that's about it!

You all know I've been struggling. A 5.8 pound gain this week and a 1.8 pound gain last week tells the tale. It's due to the stress of planning. I had just had enough. It's so hard to plan a meal you know you're not going to like. I do like my groceries!

I can eat veggie soup. I think I need to make a pot of that. Still, I can't eat veggie soup every day for lunch and dinner to get veg in. There have to be other ways.

Ideas?

Anyone?

Anyone?

:-)

My cup runneth over

Last video for a while, I promise. Too tired to write.

:-)

A public service request

Someone please help de-puff the Pixie!!!!



Thank you for your time!

OK, so close your eyes and listen to the words as my lips don't match my speech! My first attempt at video on here...I'll work on it!

:-)

Sleeping around & Food Porn

So, if you're the type that can't read about other people eating decadent things without binging yourself, quick X out of this blog post!

We're camping right now, hence the 'sleeping around' part of the post. Ya, you thought something dirty...get your mind out of the gutter. I'm an old lady for goodness sakes!

We're not roughing it. There's a lovely indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, gym (which we're not using!), cable TV, Internet, pretty much everything a girl could need. Whatever they don't have, I brought with me as we travel in a large 5th wheel with all the comforts of home. OK, I gotta do it...I took pictures.

This is me in my camping chair. Three, count them three, magazines and my dog. There may, or may not, be some chocolate that you can't see in this picture.



This is the indoor swimming pool at the campground. Palm trees, dolphins, ya...it's a rough life!



Here are the big man and I in all our glory. You notice I hang in the Jacuzzi and he hangs in the pool. I like it hot, what can I say?



OK, now that the sleeping around is explained...let us move on to the food porn shall we?

I'm going to start with the last meal of the day. We ate at Bennigan's. I had soup and 1/2 a sandwich. Sounds pretty tame eh? Things are not always what they seem! Creamy thick potato soup piled high with shredded cheese and chives. A Monte Cristo sandwich. Never heard of it? Nobody should have ever heard of it! It's a perfectly healthy sandwich gone bad. Real bad. I mean don't bend over in the shower cuz you're in jail bad. Whole wheat bread, sliced turkey, sliced ham. Not too bad eh? Oh let's slap American cheese on one side and Swiss cheese on the other. Hmmmm why don't we dunk it in batter and deep fry it? Oh I know...let's sprinkle it with powdered sugar and then dip in in raspberry jam shall we? Burrrpppp yes we shall!

I could hardly wait to get home and get my pants off. They are so freaking tight!

I had half a bag of cookies with my coffee this morning. Cereal and skim milk for breakfast. Tortilla chips and homemade creamy salsa with avocado for a snack. Oh yes, homemade mac and cheese for lunch. Heavy on the cheese. There was a Cadbury fruit and nut bar in there and God only knows what else. This madness HAS to stop.

I weigh in tomorrow night. It is so not going to be pretty!!!

Thursday will find the big man and I back on program. Oh how hard that day is going to be?

I've had so much grease my pores are oozing olive oil. I'm pretty sure I'm going to crap a stick of butter. I'm afraid to fart as tortilla chips might pop out of an orifice. My burps smell of Oreo's...lots and lots of oreo's!

I'm ready to be 'normal' again. I say that right now...it's easy at night when I'm full.

Grant me strength.....tomorrow. I'm off for another cookie right now!

:-)

Monday quickie

We're camping. More about that later. We have to drive back to go to work today (leaving in 10 minutes actually and I'm still in my nightie!), more about that later too.

I get a daily email from Jillian Michaels. Today's topic is 'Friends for life, and health'. I loved it. It suggests finding a friend as a work out buddy. Ya, right. I have Den, but we don't work out together and we just as easily bow out of the work out as talk each other into it. More of the former in fact!

I got thinking that I get most of my motivation and support from all of you. Yep, that's right, you. When I write something and you leave a comment, that's support. When you write a blog and I read it, I get something from it usually. It might be a laugh, it might be an 'aha' moment, but I usually get something. Heck, sometimes what I get is 'man it sucks to be him/her'!!! That's cool too. It's always important for us to realize that someone has it worse than us. I get motivation for all my blogging friends. I really do think about you during the day. Weird eh? I'm not going to start naming names again here as I don't want to miss anyone....but I'm thinking of some of you right now! hehe

So, from the bottom of my puffy pixie heart...thank you to my friends for life and health.

Bang on dudes.

:-)

A break from our regularly scheduled program

That's what yesterday was for me.

We went to visit my second son and his family as they're moving to Wisconsin in a few weeks. We had dinner, definitely not Weight Watchers. We had family time. Grammy had Grammy time. This is what life is about. Sometimes other things get in the way but this is what it's all about. I took my camera, I forgot the card. Oops. My daughter in law took this picture of my youngest granddaughter and myself. As you can see, I haven't lost my touch. I was hoping for a picture of all three of my grandchildren, the big man, and myself. Fingers crossed one of the ones they took turned out!

So, I'm still not back on program. I'm still not exercising. It will come. Right now, this is what's important to me.

Bang on dudes.

:-)

May your banging be failure free

I got a junk mail today and the subject was 'your banging will go failure free'. Talk about attention getter! I actually laughed out loud. I liked it though.

I'm sure we all know what the content of the mail would have held had I opened it. My mind, however went further. We all bang away at our weight loss. We bang away at our exercise. I'm working on banging away at my debt. Wouldn't it be lovely if all our banging was failure free?

Take it how you may, from now on I shall close with the line 'May your banging be failure free'.

:-)

pffft pffft pffft pffft

That's the sound of Pixie puffing back up.

I gained 1.8 at my WI tonight and I was thrilled shitless. I've been eating everything that didn't move for a few days and I thought it would be much worse. Might have residual weight gain next week...dunno, but I was pleased with the 1.8.

I'm afraid that I took the big man down with me. I threw in the weight loss towel several days ago and Den followed suit. I hate when that happens. He was doing so well with his eating and exercise and just because I went wild, he did too. His birthday was on Sunday and it's been an eating frenzy ever since! He even forgot to weigh in today. Tomorrow his bell will toll.

I shopped today and restocked the good stuff. Tomorrow we'll hit the WW hard again. We ate all the bad stuff...so that won't be a problem! We both work so that'll keep us busy. I've got a plan for Friday too.

whoooooooooooooooooooooosh I can fairly hear the Pixie de-puffing again already.

:-)

A blast from the past...you know?

So I was reading Fat Daddy's blog this morning...and he (young snot) mentioned that he was a teen in the 80's, and used some of the 80's slang. Got me thinkin....oh yes it did, about what we, as teens from the 70's used to say.

'Like' this week my weight loss has been a 'bummer'. I'm gonna be so 'busted' when I get on that scale tonight.

It's 'copacetic' though, it's 'cool'. It would be 'far out' & 'groovy' and 'totally bitchin' if the damn scale would show a loss. Not gonna happen tonight though. It's going to be 'totally' 'in your face', 'that's sick' 'fo sho.'

I mean I want to be 'buff' and a 'brick house' and all.....I just didn't 'keep on truckin' this week toward my goal. I want to hear 'loookin goooood' when I bike down the road, that would be 'awesome'!

I asked myself the other day 'what's the skinny'? I was just stressed 'to the max' 'you know' was the answer. 'Can you dig it'????

I needed to 'chill', maybe 'boogie' a little, just take a breather from life in general. It helped. It was 'fab' actually. I totally 'bogarted' all the goodies in the 'crib'. Den thought he'd have a few treats....'dream on' dude!!!! I told him there were brownies left...then shouted 'psyche'! Nope, I ate 'em all!!!

I had a freakin awesome week! 'Right on'!!!! It was 'bad'!!! I'll gain. Shit happens. This week, it was worth it to me. Back to reality tomorrow though....'bummer'.

I gotta 'book' now. Places to go and people to see 'ya know'? So, 'catch ya later', 'see ya on the flip side'.

'Goodnight John Boy'.

:-)

Independence Day

No, I'm not confused. I don't think today is the 4th of July. I think, today is the day I've needed all summer long and all it took was a simple bicycle.

I've been in quite a little funk since we got home from Florida as many of you know. It all kind of came to a head this morning. I was just bogged down with the 'I must do's'. I must go to work, I must plan my food, I must shop for the food, I must cook the food, I must exercise, I must weed the gardens, I must mow the lawn, I must do the paperwork, and the list seems to go on forever. I have a list of things I need to accomplish this summer and I've done none of it. I feel like a 33 1/3 on 45 speed....ya, I know that dates me.

I get up in the morning and have my coffee and plan food yada yada. Sometimes I go to the gym in the morning too and that leaves time for nothing else. Poof, it's time to get ready for work. I have to drop the big man off as he goes in at 11 and I slide in at 12. Sucks. I dump him off and there's no time to do much of anything other than come home and get ready for work and head back there. Get home and really feel like doing nothing at all. That's not like me. I've always felt like getting things done.

I was pissing and moaning that I wished I had my bike from FL here as I could ride to work and save some of this driving back and forth and also some of my time. My gorgeous daughter in law tells me she has a bike in the shed and I am welcome to use it. Now that was a few weeks ago. I just didn't have the oomph to check it out. I woke up this morning and as I said, I was just ready for change. I decided not to plan any food, not to go to the gym, not to do anything at all. Den brought the bike out of the shed for me and I proceeded to air up the tires. Seemed fine. Took it for a little spin down the road. Didn't fall off, didn't blow the tires, things were groovy.

The book I've been waiting for was in at the library. I asked Den if he could pick it up on his way to the restaurant as I was going to ride my bike to work. He didn't have time. I got thinking (yes I know, dangerous!) that I had time since I didn't have to drive him, I'd just ride my bike to the library and get it myself. Off I went. I know it's silly, but I actually felt liberated! Got my book, came home and packed my piglet bag for the trip to work. I wear black jeans to work and I didn't want to bike in those. Tossed on my shorts and my sandals and my work shirt and the rest went into the piglet bag. I stopped at McDonald's for lunch on the way. Read my book outside while I ate. Just awesome! As I was flying down the road on my bike with the breeze in my face...I felt something. Independence. A silly bicycle loaned to me by my daughter in law snapped me out of the mood I've been in. I felt happy in the sunshine and the breeze. It felt good getting myself where I needed to go and not have anything else on my mind. Yep, I needed this.

I got out of work at 5, changed back into my shorts and sandals and rode home. Big guy was outside doing stuff. I informed him that we were going out to dinner as I just wasn't going to cook. I didn't come into the house and flop down with the laptop like usual. I paid some bills and did a few things in the house. It was so nice outside I just didn't want to be in here. I put on tennis shoes and started working outside. I vacuumed out the 5th wheel in case we ever get 2 days off together we can take it camping somewhere. I got the HUGE front garden all weeded. I got one of the side gardens all weeded. I actually did a few things on my 'to do' list all because I told myself I didn't have to do anything. Go figure.

I can't wait to ride 'my' bike to work again tomorrow. I know I'll get a few more things done as I just feel like doing it.

I may gain weight this week. No, make that I know I will. You know what? I just don't care. Thursday I'll make myself ease back into the 'I must do's'...but until then...

I'm flyin high!

:-)

Happy as a pig on a bag

I like Piglet.

He's just so cute. All pink and stuff. Little poofy belly, cute little cheeks...stripey, timid, and well...pink. I love pink.

So, I got my hiney out of bed this morning at 6'O very early thirty and geared up to go to the gym. I don't have cute work out clothes like some of the ladies...mine are quite spartan. I'd love a cute top to work out in..but I wear a men's pocket tee shirt so I have a place so slip my mp3 player. I have 3, black, blue, and grey. Oh color me impressed! Pants...ditto. Black, and blue. I do have one pair of bright red work out pants...but I feel weird in them so I rarely wear them. Kind of like a giant wildebeest under attack. I like wildebeesties too.

How does the pig play into this? Well, my one splash of color is my gym bag. I just love it. It's a backpack, large, and pink. Do love pink. It gets even better...it's a Piglet backpack. My good friend Ian gave it to me a few years ago and I just love it. I like it better now as I actually get to use it more. I mean really...where does a 50 year old woman need to carry a backpack? Why to the gym of course!!! I had a few small stuffed piglets on clip hook things...everyone needs a few of those hanging around right? Sure you do. I attached one of those to my bag. Can't ever have enough pink or enough Piglets!

So, I'm happier today because of my little pink friend. I've got my exercise done and out of the way. I've got my food planned. I'm off to work in a few hours. I've got tomorrow off work (I've got a pig on a clip on my work bag too!) AND it's the big man's birthday! Life is pretty good. If I keep at my diet and my exercise, someday I can have a cute pink workout outfit. For now, I'll just stick with my backpack.

As my little friend says 'Oh dear! Oh dear, oh dearie, dearie, dear! I can't wait for that day!

Bring out the cheese and crackers

Cuz I'm going to have a whine.

Yep, I am. Today sucked. I wanted to eat many, many good things. I didn't want to exercise. I didn't want to go to work. I didn't want to do anything. I'm tired as I'm not sleeping nights and I miss Florida.

So, let's have a tally shall we?

I didn't eat anything I hadn't planned this morning. Only my 22 points. No goodies for me.

I didn't exercise. Ah well, such is life, even if it does suck sometimes.

I did go to work.

I did do a few things when I got home.

I still miss Florida. My life is idyllic there. The only thing I have to do there...oh wait, there's nothing I HAVE to do there! I have all day to concentrate on my diet, my exercise, doing things I like, visiting with my wonderful friends, and having fun. I know, it's a tough job...but I'm ready to take it on again.

I'm done now. I don't allow myself to whine often. It was time. Tomorrow your regular, bubbly, upbeat, Debby will be back. Right now, she's going to go to bed and read a good book.

Is it Labor Day yet?

:-(

The brownie, the bitch, & the asshole.

That would make a much better book than 'The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe' don't ya think???

So, there were brownies at work today. Bitch made them as it was asshole's birthday. They looked yummy. I didn't touch. Good Debby.

I went to the gym before work. Good Debby.

I got out a bit early and came home and after a damn hour of prep, have dinner ready to pop into the pan when the big man gets home from the gym. It's a freakin rainbow of color (thanks Heather for making me gag a whole crayon box full of veg this week!!). We're having creamy chicken curry. I've got carrots, peas (ok so they're frozen peas and carrots but I like the carrots softer than the peas so I have to stand there for 20 minutes and seperate them...peas in one bowl, carrots in another), onions, roasted red peppers, & shredded zucchini all diced up ready to go. Good Debby.

I lost at my WI yesterday. A minute amount, but after being up all week I'll take it! Any week it's not a gain is good in my book these days. I will master these hormones if it kills me. Good Debby.

I didn't kill anybody at work today and I didn't kick the dog when I got home.

All is well in Debby world.

:-)

One hour & fifty eight minutes

Ohhh is that how long I did on the elliptical today?

Nope, it's how long I laid in bed this morning telling myself to get up and get to the freakin gym. I never was a very good listener!

Here I sit with my coffee and my muffins having not gone to the gym. Sighhhh now I'll HAVE to go after work tonight. Oh I do love working out at the gym after being on my feet for 8 hours and walking 4-5 miles at work! I spent my day off yesterday getting a crown at the dentist. Oh happy days. I did NOT want to go to the gym after that. It does, however, make me a real princess now. You may all bow.

This girl RAN a 10K on the 4th of July AND is running a 1/2 marathon this winter in FL that I hope to watch, and I couldn't even heft the rolls out of bed to go do the elliptical for an hour. I don't even want to think about what this guy did to Lucy today, and this guy here puts me to shame. My Tokyo friend makes me tired just reading about what she does!!!

I'm really OK with it, I just wanted to whine and since this is my blog, I can do whatever I want.

On a different note. I have forgotten to mention the new big black icon at the top of my blog. No, it's not a picture of Denzel, it's my century club bling. Yepper, 100 pounds lost and gone forever. Hmmm when I hit 200 pounds, maybe I should put 2 of them up there! Anyway, there are cool buttons you can press on the side and go to other people that have lost 100 pounds. Never know which one might inspire you. I find the 'list' button the best. It gives the whole list of us losers on one page! Go on, press it. You know you want to!

One more note...inspiring each other. I really do get inspiration from the blogs I read. I've got the big man reading several too. I always know when he's reading Carlos' blog as he's over there snorting with tears running down his face. He's learning stuff...some stuff I probably don't really want him learning...but hey ho. I tell him stuff I read on other blogs too...we discuss. We get motivated and inspired. I hope none of my favorite's quit blogging...not sure I can do it without you! Take a look at my blog list and check them out if you haven't already. I read a few more I haven't added to the list yet...ya, I know, bad Debby. I've made a lot of TJ's tasty treats, and Heather's TVP was a hit. Carlos, is an entity. I always caution friends that his blog is explicit. He asked me if that was still really necessary? I'm laughing, but ya, it is! I do love him. CJ is struggling right now but I'm thinking of her a lot. Fat Daddy is one of my newer faves, and John & Tony are new to my list also. I'm sad that Julie has removed her blog. I feel like the wacky woman on Romper Room looking through her empty mirror frame at the audience here (holy shit does that date me or what???)I see Jo & Maggie, Lynn, Amy & Teresa. I've got you all in my google reader so I know when you update your blogs. I get inspiration from all of you. These are just my diet/exercise blogs I read...don't even get me started on the other list. My cousin Luanne inspires my soul...I told you not to get me started! OK, I'm done!

Keep on blogging!!!

Do I win the prize for the most ever links put in one post?

:-)

Dr. Suess in drag and on a diet

I do not like my thighs that shake.
I do not like my butt that quakes.
I do not like my boobs that sag.
I do not like my gut that bags.
I do not like my arms that flap.
I do not like my fat that slaps.
I do not like them, I confess.
If they were all still full of fat,
I'd like them even less!
I may have skin that hangs a yard,
But at least it's not still full of lard!

I've been noticing the wiggles and jiggles lately. Yesterday I turned around quickly while naked in front of the mirror...and I swear my butt fat nearly whacked the belly button. I can see my thigh fat jiggle when I walk...and well you get the picture. I was bemoaning this fact to myself when it occurred to me....having the sagging skin is better than having skin full of fat.

So, let the good times sag and screw the rolls.

:-)

Oh yes she did...Missouri 60

Good morning boys and girls.

Before you read this, and ultimately look at the pictures, I want you to know this was VERY difficult for me to do. I read this blog post and was inspired to join the challenge. It's simple, straight forward, and exactly what I need. I wish he'd done it 60 days ago as we'd have seen a big difference! What is the challenge? Well, I hope you click on the link and read it yourself, and also read a bit more of Tony's blog, but it boils down to this. Take a before picture. Be as good as you can be for 60 days and take an after picture. Easy I thought. Um, not so much.

What should I wear? I'm not into whale porn (Oh my goodness does that guy make me laugh. Be warned if you go there, his language, attitude, ideas, aren't from Catholic school!). I used to have a sports bra. I looked for it for half an hour. Couldn't find it. I think I threw it away in a fit of rage last year. You see, there are no hooks on it. I'd exercise, then try to get out of it when I was all sweaty and out of breath. I looked like freakin Houdini trying to escape from a straight jacket! I think it pissed off my last nerve and I tossed it. All my tee shirts are 2X or 3X as I'm too cheap to buy more and for this challenge, covering up wasn't what I needed to do. So, I found the old spandex exercise pants that I used to wear under my shorts when walking to keep things from jiggling, and a 3X tee shirt tied in a knot.

OK, so I geared up, set the self timer and took the pictures. Easy enough. Not too much pain. Until it came time to load the pictures on this site. Should I or shouldn't I? I don't mind being photographed in clothes. As I've said a thousand times before, clothes hide a multitude of sins. These clothes aren't hiding anything.

I decided that yes I should. I want to see the difference. I want others to see the difference. I want myself to know I can do it, and I want others to know they can do it too. I so wish I had pictures like this when I was 368 to compare. That would be so awesome!!!! I think, maybe, there are some somewhere...I'll be looking for sure. If you're starting out, please, please, please take a picture. C'mon, you know you should! Look how much fun we'd have looking at the difference in November!!! None of you have to post them, do it for yourself. I sure wish I had.

Anyway, without further ado, here I am in all my glory. I hope you see less of me in 60 days!

I lost 2.2 pounds last night at my WI. A day early as I usually go Wednesday night. I'm below 190 now. I've got 40-50 pounds left to goal. Holy shit that is so cool to say! I'm excited. I'm charged up. This 60 day challenge is just what I needed.

Queen of the freakin universe waves adieu

:-)