Extreme Makeover {Me Edition}

So, today Amber wants to know if we watch The Biggest Loser and what we think? Is it inspiring? To be completely honest, I love BL and I always have good intentions of watching it and I do sometimes, but I'm not faithful at all. I try to make it to church on Wednesday nights, and I usually DVR BL...BUT you should see my DVR schedule. It is JAMMED packed full of shows. Michael is always nagging for me to quit setting things to record. However, he does NOT allow me to delete shows. He does all the DVR maintenance. I'm notorious for deleting ALL the DVR'd shows. I don't know what happens. I think I'm deleting just my show and BAM...the next thing I know the whole DVR listing is EMPTY. I tried to play dumb the first time...like, "that CRAZY DVR...we should call them and tell them we need a new one!" After a couple of times...it's sooooo obvious that it's not a DVR glitch. I digress. Even though I don't watch The Biggest Loser faithfully, I do love the show. I think it is amazing what those people can accomplish during their time at the ranch. I'm totally inspired and when I do watch I actually get pumped up and note some of the things that they are doing and apply it to my weight loss efforts. I also CRY... A LOT! At times, that can lead to emotional eating. So, I kind of have to be careful and be prepared with a low point snack, because I know I'm going to want to IGAINED at WW today...AGAIN! It was only .2 (two tenths), but UGH! It is so frustrating. However, I stayed for the meeting today and it was so helpful. Our WW leader was talking about setting goals and how we see success. She reminded us that our weight does not define US! That is so true and such a great thing to remember. Also, she made mention that we should try to rid ourselves of stress. It is proven that stress alone can pack on the pounds or at least keep you from losing pounds. So, I'm making it my one and only goal this week to do some major stress relieving...exercise, prayer, devotion. How are you doing?Hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday!

This, That, and The Other

THIS is my hubby's 33rd birthday!!

He's such a great guy, who puts up with all my craziness. He always has been supportive of everything I've wanted to do. He even knows about all this Twilight craziness that goes on here. (Like, he EVEN knows that I love Edward and he's ok with that...well, it's like his free pass, because he loves Ashley Judd, so my love for Edward makes us "even".) He let's me just be me. I love him for that...and for many other things. Happy Birthday, babe!

I also wanted to say THAT I'm going to have a Twilight Saga/New Moon bloggy carnival thingy! HOWEVER, I'm not exactly sure how to go about it...any suggestions or advice? I'll keep you guys posted.

THE OTHER thing I wanted to share is that I gained 1.6 pounds at Weight Watchers yesterday. I had a small pity party accompanied by the inhalation of a Snickers bar. After wiping the chocolate off of my lips...achem...I felt a new sense of determination. Those scales will not beat me! I'm bigger than them! I boycotted the whole weight loss venture yesterday and didn't do an Extreme Makeover:Me Edition post, but I'll join back in next week.

Hope all of you are having a great day!

Smile...it's contagious. :)

Extreme Makeover : Me Edition

It Wednesday, and that means it's Extreme Makeover:Me Edition over at {aefilkins}

This week's question:

How are you being a healthy role model for your children?

Well, truthfully, one of the main reasons that I want to be in better shape is to set a better example for Isaiah. Of course, I also do it for myself. I had a WW leader tell me one time that if we always try to lose weight for someone else, we will never succeed.

I make it a point to always offer Isaiah healthy options for meals and we (almost) always eat balanced/healthy meals together for dinner. We stress that exercise and good sleep habits are also essential to good health, and try to do active things as a family. Isaiah asks a lot "is this healFy?" (it's 'healfy', not healthy =P) So, I know he thinks about what he's eating and doing and whether or not it's good for his body. I think causing our kids to be aware is one of the best things we can do.

I know that there is always room for improvement...I'm definitely a work in progress.

I have two 'healfy' recipes to share with you guys!

2 Point WW Devil's Food Cake

1 package Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 15 oz can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just pumpkin)

Mix those two ingredients together (it seems as if they will never mix together, but surprise surprise...they DO!) Pour mixture into any type of cake pan, but I've found it most helpful for portion control purposes to pour the mix into 24 mini muffin tins (only 1 point a piece) or 12 muffin tins (only 2 points a piece). Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. It's oh-so-yummy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

12 mushrooms

2 oz low-fat cream cheese

4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1 tsp garlic

Mix cream cheese, Parmesan, and garlic together. You may need to soften the cream cheese in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Clean the mushrooms and take the stems off. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the mushrooms and place them into a baking dish (sprayed with cooking spray) w/ the cream cheese mixture facing up. Bake in the over at 350 for 30 minutes. 1 point per mushroom! Delish! I served these last week with Parmesan Turkey Burgers (basically just one pound of ground turkey w/ 4 tbsp. of Parmesan and 2 tbsp. garlic salt mixed in, divided into 4 patties) and steamed green beans.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday!!♥

Extreme Makeover : Me Edition

Here's today's question:

What is one of your favorite dieting secrets?
(I know it's a lifestyle not a diet, but you get the jist.)

I have TONS of secrets...oh, you mean dieting...well, yeah, I have lots of those too.

Like...

1. drink lots of water
2. only eat when you're hungry
3. make small goals

The list could go on and on, BUT my ONE FAVORITE dieting (lifestyle) secret is best said in the words of a dear lady I once knew, her name was Sister Booker, and she would always say "Jus' keep on keepin' on." I like to apply that one phrase to every aspect of my life and dieting is no exception. So, when I have weeks like I just had where life takes over and I have no control over circumstances, I just remember that I'm going to "keep on keepin' on", meaning I won't give up and I won't turn back...I'm only moving forward.

I had weigh-in at WW today and I gained another .2 pounds (so, that's almost a whole pound over the last 2 weeks), but you know what it could be worse and I won't give up. I'll just take it in stride. I faced the scale. I'm keepin' it real...

and I'll jus' keep on keepin' on.

How about you? Any brilliant diet (or lifestyle) secrets you would like to share?

For more EM:MEs, go see Amber at {aefilkins}!!

Extreme Makeover : Me Edition - Back To School!

I'm not even going to say it...you already know how bad I've been. The proof is on the page, right? I'm not going to make any promises...I HATE breaking promises, but I am going to try MUCH harder to post more than once ever 9 DAYS! Geesh. What a slacker!


What better way to get back in the groove than with an EM:ME post?! Today is Wednesday, which is my Weight Watchers weigh-in day. So, I'm not sure exactly how bad I was on vacation yet. I'll have to let the scales tell the true story. I don't feel like I did all that bad. I watched what I ate on MOST days...OK, a FEW days...and I ate healthy when it was possible...OK, when it was convenient. That's neither here nor there. It's in the past. I'm dwelling on the NOW.



Amber's questions for this week:

How is sending the kiddos back to school going to affect you?

Is it going to be easier/harder?

Are there any benefits/downfalls?
Not just back to school time, but basically, summer is coming to an end.

Is summer harder or easier for you to stick to your weight loss goals?


So, Isaiah started back to school last Thursday, the day after we got back from vacation and HE LOVES IT!

This was him on his first day of Kindergarten

For me, Isaiah starting back to school is a good thing. It helps me feel more organized and on a schedule, which means less stress and I feel in control of things...including weight loss. The only down fall is that I miss out on my morning exercising, unless I can start getting up EARLY! I'm trying, but the tiredness from vacation is still lingering. Hopefully, by next week I won't feel so tired. Summer is usually a great time for me to lose weight. It's warmer outside, so I exercise more. There are lots of fresh fruits and veggies, so I eat better. The warmer temps make me CRAVE water. However, I'm determined to be successful as we go into fall.

I WILL find creative ways to work in exercise (Thank you, Maksim and DWTS :)!

I WILL continue to eat fruits and veggies, even if they're of the freezer variety.

I WILL continue to drink water!

How have you been? Tell me, I REALLY want to know!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!!

For more EM:ME posts, go see Amber!

Extreme Makeover : Me Edition

Blah blah blah...that's how I feel about today's Extreme Makeover : Me Edition today. Well, just about my post and the fact that I don't have anything positive to say right now. I just came back form weigh-in where I gained 1.8 pounds...that's almost 2 pounds! What the hey? Ugh. I guess the positives are that I felt a little kick in my pants when I stepped on those scales today...like a little voice saying "see, you better get your butt in gear" and I left the meeting feeling somewhat motivated. So, I guess I better listen. I want next weeks 'tales from the scales' to be good. I wanted soooooo badly to have lost 25 pounds (at least) by vacation. Now I know that I can kiss that dream good-bye. Vacation is a week from tomorrow and now I am an extra 1.8 pounds away from that goal. boo. My WW leader said something today though that really stuck with me..."the road to success is always under construction." I think that is very fitting.

So, this week I will...

• exercise


• eat LOTS of fruits and veggies


• drink lots of water


• make smart choices


• remember that one bad meal does not constitute giving up

I will not...

• be frustrated


• give up


• sabotage myself


• let stress get the best of me


• lose out on quality sleep


• make excuses

I hope everyone on the weight-loss/healthy living highway has a successful week ahead! For more EM:ME go see Amber (she lost 4 POUNDS this week!...go give her a virtual 'pat on the back'!)

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

*hanging head in shame*...I feel bad. I miss you guys. I think about blogging and commenting on my fav blogs EVERYDAY, but something happens through the day and I NEVER make it over here...I'm sorry. *pouty lip* I would promise that I'll do better, but I see the trend continuing until after vacation, which isn't until August 6th-12th. I feel so consumed w/ planning and getting work to a place where I can leave it for a week...and the to-do list at home grows daily! It's hard work to get ready for vacation. OH, and Isaiah starts to kindergarten the day after we get back. Oy! Pray for me. Seriously. I need it.

I swore to Amber on all things Coach and Twilight related that I would come do EM:MEs yesterday...did I? NO! ugh. I'm sucha loser...a blogger loser. Not only did I let Amber down, but I let two of my favorite things down as well...Coach and Twilight. Come on, what kind of person am I? No, don't answer that. I'm drowning my sorrows in a cup of coffee and a package of 100 calorie Milano cookies as I type. don't look at me like that. Speaking of Amber, she could really use some love right now, so if you have a second, run on over there and give her a virtual hug. K? Thanks in advance. You're awesome. =)

Sooooo, on to EM:ME...

Amber asked, "How are you doing?"

Well, Amber...I'll tell you...and I'll be totally honest. promise. I haven't been doing the best that I could do, but I've been doing ok. I skipped WW last week. *gasp* I know, I know. Bad. Last week was so super busy and we had 3 special things going on at work...and you know what that means...CAKE! Yep, there was a Merritt's Cake in my office THREE times last week!!! I resisted. I didn't eat ONE piece! Can you believe that? I surprised myself. How does one turn down Merritt's cake not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES? It was quite an accomplishment. So, even though I didn't wake up early enough to exercise with Maksim *pouty lip*, I did have some successes. The bad: not exercising enough, letting my emotions direct my eating, buying a can of Frito Mild Cheddar flavored cheese dip...and eating all of the said Frito Mild Cheddar flavored cheese dip. The good: eating lots of fruits and veggies, drinking lots of water, and remembering to take my vitamins daily. Oh, and I went to WW yesterday. :) I lost 1.8 pounds! WOOHOO! It's not a lot, but it's a loss and it brings my total to 20.6 pounds!

So, how is everyone else doing?

P.S. For those of you who I sent packages out to as Thank You's for commenting for a cause, your packages should be arriving in the next couple of days...except for Shilo, I'm thinking Paraguay will take a few extra days. :)

P.S.S. I just wanted to say that Wicked was WICKED! I had a FABULOUS time. It is seriously the BEST musical I've ever been to and I can NOT quit listening to the soundtrack. It's amazing! I'm going to host a little WICKED giveaway soon, so don't miss it. :)

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

Amber at {aefilkins} hosts Extreme Makeover: Me Edition each week on Wednesdays. It is a fabulous time to read other people's journey to healthy living and weight loss, gain encouragement, give encouragement...and make friends! We all want friends, right?! :)

This week's topic is simple:

--------------------------------------------------------------

Share with us how you're feeling about your progress.

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To be completely honest, this week has been a struggle for me. I haven't worked out with Maksim since last Friday! *hang head in shame* My in-laws came for a visit over the weekend and with visitors always comes FOOD! We grilled out and I was good...I made myself a turkey burger and it was YUMM-O!

Let's pause for a recipe break...

Jenny's YUMM-O Turkey Burgers

1 pound of ground Turkey (all white meat...lean)

2 slices of Pepper Jack Cheese

seasoning salt

Directions: divide ground turkey into 4 equal parts. Roll turkey into a ball and press out. Take cheese slices and divide them into fourths. Press 2 cheese squares in the middle of each turkey patty and cover with the ground turkey and press back into a patty. Season w/ seasoning salt (or any kind of seasoning) and grill...and Enjoy! They're delish!

You know how it is when family is around...you just sit and visit and eat...and drink mojitos. Oh, you don't drink mojitos? Hmmm. Maybe that's just us. Well, for anyone wanting to know a mojito made w/ 2 oz light rum and 4 oz of mojito mix is 4 points on WW.

On Sunday, Isaiah went home with his Grammy and Papaw for a few days. *insert pouty lip and major sad face* He's NEVER been out-of-town without us and NEVER stayed that many days without us. It was so hard to let him go...he's my baby and I want to keep him that way...BUT it was good for him and he LOVED it!

Going to Grammy and Papaw's!

He really had a great time and did terrific! However, while he was gone, in the evening I felt myself wanting to eat and snack due to nervousness/boredom. It was all I could do to just go to bed and not eat something...popcorn, chips and guacamole, crackers and cream cheese...something! I'm just relieved to make it to Wednesday. Isaiah is back home and it's weigh-in day at WW! WOOHOO! As of last week, I had lost 16.2 pounds LOST 18 POUNDS (an additional 1.8 at WW this week!). *fingers crossed* for another good weight loss. (I'll come back on and update this post after weigh-in.) I had a small goal set for this weekend. When I started trying to lose weight back in March, I had said I wanted to lose 20 pounds by my family reunion, which is this weekend. I don't think I'll hit 20, but I feel good knowing that I'm close. My next goal was to have lost 25 pounds by the NKOTB concert in Dallas on the 17th of July. I'm really hoping to meet that one! I need to look smokin' hott for Joey! (Right, Xazmin?! :)

My goals for this week are: to keep eating as many fruits and veggies as I can squeeze into a day..."portable fruits" (aka bananas, grapes, berries...things that don't need peeled, cut, or sliced) ROCK! I also have been trying to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day...thanks to my stainless steel water bottle, it's been pretty easy! I love that thing! I MUST exercise! I'm hoping my nose unclogs so I can get back to exercising with Maksim asap ...acceptable levels of oxygen are essential while exercising with Maksim!

Check out this mass mailing...

If you commented on a Comment for a Cause, you have a package headed your way! :)

**I'm still having MAJOR blogging issues, so please know that I'm trying to get around to everyone's blog and comment...it just takes me FOREVER!!!...if I see one more "error" message I think I'll SCREAM and simultaneously throw my computer out of this 4th story window...hopefully, things will be back to normal soon!**

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Extreme Makeover {Me Edition}

I'm participating in {aefilkins} Extreme Makeover {Me edition}. This is my first time to play along. I'm usually just hopping around reading everyone else's inspiring posts. A few months ago, I really started trying to lose weight and get in better shape. I've currently lost 14 pounds 16.2 pounds (I just got back from my WW meeting and lost 2.2 pounds...YAY)! I'm super excited about that. I really do want to experience an EXTREME Makeover...ME edition! To be healthy, in every aspect of the word, is my main goal right now.

Each week, Amber or one of her followers, will offer up a question in regards to weight loss or healthy living. To participate, you just have to check out Amber's blog on Wednesdays and write a post about the topic...then go back and link up, of course!

This week's question is brought to us by Shortmama from Family of Shorts. Her question is:

Who is your biggest supporter/motivator in your weight loss?

I think my biggest supporter(s) right now are my co-workers. We are all attending a lunchtime Weight Watchers meeting each Wednesday. This has been so helpful! Number one, it keeps me accountable! I think accountability is HUGE in weight loss success. Without it, it is sooooo easy to fall off the wagon. It's easy to be bad when no one is looking. So, I have to credit them with keeping me on track. They also help me eat healthy. We all decided as a group that we would only eat out once a week during lunch. We have been bringing healthy lunches and eating in everyday except one. Even on the day we go out, we count our points and keep it all in check. We also exchange good recipes and ideas for staying full. They really are my biggest supporters. We even started an office weight loss chart that tracks how many pounds we have lost all together!

Do you have anyone around you that tries to sabotage you by "talking" you in to eating the not so good stuff?

There are a few people who are my "sabotagers" and they may not even know who they are, but they are people who enable me to eat the things that I would rather not. The nice thing about WW is that NOTHING is "off limits". It is a lifestyle, not a "diet". So, it's not that I can't have things, it's that I choose not to. So, I guess my sabotagers are anyone (mainly family) who eat things that I would like to eat, but choose not to eat. This is getting easier though. It's getting easier for me to look at food in a whole new light. I see the fat, the calories...and I can even see past that to the way I would feel if I would eat that. It's getting easier to put things into perspective.

In addition to this, I would like to share with you my two BIGGEST weight loss helps...

My fav workout DVD...Hellooooo, Maksim! Can you say 'motivation'?! ☺ This 100+ Oklahoma heat is making it BRUTAL to get outside and exercise, so I've been resorting to indoor workouts. It's not the easiest workout dvd, but it is fun, it makes me break a sweat, and bust a move...and did I mention Maksim?

And this...my reusable stainless steel water bottle. I LOVE IT! I put filtered water in it and it tastes so clean. I know that sounds weird, but the water doesn't pick up any yuckiness like it does sometimes in plastic bottles. It's green. It's good. I got this one at Old Navy for less than $10. Starbucks has some REALLY cute ones too.

One last thing...

I am in the process of gathering up some CUTE things to send out to all of you who commented on my Commenting for a Cause post. So, PLEASE...if you commented on that post...PLEASE e-mail me your address (jaltman@goldenfieldservices.com). I promise that I'm not going to send you anything besides my token of appreciation for commenting on my blog and commenting for a cause. I'm not an axe murderer. I won't turn it into a telemarketer. I won't send hate mail. I've been trying to go to each of your blogs and send an e-mail directly to you, but some of you don't have an e-mail attached to your blog. So, please please please send me an e-mail with your name and address. I can't let this super cute stuff go to waste!

Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Wednesday!