Not a Homerun..

Bacon Potato Pancakes

These turned out "ok"...but that is it. I didn't end up making them as pancakes because I am a little uncomfortable frying things to begin with. I decided to cook them up as hash browns. The bottom of the pan got really brown, and I could not get the hashbrowns brown like I wanted them to be. They tasted pretty good though.



Apple-Stuffed Pork Chops:

These were quite a bit of work, but smelled divine coming out of the oven! I had not accounted for time correctly, so Ben and I had already had our hashbrowns as our first course. It was certainly a good thing, because we were too full to eat very much of the pork chops. This morning, Ben's mom told me that the pork chops were not done all the way, but the not cooked as well as they should be part was down by the bone. We got too full to eat that much of the pork chop. I want to stuff things again, but botching these up puts those types of recipes lower down on my priority list.



We took a moment to pose by the Monsters verses Alien advertisement. We saw this movie and really enjoyed ourselves.

Today we went through things at Ben's grandmothers house. We got to select anything that we might potentially want. Tonight we watched "The Family that Preys," I love Tyler Perry movies.

Short Post

Tomorrow I will be posting about a "Super Food" that I've been incorporating into my diet. I read about it today in a book, and am ever more convinced that it needs to be in my diet.

I did cook this evening, and pictures will go up tomorrow about that. :)

Good night!

Channeling the Energy

I wrote yesterday about being a motivated eater. I am curious how I could channel that energy into becoming a motivated cooker. If I have enough initiative to get up and drive somewhere to get something, surely I can turn that into cooking up some good eats. By good eats, I mean things that are healthy for Ben and myself to consume. I am learning that healthy doesn't have to mean that it tastes awful.

I have been in the "sustainability" mode for about four months now. I am seeking to sustain where my weight loss is at, and continue with the day to day life stuff. Being around other people makes me realize that I do eat differently than most. I eat many more times a day than others do. I wonder if sustaining gets easier the longer you are out from your weight loss phase. We will always have food demons we must face. I just want to be able to face mine with confidence, and walk away victorious.

I am making Apple Stuffed Pork Chops tonight. :)

Motivated or Unmotivated Eater?

Surprising Reasons You're Gaining Weight

"Being a Motivated EaterWhat would you do to get a snack? Get off the couch at 10 p.m., change out of your pajamas and drive through a frigid night to buy ice cream at the grocery store? Then you’re a motivated eater and it can be harder for you to resist indulging your cravings, says Dr. Temple. “Non-motivated” eaters would rather not eat anything and just stay put on the couch."

I thought about this as I read this article from Woman's Day magazine. I certainly fell into the "motivated eater" category as a pre-op. In assessing my post-op life, more often than not, I still fall into that category. Accessibility is certainly a key factor. I live in a large city where it does not take much time to get an food that I would desire. I need to learn to work on eating what I have, and if that doesn't cut it, then face the fact that I am probably not that hungry after all.

What type of eater are you, motivated or unmotivated?

Get Up

and MOVE!!!

I just read a statistic from Woman's Day magazine. Obese women SIT 2 1/2 hours more per day than their non-obese counterparts. If that isn't enough incentive to move, I don't know what is! Start with something little, you can close the gap.

Mainly a Photo Post

Above is a picture with me and two of my students celebrating their victory of School President and Vice-President. This was taken on Thursday, the day of my two year anniversary post-op.

Below, I am just acting silly on the plane before it takes off.


So Norman Rockwell...

Tortilla Lasagna

This turned out AWESOME! My only regret was that I was not able to use low-carb tortillas. They did not have any at the store. :(

Apple Pie Crumble

I have never made a pie before. The crust was pre-made, but everything else was from scratch. One of the hardest parts was peeling the apples. I am not good at that at all. I peeled two in the time it took Ben's mom to peel five. She also left significantly more apple on the apple, while I peeled away more apple.

The apple pie meets Ben's approval!

Today was a good day, and I am really enjoying my time with his family. I am also looking forward to some R&R this week.

Cream Cheese Cupcakes

I have not tried these yet, but boy have they been all the rave on the OH Board!

Cupcake:
3 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
1 cup of Splenda
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Filling:
8 oz Sour Cream
2 TBSP Splenda
1/4 tsp Vanilla

Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Place cream cheese in a bowl, and add one egg at a time, beating with a hand mixer. Slowly add the Splenda and vanilla. (The batter will be thin.) Pour into paper cupcake liners. (Makes approx. 12 very full cupcakes.) Bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes (until large cracks appear on the top). Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.Combine filling ingredients and add a tsp on top of each cupcake and return to the oven for 5 minutes.Cool and then keep refrigerated.

Fun Picture

TWO YEARS TODAY!!!

I had my DS two years ago today. :) Life is so good. I've maintained a 198.6 pound loss for one year now, with an overall loss of 254.6 pounds. I'll try and post something more detailed later this evening.

Realizing How Different I Am...

I was having a conversation with two co-workers about donuts this morning. When I said, "I can eat four donuts, and feel hungry an hour later." What I meant by this was that an hour after eating donuts, I am ready to eat because they don't stay with me. Another co-worker said, "Wow, you can eat four donuts."

This is when I realized that I am different people who were never overweight. In this person's mind, it is incomprehensible to think of eating that many donuts. Yet in my mind, while I knew this was "quite a bit" I didn't think it was overkill using my SSMO brain. There is so much reprogramming of my brain that must be done.

Weekend Recap

Saturday I went shopping and heard two GREAT comments! "We only have this in a medium, not a small." Also, "The smallest we have this skirt in is an eight." :)

Saturday afternoon we went bowling and to dinner with my entire family. That was so much fun. We then had coffee, went out to dinner and for a walk with my friends, and ended the night at another coffee shop. It was so great connecting with them.

Today we finally found a Sunday School class we would like to call home. This feels so good to find an uplifting class taught b someone knowledgeable, and having people in the class that we can learn from. Afterwards, we went on our second "interview" lunch with a couple who we feel has a very strong marriage. This was a very beneficial time.

Pictures from the Weekend

Amazing Quote from Lyn at Escape from Obesity

Lyn's Quote:

Freedom isn't about being able to eat whatever you want. It isn't about buying a bunch of candy bars and inhaling them all at once. Real freedom is not about indulging every desire; it's about being free to live your life and enjoy your moments... being able to walk down the block if you want to, or take your kids to the park and play with them. It's about being able to vacuum and mop the floors without hyperventilating or collapsing into a big sweaty puddle of agony without even finishing the job. Real freedom is control. It's about being able to set boundaries for yourself, rather than having them set *for* you by your weight. The false freedom in a binge... the sense of being "able" to eat whatever you want... does not lead to happiness. Real joy, I am finding, comes from being *in control* of my intake, which results not just in weight loss but also in the ability to live life the way I want to live it.

I Love Saturdays!!!

I'm sorry that there really has no been much in the way of weight loss/healthy type blogging. I live in so much more of an "aware" state when it comes to this aspect of my life. I refuse to allow myself to get as big as a house again. Yet, I don't really have a great deal to talk about when it comes to it. I have really starte reading blogs about healthy eating/exercising, and realize that I have MUCH to learn. Right now I'm just trying to learn how to have a balance with life: learning how to live my life to the fullest, while at the end of the day being happy with the number I see on the scale, how I feel, and how my pants fit.

Starting March 28th, look forward to Tiffany's Cooking Adventures! I'll be with Ben at his mom's house, and I'm planning on cooking up several meals. :)

Yesterday I took a quick nap when I got home. Then, Ben and I went to dinner. Afterwards, we played a game of Clue and Scattegories at the Seminary for game night. That was a good time. Finally, Ben and I went to Dennys to sit and be able to talk a bit more.

Today, I am going to go shopping for a little bit, then meet Ben to go bowling with my parents. Hopefully tonight I will get to spend some time with Ben and the gang from my church.

500 Miles...

The I Would Walk 500 miles song is going to be one that we play at our wedding reception. Lat night, Ben found the song online and we danced to it in my living room. I really needed that burst of silliness in my day. This man really does FIT me.

We also spent time doing something very exciting last night: Planning our HONEYMOON! :) We have narrowed it down to three different hotels. I've been to DC two different times, but this trip is going to be a trip of a lifetime! One of the hotels offered picnic lunches. I'm excited about that.

No Tickets

I tried to get tickets to the NCAA basketball game that my undergrad is playing in. My university only got 500 tickets. They were sold out. I am not going to buy them off of E-Bay. If I can get them at a normal price, we will make the trek.

Today is a great day because I get to come STRAIGHT HOME after work. Woooo Hoooo!!!! :)

The Sweetest!

Ben is the sweetest. He knew how upset my mom was about being excluded on this trip. He decided that we needed to do something fun with her. On Saturday, we are going to go bowling and have dinner with my family.

My undergrad team won the first round of the NCAA tourney! I am wondering if we could swing going to the game on Friday night in Dayton, OH. :)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Today was a successful day that ended with no pinching. This is quite a feat for 5th graders. :) I worked on my menu for spring break a little bit today (my student teacher had her first "solo" day, so after awhile I got bored.) I couldn't resist taking the kids out for recess.

I got my DS shirt in today. I will be posting a picture of it soon. Fun times.

I am in the Founders Cafe waiting for Ben. We are going to a Festival of Hymns, then for a nice walk to take in this seventy degree weather.

I've Been There Before, and I Know What It is Like...

My heart breaks for my mom this evening. My mom got excluded from a trip to Florida that two of my aunts are going on (and got set up), along with a few other family friends. Basically, my aunt danced around it, but pretty much called my mom handicapped, and that she wouldn't be able to keep up with them. I've been there, I know what it is like to some extent. My mom is not able to walk as fast as them, but she certainly deserved an invite. I remember pre-DS, there were many times I couldn't even keep up with my mom.

In other news, I can almost wrap both hands around my thigh (my middle fingers touching, then making a circle with my hands). As corny as it sounds, it was a great feeling.

Feeling Different

It is true that it only takes a few pounds for your clothes to feel very uncomfortable when you are out of the plus size section. My clothes feel so much better than when I was up a few pounds. I know that some people only judge their weight based on how their clothes fit. If you have things that button and zip (not knit pants), I can see how this would be a valid way to keep your weight in check. For myself personally, I need the accountability of the number on the scale.

Lets go tackle this week! Have a great Monday everyone!

I Blinked...

and the weekend is OVER!

Today was a jam packed day. We went to church, then to lunch. Next, it was off to visit with my parents. We had a good visit with the pastor. We are going to have to make some tough calls on the guest list. The church will hold 150 comfortably.

I've had somewhat of a silent critical spirit lately. I don't verbalize my thoughts out to others, but this is something that I really want to work on. I don't like it.

This was an awesome wow that happened this morning....I tried on a size small jacket, and it was too big for me! :) I'm going to take it to Ben's mom and have her move the buttons over.

Saltimbanco Russian Swing, Cirque du Soleil

This stuff was made of awesome!!!

Nothing Like...

a GREAT nights sleep! :) Nine wonderful hours! Woooo Hoooo!!!

Last night we had a great time listening to the Air Force Band.

Now I'm just having a relaxed Saturday morning having a toasted Arnold's Thin with peanut butter.

Wishing for SLEEP = Boring Post

The afternoon nap of three hours is affecting my sleep right now. I want to go to sleep so badly! This weekend Ben and I have several things on tap.

Tomorrow we are going to hear the US Airforce Band play.

Saturday we are going to see Cirque du Soleil: Saltibanco

Sunday we will be meeting with the pastor who will be performing our wedding ceremony and doing some other wedding related planning with my parents.

I talked with Ben's mom about decorating the church this evening. She currently decorates her church each month. She has an extensive collection of artificial flowers, etc that could be used. I am so glad she really wants to do this.

I've also made a list of things to do while we are in North Carolina:

1. Go through his grandmother's house to see what items we want.
2. Register for gifts at Target.
3. Get an outfit for both of us for our engagement photos.
4. Get our wedding rings.
5. Work on church decorating ideas with his mom.

Also, I'll be cooking that whole week for dinner!

Stabilized

My weight bounce up has stabilized, but my diligence to keep it there must stay HIGH. My old co-worker talked about battling with ten pounds, and how she had done so for years. I don't know if my threshold should be ten pounds. That is too uncomfortable for me. If I spike up five (other than that time of the month), that is cause for red alert for me. I've been blessed to have a pretty easy ride on this weight loss journey. If maintaining takes some effort, so be it. I AM WORTH IT.

I am going back to work after two days off being sick. I could truly use another day off, but that is not going to happen.

Being an Adult is Hard...

A friend of mine from high school father died on Monday. Ben, my mom, and I are going to the visitation this evening. It scares me so much when people whose parents are close to my parents age (in this case younger) pass away. I worry about my parents passing away. This is going to be a difficult night.

Supportive

My guy is so supportive. Last night I was sitting on his lap, and I asked him if I felt five pounds heavier, and he laughed. He said I felt the same as I did before. Even if you gain five pounds you will still be beautiful. Then he rationalizes several reasons as to why I have probably had a weight gain. This morning he said, "Look at that sleek slender frame you have."


The heat has been coming on when I turn on my air conditioning, so the guys are here fixing that right now. I always like to be well ahead of the game to make sure my AC is in full working order before the mad spring rush hits. Thank heavens I don't sweat/get hot like I used to though. That was MISERABLE.


My Chia seeds came in the mail today. Here is an article about their benefits. I am waiting for an email back from another DSer to see how I need to incorporate them into my diet appropriately.

Excellent Quote

"When you really want to do something, in your heart of hearts, you will find a way. But if you don't really want to do something, you will always find an excuse." - Pat Farmer

S.I.C.K.

This is my second sick day. Hope to be on the mend soon. Good night!

The Buck Stops HERE!

I knew it would happen at some point, but just didn't know when. The scale jumped up....way up...five pounds UP. THE BUCK STOPS HERE. It's not that time of month, it is a jump, an UNWELCOMED jump. This jolt on the scale was enough to send me into a full blown panic. For a few months I've been fine weight wise, but this is not acceptable.

My biggest cocern now is: making sure that I can continue to fit into my wedding dress!

Today I really focused on high protein and complex carbs. I feel really good about the choices I made. I gave my students two boxes of my Girl Scout cookies (3 cookies each). This weight has to come off.

I will also be ordering some Coromega Omega-3 from Vitalady soon. It is a form of Omega-3 that is easier for DSers to absorb.

Grocery Shopping and Dinner

I forgot how much I liked these Boston Market dinners. They do have a decent amount of carbs in them, but ok for someone who is at my stage of the DS. The protein value is very high as well.

I was so excited to see Manwich!!! Manwich brings back good memories of my childhood. I am going to try the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Sundried Tomato and Basil flavor with my sandwiches that I make on Arnold's Sandwich Thins.

I got two varities of Sugar-Free pudding. The chocolate I've had before, but I decided to give the Sugar Free Rice Pudding in Creme Brule flavor a go! I got Orange Marmalade and Strawberry Preserves in Sugar Free to add to my Arnold's Sandwich Thins Peanut Butter Sandwich I have each morning. I've heard ok things about these Atkins bars, so I am giving them a try as well.

Dinner is Manwich on a open faced toasted Arnold's Sandwich Thin and Creme Brule flavored Rice pudding. Mmmmmm GOOD!!!

Caring for the Sick

Ben is really sick. I've been taking care of him since yesterday afternoon. I am pretty wore out myself, and I sure hope that I don't catch what he has going on. SO. NOT. FUN.

Ben being sick brings me to a weight loss topic: Stress Eating. I didn't have much of an opportunity to eat when taking care of him. I know that my body needs a certain amount of calories because of my surgery. That doesn't mean that I have a license to eat whatever I can grab. There are going to be many more times where I stress eat, but that does not give me the license to eat crap. I have to make better choices in order to continue to maintain my weight loss.

I did find a drink yesterday that I am in love with! Fuze: Empower (Pomegranate Acai Berry). This drink is twenty calories and four carbs. It has been almost two years, and I still miss Coca-Cola! I would love to pick up a can and have some. Yet, I know that I cannot. Fortunately, there are many other excellent alternatives out there. Take time to find what works for you. Don't give into liquid calories that are useless.

Clancy Movie

Ben and I watched this movie last night. It was made by a local couple. It was an amazing movie. At the end of the movie, I had tears running down my face, and my soul had been fed. Check out more about the movie at: www.clancymovie.com

Morning!

Yesterday I could not get SWEETS off my mind. It was one of those days. Every spare minute my thoughts wondered to eating some of the Girl Scout cookies I had, or peanut butter M&Ms. I didn't cave in though. We justify so many things, and I knew if I opened the bag of M&Ms or cookies, they would be GONE in before the day was over. I know we need to be thankful for small victories, but yesterday this victory was pretty huge. I really wanted those sweets.

I got a call from my old college roommate who happened to be in town at a conference. The conference was at the seminary that Ben attends! I got to see her perform. It was a nice surprise.

Also, check out this article: Be a Zebra. Go against the flow!

Wedding Dress Alterations

My dress needs to be taken up two inches. I plan on wearing FLATS/Tennis Shoes/Flip Flops on that day! :) The Bolero Jacket will be at my elbows. She is going to make it a summer jacket. She has to take in the back as well, since it was sticking out some. There is some detail work right at the waist, but it is difficult to see in these pictures. I do love my dress. :)

Almost TGIF!

This has been a good week, but pretty busy. I know most of my blog entries are boring, and for that I am sorry.

I got my student teacher on Tuesday. I have always had such a hard time giving up control of my class to my student teachers. I know that she will need this experience, but it is still difficult to do.

After GED, Ben and I had dinner together, and watched "With Honors" on Netflix. With Honors was one of my favorite movies in high school. We were going to watch something funny, but nothing stuck out as we were looking through Netflix.

This weekend we have to make our invitation list. This is going to be difficult, because we are going to have to make some tough choices based on how many people our church/reception hall can hold.

How Much Time?

At a meeting yesterday, my principal said something that was very interesting. He was talking about how long it took to practice something in order to become an expert. This is setting aside talent, you still need 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. I'm going to keep blogging, and reading, because I have a LONG way to go to become an expert on how to maintain my weight loss!

In other news....my fiancee bought me TWO CASES of Girl Scout Cookies. One case was Thin Mint and the other was Tagalong. How awesome is that?

Christmas in March

We had lunch with the Christmas's today. They are a couple from our church. We had lunch with them to learn about how you have a successful marriage. They have been married for sixty years. It was so awesome getting to hear their story. We are going out with another couple next Sunday. I really want to absorb as much as I can from other couples who have walked where we are about to walk.

I came home and took a nice nap. Now I am waiting for Ben to come over. He is bringing over a late dinner. I'm going to have some Chicken Pizza Flatbread.

Wow! It is already March!

I cannot believe that 1/6 of the year has already passed by!

Last night Ben and I narrowed the cakes down to three choices. I am going to submit those to the wedding cake person and go from there. We also agreed on the wording for the wedding invitations. We will need to order more invitations though. I underestimated the number that would be needed.

We had dinner at Turkey Joes, and then went ballroom dancing. I really like doing it! I think I would like to invest in a really good pair of shoes that were intended for just that purpose. Many of the ladies at the studio have them. I will have to ask about what is a good brand, etc.

I went yesterday to drop off my taxes. I have majorly slacked with getting those done this year. I've gone to the same lady for 6 years. I knocked on her door, and let myself in. There was a couple she was working with (her living room is her office during tax season). I apologized for interupting, and asked her where could I leave my tax information. She motioned where to put it, but kept giving me this strange look. She finally said, "You have lost a ton of weight." I had to think about it, but this time last year, I was hovering right around the 200 pound mark. I replied, "I've lost about 60 pounds since I've last seen you."

Bathing suits are starting to come out. I am going to have my mom and sister go with me to start finding a swim suit. I dread this process, but I cannot use the ones that I have previously borrowed from friends, they are way too big. I know I will need one for the honeymoon, so I might as well start looking while the selection is the largest.