This Thanksgiving vs. Last Thanksgiving

So... I wasn't perfect this Thanksgiving.

And... I wasn't perfect last Thanksgiving, either.

But... I think the numbers speak for themselves...

Thanksgiving 2008: 377 lbs.

Thanksgiving 2009: 334 lbs.

I weighed 44 pounds less this year!

Woo hoo!

Can't wait to see how the numbers stack up next Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a wonderful day! Happy Thanksgiving!

xo,
C.C.

:)

'Twas the Day Before Thanksgiving

Hi, everyone! How's your day going so far? Mine's been quite busy... baking, cleaning, planning... all in preparation for "Turkey Day" tomorrow! Only in my house... it won't be "Turkey Day." It will be "Chicken Day" because my husband does not like turkey. hehe

I just wanted to pop in and say "hi" and wish you all a happy day-before-Thanksgiving! (And hopefully you'll get a good chuckle from these comics, too!) :)

And I'm curious... how are you spending the day today?

If I Lived on Sesame Street

If I lived on Sesame Street... I'd be Cookie Monster! And here's why:

I have been doing battle with a tin full of homemade sugar cookies that has been sitting on my kitchen counter for the past few days! And I just want to eat every single cookie in that tin! Aaaggghhhhh!!!

Some of you might be wondering why there is a tin of homemade sugar cookies sitting on my kitchen counter to begin with. Well... I made cookies on Saturday and gave most of them away to a needy family. But I kept a few for my husband. And they have been calling my name from inside that tin every time I step into the kitchen and walk past them!

And here's the conversation that's going on in my head every time I see that tin of cookies sitting on the counter:

"I want to eat those cookies. But I shouldn't eat those cookies. But I know that they would taste SO good. But... I know that if I eat them... I will not lose weight. They are not good for me. But everyone else eats cookies. Why can't I? Because I've already eaten more than enough cookies to last a lifetime. Eating so much crap my whole life is what made me fat to begin with. Do I want to be fat the rest of my life? Or do I want to lose this weight once and for all? What is more important to me? A cookie or being healthy and fit??? Being healthy and fit. So... I will not eat any of those cookies, darn it!"

Oh... this is SUCH a battle sometimes, isn't it? In fact... sometimes I think it's more of a BATTLE than a JOURNEY. Some days... it is so easy to stay on track with my eating. And other days... I have to fight ALL DAY LONG to not give in to temptation and pig out. Some days I don't even have much of an appetite... and other days I just feel like stuffing food in my pie hole the entire day!

Even when I'm doing well for a few weeks... it seems like I inevitably end up hitting a bump in the road somewhere along the way. But... I've learned that a bump doesn't have to stop me. A bump is just a bump. It's not a dead-end. I can move past that bump and continue to make progress down the road. A bump can delay my progress somewhat... but it does not have to stop it!

So now I'm telling myself... "A bump is just a bump. GET OVER IT!!!"

I haven't binged on cookies today. Today I won the battle. And I'm sure there will be more battles to fight in the future. And chances are I won't win all of them. But as long as I win MOST of them... I'll continue to make progress. No matter how many bumps I have to get over... I am NOT going to quit!

Yippee! A 2.5 Pound Gain!

Yes, you read that correctly. I gained 2.5 pounds... and I am thrilled to death!

No... it's not what you think. Let me explain... hehe...

Yesterday I challenged myself to use the 5 lb. hand weights while doing the Leslie Sansone WATP 2-mile video instead of using the 2.5 lb. hand weights which I normally use. And... I did it! I was able to complete the entire workout using the 5 lb. hand weights! Woo hoo!

I was definitely sweating more than usual when the workout was finished, and I felt like I had gotten a much more intense workout with the 5 lb. weights than the 2.5 lb. weights. Woo hoo! Yay for me!

There is NO turning back now!!!

The Great Pumpkin Peril of 2009, Plus a Recipe

Egads! Have you heard THIS???

Apparently, the 2009 pumpkin crop has been spoiling in the fields due to an over-abundance of rain this year. And there will most likely be a shortage of pumpkin not only over the holidays... but until after next year's harvest!

Holy crap. This has really upset me... because just last week I started to eat 1/2 c. pumpkin with 2 pinches of sugar, a T. of skim milk, and a sprinkling of cinnamon as a snack! I zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it... and I've somehow convinced myself that it tastes just as yummy as good, old-fashioned pumpkin pie.

But now... the enjoyment of my precious pumpkin may be postponed until next year??? Aaaggghhhh!!!

I don't know about you... but I'm going to be heading to Walmart ASAP to stock up! And if I DO actually manage to find some pumpkin... here's a yummy-looking recipe that I just might make for Thanksgiving as a healthier alternative to pumpkin pie:

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Creamy Ginger Filling

It's only 180 calories and has 0 g fat per serving. Sounds like a wiser choice to me! :)

Much Discipline = Much Progress

I mentioned recently that I needed to practice more discipline in my effort to lose weight. So I adopted a new, healthier eating plan last Thursday, and recommitted to exercising at least 3 times a week. And... I'm so happy to share that since I've become much more disciplined... I have seen much more progress!

I stepped on the scale this morning to see what a week of discipline could do for me... and I weighed in at 334 pounds! Woo hoo! That is DEFINITELY progress! I've lost 66.8 pounds so far... and I am more optimistic than ever that I will lose the remaining 133.2 lbs. and reach my goal of losing 200 pounds!

And I thought it was so appropriate that on Sunday, while listening to the radio, I heard the following statement about discipline:

"Desire without discipline is just a dream." Pastor Paul Sheppard

That statement has remained with me all week, and I have a feeling it's going to remain with me the rest of my journey to lose 200 pounds... and beyond... because it's a statement that can be applied to not only weight loss... but to every area of one's life.

So... let's begin to consistently practice more DISCIPLINE in our lives... because if we do... we are definitely going to see more PROGRESS! :)

Droppin' It Like It's Hot

Last week, I decided it was time to change my eating plan and become more disciplined the remainder of the year. I decided that I actually wanted to LOSE weight through the holiday season instead of GAIN weight through the holiday season like last year. I did not want a repeat of November-December 2008, so I decided that I needed an immediate eating plan makeover.

So on Thursday of last week, I switched over to my new and improved eating plan. And I actually started to feel like my body was losing weight again! I wanted to wait until this Thursday to weigh in and see how much progress I had made, but curiosity got the best of me and I took a sneak peek at the scale yesterday. And for a second, when I looked at the number on the scale, I was in shock!

I've lost 5 pounds since last Thursday! I am down to 335.8 pounds! That's a 65 lb. total loss since February 9th! It's also the least I've weighed since starting this blog a little over 2 years ago. To say that I am thrilled beyond words is the understatement of the century! Woo hoo!

And it's really weird, but... I can see and feel more of a difference in my body having dropped these last 5 pounds than I could see and feel having lost the previous 60 pounds. It's like suddenly... ALL of my clothing is feeling loose on me. And suddenly I can actually SEE the difference when I look in the mirror. I just feel like I've received a different body in the past few days, even though I've been losing weight for several months now. Has anyone else ever experienced this strange phenomenon... or am I the only weirdo here in Blogland? hehe

So... I bet you're curious. What eating plan have I adopted? What foods am I actually eating? Well... let me tell you.

I'm not going to mention the name of a specific plan here on my blog, because I realize that different plans work for different people. And this might not work for you, but it's working for me. All I'm going to say is that I am following a slightly more lenient version of an eating plan which most of you have probably seen advertised on TV at some time or another.

I am not starving myself. I am eating 3 small, well-balanced meals and 3 small, well-balanced snacks per day. And I am eating natural, unprocessed foods that supposedly will cause my metabolism to kick into high gear. And... so far... it really seems to be working. I'm not hungry at all, and the weight is coming off. I have renewed hope that I really will lose all the weight that I need to lose and be under 200 pounds some day. And that is a good thing!

Some of the foods that I've been eating include the following:

Fruits: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, apples
Veggies: all non-starchy veggies, raw or steamed
Protein: chicken breast, turkey breast, lean turkey bacon, lean turkey sausage, lean ground beef, turkey breast lunch meat, eggs, lean sirloin steak, fish
Carbs: oatmeal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, rice, bananas, pumpkin

There are other foods that I'm "allowed" to eat on this plan, but these are the ones that I actually like. I'm also taking a multi-vitamin, fish oil capsules, and a calcium supplement every day, as I have done for several years now. Plus... I drink lots of water.

I'm going to follow this plan the rest of the year, and possibly beyond that. And I totally expect to have fantastic results to share with all of you by December 31st! My next official weigh-in will be on December 9th, and I'm already excited about what the scale will say! Woo hoo!

I hope you're all having a great day! Stay strong, do the best that you can each day, and let's spend the rest of this year losing weight and getting healthy!

(PS: It is not my intention to endorse any particular weight loss plan over any other. I am just telling you what is currently working for me. I am neither a nutritionist nor a doctor. So... before you start ANY weight loss plan... make sure you visit your physician to get his/her approval!)

Why I'm Recommitting to Exercise this Week

Yesterday hubby and I went to the movies. And we sat at the top level of chairs. And, of course, we had to walk up quite a few steps to get there. When we reached the top and finally sat down, I was actually quite winded. Now, I wasn't completely out of breath or anything... but I WAS breathing harder than I normally do.

And... I just sat there and thought... "This should not be. THIS SHOULD NOT BE!"

So... perhaps that was the wake up call that I needed to recommit to exercise this week. In fact... it WAS the wake up call that I needed to recommit to exercise this week! So, Leslie Sansone... here I come!

And on a more positive note... I did not eat any popcorn or any other snackies while we were watching the movie. Yay!

Porcupine Meatballs Gone Wild

So... yesterday I was hoping to be able to share a new recipe with you. I had found a recipe for Porcupine Meatballs that looked pretty yummy, and I decided to make them on Thursday. Alas... they did not turn out well... hence no recipe was posted here on Friday.

Instead... I come to you today asking...

Does anybody have a recipe for really yummy and figure-friendly Porcupine Meatballs?

If you do... I'd love to have it!

And today I'm making a new chicken recipe. If all goes well... I'll share the recipe with all of you next Friday. It's a crock pot recipe... and it smells really good. So hopefully it will taste as good as it smells! hehe

I hope you're all having a great weekend! And thanks in advance for any Porcupine Meatball recipes that come my way!

xo,
C.C.

PS: For those of you who have never heard of Porcupine Meatballs, please do not be alarmed. They are not made with porcupine meat. hehe They are made with ground beef, and rice in the meatballs is supposed to resemble porcupine quills. hehe

The Mystery of the Vanishing Cake: Conclusion

So... if you've read this and this, you know that I was the culprit responsible for consuming the majority of a chocolate cake that I recently made. Confession really WAS good for the soul... because most of the comments on those two posts let me know that I am not the only one who does crazy stuff like eating 95% of a chocolate cake in 2 days and concealing that fact from the rest of the household by deception. You let me know that I am NOT alone in this weight loss struggle... because we ALL struggle from time to time. At least most of us do. So you made me feel human again... and not like a freak... and for that I thank you!

I've realized that cake is not my friend. Sometimes I can eat a tiny slice here and there in moderation... but sometimes I can't. Sometimes I want to consume an entire cake by myself... and I do. I'm not proud of that by any means. And I'm sure I'll eat cake in the future. But for now... and for the rest of the year... I vow that not even a CRUMB of cake will pass my lips!

It's no surprise to me that the scale did not show a loss when I weighed in on November 9th. And you know why it didn't? Sure... the cake had A LOT to do with that... but there were other reasons, too. And I'm going to once again confess what was going down my pie hole at various times between October 9th and November 9th.

Brace yourselves. This is going to be ugly. hehe

Here goes...

1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
2. Hershey's Kisses
3. Almond Joys
4. Pizza - most of a pie at one sitting!
5. General Tso's chicken and Crab Rangoon
6. 6 cream-filled donuts in 2 days
7. A pack of animal crackers in a day
8. Pumpkin Pie

Yep... my eating was out of control A LOT in the past month. But... I did manage to stay on track SOME of time. And I did manage to exercise a few times. But I'm really just thankful that I didn't gain 20 pounds.

I think part of my problem is that I did not have internet service most of that month, and I did not have the support of all of you to keep me going and to help get me back on track when I was struggling so much. You all are priceless... and I truly appreciate every one of you! I hope you know that!

At any rate... I am determined to make the rest of this year count. I'll be sharing more about my plan to stay on track the rest of the year very soon.

And to those of you who have asked about a "Chubby Chick's Christmas Challenge", I'm sorry to say that I won't be doing that this year. I probably would have started one in October, but since I didn't have internet service... it was impossible. Sorry about that... and thanks to all who participated last year and who wanted to do it again this year.

OK... I'm off to try a new recipe for supper now! If it's good... I'll be sharing it with all of you tomorrow!

Mwa!

:)

Welcome Back to the 21st Century!

Woo hoo! I am thrilled to report that I once again have reliable internet service and I have re-entered the 21st Century! hehe And you know what that means? It means that I will be able to get back to regular blogging and will be able to keep in touch with all of you! I am SO happy about that!

Here's a sneak peek of some of the topics that I'm planning to blog about in the coming days...

1. The conclusion to "The Mystery of the Vanishing Cake"

2. My plan to make it through the holidays and actually LOSE weight this year

3. My 9-month weigh-in results from this past Monday, November 9th

4. The strange weight-loss phenomenon that has bit me in the butt more times than I can remember

5. A new recipe that I plan to try this week

And... just for the heck of it... what would YOU like to have me blog about? Is there anything in particular that any of you want to know that I've never revealed here before? Just let me know... and I'll do my best to accomodate your request! Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Oh... I am just SO happy to be back! See you all real soon! :)

The Mystery of the Vanishing Cake: Part Two

"He asked for a piece of cake Monday night after supper...

and I told him that I got rid of it so it wouldn’t tempt me anymore. I wanted him to think that I had put it down the garbage disposal. And that’s what he thought I meant. But... that was NOT what happened. I ate it. THAT is how I got rid of it. I got rid of it by eating it! I felt bad that I had deceived him... and that I had not kept any of the cake for him when I knew that he liked it. And I KNEW that he would want a piece of it Monday night. But I ate it anyway. I felt like such a big, fat, selfish pig."

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Mystery of the Vanishing Cake: Part One

I don't know about you... but I love a good mystery! I'm a Nancy Drew fan from way back. And Agatha Christie has always been one of my favorite authors. And in the spirit of a good mystery thriller... I'm going to share a few excerpts from an email that I wrote to a very close friend recently. Today I will share Part One of the email, and Part Two will follow later in the week.

But first... let me give you an update on my internet availability status...

I still don't have internet in my home, and am currently writing this post outdoors. And, let me tell ya... it's kind of hard to view the computer screen because the sun is shining so brightly right now! lol So... I must make this little internet date short and get back to my house ASAP. But... I do hope to have my own internet service within the next week... and I PROMISE to get back to regular blogging right away!

And now... on to Part One of "The Mystery of the Vanishing Cake!"

I did very poorly with my eating this past week. It’s like I was totally out of control. I was eating everything in sight, and I made a chocolate cake “for my husband.” Ha! I ended up eating 90% of it myself. At least it was just cake, and not icing. I didn’t frost it because my husband doesn’t like frosting on his cakes. What is wrong with him??? Lol To me... a cake just isn’t cake without frosting. Anyway, I made the cake last Friday, and by Monday it was gone. My husband only had 2 or 3 pieces of it. I ate the rest. I actually hid that fact from him. I am SO bad. He asked for a piece of cake Monday night after supper..."

TO BE CONTINUED....
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