I Love Free Samples!

Hi, everyone! I just wanted to pass on this free sample offer that I just discovered. It's from Kashi, and you can choose from...

-GOLEAN Crisp!™ Toasted Berry Crumble cereal
Crispy clusters tossed with blueberries and cranberries

-TLC® Dark Chocolate Coconut Fruit & Grain bar
Chewy granola bar topped with dark chocolate and coconut flakes

-GOLEAN Crunch!® Honey Almond Flax cereal
Crunchy almonds, golden honey and toasty grains

I chose the TLC Dark Chocolate Coconut Fruit & Grain bar. I can't wait to try it!

This offer is for US residents only, and as long as supplies last. I'd act quickly... because it seems like sample offers like this always go fast!

Here's the link:

Kashi Free Sample

xo,
C.C. :)

Seven Secrets

Thank you, Chubba Momma and Cactus Freak, for the sweet "Beautiful Blogger" awards that you recently gave to me. I appreciate your kindness so much. And I just want to say that I think all of my blog buddies are beautiful!

The rules of the award state that I am to tell you 7 things about myself that you wouldn't know. Sounds kind of fun and mysterious. hehe So... here goes...

1. I've been scared of bears my entire life. When I was a child... I used to have nightmares of bears coming to my house at night, busting the windows, and breaking into my bedroom. Scary stuff!

2. My dad taught me how to drive when I was 13 years old, and he would let me drive on the highway sometimes. (Not major interstates... just roads in the country that never had much traffic.)

3. My favorite toys when I was a child were my Barbie Dolls. I always got a new one for Christmas each year. But I always chopped their hair off. And then I hated what they looked like with short hair. lol I eventually outgrew that hair-chopping stage, thank God. My Barbies were quite thankful as well. hehe

4. I would love to live in a cabin beside a lake in the middle of the woods... surrounded by mountains and trees.

5. When I was a child, I used to be afraid to look up at the sky at night because I was afraid I would see a UFO.

6. Watching fireworks is one of my favorite things in the world!

7. I stole a seahorse charm from my school's "lost and found" shelf when I was in second grade. I felt SO guilty I took it back the next day. hehe

Wow... that was fun! I didn't realize I had so many fears when I was a child though. lol Honestly... I didn't even list them all. I used to be afraid of Bigfoot, too. lol

Anyway... I'm SUPPOSED to nominate 7 more bloggers for this award... but I can't do that because I think that ALL of you are beautiful bloggers and I'd love to read 7 secrets about ALL of you! So... if you'd like to participate... please do! Just let me know that you did so I can read your lists. :)

Thanks again, Chubba Momma and Cactus Freak! You guys rock! :)

Roller Coaster Ride

I've totally been on a weight-loss roller coaster ride the past two weeks. Actually... I think it's been longer than that. It seems more like the past few months!

It seems like I do very well for a week or so... and then I do very poorly for a week or so. And then I do very well for a week or so, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture.

And I've been lucky... because any weight that I gained during the not-so-good weeks rapidly disappeared during the on-plan weeks. But... I haven't really been making any progress lately when it comes to actual NEW weight loss. I've been gaining and losing the same few pounds for weeks now. And... lemme tell ya... I'm getting a little sick of it.

I've GOT to get off of this little dieting roller coaster NOW! I don't want to stay at 330 pounds indefinitely. I want to lose some more weight, for crying out loud! I REALLY want to get under 300 pounds within the next 6 months. But if I don't snap out of this crazy fog I've been in... that is not going to happen.

So far today... I've been on-plan. The roller coaster ride has slowed and is coming to a halt. And I'm getting ready to unbuckle the safety belt and set my feet back on solid ground again.

And one of these days... I'm actually going to be able to ride a REAL roller coaster and won't have to worry about fitting anymore! Woo hoo! I am SO looking forward to that day!

Kiss the Cook Friday... I Mean Thursday

It is so chilly where I live today... I thought it would be a good day to share a recipe for chili. Get it? Chilly/chili? hehe

It seems like everyone has a favorite recipe for chili, and this happens to be mine. And one of the good things about chili is that you can play with it a bit. You want it hotter? Add some hot sauce. You like corn or chick peas in your chili? Go ahead and dump some in. Play with this recipe and make it your OWN. I won't mind. :)

And... if you'd rather cook this in a crock pot instead of stove top, switch the ground beef for a lean cut of steak and go for it! I've made it both ways... and they're both winners.

Chili a la Chubby Chick

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon paprika
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes (preferably Mexican or Italian style), with liquid
1 15-ounce can kidney beans (or pinto beans), drained and rinsed
1 T. sugar, optional

1. Spray a large soup pot with cooking spray.

2. Put pot on burner and heat burner to medium high. Toss in the meat, onions, and green peppers. Cook until meat has been browned and veggies are slightly cooked.

3. Add remaining ingredients to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for about 2-3 hours. (Stir frequently. Remove lid during last half hour of simmering.)

4. Serve sprinkled with low-fat cheddar cheese and/or fat-free sour cream, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

(This recipe makes about 5 cups of chili. The ground beef I used was 140 calories per 4 oz. serving. One cup of chili is 180 calories. And... this tastes even better the second day!)

Pants on the Ground

"Pants on the ground, pants on the ground

Lookin' like a fool with my pants on the ground."


Oh.my.Lord! I cannot get that song out of my head! lol

If you watched "American Idol" tonight... you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. lol

Sorry... just had to share that with all of you. lol Back with a real post tomorrow, my dears! :)

Never Give Up

As many of you know, 11 months ago I had a big wake-up call when I stepped on the scale and weighed over 400 lbs. It was a horrible, horrible moment in my life... and from that moment on I KNEW that I had to change my lifestyle... or else.

I just read the post that I wrote that day, titled "Unbelievable," and I'm going to share it in full today in this post, because it absolutely bears repeating. Some of you have read it before, and some of you haven't. But I just want that post to serve as a reminder to me... and to all of you... that no matter how bad the current circumstances seem... we ALL have the power to change our lives for the better.

Today I stepped on the scale and weighed in at 331.6 lbs, almost 70 pounds less than what I weighed 11 months ago. And oh, what a wonderful, wonderful feeling that was! I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

I hope this post will inspire all of you to never, ever give up.


Unbelievable

"I am sitting here shocked, appalled, embarrassed, nervous, scared, and my stomach is in knots. I weighed myself this morning for the first time since last November. I didn't expect to see a pleasing number, but I was in no way prepared for what showed up on my scale. It was an all-time high, and right now I am feeling at an all-time low.

I have a Weight Watchers scale that weighs up to 400 lbs. When I got on the scale this morning, the letters "ERR" showed up. I thought it was a mistake, so I got off and tried again. It was no mistake. The letters "ERR" showed up again. And for the first time in my life... I weigh over 400 lbs.

I cannot even begin to describe how horrible I feel right now. I never thought it would come to this. I never thought I would weigh over 400 lbs. I can't even believe I just wrote "I weigh over 400 lbs."

I knew I had gained weight since Thanksgiving. I expected the scale to say 390-something. Hitting the 400 lb. mark was just not fathomable to me. I was never going to weigh that much. Ever. I might hit 399... but 400 was out of the question. Boy was I wrong.

It's bad enough knowing that I hit the 400 lb. mark. But it's even worse not knowing the exact number. Am I 401? Am I 405? Am I 410? 415??? What the heck do I weigh???

Weighing this much is just not acceptable. I've never really been scared about my weight before... but today I am scared. Today I am in shock. Today feels like my worst nightmare has come true.

Today has GOT to be the first day of the rest of my life. From this day forward, I must do everything in my power to lose weight and keep it off. I can't play games anymore. I can't move forward with anything less than 100% commitment and determination. I must make the correct choices every day of the rest of my life... or I'm not going to HAVE a life."

Best Breakfast of 2009

You know what they say. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Right? Does everybody agree with that? I sure do!

Breakfast jump-starts our metabolism, for one thing. And I'm all for a jumpin' metabolism, lemme tell ya. hehe

And WHAT we eat for breakfast will often determine how much energy and stamina we have as we go about our morning routine.

Eat a tiny bowl of sugar-coated cereal at 7:00 am, and I bet you'll be fighting a case of the munchies by 9:00. Sure, that stack of pancakes with a cup of sugary syrup LOOKS mighty yummy... but once that sugar-high wears off... you're probably going to find yourself walking down the hallway in search of the nearest vending machine or carelessly combing through the kitchen cupboards.

One thing I've learned this past year in regard to my weight loss is that eating a nutritious and filling breakfast in the morning is crucial for my success. I need to eat a healthy, tasty breakfast that will give me lots of energy and not make me feel deprived or like I'm on a "diet." Because you know what a "diet" is. It's "die" with a "t."

And honestly, in almost 2.5 years of weight loss blogging... I have never really given any "dieting" advice. I am not a doctor. (But I did play one on TV. Not! hehe)

But today I AM going to give you some advice... whether you're "dieting" or not. It's real simple... just two words...

EAT BREAKFAST!

Seriously... don't skip breakfast (or any meal) and starve yourself. Experiment with healthy breakfast foods and don't give up until you find THE breakfast that works for you... the one that gives you energy and keeps you feeling satisfied well into the morning... the one that keeps you away from that vending machine and out of the kitchen cupboards.

Last year, I literally ate the same breakfast 95% of the time. It is officially my "Best Breakfast of 2009." It's quick and easy to make, and it's healthy, too. It gives me more energy and keeps me feeling full longer than any other breakfast I've tried. In fact, I love it so much that breakfast has actually become my favorite meal of the day!

My "Best Breakfast of 2009"... and really of all-time... is...

1 100-calorie whole grain English Muffin, toasted
2 T. of natural peanut butter
1 cup orange juice
1 cup coffee with 1 T. creamer

That's it. Simple, yummy, and nutritious! And I highly recommend that you try it!

And... yes, I'm "drinking my calories" with the orange juice instead of just eating an orange. But... I LOVE to "drink my calories" at breakfast! hehe And, honestly... I just do not like eating oranges that much. (It's something about the texture. I don't like mangoes or watermelon either.)

What I'm trying to say is simply this: Find the breakfast that works for YOU. Because YOUR eating plan is all about YOU, isn't it???

For more information about why you should eat a nutritious breakfast each morning, HERE'S a great article.

And one more thing... what was YOUR "Best Breakfast of 2009?"

Things I Told Myself Today

Today, on this... the first Monday of 2010... I took a long hard look at myself in the mirror... and this is what I said...

"You've got to keep going. You have GOT to keep going. Do not give up. You still have a long way to go. You cannot quit now."

I've given myself a lot of pep talks like that these past few months. And you know what? As silly as it sounds... they really help me.

Have any of you ever tried that? If so... what do you tell yourself?

Revelations Revealed

So... I mentioned yesterday that I wasn't going to make any New Year's Resolutions this year. And you know why? Because they're just SO darn hard to keep! I really don't need that kind of pressure! lol

Instead... I've been pondering this past year of weight loss. I think I did pretty well overall. I've lost almost 70 pounds since February 9, 2009. Not bad... not bad at all! But... I know that I could have done better.

I'm not beating myself up about it. But I don't want to make the same mistakes in 2010 that I made in 2009. So... hopefully I'll be a little bit wiser this year... instead of just older. hehe

Things that I've learned (the hard way!) this past year include...

1. I do better when tempting foods are kept out of the house.

2. Foods that have tempted me the most this past year... and caused me to fall off the wagon a few times... include pizza, cookies, and cake.

3. I am not perfect. Except it and move on.

4. Don't wallow in self pity.

5. I can't rely on my husband for encouragement and motivation. Sad... but true. My husband is a great guy... but I can count on one hand the number of times that he has said something encouraging in regard to my weight loss this past year. This has derailed me in the past, because I would always feel bad and feel like "what's the use to even lose weight if he never even notices." And I would end up getting depressed... and then I would give up... and I would gain 50 pounds seemingly overnight. I literally forced myself to not rely on his support and encouragement this past year. I told myself that it was OK... that as long as I kept going... he WOULD eventually notice and compliment me. And a few times... he did. It just wasn't as often as I would have liked.

6. In the long run... I'm losing this weight FOR ME... not for anybody else. This kind of goes along with #5. Sure, part of my motivation for losing weight is to look good for my husband. But that is not the MAIN reason. If he never gives me another compliment in regard to my weight loss ever again... it doesn't matter. Because I am still going to look in the mirror and see the results of my hard work. And I will feel a sense of accomplishment for what I have achieved. And I will feel good about MYSELF. This journey isn't about him, my best friend, my family, my neighbors, or anybody else. It's about ME and MY quality of life.

7. I need to exercise more. To be perfectly honest... I hate to exercise. Or maybe I'm lazy. But for whatever reason... I rarely exercised in this past year. Sometimes I did really well for a few weeks... but then I would stop for several weeks. I definitely need to work out more often.

(And ... thanks to Alan from Fools Fitness... working out just may become a lot more fun for me in 2010! He notified me that I won a giveaway that he was hosting, and I won a Kathy Smith Latin rythmn workout DVD! How cool is that??? I'm looking forward to trying it out... and I'm hoping that this will jump start my commitment to regular exercise this year! Thanks, Alan!)

8. I need to limit homemade treats to holidays ONLY. I can't be baking a cake in the middle of October for no reason. Brownies in June is a recipe for dieting disaster! No more homemade baked goods on non-holidays, C.C.!

9. Falling off the wagon does not mean that I am a failure and I am going to gain back all of the weight that I've lost. STAYING off the wagon will cause me to fail and gain back all of the weight that I've lost. Quick recovery is the key!

I honestly think this is the most valuable lesson I have learned all year... because I fell off the wagon A LOT. But... I took it in stride. I didn't get all depressed about it and go on a 6-week binge... and then totally give up... and end up not dieting again for 3 years. I cannot even count the number of times that that has happened to me in the past!

In 2009... I forced myself to get back on the wagon quickly. I didn't beat myself up. I just looked at myself in the mirror and said, "Girl... you've got to keep going. You've GOT to keep going." And... somehow... that's what I did.

10. Don't rely totally on the scale as a measure of your weight loss success. Why? Because scales can be totally inaccurate at times. Many things affect our weight at any given moment of the day or month. Feeling a bit hormonal? Eating too much salty food? Stay away from the scale. I repeat... STAY AWAY FROM THE SCALE!

11. I feel best and lose the most weight when I drink lots of water, eat lean cuts of meat, eat lots of fruits and veggies, avoid sugar, and eat whole grains. Period.

12. I do best when I track my calories every day.

13. Emotional eating is my biggest downfall. I've REALLY got to work on that in 2010.

14. Celebrate EVERY loss... even if it's "only" 0.2 lbs.

Wow... those are just SOME of the lessons I've learned this past year! And they're probably the most important ones.

What lessons did YOU learn in 2009?