Lose For Good

Today was the Kick Off for the LOSE FOR GOOD campaign with Weight Watchers. Basically the amount of weight I lose from today until October 15th. I decided that my goal for this campaign is to lose 15 pounds which in turn means donating 15 pounds of food to a local food bank!! How awesome is that?!?!? :O)

This week I weighed in and I was down .6 pound. Its not a huge number but its a start! Total lost is 61.4!!!

So each week I will post a pic of the food that is being donated. So this week here is my .6 pound donation...

The pic will be full of stuff soon I hope but at least I have one can to donate so far!! :O)

Losing for Good!
J-Tru

Roddy meets Chewie

This weekend was a special weekend for our Roddy boy. He met his grandparents and his uncle Chewie. For those of you who don't know, Chewie is Robs moms dachshund. I arrived in Lancaster before Rob and forewarned Chewie that Roddy was on his way and that he was excited to meet him--we had been telling Roddy all week he was going to get to play with Chewie. Roddy and Rob arrive at the house and Roddy is not sure where he is but he starts smelling everything outside. He also met Brad and Stacey Kirkley--a sweet couple who go to church with Robs mom. Chewie and Grandma Barbara met Roddy. Chewie wasn't too sure about Roddy at first b/c he kept jumping on him but he did get used to him and they both used the grass together to potty. Roddy thought that Chewie should play with him constantly but Chewie is nine years old and didn't want much to do with him. Roddy did take over Chewies big bed, played with his stuffed animals, and drank from his water bowl. Roddy loved playing with Grandma Barbara too. She would bark at him and just pick him up and give him lots of hugs and kisses. He really liked getting all the attention from her!!! Roddy did well with pottying and he messed only two times in the house....thank goodness it was linoleum!!! He also go to meet Miss Debbie Elliott who is a long time friend of Grandma Barbara's. She enjoyed Roddy even though he was not a very good host! After enjoying time in Lancaster on Friday and Saturday, we headed home on Sunday. Roddy got to meet his Grandparents in Lugoff too. He enjoyed playing in the living room and of course had to leave his mark there too. He pottied on the floor but that was his way of making them remember him! My dad had to go to church early for evening service but he thought Roddy was super cute....dad loves the dachshund breed!! Mom played with him a little more and threw the ball with him in the living room. After a while of playing it was time to head home to Orangeburg. We enjoyed our visits this weekend and Roddy enjoyed meeting his family!!! More trips to come!!!

Love that boy of ours!
J-Tru

out of my element

This past week I was at my parents house because I was on-call for work. I had no control over what was being prepared for supper and I was pretty much just trying to eat well and not go over my points. Some days were better than others for sure but I did have a great week at home. I even ran/walked a few times this week!!!! I did get on the scale here at home on Sunday and it was pretty much the same as last week so I am hoping I either maintained again or lost a few ounces....a pound would be great!!!

So I stepped on the scale and the result is DOWN 2.0 pounds!!! That was super exciting for me today. So that is right folks, my total is 60.8!!!

This week I am going to try to change up my exercise routine, my even tackle the elliptical machine...DUN DUN DUN!!

One thing that Joanie said today was this--what is the difference between fAt and fIt---I!! I have to make the right choices and that it what I am doing!!!


Enjoy Life, Eat Healthy!
J-Tru

Maintained

Today at WW we talked about having meatless meals. At first I was against it but I think it is something I would like to try at some point. There are steps to a great meatless meal:

1-Start with a veggie/fruit
2-add a protein (cheese/lentils/tofu)
3-add whole grains
4- add healthy fat (oil)
5- add spices....FLAVOR enhancement

Some other suggestions were to try veggie burgers. That is a thought!

My weigh in today was good. My weight was maintained so we are at 58.8 pounds lost!!! YAY!! I will hit the 60 pound mark next week, that is my small goal to meet!! :O)

Keep On Walking
J-Tru

Beautiful People...

Love this quote that I read on my friend Stephanie McLawhorns Facebook page and had to share....

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. -- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Be Beautiful!
J-Tru

The "Perfect" Life

Lately I have been thinking about my life and how it really is "perfect". I have a wonderful family who is supportive of everything I do. I have a fantastic husband who encourages me on a daily basis to be me and to not let anyone bring me down. I have amazing in-laws who accept me as I am, even though I am a Clemson fan :O). I have terrific friends who are always there for me even if we haven't talked in ages. I have a Christ-centered Church family that lift me up through words, thoughtful gestures, and simple cards. So to me that is "perfect".

I am not saying that I don't have issues that arise but to me the most important thing is that I look at the positive side and not dwell on the negatives. Yes, we have bills to pay but is that going to keep me from enjoying fun things? NO! Yes we have stress but does that make me Mrs. ILL-PANTS all the time? NO! There are always worries about the future but do I let that keep me from enjoying the present? NO! I don't want to be so caught up in all the worries of life or stresses of life that I forget to enjoy my life. I don't want to be the one who is always negative or posting "woe is me" status messages on Facebook (and no I am not saying that I have never had one of those moments!). I mean who really wants to read (or stalk) peoples Facebook pages if they are ALWAYS being negative Nellie's!!!--Not this kid!! I want to be uplifted by people and at times when I ready those negative updates, it really makes me wonder if they are doing this to get attention or if there is truly some deep down issue that they are not dealing with appropriately. ***If you have an issue get professional help, that is why they are there!!!!***

Ok enough of my preaching....was I on my soap box?? YES! So overall, I think my life is perfect. I wouldn't want to trade lives with anyone for one minute. I enjoy the struggles I have b/c I grow and learn from them but I also enjoy the absolute days of JOY b/c I know that the SON is shining on me and that is all that matters.

So, don't dwell on the negative or you will never be happy with your "perfect" life!!!

J-Tru

Snack Attack--Weigh In :O)

This week at WW we talked about snacks that we eat to help us get from one meal to the next. My new favorite is 1tbsp of peanut butter with an apple. I cut it up into disks and then smear the pb on it. SO delicious. The crunch of the sweet apple with the peanut butter is the perfect snack to hold me over. In fact this past Saturday, it was my lunch time meal. It was refreshing and filling--of course i had two tbsp and two apples for that meal. Some other snacks the members suggested were the Fiber One brand granola bars and brownies. Don't get me wrong I love Fiber One but they are addicting and if you eat too many---you erupt!!!! Another suggestion was yogurt and one man in the meeting stated he has a turkey sausage and smears mustard on it for his snack, and its only three points!!!

This week I was DOWN 2.8 pounds for a total of 58.8 pounds gone!!! My goal of 75 pounds by November is getting closer and closer into reach. I keep thinking about how much my health is improving and how much better I feel, not only physically but also mentally. I feel that I look better and this helps with self-confidence. Not that I have struggled with that but when you are heavier people do look at you differently and for me that is not fair. I hope to not judge others by their appearance but to accept everyone for the differences--after all God is the one who made us all and He makes no mistakes!!!

So what are you favorite healthy snacks??

Keep pressing on!
J-Tru



This just in: I was reading my friend Mandy's blog and she had a link to the saltiest foods....check it out. Some may be surprising!!!

was i born fat? OR was i born skinny?

Its no secret that I have decided to make a change in my diet and start eating better plus exercising. Why am I doing this?? Well the answer is b/c I want to be healthy. This got me thinking the other day, was i born with a fat gene?? Was I predestined to be overweight?? The answer is NO! While eating lunch one day this past week I picked up The Elgin News from August 4, 2011. In this little paper was a fantastic article by Dr. Chester Ferguson. In the article he stated that " our genes contain the predetermined code that is built into all living things. This code does determine to a large degree our health potential but not necessarily our outcome." I think this is where people get the idea that they are born to be fat. But the truth to that is that people use it to justify their poor family health history or their own poor nutrition choices. In the article, Dr. Ferguson uses this as an example: " All living things have what we call limits of matter. This simple means that a person with one kidney may not be as healthy as a person with two kidneys or will certainly have some limitations but they can reach 100% of the maximum potential for a person with one kidney." So with that stated, no matter what your family health history or genetics YOU have the choice to either meet your maximum health potential or not. To meet your potential you may need to exercise, eat nutritional meals, and take a look at your stress levels. It is our responsibility to make GOOD choices. You don't have to give up chocolate cake or ranch dressing BUT you did need to have them in moderation. Don't eat chocolate cake every day or pour two cups of ranch dressing on your salad. So was I born fat? No, but I did make the decision to eat what I ate and am now working to reverse that. Eating well balanced meals and exercising is the BEST way to combat obesity and I am going to win this battle.

Never Giving Up!!
J-Tru


The Elgin News, August 4, 2011, Does What I Eat Really Matter, Dr. Charles Ferguson

We are Foodies...

It is not secret that Rob and I love to eat. We like to eat out often but we do save some money eating at home. I have decided that we are going to spice up our meals--chicken, chicken, and more chicken- by trying new recipes. So if you have any that you love please pass the along.

The first one we are trying is Pork Chops with Salsa Beans. This recipe was emailed to me by Pillsbury so I thought we should try it for Sunday Lunch. Here is the recipe....

2 pork chops 1/2 inch thick (it called for bone in but we prefer boneless so that is what we used)
1/2 teaspoon peppered season salt
1/2 cup Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers Niblets Frozen Corn
1/4 cup Old El Paso Salsa
1 can (8oz) baked beans (undrained)

Heat a skillet over Medium Heat. Sprinkle chops with peppered season salt; place in skillet. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until browned on both sides.
In a 1 1/2 quart slow cooker, mix corn, salsa and beans. Top with pork chops, overlapping as needed and pressing gently into bean mixture.
Cover, cook on low setting 4 to 5 hours.

We doubled the recipe and it cooked in the same amount of time. The dish was very good. We loved the flavors.

Enjoy!
J-Tru

Roddys First Vet Visit

Rob and I got up early on Saturday to take Roddy to his first vet appointment at Carolina Veterinary Practice in Oburg. We were told about them from Robs aunt and uncle. We headed over and of course our little one had no clue what he was in for. He was in his crate for the 6 minute drive and whined the whole time. I complete the paperwork and then it was time to meet the doctor. We met the doctor and he was super nice, so was the assistant. We told him about Roddy and then it was time to get the shots and other info. Roddy was given one shot and also a dose of de-wormer/hartguard protection. He had a fecal specimen taken as well and he didnt even whimper. He was a trooper. Roddy was calm once the doc had completed the exam and he wanted to snuggle with mom. He did get his nails trimmed and that was the only time he whimpered b/c one was cut to close. They assistant whisked him to the back of the office and fixed him up. He was weighed and came out at 4.6 pounds. Rob thought he was 7 pounds but he is still a little guy.

We brought him home and he layed on me the rest of the day. He was sore from his shot but after a few hours of loving from mom and dad he was back to his playful and chipper self.

We love him so much :O)
J-Tru

Got another 5 pound STAR!!!

WHOA its already AUGUST!!!! That is absolutely insane that we are in the eighth month of 2011. Today was the first day at the new weight watchers location in Camden. I arrived and told my cousin, Carla, that I wasn't sure if I wanted to weight today but I did it anyway. I was hoping for at least .6 pounds to get me to 55 pounds BUT I lost 1.6 pounds and now have lost 56 pounds!!! That is right folks I am inching closer and closer to 75 pounds!!!! I am excited to see the changes in my body and also love feeling much better--healthy is the main goal for me!

My goal this week is to step up on my exercise when I am able to get to the gym. I have two days where I wont be able to get to the gym this week so I am also going to watch my food intake very closely.

Enjoy your food!
J-Tru