Under the Weather

Hello everyone in internetland:) My lack of posting has been due to being under the weather will be back at it next week.

Biggest Loser/Leah Smith

Anyone catch the biggest loser finale last night? It was really long and I'm amazed I actually got through the entire thing. I want to see a full behind the scene view of what they do. I've learned they work out 6 hours a day (wow!) and they'll do some samples of the types of food they eat but doesn't give the full picture, which makes sense but still has me curious. And I'm curious to know at what intensity is each workout. Can't imagine they're all as intense as the clips we're shown and can't imagine having Jillian yelling in my face for that many hours LOL.

But one thing I like about the biggest loser and probably the thing I first took issue with the show is the fact that they produce a love of fitness in the contestants. Most of them at least seem to reach their goal and stick to it afterwards. I didn't like the show at first because it seemed unrealistic for someone to workout that much and so they'd gain all that weight back. Unless they don't allow folks to get on the tube to tell it LOL, doesn't seem to be the case.

I'm more fore working out too now I guess that's part of it. And realize with my love of food and will gain even if looking at i:) I have to be active both to lose and when it comes time to maintain. Tomorrow I'm going t speak with my trainer if she'll have me because she's not training me now:) But going to speak to her about building up to run, what workout advice she'd give me. She's not going to be as easy on my as I'd be on myself so it'll allow me to push myself more. No Jillian thank you Lord but she'll push me and by no Jillian I mean the tactic not training ability. And I take her boot Camp class tomorrow so I'll speak to her about it then.



On another note, I've gotten the video uploaded from last Friday's outing with my sis in law. It's just a sample of the artist that sung that night. Didn't take pics of my food which was really good. And ignore the heads and conversations going on:) Wasn't the best position to record and didn't want to block people behind me by standing.

Leah Smith at Chris Jazz Cafe from Faith215 on Vimeo.

Doing a Marathon....maybe:)

There were some guys at my gym yesterday from ING Direct promoting a marathon they have going on in Philly. I'm thinking about doing it, it's not until September and it is an incentive to do more running during my workouts. Usually (when on treadmill) I do a 3 minute run which is so very rewarding but also wears me out, just those few minutes. I think for me I just don't like the way it feels oppose to it being that difficult. I also found it to be more enjoyable when I did the same on a track oppose to a treadmill. For now treadmill is my best option but when I begin to do my walks Saturday morning, I'll add running as well.

Now I just have to find out more info on this ing run. The guy gave me a card but it doesn't give a website and when I did a search on it, didn't find it. Didn't search really long/hard but nevertheless didn't find it. I'm thinking part of it is (actually I'm certain this is the case:)) to get people to sign up for ING so when they call I'll get the info then.

Even if I don't do this one, It's something I'm striving to do and spoke with my trainer about keeping me abreast of what's going on out there.

Weekend/Mother's Day

I didn't quite make my goal I'd set out for myself but I did lose 3.3 pounds which isn't too shabby:) And evidently my gain was a true one unless my weekend halted my lost. I didn't do terribly bad but it's always more difficult guesstimating calories than when I'm cooking for self or able to obtain NI for what I'm eating.

My plan this week is to stick with much of what I did last week, not hitting the gym twice daily (and only was able to do so a few times last week but did get in my days) but will keep busy to burn all of my calories needed for the day. I'm grateful to say I don't have any other food related plans for the rest of this month so not to say I won't go out to eat, but I won't make any plans to do so and will take advantage of the rest of this month in terms of really buckling down as I can think of at least 3 things for the month of June to plan through.

For Mother's Day I didn't do much. I was dealing with a stomach ache yesterday so didn't even make it out of the house and unfortunately meant not much movement at all really. I got through some cleaning so that helped but my usual routine would be go to church and do some sort of activity after church that would keep me busy at least to burn off some calories. I'm sure my body needed the rest but definitely missed getting that movement in.

My daughter gave me the most thoughtful gift, I've been buying her an outfit per pay so that I'm not loaded down with buying tons of new clothes at once and it's fun for her to get to look forward to that. She said mom this time buy a gift for yourself. Thoughtful considering her age 12 and very much early in the teen stage of things:) And she also sent me an ecard from dayspring.com one of my favorite videos of a little girl quoting Psalm 23. And it ends with a note of how mom's faith has an impact on their children, beautiful!!

I'll include it here:




Now I'm remembering to take my camera with me now I have to remember to snap pics LOL and upload them. I do have a few from this weekend that I will post, if not tonight tomorrow.

And so the planning begins

(image from a recipe by Hungry Girl www.hungry-girl.com

I failed to mention in my post explaining the food challenges I'll face this weekend that there is still Mother's Day to be had. I may get asked to go out by one of the ladies at my church who so kindly remembers me on this day being my mother past 3 years ago.

Last year after trying who knows how many restaurants we ended up at Friendly's this year if the offer is extended I'll decline and spend the day cooking/eating with my daughter. And perhaps offer her and her daughter to come with. Thinking about imitating the shrimp and grits dish I like so much from what's becoming one of my favorite spots to eat Relish. I'll do a lower fat version and assuming it'll be lower fat as I'm not sure what's in the dish. Then do the same by way of a dessert. My daughter wants to be a chef and at one point we were cooking together once a month a menu so that she could learn how to make different things and encourage her desire. That faded some time ago but will use this as an opportunity to re-instate that as well as spending that time cooking together.

Tonight is the night I go to the Leah Smith concert also mentioned in a previous post. I checked out the menu at the restaurant/jazz cafe it's being held and going to go with salmon which comes with a potato croquette my guess is as calorie friendly as I could make this at home, it won't be here and I think I'll enjoy it rather than asking for tons of alterations. But controlling my breakfast and lunch, looking at a salad for lunch had a smaller portion of my oatmeal for breakfast with banana and a non fat hot chocolate from Starbucks.

And the concert is early, 5:00 so if I get hungry because I'm doing a salad, I can snack on a piece of fruit and be good for dinner and anything after that, will stick with fruit for it too.

Tomorrow is the bigger test, going to a festival centered around food and I'm so determined to walk away having not over-indulged

Are you a fool?

And now for that non-weight loss post:) I just came across this quiz and thought I'd share with fellow believers:



If you take this be 100% honest with yourself about the answer that applies to you. Only you and the Lord can see it and He already knows who you are:)

I've seen on some web platforms where people will take quizzes that do not truly reflect who they are. For example someone shy and timid getting an you're as bold as a lion final answer. Nothing wrong with saying I'm shy/timid in an area and in order to grow rather than make self feel good with an answer that feels good in that moment.

I found this to be really helpful I'm reading a book by Nancy Lee DeMoss titled "The Power of Words" and some of the Proverbs in the quiz confirmed some things this book spoke on as well so while it's not fun to have a fault poked at, better to know they can be overcome than to stay in them.

Yummy Salmon Cakes

I brought some salmon a week ago and put it in the freezer, not sure of what I wanted to do with it. Wanted to do something different than my norm of putting some garlic on it and a we bit of EVOO and baking it. So was pleased when I came across this recipe for salmon cakes. Made on Tuesday and they are so so good. Actually this has been the dinner meal for the week coupled with some sauteed spinach and corn Tuesday, and Near East Rice on Wed. Forget what I had on Monday now:)

The first batch I made was a we bit interesting because my blender/food processor broke, well the blade did so I cut the salmon into fine pieces but it still ended up pretty chunky but still good. Yesterday I went out and invested in a small chopper and I love this thing, may work a little too well as I used it to chop my peppers and it turned it into mush. Needed to do less pulsing than I did however it did put me in the mind of making Roasted Pepper pesto and Sundried Tomato pesto rather than buying it! So I'm looking forward to that.

Anyway so last night's salmon caked turned out really well being the proper consistency and all. They still broke apart a little because the binding agent in these is mustard rather than mayo and egg which is good and can deal with a little crumble to save on the calories and fat......just dawned on me mines were probably a wee bit too mushy from the peppers oppose to breaking apart due to not enough of a binding agent.

In other news, I've begun carrying my camera around so that I can begin documenting my food (and other) pics. Now I just have to remember to pull it out when I'm eating:)

For the recipe to the salmon cakes visit you will need to click within the post there to get to the recipe. However there are other really good recipes on this site so figured I'd direct everyone to the source first.

Crazy day yesterday

Yesterday was a horrible horrible day. Oh my goodness I'm not sure what it was exactly but I was really emotional. There are several things pressing upon me that I've been praying about and being a big girl in waiting for my Lord to come through. Not in asking for things from Him but difficult situations I'm facing and some of them the type that show you how you're completely dependant upon Him and cannot do it without Him yet He seems so afar off concerning said situation.

So I guess with each situation, they all just came to the surface at one time. One thing I have learned however is if I feel the need to cry and not sure just do it, don't feel like there has to be a reason in order to allow them to flow. I know there is a reason I feel that need to cry but speaking on if there isn't a specific understanding as to why I feel weepy just let them flow oppose to thinking up some reason to make it okay to do so and I therefore did just that. Also reminding myself that joy will come in the morning no matter how hard the situation may appear at the time.

Still not sure of the exact reason I was so upset I'm going to journal my feelings and get to the bottom of them individually again with pray as well as studying biblically for example one situation I was pretty angry about something that I hadn't realized how much so apart from it resurfacing, so getting at how to get past that over venting them out or suppressing it.

And one thing that I noticed in all of my emotionalism:) Is that I didn't overeat not once. I've questioned in the past if I'm a true emotional eater I know for sure I'll eat when I'm happy ie celebrational (yes I'm making up a word here:))situations. But I think when I'm sad I revert to a child like I'm going to hurt God's feelings if I put in His temple things that I know I shouldn't be putting in me because He's not attending to something I feel He should. After all He can heal me of all hurt and brings to mind overall those tears were generated due to some testing and trials He's allowing me to go through right now, there being several not sure what triggered me emotionally but all things considered typically I'll go into woe is me mode over utilizing that food to comfort me and knowing the damage to follow. It's so foolish but admittedly I've done just that in the past.

So I'm grateful that I didn't do that this time, woman'd up:) Let the tears flow and spoke to my Father about it afterwards.

I did however find myself hungrier yesterday and fighting a migraine so I ate more than I'd planned out but due to hunger over overindulging and still stayed in calorie range due to the fact that I worked out. Not trying to eat what I worked off so trying not to do that but have to make sure I'm getting what my body needs as well and yesterday it needed more than what I'd provided for it. Also thinking I probably provide myself more calories during lunch than I allotted yesterday and therefore hunger kicked in quicker and longer.

But moral of the story, I didn't overindulge gave my body what it needed and kept it moving.

And joy came in the morning concerning those tears:)

My plan this week

I should probably take a second to mention this isn't a weight loss blog before posting further:) I'm talking about it a ton these past couple of weeks and considered making this my weight loss blog then doing an additional one but just don't see the time to keep up with two so will continue to do as I was however my weight loss posts are/will be heavier than they'd been because it's great accountability.

At any rate, my goal this week is to get to about 232.5-233.5. I mentioned yesterday how the scale is reading 238.5 but don't believe it to be a true gain so with the loss of what would be a 4 pound gain, hoping to lose one to two pounds. Wanted to really go for it and say get to 230, there are those rare weeks when I see an 8-10 pound lost, but in the nature of staying realistic and not shooting for quick loss I'm taking what I can get and 5 isn't unreasonable for me to lose after a gain.

What I'm doing to get there is:
Drinking tons of water- again I think my gain is largely water weight so making sure I'm getting in my water plus a wee bit more than usual.

Eating Whole foods- The type not necessarily the store:) Oatmeal, brown rice, beans, fruits veggies etc. Also Fish & Chicken, cutting out the red meat this week.

Hitting the gym twice daily- I don't burn enough calories in a day to lose over a pound a week, my goal is to lose two which is considered a healthy amount to lose weekly. So my plan beyond this week is to do some walking apart from my hour workout or my 30 day shred dvd by Jillian Micheal's. Because it's better weather (excluding the rainy days right now:)) I'll be doing more walking but with a rain week all week, decided to utilize 1/2 hour of my lunch to get in a short but effective workout. Then doing my hour after work.

Eating 3 meals 2 snacks daily- I'm one of those people that will gain because of not eating enough food. Then when I get something it not being the best choice so I'm being sure to have my breakfast lunch and dinner, sensible let me add along with two snacks, gain sensible so that I'm getting in enough calories as well as not being tempted to eat something that could cause a gain.

Planning out my meals- Not doing this to a science, perhaps I should but I have an idea of what I'm going to eat each day so that I'm not trying to figure out what I want or debating if I can eat it based on calorie content. I will be jotting down what I'll eat on Fri & Sat being I'll be out and about and around temptations.

Paying attention to my thoughts, feelings & getting at bad habits- My biggest weight loss secret is that I'm killing bad habits and getting at time wasting/unproductive thoughts. For instance seeing the scale go up after getting down so well, well past those 240's normally would have caused me to throw my hands up and say ah well I'm just meant to be this size not everyone is meant to be thin or I'm never going to get past this or I'm never going to beat these bad habits so might as well live comfortably and enjoy my food. This time around I've got my gloves on LOL and getting at them no matter how many times I have to do so.

Most importantly, praying - God knows me better than anyone, better than I know myself. He knows my needs why I do what I do and I just flat out need Him in all areas of my life or no matter how hard I try, I will be defeated. Doesn't mean He won't have me to fight it out and grow from it, does mean He'll guide me and order my steps if I simply go to Him and ask.

So that's what's going on in a nutshell. I'm making Monday my official weight in day and will update my weight then.

Godly encouraged/This upcoming weekend

In an effort to try to keep blog posts to a minimum I'm doing two of them today:)

Another goal of mines (read my weight loss goal:)) is truly planning out my days, especially when I know I'm going to be out and unable to get back home to eat or simply planned restaurant trips. This weekend will look much like last in terms of being away from home and around food. A concert on Friday night featuring artist Leah Smith. Not sure if she's a gospel artist or not LOL but from what I've heard of her music definitely a Christ representative. And this venue serves food and since I'm going right after work, I'll most likely eat there. Will have to check their website to see if I can find a menu.

Then on Saturday, an event I look forward to yearly which lasts most of the day. Rittenhouse Spring Fling (in Philly) music and opportunity to eat some samples from some of the best restaurants in the area including one who's bill could come to over $100....just for you let alone others in the party!! Needless to say this is the only opportunity I get to sample their food:) And we get to sample these things for a few bucks. I'm being real with myself at first I was going to go with just going to enjoy the time out and music and walking people watching etc, but knowing myself better than that, that's not going to fly and so planning to do a fruit breakfast a walk in the morning and perhaps a stop at my gym on the way home which is off of the street the festival is being held. I don't typically eat a ton of food at this festival but I'll give myself freedom to make some choices if I want something that could possibly be calorie heavy and I won't have a way of knowing. The samples are small ones as well so another good thing about this particular festival but going with giving myself plenty of room to use and then working on not taking myself up on it rather than as I said not getting anything and not sure if salad is an option.

I was so incredibly encouraged a few hours ago, one thing that I see about myself this time around compared to times past as it relates to weight loss is I'm determined to do this no matter how many times I fall off and I pray that God will continue to build that drive in me. Old habits are like rising up and taking their time dying off so I have to fight and stay focused on what is causing me to do what I do. For instance I'm use to taking breaks when I go out to eat, even if I order the healthier option I don't go through asking the waiter to have it steamed or baked. And so I can without even thinking about it go to a restaurant and want the opposite of what I'd prepare if I were at home. Or there are bad foods that are tucked in my brain that I could allow myself within reason/moderation. So just truly getting at these things and not allowing myself to stay discouraged if I get there and keeping it moving.

As a part of my plan, I'm thinking I'll save the full out plan for a post tomorrow, again in the name of shorter posts:) But one plan is I'm going to the gym for a half an hour during lunch, then an hour afterwards. This will help me to get the calories burned that I'd been missing according to my gofitwear band. So I went over to the gym thinking I had my shirt and bottom but I had two bottoms. Decided I'd have to work out in my shirt because I only had 1/2 hour to work with and not enough time to change if I were to buy a shirt from the gym. And half hour because it's not right around the corner from my job I have to walk a little ways so only doing 1 day at lunch which gets me back to the office a litte later than it should and praise God for a job that allots that. At any rate I did workout, walk on the treadmill with a 3 minute sprint which felt truly good!! But I primarily was encouraged because I even got there for that 1/2 and looking forward to getting back in a few. Also went back to my oats and salad:) By now I would have considered rather or not I just need to be a rep for the 18 wearing females that gets hated on:) Not the case when considering my body isn't made to carry extra weight, excess due to my taking in excess. If due to some metabolism issue or thyroid problem then I'd gladly represent but due to gluttony or laziness never. And that doesn't mean I'll get to this goal weight that I have to stay to but within reason not giving myself excuses for being at an unhealthy weight.

New goal/Weight Gain

I've decided to work on a short term goal before doing the other short term goal:) Originally I'd said I wanted to get out of the 200's. However let me just get back to the 220's first then go from there.

I kept trying to post this on Friday but either would close me out or I'd get too busy to do so but knowing I'd do this today, weighted myself this morning and weighted in at 238.5. I do not believe this to be a true gain however (would be a gain of 4 points) so not sweating it too much. Maybe two of those pounds are true ones but I believe it's the sodium intake coupled with a not so great weekend. Just horrid planning first off, I forgot after I said I was going to take it easy in the sodium dept that I said that. Decided to try out the new KFC baked chicken which it evidently isn't meant for me to try LOL. Because the location I'd gone to did not have it yet they gave out coupons to try it at a discounted price over the weekend go figure. So once I found out they didn't have it I went to Golden Crust (a chain Jamaican restaurant) instead and got some stew chicken. Wanted curry but got stew because curry would have been 20 minutes.

Then decided I didn't really want chicken at all so ate the cabbage, plantains and some of the rice and beans with some left over for the next day. Should have been cool calorie wise because it was that weird I'm not that hungry day. However I imagine my sodium intake to have been out the roof.

Then on Sat, knew I'd be going out later to a restaurant in Philly named Relish. Trombone player Jeff Bradshaw was the act for that night so wanted to go hear him play. But before that had women's fellowship to go to which involves food and a kid bday party at Dave & Busters which I figured I'd eat before going and then later at Relish get salmon and steamed veggies.

Well that didn't happen LOL. Women's fellowship was cool, ate 1/2 bagel & some fruit, oranges, bananas, & grapes. Got home from Women's fellowship and ate the rest of my food from golden crust still minus the chicken. I was cool after finishing but realized it wasn't enough to call a full meal. So by the time I got to the bday party (took almost 2 hours by bus, could have gone to NY in that time:)) I was hungry. And my time was off as to when it would be over so ate there instead in case we didn't make the restaurant later and what I got was not the worse but not the best, grilled chicken with bacon and cheddar on a wheat bun with special sauce that tasted a lot like mayo to me LOL. Thought we weren't going to make it to the restaurant but we did and I was again hungry by this point, guess my not so hungry day effected my Saturday which is now my hungry day:) So I ordered an appetizer of gullah shrimp and grits. My guess is the strimps and sauce was cool of course depends on how they prepare it but the grits are so cheesy and tastes like it's prepared with milk so needless to say not the best day.

Sunday was better choice wise but for the sake of post lenght I'll spare the breakdown.


I'm thinking I'll see myself back down to 234.5 in a few days but not going to track until next Monday:) My goal is to get back to that and lose an additional pound or two so a 5-6 pound lost which isn't too hard and knowing my body, especially if this is a water weight thing and not calories (was very active also over weekend let me add) I'm sure I'll do it.

Some before and afters

I'm sitting here looking at some old pics of me on facebook and wow if it isn't motivated to keep working this weight off!!

I like the idea that http://morapiggy.blogspot.com/ has in posting some progress pics in her sidebar at different levels of her weight. I'm going to do the same as a reminder to take some progress pics for one thing:) And as a means of showing myself and other how I'm progressing. It's not always easy to look at self in the mirror and see the difference.

at 253


This is the heaviest weight I've ever been. And I think I stayed that size for so long out of sheer depression, and also got that way due to being depressed. Before this, when I had my daughter I was 205, specifically remember this because I'd just done La Weight Loss and found out I was pregnant. Remember thinking how close I was to the 190's and hoped I'd be able to get back on track after I'd had my daughter. Well I gained very little only 30 pounds and it went once my daughter arrived I was back to 205. But climbed from that point up to 253 and stayed there until she was around 7 or 8 years old. Praise God haven't gotten back to this weight since losing.






at 244 (approx)
**At this point I'd lost weight and got down to 229 see pic after this, hence why I'm saying what I am here:)**

When I got up to about 244, I say approx because I wasn't weighting myself at the time and it's funny because I called myself judging by how my clothes fit but as I gained weight back, I didn't notice the difference in the clothes I was wearing! I recall I was coming out of an 18 but couldn't quite get into a 16. But only up to the point where I truly noticed my belt needing to be loosened a few notches did I start losing again and by then I'd gained about 15 pounds back. Needless to say this is the last set back if I can help it and thinking health issues or something not gluttony holding me back!!


at 229


This is when I'd gotten to 229 pounds, a pic from my daughter's grade school graduation. Now I'm not back down to this weight yet, close but when I am I'm going to take another pic, curious to see if I look different being this time I'm working out and eating right. During this time I did some walking, but that was about all on purpose. Oh no I did begin weight training around then but hadn't done so long enough or intensely enough to be a huge difference.


So that's it, I'm going to put either these or some other pics on my sidebar soon and keep updating as I lose.

A really good Chip

I'm having a weird day. I wasn't very hungry this morning so didn't have my usual oatmeal yet decided to sip on some coffee to get in some calories. And just finished a sack pictured to the left.

Let me tell you if you haven't tried Herr's Baked Potato Crisps yet and like Lays or a fan of chips in general. Do yourself a favor and get these! I tried the cheddar and sour cream version last week and at first wasn't that impressed but as it grew on me I noticed how flavorful they were. This time with the BBQ, I couldn't tell that I was eating the baked over the regular. Now I'm sure someone that eats chips all of the time, especially those who don't do baked at all would disagree. And let me add more so the flavor of the BBQ than the chip itself tastes identical. But because of that flavor, don't feel like I've missed out on the real thing.

Love lays version too, yet theirs hardly tastes like the fried version of their chips. So these are a keeper for me. On occasion because of the sodium I have to watch out for. For lunch I'm having a roasted veggie Amy's pizza again so I'll have to be careful of what I eat for dinner in the sodium department. Thinking veggies and this rice I brought. Really good like a natural rice a roni. Don't have the pic available or name of product with me so will have to post more about that at a later date.