2008

FOOD TRENDS: check the below out from Phil Lempert.. I get his Grocery Guru email .. great info..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22397321/

What are we thinking about?

Ahhhh it is a new year... almost... the old we can pack up and throw away.. tomorrow births a new day. A new beginning.. fresh starts... changes..

I often wonder why for some of us we feel it necessary to wait until a new year or a new week or a new day or a new month to start again. Why towards the end of the year do we just say okay fine I will sit right back down in this dusty old self and wait to start? Is this a bad thing?

The answer to both of those questions at least to me is NO.. We sit and wait until that new day because for some reason.. new equals success. I think we all believe that if we take a fresh approach we will have a better chance at sucess.

Here are some things I noticed during my health hiatus. I noticed that I when I started climbing into that old yet comfortable dusty skin.. I find it kinda yucky and lumpy feeling.. I feel the swell of the boredness of just being what I was... and how easy it fits wrapping the past around me or at least trying too with whispers of heartburn and tight jeans.. and formy pudgy cheeks with empty fat cells waiting to suck it all back in again.. I found it still there... I guess what is old to us.. never really goes away that if we are not careful it can climb back through us weaving its old ways around us .. almost as if we are unaware until an old enemy waves hello... Acid Reflux.. smiles.. Indegistion gurgles in our guts... saying.. "hi remember me" aww now go ahead eat another bite.. I won't tell... ( but I sure as hell will remind you tonight when you lay in bed) as it wanders past us..yes.. the old is always there..

But tonight once again.. we will tuck the old away.. and head towards the sunshine of the new . I hope each of you picked your start date.. or your recommitment to self date.. Mine is January 8th. Eating clean. Eating for Honi. Exercising.. yes. you read that 10 letter word correctly EXERCISING .. I might not be a kickboxing queen anytime soon.. but I will walk on the track, ride the bike, use the big ball, and get in the therapy pool. I will move. Lastly I will also incorporate more water into my life as well.

Well folks..

until next year!

Wish me well

Wish you well too!!

P.S. be sure and hop over to Scale Junkie's blog.. new blog that is.. this is her second blog on HEALTHY YOU CHALLENGE located: http://healthyyouchallenge.blogspot.com/

SOME STUFF ABOUT ME

I have not been too talkative in the blogosphere .. have had a lot going on with work.. here are some things you might not know about me:

1. I am ADD
2. I have dyslexia in math otherwise known as calculus dysfunction
3. I get frustrated easily when dealing with numbers
4. I tend to want to give UP but always start over
5. I love people so I enjoy greeting and talking with our patients and helping them find attractive eyewear...
6. I persevere to great lengths to achieve what I want
7. I work to problem solve
8. I enjoy solving those problems

Being that I am ADD .. let me give you an example of my life at home if I need to do several things.. I will start on the laundry , leave the dryer open, decide that the dishwasher needs emptying and while I am doing that decide that I need to go get the mail leaving the dish washer open, then I decide I need to change the sheets on the bed and in the middle of that I decide I need to clean the shower, then I finish the bed, walk into the kitchen and realize I never finished emptying the dishwasher and the laundry is still not folded all the way.

At work I am an office manager for an optometrist. I am not a good multi tasker because of my ADD. I have to constantly make a list of what needs to be done, for example if I have to call patients to pick up glasses , I have to make a list , otherwise I will forget .. I usually have to complete one task before I can jump onto another one. When I try and do several things at once it usually ends in disaster, lucky for me I have a boss who understands this.

Sometimes though in my job I feel that I am simply not good enough, I have to process insurance remits to balance our books.. We do not do insurance every day so it is not consistent when I am doing remits, each of the insurance companies has their own policies regarding remits.. each remit is different. I have a horribly difficult time with some of the insurance groups when it comes to processing them. With One particular group sometimes we get a check and sometimes we are in the negative , but I still have to balance my invoices.. so I have to batch each remit, if a single remit has more than one patient on it, then I have to divide up the remit.. but with this one particular insurance , it is very difficult a lot of the times we recieve no check and they do like a running balance with positives and negative amounts, I have to show these in our records and it is VERY DIFFICULT, especially for someone who primarily knows basic math. I never learned much past functional math, this means I do not know percentages well, or fractions well, or meters well, or or any branch there of. I never completed college because I never could get statistics and at the time I needed that to recieve a teaching degree for early childhood ed. That was the one time in my life I did give up.. but not now.. I try and try and try to do my best... sometimes the frustration is so bad I get a headache like you would not believe from the stress.. that was my day today and it will continue on Monday.. luckily I have great help between my boss and our software person.. So I have to fight to understand this foreign language called insurance remits... its difficult at best...

So thats why I have been kind a quiet the last couple days.. bear with me.. I will be ranting about good health and eating and all that stuff soon enough...

Wish me well

Wish you well too..

Funny Resolutions for 2008!!

http://www.hereinreality.com/resolutions.html have a peak !!

http://www.tensionnot.com/jokes/how_keep_new_years_resolutions and more~~

FRIDAY FACTS and FUN

Obesity making headlines once again... http://www.thatsfit.com/2007/12/26/do-overweight-people-call-in-sick-more-often/

I really felt that one was a bit ridiculous.. and I would love to know the criteria this was based on too... what a misleading article...

SMILE: Love the name of this Chinese joint:

Keeping it very short and very sweet..

Wish you well

Wish me well too

I NEED A DRINK!

I wish I did drink...intense work day....



Actually , I love my job... it was just a stressful day!!..
Wish me well
Wish you well too..

HOW FAR ONE COMES

So the Ho Ho Hos are getting put away... the wrapping paper is either being recyled or overflowing a garbage bin... presents have been enjoyed.. and meals have been flowing..

Where were you one year ago today? Were you still stuffed from too many Pull Apart Christmas pastries? was the cookie dough still heavy in the air? Could you not believe that another Christmas had come and gone there you were exactly the same if not more so for another Christmas... and just around the bend another new year was coming filled with half hearted hopes of getting healthy.. and that deep sigh that eating and over eating was just too easy..

Or perhaps?? something had somehow finally changed.. be it by 10 pounds or 100 pounds.. something in you clicked as the year turned its final page.. Something allowed you to make change happen.. You see it is not the measure of the pounds that really count.. its the realization that no matter what age you are you can seriously change yourself... so to those of us that our less than what we were one year ago.. lets stand up and APPLAUD ourselves... Job well done.. now we must continue...

Too those of us.. who really wanted this .. but got caught up in the landscape of our lives... and did not find the courage to change.. I APPLAUD you too.. for maybe as the year winds down you can put things behind you and take the leap of faith required for long term change.. It is hard.. it is a constant challenge... but once you take that leap .. then you know anything is possible.

Remember it is not the pounds that count it is the change that happens with in.. anyone can lose weight.. but the object is long term change... For the rest of your life your weight will fluctuate.. but it is how we learn to control that , that matters most.

Life is about constant motion and change.... no matter what your goal is... that is just a number.. the more real things are the changes you make with in... dealing with the future.. dealing with over eating... dealing with stress.. dealing with joy.. dealing with family and friends... realizing that some of those friends and family will be proud of your changes and some will resent your changes.. Realizing that you alone have the deep set power to over come and achieve what ever you want... and yes.. even in it's most complicated form.. no matter what it is.. you can control the way you react to any circumstance.. and any consequence.

So as you put up the presents.. and discard the trash... put old thoughts and negativity in the trash too...
2008 awaits you .. full of adventure... good health... new discoveries... and a new you!...

thats it for a blustery Wednesday in Alabama
Wish me well
Wish you well too..

THE TOP 8 THINGS, HONI NEEDS TO BE REMINDED OF IN 2008

1. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LIKE GARLIC , GARLIC IS NOT YOUR FRIEND AND YOU WILL GET SICK EVERY TIME YOU USE IT TOO MUCH.. A LITTLE GARLIC GOOD, MORE THAN A LITTLE VERY VERY BAD.
2. YOU MIGHT LIKE MEXICAN/SALVADOR STYLE FOOD. HOWEVER ONCE AGAIN IT DOES NOT LIKE YOU... THINK HOT SAUCE.. THINK NOSE BLEED.. THINK TASTE BUDS NUMB ....THINK WHAT IS THAT WEIRD NOISE YOUR BELLY JUST MADE AND THAT HOT FEELING IN YOUR CHEST...
3. CRYSTALIZED GINGER IS YOUR BEST FRIEND
4. 1 CUP OF CEREAL MEANS ONE CUP .. NOT WHATS LEFT IN THE BOX
5. VEGETABLES .. LEARN THE MEANING...
6. EXERCISE LIVE IT! LOVE IT!!!
7. WATER IS NOT JUST FOR SWIMMING
8. LAUGHTER IS FAR MORE BENIFICIAL THAN WORRY

THE TOP THING THAT BOTHERS THIS JEWISH GIRL AT CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!

I AM COMFORTABLE ENOUGH IN MY FAITH ...TO WISH ANYONE THAT CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS A VERY MERRY ONE.. AND I THINK IT IS A HORRIBLE SHAME SHOULD ANYONE ELSE FEEL OTHERWISE. FRANKLY, ANYONE WHO GETS OFFENDED IF THEY ARE WISHED MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THEY HAPPEN NOT TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY .. HAS SOME SERIOUS IDENTITY ISSUES.

I FEEL THIS WAY BECAUSE.. CHRISTMAS IS THE HOLDAY THAT MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS AND PARTS OF MY FAMILY WHO ARE CHRISTIAN CELEBRATE, BECAUSE I AM CLOSE TO FOLKS THAT CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY I GET TO ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES AS WELL.. PLUS I LOVE LOOKING AT THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ...

AND ON THAT NOTE...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

WISH ME WELL

WISH YOU WELL TOO!!!

DO WE REALLY NEED THESE??? and other RAMBLINGS

BIG FAT BLOG and SLASH FOOD.. does AMERICA REALLY NEED a 580 calorie slice of pizza sheeshh!!



People do indeed blog about everything.. welcome to the JUNK FOOD BLOG: http://www.junkfoodblog.com/


and if that is not bad enough for ya how about a MECCA for junk food.. such as: JUNK FOOD MECCA :
http://www.junkfoodmecca.com/


OR FOR THE OPPOSITE EXTREEM... PARENTS AGAINST JUNK HAVE THEIR OWN HALL OF SHAME: http://www.parentsagainstjunkfood.org/HALLofSHAME.html


HERE IS A LITTLE SOMETHING THAT WILL SOBER YOU UP QUICK ABOUT FAST FOODS: simply click the link and pick your place.. and see what you are eating :
http://fatcalories.com/


or take a peek at Thomas Hawks blog.. he gives you a list that is pretty scary : but really not surprising: http://thomashawk.com/2007/11/fast-food-hall-of-shame-20-things-to.html


and if thats not enough for you .. here is what I found at E DIETS: http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/cmi_464471


and another on WHEN SNACKS ATTACK !! : http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/Snack-food-hall-of-shame.aspx


Check this out too... all common sense but a good reminder: http://www.healthcastle.com/hall-of-fame-shame.shtml


and one other rant:

So.. Queen Latifah is joining the ranks of Jenny Craig.. bravo for her..
Yes, for years she has been a fat champion.. not letting her weight stop her and being proud of her curves... now she has opted for a healthier lifestyle .. and there are some folks in the Fatlands.. who are very unhappy with her.. they feel she has betrayed them... AWW boohoo for them.. BETRAYED THEM? what on earth is that about.????.. she made a decision that is better for her... maybe her doctors told her.. like I was told.. Do this or die!!! so... she is going to do it in 2008... YAY QUEEN LATIFAH.. may you find much success and happiness with your new lifestyle changes... Rock on!! is what I say!!! follow link to story:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20167076,00.html


and so it spins...


FOR THIS WEEKEND!

AND YOUR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY~


MAY YOUR JEANS NOT BE TOO SNUG !!
AND MAY YOU GIVE AND RECIEVE LOTS AND LOTS OF WARM HUGS!!!!

Wish me well
Wish you well too...

THE POWER OF WORDS and SELF TALK...

More reflection time before the year draws to a speeding close...

ENTER WITH CARE AND CAUTION !!!!!

~~WELCOME, INSIDE MY HEAD !~~

Have you ever stopped and thought about words... ??? just picked a random word out and thought about it????... for example COOKIE... that is a great word... right away you are thinking.. ahhh sweeeet.... right away it creates a pleasant memory... unless the last time you baked cookies your house burned down.. that would not be so pleasant... but I digress... Cookie.... 1 cookie is nice.. 2 Cookies are even better... ( alright already I confess.. I had two cookies this morning plus my oatmeal.. ) Okay I know it was stupid but now that I have it out of my system... I am not thinking about them anymore.. except right now because I am talking about Cookies and what a powerful word that is....and these were not just any cheap cookies.. these were gourmet cookies.. * YEAH OKAY .. I KNOW thats no excuse!!! * one was a s'mores cookie with chunks of chocolate and marshmallows in it... and one was a chocolate mint cookie. and yes while the guilt factor is high for eating them... they were indeed good.. and this time I actually made myself eat both whole cookies.. because I knew that if I did not.. it would give me the perfect excuse to go back for more..perhaps that does not make sense.. perhaps you think.. eating two cookies is no big deal.. but to me it was a big deal.. I simply do not allow myself to do that.. and today I said do it .. and DO IT NOW! .. to tell you the truth.. they did taste good.. but now I feel sort of well YUCKY.. its not been a clean eating day so far this morning .. CLEAN EATING will be a topic I will discuss many times in 2008... it will be my new catch phrase and I will explain my version thoroughly... I did a lot of clean eating in 2007 and it really was helpful to me. So I plan to use that a lot in 2008.
So... today ... I started it with a HUGE BUMP... should I over indulge the rest of the day..????. Go get some less than healthy lunch... hmmmmmmmmm.. well the old me would say sure why not??/ the new me .. says ABSOLUTELY .................. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.. because in my lunch..which I brought from home.... I have a banana, left over spagetti from last nights dinner, carrots and celery, an apple, a clemintine and a small bag with craisins and pistachios.. and of course my fiber one bar...SO I have plenty of good choices in that container to choose from.. ... the day does not have to be trashed. The old me.. has a hard time dealing with that .. I mean hell Honi you ate 2 gourmet cookies.. why not go and eat whatever the hell you want.. what does it really matter anyhow... ???? Honi no one is trying to lose weight right now or eat healthy.. go out and do it right girl.. Eat up.. EAT UP... !!! Wait just a second.. who the hell is that in my head and why is she saying EAT UP EAT UP!!

( in steps the referee me) NO don't eat up .. YES this is all worth it.. and so what.. ? you ate 2 cookies.. its done its over.. why are you fretting about something you controlled and did... you are paying the consequences Honi you feel yucky.. and sludgy on the inside.. and it is as you always say... EVERY ACTION HAS A CONSEQUENCE GOOD OR BAD... so .. Honi your action.. has a consequence.. heart burn.. and you feel yucky.... so I think you are punished enough.. NOW GET THE FUCK OVER IT ALL READY!!!!.. ( nice referee) (potty mouth me) .... sighhhhhhhh
So it goes on in my head.. the two mes and the referee me.... the me that says to hell with it all and the me that says WAIT .. think about this.. you don't really want this ( she can be wishy washy).. and then the me.. that steps in .. and rips it apart and simplifies it.. ITS done let go.. move on... I like that me the best... I am listening to her.. hey she is smart... and I like that...
Wish me well
Wish you well too

LOOKING FORWARD

THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2008 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

1. ACHIEVING A HEALTHY WEIGHT


2. BEING MORE FIT


3. GOING TO ISRAEL


4. BEING A GREAT WIFE


5. BEING A GREAT FRIEND


6. BLOGGING MORE


7. COMMENTING MORE


8. TRAVELING MORE


9. LEARNING NEW RECIPES


10. ACHIEVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE


11. REMAINING CLOSE WITH FAMILY


12. REMAINING CLOSE WITH FRIENDS


13. DEVELOPING STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS


14. WATCHING MY NEICE GRADUATE FROM PHARMACY SCHOOL


15. HELPING OTHERS


16. GETTING ORGANIZED


17. WRITING MORE


18. LEARNING MORE ABOUT EVERYTHING
    

IF I LOOK BACK AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR

My eating was deadly.. In the mornings I would stop at Panera Bread and pick up one either Crunchy Cinnamon Bagel or Asiago Cheese bagel or a Blueberry bagel or sometimes 2 bagels plus .. I would get a cheese danish and a cookie.. or I would get a scone instead of the cookie or a pull apart muffin. Either way several times a week I would come to work loaded with One or 2 bagels that i would either eat plain or with hazel nut cream cheese then i would eat the cheese danish and or cookie or scone or whatever else I brought.. then I would go out to lunch.. Pizza, or to this little place called Wrights Dairy that had a small wonderful lunches.. and those are not that bad.. but every day I went there I would get full fat 2 scoops of some icecream.. it was the only full fat icecream I could eat with out getting sick.. I would then go back to work .. surely I had some type of something in the afternoon.. come home eat dinner and start again the next day.. If I was not doing a Panera run I would stop at the quick mart or gas station and pick up buddy bars, candy bars, maybe chips.. or something.. I would often do run throughs there for icecream bars chocolate ecliars icecream bars.. I would eat this food in quick order.. and I simply did not care... now perhaps to some of you that does not sound like a lot of food.. and to some of you that sounds like a gross amount of food.. but keep this in mind.. for those of you who think that was not eating a lot at one sitting or during the day... 2 things.. I am 4 ft 11 inches tall.. I ate high calorie high fat food. it put me at 211.5 pounds at my heavest. so thats a lot of weight for my short body.. the good thing for me is that I am not petite just short.. so I have a larger bone structure.. hence the higher goal weight.. if I got down to under 110 pounds with my bone size I would look terrible. 132 does not make me perfect.. but its what I feel is doable in the long run..

Today I am proud of myself.. for although my eating may not be perfect... I am a far sight better than I was last year at this time.. I weigh about 183 today .. last year I was 211.5 possibly more at that time.

I promise each of you.. If I can make these changes you can too.. no matter how bad you feel right this second or how discouraged or down .. or anything.. I promise you.. it can be done.. Watch me.. I will do it... and so will you..

HERE IS TO US!!!

WISH ME WELL

WISH YOU WELL TOO

THINGS I SAW in the last couple of days

Christmas Down the road

Dakota ( my friend's new puppy ) and Steve

Christmas down the road

I love my friend's new pup Dakota.. he is a chocolate lab and I got to meet him last night and he is a snuggle bunny...

I also love seeing the Christmas decorations this is in a neighborhood not too far from our home.. some of these folks have more decoration than they have house .. regardless I love the Christmas spirit and the pretty lights..

Well I am guessing everyone is in the middle of the Christmas rush.. getting all the rest of your gifts... and preparing for big parties this weekend through the beginning of the week.. We are going over to a friends Christmas eve for CHILI Christmas.. we go every year... We have got some shopping to do for Steve's grandson... I think we are going to go the book route... I love giving books to children .. in this day and age with all the electronics out there.. reading is one of the only things left to encourage a child's imagination ... and it never needs any special hookups or batteries or anything.. except a willing reader and two or more listening ears...

Look what I found googling:

The Overeating Elf


Once there was an elf named Frez that would get so nervous during Christmas time that he would eat two lunches at the elf cafeteria. He tried to be just too perfect in toymaking and never thought they were good enough for the children. The dolls' eyes never sparkled enough, thought Frez, and the wagons were not as shinny as last year. Nothing seemed to be going right and the time for delivery of the presents was getting closer. It was beyond anybody’s understanding why Frez was getting so particular and asking for an elf suit larger than his size. Then, one day Santa found out what the problem was and decided to solve it. It seemed that Frez was not a young elf, but elves never looked their age by the virtue of being ever cheerful and happy. Frez needed to feel he was special, so Santa assigned him his own project called "special toys." These were the toys that were broken and needed to be repaired with love. Frez was so glad to be in charge of such a project that he had only one lunch that day because he had to hurry back to his tasks. There is a lesson to be learnt from what Santa did for the elf. Sometimes we have off days when we just don’t feel positive. Someone's smile or invitation to join some friends can make our whole day worthwhile. Frez is now content with assembling the broken toys and transform them into something new, and he has stopped being a voracious eater that he once used to be because he is happy. He even wears his old suit now, and his new suit is taken in for his smaller waist. Its wise for us to try and do something worthwhile everyday so that a "Frez Attack" will never get us. We all have special talents and potentials and we can definitely help someone out if he is feeling a bit low. It takes only a few seconds to be able to know why someone is not feeling happy. Take out that time from your usual day and listen. Most importantly, we are here to help each other and all of us have that hidden talent to do it. Start to make use of that talent today.

And for you last minute cookie bakers here are some lowfat christmas cookie recipes : http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/christmas/tp/topchristmascookies.htm

That's all for now... it is a chilly SUNNY Tuesday in Alabama

Wish me well

Wish you well too!!

MONDAY MEANDERINGS

First thank you so much to SHUT YOUR CAKEHOLE for this very sweet award located in my sidebar the Willpower award. She created this award and to quote her directly : I came up with my own award called “The Willpower Award 2007″ in respect of deserving people in blogland who I felt had achieved at lot during 2007. Very very sweet.. and very appreciated... she wants those of us she nominated to pick 4 others we think deserve this award ..

I think all of us deserve this award.. not because I am lazy and dont want to pick anyone but simply because each of us has battled.. each of us have been strong.. and each of us have had some success over the course of the year.. the success might not be measured in pounds but int he ability to have finally decided what you want to achieve.. Looking forward to my commitment date.. and by the way.. I have been rather good through out this whole holiday party time.. only eating a little bit here and there and that was only when baking our pizzelles...

Keeping it short and sweet for a Monday
Wish me well
Wish you well too

CONFESSION

I have been thinking a lot lately... I have been reading your blogs.. and thinking even more.. a lot of us feel as if we can just maintain until 2008 then we can make a fresh start and recommit.. I think this is good.. and I think this is bad..

I think this is bad because it could give us the permission we want to eat whatever we want..

I think this is good because it could give us the permission we want to eat whatever we want...

and maybe if we give ourselves that permission we just might see that we don't really want to eat whatever we want.. that somewhere along the way something has clicked.. that while a smaller portion or smaller piece is satisfying.. we do not have to indulge in every morsel.. we don't have that sense of being deprived anymore because we gave ourselves permission to just enjoy things.. and taste things.. and eat slowly.. and if "Uncle Joe" or "Aunt Minnie" thinks we are too fat and lets the whole table know that.. or if someone has to just make that comment to you because "they have your best interest at heart" be brave and say NO you do not.. I have my BEST interest at heart for the first time in my life.. I am free.. Free of not feeling good enough, or not feeling smart enough, or pretty enough, or thin enough, or just right enough ... I am free to make my own decisions.. with out your eagle eyes telling me how worthless I am .. or wrong I am .. or unattractive I am because I do not live up to the expections you have set for me... I have my own expectations now.. of myself..

Whether it be 50 pounds or 200 hundred or more pounds.. have your own expectations of yourself.. set yourself free from the bondage of other's opinions of yourself.. YES start fresh and if that means you are going to maintain your weight until January 22 , or January 10th.. then by all mean do so.. but only do this for you.. only start fresh for you.. Make 2008 the year of the SELFISH SELF , MAKE 2008 your year to be great and achieve great things for yourself.

It is with those thoughts in mind.. that I too will be maintaining my weight until 2008. I will continue to weigh in.. but I will not log my food.. and if i want to exercise then fine but if I choose not too.. then on JANUARY 8th 2008 my commitment date..that is when these new things will come into focus.. I am tired of saying no to food.. I am tired of denying myself .. when I deny myself overeating happens.. so as the holidays spin about.. and I go and visit with friends.. I want to be able to say its okay if I taste that.. or do this or do that.. but my Commitment date is January 8th... 2008.. Pick your commitment date.. put it in your blog.. talk about it.. make it your goal.. Monitor yourself until your commitment date comes up.. then start fresh.. breath in .. breath out.. and know that that date you choose is your claim ticket to a new beginning .. I am doing that.. Thats what worked for me last year when my commitment date was January 22 2007 I lost 30 pounds.. and I have kept it off.. if I lose 30 pounds a year then YAY FOR ME.. I am doing it.. slowly but I am doing it.. forever..

Wish me well

Wish you well too


P.S. Yes I promise 98% of the time I wear my seatbelt now...

INDIRECTLY AFFECTED

Have you ever had one of those moments when something big happens and it indirectly affects you...??? I don't know the people involved but it involves the community I grew up in.. Friday night a young girl and her boyfriend took a ride with some friends from a party to go home.. I am not sure if anyone knows what really happened.. but the young boyfriend was partially ejected from the car and killed instantly and the young girl was.. well.. she passed away last night after they took her off life support.. one of the other boys lost an arm. and the other one is recovering from his injuries.. but he in all reality probably never will fully recover from the horrors of that evening.. Yesterday a mother buried her only son.. Sunday a mother and father and their spouses and children and community.. will bury this young lady. Each of these young people under 20 years old.. It seems that in every age group of this community there is a tragedy that happens.. I guess it is like that with all communities.. I won't be at the funeral.. as I said.. I don't really know the family.. I just can not imagine what they must be going through.. or how they will survive.. I lost a father to a car wreck.. so I know what its like.. but I simply can not imagine what it must be like to lose a child.. A mother lost a son, a community lost part of its future.. A mother , father and extended family lost a daughter, a community lost part of it's future..I feel badly for the friends of these young people.. I feel badly for all of those involved .. I feel badly for the young man driving .. knowing that even though this is an accident.. his actions or inactions are forever linked to this event. How he will survive..Only God knows.. May God bless them all and may God bless that community too.



Normally on Friday I like to rant .. and comment.. and perhaps I will.. I just felt compelled to share the above with you.. though it has no direct impact on me.. as an adult.. as a former member of that community.. I feel deeply saddened for all of those involved... I hope the young people .. the friends of these victims.. use this moment in their lives as a compass to prevent this from happening again if at all possible... When Natalee Halloway dissapeared ( most everyone has heard of that young woman .. she was from the community I grew up in ) I saw the strength of a community blossom.. it was amazing.. I had never seen anything like that.. nor had anything ever happened like that in that community... I hope that with the love and support from all those around that those directly involved in this tradgedy are able to breath.. and take a step at a time into the future.. trying to survive.. I hope with faith from their respective clergies.. that they get through this.. a bit at a time..



For the longest time.. after my father's death I did not wear my seatbelt.. and sometimes I still do not wear it.. I should .. I know.. but sometimes that haunting logic of .. it did not save his life.. why should I use it.. wanders into my brain.. more often than not though.. I use it.. wether it will save me .. who knows.. but I try to override the bitter logic.. and move on too...





It is a glorious Friday morning here.. finally there is a little chill in the air.. the sky is finally smiling in blue... the sun is shining.. these are all good things.. I think about what is good in my life and I deeply take none of this for granted.. when one hears about tragedy it really is a marvelous looking glass.. even though the tragedy is horrible it forces you to look around and protect with even more strength all that you have in your life.. I know that all of this.. is in God's hands.. what happens happens and simply there is much we have no control of.. but what we do have control of then we have to grasp that even firmer.. We have to teach our children to always be aware and to do their best to avoid situations that might cost them their lives.. we have to think about the unthinkable.. yet still be willing to be an adventurer too.


You know its the same with food.. we do have control over that.. we choose to eat or not eat.. exercise or not exercise.. we can control those things.. and to me that gives us power in a way... it is good to be able to take control over what we can.. and attempt to release what we can not control. We can not control the weather, We can not control other people's reactions to things.. and sometimes we can not control our reactions to things.. hence most of the time we tend to eat it away.. thinking that the food will be the source that wipes out whatever we feel.. but the fact we know the truth.. it never does.. all it does is hold us back.. rein us in tighter.. and being reined in is not what we want.. we want to be free of the need to feed ourselves when something happens.. so again.. I think that it is one of those things we can control.. for myself.. I am the worst at getting mad.. I hate getting mad because guess why???? I FEEL OUT OF CONTROL when I get mad.. its very rare when I get mad.. so its very BAD when I Get mad.. hence most of the time when I get mad.. what do I do... ??? yeah. you are right.. I eat it away...





You know .. we talk about these issues all the time.. we talk about emotional eating.. and how to deal with that.. we talk about coping skills.. and I have come to the conclusion that sometimes it is okay to not feel in control.. that sometimes when we totally lose it.. .. it gives us a bit of freedom. .. and then we breath and try to regain control of ourselves..


Okay onto lighter things... FIRST I am so glad you guys are sticking around and not abandoning blogging.. its important and I think in the long run it will help us all.. for all we simply want to do is survive and be healthy.. and be strong...


With the holiday quickly approaching I found this cookie recipe from the Cooking Light website

Ingredients :
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar


1 cup sugar


1/4 cup butter, softened


1 tablespoon corn syrup


1 teaspoon vanilla


1 large egg object


3 tablespoons sugar


2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Cooking spray



Preparation


Preheat oven to 375°.



Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar, stirring with a whisk.
Combine 1 cup of sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and egg; beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.
Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk.

With moist hands, shape dough into 42 (1-inch) balls. Roll balls in sugar mixture. Place balls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 375° for 5 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft). Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Yield
42 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)



We are holiday baking this Saturday night.. My mom is going to spend the night with us.. and we are going to make more pizzelles (choc and regular) we are going to make some chocolate mint cookies that Steve has a recipe for and Ginger bread too.. most are for holiday gifts...
We are going to make a big pot of chicken soup with Matzah balls.. and have a fun Saturday evening watching movies and baking.. yay.. I love when the house smells good.. and I love being able to use alternative healthier recipes.. all though I am pretty sure those chocolate mint cookies might be more naughty then nice..

Todays food
Weight control oatmeal
sliced carrots raw
lowfat blue cheese dipping dressing
Chicken teriaki rice bowl Lean Cuisine
craisens and pistacheos
2 clemintines
1 apple
diet sunkist
propel
Fiber one bar
water

Steve and I are going out to dinner tonight..
Going to our favorite Italian place Salvatores and sharing a entree.

Can you guys believe that in 4 days we will have been married 1 month LOL ... yeah 1 month anniversary .. lol silly .. I know...

Wish me well
Wish you well too

COMMITED TO BLOGGING OR IS THAT ADDICTED

My name is Honi and I am a BLOG ADDICT (clap clap clap... welcome Honi) lol... seriously.. I am not really a blog addict.. I just like to blog.. I like to throw my feelings out there.. spin it a round a bit.. and listen to what others have to tell me.. I love creating new perspectives.. I love knowing that others out there so GET IT.. I love knowing I have this one safe place to come to voice my opinion.. and read other's opinions.. The hardest thing for me.. and I almost see as a bit of a pattern here in the great blogosphere... I see folks start out gung ho with these fabulous blogs and then bit by bit they dissapear.. I guess I look at blogging as a thereputic way to help me on my journey to getting healthier.. SURE I am a busy Woman.. but I always make time for this because I put this as a priority in my life.. I am a priority in my life.. lets face it friends.. if we do not make ourselves our priority then who will.. ??? Blogging fits into that priority .. Somedays I might have a more difficult tim eating wise and here I can lay my sould bare and feel better.. preventing a binge.. or I might read Escape from obesity or Scale Junkie or A lighter life or anyone of the blogs I book mark and read regularly and poof whatever had me ill is gone.. because someone wrote the right thing and I read it.. Though I know we are all virtual friends... I tend to venture that in our regular lives aside from these cyber lives.. we would be friends.. because we have a common bond.. getting healthier and battling those issues linked by one common bond .. how we deal with food.. Sharing our successes and failures.. is a mere building block to our futures... when you share your failures.. U ARE NOT A FAILURE.. you are human .. but when you or I share that failure or mistake or when we over ate or why we over indulged etc.. then we can release it in a sense.. and reallly move on.. when we hear from others that we are indeed not freaks of nature and others have done whatever too.. then it makes it okay to be human and fail... or to be human and succeed.. thats what I get from everyone's blogs.. thats what I get from my own blog... so it kinda makes me sad in a way when I see someone who for some reason decided this was not a priority anymore.. it makes me wonder if they consider themselves a priority anymore... I continuously update my sidebar taking out blogs that have not posted with in the month.. adding new blogs.. that way to me things are fresh.. and new.. and inspiring.. I only like to keep active blogs in my sidebar... for thats where I go to for motivation...
that is my attitude about this. I feel bad for those that just simply let it slide out of their hands.. I fell badly for those who stop making themselves a priority.. I feel badly when I see a blogging friend dissapear...I hope you won't dissapear... I am not .. ..

Food wise.. I have not been a good food logger in the last week.. I know I know I need to to do that...
On the food wise front.. check this out:

Steve and I love making Pizzelles.. they are a wafer thin Italian cookie.. we started doing this last year after we got our first pizzelle iron.. they are wonderful light cookies

about 50 to 88 calories per wafer the bigger the wafer the more calories.. depends on iron size.. ours is average so I would so our pizzelles are about 64 calories or so.. they are SOO GOOD ..great holiday treat at a low cost in calories.. have one or 2 with a warm beverage and its yummy

If you have a Pizzelle Iron use it
If you don't get one.. they are not expensive
favorite recipe for Pizzelles:

ITALIAN PIZZELLES

These pizzelles are light and crisp. Serve them plain or dusted with powdered sugar. Also, they can be easily shaped while still hot right off the iron and formed into a cone, cylinder, or even a cup and filled with your favorite filling. To keep them crisp, store them in an air tight container.
3 eggs
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. anise seed or extract (opt.)
1/2 c. butter (1/4 lb.)
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Do not use more than 1/2 cup butter and don't use oil as a substitute.

Beat eggs and sugar.
Add cooled melted butter and vanilla and anise.
Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture.
Batter will be stiff enough to be dropped by spoon.
Batter can be refrigerated to be used at a later time.
Makes 30 pizzelles.

VARIATION PIZZELLE CON CIOCCOLATTE: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa and 3 tablespoons sugar to the basic Italian Pizzelle recipe. If desired, you may substitute chocolate flavoring instead of the vanilla and anise flavoring.

****YOU CAN GET THE PIZZELLE IRONS ON AMAZON.COM THEY ARE UNDER 50.00 WE LOVE US ARE THEY ARE FUN FOR THE FAMILY TO MAKE AND TO GIVE AS GIFTS IN PRETTY TINS OR CONTAINERS..**************

ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

My hair is frazzled and my eyes are crossed and I am walking around in circles... sigh..........
WHY is it that I never get the EASY button like in the Staples comercials... WHY CAN't I HAVE JUST ONE EASY BUTTON!!!!! so here is the deal.. I go to the post office near my office to do my passport renewal.. I have the pictures I have the forms.. I have my old passport and I have the check.. I buy the padded envelope.. I stand in line 20 minutes only to find out this branch ( EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS SO ONLINE AND THE 1800 post office number says so) DOES NOT DO PASSPORTS.. ..so then I get in my car go to another post office that does them.. about 30 minutes away... I get there.. stand in line for another 20 minutes only to find out that the FUCKING pictures taken at WALGREEENS are too DAMN BIG... however at this post office since they do passports they can do the pictures too.. ONLY THEY DO NOT START DOING PASSPORT PICTURES UNTIL 10 AM.. its 9:35 am.. ( I have been at this over an hour now) so I wait.. and I wait in PASSPORT HELL.. then I Get back in line wait ( why the clerk would not do my damn picture at 9 35 is beyond me.. she could have had some Christmas spirit ya know) another 15 minutes... and then they realize that they have never taken a picture of a SHORT person before.. they have a stool for children.. but if you are under 5ft and an adult you are shit out of luck... they move the camera around and after the 3rd round of shots.. ( between each set of pictures there was a 10 minute wait for development of pictures) they finally get 2 they can use... WELL BECAUSE IT IS SO FRIGGIN HUMID AND HOT HERE in the bossom of DECEMBER.. ( it should be in the 40s no higher than the 50s) it takes another 20 minutes for the photos to dry.... finally the envelope is sealed and hopefully sent out today.. I should have my updated passport in 6 weeks... then I go to the bank to change my name on my account.. and on the joint account I have with my mom.. welllllllllll.. for some reason my dad ( who has been gone since 2001) his name is still on the account so now I have to find a death certificate to fix that.. then on my personal account which my husband is on.. for some reason my moms name is there too.. which that is totally bizzare.. so now that has to be removed and they have to redo the signature cards then everyone has to sign those cards.. the only damn thing that went smoothly was the debit card name change.. sheesh all I want is for some things just to go smoothly .. easily .. uncomplicated.. and my sister is worried that since I dropped my maiden name .. I will have problems when it comes to the legal documents my name is on concerning my mother.. so all of those papers have to be changed too.. WHAT A ROYAL PAIN IN THE TUSH this has been .... I adore my husband.. but I can say I honestly see why some woman avoid changing their names.. I don't think it completely has to do with indepence.. I think it has to do with good grief this is huge to do.. ...
From the land of food... at least that is going well.. Fiber one honey crunch for breakfast with fat free milk
A lean cuisine for lunch with 2 clemintines
an apple and my fiber one bar for morning snack
and craisins and pistacheos for afternoon snack...
I am on my own for dinner tonight .. not sure what I am going to do.. any ideas would be appreciated.. my brain is so fried from this morning's fiasco.. .. I want an easy dinner I was thinking something involving pasta.. or even some cheese toast or maybe just a bowl of cereal.. lately I have not been that hungry at night time... go figure.. lol...

Signing out.. on a muggy, humid , foggy, yucky, a teeny bit of blue sky appearing... Wednesday
Wish me well
Wish you well too

WHAT THEY ASK US TO DO and WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO

With both adult and childhood obesity at an all time high.. it is a scary thought that so many people would rather put their heads in the sand.. and tune out rather than turn on. Turn on and make changes...When one starts a weight loss program he or she is usually asked to make huge changes not only in their eating but in their lifestyle... One has to be sincerely commited to partake in this.. doing so half heartedly will only result in failure. So I think the first key is finding what motivates you to want to make these changes.. I think thats why a lot of folks who are successful are successful when they lose weight in their own time and way. I think that weight gain or loss is very personal.. why shouldn't it be.. IT INVOLVES THAT UNIQUE PERSON. Programs such as weight watchers or TOPS.. or the many other groups out there are good support networks for the most part.. they have their cut and proven methods as do programs such as L A weight loss and Nutrisytem , Jenny Craig etc... Each has its own keys to success.. yet in those programs your key to success is greatly altered by how you are willing to comply with the program.. I have done WW several times.. and I enjoyed it.. and still think its great. I keep coming back to this one thought .. I am a unique person.. perhaps I need a unique program based on what works just for me. Sure I could do a fasting program.. sure I could follow anything.. but what part of me is going to want to follow this for the rest of my life.. If I create something that is flexible yet sturdy... if I create something that moves with me.. then I feel I have a better chance at success.. I see that logging my food.. and eating healthier works for me.. I also see my weak spots .. DRINKING WATER is a huge one.. I like propel but I am not a fan of plain water.. and lemon water just does not work either... So I started last night.. drinking water after 8 pm. prior to 8 I can drink my diet Sunkist.. or Diet Gingerale. or Propel. .. I am slowly starting to work towards the goal of not eating after 8 pm too. I am also trying to develop an exercise program I will stick with ..I have not found my groove there yet.. I love to swim... I like to walk... I like the bike.. but I have to be so careful because of my back.. so finding something consistantly I can do with out injury is a huge goal. For the last week I had a couple days I really did not log my food.. I am wishy washy about that.. sometimes I do it religiously and right now I am going through that rebellious faze of I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS >> I KNOW HOW TO EAT.. I WANT TO NOT THINK AND NOT PLAN and just live.. thats what really irritates me.. I also have some things coming up personally I am nervous about.. EMAIL ME if you want to know what that is about.. I don't want too much out publically yet... It is nothing bad.. its just HUGE change and it kinda scares me.. and thrills me at the same time.. and NO I AM NOT PREGNANT lol..... nor thinking about that. ..

So back to the topic of my blog today.. WHAT THEY ASK US TO DO and WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO... do you find yourselves saying yes to things .. even when you know you do not want to do something.. I am that way.. Do you find yourself following something even when deep down you do not want to do it.. .. it could be the latest weight loss gimic or a new hair cut.. but you follow or do it anyway because you think. its going to create something different than what you have already.. I think.. nothing really changes unless we are ready to take charge of ourselves.. it is at that moment when things have the force to change.. it is at that moment when we decide to take charge that suddenly life starts to fit better.. Being able to say no when you mean no.. being able to decline a hair cut or a diet fad... having faith that the path you have chosen for yourself is the right one .. is the most powerful thing one can do. So listening to ourselves.. and finding out what we really want.. be it not losing weight.. or losing weight.. or being fit and fat, or being fit and smaller.. or being simply healthier.. those are all viable goals.. things that might be underlying ... I have set my long term goal in pounds.. so I have the concrete goal in mind... and I am slowly reaching towards that goal.. IT is a tough road.. one each of us knows all to well.. for each of us.. whatever changes we are making .. this journey is fraught with pot holes and detours.. but as long as it is REALLY WHAT WE WANT.. and not WHAT THEY ASK OF US.. then I think its a better journey..

DO THESE THINGS BECAUSE OF YOU..
NOT BECAUSE OF A THEM or a HE or a SHE.. do this.. because inside of you.. it is the direction you want to go...

Thats it for a Tuesday in Sunny and HOT Alabama.. ( please send some cooler weather our way)

Wish me well
Wish you well too

TIME

I think if I could have any magical power it would be to freeze time.. both Steve and I wish we could just snap back 4 weeks ago to our wedding weekend.. It was so much fun and it was so joyous to be with everyone.. exactly one week after our wedding a precious friend of ours.. an older friend .. died suddenly of a stroke... she had been at our wedding.. a week later gone...
Tonight I will be watching the video of our wedding and stepping back in time.. and I will see her there.. and wonder why we simply can not freeze time... just for a bit.. just to be able to grasp the goodness out of life.. truth is though it is living life.. taking the sad and bad together that makes the joyful times even more meaningful...
I think were I am going with the ramble is .. try and not waste your time .. the time you have with those you love.. mend riffs, heal wounds.. make 2008 the year you stop living with regret.. thats my plan.. we all know God laughs when we make plans.. but I am going to take that time and live it.. as I make my life changes through out 2008 ... I never capped off my goals.. I never said by this date I would be 132.. a lot of people think thats bad.. but I think.. it is good.. it makes me real.. and it keeps me honest..
On that note.. here is a dose of honesty from me.. This weekend was a bust food wise.. From eating a bagel for brunch yesterday with a good shmear of cream cheese.. to eating a bagel for dinner with a little melted cheese on it.. to my Moms wonderful coffee cake.. several skinny and I mean almost see through slices.. i should just have had one big slice for heavens sake.. not to mention 3 potato latkas with sour cream and apple sauce.. then Saturday night.. well.. I had tunafish, and potato latkas with applesauce.. I had about 4 now they are not huge.. in fact mine are a little bigger than a silver dollar.. BUT THEY ARE FRIED.. thats bad... oh well.. it is eaten.. and I am not a purger.. and its done... I had fiber one honey cluster cereal this morning.. I had a lean cuisine for lunch ... I have fresh fruit and I have some chopped raw veggies with light blue cheese dressing for dipping... I have my fiber one bar .. and I have a cheese stick with a serving of crackers should I still be hungry through out the the day.. not sure what we are doing for dinner.. I think some type of chicken.. Am sipping on my diet sunkist right now...
Here is what amazes me.. and never ceases to amaze me.. Just how easy it is to eat unhealthy.. or maybe its not unhealthy .. well it is unhealthy but it is not like I ate a box of buddy bars or something I had holiday food.. I get once a year... its over.. hmmm do I sound like I am trying to justify over eating... I hope not! ..
Well.. thats it for a monday.
wish me well ..
wish you well too!!

ISRAEL BOUND and other Friday news..

I am so excitedly excited.. We are taking a trip to Israel in March.. this is going to be the COOLEST OF THE COOL.. the BEST OF THE BEST.. and uhmmmm no we are not riding the motorcyle there.. We are going with Steve's brothers .... I am going to start walking a lot more now.. so I can be prepared for all the walking we will be doing once we are there... I will take pictures galore you can bet on that....

Why is that when I google healthy blogs I simply bring up garbage for the most part.. nothing interesting.. or at least interesting to me??? Now if I type in weight loss blogs.. there are many... hmm still not a lot but more too choose from... its a fairly quiet Friday and thats fine by me.. We tried a new recipe for Whole Wheat apple pancakes last night... One word.. YIKES!!!!... this might have been better had we gone with the first idea... which was following a different recipe.. however.. we decided to be more health oriented and this was a total FLOP.. Never doing those again... We do a fabulous blueberry version that is really good.. but for some reason these apple ones.. just were low on the taste chart...
I saw something recently that lit my fire a bit.. its an old post on the Junkfood Science blog.. it talks about how it should be considered a crime to have obese children.."The intervention of social services in what was previously regarded as a private matter is likely to raise concerns about the emergence of the “fat police.” Some doctors even advocate taking legal action against parents for ill treating their children by feeding them so much that they develop health problems."
The post went on .. and it said there is only one word to describe this.. PREJUDICE... .Prejudice against those that are overweight and have children that are overweight too.. I don't thing that obese parents should lose their children who are obese .. I do think ... that the correct response is to educate people.. I am not saying obese people are not educated.. but maybe they do not see this as a problem.. or maybe they don't know how to change it or have the tools.. .. it would be a very sad world if children are removed from loving homes because of obesity....
I feel when it comes to families.. that healthy eating is a FAMILY ISSUE... even if just one family member is carrying the extra weight.. this is a family issue.. I think when you have the support of your family you stand a greater chance of long term success... Now I know a lot of you out there who have healthy kids and let them pretty much eat what they want.. have to deal with junk food in the house... well what if.. you slowly started replacing the junk food with faux junkfood.. lowfat microwavable popcorn.. or a better version of pretzels... or homemade healthier versions of cookies in the cookie jar... etc... to me.. if I were a mom it would make it easier on me not to have the junkie stuff in the house but provide alternatives.. maybe though thats just me..

I was perusing the google world and found an interesting site.. called SIZE WISE..
http://www.sizewise.com/ .. I like to find these fat acceptance or size acceptance sites.. I find them informative and interesting...

As I was perusing .. along... I found some new healthy recipe sites too:
http://www.medicinenet.com/recipes/article.htm

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_health/

I always forget about this website and I LOVE IT : http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/

That's it for Friday..

Wish me well
Wish you well too
Have a wonderful weekend

POSTING A LOT TODAY

Its one of those days friends... so I am posting a lot... today will be a long day.. I am food prepared.. I just have to get exercise prepared I think it would help me manage stress better..
My new favorite snack. .Craisens and a handful of Pistachio nuts.. its interactive in that it takes time to crack the shells of the pistachios open so it take more time to eat and its yummy..

Some folks have already posted about Nancy the woman who lost 530 pounds she is amazing here is a link from Oprah :http://www2.oprah.com/health/weight/slide/20071128/slide_weight_tows_101.jhtml

Truely a THINSPERATION if you ask me!!!!!!!!!

My Steve is wonderful.. during the week he usually prepares the most heavenly hot meals after work.. I like to cook on the weekends when I have more time.. I find it theraputic ...
I wish everyone a great and peaceful Thursday..
That shopping mall massacare in Omaha really had me bothered..
If I were Christmas shopping I would be ordering everything online...
There are so many scary people out there .. it is amazing... in a very pitiful way...
I still can not believe that this jerk just murdered 8 people for no reason ... and at the holiday time yet... I feel so sad for those families.. to have to suffer any time but especially at this time of year.. and yes that man is jerk.. or worse... I don't care how bad your life is .. or how bad you feel.. there is no excuse .. there is no reason to take another life.. Take your own if that is what you must do.. but never another life like that...... oh well
God be with them..
God be wtih us too..
Wish me well
Wish you well too..

STRESSFUL DAY = HIGHER CALORIES for me

IT is going to be a stressful work day so I upped my calories a bit.. 1,402 instead of my 1200-1300 range... I was afraid if I did not do this that I would let lose tonight I planned comfort food ( I love cheese toast 1 oz of a hard cheese melted on whole grain bread) for dinner tonight...with a nice hot cup of Steve's coffee.. I have a patient coming into that was not .. well.. the nicest thing over the phone.. those patients stress me out to no end.. he will be the type that will come in this afternoon and get mad at me because he has paperwork to fill out.. I had him on the phone yesterday and he cut me short while I was trying to get his info.. I did not even bothering asking him if he wanted me to fax his paperwork to him.. so i am sure he is going to pop a gasket when he sees he still has paperwork after the info I collected over the phone.. ASSHOLES make the world go round I guess.. thankfully most of our patients are amazingly sweet .. and so much fun to work with.. I guess thats why we need the jerks every so often to always help us appreciate even more the sweeter ones..
Wish me well
Wish you well too..

A BOWL OF CEREAL OR A CUP????

SO we sit there... knowing exactly what we should do.. yet do we eyeball it.. or do we take an exact measurement? chances are your morning is hectic so you are going to eyeball putting that cereal in that oversized bowl.. covering the bottom of the bowl ( you say to yourself..surely I can have more than that).. 1/4th of the bowl is full now.. and the serving still looks skimpy to you.. .. so you sprinkle in more cereal.. the bowl now is 1/2 full.. you pour in your fat free milk ( HEY ITS FAT FREE IT IS OKAY) again using the old eyeball trick.. the bowl is 3/4th full.. you shrug and add some more cereal.. NOW YOU HAVE A BOWL OF CEREAL.. or better yet.. you keep it at 1/4th of the way full.. add your milk. and after you have eaten the cereal you notice there is milk still in the bowl.. you shrug and add more cereal.. eat it.. and there is still more milk left so you add more cereal.. until every last drop of that liquid is gone.. So you started with good intention.. but somewhere you healthy cereal breakfast went off track.. Here is the reality... DONT USE A BOWL.. save bowls for salad... or soup.. Take a small coffee cup.. get your measuring cup out.. read the back of your cereal box.. see what a serving size is.. and commence to using that size.. in some cases the serving will fill the cup up.. or it might only fill it half way but if you add milk .. the cup is full... and if you got a whole coffee cup of measured cereal and u add milk your cup will be overflowing REMEMBER THE KEY >>> SMALL COFFEE CUP.. not a oversized mug!!!! in your minds eye.. you will think hey .. I am not being deprived.. this is a nice serving.. as opposed to the bowl you just can't seem to get to look satisfying until you over do it... Look for high fiber cereal. BUT the key here is finding tasty cereal that you get a nice serving of... Most sugared cereal is based on 1 CUP measurements.. THATS A MEASURING CUP SIZE not rounded... not over flowing but EVEN!!!.... Most Fiber rich cereals.. over 4 grams ... give you anywhere from 1/2 of a cup to one cup.... depending on the sugar content.. Truthfully, its all about comparing labels.. and finding what works for you... Sometimes I like to mix my cereals up.. I might start out with HEART TO HEART then sprinkle in a 1/4th cup of Kashi GO lean crunch... or I might have weight control oatmeal if I want a HOT Cereal... but if I am sticking with cold I usually mix it up... that way allowing for different textures.. good crunch and a longer eating time... When I am banking calories.. I always look for the biggest serving , most fiber, least amount of calories.. many things out there I pass on... because the serving size is very small.. compared to the calories or if the serving size is large and it has a fiber content of less than 2 grams.. per serving I usually pass on that too ... Thats another reason i tend to lean towards fresh fruits and veggies.. I can have unlimited veggies and a fair amount of fruit.. spending my calories on these things is not only filling but good for me as well..
If you are banking calories and counting them.. ( I love this method.. its like a game to me) then you are always making an investment in yourself.. if you want to use calories towards a treat.. fine... but balance it with good nutrition too.. I think what I like so much about this method is that it is a limitless in what you can do.. Okay.. I know what you are thinking.. .. Honi .. you are trying to stick with 1200 calories... a day.. thats very LIMITED... I disagree.. the calories might be limited.. but I can have fun with in those calories.. finding new healthy recipes.. revamping old recipes.. concentrating on what a serving size really is.. and deciding is that serving size really going to work for me or would I rather try something else... Yes.. you have to think about food... Yes you have to plan and be organized.. but once you figure it out.. then it becomes second nature.. and you do not think about it... I tend to be a creature of habit and for the most part with variations eat the same meals during the week.. I like to get creative during the weekends.. for example I will save my eggs usually for the weekends.. ( I keep my eggs to no more than 4 a week so I do that on weekends in some form.. ) What ever plan you are following in most cases.. it encourages portion control.. USING THOSE MEASURING CUPS... use the smaller plates.. play games with yourself so you do not feel you are "cheating yourself" .. and always remember.. that the first bite tastes the same as the last one... so if you want to indulge.. do it with thought.. and enjoy your food.. don't just woof it down because its there and everyone else is doing that..
.
Thats another thing.. stop and watch people it.. watch the large people eat.. watch the smaller size people eat... note what people do different.. that might sound strange.. but I watch people eat.. i watch how folks load up their plates.. and what they load up on ( call me a freak ) .. I watch what the more fit people do .. and truthfully a lot of times it inspires me to eat healthier.. ( so I might mimic their plates.. or take a bite of food when they do.. ) just to see whats different than how I have eaten.. I study it because I want to learn now.. how to change all of this.. the one major commitment I made to myself when I started this program was that I would NEVER GO BACK TO WHAT I WAS.. I WOULD NEVER BE OVER 200 pounds again.. I am well under that now.. 182.2 and I still have 50 pounds to go ... but its like my cousin said.. just focus on one pound at a time.. it makes it easier..

For today I close with this:

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF
BE PREPARED
WATCH PEOPLE
LEARN YOUR SERVING SIZE.. ( THE REAL SERVING SIZE NOT THE SIZE YOU SEE ON TV OR THE ONE YOU EYEBALL)
BE AWARE
ENJOY WHAT YOU EAT by EATING SLOWLY

WISH ME WELL
WISH YOU WELL TOO

IT'S STILL CHANUKAH ( it will be until next tuesday) ..A TRIP TO THE BANK

Well here we are at the first Day of Chanukah.. tonight we light the second candle.. We skipped our latkas last night and are planning to do a brunch on Sunday.. I think we are going to ask Steve's son and daughter in law and grandson.. Now they celebrate Christmas.. (they are not jewish) so we thought this might be a fun way of sharing Chanukah with them.. thats when we thought we would do the latkas.. hmm I loved your comments from yesterday and Scale Junkie that Zuchini idea sounds super.. will have to try that..

Okay I went to the bank today.. not my regular bank where I have yet to change my name but Steve's bank were we share an account.. It is hard to remember to use the married name when I am there still LOL. I guess I will get used to that as time goes on.. anyhow.. I was riding a side road off the highway and I noticed all the geese around these man made lakes they were busy hunting through the grass for yummy bugs or whatever geese eat.. .. then I started thinking.. about all of us.. all of us on this planet.. creatures .. people .. anything with a mouth and a belly.. no matter what each of us.. from the smallest of us to the largest of us.. are always in need of this one thing.. some of us nose through grass.. some us hunt and eat wildly.. some us pick through trash.. some of us scream angrily until that bottle or breast is pushed into his or her mouth..or the spoon is randomly shoved in loaded with whatever green or orange goo mom could find for babies..some of us beg for it.. will do tricks for it.. some of us are starving for it.. Some of us have way to much of it.. or way to little of it.. Food.. sustenance.. excess.. however.. we can have it.. .. so amazingly food centric are we ...

We as humans are suppose to provide for our young.. we are suppose to teach them the proper amounts of food to ingest.. we are suppose to lead by example.. yet we still for the most part have not learned.. and some of us have learned so well that we make our children OBSESSIVE about food. instead of letting them learn by their instincts .. when to stop eating.. or what to eat .. There are those that have managed some how to lead by example.. there are those out there who exercise and have given that love to their children.. those same people love to indulge too.. and they have taught their children that they can indulge in moderation .. and that good exercise leads to good health both mentally and physcially.. Truthfully that is who I wish i was.. I wish I was one of those type people.. granted I have no children to teach.. however I wish someone had taught me by letting me have a good example.. I did not have that growing up.. I had a dad that loved to indulge and he would let me indulge and I had a mom that was obsessive about my weight so much so that she put me on my first diet at 10.. what a horrible thing to do to a kid.. food was taken away from me.. i learned to be a fast eater and to hide food around the house for later.. I was always afraid I would not have enough to eat.. had I simply learned then what I have learned now.. things would have been different.. but I cant fault my parents for what they thought was the right thing.. nor can I fault the doctor who put me on diet pills at 13.. nor can I fault anyone.. 45 years old.. thats what I am .. and I am still learning how to manage my eating.. for now.. I am eating to lose.. eventually I will be eating to maintain.. IF I were a parent.. not only would I be teaching myself but I would work so hard to help my children.. be healthier wiser eaters.. and better exercisers... I would teach my children to be every thing I am not so that when they are my age.. they would not find themselves in my dilemmas.. hmm thats what I thought about today.. My reality is becoming that person I want to be.. a healthy nutritiously sound human.. who indulges every now and then.. but eats sensibly and enjoys exercise .. whatever that may be..
Wish me well
Wish you well too

CHANUKAH, HANNUKA, CHANNUKA, HANUKAH.. YOU CAN SPELL IT ANYWAY YOU WANT BUT IT'S CHANUKAH TO ME

WELL Chanukah falls early this year.. usually it is tied right in with Christmas... Chanukah is a minor jewish holiday but is a very familiar jewish holiday because it is the one most associated with Christmas because they tend to fall near each other.. However , since jewish holidays go by the jewish calender they never fall at the exact same time each year... Long story to be saved for another post... Hence, Chanukah starts tonight.. If I had kids we would have a bigger celebration.. so its just Steve and I .. we light our menorah.. and somewhere over the next 8 days.. we shall exchange chanukah presents and make our potato latkas .. (potato pancakes fried in oil) ( boy that stinks up the house in a oily oniony way ) Here is a healthier version of Potato pancakes in case you want to indulge in this once a year treat... this is from FOODFIT.com :
Low-Fat Latkes
This recipe serves:
8
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium onion
1/3 cup matzah meal, or unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup egg substitute, or 2 eggs plus 4 whites
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
a sprinkle kosher salt or coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)

Serve with:
non-fat or low-fat sour cream
applesauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place a couple of non-stick baking sheets in the oven and preheat to 450°F .
2. Peel the potatoes and onion and coarsely grate in a food processor fitted with a shredding disk or on a box grater. Grab handfuls of the grated vegetables and squeeze tightly between your fingers to wring out as much liquid as possible.
3. Transfer the grated vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in the matzah meal, baking powder, egg substitute, parsley, and plenty of salt and pepper. (The latkes should be highly seasoned.)
4. Spray the hot baking sheets with oil (or drizzle the oil on it and spread with a wooden spoon) Spoon small mounds of potato mixture onto the baking sheet to form 2-1/2 inch pancakes, leaving 1 inch between each. Bake-fry the latkes in the oven until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning once with a spatula. (When you turn the latkes, try to flip them onto spots on the baking sheet that still have oil.)
5. Transfer to plates or a platter and serve immediately with sour cream and/or applesauce.

192 calories I think for a couple of them..



I lifted this picture from AMAZON.. I prefer the mix... lol.. yeah call me cheap and easy.. I add an onion and a real potato to stretch it out a bit.. and its tasty and fine

about 160 for 4.. give or take a few calories






We have a unique menorah.. it looks like this.. : I bought that for Steve a few years ago for Chanukah.. we use it.. we have several others but this is the one we enjoy the most..


Eating for me is right on target.. however.. here is the big issue.. HONI IS NOT VERY GOOD EXERCISING.. does tearing apart the kitchen and putting everything back in with the wedding gifts count as exercising in sort of an untraditional way.. I know I know.. okay.. we have a great membership at this great club.. and we need to use it.. I called Steve this morning.. and told him as always how much I love him .. he asked me what he did wrong LOL.. I said nothing.. the only reason I was calling was to say how great our eating has been .. but that we need to incorporate exercising with it.. I told him we don't have to break our necks just something.. we do a lot of walking when we go to the flea markets.. so thats good.. but we need more.. so we are going to work on that ...
Well... all is well for a cold and Sunny Tuesday
Wish me well
Wish you well too