Gran Torino and WW Question Answered

Randey and I had a little mini-date night yesterday. I say "mini" because we went to the early show and then picked up sandwiches from Subway on the way home so it really didn't seem too much like a real date. But hey - I'll take what I can get. Anywho, we went to see Clint Eastwood's latest movie, Gran Torino. We both were very moved by this movie. Heck, I think everyone in the theater was. It's basically the story of how a man, totally disconnected from any real human emotion, finds friendship and feeling almost against his will. It depicted a man incredibly alone and lonely, and determined to remain that way, until he finds himself interacting with his neighbors, people he never even wanted to know. This movie contains just about every single racial slur I've ever heard and many I hadn't. But the movie isn't so much about race as about the human condition. Do any of you know someone who has fostered a certain persona, who has learned to hide behind an unemotional mask, who has become so disgusted and confused by a world he or she is unable to grasp that they have just quit trying to interact with it? If so, you'll recognize that person in Walt, the Clint Eastwood character. I sure did. Watching Walt was like watching...well, it's not important that I share who the character reminded me of. It just speaks about the movie and Clint Eastwood's acting ability that the character seemed so real to me. Again, Randey and I were very moved by this movie and give it a firm thumbs up.
Now on to something else. Yesterday, I talked about Weight Watchers and, via e-mail traffic, got into a discussion about reaching my goal weight and then possibly taking it further. You see, when I spoke with my team leader the day that I decided 149 was the end of the road for me, she very clearly stated that I needed to be sure because if I went 2 pounds over that or 2 pounds under that (after having maintained that weight for 6 weeks and being declared a LifeTime Member, at which point I would no longer have to pay to attend the meetings), they would have to charge me again. Someone in an e-mail told me I must have heard her wrong, but I distinctly remember my team leader saying the reason I needed to be sure was because some people just picked the high end of their weight range as their goal, but then continued to try and lose weight, which was against WW rules. So today I called WW for clarification. I spoke with a very nice woman who told me that I could most certainly continue to lose weight after obtaining my goal, as long as I didn't go below the minimum set forth in the WW guidelines. I told her what my team leader had said and she told me that wasn't the first time she'd heard that so she put me on hold in order to investigate further. I must have been on hold for something like 10 minutes, but when she finally came back on the line, she told me that yes, I was only obligated to pay again (once I became a LifeTime Member) if I went 2 pounds above my goal. She went on to say that my Weight Watcher goal and my Personal goal were two different things and that many people did indeed choose the higher end of their range as their WW goal while still aiming for something lower as their Personal goal. So thank you, Mary, for discussing this issue with me and giving me the impetus to seek clarification from WW. I was worried sick about having to stay so rigidly within that range. I'm almost tempted to work on losing another few pounds just to see what reaction I get from my team leader. I've really enjoyed her help and encouragement with my weight loss, but am kind of flummoxed by her almost adversarial reaction to my decision to declare that particular number as my goal weight. She's been so happy about every other "victory" that her response to this sort of came out of left field. Oh well, we'll see...an additional weight loss may never come up so there's no point in worrying about it just yet, eh? And regardless of this one little issue, I am still thrilled silly with WW and what it's done for me.
Guess I'd better run. My boys get out of school early today and I've invited them to join me for lunch at Olive Garden. I'm all excited! I'm kind of taking bets with myself on how fast they'll try to ditch me after the lunch is over, though. Teenagers....

About the Weight Watchers Thing...

As many of you know, I started with Weight Watchers back in May of 2008. When I started, I weighed 205.2 pounds and was wearing size 18 clothes. Yowza, right? I never really thought WW would work and, in fact, told myself that I would stick with it, come hell or high water, for 4 months before I quit, just so I could say that I had "tried everything" to lose weight. I was pretty convinced that it would be a very unproductive 4 months. I was wrong. Almost immediately, the weight started coming off. A pound or two a week, but it was coming off. After the first month, I thought I would be perfectly thrilled if I could just get to maybe 165 pounds again. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but it didn't seem completely unattainable. Well heck...things kept working, I kept losing and before I knew it, I was at 165 pounds. Who'd a thunk?? At that point, I really started to pay attention. I got on the Weight Watchers website and looked up the "healthy weight" parameters for my height and my age. I think it told me I should be between 144 and 150, depending on whether I counted my height as 5'4" or 5'5" (technically, I'm 5'4 1/2"). So I put my goal at 140 (always looking to over-achieve, you know). Well, the closer I got to that, the harder it seemed to be. Not one to make myself suffer unnecessarily (all thoughts about over-achieving notwithstanding), I changed my goal to 144. Eh, what was 4 pounds, right? Okay, so I continued to plug along and then the holidays hit...Halloween, Thanksgiving, blah, blah, blah. Suddenly, 144 just wasn't going to work anymore. I panicked. I got down to 148.8 and that seemed to be as far down as my body wanted to go. Bummer. For over three weeks, I stayed within 2 ounces of that weight. I just couldn't seem to get below it. Finally, in frustration, I told my team leader at WW that I had had enough. I was declaring myself done. And actually, I was pretty happy with being right at 149. I was wearing size 8 jeans, size medium shirts...I was smaller than I'd been since Randey and I had gotten married. I thought I was okay saying enough is enough. My team leader, however, seemed shocked and more than a little bit dismayed by my decision. After discussing it with her, I actually felt like I had failed at something! What the heck? I know she didn't mean to make me feel that way, but from the reaction she had, I couldn't help but feel like I had given up on something, that I had failed. But...it's been more than 4 weeks now and while I've gotten down another pound, I'm still maintaining between 147 and 149. Maybe I could have worked harder and longer and lost a few more pounds. Maybe I should have done that, I don't know. I still feel like I've kind of failed at something and I'm not really sure why that is because I also know that I've succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. I, Kari Hayes, lost 57 pounds! Woo-hoo!!! So I didn't lose 65 pounds, like I had hoped to do at one point. So I didn't get down to a size 4 (like Marie Osmond says she did using NutriSystem). Big deal. Right? Right???? Am I happy with my size and weight now? Yes, a part of me is. Am I wondering if I didn't sell myself short because of some extra holiday eating? Yeah, I guess maybe I am. Does wondering that make me want to turn to a box of Godiva and drown my fears and uncertainties in its chocolate-y depths? Uhhhhhh, no. I'm a practitioner in the ways of the Weight Watcher! I don't feel the need to solve my problems with food anymore. I'd rather surf the net or walk the block! And I'd rather be sitting here wondering if my size 8 butt could get smaller than sitting here believing that my size 18 butt can't. Regardless of any small measure of angst I'm feeling today about my size, I can guarantee you that it's nothing compared to the heartache I felt about it before I joined Weight Watchers. It was good to do something about it. It was good to learn that I could.
For anyone thinking or wondering if they can actually do something about their weight, I urge you to try...I obviously recommend WW, but I know it's not the only thing out there that works. It's just the thing that works for me and it's given me a whole new outlook on life. Give yourself a chance to feel better about yourself, too, if that's what you need. I got the nerve and the urge to check out a Weight Watchers meeting thanks in no small part to a fellow blogger (you know who you are!) who first shared her WW experience with me. If I can pass that along to anybody else out there, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm always happy to talk about the difficulties and the joys of weight loss!! My absolute only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. Remember, there's no better time than NOW to get started!

Our Family Picture

Here's my little gang...our very first Christmas picture with all the kids and grandkids together. L to R: Maddy, Jodie, Nick, Randey (seated), Kaleb, me (seated), Kara (on my lap), Jacob, Desiree' and little Skye. I'm thrilled we were all able to pose without beating the snot out of each other. LOL

And here's that Pumpkin Pie recipe I promised all of you a while back (Hey! Better late than never, right?):

15 oz can of Libby's 100% Pure Solid Pack Pumpkin
3/4 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup Eggbeaters
12 fl. oz Carnation fat-free evaporated milk
1 frozen ready-to-bake pie crust

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together in small bowl. Beat Eggbeaters and pumpkin together in large bowl. Add sugar and spice mix to large bowl. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake in pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temp to 350 degrees and bake 40-50 minutes more or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 2 hours. Serves 8. This comes out to 3 WW points per serving. Only 1 point if you bake it without the crust!

It's truly delicious. Thank you so much, Susan, for telling me about it. Can't wait to enjoy it at Christmas like I did at Thanksgiving.

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!!

And the Darwin Award Goes To.....

ANONYMOUS #3!!! Congratulations, Anonymous! You've just won an all expense paid vacation to a place of your choosing, provided you can pull your head out of your ass long enough to navigate your way out of that padded room you must surely be living in!

I have received 4 comments from 3 different "Anonymous" commenters regarding my political posts of late. One, regarding my last post, said this:

Kari, I have to admit like Vee that I voted for Carter--what a diasterous, weak president. American prestige in the world took a nose dive -it is what will happen IF a Obama person wins (I HOPE not)!!! If the American people elect Obama, they will get what they deserve. I'm only afraid that we who did not support him will suffer along with them. He will NOT stand up to aggressors, he will try to "understand" them-- VB

Okay, so it won't shock anyone that this is actually a comment I agree with (lol). VB, this Darwin award is not for you (and not just because we happen to agree, but also because you explained your reasoning behind your comment). I thank you for taking the time to say your piece. Also, just as an aside, this technically isn't an "anonymous" comment since you did sign your initials, eh? Thanks again for weighing in.

Another comment, also regarding today's post, said this:

oh sorry, I had to laugh out loud when I read Vee say we were a prosperous country until the democrats took over 2 years ago LOLOL!! You women are hilarious and I sure as H*L* don't know where you been livin!!!

Huh. Us women, eh? Well, golly, I'm not sure if it's okay for me to respond to this condescending ass. Wouldn't want to overstep my boundaries, being one of the dreaded "you women" of which this person speaks. Hey, by the way, you are one popular person on my blog today, Vee! I know you're laughing just like I am to have gotten a reaction like this. I won't waste anymore time on this particular putz, except to say this: We women (I think I speak for you here, too, Vee. If not, I apologize!) have been living in the United States of America, where we have been safe from terrorist attacks from 9/12/01 forward, thanks in large part to the actions of President George W. Bush. I don't know where you've been living, buddy, but I hope it's just as safe there for you, too. Hate to say it, but this Darwin Award is not for you either. Not that I don't think you're worthy, but rather I've got someone even more worthy in mind.
Now enough of this woman's time has been wasted on you. Let's get to today's big winner...
The next two anonymous comments I got are from the same person and they're the ones that really burn me up (hence the reason I've declared this person the winner of the previously mentioned Darwin Award!). This first comment was in response to my "Preaching to the Choir" post. Here it is:

Hello, I don't have a blog but enjoy reading them! I would like to point out something, this ACORN mess is voter REGISTRATION fraud, NOT voter fraud! There is a huge difference! ACORN pays their workers by the number of people they can sign up in a day, thats why they commit fraud, so they can make bigger bucks, IT WON'T affect the voting process! Please understand that, thank you!

Uhhhhhh, okay. Excuse me. It's Voter REGISTRATION Fraud, which is like totally different from Voter Fraud, right? I mean hel-lo, dudes! That's like not nearly as bad, right? Hardly worth mentioning. Well golly gee, boy howdy, I feel like an hysterical, hand-wringing ninny, let me tell you. Well, okay, so that's not really how I feel. No, I feel more like a person of superior intelligence compared to ANONYMOUS because I think it is abundantly obvious that ANONYMOUS doesn't have the sense God gave a goat. Understand this, ANONYMOUS: the voter registration fraud that ACORN has committed has already affected the voting process. Let me walk you through it. First of all, think about the sheer expense to the states as a result of ACORN's actions. Election board employees are having to work extra hours, hire extra help and devote untold man hours to determine which registrations are genuine and which are suspect. In most states, that is done by sending out verification letters to the people who have registered so they can verify that the address given is correct. (Can anybody say POSTAGE FEES = EXPENSE?????). If there are multiple addresses used for one name, they still have to send a verification to each address. If the address is verified, fine - that person's name is added to the voter rolls. If they are unable to verify a person's address, (in some states) that person's name is not added to the voter roll, but is put aside in case that person shows up to the polls to vote. Should that person show up to vote and their name isn't on the roll, they are referred to the other list. If they are on that list, they are given a ballot, but that ballot is not counted unless and until their registration information can be verified. Imagine standing in line behind just a few people who have to be processed in this way. So you're right, genius, just because a person registers to vote 72 times does not mean they will get to vote 72 times. It does, however, mean that by virtue of registering multiple times, that person has effectively and needlessly cost the election board in funds and time and if enough of these people who registered multiple times show up at any given voting site, they could slow down the voting process enough to discourage lawfully registered voters from actually casting their votes. So you keep on believing that Voter REGISTRATION Fraud is nothing more than a silly ass game played by some low-level flunkies who just happen to work for ACORN. Way to soak in "the big picture"! I can tell how well you actually think issues through, ANONYMOUS. 'Course, I was able to ascertain that by your next comment (left on my Voter Fraud post), which was:

Dear Lord, please please read my comment on the post before this one, I said, VOTER FRAUD IS NOT VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD!!! Voter fraud is what happened in the last 2 elections where Bush stole the election! YES HE DID!!!

If I didn't realize you were a blithering idiot before, I surely understand it now. Thanks for the clarification.
I have had it up to here (picture my hand scraping across my forehead) and two feet over with blatant stupidity and/or willful blindness. I don't mind that someone might have a different opinion than me. Hell, I even welcome it. I have to admit, I'm fairly easily bored and it gives me something to do when someone points out a differing view. We can open up a dialogue and exchange views and ideas back and forth. Good times! Happened just this morning with Brenda, as a matter of fact. She pointed out what she felt were fallacies with my Obama Tax post and, thanks to her, I was able to get a broader picture of some things. It was great learning from her and while I still have the same opinion over Obama's Tax proposal, I'm more clear as to the specifics. That was exciting stuff for me. I love to learn - sometimes I love it more than at other times (particularly when I realize I've been wrong about something), but nevertheless, learning is always welcome. This ANONYMOUS, however, was not attempting to open a dialogue. This ANONYMOUS was seeking to lay down an opinion as fact and then just skedaddle on off my blog without so much as a scratch. Think again, dufus. ANONYMOUS, you apparently suffer some deep-seated resentment regarding George W. Bush. I sure do hate that for you. Now get over it. You truly need to because your resentment of W runs so deep that you seem quite willing to overlook and/or ignore a terribly vicious attack against our democracy, i.e., Voter Fraud (the Registration kind, of course). ANONYMOUS, you probably couldn't explain one iota of either candidate's stand on any given issue, other than to say who is the Democrat and who is the Republican. For whatever reason, you seem to think that by trivializing the actions of ACORN and their personnel, it somehow makes their actions "okay" or even "inconsequential". To that I say, DON'T BE AN IDIOT. More to the point, if the sanctity of our electoral process means so little to you, then why in the hell are you even commenting on my blog about it? There are innumerable ways you can show your ignorance without cluttering up my blog. Go give one a try, eh? And do yourself a favor and seek therapy over this W fetish that seems to have such a grip on you. It's not healthy to live like that. (Yeah, okay, that was a cheap shot. I'm just pissed to be confronted with so much ignorance out of one person. In the words of that great American, Senator John McCain, "it's remarkable".)

Okay, I'm done with that. For now. It burns my butt to no end to hear someone say something so ignorant about Voter Fraud. Like even a little bit is okay. Geez.

Okay, I'm really done now. Let me change the subject before I pound my keyboard into oblivion. On to other things...oh yeah, I got pretty good news at my Weight Watchers meeting. I'm down another 1.6 pounds for a total of 44.6. It was much better than last week, when I lost a whopping 2 ounces. Two ounces...good grief. I probably lost that by wearing a different watch or something. But no matter - this week was better so I'm feeling pretty good. I gotta tell you, though, this last bit of weight seems to be the hardest to get off. It's like trying to whittle a chunk of oak using nothing but a feather. It's hard to make much progress! lol

Finding a Weigh Out of Fat and Whining

Okay, okay, okay. I know I'm a whiner. To be honest, I'm a whiner from waaaaaaay back. It's sort of a way a life with me. Matter of fact, I guess you could call me a genuine Whine-O. I would say that I'll try to do better in the future, try to not whine about every little thing that happens in my life, but well, then I'd just be a lying whiner instead of just a plain ol' whiner and that would make me even worse, right? I suspect I'll always whine so what's the point of trying to deny it. At any rate, I'm at the point of my latest crisis when even I'm sick of hearing me blubber so I guess that means I need to move on now. Cars and cousins are just a part of life and grousing about either won't change the circumstances surrounding those subjects. At long last, I've arrived at the "suck it up" stage of this particular whine. So YAY me. LOL
Now on to "weightier" issues. I'm happy to report that I've lost another 1.6 pounds for a grand total thus far of 41 pounds. I'm pretty darn pleased with myself about this (ha! Talk about an understatement!). I got a comment on my previously referenced "big whining post" from Vee, asking if I was learning what to do when stressed instead of eat? I have to tell you, I hadn't even thought about it until she asked! But you know, there was a time not so very long ago when I would have buried my face in chocolate cake or maybe a bag of Hershey kisses or even a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos when faced with as much stress as we've been through the past few weeks. Without trying to sound like a cheerleader for their program, I have to give credit to Weight Watchers for my not doing that anymore. WW has taught me how to eat and, more importantly I think, they've taught me how to have a healthy emotional relationship with food. I no longer look to food for comfort or solace. I eat because my body needs the fuel, not because I'm feeling depressed or anxious or happy or sad. I'm so glad that Vee asked me that question because I feel much more confident in realizing through actual actions that my relationship with food has changed so dramatically. If I could impart one piece of advice to anyone trying to lose weight, it'd be to learn that food is fuel - nothing more, nothing less. That's not to say I don't want my food to taste good, because I do, but I don't plan my days around food anymore. I don't plan my life around food, other than to eat it because I need the fuel for energy. It's incredibly liberating to not be focused on food 24/7 (and here's to this being a life-long attitude and not just a phase, eh?). Heck, I'm even able to happily focus on other things these days...things like my husband, my hobbies, my home, my clothes... speaking of clothes, let me tell you this; the other day, I was telling Randey that I had tried on a pair of size 8 Levi's and actually got them on! SIZE 8s!!Okay, so it wasn't pretty, but that wasn't the point (*smile*). The point was that I was able to put them on my body and zip them up without rupturing anything. And despite my arse looking like a twisted balloon (strange little creases abounded!), it was a thrill to be able to do that. And maybe in a month or so, those size 8s will fit like they're supposed to. Maybe. Hopefully. (Hey! It's a goal! Don't judge.)
Before I leave, I want to share a picture of the Halloween tree. Yeah, it's the same tree I posted about and called my Fall tree, but I decided to dress it up for Halloween now. I had these "witch shoes" from Hobby Lobby last year. Don't know why I bought them, other than they were on sale after Halloween. They have little handles on them so maybe they are to hold candy or flowers or something, who knows. Anyway, as I was staring at them, trying to think of where to put them, it hit me: I needed a pair of Halloween tights to stick into the shoes! I found some at Wal-Mart, stuffed them with fiber-fill and set them up under the tree. Then I found a totally cool witch hat for the topper. And if I had those gorgeous feather-trimmed witch gloves I'd bought Maddy a couple of months ago, this tree would have arms as well as legs! (Yeah, Jake was pretty grateful those gloves are with Maddy now, too. lol) So what do you think? Too much?

Wednesday's "Finding a Weigh Out of Fat"

I have a question for you guys for this week's post. We've talked about favorite snacks, favorite recipes, favorite tips, etc., but I have an issue that's been bugging me a bit. What do you guys do when you find yourself out and about, away from home, during lunch? What do you eat? I mean, where do you go to find a good, low point (for WW) or low calorie/low fat lunch? Do you bring a lunch with you and if so, what's in that lunch? Do you stop at certain restaurants and get something and if so, what do you get? I know it's important to not skip meals, but sometimes, when I'm running around during the day and find myself getting hungry around lunchtime, I'm at a loss as to where to go or what to get. Any tips? What do you guys do?

Finding a Weigh Out of Fat, Volume #...Whatever Number it is We're Up To!

Today I want to talk about WHY it's good to lose weight. I mean, it's really a lot of work, isn't it? and sometimes you can find yourself asking just exactly why is it that you're striving so hard for a smaller butt. Lots of reasons, of course! Your health, for one. Losing weight can help lower your chances of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., etc., etc. The more weight you lose, the better able you are to get out in the world and MOVE! You know when you climb a flight a stairs and find yourself gasping for air? That's because your poor heart is working double, maybe even triple time just to pump blood throughout your plus sized body. Give your body a break and take some of those pounds off! Your heart will thank you, your lungs will thank you, your legs will thank you. Lose some weight responsibly, though! Talk with your doctor to make sure the plan you pick is right for you. And remember - any "diet" that causes you to lose more than 1 to 2 pounds a week probably isn't one that will teach you how to keep that weight off. Despite popular belief, it doesn't take a ton of will power to all but starve yourself to death. It does, however, take will power to focus on what you eat, when you eat it and why you eat it. Paying attention to those things is what will help you to learn the healthiest way to eat. Let's see now...another reason to lose weight...how about "attitude adjustment". Yeah, I said it. It's nothing more than a stupid, misleading myth that fat people are jolly. Fat people aren't jolly. They just happen to shake when they laugh because it takes a second or two for their gut to catch up with their mouth. Fat people are, whether they want to admit it or not, usually pretty darn unhappy with being large. Every single time I heard a fat person say "I like my size, I'm happy with my size. I may be fat, but I'm healthy", I would think to myself, "Well, it's great that you're so happy being fat, but I'm miserable. But since you've said it's okay, I'll work on convincing myself that maybe it is". I know a lot of people will be ticked at me for saying stuff like this. Don't care. For the most part, we all got fat because we ate the wrong stuff and a lot of it. Nobody in their right mind sets out to get fat. And nobody in their right mind is happy with being fat. Remember that old commercial where the kid says "when I grow up, I want to claw my way to middle management"? Would that have been anymore believable if the kid had said, "when I grow up, I want to be huge so that I can huff and puff my way thru life and watch the rest of the world be active"? Of course not. People don't want to be fat. It's just that so many of us don't know how to change our eating habits and our lifestyles without seeking help. Many of us also think it'd be too hard and would deprive us of too much. That's that "food is my buddy, my friend, my pal" mentality working on you. Get rid of that thinking! I've said it before and I'll keep on saying it; Food is fuel for your body. Period. Stop letting it be fuel for you emotional well being, too. Finally, here's one more reason to lose weight...CLOTHES SHOPPING! As many of you know, I've had a bit of a struggle with the weight loss this past week and a half. It's not a big deal, but since I was doing so well before that, this roadblock has kind of slapped me upside my head and left me reeling. Imagine my thrill when I was at the store and found a cute Halloween shirt and a Christmas shirt and realized that the MEDIUMs fit me! I haven't been in a size medium of anything for years. Many, many, many years. So while the scales have not reflected the effort I've made this past 10 days, the clothes shopping certainly did. A medium. Woo-hoo! (I'll post pictures of those shirts later. They're just novelty shirts, but I love them and can't wait to wear them).
Speaking of clothes shopping, I want to share the names of some clothes manufacturers with you. Why does something like this occur to me, you ask? Because I'm easily amused and some of these names just leave me laughing. Take for instance this one: Sag Harbor. I'm sure most, if not all of you, have heard of this brand. I've probably even bought some of their clothes at one time or another. But can I ask you this? Who in the heck at that company thought that calling a women's line of clothing SAG HARBOR was a good idea? It sounds like a place where your boobies go to retire. Geez. But while Sag Harbor is probably THE worst name for a women's clothing line, their prices are at least fairly reasonable. These pants, for example, cost $18.00.


This next brand is actually the brain child of hip hop rapper, Nelly. Anybody heard of him? He's had several songs out that even an old, dorky woman like myself can enjoy. Well, apparently Nelly likes a shapely woman (a man after my own heart, eh?). In honor of that, he's named his new clothing line Apple Bottom. This just conjures up an image of a giant, double-bubble butt and that's something I'm not looking to have. Love the singer, hate the name of the clothing line. By the way, should you decide to take a bite out of this particular apple, these pants from that line will set you back $81.00. Too rich for my blood. And my butt.

Anybody ever heard of this next brand, Affliction jeans? Now, call me crazy, but unless I'm very much mistaken, an "affliction" isn't a good thing, right? I even looked up the word in the dictionary. The official definition:

af·flic·tion : /əˈflɪkʃən/ Pronunciation Key - [uh-flik-shuhn]; noun
1. a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery: They sympathized with us in our affliction.
2. a cause of mental or bodily pain, as sickness, loss, calamity, or persecution.

And someone thought this was a good name for a clothing company?? Uh-huh. Well, I guess they make up for that confusion with the price tag. A pair of Affliction jeans could set you back $222.00. Sounds like your wallet will be afflicted more than your arse, if you ask me. Here's a picture of what you get for that kind of jack:

Next is another fairly common name, although not one I own personally. Baby Phat. While "Phat" may stand for "Pretty Hot And Tempting" in some circles, I'm not buying it. Yeah, sorry, but I'm not wearing anything with "phat" and/or "fat" in the name. And I darn sure wouldn't wear this brand and have it emblazoned across my thighs, like this pair has. So what do they charge for labeling your body as Phat in ginormous script? $69.00 a pair. This next brand isn't so bad, it just makes me think of some poor old woman who got left out in the rain too long: Rusty Women's Wear. I'd just as soon not be referred to as Phat or Rusty, thank you very much. Besides which, see these ugly britches by Rusty? $46.00. I just don't think these puppies look like $46.00 worth, do you? See these next pants? They're from the "Horny Toad" line of clothing. Yeah, you read that right. Horny Toad. I won't comment further on this name. 'Nuff said, eh? Oh and this particular style is called the "Audry" pant and will cost you $74.00.

I only mention those because of these:
The Horny Toad "Hepburn" pants. Poor Audry Hepburn. What'd she do to offend these guys? Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Hepburns can be had for the low, low price of just $70.00 a pair.

Now for the serious shoppers...I give you the "People's Liberation" brand. You can put your rebellious butt in a pair of these for a mere $171.00. For jeans, yeah, that's what I said...$171.00. Maybe I'm just cheap, but I think the only thing being "liberated" with a purchase of these jeans will be your money from your wallet.
This next company wins the prize for ugliest product and goofiest name. The United Nude Shoe Company, featuring the Porn Toe off white shoe. These horrendous monstrosities will cost you $175.00 if you want to strut your stuff in a butt ugly shoe with a titillating name. In other words, I'm sure Paris Hilton owes 7 or 8 pair but us average, every day folks probably don't own so much as a shoebox with this brand name. Although, if you do, please let me know. I've heard they're very comfortable. (snicker, snicker)
Finally, here's my favorite brand. Although, I'd like the CEO of this company to know that if he changed the name, he might sucker more Average Joanns into shelling out the big bucks for his clothes 'cause just hearing their name was enough to let me know I need waste no more time shopping for their product. This is the Rich and Skinny Clothing Company. Ahhhh. How I aspire to such great heights. Rich and skinny. Oh it's just too much to think on. No point in reaching for the stars when your feet are firmly encased in nothing more than a pair of cheap-o sandals from Cato, eh? Anywho, should any of you want to slap a little "Rich and Skinny" label on your arse, you'll have to shell out about $231.00 a pair. Wonder what's their cut off size for wearing these? I mean, is a size 6 still considered skinny? A size 8? Maybe a 10? Or do they turn their noses up at anyone past a 4?

Oh well, it matters not. Even if my butt gets small enough to wear these, I suspect my wallet will never get fat enough for them. Back to Cato I go....

"Finding a Weigh Out of Fat" Recipes

Here's a few more recipes that you guys might want to try:

First, let's go with the Cheese and Mushroom Quesadilla
(1 serving, 3 points per serving for WW)

1 burrito size whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp fat-free sour cream

Spread one half of the tortilla with salsa and sprinkle with the mushrooms and cheese. Fold unfilled tortilla half over filling. Heat a medium size skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Gently place tortilla in the center of the skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes or until crisp. Carefully turn quesadilla over using a spatula. Cook 3 minutes more. Remove from skillet and carefully cut into 4 wedges. Serve with sour cream. (To serve 4, increase quantities to: 4 tortillas, 1 cup salsa, 2 cups chopped mushrooms, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream.)

Spicy Mexican Rice
(4 servings, 2 points per serving)

2/3 cup Mahatma long grain brown rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cups fat-free beef broth

Spray a skillet with nonstick spray. Place over medium high heat until hot. Add rice, onions, bell peppers, saute until rice is lightly browned and vegetables are crisp tender. Stir in tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is cooked.
I've actually cooked this rice and the boys love it. I'm pretty fond of it, too. Remember, though, that not all long grain brown rice is created equal so check your labels before you decide to use a different brand. Also check the cooking times for the rice. For example, Uncle Ben's long grain brown rice cooks for 25 minutes, while Mahatma takes 45 minutes (learned about this the hard way!).

Finally and just for the Halibut, here's a fish recipe (get it? Halibut? Heck of it? Never mind...):

Baked Halibut
(4 servings, 4 points per serving)

4 (1/4 pound) halibut fillets
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain dried breadcrumbs
2 tbsp capers, drained
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced flat leaf parsley
4 lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the fillets skin side down in the baking dish; sprinkle them with the lemon juice. Brush each fillet with olive oil, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, capers, salt and pepper. Bake until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Spoon any pan juices over the fish and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve at once, with the lemon wedges.

I don't eat seafood or fish myself, so I can't give a personal recommendation as to how this tastes. If any of you decide to give it a try, let us know how it turns out, okay? By the way, this recipe as well as the Cheese and Mushroom Quesadilla recipe come to you courtesy of Joan over at Joan's Journeys. She's the best, isn't she?

Our Favorite Snacks

This post is ONLY over a week late. Sorry about that. Some things just can't be helped, though. But hey - better late than never, eh? So here goes...

Several people chimed in on their favorite snack foods. Seems like our choices aren't as limited as we might have thought (and that's really good news!). Here's the snack tips we got:

From Julie: "I like to use high protein foods. Depending on how hungry I am - make chicken (or tuna) salad using drained canned chicken, low fat Miracle Whip, sour pickles or sweet ones made with Splenda (Mount Olive brand is a good sugarless bread and butter pickle)..then I eat it with celery sticks for a big crunch. That way I don't miss the bread or crackers. Another good snack is fat free cottage cheese with some sugar free Cool Whip mixed in. Even better - stir in some sugar free jello powder - Yummo! My favorite flavor is orange jello."

I don't know about you guys, but I have a weakness for good chicken salad. The irony is, I only figured out a couple of years ago how to make it (I've told you that cooking has never been my forte' in life. lol) "Normal" chicken salad is too high in calories, though. But Julie's method of fixing it gives me back one of my favorite foods. It also demonstrates how we can make healthy choices with our recipes - the low fat miracle whip/mayo versus regular miracle whip/mayo. The sugar free pickles versus regular pickles, the celery in place of crackers or bread, etc. Thanks for the tips, Julie. Great advice.

This is what we got from Jodie: "Truth is I eat things that are already made or fruit for a snack. But I did think of something I used to do that was so wonderful. I may do it again if the prices of fruit goes down. I would make a fruit salad and let it sit in the refrigerator for a day or so. It makes it's own juice/syrup that is wonderful. The best things to use are peaches and strawberries for the juice. You can really add in any type of fruit. You just can't go wrong with fruit."

Fruit is higher in sugar than say a vegetable, but come on...fresh fruit is just plain good for you, regardless! (f you're on weight watchers, be sure to count the points accurately). I agree with Jodie, though, that you just can't go wrong with fruit. (Unless you're Annie and simply can't stand the thought of eating it! lol)

This is a tip from Donna: "Here's a great snacking tip! These are especially yummy in the summertime - frozen seedless grapes! I like the red ones the best. Wash thoroughly, drain, put on a cookie sheet, pop in the freezer, then transfer to a container with lid when the grapes are frozen. Great for snacking while watching TV!" Mary and I heartily agree! Frozen grapes are the best. Even Randey's hooked on them now. He prefers the green ones, but I think the red are the best. If you guys haven't tried this yet, DO IT! Talk about refreshing! Yowza!

From Kat: "Take one no sugar added fudgesicle and let soften until you can scrape it off the stick. Add one heaping tablespoon of peanut butter (I use Simply Jif since it has less sodium and sugar) and one heaping tablespoon of Sugar Free Cool Whip. Stir together until the three ingredients are blended. Put in freezer for 30 minutes. Enjoy! Oh.My.Word! I almost licked the bowl!"
I'm going to add this bit of nutrition information because I know some of you will question the use of peanut butter as a healthy snack. This comes from:

http://www.annecollins.com/calories/calories-peanut-butter.htm

Calorie Table for Peanut Butter
Please note: all calorie values are approximate
Calories:
Peanut butter, chunky (2 tbsp) 190
Peanut butter, chunky (1/2 cup) 760
Peanut butter, smooth (2 tbsp) 190
Peanut butter, crunchy (2 tbsp) 190-220
Bad News About Peanut Butter :
Two tablespoons of Peanut Butter contains 190 calories and 16 grams of fat - as much fat as in a Burger King hamburger. Peanut butter is a high-calorie source of protein. Two tablespoons contains about 8 grams of protein/200 calories, the same protein as 1oz of roast turkey with only 50 calories!
Better News About Peanut Butter:
Peanut Butter is high in fat, but most of it is monounsaturated, the same "good fat" that's found in olive oil. Some studies show that a diet high in monounsaturated fat may actually be good for the heart. In fact, it may even be true that adding Peanut Butter to your weight loss diet may help you lose weight, although the reasons for this are unclear.
Finally: Peanut Butter - A Weight Gain Warning
Peanut Butter remains a high calorie food. So irrespective of it's benefits, you may not consume it in large quantities without upping your calories and gaining weight.

Peanut butter is indeed high in fat, but it's also high in protein. And if you are absolutely craving something, there are worse things to eat, keep that in mind! I think the important thing is to make sure you don't overdo the P.B. content of this snack. It sounds so wonderful, doesn't it? Now me? I don't know if I've got the willpower to limit my peanut butter content as directed so I might leave it out. I've got stars in my eyes just thinking about the chocolate and the fat free cool whip. Oh yeah, baby...this sounds like THE best "guilt-free guilty pleasure" I've ever heard of (food wise, of course)! lol

This came in from Pam: "I like the Jello Sugar Free Pudding cups--both chocolate and chocolate banana. Also, I add one of the sugar free "mix" things to my water, and drink it at the same time. That's usually my afternoon snack. It's sweet and filling!" I've heard quite a few people talk about the Jello Sugar Free Pudding cups - and they all say they're great! I have GOT to pick some up, the next time I'm at the store. Adding flavors to your water is also a great way to get yourself to actually drink all the water you're supposed to every day (who knew making yourself drink enough water could be so flippin' hard?).

This from my Aunt Sandi: "For anyone who loves fruit, this is so easy...take two granny smith apples and 1 large sweet potato...peel the sweet potato and steam for about 10 minutes...while steaming the sweet spud, peel and core two granny smith (or any kind of cooking apple, winesap or what have you...)cut the apple into large chunks, throw in with the potato and steam together...when fork tender, mash or mix together adding 1/8 tsp salt...enjoy! Wonderfully filling, as well...learned this one when we lived in New Jersey (South Jersey, of course). "

Finally, a non-snacking tip from Vee: "Okay, here's a tip, not a recipe. Sometimes I find myself feeling "fatter" when wearing baggy clothing than when I'm actually heavier wearing clothing that fits. Beware of this one...it's subtle! :D" This is so true. I thought I'd feel like I was just really dropping pounds left and right if I wore my bigger clothes as I started losing weight. Unfortunately, though, all I felt was sloppy! And while it's impossible for most of us to buy a whole new wardrobe as we lose those pounds, it's important that we try to wear clothes that we actually feel good in. Go check out your local thrift stores and/or Goodwill - you can often find clothes to "fill in" your wardrobe as you progress from your beginning size down to your goal size. And buy a belt. It's great when you start to feel your britches getting looser...then it just gets annoying as you find yourself constantly hitching up the waistband of those pants about a hundred times a day. Yeah, there are worse annoyances to fight through, but knowing that doesn't make you any happier when your drawers are forever sagging.

Here's a few more snack tips I want to share with you before I sign off. If you do have trouble drinking water throughout the day (like we talked about before), try drinking it through a straw. I don't know why that makes it easier, I just know it does. I fill a glass with crushed ice, pour water in it, grab a straw and before I realize it, I've refilled it a half dozen times and am still ready for more. Give it a try, see if it helps you, too.
For snack food...I'm a big fan of the 100 calorie Orville Redenbacher 94% Fat Free mini bags of popcorn. That's probably my very favorite snack in the whole wide world (after the frozen grapes, of course). I also enjoy the Nabisco Itty Bitty packs of Nilla Wafers. They go great with an afternoon double shot, decaf, no-fat milk cappuccino from Starbucks. In fact, maybe they go a little too great...I sometimes catch myself making a special trip just to have these. lol A bowl of cherry or grape tomatoes goes along way towards taming the munchies for me, too. I could eat those things any day of the week - but then again, I'm a tomato freak so maybe that's not such a revelation. I think the most important thing to remember about snack foods is this: your snack should be something you actually like, not something you're suffering through just for the sake of losing weight. Food is merely fuel for your body - but that's no reason why you can't eat good tasting food, right? Enjoy your snacks. It's okay to do that. Just make sure you're enjoying the right snacks and for the right reasons.

As for my own personal weight loss odyssey...this week was a little wonky, but not enough to freak me out. I'm now at a total weight loss of 36.2 pounds and that's just pretty darn awesome, if I say so myself. I'm a little over halfway to my goal and while I get the feeling the second half of my weight loss aspirations may be a little tougher to achieve than the first half, I'm pumped just knowing how far I've come. I feel like I can do this. With my own determination and a little help from my friends - friends like you guys, who are going through this same thing. Together, we can break free of our unhealthy eating habits and become the active, fun, vibrant, sexy, fit people we all secretly believe ourselves to be underneath all our layers of fat and food indulgence. Right? (Altogether now, say "Right!")

Until next time!

Notice Re: Finding a Weigh Out of Fat Post

This week's Finding a Weigh Out of Fat post will be delayed until Friday. I'm sorry for the delay, but then again - it will give you an extra couple of days to send your "best healthy snack" tips for that post. Everyone wants to know what everyone else is doing for those times when they get the munchies - so come on, people! Share, share, share! I'll put any and all tips I get into one post for Friday. I'll also have more meal recipes by then, too.


Sorry for the delay on this week's post, but I'll try to make it up to you with the recipes and the tips!

Political Correctness Be Damned and More WW Recipes (how's THAT for a strange combination of topics?)

What qualifies as "Politically Incorrect" these days? Lots of things. Lots and lots and lots of things. More things than I could possibly count. Personally, I'm so damn sick of being told what's correct and what isn't, that I could just scream. People don't want you saying "Merry Christmas" anymore because it might offend someone. Instead, you're supposed to say "Happy Holidays". I've got no problem with saying "Happy Holidays". But rest assured that if and when I do say that, it'll most likely be followed up with a loud and hardy "Merry Christmas Everyone!". Why? Because December 25th is a celebration of the birth of Christ, that's why! So while I surely do hope that any and all holidays you may experience be as happy as can be, I further and most assuredly hope that your Christmas season is full of joy, love, merriment and laughter. And I hope my saying "Merry Christmas" to you gives you just one more reason to reflect on the whole entire meaning of life and what we're suppose to accomplish while we're here in it.
Another Politically Incorrect thing these days is "racial profiling", specifically at airports. Yeah. We're not supposed to be suspicious of anyone of Middle Eastern descent simply because they are of Middle Eastern descent 'cause it might offend an innocent person of the same race. Huh. See the thing is, each and every one of the murdering jackasses from 9/11 were of Middle Eastern descent. Sorry, but that's a fact. I darn sure wouldn't want to offend an innocent, really I wouldn't. But then again, I don't want to be taking a header into a national monument while snugly encased in a 747 just because no one had enough cojones to eyeball the terrorist sitting 6 rows ahead of me. You know when I flew to Florida from Texas in 2005 for the birth of our grandson, I was pulled out of line and searched. Why? Because I had a one way ticket in first class and only carry on luggage. All red flags. Cool. They "wanded" me, they patted me down, they took my shoes, they searched my luggage and my purse. No problem. I understood. I mean I was only in first class because it was the only ticket I could get and I only had a one way ticket because Randey and the boys were following by car so I was going to ride back home with them, but okay - I got that I met certain parameters that said "SEARCH THAT PASSENGER". But if I'd been wearing a burka, do you think they would have searched me then? I honestly doubt it. Why? Because I might have screamed "Racial Profiling!" and no airline wants to be accused of that...simply because it'd be Politically Incorrect. HORSE. PUCKY. Middle Eastern people tried to kill us. I hate that for us and for the innocent people of Middle Eastern heritage. But screw that "racially insensitive" crap and keep us all safe, if you don't mind too much. And if saying that induces you to call me a racist, then you're calling me a racist only induces me to call you a willfully blind and woefully ignorant idiot.
One other example of Political Incorrectness...all these people out there all across America who are going through foreclosures. They all blame Bush, the economy, the oil companies, the 3rd phase of Venus, whatever. And yes, some people truly have been victims of circumstances beyond their control, i.e, those who lost their jobs, etc. But I know for an absolute fact that a number of those people who have lost or are losing their homes to foreclosure are suffering because of their own damn stupidity. Back when real estate was booming, many of these people took out larger mortgages. They suddenly had all this equity in their homes because home values skyrocketed. So they borrowed against the "new" values of their homes and lived high off the hog. Woo-hoo! Ain't life grand! Then that "creative financing" that they were so thrilled with earlier became unaffordable. They found themselves with ginormous mortgage payments and no way to pay them. Well, I hate like all get out that those people made poor financial decisions based on current conditions without so much as considering the future, but that's hardly anyone's fault but their own. And yeah, I know it's extremely Politically Incorrect to say things like that, but I. don't. much. care. It's simply stating a fact. And by the way, I'll go even further to say that those ill-planning, whining ass bunch of morons who got greedy without giving one thought to the future have made it even tougher for those who genuinely have suffered because of the downturn our economy is experiencing. And for the love of Pete, stop your crying because you've lost your home due to your own greed. Suck it up, start over and learn from your mistakes. Thank God Randey and I have never lost a home due to our own idiocy, but we have suffered through financial hardships in the past brought on entirely by a syndrome known as "Living Above Your Means". It's a syndrome that affects a lot of people in American today. And it's not a condition that can be cured by the federal government.
So - why the big rant over "Political Correctness"? Because...I want you guys to understand that I know what that term means. And I'm as fed up with it as the next person. Truly I am. I could rant and rave about it for the next 24 hours solid and never even begin to scratch the surface of just how much it irritates me that we are supposed to tip toe around everyone's feelings because it'd be so flippin' horrible if we offended someone. I received several e-mails from very well meaning friends telling me that I had done nothing wrong when I "reviewed" the movie Tropic Thunder and I didn't need to apologize to Michelle like I did. I beg to differ. The reason being this...a person of a different religious persuasion can express those beliefs to me if they get offended by my "Merry Christmas" greeting. They can tell me all about how it offends them because they don't believe in Jesus. And I can tell them to get over it. Why? Because they can actually get over it. A person of Middle Eastern descent can get all kinds of ticked off at me for thinking people who look like them should be given extra scrutiny at the airport and I can also tell them to get over it. Why? Because they can. A person who's driving a Hummer that they bought with the proceeds of their home equity loan before that loan went belly up can get indignant and cry because I've expressed my belief that they've brought their tragedy upon themselves and they, too, can get the heck over it. None of these people have to agree with me, none of them have to accept what I say without debate. They can all fight back, in other words. The mentally handicapped can't. They are a segment of our society who are totally and completely innocent and free of guile. When I said that people who are "easily offended" should skip that movie, I lumped people who have no control over their condition into the same category as those who do. And that was wrong. I still say that was a funny movie. But I hate the thought that something that gave me so much laughter could, at the same time, cause pain and humiliation to innocents. I wish to heck that Ben Stiller had used a more worthy target for his lampooning. There's plenty other segments of our society out there who could use a little poking fun at. Again, I don't think that Stiller and company set out to make fun of the mentally disabled, but rather they used language that is hurtful to the mentally handicapped, as well as those who love them, in their efforts to illustrate the ridiculousness of Hollywood itself. That hurtful language was unnecessary and uncalled for. And that has nothing to do with being Politically Correct or Incorrect. It has to do with being a caring and thoughtful human. Michelle did not try to pressure me into retracting my endorsement of the movie, nor did she chastise me for being insensitive. She merely made a comment on my review because she felt that we were good enough friends to do that. I'm so very pleased that she was comfortable enough with me to express herself without fear of being snubbed or mocked. Her comment was well thought out, it came from personal feelings and experience and it was a point of view I hadn't truly considered. I felt terrible after having read it. Why? Because I knew that she was right. Yes, it was a funny movie, but it was also hurtful to the innocent. The defenseless innocent. That's why I answered her comment as I did. Because it came from the heart. NOT from any pressure to be Political Correct. I thank all of you for your kind words regarding this issue. It's been very much appreciated. It's one more reason why I love being part of this community!!

Now - to lighten up a bit - how about telling me some of the "Politically Correct or Incorrect" things that drive you insane?? I'd love to hear about them. It really gets my blood pumping. LOL

TODAY'S RECIPES

Finally, here's a great idea for a low point Weight Watchers breakfast. This comes from Joan over at Joan's Journeys. Joan has been eating 3 egg whites (just the whites, people!) every morning and has been adding vegetables like mushrooms and broccoli. Three egg whites count for only 1 point on the WW system and in fact, if you were feeling particularly hungry, you could have six, count 'em SIX, egg whites for just TWO points. Not bad, eh? And of course, small portions of most vegetables don't garner any points. Joan says you can even add half a bag of the WW shredded cheese for only 1 more point. She also enjoys a half cup of Sunfresh Del Monte Red Grapefruit because she says they taste so sweet (can't wait to me some of that up the next time I go to the store - I luvs me some sweet grapefruit!). Great breakfast ideas. Remember everyone, it's very important that you eat breakfast every morning. I know it seems like the less you eat, the more weight you'll loose, but if you don't eat on a regular basis, your body starts storing absolutely everything you do eat because it thinks it's starving. So feed your body regularly and do it with mostly healthy stuff. Also remember this: A treat isn't a treat if you give it to yourself everyday! Save those special things for special times. Fuel your body with the healthy foods day to day. Your body will thank you!
Here's a little factoid that surprised the fool out of me...did you know that a "normal and healthy" portion of chicken breast is only 4 ounces? The average chicken breast (raw) is 7 to 8 ounces. I was appalled when I saw that most WW recipes called for only 1 pound of chicken for 4 servings. What the heck? Who could live off that? Well, apparently - anyone! It's the size we should be eating. While I don't always adhere to this portion size (but I try!), it's truly not a hardship to adjust to eating healthier. And I promise you, it gets easier over time, too. Now check out this recipe which is made with only 1 little ol' pound of chicken breast meat:

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
4 servings 6 points per serving

Ingredients:
Olive Oil spray
6 Tbsp seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 oz reduced fat parmesan cheese
1/2 cup egg beaters (or 3 egg whites)
1 cup Paul Newman marinara (if you use a different brand, check it for calorie, fat and fiber count!!!)
2 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese
16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Spray bottom of crock pot with olive oil Pam. Combine breadcrumbs, garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Dredge chicken in egg beaters or egg whites and then dredge in breadcrumbs mixture to coat chicken. Place chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle chicken with mozzarella cheese and pour marinara/spaghetti sauce on top of chicken. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

This is a fantastic recipe. I've never made chicken parmesan in my life until I used this recipe. It's so easy - and my family was so impressed - I darn near declared myself a good cook after the first time I served this. (And before I get an e-mail from Aunt Sandi, let me state that calling myself a "bad cook" is no exaggeration nor am I putting myself down by saying it. I don't normally like cooking, I'm not terribly good at it, and I'd just as soon leave the cooking chores to someone else. I have no shame and/or embarrassment about my lack of cooking skills. It's just how I roll.) Anywho - this recipe almost made me change my mind about the Joys of Cooking. It gave me hope that I could make something quick, easy, healthy and full of good taste without resorting to carry-out or a nervous breakdown. I serve this with a side portion (2 ounces) of Ronzoni Smart Taste thin spaghetti (discovered through my friend Susan! Check this stuff out - it's even better for you than whole grain pasta!) and a 1/4 cup of marinara - for an additional 4 points. I also make a lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad (o points). This meal is a lot of food for 10 points, and it's one my family thoroughly enjoys eating.

Here's one more recipe, courtesy of Vee over at A Haven for Vee. In her own words, no less!

Peel slices from one apple into pan with artificial sweetener of choice and cinnamon to taste and water. Stew until apples are softened and water is nearly evaporated.

Place one slice of American cheese (lowfat, if you insist) on one slice of whole-wheat toast. Add apples on top and broil until cheese melts. Yummy!
(I've been eating this for forty years whether dieting or not.)

I ran this thru the WW Recipe Builder and it comes to only 3 points. Yippee!

Finding a Weigh Out of Fat, Volume III

Some of you guys really came through with your recipes! Thank you. You came through so well, in fact, that rather than try to post them all in one day, I think I'll try to break it down to maybe 3 to 5 a post because, wow! my typing skills may not be up to doing it all at one time. lol

This first recipe came from Mary @ Bookfan-Mary. I actually tried to make this myself and it was my own poor planning that prevented it from coming out as intended. I'll explain more on that after the recipe:


Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

4 svgs 8pts/svg

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 pkg reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream


Add chicken to slow cooker (sprayed with PAM)
Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken
Pour salsa and soup over chicken
Cook on low 6-8 hrs
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream
Serve with rice or baked potato (add pts for this)

Notes:I don't use the whole pkg of taco seasoning
Soup is right from can, not mixed with anything
I use it with brown rice
You could use fat free ingredients and that might lower the pts value/svg


When I went to try this recipe, I knew that I didn't have the taco seasoning or the salsa so I made a special trip to the store to get those things. By the time I made it home, it was too late to put it all in the crockpot so I decided I'd just cook it in the oven, instead. So, a few hours later, I start dinner and realize that, despite my firm belief to the contrary, I had no cream of anything soup in my pantry and my reduced fat sour cream was woefully out of date. Great. Now what??? Well seeing as how it was so late in the day and I couldn't handle another trip to the store (once in a day is quite enough for me, thank you) I went ahead and made the recipe without those things. I sprayed the dish and lightly sprayed the chicken with Olive Oil spray, I lightly sprinkled the taco seasoning on the chicken, I put about 1/2 the contents of the salsa jar (approximately 11 oz) on top and poured about 3 ounces of vegetable broth in the bottom of the Pyrex dish. Slapped it in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees and hoped for the best. And wouldn't you know it? The boys and I thought it was fantabulous! Randey liked it quite a bit, but would have liked it more if I hadn't used such a spicy salsa (he's never been one for the jalapenos, etc.). I can just imagine how good it'll be if I manage to follow the recipe correctly. LOL (FYI for those of you doing WW, my Kari, the Bad Recipe Follower version came out to 6 points per serving).

Next we have Teriyaki Burgers from Joan @ Joan's Journey's:


Teriyaki Burgers

4 servings 5 points per serving


1 pound 93% lean ground beef (or turkey or turkey/lean beef mixture)
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
4 English muffins
1/4 cup ketchup
4 lettuce leaves
1 large beefsteak tomato
1 red onion


In a large bowl, combine beef (and/or turkey) and teriyaki sauce. Mix together and shape into 4 patties. Grill or broil until cooked through. Arrange lettuce on the bottom half of an English muffin. Top with burger, ketchup, tomato, onion and top half of muffin.


I can't wait to try this one. I've never been a huge fan of homemade burgers, but I can't afford the points for eating them out anymore (ha!) so these should be a good alternative for me.

Here's a recipe from Jodie @ Mommy of a Princess.


LEMON CHICKEN PASTA TOSS
Prep:20 mins Cook:20 mins Makes: 4 servings

2 cups dried multigrain penne
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot (3)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons capers, drained
3 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian parsley
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to hot saucepan;cover and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl toss together chicken and flour until chicken is lightly coated. In a large skillet cook and stir chicken in 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan; set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil to skillet. Add garlic and shallot; cook and stir about 1 minute or until tender. Carefully stir in broth, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes or until reduced to about 2/3 cup. Stir in chicken, capers, and parsley; heat through.

4. Toss pasta with chicken mixture. If desired, add parmesan cheese.

Per 1 1/2 cups: 339 calories, 9 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 50 mg chol., 589 mg sodium, 36 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 29 g protein.

I'll have to do this one soon, but first of all, could someone tell me what capers taste like? lol The whole recipe sounds delicious, but I'm a little leery of those caper thingys...Also, I haven't run this through my Weight Watchers Recipe Builder yet so I can't say how many points per serving. The calorie count per serving looks pretty good, though.


Now we have a soup recipe from Lynne over at Lynne's Little Corner of the World:


TACO SOUP

(makes around 15 cups, 1 point/cup)

1 large onion chopped (I use frozen chopped onions, about a cup)
1 package taco seasoning mix (low sodium)
2 cups frozen corn
1 can chicken broth, fat-free
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can white beans, undrained
1 can refried beans, fat free
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained


Put all ingredients into a big pot, stir well, simmer about an hour.


I was able to run this recipe through my Weight Watchers Recipe Builder and, using the ingredients (brand names, etc.) I had on hand, this came out to 2 points per 1 cup serving instead of 1. Which brings up what I think is an important point. Not all foods are created equal! Long Grain Brown Rice, for example.The calorie total for one serving of Uncle Ben's rice is 170, but the calorie total for one serving of Mahatma is 150. The fat and fiber contents also differ from brand to brand. It's important to read your labels and chose the product which offers the best nutritional balance. By the way, this recipe would be great to serve with the Salsa Chicken for a Mexican food themed night. Add in a tossed salad and those of you on Weight Watchers can have a great meal for around 7 to 10 points (depending on your ingredients and how badly you can screw up a recipe - I'm referring to my "version" of the Salsa chicken, of course. lol).


Finally, here's a chicken recipe that Randey practically begs for whenever he sees that I've gotten chicken out for supper. Which is often. Why you ask? Because chicken is good for you! And so is fish, but I don't eat seafood, therefore, I don't cook it either. 'Cause YUCK! I know that some of you may be thinking that you just can't eat chicken every single night (and really, who could, besides me? ha!) but if you cook it enough different ways, it doesn't seem to get old. It's all about the flavors! And this recipe I'm going to give you has some of the best flavor out there. Trust me on this!


Honey Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breast
4 servings 7 points per serving (and worth every one!)


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar


Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle thyme, salt and pepper over chicken. Add chicken to skillet, cook 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. (You can also cube the chicken prior to cooking, which is what we've been doing). Transfer chicken to plate, cover with foil to keep warm. Reduce heat to medium-low, add vinegar and honey to pan. Simmer 1 minute or until glaze thickens; stir constantly. Pour glaze over chicken (do this quickly and, if your chicken is cubed, stir the glaze around on it a bit because the glaze will "set up" - and you most certainly want it "set up" on the chicken and not the plate!).
I told my friend Susan about this recipe and she said she didn't think she'd like it because she doesn't like balsamic vinegar. Like I told her, though, you don't taste the balsamic. The combination of it and the honey gives the chicken an almost oriental sort of flavor, but very light. It's so darn good. I feel like a gourmet every time I make it. Also, the original recipe called for 1 1/2 tsps of thyme, but I reduced that amount because thyme is such a strong spice to me. Feel free to add more, if you'd like to, however.

Okay, that's enough recipes for one post, I think. Stayed tuned, though, as I'll try to post more throughout the week.
I had good news at my Weight Watchers meeting this afternoon. I lost another 2.4 lbs. for a total of 31.8. I can't tell you how much it boggles my mind to think that I've actually been able to lose that sort of weight. I'm thrilled silly and just knowing what I've accomplished thus far has empowered me to believe I can continue on this path and lose even more. How about you guys? - tell us some of your successes. I've found that hearing about others weight loses is a huge inspiration for me! It tells me that all of us are capable of doing this...and we're capable of helping those who are struggling with it, too. And speaking of helping, how about giving us your best snack tips. This was a suggested topic for next week's post and I think it's a GREAT ONE! Tell us what you eat to tide you over between meals or for those times when you feel like you'll eat anything that doesn't move fast enough - what are you eating instead of the potato chips or ice cream or whatever? Here's one of my favorite snacks: frozen grapes. Ohhhhhh, they are soooooo good. And since they're frozen, it takes longer to eat them so I end up not eating as many. lol You just pop one in your mouth and it sort of melts just a bit and then it's like eating an awesomely flavored bite of fruit Popsicle. Give 'em a try if you haven't already discovered these. And then share with the class your favorite snacks. This is a great way to help each other out. I look forward to reading what you've got to say!

Finding a Weigh Out of Fat! Volume I

I've been trying to figure out where to start this post...should I begin with how I got fat, why I got fat or when, why and/or how I decided to get UN-fat? I've decided that the UN-fat part of the story is probably the best part to go into. After all, I can condense the "getting fat" into a few short sentences: I got fat because I ate a lot and didn't exercise. I ate a lot and didn't exercise because I got too caught up in the minutia of life and forgot to take the time to actually live it. As for when I got fat...that started the day I married Randey and started cooking good ol' Southern food for him (fried chicken, fried steak, fried potatoes, fried this and fried that. Not to mention the breads...rolls, biscuits, toast, etc., etc., etc.). Yep. Frying everything and eating bread can take you from a size 5 to a size 18 long before you can even get all your kids grown! Hence my issue with weight. As I mentioned before, I finally had to face the fact that I was fat. Just downright FAT. Not fluffy, not chubby, not plump. Just FAT. Then I had to make a decision. I'd been unhappy about my weight for a long, long time, but not enough to actually do something about it. I guess I thought that maybe all the tricks I'd used way back in the day, when dropping 5 pounds was just a matter of eating right for a day or two, would work if I tried them often enough. However...I eventually had to face the fact that once your body has given birth 4 times over and your muscle mass has faded into mush and gravity has taken its toll - not to mention the ravages of hormones on a no-longer-youthful body - little tricks don't and won't work like they used to. So I was left with this: either accept that I was going to be a fat granny for the rest of my life and be satisfied with that self-image, or I'd have to commit to something serious and give weight loss one more big effort. I chose to commit. And boy was it hard! I did a little research and decided that Weight Watchers was the way for me to go. (Having heard from Joan that it was a great program helped, too!) They have a good success rate and the cost is fairly reasonable (especially compared to other methods out there!). I got online and "found" a meeting in my area that fit with my schedule. Then I went to that meeting. That was probably the hardest part of this journey. The first real step. It was like what I imagine an AA type meeting for fat people to be like: "Hello, I'm fat and I want to change. Can you help me?". It all seemed a little hokey to me, but what the heck? I wanted to be able to tell myself that I had "tried everything" before I resigned myself to permanent residence in Fatland. Still, I honestly didn't think Weight Watchers would work for me, but I also didn't think I could look at myself in the mirror if I didn't at least try it. So I told myself I'd give it 4 months. Four full months. If my weight hadn't changed at the end of that time, I'd pat myself on the back for giving it a try and I'd drown my sorrows in a tub of Cold Stone Creamery yumminess. And I'd embrace the fat granny that was ME. But lo' and behold...it started working. I followed the plan, I didn't cheat on anything, I even started moving a little more (taking walks in the evenings, etc.) and the pounds starting coming off. Not too fast, mind you, but that's the way it's supposed to work. You might lose a little more in the first 2 weeks, but the goal is to lose only around 1 to 2 pounds a week. As of today, 12 weeks after I started the program, I have lost a total of 29.4 pounds. (Like I said, I lost a little more per week the first two weeks.) My goal is to lose another 25. Weight Watchers goal for me is to weigh 120, if you can believe that. Personally, I'm not aiming quite that low. No point getting crazy with this weight loss thing, eh? I mean geez, I haven't weighed 120 since 1978 and I'm afraid that if I weighed that now, I'd look like an anorexic old hag with a ginormous head. lol I'll be content if I can accomplish the goal I have set for myself. Now I'm not advocating that everyone out there join Weight Watchers. They don't pay me to recruit for them you know. LOL But it's a program that is working for me. Even the hokey meetings seem to do me good. I can surround myself with people who understand my struggles and vice versa. We support each other for that little 30 to 45 minutes a week and it's wonderful. It helps.

The moral of the story here? I guess I'm trying to say that you shouldn't settle for being fat if being fat is not what you want to be. Understand that there are no easy fixes out there, though. Regardless of what weight loss program you chose, you'll have to retrain yourself to think differently about food. It's not just about following a program, it's about making lifestyle changes. It's about making a decision to lose weight and then making a commitment to get the job done. I'd like this first post to be about the best tips out there to help each other to lose weight. My tip for you? Learn that food is not your friend. Food is not your friend, your pal, your comfort, your entertainment and/or your reward! Food is fuel for your body. Period. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy eating. It just means you need to understand the roll in your life that food should have and not give it an emotional importance it doesn't deserve. Start telling yourself (over and over and over again) that food is fuel, not love, and you'll start to think of it in a whole new light, I promise. Now what tips do you guys have? What has helped you the most? What's your biggest downfall that you think you need help with? How do you survive the munchies? What snacks work best to satisfy you without adding pounds? I'll compile all the tips I receive this week into next Wednesday's post so give us your best ones here, okay? Can't wait to hear what you have to say!!

P.S. Tomorrow I'll be posting about our Florida trip!