Feet Don't Fail Me Now!

I found my motivation tonight!  It had been hiding from me since before Thanksgiving.  I didn't find it in the fruit and veggies aisle, I looked for it on the scale, couldn't find it in the new jeans store.  I have looked everywhere for it and tonight I found it, in all places- on the treadmill!
I haven't walked/ran in weeks.  The past 3 weeks I have been completely preoccupied with obsessing over my new celebrity crush- Gavin Degraw.  You see this is what happens when you are single and 45 and haven't dated in 5 years.  Every night I come home, put on my robe and slippers and watch videos or listen to music.  Hey it's what makes me happy.  I have been hoping for 7 months that I would find this type of obsession with running but so far it's a no go.
Since I am going to see Gavin in concert in 2 weeks, I feel a little more motivated to lose some more weight- that and I went shopping for pants tonight and didn't like what I saw.  So I knew what I had to do- get back on the treadmill.
So I put my earbuds in, picked my favorite GDG videos and turned the thing on (My shoes were eyeing me suspiciously as I was lacing them up but I assured them I still loved them).  Now I have no idea what got in to me, but I just started running, wasn't even looking at the monitors and stressing over every minute that clicked by.  I was just running- with GDG in my ears.  Before I knew it I had run a half mile.  I wish you could have seen the smile on my face, I think I was even giggling.
Grace came in the room and said, "Mom, run like a creeper is chasing you!"  This was all I needed to keep me going.  Then I whispered to myself very softly, "go for the mile."  and that is just what I did.
I watched my videos, glanced at the odometer every now and again and before I knew it I was at .889 and I knew I would make it.
By the time it clicked over to 1.000 I was laughing and smiling so much remembering just how painful it was to walk a mile back in July.
I walked for a few more minutes, while "Not Over You" finished playing and was literally in tears by the time I stepped off the treadmill(not from the song either this time). 
If I ever needed the motivation to get back on track, it is now and I can firmly say that I am now there!  I can't wait to run again tomorrow- WHAT? WHAT?  What did I just say?  Oh boy- look out!!
So Gavin Degraw I thank you for coming along for the run, it made all the difference in the world.  See, not all celebrity obsessions are unproductive and silly.  HAAAA 
I think I have also found what works for me- I have detailed a few things on the blog that I have tried- new crock pot recipes- FAIL and  A new points program with coworkers- FAIL! I decided that keeping the points was too much for me and while I am doing the things I am supposed to be doing, I didn't like the idea of tracking points and turning them in for a competition.  I am not competitive at all and this just didn't sit well with me for reasons I can't really explain.  As for the recipes- all that planning ,shopping etc. and we didn't really like them all that much.
So I have determined that for me it is all about the mindset and surprising myself instead of planning and organizing.  Knowing this about myself will make a huge difference in how I approach the rest of this journey I think.
So yeah me!!!  Now to keep this smile going and get onto the next 20 pound loss!
Until then,
Turning up Gavin

Can I COUNT on you?

Counting points- that's the name of the game now!  A few of us at work started a new weight loss challenge today which is basically earning points for doing various healthy things.  
1 point for connecting with a teammate for encouragement.  3 points for drinking 64oz of water.  3 points for not eating after 9:00pm (I am making mine 7).  3 points for eating 2 servings of fruit.  5 points for eating 3 servings of veggies.  1 point for not eating sweets.  5 points for 30 minutes of exercise and 7 points for 45 minutes.  5 points for maintaining weight at the end of the week and 10 points per pound lost.
Now I am not a competitive person at all and this is going to serve more for me to personally keep track of what I am doing- yet another way for me to hold myself accountable- that has been huge for me!
It will be motivating because I am doing it with friends and I will enjoy the connecting with them and encouraging them, but for me the points aren't in competition. 
I don't thrive well in that environment- If I put too much thought into it, then my anxiety level rises and I worry about beating the other people more than I worry about doing what I need to do for me.  Nothing in my life has ever been about beating someone else out of anything, it's not a comfortable feeling for me, even if it's just in fun.
All along this journey I have found that just when I needed something to change and force me back on track, that what I needed just sorta fell out of the sky- I have been lacking motivation in the past 2 months and this came along at a time that I was beginning to worry that I wouldn't be able to get back on track.
Now if the fates could just drop Gavin Degraw out of the sky, I'd be a happy girl!- HA!
I am happy to report that I have now lost 20 pounds- took me long enough geeesh.  I was so so close right before Christmas, but even though it reached 19, I just couldn't allow myself to celebrate at that point.
The past month was tough, I went up almost 4 pounds but quickly took that off when I got back to regular routine.  
Now on to the next 20- I don't think I will officially celebrate it until the scale inches a few numbers under that 20 mark because I can fluctuate so quickly from one day to the next.  I try not to weigh myself everyday but some weeks I have to just to keep myself in check.
So now on to phase 2- kicking it up a notch, or should I say point?  Wonder where this adventure will take me?
Until then,
COUNTING on me! 

Complacency

I had my goals meeting with my administration today, where we would discuss my job and how things are going, as well as future plans.  During the conversation I wanted to tell them that I felt like I wasn't pushing myself enough to try new things and I was feeling a little too comfortable.  I was searching for the right word and settled on the word complacent as my choice.  
I have felt very settled in my job this year and as far as my lessons go, I don't think I am working too hard on them or branching out to try new things with the students.  I was thinking at first of feeling burnt out, but that didn't seem right either, because I really do love my job.  I have been thinking all evening if "complacency" the right word choice.
Well after my mile walk today (yes I only did a mile) I was thinking about my journey and my eating and exercising habits and why it is so much harder for me now than in July when I started.  The word that popped into my head again was complacent.  I chuckled to myself when I realized that I had used the same word about my job.  In reality, I wasn't sure I was using the word correctly so I went to Google and got some pretty interesting definitions. 
   
com·pla·cen·cy (k m-pl s n-s ). n. 1. A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy
Contented to a fault; self-satisfied . 2. Definition of complacent: Contented, yet unconcerned, and uneager to improve or change eager to please.


Now I am still not sure if this is the word that I was looking for.  Part of it feels right.  I guess with both my job and this journey I am a little too comfortable, I am taking the easy road in some respects, I feel content.  Does this sound like being complacent?  I still am not sure.  The big question is, am I unwilling to change, uneager to improve?  With my job, I am not so sure, some days yes, others no.  Now, with my weight loss adventure,  I AM willing to change, eager to improve.  The problem then becomes, how to get my motivation and focus back to keep going as I was.  I don't want to let it all go and get complacent, but it is so much harder than it was in July (ok Alyssa would probably disagree with me on that one) but it FEELS harder.
"Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," Said the Sloth" is what it really feels like- my inner slovenly sloth is resting on her rose colored bed and sighing peacefully.
So how do I change that and kick it back up a notch?  (Don't think I don't know the answer to this, I just like asking, hoping that maybe one day the answer will be different, easier.  But I know it won't).  Trudge on my friend, trudge on.
Ok not sure if you kept up with all that, I am not sure if I even did.  I have been craving deep conversations lately (missing my friend, Kevin for that) and guess I "went deep" on this one. (Alyssa again is going to have something to say about that one, but for different reasons LOL) So thanks for reading my rambling, stream of consciousness post.  I promise to keep the next one light.
Until then,
Trudging on

Change is Good

I have changed the name of this blog to "Keeping My Eyes on the Prize" and I like it!!!  I needed to switch things up a bit as I realized I am now on the back side of this journey, the downhill slide to the prize, the back 9, the flip side of the coin.  I have been on this journey for 6 months and I am ready to kick it up another notch for the next 6.
Now I know this is not just a year long journey, but a life long one but my original goal when I started on July 28, 2012 was to see where my body would be in a year.  So my first "prize" will be had on July 28, 2013 and I can't wait!
I also can't wait to start walking again- wait, did I just say that?  Yup I sure did!  However, I have to give my sinuses a few more antibiotic days before I get back to it.  I am hoping for Tuesday, but Wednesday might be more realistic.  I will keep both options open.
So as I said I would, yesterday I found a few meal blogs and made a grocery list and found a few recipes to try this week.  Since this is very new to me and I am not very good at things that overwhelm me, I was simply searching for recipes that I thought would be easy to make and my kids would at least try.  Calorie count wasn't what I was looking for this time.  I just want to get my feet wet with this whole meal planning thing because it really does overwhelm me and I want to take it one step at a time.  I also want to be realistic about my food because for me it isn't about finding recipes with low fat cheese (yuk) or low calorie meals that are awful but fit into my calorie count, but it is about finding real meals that taste good and all 3 of us will eat and like.  If the calorie count is high, I will just eat less of it and make sure I walk/run on those days.  Maybe this is unrealistic but it is what I am going with and I have to work within MY reality.  
So here are the meals I am shopping for today.  I have a busy day planned (Anna has horseback lessons at 1:30 and I have to grocery shop and do laundry) and I am a bit concerned about my energy level but I have to get it on so here it goes. (Alyssa also recommended a blog- www.crockpot365.blogspot.com which I will be checking out).  Thanks Coach! 
The links to the blogs are included as well as the recipes for all 5 meals I am planning for this week and next. I also created a shopping list which isn't included because it only contains the things I need that I don't already have in hand.
I will post the results after we try them.
Until then,
Bottoms up!

http://eatathomecooks.com/2009/01/all-day-beef-stew-oven-or-crockpot.html

http://smithlive.blogspot.com/2011/12/monthly-meal-planning.html

1.   Lemon Garlic Chicken - doubled this - prep/no cooking, freeze

           1 tsp. dried oregano

 1/2 tsp. salt

 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

 2 T. butter

 1/4 c. water

 3 T. fresh lemon juice

 2 cloves garlic, minced

 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley (I didn't have fresh parsley, so I just used dried and  it worked   perfectly)

 1 package cream cheese (you can use 1/3 less fat or fat free)

 1. In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in  a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place  chicken in a slow cooker.

 2. In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil.  Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.

 3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker  15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

 4. About 15 minutes before you're ready to serve, remove the chicken and place on a serving  platter. Add the cream to cheese to the juice in the crockpot, and whisk until smooth. 

 Ladle the sauce over rice or pasta, then place your chicken on top!

2.  Crock-pot Ravioli Casserole - doubled this - prep/cook, freeze

 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

 1 onion, chopped

 1 clove garlic, minced

 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

 1 can stewed tomatoes

 1 tsp. oregano

 1 tsp. Italian seasoning

 salt/pepper

 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (I used fresh spinach)

 16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked

 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

 1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

 *Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.  Put in crock-pot and add sauce, tomatoes and seasonings.  Cook for 6-7 hours on low.  Add the last 4 ingredients during the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn  crock-pot to high.  I added the fresh spinach, pasta, parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and I mixed it  all up really well.  Then I added the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella to melt on the top.

3. Brown Sugar Chicken - prep/no cooking, freeze in bag

The Ingredients.

courtesy of Confessions of a Wacky SAHM

--12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 6 boneless, skinless breast halves

--1 cup brown sugar (it's okay. you can brush your teeth after.)

--1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (stay with me...)

--2/3 cup vinegar (I used white wine, but think regular white would be fine)

--3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic

--2 T soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat free are GF)

--1 tsp ground black pepper

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart crockpot for this recipe. 

Plop the chicken into your crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. It will bubble!

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a ladle full of the broth

4. Slow Cooker San Francisco Pork Chops - prep/no cooking, freeze

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick

Salt and pepper for seasoning

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Mashed Potatoes or Hot Cooked Rice (for serving)

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.

5. All Day Beef Stew – Oven or Crockpot

Serving Size: 8-10

INGREDIENTS

·         2 lb. stew beef

·         3 cups chopped potatoes

·         2-3 carrots, chopped

·         1 onion, chopped

·         1-2 stalks celery, chopped

·         3-4 cups tomato juice

·         1 Tbs. sugar

·         1/4 cup instant tapioca

·         salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Mix all the ingredients in a heavy, covered pan or the crockpot.

2.    If you use the oven, cook on 250 degrees for 4-5 hours, stirring 2-3 times during the cooking.

3.    If you use the crockpot, you won’t need to stir during the cooking

Sick as a Dog

I love figurative language, I do!  Nothing makes me happier than a good metaphor, idiom or cliche.  But this one I don't understand- Sick as a Dog- While yes, I am sick- I would never choose a dog to compare my illness to, I just don't get it. (maybe I will google it's origin today).
So as I ponder this one, while I rest and attempt to get well- I also have to ponder getting back on track.  I have not walked in 2 weeks and the scale is back up those pesky 2 pounds.  I am kind of happy about this because with Christmas and all it could have been a lot more.  
The worrisome part is how long will I have to wait until I can walk/exercise again.  I have a sinus infection and even the most mundane task, like emptying the dishwasher sends me to the bed gasping for air. 
The problem is my sinuses are so swollen that I can't breath through my nose.   It feels like a 300 pound man is sitting on them and they are filled with rocks.  
I went to the doctor yesterday and am on an antibiotic.  I feel so much better today but still not even close to being well yet.
I want to be productive, so while I can't walk on the treadmill just yet, I think today will be about meal planning.  I am going to do a full week of lunch and dinner planning.  Now I have never done this before and it is something that I am NOT good at.  Anything that involves a plan or organizing is my downfall.  But I am going to attempt it.
The problem is how to find good, low cost, low effort, tasty meals that my girls will also like.  They are so picky.  Anna is better at trying new things but Grace can live off of macaroni and cheese and oodles of noodles.  She doesn't like a variety of things and will flat out refuse to eat most of what I make.  The problem is, if she doesn't eat it then she will snack on all sorts of things, nothing healthy, and never eat a proper dinner.  It drives me crazy.
So my goal for the sick bed today- find healthy, easy meals to make this week for dinner (which are Grace approved) and make a grocery shopping list that won't use up my whole paycheck.  HAAA now I am rolling on the floor laughing and coughing.  Well anyway, you get the point.  It isn't going to be an easy task but I might as well make good use of the sick bed.   I will post any good blogs/websites that I find that help me along the way.  I know I am going to need it.  Comment with any good ones you use and like- especially if they are geared towards the organizationally challenged, the pesky picky child,  the lazy chef, or the budget conscious consumer! 
Until then,
Keep breathing