Snuck a peek at the scale . . .

Okay, so weigh in isn't until Saturday morning, but I snuck a peek this morning to see how I'm doing and I couldn't be happier!! I won't reveal the numbers here, because I really don't want to jinx it, but I am excited and hopeful.

On the WW site there are message boards. Now, let me tell you for some of them you have to have a pretty thick skin and a good sense of humor! Thank God I have both. But there are a few things that people will ask that really even make ME cringe . . . One of these things has to do with something that I have been passionate about for years - children's eating habits. So for today's post, I thought I would delve into a subject that is no stranger to me, and thus shouldn't be a stranger to any of you that are my regular readers . . .

SCHOOL LUNCHES
(enter meancing "dum dum DUUMMMMM" here)

i hate school lunches

Not because they're gross, although I'm sure "fajita chicken enchiladas" is REALLY unappitizing to a seven year old, but because of the nutritional value (or lack thereof) included in these meals.

For the elementary school the menu for the month looks like this. Notice the chicken nuggets, the hot dogs, the pizza, the steak fingers . . . and a lot of which is served with "gravy and a roll". And look at the veggie selections: mashed potatoes, green beans,corn, baked beans . . . Now from a kids perspective, I'm excited about these lunches. Chicken nuggets with mashed potatoes and gravy is still one of my all time favorites. But the fat, the cholesterol, the sodium . . . Really?? You are REALLY giving my kids this??

The Jr. High is even worse. They have the same things on the elementary menu, except they also have the "a la cart" line in which they can chose to have things like chicken strips, popcorn chicken, cheeseburgers, pizza, french fries . . . daily.

Not so long ago celebrity chef Jamie Oliver started a "food revolution" in schools. I think it's time we take matters into our own hands, so to speak.

In a nutshell, don't let your kids buy school lunch.

I don't.
I haven't in over a year (unless it's a special occasion, or I'm running late - my kids have bought their lunch twice in a month).
My kids get in their lunches:

Juice or water
a sandwich made with 100% whole wheat bread, lean ham, 2% cheese and mustard or low-fat salad dressing.
yogurt or applesauce
baked chips
a piece of fruit or a veggie

And they LOVE it.
It's not very creative, I'll admit, but it's a darn sight better than what they'd be eating at school!

If you're a parent with your kids in school, I urge you to try sending them lunches to school. Buy them a really cool lunch bag or box, and let them help chose (would you prefer apple sauce or a tangerine?) what they would like to put in their lunch box. Their health will improve, and you'll have piece of mind about their nutrition!

Here's to being losers in 2011!

Birthday Goals . . . And a New Outlook

I am 35 today.
I blogged about it on my other blog, if you would like to read it here.
Something about 35, is that I never imagined I'd be where I am today.
I never imagined I would have the man of my dreams.
I never imagined I would have these amazing children.
I never thought I would be close to 300 lbs . . .

With my decision to re-join Weight Watchers came a decision to change myself in so many ways.
I have five years until I hit 40.
And as we all know, 40 is the new 30.
So, my goal at 40 is to be a smokin' hot mama.
And I know I can do it.
I have my husband's support.
I have my family's support.
And I have my God.

My first Weigh In is this Saturday, when I will go to my very first face to face meeting. I am so excited because of everyone that I have learned I will be in there with.
My mother in law.
My sister in law.
One of my sweetest friends and her daughter . . .
Not to mention the countless friends of mine that are doing this in other areas not close to me.
I will have one of the largest support systems ever.

If I can't do this NOW . . .
Then I never will.
God is pointing me to this new place in my life.
He is guiding me to be the person He desires me to be.
I will do this.
I CAN do this.
I HAVE TO DO THIS.
I won't be doing this alone.
Here's to being Losers in 2011!!

I'm Going Back on Weight Watchers . . .

I have been listening to friends and family that have started or re-started Weight Watchers.
They are doing so well.
They are all losing, feeling good, and looking GREAT.
I am so proud of each of them.
It was actually my friend, Shannon, that inspired me to go back more than anything else.
Knowing she's had the same struggles as I have and seeing the joy on her face as she shared her weight loss with me.
I am so proud of her.
I am ready to be proud of ME again.

I quit WW because of the message boards online.
They weren't very encouraging or supportive.
In fact, some of the people were quite mean and spiteful and bitter, and hateful.
They sabotaged my efforts.
I spent a lot of time crying over what was said to me on those message boards.

So what made me decide to start it again?
Well, I will be going to face-to-face meetings.
I will be held accountable by someone other than myself.
That's what I need - accountability.

Today I am 285.
I'm ready to see 275. Then 265, 255, and then 245.
I will cry when I hit 250, I just know it.
I'm ready to make that change.

My Kid Likes Salad . . !

Every day my children amaze me.
I had no idea that my picky seven year old would like salad.
But she does.
No, she LOVES salad.
She ASKS for salad!
I think if I was to give her a big bowl of lettuce she'd be happy.

Now, I thought that maybe it was the dressing. Or the croutons. Or the bacon bits.
But nope.
Last night, I saw her eat her lettuce PLAIN. I can't even do that!!
When I told her she could eat as much salad as she liked, she got so excited. Her eyes shone.
It was like I'd just handed her a seven layer chocolate fudge cake with extra ganache and a spoon and said "Have at it kiddo"

She likes raw veggies too.
Won't touch them cooked, but she'll eat carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, even potatoes raw.
I have hope. LOTS of hope for my daughter's future health.

Now if I can just get the 14 year old to eat something other than chicken, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese we'll be in business . . .

Hi, I'm Jennifer. And I Am A Food-a-holic

This post was inspired by this post by my good friend Teri at her blog, Mirrors Never Lie. Check her blog out and give her some love!


Addictions are strong in my family.
Alcoholism runs on my father's side.
I battled my own addiction demons in the forms of marijuana, alcohol, and nicotine.
All of those addictions were easy to break compared to this one.
Food addiction affects millions of people across the globe.
And most of them don't even know it.

My own addiction blossomed sometime in my childhood. I had a rough one. We won't go into details here. I began to eat for comfort at a very, very young age. I ate, I gained weight. I became an overweight child. Perhaps I was even an obese child, I really don't recall much about that.

I do remember being mocked and scorned for my weight. This led to depression. Which led to more eating. More weight gain. More taunts. More depression . . .
And thus the cycle began.
I remember at one point being so depressed that I though about suicide.
A lot.
So I ate more to stifle these nagging thoughts.
And the cycle continued.

I began "self-medicating" with smoking at around 14 or 15. A few years later I would supplement that with marijuana and alcohol. All the while trying to stifle the feelings of depression.

When I quit drinking and smoking pot (I continued smoking for several more years), I returned to food. I gained close to 70 lbs within a year.

When I quit smoking, I turned to food even more.
I had no more addictions to turn to, I had to have SOMETHING, right?

After the birth of my second child, I hit 310 lbs.

I am now learning that food is the ROOT of my problems, NOT the solution.
I am learning that eating for comfort will only cause more problems.
I am learning that God made my body specifically so that I would know when to eat and when to stop, and I am learning when to listen to those triggers.

They say that a food addiction is even worse to deal with than smoking or drugs.
I believe it.

Here's to being losers in 2011!!

A Bit of an Update and A Few of My Favorite Things . . .

I just realized it's been a while since I've posted, so I decided to give a bit of an update.

First, I've started finally shedding the holiday 5 I gained. Not back below 280 yet - but inching my way closer. I know I'll get there soon!

Now, exercise . . . Notsomuch. I've been having a lot of joint pain lately - mostly in my hips and back. I'm actually starting to get really concerned about it because the pain in my hips has been going on for almost a year now. I try to get up and move around as much as I can, and sometimes it helps, but exercise is out of the question for now because I learned the other day (danced my heart out with my son while cleaning the dining room) that extreme movement aggravates the pain. So . . . there ya' have it. I'm not really worried as far as how it will affect my weight loss, I just have to make sure I'm eating accordingly. I'm just more concerned that there might be another problem . . .

Eating - I've done better, but not as well as I could. Not as many fruits and veggies as I would like. Ran out of budget and forgot to buy salad and canned veggies for the week, so the extent of my produce consumption focused on the bell peppers, onions, and garlic added to some of my dishes this week. Oh, and the fried okra one night. Not bad . . . but not good either. The strange thing is, my daughter (7) has actually been ASKING for salad this week!! Guess I need to get on the ball with that. But I have been trying to focus on eating ONLY when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm not hungry anymore. Of course, I did go back for seconds a couple of nights . . .

Now, on to my Favorite Things.
I've come to realize that I have a few "favorites" that I seem to stick with - that are all healthier choices. Here's a few of them:

International Delights Coffee House Inspirations Skinny Line - especially the vanilla latte and the caramel macchiato. These are flavored creamers that are light and VERY yummy! It's like Starbucks without the thunder thighs and the guilty nightmares . . .

Skinny Cow Singles - this ice cream rivals any of the full-fat versions, and it's 150 calories a serving and all has at least 2 grams of fiber. Can't beat that!!

Spinach salad with strawberries and balsamic vinegrette - Mmmm . . . I can't wait 'til spring so I can enjoy this one again. Add some grilled chicken and you have a full - yummy - meal!

Re-vamped recipes - I love taking really, REALLY fattening foods like chicken Parmesan, chili, enchiladas, etc, and re-writing them to lower the fat and calories. I'm getting really, REALLY good at it too!

10-minute brown rice and whole grain pasta - feeding a family of five is not easy on a budget, and we HAVE to have some kind of "filler" to lower the cost. Quick cooking brown rice and whole grain pastas really fit the bill. I use less, though, than I would normally in things like casseroles and soups.

Speaking of soup . . . Did you know you can eat an ENTIRE CAN of chicken noodle soup for UNDER 300 calories?? Mmmmmm . . .

Hormel Completes Microwave Meals - MOST of these are under 400 calories, and there are a few "lighter" ones that are under 300! And most of them are really, REALLY good.

So, there you have it, kids. Long post today, but well worth it!

HERE'S TO BEING LOSERS IN 2011!!

Getting the Rest of the Family to Eat Well

The question is inevitable.
How many meals should I make when I'm dieting?
Should I make my veggies and brown rice and then make PB&J or Mac and Cheese for the kids?
Or should I force them to eat exactly what I'm eating?

The problem with making multiple meals is this:
Twice the meals = twice the money and twice the work.

The problem with letting them eat junk while you eat healthy food is that, well, their eating junk.

This was a something I struggled with early on in my lifestyle change, but it wasn't long before I found a viable solution that made everyone happy.

I only make one dinner. This dinner contains something that everyone will enjoy, that's healthy (such as whole grain pasta entree or lean meat and salad) as well as veggies for me and my husband to enjoy (and we do - immensely). Now of course theirs always one in the family that won't eat most of what I cook, and that's okay. They know that they never have to eat anything they don't want. BUT I will not be making them a completely different meal.

I think this is a great compromise.

See, here's the thing. The ENTIRE FAMILY benefits when we start a new eating lifestyle. Why? Because THEY will start to be introduced to the same healthy food that we are trying to stick to. They may not want to eat it right away - let's face it, did YOU really want to eat chicken breast and steamed vegetables the first time it was introduced to you?

Some tips that will get the whole family more "into" eating healthy:

1) Allow kids (and even spouses!) to pick a new veggie or fruit to try once a week. Giving them some choice in what they try will enhance the chance that they'll want to try it.

2) Get the whole family involved in the cooking process! Chopping, grating, tossing, washing - statistics show that kids that are involved in the cooking process are more likely to at least TRY what they helped make!

3) Allow everyone to pick one new healthy recipe to try a month or a week.

4) When all else fails, offer healthy substitutions! Billy won't eat spinach salad, but LOVES orange slices? Go ahead and put some oranges on the table too, then! Allie doesn't like Brussels sprouts, but will eat her weight in carrots? Add some baby carrots and dip as a side dish for everyone to enjoy.

5) Don't be picky about the TYPES of healthy foods they eat. So what if they don't like Ahi Tuna and Bok Choi? They loved the homemade chicken nuggets and broccoli, didn't they?

6) Try re-vamping family favorites. Use ground turkey instead of beef in that meatball recipe. Substitute brown rice for white in your mom's famous Arroz con Pollo. Small changes can make all the difference!

7) Invest in some healthy family-favorite cookbooks. Weight Watchers has some really great family cookbooks. So does The Biggest Loser and George Stella. Look for recipes that you know your family will love, then sneak in a new one every now and again!

I hope this will help some of you that are struggling with the "what do I feed the rest of the family" drama!

Roasted Cauliflower with Balsamic Vinegar


1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste


Whisk oil and vinegar together in a large bowl, adding salt and pepper to your liking. Toss cauliflower in the mixture, then turn out onto a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Roast in the oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking, until the cauliflower is caramelized (browned, but not burned!!).
Here's to being losers in 2011!!!