Trials of a Long Haired Girl

Happy Tuesday and happy first day of October!  If you don't follow me on Facebook, you may not be aware, but I took a big leap on Sunday and posted a video on YouTube.  I am going to start documenting my journey on YouTube.  I'm nervous and I know I need to improve my editing skills, but I did it.  Y'all, I mean this is HUGE for me.  I started reading Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup and it definitely brought me to some "a-ha" moments and I'm not even out of the fear archetypes yet.  Between Jordan Lee Dooley's book, Own Your Everyday and this book, I feel like I'm in a position to really make some progress on me.  Getting out of my comfort zone and not being so afraid is definitely going to help me reach my goals.  My plan is to post 2 videos per week but I haven't decided specifically on my days yet but my first video is up.  I'm excited to see where this new adventure takes me.  I mean I'm already trying things that I never would beca...

Happy Tuesday, friends!  Hope your week started out well.  I spent last night making some headway on my meal prep.  As I was reminded by my friend Anita at  Chit Chat Paddiwack  of the quote: Failing to plan is planning to fail.  I just love her because she's honest and down to earth!  While still at work, I determined that I was going to make some progress with my meal prepping so I could be prepared for the week.  There are weeks, as you could tell from yesterday's blog post, that I feel a little like I'm flailing.  Having a few things prepared so that I can easily throw something together, is going to help so much.  Anita also suggests keeping things simple so that it works for you.  For me, having something prepared or veggies cut, will make me more inclined to use it.  I don't do as much as some folks, but I try to do what works for me.  I don't often prepare meals for the entire week but as I'm watching more ...

Happy Friday friends!  Hope you have had a great week.  I have to say not everyday this week was a win Points-wise, but I tried to adjust and my body was definitely guessing.  I was trying to eat every 3 to 4 hours...that's wasn't a win everyday either.  Most days I managed to eat within that window except dinner.  Dinners are going to take some more work next week, but I feel like I'm making some progress.  We will see what the scale says on Saturday.  I have been trying to add some strength training into my days.  Some desk push-ups and some squats when I'm just standing around or filling my water bottle.  I took some time while we were slow to walk at my desk yesterday.  I'm trying to be intentional.  For the coming week, my focus will be to continue being intentional and fitting in workouts where I can. I will also continue to do the following: 1. 90-120 oz of water each day. I have not done well while on vacation. 2. TRA...

Happy Monday friends!  My family and I took a nice break to spend time together and enjoy some time away...just in time for our 10 year anniversary.  Yes, my sweet husband and I have been married for 10 years.  Today is definitely back to life, back to reality. 😪 Unfortunately, there are still bills that have to be paid so it's necessary to go back to work.  Thankfully, I enjoy my position and my co-workers so it won't be too much of a hardship.  This week, we're (the royal "we") trying to add in some more fish.  I am not a big fish person.  In past, I have really only eaten fried fish and I am truly not a fan of salmon, unless you are talking about salmon patties that my Mom used to make.   To that end, I have a couple of recipes that I want to try: 20 Minute Lemon, Garlic, and Herb Baked Cod and Garlic Parmesan Flounder.  Likely these will be served with at least one veggie, perhaps broccoli or roasted green beans or may...

Happy Friday friends!   How has your week gone?   Mine?   Overall, I think pretty well.   I feel like I’m making some good choices and focusing on eating within my SmartPoints and focusing on the lower carb options.   I am not sure I will have an opportunity to weigh in on the official scale this week but we’ll see what I can work out.   I am feeling very positive about what’s going on with me.   I was reminded Thursday morning of how much more accountable I feel when my husband and I are working out together.   I was really struggling to get out of bed and my sweet husband said “aren’t we going for a walk?”   UGH, I really just wanted to stay in bed and we got a later start, but walk we did.   Honestly, some days are easier than others.   At the beginning of July, I was super motivated.   Then with the back troubles, not sleeping, etc. I felt a little overwhelmed by life getting in the way.   Here’s the thing, I refu...

Happy Thursday a/k/a Friday eve, friends!   Hope everyone has had a great week so far!   I was reminded earlier this week just how important it was for me that I roasted those veggies over the weekend.   We had a very rough night dealing with insomnia.   If you have never dealt with insomnia, be grateful!   Quite honestly, if I hadn’t prepared some roasted veggies and had some chicken that I had purchased pre-cooked, I likely would have ordered out on Tuesday.   If I’d ordered out, it most likely wouldn’t have been on plan.   I have really been trying to stay on plan so the fact I did some prep saved me time on the back-end, not to mention calories!   I think we can all agree that there are times, like when we are tired, that we would be more likely to go with whatever is convenient.   For the coming week, I will be trying to focus on using the items in my freezer.   Do you do that periodically?   If you do, how often do you...

Happy Hump Day friends!   We made it to the middle of the week!   I tried a new recipe this week and it was delicious!   I made something that I would have never tried to make years ago…I made eggplant parmesan.   It was baked so a little healthier.   As always, I thought I had all my ingredients and I hadn't really used my panko in a while and I didn't have quite enough.   We made it work by crushing some garlic croutons.   I feel good about how it turned out though and we're excited to have it again.   I used this recipe from Delish.   I did substitute the Trader Joe's Lite Mozzarella and I tried not to overdo it with the cheese.   It turned out to be 8 Freestyle SmartPoints.  I served mine with grated zucchini.  My son, who is allergic to zucchini, had his with spaghetti squash and my husband and daughter has rotini because  I didn't realize I was out of spaghetti.  Hopefully you will get it a try if you like ...

Happy Friday friends!   I hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to a great weekend!   No major plans for me but hoping for some family time and some meal prep time.   I definitely want to be prepared for the coming week.   I finished my round of Prednisone on Monday and started a new allergy nose spray on Tuesday.   Hoping that it gives me some relief.   In continuing with my July challenge goals: ·          I am going to workout 3 times a week for 20 minutes; ·          Drinking 90 to 100 oz of water; ·          Focus on less processed foods and more whole foods; ·          Track my food; ·          Take 30 minutes to do something that I enjoy; and ·          Journal/Blog. For th...

Happy Thursday a/k/a Friday eve friends!  How's the week going for you?  Mine is going pretty well thus far.  I feel like pre-tracking and making my lunches the evening before has definitely been helpful.  While I didn't get as much done as I wanted over the weekend, I was determined especially with the July challenge helping me stay motivated.  I saw another YouTuber that I watch from time to time talking about something that I know I need to focus on, which is not just splurging on the weekends.  In the past, that has really been my weak point.  My hope is that after really trying to focus on the July challenge this month that I will break that habit and it will be a little easier to continue with my focus.   I have been looking back at how different things were when I originally started this weight loss journey.  Back then, I was really focused.  I wanted to lose weight and used that momentum to help me do just that....

Happy Monday friends!  Hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful weekend!  Overall, it was a good weekend for me.  I am a little disappointed that I didn't have a loss on the official scale, but I am not going to let myself get too upset about it.  Things that happen this week that might have contributed to not seeing a loss...I was put on Prednisone again this week and with the added workouts with the challenge, I think I may be retaining water.  Either way, I know the loss will come.  I am moving more, I'm eating better, so the loss will come.  Our meals are going to be "Italian" heavy this week, but hopefully we'll enjoy them all.  1. Eggplant Parmigiana and salad; 2. Fettuccine Alfredo (I'll have this with zoodles or spaghetti squash), likely with salad and garlic bread; 3. Bean Burritos; 4. Veggie Plates with biscuits; 5. Burgers or hot dogs. I got some family time in on Saturday and will likely be heading north again this coming Saturday....

Happy Independence Day friends!  I hope you are getting to enjoy some family time today.  We're going to have a family cookout.  I doubt that we go to watch fireworks as a family, but I'm just glad we'll have some time together.  Fun memory from before Mom passed is spending the 4 th in her front yard under the pecan trees watching the Denison fireworks display.  I can remember one from shortly before my husband and I got married.  So many fond memories of that house and time with Mom and my family.  I think that the allure of going to Mom's is that we could see most of the fireworks because she was only blocks away from the location of the display and we didn't have to deal with the crowds.  We often had friends and family that would come over and share a seat in the yard.  I am simply not a fan of crowds anymore.  I will suffer through when I have to, but I do not like it. What traditions to you have?   

Happy Tuesday friends!  Today we're going to take a minute to discuss something that, if you have been on this journey for any length of time, you have probably experienced and that is dealing with setbacks.  This really sort of goes along with last week's topic about the all or nothing mentality.  There are times that we feel we have set ourselves up for success, but then we give in to a few more chips or we have a dessert or we have something that is a little higher in sodium and wind up with a gain.  Or sometimes you do everything right, but your body just doesn't want to give up the weight at that weigh in.  What we need to do, however, is not throw our hands up and say well this is a bust and I'm never going to make progress. It can be easy to beat ourselves up and not focus on what we need to do to move forward.  We each need a game plan, no matter what our journey is, to move forward.  No matter what happened that got in the way of our g...

Happy Monday friends!  While it's very similar to what I've put down the past few weeks, I'm yet again putting a meal plan in writing.  As I may have mentioned before, I normally make a meal plan and then figure out what I'm in the mood for or can prepare easily with what I have meal prepped or what we have going on that evening and I can fix easily given what's going on that night.   Meals this week: 1.      Make your own Bean Burritos. 2.      Quinoa veggie bowls. 3.      Veggie plates. 4.      Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli (I'll likely do either spaghetti squash or zoodles with mine) and garlic bread. 5.      Sandwich night (this night I will likely have a wrap and a side of veggies). 6.      Make your own salad "bar". What's your plan for the week?   Are you going to plan your day the night before with me? ...

Happy Sunday friends! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  I ran across something and decided to do a little more research.  Brooke Castillo shares some interesting tips in this  podcast  about The Urge Jar.   While I haven't decided if I'm going to try this 100% with jar and all, I think there's some good things suggested in the steps that she shares.  Writing down what you are going to eat 24 hours in advance and not straying from that is a pretty good advice.  I used to do that and I was less likely to stray from what I had planned.  While I was listening to this podcast, it was a great reminder for me of what I need to do for myself.   While I think I've decided not to focus on getting rid of all of the carbs in my house right now, I am going to try to focus on choosing zoodles or spaghetti squash rather than having spaghetti noodles or fettuccine or cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.  For the coming week, I...

Happy Monday friends!  I hope this Monday finds you well and that you have a great start to the week!  In the spirit of honesty, it's been a rough few days and I haven't been as consistent as I need to be with my eating.  The antibiotics that I've been on making me sick to my stomach and often times I don't feel like cooking or eating.  Having a plan definitely helps though me not get so far off track.   For the coming week, the menu plan is:   Quesadillas, Caesar salad, smothered bean burritos, pizza bubble up casserole, cheeseburger and tot casserole and cheesy hashbrowns and baked potatoes.   To be honest, we may wind up having a "leftover" night or I may change one of these meals for a breakfast for dinner option.  It's always a good meal for us to have and will allow me to change things up a bit so that I will have meatless options for my DD16 now that she's decided she wants to go vegetarian.  It is definitely make ...

Happy Monday friends!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!  In keeping with my determination to regain that focus on my health, here's another edition of meal planning Monday.  Being transparent, we attended a wedding this weekend and my eating was not great, I mean, there was cake, pasta, bread...oh my!  I did partake.  What does this mean for me this week?  I will definitely have to make a point to keep an eye on my eating this week.   So, the question on everyone's mind, what's for dinner this week?  I have the following on our list for this week: Lazy Man Lasagna, Meatloaf and Mashed potatoes, bean and cheese enchiladas (or they may be burritos, I haven't decided yet), Pizza Bubble-Up Casserole, Burgers and Fries an Chicken Caesar Salad.   Lunches will likely be turkey wraps or salads.  I have been enjoying "eggs in a basket" this past week.  I think if I continue that, I will add some fruit to it this week. ...

Happy Friday friends!  This week, overall, has been a good one.  I have been accountable for a lot of my food this week by posting on Instagram, but even more than that, I have been tracking.  I've been consistently hitting my step goal this week and drinking 120 oz of water.  I only got one 5 minute workout in this week, but it's better than weeks past. Quite honestly, I've been struggling with my breathing this week and I'm not quite sure why.  I've been to the doctor a couple of times in the last couple of weeks and my oxygen level is good (like 99 and 98, respectively).   Things I'm proud of this week?  Unlike many of my fellow Weight Watcher members, I do not do fat free and sugar free stuff.  I have still been craving some sweets like a crazy person.  So this week, I cut myself a banana and had weighed out 1 serving of Hershey's Simply 5 (I think that's what it is) Chocolate Syrup.  It was a tasty afternoon snack that curb...

Happy cold Monday!  I am not a fan of the cold weather!  So we're going to be having some soup!  Well, at least Monday through Wednesday, we're having soup.  Then some warmer weather is supposed to hit.  I haven't fully decided what we are doing the rest of the week, but we really didn't follow the plan closely this week, so I may sub in some of the things that I planned last week.  I was down for the count the better part of the week with a kidney infection.  If you haven't had one, I pray you don't ever get one.  Given that, I have been pushing water a lot.  Since Tuesday, I know for sure, I've been getting 120 oz. of water or more each day.  Thankfully, my sweet husband was able to help with meals and we did some leftover patrol several times, which is just called LOP around here. So, my basic meal plan is: Beans and cornbread Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Parmesan Soup A variation of the 7 can soup.   White Chicken Ch...

Happy, Happy Friday!  February did not go quite as well as I'd planned.  Meal planning was better for the most part, but trying the "no spend month" was a bust.  However, a new month is upon us.  My birthday month.  Now is a real test for me to figure out how to continue moving forward with my weight loss and live life, which includes celebrations!  My goals for the year remain.  Figuring out to how to hit my ultimate goal weight and live my life is definitely a balancing act.  It is so important for me to prepare and plan ahead.  Some days it's just easier for me to focus on making sure hamburger meat is browned or that I have cooked chicken available.  I have been watching some videos and researching time blocking.  I think it will be very important right now so I can stay on top of everything.  My planner has become my ever constant companion and is even more important to my sanity at the moment.  My goal for the week...

Happy, happy Friday!  It was yet another stressful week.  I feel like I did better this week, but there were definitely days that I was not in the Blue Dot zone.  Some days it was a little over other days it was a lot over.  I was reminded that, again, it's about choices.  I need to decide what choices I'm willing to make for myself each day.  I am still not working out much other than walking as my rib seems to not be able to stay in place and is still causing me pain.  My process is slow, but it's definitely time for me to focus on food again and staying in those Blue Dot zones.  I have a little extra time on Monday since our office is closed for President's Day.  My plan is to take the extra time to prepare some meals, brown some ground beef and set myself up for easier dinners.   Focus for the coming week: 1. TRACK; 2. Walk when I can and incorporate some yoga; and  3. Set myself up for success by meal planning.