Week 4 Check In

Pounds Lost this Week:  -2.0

Pounds Lost to Date:  -10.0

Pounds Left to Go:  25.0

DOUBLE DIGITS!!!   Wohoooo!!  I’m just about 30% of the way to my final goal and feeling awesome.  I’m down a notch on my belt and even zipping up my boots seem easier going over my calves.  I saw a picture of me taken the other day and I’m still cringing a bit at how I look in pictures, but it’s better than before.  I can’t lie, it’s been tough, but somehow I’ve found the motivation to stick with it.  I only wish I had this motivation 2 years ago ;-)

How have I been doing it?  For one, I’ve cut out almost all booze.  Before: I used to have a glass (or 2) of wine every night.  Now: I’ve had only a couple glasses the entire month – and those were because of really, really bad days at work.  (Thank goodness for those weekly points)  Snacks now consist of fruit, fruit & more fruit.  I feel like the Chiquita banana lady when I come into work.  I pull out of my bag a banana, apple, orange, grapes and strawberries.  One other thing I’ve found to make it easier – weight watchers ice cream sandwiches.  They are delicious and only 3 points!  A huge satisfaction when I need something sweet.

Here’s to having motivation for the next 4 weeks and hopefully another 10 lbs.

Dear Mommy

This week’s Working Mommy Wednesday prompt over at Work, Wife, Mom...Life! is a fun one.  Today was a crazy day at work so I’m posting this very late in the day, but it was one I couldn’t pass up.  “What was she thinking: A post from the view point of your child, about yourself”. 

Dear Mommy,

I had a great time at daycare today, but I missed you a lot.  I played cars with my best friend Chase and sat next to my girlfriend Sarah at lunch.  We had macaroni & cheese to eat.  My teacher even got me to sit on the potty a few times!!  I don’t mind that you have to work every day because I get to go and play with my friends all day.  It’s lots of fun.  I am a good helper to my teachers and help out all of the younger kids in my class.  I will miss them when I move to the big boy classroom in a couple months.

I can’t wait for you to get home from work so I can yell out “Mommy’s home” and give you one of my ‘super duper great big hugs’.  I know that you mean well when you want me to sit down and eat my dinner, but don’t you understand that playing with my Thomas trains is just much more important to me?  and don’t get me started on that white thing you want me to sit on in the bathroom.  Just give me the stickers & prizes now and we can forget about that thing…I’m just not ready; I’ll let you know when I am. 

The best part of my day is when you and I sit down in my room, snuggle and read books before bed.  I always make sure you read my favorite book last (Goodnight Moon) and I like it when we take turns saying the words. 

You are the best mommy and little boy could ever ask for and I love you very much.

Love,
Anthony

Sunny Days Ahead

Last weekend we booked our first vacation since our honeymoon 4 years ago.  On our honeymoon we went to French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora & Moorea).  It was the most amazing vacation of our lives.  For this next vacation we will be going some place sunny, warm and with a beach (yay!), which of course means I need to be in a bathing suit (Eeek!). We are going for a good friend’s wedding but since the trip coincides with our 5 year wedding anniversary we decided to upgrade our room a bit and make it an anniversary trip also.

It will be an even more special vacation for us because my Mom has generously offered to watch A for the week we’re gone!  I’m excited to have alone time with my H, but at the same time nervous to leave A for a whole week.  We’ve done a weekend trip away (for another wedding) and have had nights out before, but this will be the first time we leave A for a significant amount of time.  We debated whether or not to take him with us, but when she offered we just couldn’t resist having some “toddler-free” time.  I know he’ll be fine with my mom but I worry anyway (that’s our job as a mom, right?!)

The official countdown to vacation has begun!!

Week 3 Check In

Pounds Lost this Week:  -1.5

Pounds Lost to Date:  -8.0

Pounds Left to Go:  27.0

Here we are, week 3 and as expected my weight loss is starting to slow down.  Of course it’s a little sad to not see a 3lb weight loss, but I knew this would happen.  With 8 lbs down, I am seeing results already.  My rings are a little looser and my pants are fitting more loosely.  I can’t wait to get into my skinny jeans again!  

Cravings weren’t too bad this week.  I really, really wanted a milkshake for some reason this week, but instead settled for some strawberries…..  I bought some Slim Fast snack bars to satisfy my sweet cravings, and they actually taste good!  (and at 3 pts a piece very easy to add into the diet)  If I continue at this rate I’m confident that I’ll be ‘dress ready’ by June and ‘bathing suit’ ready by we go on vacation in September!!

10 Things I Believe In

1. I believe the right pair of shoes can make any outfit fabulous

2. I believe in teaching our children manners

3. I believe in karma; it will come back to bite those that piss it off

4. I believe a good bottle of wine can solve (or at least take away) most problems

5. I believe in the power of laughter and try to practice it often

6. I believe a little mascara can go a long way for self confidence

7. I believe in traveling to as many places as you can before settling down & starting a family

8. I believe you don’t need 100 friends to make you happy, just a select special few

9. I believe you don’t fully appreciate your parents until you become a parent yourself

10. I believe in picking your battles, you won’t win them all so at least pick the ones that mean the most to you

What’s something you believe in?

Week 2 Check In

Pounds Lost this Week:  -3.0

Pounds Lost to Date:  -6.5

Pounds Left to Go:  28.5

Another great week!  I’m super psyched and am actually starting to feel lighter, which is giving me even more motivation.  I started playing with my volleyball team this week (after a 2 season hiatus) and maybe it was imagination, but I felt more agile on the court.  I can only imagine how great it will feel once all of the weight is off.  I know this rapid loss isn’t going to last and I will reach a plateau soon but it’s definitely a huge help to my psyche to see the numbers going down. 

Of course I’m dying for a huge pizza all to myself but instead I’ll be grabbing some carrot sticks…oh yum!  (insert sarcasim)

This one’s for you Daddy

17 years ago my life was forever changed.  Despite the love and son god has given me, the hole in my heart will always be there.  He missed me graduating high school, graduating college, getting married and having a child.  But what I miss the most is the thought of him meeting my son & A getting to know him.  I know the two of them would have been best buds.

In honor of his memory here are some of my favorite pictures of my dad and I over the wonderful 15 years that I was lucky enough to have known him.

(and yes, I had big hair in the 80's and early 90's so no snickering)

our first picture together

I couldn't be more than a year here

one of my favorite early family portraits (I'm bottom left)

at the Great Escape in Lake George

my confirmation

8th Grade Graduation

Homecoming my freshman year of HS

When my parents renewed their vows

our last picture together

Oreo Truffles

This week’s Working Mommy Wednesday prompt is a favorite recipe.  This is not only one of my favorites but super easy to make and a crowd pleaser.

Oreo Truffles

 

Ingredients:

1 package (16 oz) Oreo Cookies

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (softened)

1 lb dark chocolate, melted (can use milk chocolate too)

½ lb white chocolate, melted

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder.
2. With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese and it should be a dough consistency)
3. Roll into small balls (1 inch) and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 45-60 minutes
4. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. In double-boiler, melt dark chocolate. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted spoon, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet & refrigerate 15 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
5. In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. Refrigerate again for 15 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
6. Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

Notes:

1. You can modify flavors by using the vanilla or even the mint oreos
2. Chocolate can also be melted in the microwave by heating on 50% power for a few minutes at a time & stirring
3. When I am exceedingly lazy, I forego the chocolate 'dip' and merely roll my truffles into various mixtures - chopped nuts, chocolate sprinkles, vari-coloured candy sprinkles, cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, coloured sugars -- still pretty -- less work.  If doing this don’t refrigerate the truffles before rolling into mixtures.

Week 1 Check In

Pounds Lost this Week:  -3.5

Pounds Lost to Date:  - 3.5

Pounds Left to Go:  31.5

I was so excited to weigh myself this morning and see that my hard work had paid off!!  I know that the first week is probably a lot of water weight, but it was just the boost I needed.  This week was pretty tough; I was hungry all the time, but by the end of the week my body seemed to be adjusting.  I’m surprised that I was able to easily stay under my daily points allowance - and if it hadn’t been for a get together we had last night I wouldn’t have used my weekly points either.  As you can see I have a big goal (and yes, I need to loose that much; I’m good at hiding it) so this is just the start of a long journey.  Here’s hoping week 2 is just as successful.

What Nobody Ever Tells You

A recent post on one of my favorite blogs Work, Wife, Mom… Life got me thinking about all the things nobody tells/warns you about motherhood. This “conspiracy of silence” as I’ll call it, is the abyss that exists between what people will tell you about having children and what it really entails. 

Here are my top 15 things nobody told me.  Feel free to share some of your favorites.

1. Besides the birth itself, going back to work will be the hardest thing you ever have to do
2. No matter how terrible your day was, a smile from your child can melt it all away
3. Sometimes they just want Daddy, and it will hurt your feelings
4. You will never ever go the bathroom alone again…Ever
5. Food habits change daily.  If they want to eat macaroni & cheese for 3 weeks straight, let ‘em.  They’ll grow out of it
6. Nobody gives hugs quite like Mommy, but having them want those hugs at 3 am is not so cute
7. No matter how many sit-ups you do, your abs will never recover.  Never
8. You will gain (and loose) friends
9. Watch out for those competitive moms – they are evil
10. No matter how hard you battle, you will loose some control of your life. Nothing with children is/can be planned…you just have to go with the flow
11. You won't do everything right the first time. You'll have regrets, but learn from your mistakes and move on
12. Simple functions, such as taking a bath, become a synchronized event
13. After pregnancy your feet may remain a size bigger…permanently
14. No matter how many times you tell yourself you won't become that annoying parent who has a story about their kid to tell anyone who will listen, you will become that person. And you will be proud of it
15. “Pregnancy brain” never really goes away.  You will continue to forget everything and leave yourself post it reminders

A Christmas Memory

 

This is my first time participating in Working Mommy Wednesday.  The prompts this week are  #1 A Christmas memory... from this year or year's past  #2. Biggest challenge for the new year.  Since you all know already that my biggest challenge for the new year, I’ll give you a memory.

#1 A Christmas memory... from this year or year's past

It was so heartwarming to watch A this holiday season.  This is the first year he really ‘got it’ and it was amazing to watch his reactions.  We have this dancing snowman that plays “Frosty the Snowman” and A would play it (and dance/sing along) every single day, multiple times a day.  Each day when he came home from daycare he would stand in front of the tree and say “it’s so sparkly”. This year was especially fun because A was old enough to understand the whole Santa thing. While he was petrified to sit on Santa’s lap he enjoyed talking about him, we “called” him on the phone a few times to tell him what A wanted and on Christmas Eve we put out milk & cookies for Santa. 

So Christmas morning I parked myself next to the tree and set up the camera prepared to film an excited A coming down the stairs and running over to see what Santa left.  Well, when my H came downstairs with him, A casually walked over to me (didn’t even notice the presents) and asked to go downstairs to play with his cars!  When I pointed out that Santa had left presents for him and ate the cookies and drank the milk he left for him, A replied “No Mommy, Layla ate the cookies and drank the milk.”  (Layla is our 5 yo lab mix)  I just had to laugh.  That’s my kid….

Of course once he realized the pretty packages beneath the tree held toys we got this reaction from almost everything he opened:  Priceless!

The Path of Least Resistance

Today is my first day on Weight Watchers. I decided that this would be my path of least resistance as it seemed to have the most food options that I could stick to. I joined online last night, weighed myself in ::sigh:: and this morning had my first ‘points’ breakfast.  Not so bad.  Still kind of hungry though….so off to get a fruit that’s on my ”freebe” list.

 

 

Choices, Choices….

Like millions of other Americans this January I am determined to start a new diet and get rid of this extra weight once and for all.  But which diet to choose…..Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, or one of those prepared meal diets such as Medifast.  There are pros & cons to each of them, but I’m struggling with which one is right for me. 

I did Atkins back in 2006 before my wedding and was successful at dropping the weight and pretty much keeping it off until I got pregnant.  However I know that Atkins isn’t the healthiest option.  So while I know it works I’m not certain I want to do it again.  I never tried South Beach but from what I’ve read it’s similar to Atkins but healthier for your heart.

I have a lot of friends who have had great success with both Weight Watchers and Medifast.  In both of these options you have to pay (WW is a nominal monthly fee while Medifast is a bigger investment).  Both are about portion control, but one is pre-packaged and would be much easier for me to take to work.

No matter which one I choose I know one thing is for sure – I need to exercise MORE.  As part of my resolution I have rejoined my volleyball team this season, I will use the stairs more often at work and have promised myself to using my wii fit regularly.

Here’s saying bye-bye to these chubby thighs…..