August

   So, I know it has been a while since I last really posted. I've been caught up in other things. As far as weight loss, well, I haven't done very good this week. I have lost about 42 pounds though! Well, here are my most recent pictures:

   So, I am rather happy at the changes so far. My face looks longer. Those pants are quite comfy now. Soon, they will be too big! I just FEEL so much lighter and happier. Seeing the changes is really nice.

That is me celebrating getting to wear that shirt, and on the day that they officially announce who the 12th Doctor is. I got that shirt for Christmas, but could not squeeze into it. I hoped for the day that I would be able to put it on, and not feel like I am suffocating. I just threw it on today, to wear while they did the announcement, and found myself crying for joy. It doesn't even stretch now!

That is Just. So. COOL!

Some other big news, I was able to stop taking my medicine for High Blood Pressure. Yup. That is normal now! Another amazingly wonderful thing to happen!

A Happy Mistake

 

 Okay, okay, I know it doesn't look like much. Plus, I didn't take the best photo. What you see in it is a green gooey paste-like thing, with yellow things in it. What it really is, is a delicious accident! I spent a lot of time cooking today. A couple of the things I made were, the starts of Delicious Egg White Salad, and the start of a mayo substitute, which is made of mashed-up avocado and Light Mozzarella Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Laughing Cow cheese. I had made these, then put them in the fridge.
   Then I was thinking of what to have for dinner. I was going to do something with my turkey bacon, until I saw it had expired a month ago. So I decided to go for the Egg White Salad. It calls for a little bit of mayo, which I went for.

   I was all out...

   So, I turned to my Avocado mixture. I spooned in some of my cooked Egg Beaters (which I cooked, diced up, then put in the fridge for later) with some of the mixture. I'm not a fan of mustard, but I added some of that in too. I was then going to stir in some veggies, but alas, I was out. What? Time to go shopping, I know. So, I just went with what I had.

   WOW

   It was sooooooo good! I figure it will taste better with some veggies thrown in, but now I have a new favorite. I am so full too!
   Now it is your turn to try it!

I am on a Roll!

   Can I get a Woot Woot!  Oh, yeah. When I stepped on the scale last Sunday ('cause today is Wednesday), I was Gobsmacked. It said 258.4. And I was like, Say what?!? Me? I am in the 250's! So now, my birthday is at the end of this month, and I can actually believe that I can reach my goal of getting down to 250 pounds by then. It's possible! Oh, and here are the pictures, although I think my face looks a little scary in them.

 My eyes can open wider!

   And those pants! I didn't really want to wear the for the picture, since it was over 100 degrees outside, but they help with the comparison. Can you believe, when I started out, they were too tight. Now they are actually comfortable!
   I can see that my belly still needs work, but I can easily tell it is getting smaller. I am noticing now that shoes that had been snug now fit fine. Yes, I have noticed even my toes getting slimmer!
   Yesterday I put on a shirt I got lat year, but didn't really wear because it was too snug. Well, guess what. It. Was. LOOSE! Loose I say!
   I'm noticing that my fingers are getting slimmer. They actually look longer to me. It's easier to walk around and move. So I am thinking, if this is just after 35 pounds gone, well, just you wait! In another couple of months, my life will be even better!
   In fact, I am starting to think about what kind of awesome Fairy costume could I wear this Halloween?
   Did you know, healthier foods are beginning to taste better, while unhealthy ones are getting blah.  I caved and had a snack-sized Oreo McFlurry the other day. I really didn't want to, but I was curious at the same time. It tasted okay, but afterwards, I was like, eh. I don't need any more. So, now I know!    
   Same thing with popcorn at the movies. Eh, I can do without. Last night I had a chocolate chip cookie from Subway. Normally I can eat 3 or 4 of those without blinking.

 ...Or coming up for air.

    I let myself have just one. It was pretty good, I'll give it that, but my tummy hurt a little afterwards.  
   On my sub that I got from there, I got avocado, which I love to do. I can eat them when they are mingled with other things and I don't have to deal much with their weird texture. Some got on my fingers, so I licked it off, and thought, yum.
 
 Wait a minute...Yum? Yes, I liked it By It's Self.  Weeeeiiiirrd.

   I started a Biggest Looser competition with a bunch of friends this week. It goes for 8 weeks. Everyone who joins puts in $20 to the pot. Each week, the person with the lowest weight loss percentage wins $10 from the pot. Then at the end, the overall winner gets the rest.
    I did a couple of these last July. My friend Tina Brown even helped me learn about food. I did okay. Even won one of the weeks. With the first competition, I lost 21 pounds. The second one, I completely and totally fell off the wagon. By the time I started my weight loss this year, I had gained most of that back. So, I was at 296.4 last July, before starting that. And starting this year, I was at 292.6.
   See, I have this fear of falling off the wagon again. Letting my ADD come along, to where I will get bored and move onto something else. So I am hoping this with help keep my interest going.
   But, to be honest with you, I am having fun. This is just a blast, watching to see where I will slim down next.
Putting on clothes that actually fit now.
Or walking and being able to go farther.
I just don't see myself stopping anytime soon!

June is coming to an end

   It has been a while since I posted! I am still working hard at this. I've gone walking with friends by the river. Did you know that I can walk 4 miles, and not even know it?!?
   We went camping last week, and I had been really looking forward to it since this weight loss. I felt lighter, and it felt easier to do things. I did make healthy meals ahead of time, but didn't eat much of them. I ended up eating with everyone else. What I did do, was limit my servings, or cut things out. With S'mores, I just had the roasted marshmallows. With the Cowboy Chili, I had one spoonful instead of several. And I snacked on peanuts instead of cookies. Well...I actually did sneak some cookies. They were SO good! I did eat way less than usual though.
   Also with camping came the constant hiking to the bathroom, as well as heading over to the beach. I really looked forward to taking the trail down to the parking lot, then getting over the sand dune.

This is looking down the trail, and at the sand dune I then went over. Look at the tiny cars! And here is the route:

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Getting over the beach, and playing in the sand, that was pretty easy. Now, getting back to camp, that wasn't. I went back up the trail, and those sandy stairs are steep! Back at camp, I just collapsed. The next morning, I did it again with my husband and son. This time we walked along the road to the parking lot though. That was a little easier.
   I had figured that, with the extra food I had eaten while camping, then trying to get back on track the rest of the week (we went to Sunset Beach in the Monterey Bay peninsula for 3 days, 2 nights), that I'd be lucky to loose anything. So, I was rather surprised when, on Sunday, I saw that I had lost 3.8 pounds! This puts me at 31.8 pounds lost, in 2 and a half months!

"Potato" Soup

   I have started making this Mock-Potato soup, and I am telling you, it is one of my favorite things right now! If I had eaten it, THEN someone told me it was made with cauliflower instead of potatoes, I would not believe them.
   When I first started cooking this, I was very wary of it. I really don't like the smell of cauliflower. And cooking it on the stove made me smell it all the more. I also couldn't see how this was going to look like potato soup, much less taste like it. Now, this is really easy to make, and you can get the recipe here. It uses one fourth of a head of cauliflower per serving. And for the bacon bits, I microwaved some turkey bacon up really crispy like. I'm pretty sure the Laughing Cow cheese is what helped it taste so good too. I cooked up two servings, and stored one, about 1 and 1/3 cup worth, in the fridge for later.

   Here is what it looked like:

   So, I sat down at the table, and was afraid of that first bite. I asked my husband to wish me luck. I closed my eyes tight, and took that first bite. Then, I proceeded to gobble the rest down, having to remind myself that I am supposed to eat slowly. It was amazingly good, and I have had it 4 times now. I would say, whether you like cauliflower or not, you will like this! And so will your family!

Pumpkin Muffins!

   I just spent some more time in the kitchen. I have really been enjoying making more healthy foods. And tasty. Don't forget tasty! My newest creation is Peanut Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

The recipe is for bread, but I made muffins instead. That way, I could enter in the portions into MyFitnessPal when I entered in the recipe, and know how many calories per muffin. It's easier for a grab-and-go too, and to limit my portions.

Now, I also did substitutions, to help make it a little more healthy. Things like, changing the type of flour, eggs, oil. Using lower fat/sodium peanut butter and such. And I gotta tell ya, this was awesome! They are so good! And I was able to make 32 muffins. That should last me for a while! And I may even try to share. If anything, so that others can see how good these are!

Here is how they turned out:

Also, If you wanted to cut your calories even more, or don't like chocolate, you don't need to add the chocolate chips, or you can even substitute something else. It is delicious either way!

You can find the original recipe here. It can also be found on my Pinterest page.

2 Months! End Week 8

   I was again, so shocked when I stepped on the scale. For some reason, my MyFittnessPal tracker isn't showing it, but I lost 3.8 pounds last week, making it 27.6 pounds lost! I am now at 266.0. This just amazes and humbles me. I had thought that I couldn't do this. And, I had feared breaking through the 20 pound wall just a couple of weeks ago. I now have in my sight a 30 pound weight loss, possible by next week!
   For the past couple of weeks, I haven't had any Medifast. I've just made my own tasty meals. I think that I am one of those rare people that, Medifast just doesn't agree with my body. I did have a soup yesterday, and less than an hour later, it made me sick. And I look back at my journey so far, and see that I have lost more weight without the Medifast food, then with it. I think this is because my body was just rejecting it for some reason.
   Meanwhile, I will continue to learn how to eat healthy meals, that are also tasty. The internet is a wonderful place for this! I have SO many recipes I want to try!!