Stacey's (a/k/a HealthyHopes) Journal

[HealthyHopes]

I bought two new fun things at Linens N' Things today. (1) a lettuce bag and (2) a "big muffin" pan that makes 6 big muffins!!

The lettuce bag is made out of microfiber and absorbs moisture. It is supposed to keep your chopped up lettuce nice and crispy and fresh for days longer...hope it works!! (By the way, here's a link to the lettuce bag on the Linens N' Things website if you wanna check it out Microfiber Salad Dryer Bag)

And I've been wanting a muffin pan that makes BIG muffins forever! Finally got one today so I could make a big batch of those Big Breakfast Cookies--which I did! I didn't add raisins this time though...instead I chopped up an apple and added that to the mix...we'll see how they taste tomorrow when I have one. They smell and look delicious though!!

Oh and another good find today...I bought a bunch of SF/FF pudding in these three flavors: banana cream, lemon and cheesecake!! It was the first time I saw these flavors so I bought a few boxes of each--hopefully I'll like them, but I don't see why I wouldn't with those yummy flavors!!

OK, Desperate Housewives is on in a few minutes so gotta run!!

[HealthyHopes]

Menu - 10/15/07
B - 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 boca sausage links and 2 No-Flour Mock Cinnamon Muffins; also a FF/SF cafe latte (made with 1 cup skim milk); 2 capsules Metamucil
S - none
L - 1 cup left over 5-bean chili (will have plenty of left overs for a while!!); salad with cucumber, red and yellow peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, red onion, 1/4 cup RF feta cheese and topped with 2 Tbs ranch; 1/2 cup FF/SF banana cream pudding
S - nonfat, plain yogurt (6oz)
D - 1/2 of a big chicken breast (seasoned with some Mrs. Dash and baked); 1/2 sweet potato with some ICBINB spray and cinnamon; okra (I made this by defrosting a package of frozen okra in the microwave, then I drained the slime (ew!) then I put 2Tbs WW flour and 1Tbs garlic salt in a big baggie and added the okra to the bag and shook it up. It was pretty much one big clump, but I added it to a pan of some sliced up onion I had sauteed in about 2Tbs of olive oil. I spread it all out and fried it for a good 20 min until it was good and browned and crispy! It would have been delicious but I used WAY too much garlic salt--next time maybe only 1/2 tsp or so!)
D - Big Breakfast Cookie with some chopped up apple pieces instead of raisins. MMmmmm MMMmmmm!!!

Exercise - 10/15/07
None today...

[HealthyHopes]

Menu - 10/16/07
B - 1/2 cup egg beaters (= to 2 eggs) plus one regular egg scrambled with 2Tbs chopped onions, 3/4 cup chopped red and yellow peppers, 2 chopped up boca sausage links and one slice of 2% swiss cheese; FF/SF cafe latte (made with 1 cup FF milk); 2 capsules Metamucil
S - Big Breakfast Cookie
L - Salad with chicken (left over from last night), broccoli, mushrooms, cucumbers, 2Tbs RF feta and topped with 2Tbs Ranch dressing; 1/2 cup SF/FF cheesecake flavored pudding; 2 capsules Metamucil
D - 1 1/2 cups (leftover) 5 bean chili with 15 trisquit thin crisps.
D - apple with 2Tbs natural PB

Exercise - 10/17/07
Jazzercise from 6:15pm to 7:15pm

[HealthyHopes]

OK, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY am I up a pound now (to 166)? WTF?! I am getting so totally frustrated. I'm not changing my ticker yet though because Friday is my official weigh in day. Maybe, just MAYBE by then I'll at least be back to 165. A DESERVING WEIGHT LOSS WOULD BE NICER THOUGH.

It was bad enough losing slowly but at least THEN I was losing...

The only explanation I can come up with is that next week is that TOM...I always seem to bloat and gain a pound or two before that. I really hope that is the reason b/c I am starting to get fed up.

Menu - 10/17/07
B (8am) - 2 hard boiled eggs; 2 boca sausage links; FF/SF cafe latte (made with 1 cup FF milk); (I tried to drink a V8, but just couldn't do it. It is so nasty!!!!!!! Maybe if I could add some vodka to it it would taste better! ); 2 capsules Metamucil
S (10am) - Big Breakfast Cookie
L (12:30ish) - salad with broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms and 2Tbs of RF feta cheese, topped with 2Tbs ranch dressing. Also had 1 cup of leftover chili; 2 capsules Metamucil
S (3:20ish) - 6oz nonfat, plain yogurt with an equal packet, a little SF vanilla syrup and a little cinnamon
D (6:15pm) - parmesean crusted tilapia filet, but I baked it and then broiled it to get it browned (tasted yummy!!); about a cup of sugar snap peas
D (8:15pm) - PB cup dessert


Exercise - 10/17/07
None today...

Stacey's Version of Recipelover's Parmesan Crusted Fish
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tilapia loin
Parmesan cheese, grated (I used Kraft's Reduced Fat that comes in a plastic container)

Preheat oven to 425* and spray a baking dish with PAM. Beat the egg lightly with the garlic and pepper. Pat dry the previously defrosted tilapia loin with a paper towel. Coat the fish with the beaten egg, draining off excess. Shake the Parmesan to coat, each side. Let sit 5 minutes before cooking. Place fish in baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes (until fish flakes with a fork). Then broil the fish, on high, for 3-5 minutes (to brown).

[VallieGal]

Hey Hopes,

Dropping by to take a peek since you so kindly asked.

The food choices you've got on your menu - well, I'm no expert, so I don't feel qualified to answer - but I am seeing no mention of veggies in the morning - are you skipping those?

How about water? How much do you drink a day? I noticed on all the days I weigh less, it's because I've taken in enough water the day or two before. If I had a day or two where I don't drink enough, to scale won't budge, or it goes back up.

Don't be too eager to jump on the quick loss train tho - as it turns out for my own quick loss, I might have stirred up this medical problem I'm dealing with now (abdominal pain - possible gallstones?). Being overweight, eating a low cal diet, losing weight quickly, then consuming a high-fatty food can trigger a gall stone 'attack' I've found out through some research.

Hang in there - don't give up - and maybe introduce more veggies, more water, and more movement. You'll see something happen - just maybe a bit slower than you'd like.

One thing I know that can affect weight-loss - at least in my own case, is low thyroid hormone levels. I'm told by my doctor that had I kept ignoring my thyroid and suppressing my level by not taking the med properly, no amount of dieting would allow for weight loss. I'm not saying you have a thyroid problem, but if you haven't had it checked, and if you notice any of the symptoms of hypothyroidism (low energy, fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, intolerence to cold, depression, irritibility, low sex drive, abnormal mentral cycles, memory loss, muscle aches) - you might want to ask for your TSH to be checked. if abnormal, then, they look at T4 and T3 (the two main hormones from the thyroid.

At any rate - good luck - and keep up the fight! you can do it - keep us posted!

[HealthyHopes]

Thank you so much for stopping by my journal VallieGal!!

I definitely do not get enough--actually, rarely do I get ANY veggies in in the morning. On the weekend's it is not a problem because I have time to make myself breakfast, but during the week its usually grab and go. I'm excited to try a new shake recipe I just found out about though...in searching for ways to add veggies to my mornings (b/c I HATE V8 with the passion), recipelover pointed me in the direction of Santosha's "Grossout Smoothie". I plan to go to the grocery store tonight and get everything I need so I can try this tomorrow morning! That will definitely help me get my veggies in with breakfast. I can just make one of these before I go to work and drink it on the way! Perfect, now lets just hope I like the taste of it...or I can make myself learn to like the taste of it!!

As for the water, its now 11:45pm and I've already drank 32oz. What are we supposed to get in a day? I think I surpass it, though I am just assuming, because I really drink A LOT of water (and b/c of it I'm always running to the bathroom!!). I actually rarely drink anything besides water (except for my morning cafe latte). I drink a can of diet pepsi maybe once every four days or so...

Oh and it's definitely not my thyroid. I actually had that checked right before starting SB. Actually, during the doctor's visit that she ordered the blood test to check my thyroid is when my doctor reccommended I try SB!!! Well, the blood test came back normal so it's not my thyroid....just my piggy eating habits --well, OLD piggy eating habits!!

Thanks for looking at my journal and for all the encouraging words and thoughfulness.

KIT and I hope everything works out for you at the doctor--hope it is nothing serious!

[HealthyHopes]

YIIIIIPPPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Stepped on the scale this morning and it read 164.8--ok, not quite 164, but closer than 166!! That makes me feel better than I felt yesterday at 166--makes me wonder if the too salty okra I made on Monday had to do with my extra pound...I dunno, all I know is I'm glad the scale was lower today--hopefully it KEEPS GOING DOWN!!!!

I was so excited to try the new recipe (well, new to me) for Santosha's "Grossout Smoothie". Well, I got all my ingredients at the grocery store last night and had everything I needed for one smoothie measured out and placed in my (maybe 3-week old) food processor and switched it on and nothin. The stupid food processor was broke!!! WTF?! I have used it about 8 times total and its broke already?! What?!! Anyway, so I had to dump all the ingredients in my blender (luckily I have a good one, just thought the food processor would mush up the spinach better but the blender worked pretty well actually). Well, the smoothie really turned out more of a brown color--probably because I used mixed berries. BUT, it was actually surprisingly good ! You really do not taste the spinach--well, at least not while you are drinking it--I think it does have a bit of a spinach aftertaste, but to me, to get my veggies in in the morning it is well worth it!! I am going to have this every work day from now on! This time I used 1 tightly packed cup of spinach, 1 cup of FF 8th continent vanilla soymilk (the store didn't have light ), 1/3 cup silken tofu (for smoothies), 1/2 cup mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, red raspberries and black berries). Next time I'm at the store I'm going to buy a bag of the frozen pitted cherries I saw last time I was there (and almost bought) because the mixed berries just have TOO many seeds--ughghg! Until then, I'm going to blend everything up real good in the blender and then add the berries last so hopefully they get less blended and less seedy! Anyway, overall I was just very impressed with this smoothie!!

Tomorrow my DBF and I are going to his cousin Angie's house. I just love Angie--she's so hysterical and we get along great! She's pregnant and due on Halloween and we're getting together this Friday as probably the last time we'll get together without a baby around! (BUT I can't wait for the baby to be born--she's having a little boy! ) We're going to her and her husband's house and the plan is to order a pizza ! Well, as much as I'd LOVE a slice of regular full fat, full sugar, full carb pizza, I am refusing. I plan to bring one of my own that I make on WW pita with my own pasta sauce (just tomatoe sauce and I add some Italian seasonings), and topped with some 2% mozz cheese and green peppers and onions. It's actually VERY good so I won't even feel like I'm missing out! I'm probably going to bring a salad too. And yesterday, while I was at the grocery store I decided I'd bring an SB friendly snack to share. I got a few bags of Kraft's 2% cheese cubes (cheddar and monteray jack), a box of trisquit thin crisps, and then some regular party crackers and pepperoni (those I'll stay away from, but others not on SB can have and it bulks up my cheese tray!). Anyway, then I'm just going to arrange it all on a nice little tray and bring it over with us. It will be nice to have it around to munch on while we're playing Scrabble!

Oh and yesterday my mom and I finally made up too!

Menu - 10/18/07
B - Grossout Smoothie (with mixed berries and tofu); 2 metamucil capsules
S - Big Breakfast Cookie
L - Salad with some strips of steak, broccoli, cucumbers, 2Tbs RF feta, mushrooms and topped with 2Tbs Ranch dressing; 1/2 cup SF/FF banana cream pudding; 2 metamucil capsules
S - celery and 1 wedge laughing cow light cheese
S - 15 almonds
D - 1 1/2 cups leftover 5-bean chili topped with 1/4 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese; 15 trisquit thin crisps
D - 1/4 cup chocolate and 1/4 cup banana SF/FF pudding topped with about 2Tbs of Cool Whip Free.

Exercise - 10/18/07
Jazzercise 6:15pm - 7:15pm

[MENOPAUSE GRANDMA]

WTG! I'm sure you're going to see the weight going down. Just stick to this WOE! I'll have to try this smoothie. I have all the ingredients. Congratulations again, it's a long time coming.

[HealthyHopes]

Thanks for stopping by my journal MG, and thanks for the encouragement! I'm feeling much more positive today--not just the scale (but that helped) but especially finding this smoothie. It is a great way for me to fit my veggies in with breakfast--since I was having trouble with that!

Have a beachy day!!

[HealthyHopes]

Ok, well, no YIPPEE today...Today's my official weigh in day and I weighed in at 165.6...ughghghg!!!! Up, down, up, down, up!!! ughghg!!! Whatever...one good thing is that I have on a pair of khaki pants that are litterally falling off of me so I MUST be at least losing some inches!

Another good thing is that today is FRIIIIDAY!

Menu - 10/19/07
B - Grossout Smoothie (1 cup spinach, 1 cup FF vanilla soy milk, 1/2 cup mixed berries, 1/3 cup tofu, 2Tbs SF vanilla syrup, 1tsp banana cream jello powder, and about 6 cubes of ice); 2 metamucil capsules
S - Big Breakfast Cookie
L - Salad with 2Tbs RF feta, broccoli, mushrooms and cucumbers topped with 2Tbs ranch dressing; 1 cup leftover (the last of it! ) 5-bean chili.
S - Xlarge SF/FF caramel cafe latte (from Cork & Beans) (and I asked and it contains 1 cup of FF milk, 3 shots of expresso and then a shot of SF caramel syrup--that should do the trick and wake me up b/c I am so tired today for some reason!!)
S - 1 no flour bean cake muffin
D - salad with italian dressing; pizza made with 1 WW pita (47g), 1/2 cup part skim mozz cheese, green peppers, onions oh and some homemade "pizza sauce" which was just tomato sauce that I added Italian sauces to.
S/D - some 2% monteray jack and cheddar cheese cubes with trisquit thin crisps. I'm not too sure how many I had b/c I was eating them while playing scrabble at my bf's cousin Angie's house! But, if I had more than 15 crackers it wasn't many more...

Exercise - 10/19/07
None today...

[HealthyHopes]

Good morning! Got home late last night so there was no way I was getting up at 7:30 am to go to jazzercise today --oh well, I'll go Tuesday...

Weighed in today at 165--down .6 from yesterday...but that's probably just one of those daily fluctuation things...

Menu - 10/20/07
B - scrambled eggs (1/2 cup egg beaters, 1 egg, green peppers, onion, 2 boca sausage links and 1 slice 2% swiss cheese. 2 metamucil capsules
L - Salad with chick peas, 2Tbs RF feta cheese, red pepper, broccoli, cucumbers and mushrooms topped with 2Tbs ranch dressing. 2 metamucil capsules
S - No flour bean cake muffin
D - Turkey burger (made with ground turkey meat, garlic, onion, red and yellow peppers and some soy sauce) and topped with one slice 2% cheddar cheese, onion and a little grey poupon mustard; green beans with garlic; cucumber salad (with canola oil, red wine vinegar and minced garlic)
D - PB cup dessert (made with 2 NSA fudgsicles, 2Tbs natural PB and 2Tbs cool whip free

Exercise - 10/20/07
None today...

So dinner tonite was HARD!! My DBF is Croatian and his mom is an AMAZING cook (partly to blame for my weight gain--I just could never say no to her delicious meals and desserts --I've learned to now though!!). Anyway, it was his sister-in-law's b-day dinner tonight. There were 8 of us and his mom made pork chops, brautwurts, chicken, cheeseburgers, cucumber salad, green beans, homemade french fries (mmmm--those were hard to say no to BUT I did!), corn on the cob and for dessert cheesecake streudel and an apple streudel AND a cake from Giant Eagle!!!!!!! 8 people...OK???!!! She's so sweet--she's so generous and its funny b/c she LOVES when people eat and enjoy her food. She's constantly asking me if I can have this or I can have that and saying how it sucks...but I tell her its really not bad at all!!! She just laughs at me though!! Anyway, I made my own turkey burger and brought my own 2% cheese slice over her house. I also brought myself green beans. Then she had the cucumber salad and I ate some of that. Well at dinner someone said how good the corn on the cob was and she's like, "Isn't it? I put sugar and butter all over them!" Sugar???!!! No wonder why even if I stuck with eating the veggies and fruits at her house I still gained wait! Anyway, I am VERY, VERY proud of myself. I ate ALL Beachy! I wanted some struedel and cake so bad (but really just because it was there) and I stuck to my guns and passed on them both! Well, gotta go now b/c my beachy PB cup dessert is probably just the right temp--gotta go get it from the freezer and eat it up!!

[MENOPAUSE GRANDMA]

Good for you Healthyhopes!

[HealthyHopes]

THANKS MG!!!

[HealthyHopes]

What a long day--was searching every store out there to put together our Halloween costumes. Decided we're gonna be hippies! Should be cute!

Was out all day between shopping for our costumes and groceries so I kinda missed lunch !

I also tried a new chili recipe I found. It's the "Wendy's Chili (Top Secret Recipe) [posted above by deb and now revised by me] Phase 1", but I changed it as follows--turned out pretty good, but I liked the 5-bean one better--it had a cinnamony taste as opposed to this one which was sweeter--still good though.

Stacey's version of "Wendy's Chili (Top Secret Recipe) [posted above by deb and now revised by me] Phase 1":
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 pound Xlean ground sirloin
29 ounces tomato sauce (I used RedPack)
3 16-oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (1 light and 2 dark)
1 16-oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced onion
2 - 14 1/2 oz. can petite diced tomatoes - Red Pack (the ones with chili's or Italian seasoning had too many unnecessary extras in the ingredients list)
1 small can (I forget what size but it was about the size of a small can of tuna fish) of chopped green chilies
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c. V8
1 tsp salt
oregano, garlic and basil (to taste--I used a few good shakes)

Brown meat and drain thoroughly. Blend (in blender or food processor) the two cans of petite diced tomatoeswith the green chilies and italian seasonings (I do this because my DBF and I do not like chunks of tomatoes in our chili). Combine evwerything together in a big crock pot and simmer 2-3 hours (minimum). (Note, the original recipe called for 2 cups of water but I ommitted it because it definitely did not need it.)

Menu - 10/21/07
B - grossout smoothie (mixed berries and ff vanilla soymilk); Big Breakfast Cookie
S - cheese stick and 1/4 cup soynuts
D - 1 1/2 cup chili topped with about 1/4 cup 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 15 trisquit thin crisps
D - 1 no flour mock bean cake muffin

Exercise - 10/21/07
None today...unless I can count running around like a maniac from store to store!!

[HealthyHopes]

Morning everyone! Today is my DBF and my 1 year and 6 months anniversary!!!

This morning I tried making my grossout smoothie with some bagged frozen peaches and a few blueberries (trying to cut down on the seedy-ness of the smoothie when made with the mixed berries)...WELL, all I have to say is thank God I brought oatmeal with me to work too because the smoothie lived up to its name when made this way! OMG, it was so gross--all I could taste was the spinach. I could not bring myself to choke it down! So, when I got into work I ate my oatmeal--which was yummy .

I freaking forgot to take my metamucil yesterday and of course left the bottle at home today so won't be able to take any until tonight....I see to be needing it to help me "go" lately .

Menu - 10/22/07
B - oatmeal (made with 3/4 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 equal packet and 1Tbs SF caramel syrup); XL SF/FF caramel cafe latte (from Cork & Beans).
L - salad with broccoli, mushrooms, green onion, 2Tbs RF feta cheese and topped with 2Tbs Ranch dressing; 1 cup leftover chili.
S - 6oz nonfat, plain yogurt with some cinnamon and SF vanilla syrup
D - pizza (WW pita topped with tomato sauce, 1/2 cup RF shredded mozz cheese, onion and green pepper); salad with chick peas, mushrooms, green onion and topped with ranch dressing.
D - PB cup dessert (2 NSA fudgsicles, 2Tbs PB, 2Tbs Coolwhip free)

Exercise - 10/22/07
None today unless you can count doing two weeks worth of laundry!!! (We live in an apartment so we wait forever to do our laundry and then get a bunch of it done in one night--yippee that tonight's the night !