Stuck?

The scale has been stuck for several days now so I got my butt outside today for a long walk. The weather was finally nice. It was bright out with little wind and it wasn't too cold. A light jacket kept me plenty warm on my brisk walk.

I've been keeping busy with finishing up a variety of homemade Christmas gifts, the regular household chores, work, and packing. We'll be skipping town soon to visit family for the Holidays and I couldn't be more excited.

I'm a little nervous about seeing my family members. Most of them haven't seen me since I began THIS weight-loss journey. I'm sure they'll all be shocked. Hopefully they'll be shockingly happy for me and not make rude comments. I'm almost bracing myself for someone to say things like.....

"It's about time you lost weight."

"Yea, but are you gonna keep it off?"

"Wow. I've never seen you look so good!"

"Ah, you are pretty."

"Where did this body come from?"

"Are you eating?"

"Oh, honey. Are you not able to afford food?"

"You look too skinny."

"You deserve to splurge during this Holiday Season."

"Do you feel better?"

"How much have you lost?"

"What's your secret?"

"I'm glad you finally figured it out and did something about it."

.... And so on.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

The Century Club...

YES! I am now an official member of the Century Club. I have lost 100 pounds since I began this journey in mid-June! It's time to party, sing out loud, and dance a jig!

I returned to the mall today for a nice walk. The same department store I purchased my heels at were still having a great sale. I ended up buying a long down coat in medium, a button up collared shirt in medium, a cardigan in medium, and a fleece pullover in small. Can you believe it? I'm having a hard time believing it myself. Crazy awesome! I also tried on a pair of jeans in size 12 and they fit like a glove. I only tried them on because I was curious about whether they'd fit or not. It must have been my lucky day.

Merry Christmas to me!

Feta & Spinach Omelette

I made an omelette with feta and spinach for lunch today. Talk about crazy good!

Feel free to give it a whirl!

Peep!

It's been extremely cold lately and I just can't bear to workout in the gym all the time. I decided to start mall-walking at a nearby low-traffice mall. Funny thing is, my mall-walking hasn't exactly been free. Oops! Oh, well. It's just not right for a gal (previous shopaholic) with hardly any clothes or shoes to her name be expected to not spend any money while walking the mall. Ha!

Did I ever mention that I ended up giving away about 30 giant trash bags full of clothes? We're talking good stuff too. Quite a few items still had price tags on them. I also gave away about a dozen pairs of shoes that no longer fit.

Anyways, I spotted a cute pair of black peep toe heels on clearance at a department store. They were only 20 bucks! You can hardly get heels at Payless, Target, or Walmart for that price. Now I just need to keep shedding the pounds and find a cute dress to complete the ensemble.

Won't these look stellar with red painted toenails?

The Lord knows....

I can't live without peanut butter forever. So I ordered some PB2 and it arrived today. I put a little sprinkle in my chocolate Max Protein shake and it was .... well, it's the closest thing to "dessert" I've tasted since May. It was chocolate-peanut buttery goodness. Bones thought it was pretty tasty too. I'm excited to try it mixed with water and spread on a piece of celery. Yum!

On a side note, I do know that I can have peanut butter in moderation, but let's face the fact that the stuff would probably expire by the time I could even put a dent in the container.

4-Month Update

Dec. 5 was my 4 month Surgiversary and I'm down 98 since June. So exciting!

I'm still only eating two small meals a day. Sometimes I struggle to get the equivalent of one egg down while other times I feel like I eat a ton. (A ton for me is still less than 1/2 cup of food.) Funny how my perspective has completely changed.

Here are a couple of photos...

I mentioned hair loss in my last post. Here's proof that it's falling out. This is the hair that came out with one comb through following a shower.

I'm also having to clean out the bathtub drain on a daily basis now.

Can you see my 6 incisions? They're looking fabulous, aren't they?!!?!

Now if only I could get rid of those

darn stretch marks.

(Mirrored Image)

Losing it!

I'm losing my hair!!!

It's sad that I'm having to clean the hair out of my bath drain every single day now. Plus, my hair gets all over the place when I comb it out and blow dry it in the mornings. I end up having to grab a tissue to pick up all my hairs out of the bathroom sink. It's gross and frustrating!

I AM taking all of my vitamins. Hair loss is just part of the package for some people. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people. I always thought my hair was too thin to begin with.

So, I won't be asking for 2 front teeth for Christmas..... All I want for Christmas is my hair back!!!

Marinated Vegetable Salad

This recipe is an old family favorite and I've always enjoyed it on the Holiday's. It was passed down to me from my wonderful Grandmother.

MARINATED VEGETABLE SALAD

1 can white shoepeg corn (I leave this out because corn is too starchy... feel free to replace with something healthier)

1 can LeSueur small peas

1 can French style green beans

1 cup celery, chopped fine

1 cup onion, chopped fine

1 jar pimento, diced

1 green pepper, chopped fine

Dressing:

3/4 cup vinegar

1 cup sugar (Splenda for baking works wonderfully!)

1/2 cup oil (I usually use canola)

Heat the dressing ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Cool…Then add to vegetables.

Stir well and chill. It's better to prepare this the day before serving.

**Spoon onto plate with a slotted spoon.

Wanna Be Greek Salad?

Shelly (Eggface) posted a recipe recently that included tuna, garbanzo beans, celery, and feta. I had already eaten tuna twice this week so I made this recipe with chicken instead. It was amazing! Bones even enjoyed the sample taste I shared with him.

I added just a drop of Greek salad dressing instead of lemon zest. I also cut the recipe in half because I'm still eating super small portions. I'm looking forward to eating the leftovers this week.

Here's what my tiny portion included....

Chicken, diced very small (I only used about 1/4 of a small chicken breast)

Garbanzo beans (I used about 20-25 garbanzo beans/chick peas)

Celery, diced fine (I used maybe 1/4 of 1 piece)

Feta, just a small sprinkling (I used about 1/2 Tbsp.)

Greek Dressing, just a splash (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Mix well and enjoy!

For dessert I enjoyed about 1/4 of a small banana. Mmm...

Italian Baked Ricotta

Tonight I made my hubby, Bones, a couple of mini pizza's out of some leftover Arnold Multigrain Sandwich Thins. I separated the top and bottom of the sandwich thins and spread marina sauce over them. I then added some shredded mozzarella, garlic, Italian seasoning, and turkey pepperoni. I baked them at 350 for 10 minutes. They were a hit!

I also felt like having some Italian so I made Shelly's Baked Ricotta. I made a couple of changes by leaving out the parmesan (I didn't have any) and by throwing in a few small pieces of freshly baked shredded chicken. It was absolutely amazing! Where she gets her recipe ideas is beyond me, but I hope she keeps 'em coming. I appreciate them so much. Thanks, Shelly!!!

**Shelly's blog can be found at http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blotspot.com

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Crustless Spinach Quiche

INGREDIENTS:

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 5 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 1/2 cup 2% cheddar cheese (optional) salt to taste pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a mini muffin pan (makes 24 mini's) with non-stick cooking spray

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach, stirring occasionally, and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.

3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared mini muffin pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 26-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

These freeze well. Just pop in the microwave to reheat.

Lentil Chili

Lentil Chili

Combine 1/2 vegetable juice and 1/2 water in a large pot.

Add 1/2 bag (probably about a cup) of dry Lentils.

Cook lentils according to directions on bag.

Then:

Brown up some onion (optional).

Then add....

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can rotel

1 can ranch style beans

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can red beans, drained & rinsed

season to taste with chili powder, cumin, and a dash of garlic

Combine everything. You'll have to bring everything to a boil and then let it simmer for 1 hour. This would be excellent in a crockpot. Oh, if you're not familiar with lentils, they do expand a bit.

It tastes great the first day, but even better the next day! Enjoy!!! = )

Life Savers!

I'm very much a fan of the Minute Maid Light beverages. They're quite tasty and a quick way for me to get in some liquids. The lemonade only has 5 calories in the entire can and the other 3 flavors have 10 calories. The cherry limeade is probably my least favorite, but it's still really good.

What would I do without cheese? These little things are fantastic. Each individual serving has 50 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein. They're perfect for portion control, sack lunches, and an on-the-go meal.
We've gotta have fat. My fat no longer comes from tortilla chips and queso, but from wonderful things like seeds and nuts. I feel that I'm kind of a nut snob, but I gave these a whirl. They're amazing! They were roasted and salted perfectly. I love that this mixed nut combination includes walnuts.
This is a ZERO calorie chai. Yes, you're supposed to blend it 50/50 with milk, but I break the rules. I add a little bit of half-n-half (1 1/2 Tbsp. (30 calories)) and lots of water. It mostly tastes like chai tea with cream versus a chai tea latte, but it's so much healthier.

This will make a great dessert. 2 tablespoons of the Reddi Whip has 5 calories. Well, I can't physically eat much so I figured I can responsibly enjoy some of this. Bones will have to help me eat the banana too because there's no way I could eat an entire one myself. I will absolutely savor my tiny bites though. ; )

I never tried a bread and butter pickle until this year. Can you believe it? Well, I found these wonderful no sugar added bread and butter pickles at my local grocery store. They were on sale for 2 bucks and I had a 50 cent off coupon. I stocked up! They're sweet like dessert and have the perfect crunch. Yum!

I'm an Aldi shopper. This deli meat is budget friendly. I get a whole pound of deli sliced chicken breast for less than 3 bucks. I enjoy taking 1 slice and rolling it around a slice of 2% American cheese or around some low-fat cream cheese. They're great hot or cold.
I found these at my local grocery store. I figure I'll allow myself 1 for Thanksgiving. I plan on adding some sugar-free Torani pumpkin syrup to ricotta and then stuffing it in one of these little guys and then top it off with a squirt of Reddi Whip. We'll see how that goes.

I know it's not on my list of foods I can eat, but it's better than all the other sweets and carbs that will be everywhere I look on the Holiday's.

What a find! I'm looking forward to trying this with my next batch of chicken, tuna, or egg salad. This was on sale at my local grocery store for 1.50 and I had a 50 cent off coupon. I only paid 1 buck for this. Excellent!
I've NEVER been a fan of sweet pickles, but at the price I paid I figured I'd try 'em out again. These are the no sugar added kind too so they're much healthier for me. I love that they're in single serving packages. I'm guessing I'll probably get several servings out of each little package though. Funny how that works now. lol! Good thing they don't expire for a really long time.

LOVE these! I highly recommend them. They count as a fat. I only eat about 4-6 at a time. That's 1 fat serving. Fat never tasted so good. Mmm....

Today's Menu

7am Breakfast: 1 Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar

12pm Lunch: 1 single serving (pre-packaged) of Reduced Fat Cabot Cheddar Cheese

7pm Dinner: Deli Roll-ups (deli sliced chicken rolled up with....... 1. 2% american cheese; 2. low-fat cream cheese), Celery with peanut butter

I went to the store today and really stocked up. We're just about ready for Thanksgiving. That's wonderful! With the Holiday's creeping up I want to make sure I'm prepared for everything. I've never been much of a sweet eater, but that didn't matter around the holiday's. I purchased some ricotta cheese in case I feel like indulging a bit. According to Shelly (my hero) at theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com, you can add 1 tsp. of sugar-free Torani syrup to ricotta cheese to sweeten it up and make it a scrumptious dessert. We'll see how that goes. I don't have any experience with ricotta so we'll see how that goes.

I also bought a can of fat free whipped cream. It's only 5 calories per serving. I figure I can top a few banana slices with it or something if I feel the need. That'll be a nice treat.

I broke down and purchased another pair of jeans tonight. They're Nine West size 14. Not too shabby! I also got a new coat.. size medium!

ONEderland!

That's right! I made it to "onederland!" I will never ever allow myself to see the 200s again.

Stats:

- Down 103 since my weigh-in with my family doc on Feb. 23, 2009

- Down 90 since my first weigh-in with my WLS doc in June 2009

- Only 49 to go!!!

I've been healing up nicely from my last surgery. I went to the gym for a much needed workout on Wednesday. It wasn't the greatest workout, but it was a workout. I think it'll take a while to build back up to where I was pre-surgery. That's life.

Saved by Vitamins!

FedEx delivered a much needed package tonight. My vitamins arrived!

I've decided to try out the renewal program at Bariatric Advantage. With the renewal program I get free shipping and don't have to remember putting in my order. How convenient!

I ordered the VitaBand Chewable Multivitamin in watermelon flavor. It doesn't taste like watermelon at all if you ask me, but I still think it's better than the lemon or mixed berry. In fact, I think I would describe these vitamins the same way Shelly describes protein powders......"they taste like monkey's ass!"

I ordered a ton of the chewable calcium in chocolate flavor. Those taste like dessert. They are delicious so just make sure to remember that they are vitamins.

I'll be expecting another shipment in 90 days.

Protein Powder

I ordered my first container of protein powder last night. Shelly at theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com believes that Max Protein Powder is the best, so I'll give it a whirl. I'm super excited!
I don't know if I could have ordered it at a better time. I just love hot cocoa with all this cold weather, but there is absolutely nothing nutritional about the stuff. It's just calories, but if I can make hot cocoa with the protein powder I'll get getting loads of protein.

What protein powders do you recommend?

Tiny Victories

I'm finally down a couple more pounds. When I stood on the scale this morning it said 200! I could hardly believe my eyes. That means I'm only 1 pound away from being in ONEderland! I'm so excited! I don't think I've seen any number in the 100s in the past 9 years or longer.

In case you weren't aware of this I had another surgery recently. It was actually 3 months to the date after my gastrectomy. This time I had a parathyroidectomy.

While I was in the hospital I gained 4 pounds. 4 pounds in 2 days!!! I was so upset. I followed my healthy eating plan and didn't even eat much, but still gained weight. It must have been from all the fluids they pumped me up with and the lying around. I've been recovering so that 4 pounds took me over a week to lose. I'm sure it would have come off sooner if I had been exercising, but there hasn't been any of that going on at all. On a positive note, I'm only 11 pounds away from my personal goal I'd like to reach by Christmas day. That makes me very happy!

Obesity Help

I did it! I've been meaning to sign up for months, but never got around to it. I finally registered on ObesityHelp.com. I'm pumped!!!

I could beat myself up about taking so long, but it's better to join late than never, right?

If you're not familiar with Obesity Help, it's an online weight-loss community. Just think of it as a GIANT support group. We all have something in common too.... we're striving to be healthy!

I've been posting on my profile, posting questions, posting responses to other people's questions, providing encouragement, and even sharing recipes. It's wonderful!

The Cup

Nope, I'm not talking about a coffee cup. I'm talking about cup sizes. Oh, yes!

It's both embarrassing and odd to think that just a few months ago I owned and was actually wearing 42DD/42DDD bras. Well, those days are over!

I'm currently wearing a 38DDD, but it's getting a little big. Praise God for that!

While I was at the mall today I stumbled into Victoria's Secret. I had them size me for a bra and the nice young lady informed me that I should be wearing a 36DD. Holy Toledo! I'm finally in a size that VS makes and no longer have to buy my bras at Lane Giant. What a relief..... What excitement! As a "professional shopper" I'm aware that they're having their semi-annual sale in January. You better believe I'll be purchasing a new VS bra that month. Who knows, maybe by then I'll be even a little smaller.

No-Pasta Lasagna

Renee's No-Pasta Lasagna

- It's high protein, low fat, and low carb. Yum!

2 lbs. 93/7 lean ground turkey

12 oz. tomato paste

16 oz. low-fat cottage cheese

2 eggs

2 zucchini (use a veggie peeler and make strips)

1 c. water

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Italian cheeses blend (optional)

Italian seasoning to taste

Fresh Basil (I use basil paste found in the refrigerated section of the produce department)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Fresh sliced tomatoes (optional)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Brown turkey and drain
• Add tomato paste and water to turkey
• Add spices to meat mixture and simmer
• Slice zucchini into super thin slices (I use a veggie peeler) (I bet it would be great if it were pre-sauteed in a skillet, too)
• In a bowl, combine egg and cottage cheese; mix well
• In a 9x13 baking dish, spread out a very thin layer of meat mixture
• Add a sprinkling of mozzarella
• Add 1/3 of zucchini slices
• Add 1/2 cottage cheese mixture
• Add a thin layer of meat mixture
• Add another sprinkling of mozzarella
• Add 1/3 of zucchini slices
• Add 1/2 cottage cheese mixture
• Add 1/3 of zucchini slices
• Add remaining meat mixture
• Add remaining mozzarella

I like to add a blend of Italian cheeses to top it off. Then I add sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with more Italian seasoning.

You don't have to follow the layering order exactly, just have FUN!

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Size Update

Shirts: Large or Medium

Pants/Skirts: 14 or 12

Dress: Large

Size Update

Shirts: Large and sometimes Medium

Dress Pants: 16 (they're starting to get baggy)

Sweat Pants: Large

82 down, 57 to go!

Mozzarella Caprese Scramble

Mozzarella Caprese Scramble

1 egg

1 small piece of fresh mozzarella, diced (about the size of a small cherry tomato)

1 thin tomato slice, diced

basil to taste (I used a basil paste that comes in a tube from my grocer's produce dept.)

Spray a dash of non-stick spray in small skillet. Heat skillet to medium heat setting. Add all ingredients. Stir occasionally making the eggs scrambled. This doesn't take very long too cook so keep a watchful eye. You don't want an overcooked egg.

I add salt and pepper at the end to taste. This tasty meal is high protein and good for my post-op diet. I also had a very small serving of turkey bacon on the side.

I'm about 2 1/2 months post-op and I was able to eat the entire serving.

Oct. 18, 2009

All of my recent shopping must have done me some good. I'm down 79lbs today. Only 21 more pounds before I'm in the weight-loss century club!

60lbs to go!!!

Oct. 17, 2009

I broke down and did some more shopping. I now have a pair of dress pants (size 16) that fit and a pair of dress shoes. Old Navy had some great stuff on their clearance racks so I purchased some dri-fit running tops (size medium). I also recently purchased a new pair of running shoes. My other pair was shot. There was no support left at all. Ooh, and I bought a pack of t-shirts that support my favorite college football team. They're a size medium! This is fantastic!

I'm hoping I can get by until January with the clothes I still have and the ones I recently purchased. I'd really like to skip buying anything in a 14 and just wait until I'm a 12 or even a 10. We'll see how long this stuff will get me by. = )

There hasn't been too much else going on lately. I feel like I have a ton of energy, but at the same time I'm very sleep deprived. Maybe I should work on fixing that tomorrow.

I'm down 76 and only have 63 to go!

Oct. 13, 2009

There hasn't been a whole lot going on lately so I haven't been posting. I'm down 75 and have a follow-up with my surgeon and his team this week. Hopefully the scale will be in my favor that day. I'm not weighing again until my appointment.

I broke down a couple of weekends ago and purchased a new pair of jeans.... size 16! I haven't been in a sixteen since I started as a freshman in college. Then freshman 50 kicked in.. not freshman 15, freshman 50! I'm not kidding. It was horrible.

My new jeans are a little big in the waist, but they fit everywhere else. I guess I'm not proportioned correctly. Oh well. The extra good news about these jeans is that I only paid 8.50 plus tax for them. Isn't that amazing? Thank you, Gordmans! I also purchased a pair of Adidas running capris in size large for 7.50. I plan on wearing them for my winter runs with a pair of running tights (yes, spandex) underneath.

Speaking of running, I made a couple of purchases this past weekend. My oversized cotton t's just weren't cutting it in the cool weather. Being a beginning runner, I really had no idea what to purchase, so I asked some runner friends. They were a great help.

I purchased a fitted (large) short sleeve dri-fit shirt, a fitted (extra large) long sleeve dri-fit shirt, and a North Face jacket. The long sleeve shirt will be worn over the short sleeve shirt when I'm on my runs. If I get too hot I'll be able to take off the long sleeve shirt and wrap it around my waist. I had to get an extra large for layering purposes. The large just felt a little too fitted for my taste. I bet I'll be there in a couple of months though. Well, that's the plan anyway. The North Face jacket is pretty much the best thing ever. It's super thin, but extremely warm. It also wicks moisture, which will be fantastic for my runs.

I've been wondering if my chest will shrink and be in proportion with the rest of my body by the time this is all said and done. At this point, they're still very large and in charge. I'm pretty sure that they're the cause of my back pains. I'd definitely appreciate it if they'd shrink up a bit. Anyone else wish theirs would shrink?

Food, food, food. What's there to say? Well, every now and then I get a pretty big appetite. It's still a weird feeling to be so hungry and only be able to eat a few bites. While it's weird, it's also very awesome. I love it! There are times I feel like I really do eat a lot. It's still probably only about 3-5 normal person bites. I find myself turning almost everything into finger-foods. It's so much easier for me to nibble and take pencil-tip eraser sized bites. Most days I eat 2 meals, but there are days that I only eat 1 meal. I'm doing a great job of getting in all my required liquids these days. I make myself drink 24 ounces of water before I allow myself to have any coffee. After I finish the coffee I'm back to my non-caffeinated beverages. With this cold weather we've been having I've really enjoyed sugar-free spiced apple cider. It's delicious!

Cooking is absolutely one of my favorite things. I've been cooking up a storm lately and freezing all of the leftovers. Here's a few meals I've prepared......

McMuffin's- eggs, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, ham, broccoli, garlic (theworldaccordingtoeggface calls them egg bites)

Mexican Buffet- (create your own) Taco meat, shredded cheese, grilled zucchini, black beans, salsa

Chinese- Chicken stir-fry (diced chicken with a bit of teriyaki, soy sauce, and lots of garlic with veggies and a sprinkle of peanuts); I made rice for my carby hubby, Bones.

Indian- Chicken Tikka Masala (diced chicken prepared with a spice pack and added plain low-fat yogurt); I made brown Jasmine rice for Bones.

Jambalaya- Chicken and low-fat turkey kielbasa (cooked with okra and tomatoes; seasoned with thyme, sage, and cayenne; added some chicken soup base too)

McMuffin's- egg, swiss, velveeta, basil, and ham

CrockPot Roast- Roast, veggies (green beans, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cauliflower, broccoli), beef soup base (Penzeys.com), 1 can cream of celery soup, 2 cans diced tomatoes (drained)

CrockPot Chicken Enchilada Soup- Diced chicken, 1 can red sauce, grilled red, orange, & green peppers, chopped onion, 1 can black beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can pinto beans, mushrooms, chicken soup base (Penzeys.com)

Italian Stuffed Peppers- Green Bell Peppers, 93/7 Ground Beef, egg, grilled diced zucchini & onion, Italian seasoning, tomato sauce (pepperoni & mozzarella optional)

Seasoned Chicken- Chicken breast covered in Mural of Flavor seasoning (Penzeys.com) and extra tarragon. (Served with garlic green beans & mushrooms, mozzarella caprese, and green olives)

These are just a few things I've made lately. I don't use recipes when I cook. I just do it! If you're interested in trying something and would like the recipe, please let me know. I can usually remember how I prepared a meal and would be happy to type if up and send it your way.

I am not supposed to eat soups, but I love soup. Soup is especially good when it's cold outside. I abide by the "no soup" rule by straining my soups before placing in my petite dish. For example, I scoop out some chicken from the chicken enchilada soup. After I get out a few bites of chicken I scoop out some veggies and let those strain. I am left with a lightly glazed mixture of chicken and veggies. It's not too liquidy that it will run right through me and make me hungry in a couple of hours, but it's covered just enough that it keeps everything moving in the right direction. I've never had a problem with food coming back up, but I don't want to either. Oh, and as far as eating goes.... I tend to be hungry around 10 am and 6 pm. Today I didn't eat lunch until 12:30 or so and I ate dinner at 5:45. My mealtime isn't usually that close together. I tried to curve my dinner appetite with liquids, but I was truthfully hungry. It's sometimes hard, but I also stick the the rule of "Protein First." I often sneak in a bite or two of a green bean before I'm completely finished with my protein.

Well, it's past my bedtime. I'm getting anxious about my doctor appointment and wonder what he's going to say. I hope I'm on track and that he's proud of my weight loss. The only thing I haven't been doing so well with this past week is working out. The weather has been pretty crappy and I've been super tired. I'll get back into my routine here before too long. Maybe the timing on this appointment will work out in my favor. I think I just might need a good kick in the butt. Bring it on! Motivate me to get out in the cold for my runs!