Checking In

Hey everybody!!

The semester is winding down and I am so happy. I am loving school and to be honest getting these A's makes me feel like I'm smart, LOL. I finished my last paper in my Sociology class last week and the instructor has been on the ball because I was just checking and she has posted my grade already. Whooo-hooo!! I hope the semesters after this one are as great. I will have an A in all of my classes (3 of them) at the end.

Atkin's Update: I kinda slipped a bit when my mom went into the hospital to have surgery. I had packed my shakes and protein powder for added umph, but when it came time to eat, the hospital was severely lacking. My older sister and I went to Chik-fil-a and I got a grilled chicken salad, but dinner proved more difficult. It seems in Collierville, TN (which is where the hospital was) everything shuts down at 9 p.m. Boooo!! I thought I would be able to order from the Chinese place, but the nurse told me that they closed at 9 as well. It was 9:30....dangit! I ended up getting a pizza & some wings from Pizza Hut. I was sad. So I ended up eating carbs Thursday through Sunday. The good thing is that I didn't over do it. I gained 2lbees, but went right back to Atkin's on Monday. I haven't weighed myself since Saturday, so we will see when this Saturday comes how much I have lost. I finding this thing easier and easier as time goes on.

NSV: Folk have been telling me how great I look. My co-worker was all out cheering for me today and doing the "swim." I was laughing and posing. She says she can tell I am loosing and that the swimming is working. I have 2 more lessons left and then I will be on my own.

Anyway, not much to tell. My mom did wonderfully through the surgery so she is just healing. Thank you to all of you for your kind words and prayers on her behalf.

Another Lbee gone! & I forgot my freaking LUNCH!!

I'm down another pound which puts me safely at 230 lbees!! *insert big smile here* 220s here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I forgot my lunch this morning. I was so busy packing my sneakers to go walking on my lunch with a colleague, as well as my backpack for my school stuff and changing purses, that I forgot my FREAKING LUNCH!! I am so mad at myself because it was a good lunch too :-(! I had packed a cup of that delicious Mock Potato soup (see recipe) topped with cheddar cheese and bacon bits. UGGGGGHHHHH!!!

This means I will have to go to the student union and get a salad. Their chicken is grilled but it is kin to cardboard. I chew and chew and chew. Thank God I have never PB'ed off of it cause it's just that tough. I think I might get tuna this time, if they haven't put anything in it, like sugar or something.

Anyway, enough of my moaning and groaning. Have a great day! Today is my Friday as I will be off tomorrow and Friday because of my mom's surgery.

Low Carb - Mock Potato Soup Recipe

Amy over at Babbles of a Bandster posted a great recipe for a low carb Cream of Mushroom Soup so I wanted to follow suit and post a great recipe that I give 2 thumbs up.


MOCK POTATO SOUP
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small chunks, about 20 ounces after trimming
1 small onion, diced, 2 1/2 ounces
3 cups chicken broth (homemade recommended)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (pre-shredded not recommended)
3 pieces bacon, fried until crisp and crumbled, optional
2 green onions, chopped, optional
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

In a large dutch oven, bring the cauliflower, onion and broth to a boil. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower is very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree the soup until completely smooth and thick. Add the butter and cream; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cheese; heat very slowly until melted. Garnish with bacon, green onion and parsley.

Makes about 6 cups or 6 big servings
Can be frozen without the toppings

Per Serving: 263 Calories; 22g Fat; 11g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

This recipe is really good. I have some today and I'm loving it! For more of these wonderful recipes for those that are doing any low carb diet here is the website: Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes.

Enjoy!!

Yay Me!!

I'm not a Charlie Sheen, but I love this saying.

I'm down 10.2 lbeees!! Down to 231. I'm almost in the 220s. Yay Me!! I am so happy. I just came back from my WL doctor (Dr. Woodman) and I have lost 10#s!! He was a little more polite than last month, well as polite as he can get. I just think this dude's personality cannot be salvaged. He is a piece of work. I didn't get a fill because he feels I'm in the green zone. I have to admit that I am staying full almost 4 hours on solid food, so I agreed that I didn't need one. I met a lady while there and she was getting an un-fill. Let me tell you that she looked miserable. That sealed it for me. When I first got there, I thought I would get a small fill, but shoot after looking at her, I'm like ....that's ok, I'll pass. She was behind me in line to see the doctor and was pacing. I felt so bad for her that I let her go before me.

I was the bigger person and thanked him for calling me on last month to check on me. My momma always told me to kill 'em with kindness. The nurses thanked me for the flowers and I am all smiles today. I got a paper to finish and another to start. My mom is having surgery on Thursday so I would definitely appreciate your prayers for her.

Happy Monday!

I'm doing it! I'm doing it!!

I got on the scale and I am 4 lbees down!! I started Atkin's on Saturday and it did not disappoint. I had to change my multi-vitamin to a regular one because I was taking Flintstones, which has sugar in them, but I'm cool. I am so happy right now. I will tell you that my cravings for sweets have stopped.

I am shocked. I was eating cookies or some kind of cupcake everyday. I knew I needed to stop, but didn't know how. Until Amy W. talked about what she was doing. Thank you again Amy W. for all you advice, past, present and future!! One of my co-workers brought in some of these yesterday....


I haven't even touched them. Any other time I would have scarfed down a handful and went back for more today, but NOT I SAID THE CAT!!! I haven't had a one. I am so proud of myself.

My mood was a little down yesterday and I attribute only a small part to Atkin's. We had some terrible storms here and a huge tree from my neighbor yard fell across my yard. This was a scare for my family after having a tree fall on my house in '07. Plus, after hiring a new Executive Director in November (whom I liked a lot) they fired her before her 6 months probation and are going to hire this girl that I ABSOLUTELY can't stand, which is not normal for me cause I get alone with everybody 99% of the time. She works in our division and thinks she runs stuff; likes to give orders. I have been doing a lot of praying that I don't giver her a shock with my newly purchased stun gun ;-).....

Don't get nervous I wouldn't harm a soul, but she might get told though.

Happy Tuesday!!!!

Copying Amy W.

Yep, I'm gonna do it. I was on the website half of a day yesterday printing out stuff. I am not going to buy the book unless someone suggests that it's needed. After Amy W.'s success, and others saying they probably will go for it, I decided why not. I will start on Saturday. I know that bucks the traditional start day of Sunday or Monday, but I have never been traditional ;-).

So you know I am taking swim lessons. They are going great. I normally take them on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, but this past Tuesday, my instructor had to cancel. So to not be outdone, I decided that I was going to get a "snatch my sexy back" aka workout, anyway that day. I went to a cycle class at the campus rec center and boy was it a workout. The guy that does the class is nice, not a tyrant. He is a former runner and a cyclist so he was coaching me, the newbie. I will tell you that I sweated some and had to stop at points because that little seat was hurting my butt. Ouch!! I decided that since it was just a 30 minute class I would do the abs class afterward. Let me tell you, I am sooooo paying for that today. My stomach is sore and tight (I guess that's a good thing). That class nearly killed me, but I persevered to the end though. The instructor (who was the same for both) told me he was proud of me. Most folk don't get through the cycle class the first time around. I want to try the kickboxing class next.

Can I just say that family wears on you. For those who are my Facebook friends you probably know that I stay upbeat and positive, at least I try too. The other day was a hard one. My younger sister had a miscarriage (she was 3 months) so I was up the night before half the night. I think I got about 4 hours of sleep. Not good. I feel for her, but honestly my sister is the LAST person that needs another child. Don't get me wrong I don't wish ill and I love my sister, but she is drama and not a good parent to the child she already has. It pulls on me because I always say I can't raise everyone's child. I was praying that God's will be done because I know what would ensue, if she had another baby. She has a 16 year old that is always in trouble and that she never pays attention too. Anyway, she is probably going to have a hysterectomy because she has two pretty big fibroids that are causing problems. Crazy part is that she could have had those fibroids removed years ago. I did (hysterectomy too) and I am great. I just had to vent for a moment. My family pulls on me a lot and I end up not getting sleep/rest and/or giving advice that is NEVER followed and they they come running back to me after the fact.

Ok, WOOSAH!!

Have a great day and it is Thankful Thursday as Cee-Jay has deemed it.

I'm Thankful!!

p.

Snatching My Sexy Back!!

I have no excuse not to exercise after seeing this lady. The story is over after 5:26 mark, but if you want to watch the whole thing be my guest. Check out her body....sick!!



I read an article in Essence Magazine written by a Life Coach named Lisa Nichols and she said "My daily to-do list includes fun and entertaining tasks, such as "snatching my sexy back" rather than "working out." I have been using this and it is working for me. Our minds are quite complicated and sometimes we have to fool it into doing certain things. #justmyopinion

I'm down 4lbs and I'm happy. I hope to be down about 4 more by the time I go back to the doctor. It will be interesting to see him after our blow up earlier this month. I have been getting up at 5 a.m. to do my walking dvd and I have even incorporated jogging and jumping jacks in place of some of the moves. The jumping jacks are tough, but I get through it.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!