A good feeling...

No post this past weekend because we didn't have much to say. Unfortunately it was a down week as I gained a pound and Tom lost just 1/2 pound. We're not going to let it get us down though! I've already lost the pound I gained, so here's looking to the rest of the week.

Today I had a good feeling--sitting in the theatre seats at school have always been uncomfortable, but today as I sat down, I had a bit of room and sat more comfortably! Another good feeling has been the fact that we have had a hard time keeping our pants on, literally. This weekend as we were walking, I felt like my pants were falling down! Tom bought a pair of jeans in a smaller size and the were a perfect fit.

We're hoping for more of those good feelings!

What a week!

So much has happened in the last week! We survived the trip to Indy and all the festivities for Brooklyn's birthday. It was great to hear family say they could see the difference of the weight loss in us. It's always encouraging to hear that something you work hard for is noticed. While there we also talked wedding plans with my sister and she chose a dress for us bridesmaids. It is beautiful and another inspiration for me to keep moving forward on this journey.

We had a bit of a heat wave today in Nashville (49 degrees), so

tonight we hit the pavement and walked with our new iPod nano. The songs that came across for me weren't that inspiring or uplifting, so I have a new mission of making the best walking playl

ist. I'll take suggestions!

When we returned from the trip, we weighed ourselves and our results from Tuesday morning:

Amie lost another 3 pounds for a total of 27 pounds!!

Thomas lost 6 pounds for a total of 22 pounds!!

By the way, if you didn't already know, here is our inspiration to leading healthier lives:

Mid week weigh in

Tomorrow we head north for Brooklyn's birthday. I won't be able to post until late on Monday, so I decided to weigh in this morning and I'm showing a 5 pound loss since Sunday. We'll see how that "weighs out" when we return from traveling and less control of our meals by cooking for ourselves.

Can't wait to see all the family we'll see. I think I am still in a bit of denial that Brooklyn is turning 2, but I'll try to keep the emotional eating in check!

Still feeling blah...

Week 5 didn't show as many results. I didn't lose, but didn't gain either. Tom did lose 2 pounds. I'm in a rut somewhat and having a hard time getting out. The exercise isn't going as smoothly. Hopefully the rut will end soon and I'll feel like getting back on track.

Busy week ahead getting ready for travel and Brooklyn's birthday!

Blah... and some more reflecting

I felt so blah tonight when we got home! Don't know why, but all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and fall asleep. I did sit on the couch for a little bit and hubby made dinner (baked healthy chicken fingers). Since he made dinner, that got me out of the rut a bit and I decided to go for a walk. I couldn't bring myself to do a workout with Bob, so a walk in the misty rain had to do. I still feel a bit blah, so hopefully the energy from my walk will kick in soon!

I was thinking the other day of another reason I got to this point. When I was struggling with work when I was in the public school system, I remember that I would drive from work to a fast food joint and then proceed to go home, eat, and immediately fall asleep on the couch until I'd wake up at 10-11:00 and go to bed. I was sleeping my struggles away. I remember and joke about how I don't know how I passed high school because I slept through it. It was a coping mechanism for me then when I was dealing with abuse in my home situation. The emotional toll was just too much for me to care during the school day and I constantly slept in my classes. Something got me out of that rut in my work situation several years ago and I think it was a God thing that I ended up at St. Cecilia.

Getting noticed

Today at work several people mentioned how they noticed my weight loss and gave lots of encouraging words. I can't say how much this keeps us going. Knowing that friends and family are "checking in" really does keep us accountable. I walked for 35 minutes and Tom did a 31 minute workout with Jillian.

Back to the Grind

Today we got back to the grind. Tom shoveled snow all day at work, so he didn't "work out" but I think the shoveling definitely was a workout for him. He had been eyeing this recipe for a while, so I rewarded his hard day at work with this for dinner. It was definitely tasty! Before last week, we both had moved up from light to moderate workouts. I did a 30 minute "moderate" workout with Bob. The lunges are killing my knees. Any tips on this? Other than that, I don't feel too bad afterwards.

Healthified" Mexican Pasta Skillet

30 reviews

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47 ratings

72% less sat fat • 68% less fat • 26% fewer calories than the original recipe—see the comparison. This 30-minute sizzling skillet will have your family running to the table! Fromeatbetteramerica.

prep time:30 min

start to finish:30 min

makes:6 servings (about 1 1/3 cups each)

1	lb extra-lean (at least 93%) ground beef
1	jar (16 oz) Muir Glen® organic mild salsa
1	cup Muir Glen® organic tomato sauce (from 15-oz can)
1 1/2	cups water
2	cups uncooked regular or multigrain elbow macaroni
1	cup Green Giant® Niblets® frozen corn
1/2	cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1.	In 12-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.
2.	Stir in salsa, tomato sauce and water. Heat to boiling. Stir in macaroni and corn. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender.
3.	Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.