A Month Done, Celebrating Little Things

We have finished our first month in this journey. Yay!! We have little things to celebrate this week: Thomas had to put a new notch in his belt, I was able to button up my coat all the way, and this morning I put on a smaller size pair of jeans! We really cannot say enough how much the support and encouragement helps us with our changes. February is a short month, but we have lots to celebrate and look forward to what's ahead. Brooklyn turns two in just two short weeks, we'll get to visit with lots of family, and will have a date night out. We have broken out of the boring hum drum we were stuck in and are feeling good.

On a side note, I appreciate all the kind words after my last post. It wasn't the easiest thing to do, but was needed. A fellow MOMS member reminded me that it related to the "wheel" we discussed and how the physical, spiritual, personal, interpersonal, intellectual, and emotional all have to be in balance to be in balance.

So here are our week 4 results:

Thomas lost 3 pounds for a total of 14 pounds.

Amie lost 4 pounds for a total of 19 1/2 pounds.

We didn't work out as much this week due some joint pains and such, but will get back on that saddle tomorrow.

A Lyrical Walk

Tonight I walked to give my knees and ankle rest since they have been bothering me. I couldn't help but notice how ironic some of the lyrics coming out of the iPod were to this journey. Here's a few of them:

• keep the faith
• just hang on, a new day is coming
• the old me is dead and gone
• everybody needs somebody
• my baby don't mess around
• thank you for loving me
• I've been traveling down this road to long, just trying to find my way back home

I think we all find inspiration in music and how it relates to different periods/stages in our life. Tonight was a reminder. It also inspired me to listen to the words Jillian says on The Biggest Loser that we all have to confront, "What got you here and why do you want to do this?" and most importantly, "Are you truly happy?" I have known for quite some time that I am an emotional eater, who isn't?

I thought a lot about the what got me here. It was a bit emotional and I even had a few tears fall down my cheek. There are still some things in my life that I have to confront and deal with that I just don't have the courage to do yet. A lot has to do with loneliness I felt in my past. Abandonment, loneliness, loss of trust and security, and dealing with different unhealthy relationships had a lot to do with what got me here. The love I have found in Thomas and as a mother has filled me with more joy than I ever knew possible. I focus a lot on the present and what is good right now, but these things I have to confront still tug at my heart and I hope that through this journey I can work through them.

What a walk I had tonight...

Week 3 Weigh In

This has been a good week. The weather has been nice in spots, allowing us to exercise outdoors. Yesterday we went to the park for another beautiful family walk and also ran around with Brooklyn at the playground. We've also tried some new recipes. We've really been watching portion sizes so that we can keep an accurate calorie count each day. Here is a recipe I made Friday night and is in our top favorites so far. It is from the Mrs Dash Web site. I just had to take a picture because I thought it looked like it came from a restaurant. Here's the recipe: http://www.mrsdash.com/recipes/recipe-view.aspx?recipeID=77.

And now for our week 3 results (insert dramatic music):

Amie: lost 6 pounds for a total of 15 1/2 pounds

Thomas: lost 3 1/2 pounds for a total of 11 pounds

Observations

We are 20 days into this journey and I have made a few observations to celebrate:

• in these 20 days we have only eaten out once and we had salads
• we have eliminated regular sodas
• we have "withdrawn" from caffeine
• our dishwasher has worked mighty hard in the last 20 days, it has been ran more in the last 20 days than in the past 6 months--maybe we need to invest in Cascade
• most importantly, we have reevaluated what is most important in our lives and I feel we have grown closer by doing this journey together!

We both have had people mention that we've lost weight and look good, which really feels good to hear. We may not be breaking records in weight loss, but we feel healthy. Here's to hoping to even better health!

Yummy recipe

We made this last night for dinner and loved it!

Pork Chops and Apples (Cooking for 2)

Pile on the Pork

Pork loin is a lean protein choice. Protein supplies amino acids that give structure to the body in skin, cell membranes and muscles.

22 reviews

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Lean chops and apples baked in one dish to serve two. All you need is a mixed green salad. From eatbetteramerica.

prep time:20 min

start to finish:1 hr 5 min

makes:2 servings

1	medium unpeeled cooking apple, sliced
2	tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4	teaspoon ground cinnamon
2	pork rib chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (about 1/4 lb each)

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Place apples in ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
2.	Remove fat from pork. Spray 8- or 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes. Cook pork in hot skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until light brown. Place pork in single layer on apples.
3.	Cover; bake about 45 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center and apples are tender.

Week 2 Report

We are two weeks down! How long before it becomes a habit? Anyway, this week we stayed strong on our goals of drinking water, exercising, eating healthy, and staying on budget. Another accomplishment is that we didn't have any regular sodas and only a few diet ones!! I am not affected by not having caffeine in the morning any more, which is nice. We continue to try new recipes for healthy meals and watch our portions. As noted before, we also are seeing how working out helps our energy levels. We are not as tired during the day since we've become more active.

Week 2 Results:

Amie lost 5 pounds and Thomas lost 3 pounds

Total weight lost:

Amie 9 1/2 pounds, Thomas 8 pounds!!!!!!

Thanks for all the support everyone!

Loop-de-loop

The frigid weather has taken a bit of a break and we took advantage of it. We headed outside tonight for our exercise. It was nice to be outside and not cooped up in the house. Our subdivision is in a loop and I improved my timing by 2 minutes a loop. Yes! That felt good.

Last night I cooked fish fillets for the first time (the non-breaded kind). I really like it, but Thomas didn't. I baked it in the oven brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with some Mrs. Dash. If you have any suggestions on how to make it so my hubby might like it, please let me know!

Tonight the menu was turkey burgers. Thanks to my friend Maggie (and I think her mom or new mom), we had a delicious recipe and Brooklyn even ate some!

On another note, we are starting to see the benefits of our exercise. We have more energy during the day since the we've been more active.

The weather is supposed to be in the 50s this weekend, so hopefully we get out to a park for a family stroll.