Self Love, YouTube, Food (drink) Find

"I will be happy with myself when I lose weight"
"I will happy with myself when I fit into a size 8"
"Being skinny will help me love myself"
"I hate my body"

How many times do we say these things to ourselves?  We show love and support to others, but we are down on our own selves.  I know I am very guilty of this.  I have very low self-esteem and I never see my own worth, but I sure can cheer someone else on for their accomplishments.  Why should I have to wait until I feel "worthy" to become involved in things?  Why can't I be worthy now?  AND I AM!  I say that, but I still don't totally believe it.  I am working on it.  Everyday is a struggle for me, but I am working on it.  I am so worried about what other people will say or think about me, but I don't even stop to think about how hard I am on myself.  I don't know if this makes any sense to you, but I know all signs have pointed to me needing to write these words.  Last night a friend posted this on her Facebook page:

Really hit me hard!  I have to make some changes in my relationship with ME!!  I was cooking Thanksgiving lunch for our employees today and this song kept playing by Mandisa.

The words of this song mirror me exactly.  If God loved me enough to send His one and only son to die on the cross for ME, shouldn't I be able to love myself?

So, I found the above graphic and I am really going to make an effort to love myself where I am NOW, and not keep waiting until...........  I am worthy.

So to turn the topic a bit, I shared this on my Facebook page this morning, but I want to share it again.  I have been watching a series on YouTube called "The Skinny on Obesity."  This series really talks about the science and medicine behind the obesity problem.  While I may not agree with everything, there is a lot of good information.  I encourage you to watch it.  Each episode is only about 8 minutes long.  I will post the first episode here for you.

And I am posting my new collage I made today for Transformation Tuesday!

And last, but not least I want to share a new find with you.  Someone had posted this on a Weight Watchers group last night.  I found it at Wal-Mart today and it is yummy!!!  Hits the spot for a something sweet craving for 0 points!

That is it for today!  I know it was a jumble of stuff today.  Tomorrow's post will have my Thanksgiving menu included so stay tuned!  And thanks for ALL of your support!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Monday Menu Share and Resources

Happy Monday!  A start of a BUSY week for a lot of people.  I usually share my menu on Monday's, but I am kinda winging it this week in preparation for Thursday.  My house is the location of our get together and I have a lot to do to get ready.  SO, I decided to share some awesome resources I have found and used to help plan a delicious Thanksgiving feast without going off plan.  I hope you all enjoy!

Emily Bites is an AWESOME blog and recipe site.  I have made many things from her recipes and have never found anything we have not liked.  She has everything from appetizers, main dishes, sides, to desserts.  And the Weight Watchers points+ are listed along with photos of every recipe!  Click here to check it out!

This is another great blog and recipe site.  She even has an entire section for Skinny Thanksgiving recipes.  This is the site I got the corn pudding recipe off of.  And it even includes Weight Watchers+ points and photos.  Click here to check it out!

Click here to go to an interactive cheat sheet for your Thanksgiving plate.  This is provided by Weight Watchers and includes points+ values. You can add and subtract items and plan ahead what you want to eat.  Planning will make your holiday more successful!

This lady is just AMAZING and has been such an inspiration to me.  She is a Weight Watchers leader and has a Facebook page and a blog.  On her blog, she shared her Thanksgiving Cheat Sheet.  I can't imagine the hard work she put into this.  Thanks Dani!!!  Click here for the cheat sheet.  Click here to check out her Facebook page.

Brooke, another inspirational lady, also has a blog and a Facebook page.  She has created a Skinny Snowman challenge that starts December 1.  You really should check it out.  It is a GREAT way to stay motivated through the holidays.  She is also a Weight Watchers success story. Click here for the challenge.  Click here for her Facebook Page.

Thanksgiving is a time to be with the ones we love the most.  It does not ALL have to be about the food.  Make memories together that are not food related and start new traditions that support a healthier lifestyle.  Enjoy the food, but do it in moderation.  Eat the things you can't have any other time of the year and add some activity to your day!

Please feel free to share any other resources to help all of us continue on our journey throughout the rest of 2013 and beyond.

Sending love to you all!!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Savory Sunday Recipe Share

Happy Sunday!  I don't usually post on Sundays, but I teased you all with some promises of recipes yesterday and I want to make good on that.  It has been an awesome weekend!  I got to spend time with my family.  Today was an awesome service at church and 2 different birthday parties to celebrate some very cute kiddos.  2 parties and 2 cakes, and I had NONE!!!  I am proud of myself today!  So here are the recipes I promised to share.

White Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
• 2 cans of great northern beans (15.5. oz each)
• 1 can chicken broth (14.5 oz)
• 1 can green chilies (4 oz)
• 1 tsp salt
• t tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup fat free sour cream
• 1/2 cup fat free half & half

Instructions:

1. In a large sauce pan, saute chicken, onion, and garlic in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, broth, chilies, and all seasonings.
2. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sour cream and half & half.

One cup of this is 7 points+.  We like to put baked Tostito scoops and Weight Watchers Mexican blend cheese in ours.  This is VERY yummy!!!

Corn Pudding

Ingredients: 

• 8.5 oz corn muffin mix
• 15.25 oz can sweet yellow corn, drained
• 14.75 oz can sweet corn cream style
• 16 oz fat free Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup melted light butter 
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• cooking spray 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and mix with a spoon, it will be fluffy and you will think you did something wrong, don't worry, you are doing fine. Pour into baking dish and bake 55-60 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let it cool a few minutes before cutting.

This makes 15 pieces and it is 6 points+ a piece.  I got this recipe from Skinnytaste, a GREAT website!  Click here for original recipe.

Pumpkin Fluff

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. canned pumpkin
• 1 small box sugar free pudding mix (I have used vanilla, cheesecake, and white chocolate flavors)
• 8 oz. fat free Cool Whip
• 1/8 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the order listed.  Chill for at least one hour.

1 cup is 2 points+.  This is such a great dessert.

This is the salad we had.  It was just a spring mix, chopped pecans, mandarin oranges, craisins, blue cheese crumbles, and dressing.  Here is the dressing I used.  It is 1 point+ for 2 tbsp.

Points on this depend on the toppings you add!  This salad was SO YUMMY!!!!!

Whew, what a long post.  All the points values are based on the original recipes I had.  If there are any errors, please let me know.  I am only repeating information!!!  I hope you all had a great day and enjoy these recipes.  I am going to say goodbye for now and watch some football!!!

Keep Losing,

Kari

I Hate Myself / I Love Myself

I am so mad right now that I started this blog and promised to be completely open and honest throughout my journey.  I don't want to write this post today.  I don't want you all to know how bad I was.  I don't want the shame of admitting my mistakes.  BUT, here goes.

Weighed in yesterday before my appointment with my eye specialist.  I was up 1.8 pounds.  I know I did the right things, counted my food, exercised.  So I was very disappointed.  SO, guess what I did:

I QUIT and I BINGED!!

How that makes any sense. I don't know.  I decided I just wanted to eat what I wanted and I had already failed, so why not.  So in my Weight Watchers tracker I cheated and just entered the word "Crap" and had it use up all my points.  I decided last night (when I felt like crap, let me just say when you are used to eating healthy, bad food makes your tummy hurt) that I was going to move on today and start over.  Sounds good, right?  Well, I have done everything right today but was still feeling guilty about quitting and overeating yesterday.  I saw this picture and knew what I had to do:

So I decided to look up the points of EVERYTHING I ate and drank yesterday and change my tracker.  I was surprised at how many points I ate.  

No wonder I felt so bad.  HOWEVER, even with all the food, I did not surpass my daily and weekly points.  I know this is not an excuse for my behavior and I have learned my lesson.  But know that I got it all out, I feel much better.  My entire journey is not ruined because of one bad day.  I had the courage to write these words and admit my failures.  

In other news, I got good news at the eye specialist yesterday.  Still not improvement in my vision, but there are no active bleeds.  Really need to keep a check on my left eye for any additional vision loss.  Did not have to have a shot and don't have to go back in 3 months unless I have a problem!!!!  YAY!!!!!!

November 21 and 22:  I am thankful for second chances and do-overs.  

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Keep Losing,

Kari

A Letter to Myself

Last night, we went to Outback for dinner.  For the first time in a long time, I dipped into my extra weekly allowance points.  I did not go crazy, but here is what I had:
Bloomin Onion: 9 points+
Salad (no cheese, no croutons, Tangy Tomato): 2 points+
Alice Springs Chicken: 20 points+
Baked Sweet Potato w/ butter: 8 points+
4 Bites of the Thunder from Down Under: 11 points+

So after eating all of that (and I was stuffed), I had to use 21 of my 49 weekly points.  And today I am feeling guilty and full of negative self-talk.  I have decided to write myself a letter today to help myself deal with these emotions today.  So here goes!

Dear Kari,
Can you believe that you have lose 94.4 pounds in the past year.  That is amazing!!! You feel like a different person, have so much more energy, and actually enjoy some physical activity.  Throughout this journey you are learning how to eat real food the right way.  You are learning to eat to live and not live to eat.  You are learning that eating your emotions does not make them go away.  Today you are feeling guilty because you enjoyed a meal last night.  STOP!!!  I know you were planning on weighing in tomorrow.  Do you really think eating one meal like you did is going to cause you to gain all of your weight back?  Do you think that if you do weigh in and gain a little that your whole journey will be ruined?  Why are you so worried about the number on the scale.  It is only one indicator of the changes you are making.  A year ago, you would have had french fries, bread, and an entire dessert at Outback.  Food is fuel for your body and you have to eat.  Food should be enjoyed to a limit.  It should be pleasing to fill hunger and nothing else.  There is no harm in enjoying a meal and you cannot beat yourself up over it.  Yes, you stepped on the scale this evening and saw a higher number.  Yes, you want to skip weigh-in tomorrow.  But you won't.  Up or down, you will face that scale and know that all the choices you made this week were within your plan and you will reach your ultimate goal of healthy living.  You are an amazing woman, you are strong and beautiful.  Others see it in you, it is time you see it in yourself.  There will be days that you feel like a failure at being mom, wife, daughter, sister, Child of God, friend, etc.  That is NORMAL!!  Don't give into those feelings!!!!  Keep being awesome!

Love,
ME

I know this may seem silly, but it was healing for me to write,  Hopefully I will follow my own advice and weigh-in before my eye appointment tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

November 19 - Today I am thankful for my sister, Krissy.  I know I have said it before but it bears repeating.  We have become good friends and I love her very much.

November 20 - Today I am thankful for God's unconditional love for me.  Even when I am hard on myself, He will always love me!

Keep Losing,
Kari

Monday Menu Share and Pumpkin Oatmeal

Happy Monday everyone!  The start of a new week!  I will admit I have had a rough past few days.  My eating has been fine, but I hadn't worked out since last Wednesday.  I had been struggling with migraines and finally broke down yesterday and went to the ER to get some IV meds.  I am feeling much better today and actually walked 4.4 miles.  YAY!!!  It is amazing how much better I feel when I get activity into my day!

This morning I made pumpkin pie oatmeal.  It was YUMMY!!!!  Anyone who knows me knows I am a pumpkin addict!  I used 1 1/2 cups of water and once it was boiling I added 1/2 cup of pure pumpkin and 1/2 cup quick cook oats.  Cooked for one minute.  Poured into bowl and added 1 tbsp of brown sugar, 2 tsp canola oil (that is a weight watcher thing), stevia. cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to taste.  It made a huge bowl and was 7 points+ (5 if you omit the oil).

So here is the menu for the week (not fancy at all this week)

Monday: ate at Bob Evans for Matty Moo's birthday with Papaw Lanny and Mamaw LaDonna
Tuesday: Taking Matty Moo to a restaurant of his choice for his birthday.
Wednesday: Mexican Chicken Rice Bake (First time for this.  If it is good, I will share the recipe)
Thursday: Whatever hubby gets us because I have an eye specialist appointment and will probably get a shot.
Friday: Baked Salmon, Baked potatoes and a veggie
Saturday: White Chicken Chili
Sunday: Eating Leftovers

I have a few days to catch up on.  I have decided to only blog through the week and take weekends to spend with my family!

November 16: Today I am thankful for my nephew, Logan.  He is a goofball and makes me laugh!

November 17: Today I am thankful for my nephew, Mac.  Even though we are 2 hours apart, I love watching his videos and watching him grow into a funny, smart kid.

November 18: Today I am thankful for my Mamaw!  She has been such an influence on my life and I love her very much!

Finally, I am in love with the Runtastic Pro app.  I love the live feature.  When people like it, the app cheers me on!!!  So cool!

That is all for now!

Keep Losing,
Kari

Frustrated Friday

READ TO THE END!!! NOT ALL NEGATIVE!!!

I can't believe it is Friday already.  This week has just flown by.  I was not sure what I was going to write about today.  I had several different ideas, but I think what I am going to share may help me vent a little. This really doesn't have much to do with weight loss, but it does have to do with a revelation I had about my life. Yesterday afternoon and ALL day today have been spent cleaning my house.  We have a fairly large house and very messy kids, so it takes awhile to get it all clean at once.  My youngest son has invited 7 of his friends over tomorrow to celebrate his 12th birthday.  So I am trying to make everything presentable.  And as of right now, everything is clean.  At least for the next hour, which is when the kiddos get home.

I will tell you I was a but grumpy.  It seems like every day it is picking up the same things, making the same beds, laundry laundry laundry, cleaning 4 bathrooms.  I get so sick of repeating the same chores over and over again and I get grouchy when everyone gets home and NO ONE notices what I did.  I feel taken for granted and like no one appreciates me.  Poor me, pity party.

Then the oddest thing happened in the oddest of places.  I was finally getting a shower at 2:00 in the afternoon and a song kept playing over and over in my head.

 The basis of this song is that everything you do is for the glory of God.  HELLO!!  Here I am being a grump and God smacks me upside the head and says stop whining, everything you do, do for ME!  My love for Christ is displayed in how I love my family and how I take care of them.  I should not be looking for recognition for my actions every time I clean a toilet.   God sees EVERYTHING I do, no matter how large or how small.  That is what I need to focus on, not accolades for myself.  This is not easy to do, but I am really going to try to work on remembering that everything I do is for His glory and NOT MINE!!!

I apologize for getting of the "weight loss/fitness" track today, but I really felt the need to write this.  I want my life to be an example of Christ's love for us, not my love of myself.  I cannot do anything without Him.  I know part of my journey to becoming a better me will involve spiritual as well as physical changes.  I feel like today I was reminded of that.

November 15 - Today I am thankful for the quiet.  It is in those times that God speaks to me in a big way and helps me grow just a little more each day!

On a different note, hubby and I will have NO kids overnight.  And guess what we are doing????  Yep, going to Wal-Mart!  We are so exciting!!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and continue making choices that make you happier and healthier in every way.

Keep Losing,
Kari

Thursday Weigh-In Results and a HUGE NSV

Happy Thursday!!  Today was weigh-in day.  I was down another pound which makes a total of 94.4 pounds gone FOREVER since November 1, 2012.  My weight loss has slowed down a bit, but I am okay with that.  I feel like a new person already and the scale is only one indicator of the changes I am making in my life.  I am learning how to eat REAL food and do it in a healthy way.  I do not deprive myself, but work "treats" into my plan and make them "treats" and not a daily occurrence.

PLUS, last night when I went shopping with my sister I decided to go ahead and buy a new pair of jeans.  My current ones were a little loose, so I thought I would get the next size down.  AND GUESS WHAT????  They fit!  Granted, they are a little snug, but I could button and zip them.  And they are a size 24!!!..When I started a little over a year ago, I was a size 34.  I am down

10 SIZES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot tell you how good that feels!  My family is just waiting for the size 18 so we can go to Hawaii again.  I told them when I could wear and 18 we could go back.  I am getting closer!!!  Here is a comparison pic:

At my Weight Watchers meeting today we were talking about how our relationships with friends and family often involve food.  A lot of members were talking about how their loved ones guilt them and sabotage them into making bad choices, especially around the Holidays.  I have to say that I am so lucky.  I really have not had to deal with that.  My family and friends have been very supportive of my journey.  But, I have also been honest about my journey and very, very open.  Don't be ashamed to tell others what you are doing.  There are always going to be haters, but I promise more people will support you than not!  You are doing a wonderful thing for your body and those around you.  BE PROUD!!!

November 14:  This may seem silly, but today I thankful for the sunshine.  Sunny days always make me feel so much happier and make life brighter!  Thank God for creating the Sun!!

That is it for today!!  Love to you all!!

Keep Losing, 

Kari

New Hair Wednesday!!!

Happy Hump Day!!  I started off the morning by oversleeping! UGH!  I must have needed the extra rest, but I was rushed to get out the door this morning.  I decided to walk to my hair/nail appointment this morning and I knew I needed at least an hour and a half to get there.  Plus it was 20 degrees out this morning.  But, I made it.  All 3.95 miles of it.

I was not too cold except for my face.  So I need to figure something out to keep my face warmer and I need new gloves.  My hands were too hot in my knit gloves.  I decided to go different with my hair, so I had her color it a darker shade for the fall/winter.  She trimmed it up and put in long layers and made me new "side" bangs.  She straightened if for me today, so I am anxious to see what my curls look like with the layers.  I like it.  It is very different and I hope the hubby likes it.  What do you think?

I left the salon and walked to the gas station for a cup of hot coffee and had my sissy pick me up to bring me home.  I just couldn't do the cold anymore today.  I guess I am a wimp. But a year ago, there is not way I would be able to do the activity I am doing today!

Tomorrow is weigh-in day!  How I would love to reach 95 pounds lost (that means being down 1.6 pounds), but I will be happy with any loss.  I am learning that the number on the scale is only one indicator of the healthier me!  I have two quotes I want to share with you today that sum up how I am feeling.

Also, I am linking in another song that I LOVE!!  My favorite line is "You were made for so much more than all of this." It is so true.  We are worth it, worth taking care of, worth treating right.  I am slowly learning these things and learning to love myself for who I am.

November 13:  Today I am thankful for music.  Music can be such an inspiration to me.  I listen to it when I workout, when I am happy, when I am sad, etc.  I can always find a song that describes how I am feeling at the time.  The world is a more beautiful place with music.

Stay tuned for weigh-in results tomorrow!!

Keep Losing,
Kari

Impossible, or not? And a new recipe!

TUESDAY!!  I have so much to share with you all today! Last night was a sad night at my house.  We ran out of apples and bananas.  My kids ate the last of them (which I am glad they ate fruit instead of junk).  I always have an apple for my evening snack, so I was bummed.  SO, this morning I decided to go to the grocery and purchase more apples and bananas.  For those of you who don't know, I am legally blind and not supposed to drive.  So I decided to ride my bike to the grocery store, which is almost 4 miles from my house.  It was a little chilly this morning, 33 degrees.

I did pretty good riding to the store.  Riding home was much more difficult.  I so wanted to quit, I was riding against the wind and I did not think I could make it.  I finally stopped and got control of my breathing and gave myself a pep talk and I made it all the way back home.  It was a slow ride, but I DID it.

While I was at the store (which I am never alone at the store), I really wanted to buy a candy bar or snack cake.  They were right there in the check-out.  I am proud to say that I did not give in.

When I got home, I made a cup of Starbucks Vanilla coffee and ate a banana and a protein bar.  What made it even better is that my banana sticker had a minion on it!!!  I know I am a big kid, but it made me smile.  I worked hard to get those bananas!

Yesterday I tried a new recipe for baked oatmeal breakfast cookies.  I got the original recipe from Pinterest.  You can click here for the original recipe.  I changed it up a bit for my own plan.  They turned out pretty yummy!!!  Even the boys and hubby liked them.

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (I used the old fashioned kind)
2 ripe bananas; mashed until creamy
1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Mix vanilla extract and cinnamon into the applesauce
*Blend applesauce mixture in with the mashed banana
*Add in cranberries and mini chocolate chips
*Drop cookie dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and flatten cookie into rounds
*Bake for 25-30 minutes

This made 12 nice sized cookies for me.  I put the recipe into Weight Watchers recipe builder and they came out to be 2 points per cookie, or 2 cookies for 3 points.  YUMMY!  I ate mine warm with a glass of Light Vanilla Silk!

Today is Transformation Tuesday.  Here is my pic for today!

It is just a head shot, but you can tell a little difference.  93.4 pounds gone FOREVER!!!!  You can do it, it is not always easy and you will want to quit, but anything is possible!!

November 12 - Today I am thankful for my body.  I am discovering new things it is able to do since I started living a healthier life.  Who would think an old, fat woman (I say that with love) could ride her bike almost 8 miles to buy fruit?  I love pushing my body and seeing what I can accomplish with it.  Watch out world, there is more to come!!!!

Sorry for being so wordy today!  Hope you all are having a wonderful 11-12-13!!

Keep Losing,
Kari