Day 545 - Foodie Pen Pal Reveal

Hi everyone!  Sorry this post is so late.  I had a bit of an adventure to the ER this evening.  I will tell you all about it tomorrow in my post.  But for today, I am sharing the goodies my Foodie Pen Pal sent me for April!

This month my pen pal was Sondra Menzies.  She blogs over at http://blog.purplehousedesigns.com/ if you want to check her out!  I am always SO excited to get my box every month.  Here is what April's box contained!

My lovely handwritten note.  Sondra's theme for this month was "Enjoy a World of Flavor"  Each item she sent me comes from a different part of the world.  How clever, and I love the little heart she drew!

Nutella from Germany!  CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH THIS STUFF!  I love the little individual packages of this.  I am going to have to find these for me  Perfect for portion control!  Because we all know a spoonful of Nutella helps the Nutella go down!

Orange Jelly from France.  Feel so fancy eating jelly from France!

Sauerkraut from Germany.  We love kraut in our house so this was a hit!

Plantain Chips from Peru!  Taste like candy!

Crystal Noodle Soup from China

Couscous from Morocco.  Another hit, we LOVE this stuff! 

Ginger Thins from Sweden.  These are so tasty with a cup of hot green tea and I had to fight my hubby for these!

Yellow Rice from Spain

Dal Tadka from India - I have not tried this yet, but I can't wait.  Looks so good!

I LOVED everything in my box!  

Here’s some details about FPP in case you want to join in:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. 

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. 

-Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans.  

Click here to go to the site.

That is it for today!  Tune in tomorrow for weigh-in results.  Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Day 544 - Transformation Tuesday - Meet Shannon

Today I have a WONDERFUL story to share with you.  I want you to meet Shannon.

I've submitted a transformation pic on Transformation Tuesday before. I'm a 36 year old mother of 4. A few years ago I decided I was tired of being overweight. I was worried about being the "fat mom" at sporting events. It sounds cruel..but it is true. I didn't want my children to suffer because of my poor habits. I started walking on the treadmill at 4:30 a.m. before my kids got ready for school. If I waited..I would find any excuse not to do it. I changed my diet and began counting calories.. I am still an avid calorie counter. I eventually joined our local YMCA and made tons of friends. I love Zumba and Body Pump. I lift free weights. I work out 6 days a week from 2.5 to 3.5 hours a day. I will be the first to admit..sometimes I overdo it. But, almost everyday I truly amaze myself. This body can do just about ANYTHING I will it to. I went from 276 pounds to 150 pounds and 16.9 percent body fat. I am less worried about the scale now and just the body fat. I started running, which I never thought I could...two months ago. Just two months ago!! I always said, Oh I'm not a runner or I can't run. My daughter and I signed up for a 5k intending to walk and we ended up getting caught up with the excitement and I ran it in 35:35... a runner was born. I am training for a half marathon now . I actually have thought IT IS ONLY 13 MILES. So, I know I will do this!! My advice is to surround yourself with people with a similar lifestyle and goals. Step out of that comfort zone..that's where the change happens! I am always there to encourage others. I may not be obese anymore, but it is very hard to change the years of low self esteem.

I LOVE what she says about change happening when we step outside of our comfort zone.  What a transformation.  Thank you so much Shannon for sharing with us.

If you have a story you would like to share, please e-mail it to me at klgoodman1976@gmail.com.  It doesn't matter if you have lost 1 pound or 200 pounds, you never know how your story could inspire others!!!

Okay, so this morning I met with the Fitness Consultant at my new gym.  He spent a lot of time with me going over my goals and really talking about how I can make these changes in my life.  He had me talk about how many years and attempts I had made to lose weight and get healthier.  I told him it had honestly been a battle for about 20 years.  He said that those 20 years were 175,200 hours of my life.  That shocked me, I let that much time go by and just let the problem get worse and worse.  He asked me if I got a hole in my roof, would I fix it right away or wait 175,200 hours?  If I had a problem with my car would I fix it right away or way 175,200 hours?  Of course the answer is to try to fix it right away.  He said that we are more likely to spend our time and money fixing everything but the most important thing to ourselves, our bodies.  This really clicked with me.  A roof or car can be replaced, but this is the only body I get to have on Earth and it is now time for me to take care of it.

He also talked about how we invest our money.  He asked about how many times we used to eat out a week. My answer was around 4.  He said that for just me alone, I was spending about $120 per month on eating out.  This doesn't even include if kids and hubby go with me.  So I can't complain that a gym membership costs too much if I am willing to spend three times that on food out!

He also took my body fat.  UGH!!!  My percent was very embarrassing, and I wonder what it would have been 104 pounds ago.  My body fat is 48.1%.  That makes me sad to think that almost half of my body is just FAT.  What really drew me to this gym was that they do 9 week assessments.  The trainer meets with you every nine weeks to do measurements, fitness testing, weighing, body fat percentage, and help mold your program more.  That was a key factor in choosing Anytime Fitness.  I have one more free training session on Thursday morning at 9:00.  He really worked out my arms today and I LOVE THE SORE FEELING I HAVE NOW!!!.  They also offer personal training packages, so I am seriously considering a once a week training session to learn how to build up my endurance and strength.

Whew, I rambled forever about the gym.  Can you tell I am excited??

I also saw my foot specialist today.  He is concerned especially about my left foot.  He has ordered an MRI for Monday morning.  He said there is a long list of possibilities that it could be and some could require another surgery.  I am not worrying about it until I get the results and I will go from there!!

Tomorrow I will be sharing my goodies from my April foodie pen pal! Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,
Kari

Day 543 - Blueberry Pie Recipe, and a gym

Hi everyone!  Today is National Blueberry Pie day.  I knew I had to celebrate so I searched the web-o-sphere for a Weight Watcher friendly recipe last night.  I found one that sounded yummy on a website called Skinnytaste.  Click here for the original recipe. This was really good, but a little runny. We have half left so I'm putting it in the freezer and we will see how it is frozen tomorrow!

Skinny Blueberry Cream Pie

1/8 of the pie = 5 points+

1/6 of the pie = 6 points+

Ingredients:

• 2 light blueberry yogurts
• 8 oz fat free Cool Whip
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 9 inch graham cracker pie crust

Directions:

Stir together the blueberries, yogurt, and Cool Whip (I left a little Cool Whip and blueberries our for a garnish).  Pour into pie crust.  Top with remaining Cool Whip and berries.  Put in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.  ENJOY and Happy National Blueberry Pie Day!

In other news, I went to my free personal training session this morning and I LOVED it!  It was hard, but I enjoyed the challenge.  I did go visit one more gym afterwards, but I have made a decision and I returned to the gym from this morning and joined!!!!!  I am now a member of Anytime Fitness in Bedford, Indiana!  I was so impressed by the time and attention the staff has given me the two times I have been there.  They are encouraging and really seem to care about seeing me meet my goals.  I have my first official meeting with a trainer there in the morning!!!!!  I am so excited about this new portion of my journey!! 

I did want to mention one change I am making to the blog.  I have normally shared success stories on my Wowzer Wednesday feature.  I am going to change those to Tuesday's now to celebrate transformation Tuesday!  I have had a lot of people ask me to start sharing pictures of my meals and snacks again.  So on Wednesday's I will start a WIAW, What I Ate Wednesday feature!  So at least one day a week you will see an example of my foot intake!  I also try to post pictures of all of my meals on Instagram, so feel free to follow me over there @AWinningLoser76.

   

So stay tuned tomorrow for an AMAZING Transformation Tuesday story!!!

Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Day 542 - March for Babies

So even though I missed the walk in Evansville with my sister yesterday, I got to walk the one in my town today!!!  Here is a short recap of our fun!

The reason I walk!

Before the walk!

After we finished!

Subway for post-walk lunch!

My treat! Skinny cinnamon dolce latte!

Rockin the funky pants!

And our Winning Loser t-shirts!

AN AWESOME DAY WITH MY BABY BOY! (Who will be a freshman next year, 😱)

Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari 

Day 541 - NSV Saturday

Hey all!  I am in such an amazing mood right now.  I woke up feeling sorry for myself because I was missing out on walking with my sister in Evansville this morning.  It is a BEAUTIFUL day here and I decided I had to get out an enjoy it.  SO, I pulled myself off the couch and took off on an adventure.  I had such an amazing few hours just out by myself.  I am so proud of what all I did, I just had to share it here today!  So here is a picture recap of my fun!

I took off on my bike and rode 3.61 miles from my house to the high school track.  I was so excited that when I got to "THAT" hill that I always have to push my bike up, I rode it all the way up!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe how much stronger my body is getting!

So I get to the track and decide to walk a lap.  I ended up doing 4 laps which was a mile!  My foot hurt the whole way, but I did it anyway.  I wanted to climb the stadium stairs, but someone else showed up and i was too embarrassed to try it in front of someone!  At this point, I called my hubby to see if he could pick me up on his way home from work.  I was pooped and thought there was NO way I could make it back home.  He reminded me that he was not coming straight home so I had no choice.

So I rode to the Grocery store for a snack.  I grabbed some yummies and rode my bike to the city park to enjoy a yummy refuel!

Break Time!

Chocolate milk and fresh berries sitting in the shade at the park!  Ain't nothing like it!

Then began the ride back to my house!  It was a lot easier than I expected it to be.

Here is my happy "I am proud of myself" picture.  I rode for a total of 8.5 miles and walked 1.07 miles.  I am feeling GOOD!  Never think that you cannot do something just because you are heavy.  If I can do it, you can do it!

81 degrees! Told you it was beautiful.  Now for a nice hot shower and get ready for a night with friends!

Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Day 540 - Grocery Haul

So today I visited an different gym. Now I cannot decide which one.  There is still one more that I want to look at.  The one I visited today have me a free 14 day pass and a free personal training session for Monday morning so I could see how I liked it.  So I am excited about that.  Then, I hit up Aldi's.  Here is a short video to share my treasures:

I hope you all have an AMAZING weekend!  Sending you all love and healthy wishes!
Keep Losing,
Kari

Day 539 - Thursday Weigh-In, Pigs in a Blanket and Pudding

No matter how hard I try, I just cannot stay away from the scale at home.  I was a dummy and weighed this morning.  Saw a gain of about 2 pounds.  My initial reaction was to skip weigh-in and eat chocolate.  I sat down with my morning cup of coffee and checked my Facebook page.  I had some WONDERFUL comments from people who were telling me what an inspiration I am and that I am such a role model to others.  I thought to myself "SUCK IT UP CUPCAKE" (I so need one of those shirts).  People are inspired my me because I am REAL, I share the ups and the downs.  They don't just like me because I am losing weight.  One page in particular that I follow (New Figure Forward) has really inspired my journey to loving myself and seeing my self worth as MUCH more than a number on a scale.  SO, I was not feeling well (MIGRAINE), but I went and weighed in at Weight Watchers.  And I was up:

I did not stay for the meeting because I was just not feeling well.  BUT I WENT!  I am not going to go into a long list of excuses for not losing this week.  IT IS WHAT IT IS AND IT WILL NOT DEFINE ME OR MY WORTH!  SO THERE SCALE, TAKE THAT! 

Today is National Pigs in a Blanket day!

So we celebrated with Weight Watchers friendly pigs in a blanket!

This is how I made them for me (SHHHH! Don't tell it is turkey sausage).  3 points+ for the pig (sausage) and 3 points+ for the blanket (roll)around it! No need for cheese because the sausages have cheese in them! YUM!  Here is what my plate looked like tonight:

2 pigs in a blanket - 11 points+

5 oz of baked fries - 5 points+

steamed veggies - 0 points+

And I saw this on Weight Watcher Girl's blog and had to try it.  It is a new pudding out from Snack Pack:

I thought is was pretty good and tasty, especially if you are looking for a rich chocolate taste to satisfy a craving for only 3 points+.  There are other flavors, but this is all they had at my Wal-Mart.  

And a bit of sad news! I was planning on travelling to Evansville this weekend to walk the March for Babies with my sister.  However, my other sister is not feeling well and she is my transportation since I am not allowed to drive that far (for those of you who don't know, I am legally blind).  One bit of good news is that there is a March for Babies here where I live on Sunday.  So I can still participate.  

That is it for today! Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Day 538 - Take a Chance - Wowzer Wednesday

Sad news for today! No new Wowzer Wednesday story for you.  I have reached out to several different people for stories and have not received a response.  If you are interested in sharing your story, please send me all your info at klgoodman1976@gmail.com.  You do NOT have to have a page or blog to participate.  I just love sharing successes with everyone!  Here are the general questions to guide you in writing your story:

1. Tell us a little about yourself. 

2. What made you decide to live a healthier lifestyle? 

3. What changes have you made? 

4. How is your life different now? 

5. Any advice for others on their own journey?

If you have pictures, send those too!!  And if you have a page/blog/instagram/twitter/e-mail send those links so I can share!

Today is National Take a Chance Day.  I have NO idea who makes up all of these days, but I really like this one.

It can be scary to take a chance, but the results are worth it.  Now I am not saying you should go out and risk EVERYTHING you have, but find something that you are nervous about doing and JUST TRY IT!  Today I did just that. I had been wanting to look into joining a gym, but I was too nervous to walk into one.  Today, I made myself get in my car and just go.  The lady who showed me around was SUPER sweet and I really loved the facilities and the atmosphere.  I am 99% sure I am going to join.  I love this quote by Mark Twain:

The fear of failure is so real for us that have lived life inside of our shell.  But WE ARE WORTH TAKING A CHANCE AND EXPLORING, DREAMING, AND DISCOVERING all the things we are capable of.

So today, I am asking you to TAKE A CHANCE! Pick something that has been difficult for you and just jump in, take a chance.  You never will know if you never try!  

What will you do to celebrate Take a Chance Day?  Please share with us!

Sending you all love and healthy wishes! Tomorrow is weigh-in day!

Keep Losing,

Kari

Days 536-537 - Transformation Tuesday, Recipe, and MORE

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had an AMAZING Easter weekend.  I know I did.  I really enjoyed the time I spent with my family!  Here is my most recent Transformation Tuesday pic:

I am not even halfway to my end goal, but I cannot tell you how different I feel already!

On Saturday I tried out a new recipe that I saw on Emily Bites (if you have never checked out her site, GO NOW).  It was for Carrot Cake donuts.  The recipe makes 6 donuts and each one is 5 points+.  They were very yummy!  Not too sweet, but enough that you felt like you were having a treat!  Click here for the original recipe.

Carrot Cake Doughnuts

yield: 6 DOUGHNUTS
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup white whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur Flour – yes, you can use all-purpose instead)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup grated carrots
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
¾ teaspoon vanilla (divided)
¼ cup + 2 teaspoons skim milk (divided)
2 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon reduced calorie pancake syrup
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Make Raspberry-Coconut Chocolate Cupcakes

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a 6 cup doughnut pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and brown sugar until well combined.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg and then add the carrots, oil, applesauce, ½ teaspoon of the vanilla and ¼ cup of milk. Stir until well combined and then add to the dry ingredients from step 2. Mix until well combined. Spoon the mixture evenly into the 6 prepared slots of the doughnut pan. Bake for 15 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Flip the pan to release the doughnuts onto a cooling rack and allow the doughnuts to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ¼ teaspoon vanilla and 2 teaspoons milk and add the cream cheese, syrup and powdered sugar. Using a hand mixer, mix until well combined. When doughnuts are cooled, spoon the cream cheese glaze over top.

Weight Watchers Points Plus:
5 per doughnut (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information:
181 calories, 27 g carbs, 6 g fat, 5 g protein, 3 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)

I also wanted to share a verse that has really stuck with me this weekend:

For some reason, I have had this feeling of weight or stress on my shoulders.  This verse really speaks to me. Whatever it is will NOT overwhelm me!  I thought maybe you could use His words today as well!

Tonight for dinner I made an AMAZING pork tenderloin, steamed broccoli, and baked sweet potatoes.  I tried out my new Potato Express Bag:

It worked really well, but was only big enough to cook 2 potatoes at a time.  But they were tasty and it made cooking in the microwave quick and easy!

That is it for today! Tune in tomorrow for a Wowzer Wednesday! Sending you all love and healthy wishes!

Keep Losing,

Kari