Hello Everyone

I know I have been not posting as much as I would like the last couple of weeks. We have been crazy busy at work. Hopefully it slows a bit next week. Kim and I are doing great. We feel good, we are happy, we are not getting stressed over the little stuff. I must say, one of the things that is helping me stay focused is sharing what we are doing and giving other people hope. It is funny how even though you can look around and see others having the same challenges you can feel so very alone in your own challenge. One of my goals in this healthful experience is to at the very least offer anyone with these types of goals the option to not be alone. We share triumphs and bad days, recipes, and life. It seems to me that it makes bad days not so bad and good days that much better. Just the way I experience it. Share if you have something to share.

Way to Go Honey

Ok, Everyone Here is a Kim comparison. As you can see the first one was taken 2/2009 the other was taken yesterday. She has been rockin it out no matter what. She has put up with me and had surgery and has lost 30 lbs in just 2 months. As she put in her post last night there are staples you should keep in your home. I believe there is another list that is just as important. The "what not to keep in the house" list. Even if you allow yourself to have these things on occasion it is important that they not be in your home, sanctuary, face during a moment of weakness before you have the chance to really way the pros and cons of the decision you make. Some of the things on our list are:

Booze (it will steal your will power)

Unhealthful pastries

Candy

Unhealthful bread

Anything not allowed on your daily menu

Cigarettes

We only buy a ½ gallon of milk at a time so we don’t over indulge or be wasteful

Unhealthful frozen foods (some would say none of it is healthful but it does serve a purpose)



What we really try to do is find healthful ways to have our old favorites. We do this with things like smartone deserts, keeping sugar free jello, and peanut butter and chocolate fiber one bars.

If you have any feed back or things you would like to know or just a question leave us a comment we would love to hear from you.

A list of staples..

In every household there are things that are must haves or staple items. When you are eating healthy that couldn't be more true.  So we have decided to list some of the staple items that make this journey easier and healthier for us.

Our List

• Sea Salt and Pepper Quaker snacks
• Pickles
• Green Beans
• Crystal Lite
• Coffee
• Sugar free coffee creamer
• Cinnamon
• Homemade chicken stock and marinara
• Small red potatoes
• I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
• Olive Oil
• Bananas
• Fresh fruits and veggies
• Sara Lee 45 Calorie delightful bread
• Kellogs 100 calorie crunchy fruit bars
• Fiber One 90 calorie bars
• Sour cream and ranch packets. 
• Measuring spoons and cups

Cleaning out the closet....

Today was a big day for Dawnna and I.  We went through all of our clothes.  More specifically, the clothes we had put up because we were to big to wear them.  I can't believe how many things we had that I had forgotten about!  An even better feeling is trying them on and everything fits....YAY!  It's like Christmas day. 
Now we just have to get rid of all of our fat clothes.  This is an important step.  We both feel that if we keep them we might set ourselves up for failure.  This is not an option. We have both done very well and feel very proud of where we are today! 

Priorities

One of the things I notice over the last couple of months is that my decision making has changed. This journey will never just be about losing weight but rather creating a trifecta of discipline, balance, and peace. Up to now I have been a person who goes where the wind blows. I can adjust to anything. To some degree that is good however I did this with no type of boundaries or with limits set to the moon. What I am noticing is I am being mindful now of if going to a place, or restaurant is going to fit in to my new found life style. I was listening to a show on NPR (I drive Kim nuts with some of this stuff) they were talking about defining your priorities, and understanding how that effects your decisions. Most people get over whelmed and thing start to suffer if there are more 5 to 7. What are your priorities? How are they working for you? Do you understand how they affect your life? My top 5 are as follows:


1) Me

That means my health, my peace of mind, advocating for myself in the world, and accountability for myself and impact on others

2) My relationship with my partner

Making decisions based on our life together, how I can affect her happiness, having tough conversations to get to the root of what we need to work on, love, respect, and fun

3) Work

Am I doing my job, how can I improve, if my staff are lacking how am I not being effective and how can I change that, how can I make the best of challenging situations because this field is full of them, and what can I do to improve others situation for me being there

4) Friends and Family

Am I the friend I should be, helping when I can, celebrating, and being a shoulder when those times are in order

5) Finances

Am I taking care of my responsibility, Am I staying out of situations I can’t afford, and how can I prepare for our future

I will tell you now that there is still work I have to do on some of these. Some things are continuous and will be an ever changing path like being in a relationship. You never get to a place where you stop learning or experiencing, or stop developing or your relationship will end. This is my thoughts on the subject and another way I decide what is important.

how far we come and how fast we return

This is the difference between 1/30/10 and 3/1/10 not bad

So, I must talk about a reality for a moment. No matter how well you do in your trek to be healthy or healthful the fact is you will have a bad day. I do not mean an allowance day, not a treat day, just a bad day. Sometimes things can become over whelming and I have a tendency to want to eat comfort food. This is not the comfort food that makes eating healthy ok it is the comfort food that brought me to 350 lbs. The fact is, one day of that does not negate the last two months of work I have put in. So here is a way to see the results. I have decided when these days creep up that there are two things that are important. First I still have to account for what I do and eat no matter how bad it is. Second I have to learn from this experience and figure out why I had that reponse and how to change it next time. Let us see if it works, more to come later off to the gym.

reading lables and an update on me

As Kim and I were shopping today I made some observations while reading the packaging of the food we were considering. I picked up a package and at first glance it was 190 calories for this package of chicken poppers of some sort. It was the same size as single serving stuff I get all the time. What a caloric deal. When looking closer I noticed there were 1.5 servings in this package which meant the serving size was totally inadequate for me anyway. There was also 285 calories in this package. It is important we look closely at the items we purchase. We need to look at calories per serving but also serving per package to make sure we aren’t being scammed.




I am now down 40lbs. I am now at 275. I am able to go faster longer at the gym and I feel stronger as well. I have cut my work outs a bit. I am doing about every other day and only once a day. This change came from the fact that doing it more slowed my weight loss. I am still eating between 1500 and 1600 calories a day. Kim and I have been talking and think it is important to explain that this is NOT a diet. These are not changes that will end when we reach some target. This is a way of being healthful that we will continue for life. When we reach the targets we set we will make the adjustments to maintain where we need to be. We also practice allowance days not cheat days. It may seem not important but I will not participate in something that goes against my goals. However the reason I want to be healthful is to have more experiences in life and enjoy things more. Make sure when you have your allowance days they are truly a treat and taste good. Ours do not involve fast food because card board is not a treat to me. Our treats may involve Greek food or Sushi, or well, you get the idea.

I am grateful for relaxing days, crazy, puppies, a partner going on this journey with me, and my ability to learn.

Phil...comfort food...and a recipe from Kim.

This week was a challenge.  I knew it would be, death is never an easy thing.  A co-workers son passed away and last night was the viewing.  Today, my work buddy Phil in TN lost his battle with cancer.  I had the opportunity to work with him for a few years; and although we never met, I considered him a friend.  He was the most thoughtful, fun loving guy with a never wavering faith.  I will miss you Phil. 

So after all this, of course the one thing I wanted today was comfort food.  Shepherds pie to be more exact. I used to make it when I wasn't watching my food so close.  The potatoes and cheese...mmmMMmm.....doesn't that just scream comfort?  Today, I decided I was going to make it.  One way or another.  Long story short, I made it.  It tasted GREAT.  It was FILLING, and most importantly it was COMFORTING. 

Here is the recipe:  Serves 3

9 oz (raw) extra extra lean diet ground beef.  (93/7 is good)
1 small onion chopped
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped carrot.  (You can add celery too but I didn't have any on hand or any veg you might want)
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock.  (Might not use it all)
2 to 3 Tbsp red wine
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp (or less) dry yellow mustard
1 small can of whole kernel corn (one of the little mini cans is good)
8 oz of baby red potatoes
1 TBSP of I Can't Believe it's not Butter
1.5 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

While boiling the red potatoes brown the meat in a stainless steel pan.  Remove meat from the pan and set aside.  Add onion and garlic to the pan.  If needed add the olive oil and cook until onions are soft.  Add carrots and celery and cook for about 2-3 minutes.  Add tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Add the wine to help deglaze the pan. Add a little chicken stock until you have a gravy like consistency.  Add corn.  Let simmer for approx 10 minutes.  Add chicken stock as necessary. You want to have a little gravy for the dish. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

When the potatos are ready, drain and SMASH (not mash) with the I Can't Believe it's not butter and a little pepper.  They will be chunky...and..leave the skins on.  They are good for you!  Spoon the meat mixture into individual crocks.  Top with smashed potatoes and half an ounce of the shredded cheese.  Melt cheese in the oven for about 4 minutes.  Serve with 1 ounce of a good crusty baguette bread (2 slices cut about 3/4 inch thickness) 

Calories for 1 serving: 460.

Try it and enjoy it when you need some comfort.  ~Kim

People

Who are the people that have made an impression on your life? What was it that touched you and Why? Is this something that others would benefit from knowing? How can you pass on what you learn from the people you learn from?


In the past few months I have become very conscious of the loss suffered by people Kim and I know. It seems there are many people passing away. I think that I am just paying attention more now. One of the people that made a great impression in my life was my grandmother. From my earliest memories she was a champion for me. She wanted to spend time with me, teach me, and correct me when I needed it. She was a great supporter of learning, and teaching yourself. She did not need a degree or to wait for someone with knowledge. If she wanted to know something she would find that information. In a time we did not have the ready access to computers and internet. She loved the arts, like ice skating, entertaining, talent and passion. She loved sports. These are all things that are still celebrated in my life and I share them with people I care for. We did not agree on everything, which was sort of the beauty of the relationship we loved each other so much we could disagree and still love each other.

There are many people throughout my life who make me learn or think or be different for the experience of knowing them. There are people I have never met who have made an impact on those I love and I still get the gift they passed on. I am very thankful for the people in my life, at home, at work, and in the world I get to experience.

Just a thought hope you can get something from it.

What to Cook?

Ok so I need to share some more taste things to eat.


Tonight I marinated London broil enough for a 4 oz. portion for each person

In ¼ cup red dry wine, a tsp of chopped garlic, fresh ground black pepper to taste

Let that hang out in the fridge for at least a couple hours

Take it out 30 min. before you plan to cook (always cook beef at room temp)



Broil 3 inches from heat 3 to 7 min per side to your preference for doneness



Boil 5oz baby red potatoes per person (they are sweeter and tastier than russets)

When done cut into four or six pieces add a table spoon of I can’t believe it is not butter

Salt and pepper to taste



¼ cup 2% Cottage Cheese per person



Cut 1 piece of center cut bacon into small pieces and sauté till cooked through ( 1 for every 2 people)

add

¾ cup French styled green beans per person add salt and pepper to taste and heat through



This is a satisfying and filling and it comes in at 410 calories