WHOO HOOO!!!

Went to Wallyworld Saturday and of coarse had to browse the clothing department ... first of all let me say it's SOOOO much fun to be able to go to the regular section to look for clothes!! I noticed a sale rack ... won't buy anything at full price these days! ... anyway, on the sale rack were sweat pants and hoodies for $9.00 so I just HAD to check them out! I gave them a look and decided to get a size medium in both tops and bottoms ... not thinking I'd be able to get into the pants yet, one of my grandsons reassured me if I can't get in them now, I'd soon be able to ... oh the support I have!! Well .... got home and tried them on ... I'M WEARING THEM NOW!!!!! I don't know when I've been able to wear a size medium, much less in pants!! That's a size 8-10 folks ... who'd a thunk ... me wearing 8-10 ... WHOO HOO IS IN ORDER HERE!!

Here are a few pictures of me with my husband, Eddie and daughter, Mary at our local Relay For Life Kick-Off last week ... am going to try to get more pictures of me as time goes on ... but for now here I am 126 pounds lighter than 7 1/2 months ago.

A big thank you and a new year's resolution put into action!

First of all, I have to give a big shout out to all my friends and family who have been so very supportive though this journey so far. There is no way this would have been as easy as it's been without the well wishes, encouragement and support I've received from all who know and love me as well as some I've not even met, but who have seen though this blog the journey I've been on and have wished me well. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

There are times when people want to do things on their own, their own way and all that, and that's fine, although it does take a big amount of will power, I guess you could say, to travel down this road, but for me, it's not a journey that should not be traveled alone. First of all, I don't take the credit for what some may call will power, I call it God Power!! I know the Lord has given me the power (actually He was there offering it all along, I was just too stubborn to see or take the help!) to travel this road to recovery, recovery from overeating. The one person I need to thank the most, however, is my husband of 38 years, you see, when we met I weighed a mere 115 pounds ... 7 months ago, the day of surgery, I weighed 304 pounds. That's the second part of this posting .. the new year's resolution part. I made a decision before the New Year to announce, disclose, put out there, whatever you want to call it, my weight at the beginning of this journey. Why, you may ask, well, because I fell that keeping it a secret may just be a "tool" to hamper continued weight loss or to maintain the loss. You see, us "food addicts" as I tend to call myself, want and need ways or should I say excuses to start overeating again and I certainly don't want any secrets that could result in failure! So honesty is my new policy. I mean after all ... when people see me and hear that I've lost 120 pounds ... oh yeah, I've hit the 120 pound mark today!!! YEAH!! Anyway, when you hear I've lost 120 pounds and you can clearly see that my weight loss journey is not complete .. duhhh .. you can eventually do the math!! So here it is ... I started at 304 (and I'm only 5 feet 1 inch tall) and as of today I'm at 184 pounds ... the doctor wants me at 160 (I'd rather see somewhere in the 135-140 range) ... but I'll have to see how things are when I get to 160 and below ... it's been so long since I've seen those numbers, I'm not sure what to expect!

So back to the thank you part .. the part about the biggest thank you, my husband. Never did he stop loving me ... never did he "turn me down" ... never did he act any other way except with love. As I look back at photos of me, I can't imagine how I got there ... I didn't really know I was there, to be honest. But I live in reality now and from now on!! I did get there .. and I never intend to get there again!!!

So THANK YOU ... THANK YOU ... THANK YOU ... to all my family, all my friends, and all my cyber friends .. the journey continues, but not without your help, support and encouragement ... and thank goodness, for that makes it so much easier!!!

Something New ... Recipe Book Give-Away ....

As you can see from my two blogs, I am actively involved in a Relay For Life Team to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. We developed Recipe Books last year as a way to raise money and still have a few. You can visit our Team Webpage and make a donation of at least $5.00 and I'll send you a cookbook ... also, I'm offering one for give away here on this blogsite and my Magnolia Blossom Art Blogsite. This is how it works ... try this or one of the recipes I enter here from the cookbook then let me know how it turned out. I'll put the names in a "pot" and randomly choose a winner and send a cookbook out to the winner!!

This week's Recipe ... GIVE IT A TRY ... let me know how it is !!

BEEF STROGNOFF

1 pound beef sirloin, cut in 1/4 inch wide strips

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove fresh garlic

salt and pepper

1/2 cup flour

1 medium onion chopped in medium sizes

6-8 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 can milk

1/2 pint sour cream

1 bag wide egg noodles, cooked

In large skillet, heat oil. Dredge beef cubes that have been seasoned with pressed garlic, salt and pepper in flour. Brown beef in skillet of oil and add onions and mushrooms. Then add cream of mushroom soup and milk. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until beef is tender. Add sour cream and stir through. Serve over hot egg noodles. 4-6 servings.

Cook and enjoy ... Let me know how you like it .... NOTE: You can make it healthier by substituting low fat versions of the soup and sour cream!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

This is going to be a fablous year!!! I have so much to look forward to and so much to be thankful for. We had a wonderful Christmas spending Christmas Eve with our entire family watching the kids share in some gift giving and eating a meal together. Christmas Day we made the Hampton Roads Rounds going from house to house to see what all the grandkids got from Santa and taking some gifts of coarse from Nanny and Big Daddy :-)

I had my first challange since surgery, however, during the holidays. I made the decision Christmas Eve to "snack" since it was the holidays. Still no sweets, but thought I'd give myself a break and have some good ole holiday snacking. I enjoyed some nuts, crackers and cheese, etc ... it was nice for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ... what wasn't so nice was that I started getting hungry for the first time since surgery. I found myself wanting to snack more and more. I quickly could see how this could be a HUGE problem ... so NO MORE SNACKING!! It didn't just last, you see, those two days ... it continued until yesterday .... just a few nuts or crackers, I'd tell myself. So today ... it's all over!!! I can see how the old habbits could quickly come back. This is a tool, not a cure. The funny thing about it is that I was uncomfortable, really, when I would snack ... too full, yucky feeling actually ... not a good feeling. So note to self ... NO MORE SNACKING ... LET'S SAY IT AGAIN ... NO MORE SNACKING!!!

I did loose a pound in the last two weeks, but the point is I probably would have lost 4-6 pounds if not for the snacking. Oh well, I'm back on track. I went through my closet again this morning, getting rid of several things and pulling the last of the clothes that have been packed away for 10 years that I now can wear. In a size 16-18 pants, 12-14 dresses and tops. From this point forward I will have to look elsewhere for clothes ... I haven't seen anything smaller than an 18 in 30 years!! It's a good feeling, much better feeling than the "snacking between meals" was giving me.

I got an excersize balls and belts for Christmas ... one thing I entend to get more regular at .... gotta get these knees better, stronger ... I WILL be albe to do squats again!!!

So, when I have slips in myweight loss journey ... not to worry, I'll refocus, I'll readjust, and I'll reclaim ... before it's too late ... reclaim my desire to loose that weight and get healthy.

Have a FINE 2009!!