Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wet Wednesday


Had an ok day yesterday. Food was fine and I was able to space it out so I never got ravenous. It really is the key for me and it does require effort but it is time well spent. Dinner was pasta with salad and bread.

I got a call yesterday from 24 hour Fitness reminding me I still have 3 Personal Training sessions and encouraging me to use them. How lame am I? I was so excited to get started on a program back in AUGUST when I bought them and here we are in almost March and I haven't used them. Granted I did have an injury in between all of that but still... time to get my sh*t together and get my tush over there.

I recently bought a Jabra Speaker 2. I have had bluetooths before but have either misplaced them or they did not work very well.


One of my mom's caregivers had something similar and really liked it so I decided to get one. I really like it so far. It synced with my phone so it actually announces the call and says "Kathy calling" or what have you. It sounds clear and the other callers have said they can hear me just fine. I spent a little more then I wanted to but I do think it was money well spent. Every day I see people risking their lives talking and texting while driving and I can't stand it. Even this morning while I was on my way in I saw people doing it and it is pouring rain and some people didn't even have their lights on. It is the law here and it seems like people are just oblivious. Grrrr.... okay off my soap box. Until next time...


P.S. Kathy, I saw you on the way to work this morning at San Tomas and Scott :-)

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Dropping Bombs

Camelia
How are you guys this morning? I am doing okay. Thank you for the expression of sympathy about my Auntie Dottie. I just hope I can make a difference in peoples lives like she and my dad did.

Yesterday I did not eat much. I had a cereal bar with yogurt and string cheese in the morning and then did not eat again until dinner time. Dave is staying with me this week as he has appts. on this side of the hill. We made tri-tip and had salad and garlic toast. I don't know why I keep doing that but I need to go back to eating smaller amounts more frequently. Especially for evening out my blood sugar. Fail to Plan = Plan to Fail

So, without disclosing the details, I had someone drop a bomb on me via text message.  It made me think how technology has changed the way we communicate and I am not sure I dig it. This is not the 1st time this person did it to me but I am still surprised. I have found out on Facebook that someone has died. While it has it's advantages as far as being able to spread the word widely and quickly I am not sure if that is really the right venue to announce something like that? What do you think? Until next time...




P.S. Just found the funeral information for my Auntie on FB!!! Grrrrrrrrrr!!!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Morose Monday

Hope you all had a decent weekend. Mine was fair. I did get some cleaning and organizing that I wanted to and I did go grocery shopping and stocked up but I did not get in as much activity as I wanted and I did graze too much. I need to eat more regularly instead of not eating enough early in the day and then gorging at night to make up for it. Grrrr...

My Auntie Dottie passed away last night. She was 86.  There have not been any arrangements made but I would not be able to attend anyways. I will work with my mom to send some flowers.  My mom is not up for it. Maybe my brother will go and represent the family. It remains to be seen. I told her to say hello to my dad when she got to heaven. If there is heaven, which I believe there is, then she would have priority seating. She was one of the most selfless people I have ever encountered in my life. She was on her death bed asking about my mom! She also was a caretaker for my elderly 96 year old great aunt taking her to appts. and handling her affairs. May she rest in peace.

Until next time...

Friday, February 24, 2012

Good from Bad




I did not do much last night. I think all the emotions I have been feeling have kinda wiped me out. I did some leg lifts and lunges but that was about it. My arms were sore from the Wii and the resistance evil rubber bands from Tuesday and Wednesday. I had a Lean Cuisine panini and some edamame for dinner. I had forgotten to take something out of the freezer and it was easy <-- you don't want to see my sodium for the day though... yikes...

Since I have been going through such turmoil as of late I wanted to share that there is some good that comes with it. For example, our family while growing up was not big on expressing our love to each other either by saying "I love you" or by hugging. When my father passed away in 1999 we all started to say it to each other on a regular basis. Since my mom has been ill, she has hugged me more, told me she loves me dearly, that I am an angel and can't imagine life without me and some of these things I have never heard her tell me so good does come out of bad.  Another example is Dottie's transition. We communicated with our Chicago family but not on any kind of regular basis but since she has been ill, we have talked more with the extended family and opened a line of communication that did not exist before - good out of bad.

It is supposed to be a nice weekend. I have lots to do at home (slackalacker!) and I want to get out and enjoy the sunshine. I am hoping to get on the bike trail and get some Vitamin D baby! Until next time...


Thursday, February 23, 2012

I Am Strong!




Last night for dinner I had soup and a sandwich. The sandwich was peppered turkey on whole wheat bread with Laughing Cow and a little spinach. Holy yumminess!! It was very tasty and I will definitely be having it again. The soup was Progresso Light Clam Chowder.

For activity, I did my Just Dance 3 for about 25 mins and then I used the evil rubber resistance bands. I set it up on the coat closet door as shown below. When I first bought them if you recall, it was not clear to me how to attach it to the doorway. Well, I emailed the company to ask them and they referred me to a YouTube video from another company to show me how. I thought to myself, why did they not just make one themselves instead of using their competitions video?? Oh well, at least I know how now.


Yesterday was a hard day! I ended up calling around 9:30 a.m. and I did get to talk to Dottie and she was able to talk as well. It was a little hard to understand but her granddaughter relayed for me. It was probably the hardest phone call I have ever made but I am so glad I did it.

I called my mom last night to tell her about talking to Dottie. She kept saying how strong I am and how she is so happy to have me as a daughter. I am finally beginning to agree with her. I am strong and I can do hard things. When my dad passed, I got up and spoke at the funeral. My brother and mother did not. It was hard and of course I cried but I did it and will always be grateful I did. Give your loved ones a hug and tell them you love them. Until next time...




P.S. I finally have the reply option for comments! Yippee!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Goodbye Dots

Calories Consumed

Activity

I had an on track day yesterday and it felt good. I made some udon noodles for dinner and added some left over chicken and spices and it was tasty. I did 30 minutes of Just Dance 3 using the Just Sweat option which has a program that you build upon. The one I am doing now is equivalent to a 30 minute walk. The next tier is equivalent to running for a 1/2 hour. I like that you can build your endurance levels. Consistency is the key here. I plan on doing it again tonight. It is supposed to be 73 degrees here today so I am hoping to get out for a walk tonight as well.

My dad's sister is at home in Chicago with hospice. Her name is Delores but we have always called her Dots or Dottie. Her granddaughter even called her Spottie Dottie. There is no telling how much longer she will be alive and they gave us a cell number to call and say goodbye.  I called my mom to ask her if she would call and she said she couldn't handle it <---- she is the tough one... I am the sappiest of sappy people so it isn't going to be easy but I would not be able to live with myself if I did not call. Until next time...


Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Coffee, Cut and Conundrum

Hello and happy pseudo Monday. How was your weekend? Mine for the most part was okay. Did okay with food but did not get in all the activities I wanted to.  First off, I wanted to announce that Lori won my Gevalia Coffee Giveaway and she has been notified. Thank you to everyone who entered! I will be having more giveaways here in the near future.

Yesterday, I was taking a light bulb out of a night light and it broke and sliced open my thumb on my right hand. Fortunately, it did not require stitches and it's not impairing my ability to type so that is good. I was a little worried about that but it is working out just fine.

So this was the conundrum. I have a Wii and DVD player in addition to a DVR for my Direct TV. When I wanted to use one of them I had to unplug the cords and plug in whatever component that I wanted to use at the time and then when I wanted to watch TV again I had to switch it back. Very inconvenient... so I happened to mention this issue to my brother and he said they have switch boxes to plug your items into and just press the switch to use whatever one you want. Ohhhhh eemmmmmm gggggggeeeeee it is so much easier! It was inhibiting me from using them and now it is just one click and voila! Until next time...


Friday, February 17, 2012

Friday Follies

Hello and Happy Friday! The bonus for the day is that we get a 3 day weekend due to President's Day. I could really use the extra day to get rested and re-energized.

So I tried to capture my new do in a picture Shelley but you can't really tell very well can you? So after I got my haircut, I decided to have my brows waxed and I am very pleased with the results. I have been getting them threaded for quite awhile and was liking it but none of the spots I got them done were terribly convenient. Honestly, on the pain scale, waxing is less painful then threading. It does cost a little bit more but I think I will go back to waxing. After the brows, I decided to get a facial. It was the best facial I have ever had. She spent extra time with me since she did not have any appts after. I actually was able to relax my mind for a little while. <--- hard to come by these days.


I did well with my 1st day back to using my Fitbit. Since I spent most of my evening at the salon, my dinner was some lunch meat and cheese plus some dried cranberries.



Tonight we are going to try to go to Bingo at the Catholic church by my mom's. We have never been there for Bingo so it should be an adventure. Otherwise we will try to get the most done while my bro is here. He leaves on Sunday afternoon. The weather looks like it will be agreeable so I am hoping to get on my bike but no booze this time. Hope you all have a great weekend! Until next time...


P.S. I will announce the winner of the Gevalia giveaway on Monday.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Trite Thursday

Big yawn... Well I am up a lb. but I am not really sweating it. I am exhausted and just glad that it was not more. After my escapades last Sunday (bike and booze) the scale went up considerably with the extra salt consumption but came down during the week.  I have been doing much better with my water consumption which I will cover in an upcoming post.

My fitbit is charged and I will be logging my food consistently starting NOW! I know how to be successful and I just need to make myself a priority and do what I need to do. No more lollygaggin!

Getting my hair cut tonight, yay! My hair is actually longer now then it has been in years. I am going with it and working my curls LOL. Actually, my fave hairstyles are all for straight hair and I have always had naturally curly hair. Guess I got it from Bruce because all my other siblings have straight hair. It still amazes me that I know that now... Until next time...




P.S. Did you enter the Gevalia giveaway? If not, you can enter it here

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Healing Hearts



Last night turned out to be a pretty monumental night. I had a long conversation with my mother over the phone and she basically said that she is unable to make any decisions for herself and that we (my brother and I) will have to make them for her. She is no longer able to stay at home alone and it costs a small fortune to have 24/7 care in the house. It is overwhelming and scary to her so she is putting it on us. She expressed more then one time that she wanted my bro and I to be on the same page and make the decisions together. I told her we would do our best. She has been very thankful to me and expressing how proud she is of me which is something fairly new to me but I am glad she is sharing. I would help her anyways but it nice to know she appreciates my efforts.

After I hung up with her, I called my brother. He answered the phone and we ended up having a heart-to-heart about everything that had transpired recently. He acknowledged that my mom is a "handful" and that she has not always been the nicest person to me and how hard it must be for me. It was an affirmation that he really does care and knows what I have endured which means a lot. He was comforting and I have hopes that we can move past this. We both apologized and I said I did not intend to be so mean but there was a lot of pent up emotion/frustration. I am a little guarded but I am hopeful that we can move past all the BS and get this situation handled the best way possible. He will be flying in tomorrow to stay the weekend so we can make some headway.

One of my coworkers who has been battling Cancer came back to work today for the first time in 2 months and that made me smile this morning. I have really missed her and so glad she is on the mend. There is hope! I am totally sapped on emotions. Looking forward to getting home and getting some rest.  Until next time...



P.S. Did you enter the coffee giveaway? If not, click here

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Gevalia Coffee Valentine's Giveaway!


Happy Valentine's Day! This is my first "single" Valentine's day in years so instead of wallowing in the fact I am single, I decided to do a giveaway. I also made chocolate dipped strawberries for my coworkers :-)

The Swedes know a thing or two about coffee. They know quality coffee should be savored and enjoyed. They also know you deserve a more unique/special coffee experience than what you can pick up on every street corner. Gevalia is a luxurious departure from the everyday, an escape from the routine cup of coffee. Whether it´s a morning ritual made just for you, or the finishing touch at a dinner party, it brings the taste of Swedish-style luxury into your home. In Sweden, where the citizens drink more coffee than almost anywhere else in the world, Gevalia is their preferred brand. In fact, Gevalia enjoys the honor of being an official coffee of the Swedish Royal Court.

Gevalia, now available at Safeway, brings unexpected Swedish-style luxury and rich, never bitter taste to the Safeway grocery aisle. Previously available online only, Gevalia is now offering its top-ten varieties in U.S. coffee supermarket aisles nationwide in 10 varieties, including roast and ground, whole bean, flavored and decaffeinated varieties:


Gevalia Traditional Roast (ground and whole bean):
Gevalia Traditional Roast provides a perfectly balanced taste every time. Our most beloved blend - made of choice, mountain-grown Arabica beans - this coffee has a distinctive body and flavor with a lighter intensity. (Medium Roast).

Gevalia House Blend:
A Gevalia favorite, House Blend is a robust yet never bitter coffee. This roast has a captivating aroma that is only matched by its exceptional flavor. (Medium/Dark Roast).

Gevalia House Blend Decaf :
Delivering the same rich, never bitter flavor, House Blend Decaf has the same robust taste without all the caffeine. (Medium/Dark Roast).

Gevalia French Roast (ground and whole bean):
Gevalia French Roast is a coffee of impressive richness and dimension, expertly crafted from prized Arabica beans grown in Colombia and Brazil. Hints of aromatic smoke give this dark-roasted French Roast blend an intense, yet uniquely satisfying flavor. (Dark Roast).

Gevalia Colombia:
Grown high in the Colombian Andes, these beans produce a rich, bright and well-bodied Colombian coffee. This single origin classic is world-renowned, which is why we have sourced these beans for decades. (Medium Roast).

Gevalia Espresso Roast:
Gevalia Espresso Roast is made of premium, mountain-grown Arabica beans from East Africa and Central and South America. This roast is bold and full-bodied with a hint of caramel undertones. (Dark Roast).

Gevalia Vanilla:
This rich blend with vanilla flavor notes is crafted from choice mountain-grown Arabica beans, then roasted for exceptional body and flavor. Gevalia Vanilla is a flavorful and balanced experience with a heavenly aroma.

Gevalia Chocolate Mocha:
Gevalia Chocolate Mocha allows you to indulge your passion for decadent flavor. Rich, velvety chocolate flavor is blended with mountain-grown Arabica beans for a sweetly satisfying experience.

The prize pack includes: (1) sample of the House Blend (1) sample of the French Roast Blend and a Gevalia Kaffe branded coffee mug as shown below:

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me which flavor appeals to you the most. Easy peasy right? If you have never commented on my blog before and comment on this post, I will give you an additional entry.  I will announce the winner on Monday, February 20th. Good luck! Until next time...


Kraft Foods has provided sample product to me and is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me. MyBlogSpark helped to provide me with this information. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by Katie J is on her way. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Muddy Monday

How was your weekend ladies and gents? I hope you had a good one. Mine was definitely up and down but overall okay.  Saturday I started out early and got a few things done like grocery shopping and straightening things up and then pretty much grazed and lazed around. I waited too long in between meals and hence the grazing.  I watched the movie 50/50 which was pretty good. Sad but good.

Sunday I had great intentions and was marginally successful. I wanted to ride my bike while the sun was out so I left around 10:45 a.m. I rode down to Blinky's to say hello to Danielle and ended up staying and drinking 2 Bloody Mary's and a couple beers without eating. Fortunately we ordered some food around 2:00 p.m. but I was pretty toasty by that point. The food sobered me up enough to make the trek home lol. I mapped my ride and it was about 3.9 miles round trip. 

I did look at the scale this morning and it is up a bit. I drink my beers with lime and salt so I am definitely bloated from that. I am armed and ready though with my Fitbit and my meals planned. I have no cereal, crackers or peanut butter in the cupboards so as not to trigger any binges. I am planning on doing some dancing with Just Dance 3 It has been awhile since I have done it so it should be fun. Until next time...

Friday, February 10, 2012

Have Faith Friday


"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." --Albert Schweitzer

Well that was quite a novel I wrote yesterday huh? Actually it was kind of depressing. Seeing it in print made it that much more apparent that I am my own roadblock. I know there are going to be many more challenges on the horizon that I will be facing and I need to start using exercise as my outlet. Not only will it benefit my body but it also give me endorphins and a sense of accomplishment.

I have to be honest and tell you that I kinda lost faith in myself recently. Between my family stuff and my stall in WL, I felt like a failure but you guys reminded me that I am strong and I can do this. When I took my mom to her accountant the other day she told me she is proud of me and was impressed with my business acumen. It felt so good to hear that from her. It is not something I heard often when I was younger.  I also got this email from my bio-brother, Michael:

I'm so happy you're in my life too and that we found you Katie. God does things for a reason. You need me and I need you! We love and help each other overcome life's trials. It makes me feel good in my heart that I make a difference in your life.  I will be there for you Katie if you allow me to be. I love you with all my heart. Keep your head up, your a wonderful women.  You deserve the best sis.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. It means more then I could ever express to y'all. The bottom line for me is NEVER GIVE UP! Until next time...

Thursday, February 9, 2012

My Third Blogiversary!


Back Then...
When I first started this journey I weighed 315 lbs. I did not really have much quality of life. I was taking 7 different medications for various ailments including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, acid reflux and Type II Diabetes. I also was doing insulin twice a day and sleeping with a CPAP machine. My doctor had suggested WLS but I was very hesitant because of the risks associated with surgery. I told her that I would try to lose weight on my own and would do the surgery if I was unsuccessful. I was at my breaking point and knew I just HAD to do something or I was going to die. Literally. D-i-e. Everybody has a different bottom and that was mine. I had to make some lifestyle changes QUICK or ELSE! I was desperate and depressed. I had a pretty grim outlook on life.

First Year - 2009
I had to make a plan. I had to do something that would be sustainable for the long haul so I tracked the calories I was consuming and the exercise I was getting through my bodybugg. I adjusted my portion sizes and aimed for more fresh fruits, whole grains and fresh vegetables. I had a very warped idea of what an actual portion was. I managed to lose 60 lbs. the first year of my journey. I started walking, riding my bike and doing belly dancing and Zumba. I wanted it be fun! I maintained the 60 lb. loss but did replace 15 lbs. of fat with muscle. To be honest, I did think the weight would come off much quicker but you get out of it what you put into right? Exercise is where I falter. I have not been consistent about it and would probably have lost more had I been but I won't make excuses. I will tell you that now at 250 it is a WHOLE lot easier moving around then it was at 315. I am making an effort to incorporate it into my daily life now and I am doing better but there is still a whole lot of improvement needed here. With this weight loss I was able to get off of two blood pressure meds and reduce my insulin 80%

Second Year-2010
The 2nd year was a whirlwind on the emotional front for sure. I found out in July that I have biological siblings that I never knew existed and that my biological mother was deceased from a heroin overdose. My niece Candace and I met 8 days later as she is the one who lives closest to me. Dave and I moved out of a chaotic living situation shortly thereafter to a quiet complex and I got to go on my second Alaskan Cruise with my mom. I managed not to gain any weight on the cruise this time either! :-D I met my biological Uncle Steve in August, met Tess and Michael my siblings in September and then found my biological father in October .We met once and communicated by phone and I sent him cards and a picture of me and but he died the day after Christmas due to complications from catching on fire while smoking. He was interned on Feb. 23rd. The entire year I maintained the 60 lb. loss and bounced up and down with the same 5 lbs. As much as that stinks, it also taught me that I could choose constructive ways of coping with my emotions other then food. I did a whole lot of deep soul searching and feel like I have come to terms with a lot of the emotional sources of my morbid obesity. It's all about progress not perfection right? It was a life changing year.

Third Year-2011
The 3rd year of blogging definitely had its ups and downs. I only lost 12 lbs. the entire year but again maintained my loss throughout the year and I am proud of that. I started using the Fitbit in April. I was using it pretty consistently at first but have not been using the last month or so. Jack over at Jack Sh*t Gets Fit did my W.I.D.T.H pictures and I got positive feedback for posting them. As I mentioned on my Width page, f I can save one person from dealing with the heartache that being obese has caused me then it was ALL worth it.  I bought a Kindle and devoured 6 books. I did not think I would like the Kindle but it has been awesome having it. We moved office locations and had a new commute to adjust to. Our building is beautiful but it is in a rather funky neighborhood. In September I sprained my shoulder, wrist and ankle in a fall while visiting my mom in the hospital. I had Sciatica and was off of more work for 2 weeks.  One of the biggest things that happened was I ended my relationship with Dave in July but he did not move out until December. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done but also one of the best things I did for me.

What's Next?
I need to get back to basics. Maintaining this weight loss is an accomplishment BUT I am still considerably overweight.  When I was most successful was when I was using the Bodybugg and tracking daily. I have slipped on the tracking and stopped wearing the Fitbit recently but that is going to change right now. As I said in my 1st year, exercising is where I falter. Once I am active, I really do enjoy it but it's getting into the habit and making ME a priority. I have spent so much time invested in other people and thier issues that I ignored my own health and I have turned that around and really started to make myself a priority. It seems selfish sometimes but if I don't stick up for me then who will? I would also like to go to Fitbloggin'12. I am already saving up for it and really would like to meet some of the wonderful bloggers I have had the pleasure of reading over the last few years. I have never been to Baltimore so it would be a whole new experience for me.

In closing, I just want to thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart for cheering me on and your support during the rough times I have had over the last few years. Also thanks for the proverbial kick in the arse I need sometimes to keep pushin. I hope to make some headway on my WL.  My short term goal is to lose 35 lbs. by Sept. 22, 2012 which would bring my total lost to 100 lbs. The next goal would be to get to Onderland. I honestly can't remember when I was under 200 but I imagine it was during my early 20s. I am not setting a strict timeline but my hope is that by the end of this year I am in Onderland and a lot closer to my goal weight.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Pill, Poke and Panties

Good morning y'all. How are you doing? I am hanging in there. Did you get a chance to enter the Whole Grains Giveaway yesterday? I will announce the winner on Monday and then announce ANOTHER giveaway.

We all have our morning routines right? Restroom, coffee, reading the paper, checking email what have you. Well my morning includes taking medications and supplements and also includes an insulin shot. I do 25ccs each of N and R insulin.  I call it Pill and Poke. Even though this has been my routine for a number of years there are still a few mornings that I forget. It isn't something I look forward to so maybe that is why it is so easy to forget but I feel physically and mentally better if I do. When I refill my pill holder (or mom's) I call it the pill drill.

The other day I saw a deal on Groupon that I could not resist. It is for a 60 minute massage and it was $34 which is 50% off. Since I had purchased other deals I had Groupon bucks that took an additional $10 off so it is $24 total plus gratuity. Quite a deal huh? Anyways, the dilemma I have is whether or not to wear my panties during the massage. Last time I had one, I left them on but the masseuse pulled them down a bit to get to top of my butt/lower back. So what do I do? Leave them on or take them off? What would you do? Until next time...


Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Whole Grains Giveaway

Eating healthy usually means establishing new eating habits. Whole grains are important to you, and the Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing products with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient. Now every cereal with the white check has more whole grain than any other single ingredient with the same great taste. You will see "whole grain" as a part of the first ingredient on the ingredient list, indicating that whole grain is the first and most prevalent ingredient.

With all the health messages facing grocery store shoppers, it can be confusing to translate what appears on food labels into nutritional needs, and hard to determine which foods have a meaningful amount of whole grain. Dr. Stork has some additional recommendations to help you include whole grain easily into your diet.

They include:

Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day´s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.

Make Simple Swaps. Choose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.

Don´t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don´t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

To help with choosing products with whole grain, General Mills developed "Fast Lane for Whole Grain," an online educational game. Consumers can navigate virtual grocery store aisles and identify products that have whole grain as the first ingredient, with the option to enter a sweepstakes to win one of each of the 50 cereals with the white check. Make a commitment to add more whole grain to your diet by simply pouring a bowl of cereal with the white check including Cheerios®, Lucky Charms®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch®, Honey Nut Cheerios® and Total®. For more information on the importance of whole grain and a chance to enter the "Fast Lane for Whole Grain" sweepstakes, visit www.WholeGrainNation.com.

The contents of this giveaway is 5 boxes of cereal as shown below. In order to enter the giveaway, tell me in the comments, which cereal you would choose to eat to increase your whole grain consumption. For an additional entry, you can Tweet about the giveaway but don´t forget to use the hashtag #MyBlogSpark!


I will announce the winner on Monday, February 13th. Good luck to you! Until next time...



P.S. I have another giveaway lined up for next week as well!
Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark

Monday, February 6, 2012

Productive but Green

Mornin... How are you all doing today? I am a little green but I will survive.  It was a very productive weekend which was good. I went to my mom's and filed and purged her office of paperwork. We have an appt. to go to her accountant tomorrow for her taxes so I needed to gather info for her and complete the worksheets they sent. I spent most of the day there on Saturday. 

I went back yesterday morning and worked on it for a couple hours and then came home. My cousin happened to call while I was there and she talked a minute or two about my brother and my mom overheard me talking. She cornered me and wanted to know what was going on so I told her. She actually was not all that surprised. She has known for awhile that he and I were at odds but I did not want to burden her with that. She just wants us to get along...

I decided to go to Blinky's and hang out for awhile. I ended up having 4 or 5 Pacificos and a shot of Strawberry Pucker. They had some appetizers which I nibbled on and I ate some pork sausage they had bbq'd. I ate dinner there as well and they served tri-tip, green salad, potato and mac salad and rolls. What got me is the green salad. I piled my plate up with it and it was loaded with yellow, green and red bell peppers and purple onions. Between the pork (I'm allergic) and the peppers and onions, I am feeling pretty ucckies. Why do I do that? I knew those foods might not settle well but ate them anyways and paid for it. I got sick twice this morning... Blerghhh...Until next time...



P.S. Did you see the success stories I posted Saturday? If not, go take a look

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Sharing Success Stories

I wanted to share two success stories with you that I found to be very encouraging. Meet Miss Debbie, she blogs over at Weigh to Go: Diary of a Fat Chick.  She started blogging in August of 2009 with the task of losing 200 lbs.

With hard work and dedication, she modified her eating and started exercising and she was able to lose 193 pounds as of December 20th! She has less then 20 lbs. to lose to reach her goals. In her December 20th post she said:

If someone had the nerve to tell me two years ago I would be almost 200 pounds lighter in 28 months, I would have NEVER believed them! It is my sincere hope to inspire others out there who may be struggling to lose weight. It IS possible. You CAN be successful. I KNOW you CAN do it!!

Before


After

To learn more about Debbie and how she did it, pop on over to her blog and take a look around. Tell her I sent you, mmmkay?

The next blogger I wanted to share with you is Hyla. She blogs over at Hourglass Red.  She has lost 100 lbs as of January 31st. Take a look:


She has been blogging since November of 2010. She is on Weight Watchers and is a mom to four little ones. So proud of her and I love all the pictures she takes on her walks. Go check her blog out when you have a chance.

It is always nice to see that it is achievable isn't it? When you have seen the transformation it solidifies it even more.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Finally Friday!

Yay, we made it to Friday! It was questionable there for a little while... Had a decent night last night. Dave is staying the weekend because he has some appts. he needs to go to today. He helped me do laundry and made me dinner too.  We split a steak and had a baked potato and spinach.  I was pretty numb after all the emotional upheaval yesterday so I went to sleep at 9:00 p.m. I had trouble staying asleep which is unusual for me so I am a little tired today.

I can't thank you all enough for your support on yesterday's post. I know there are always two sides to every story and I am no angel BUT facts are facts and I have a proven track record when it comes to taking care of my mom. Neighbors, family members, hospital staff and friends tell me I am a good daughter and I am doing the right thing by her. She has survived Breast cancer, a triple bypass and valve repair and a stroke and I was by her side every time. For this particular situation, she called him and he responded to her call. I would not have called him but it is what it is. I was harsh in my responses to him but I don't feel guilty because I finally said what I have been wanting to say for years. It still makes me sad but I can't dwell on it.

It is supposed to be nice here again this weekend. I am going to have to help my mom on Saturday with tax prep and filing but I do plan on getting on my bike again. Not sure what I will do on Sunday. It is Superbowl so Blinky's is having a party. I most likely will go for a little while but the game does not start until 4:00 p.m. Did you know that Superbowl Sunday is the 2nd largest consumption day next to Thanksgiving? I heard that on the radio this morning and was a little shocked but it makes sense. Hope you all have a great weekend. Until next time...

 

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Yogurt Surfing

How is everybody on this 2nd day of February? I am doing alright. I got on the scale this morning and it said 250. It is 2 lbs. less then last Thursday but the same as last Friday. Throughout the week I saw it bounce around so I am glad it leveled out as a loss from last week.
Do you eat yogurt? There are so many different flavors and brands to choose from. Before I started on my WLJ I had never even tried Greek yogurt and when I read on other blogs about how good it was I had to try it. I have found that I like Chobani the best as far as Greek yogurt goes. For a long time, I was stuck on Yoplait's custard style Vanilla. I also like Activia.  I tried quite a few brands and flavors and some were just downright gross. One that I tried the other day that was fabulous was Blood Orange. The perfect balance of creamy and tart. I found them for a good price at Target and you can print out coupons here.

On the personal front, I am falling apart. I am trying to keep my chin up but it sure is not easy. I got an email from my brother saying he does not plan on helping me at all with mom's arrangements and dissing me about how I have handled it. I am heartbroken... Until next time...