Week 2 Check In - 94 days to go

Current Weight: 157
Pounds lost: 1 miracle pound
Pounds to go: 12

CHEERS:

• When I showed up to work on Monday there was a plethora of delicious cupcakes in the teacher's lounge. I didn't eat one.
• With the crazy week I had, and Joe working late, I normally would have eaten out two nights this week. Instead, I resisted the urge and didn't eat out at all.
• I ate a healthy breakfast every day this week. I'm lovin me some Multi-grain Cheerios

JEERS:

• I only went to the gym once. It's sad, I know. Between a sick baby and busy work week for Joe and I, it just didn't happen
• Friday night I drank half a bottle of wine and ate a 3 musketeers and a half a can of sour cream and onion pringles. They were all so good. I need to be careful about those little cheats.

Goals for this week:

• Go to the gym more times than I did last week. (I should hopefully be able to beat 1 time)
• Drink more water.

No one linked up with me, so I am on my own. That's okay. I look forward to the shame you will all pour on me for my jeers this week. :)

Soupy Sunday

Clam Chowder

Usually when I am making a soup, I read through a few recipes and then venture out on my own to create something yummy. Well this week I wanted to make clam chowder. I've never made a cream based soup before, so I decided to stick to a recipe for my first time out. I found this one at the Food Network website. I was happy to find a low fat recipe as well, to help me stick to my goal. Since I've given you the link, I won't repeat the ingredients and steps. What I will do is tell you the tweaks I made and how it turned out.

Tweaks:

I had small red potatoes, so I didn't peel them. No way was I taking the time to peel those tiny things. I also just used my immersion blender right in the pot instead of dirtying up my big blender. It worked nicely.

How it turned out:

It was good. I have to say, clam chowder just isn't one of those food that should be made low fat. Using full fat half and half would have made this much creamier. I also think this soup is the kind that tastes better the next day after all the flavors have a chance to meld together. So if I made this again, I'd use regular half and half and make it the day before.

It was kind of fun making the clams. I got some really fresh ones, and they were delicious.

It's 4:00 AM

Do you know where your kids are?!

Mine was bundled up in a blanket and sitting on the front porch with me.

Why you ask?

My wise pediatrician had told me that the cold air is great for clearing out stuffy noses.

With a super sick baby who can't breath and has a fever...the front porch seemed like the perfect place to spend 15 minutes.

So we bundled up and headed out. I swear I heard a sigh of relief from my little snuggle bug.

I can't wait to have my healthy, energetic baby back.

P.S. These are 8 month pictures from three weeks ago...better late than never.

Check out my teeth

I'm gonna get you

Just Kidding!

Week 1 Check In - 101 Days to go

I've never been to weight watchers. Is it like AA?

Hi! My name is Nikki and I want to lose weight.

Current Weight: 158 pounds
Goal Weight: 145 punds
Pounds to go: 13

Goals for this week:

• Workout at least 4 days
• eat a healthy breakfast every day of the week
• don't give in to temptation in it's truest form...a Wendy's Frosty

I hope you will join me and link up below.

Soupy Sunday

In true bad blogger fashion, I skipped a couple of weeks. Oh, well.

Chicken and White Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

1 red bell pepper

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. cumin

1 small chicken cooked and chopped

1 quart chicken stock

2 cans white beans (I used great northern)

Chop up onion, pepper and garlic. Saute in EVOO in a stock pot until soft. Next, add up the chopped chicken. I borrowed a little help from the store and used an already baked rotisserie chicken. Joe ate the legs and wings, so I pulled the rest of the meat off and chopped it up. Add in your spices and stir to coat the veggies and chicken. Pour in your chicken stock.

While the stock comes to a boil, open your cans of beans. Drain and rinse one can. With the other, mash up about half of the can with a fork. This is a tip I got from Rachel Ray and will add a thickness to your soups. Add both cans to the pot. Bring everything up to temperature and serve with your choice of chili toppings.

How it turned out:

While it was completely delicious, let's be honest it was more of a soup than a chili. It definitely was not what I was thinking in my head when I started out. I used my standard chili recipe and knew as soon as I added the chili powder it would be a red soup. I was thinking of one of those white chicken and bean chilis. So, I definitely pictured something different than what I made. It was very good, but if I was going to eat a spicy chicken soup, I would definitely go for the chicken tortilla soup I made a couple of weeks ago.

Does anyone have a good recipe for a white chicken chili like I was thinking?

Weight Watchers is Expensive

So join me instead! I found out it costs $12 dollars per week to participate in the Weight Watchers near me. That sounds like a ridiculous amount of money to pay to weigh myself in front of a bunch of strangers. I figure, why pay all that money to humiliate myself when I can do it here for free! I've decided to start my own little club of people who have weight loss goals. I won't charge you a penny or make you count points. I will provide you with support in your goal. I will also fully accept your support and shame in reaching my goal. (Shame would totally be appropriate when I eat chocolate cake for breakfast.)

My goal is to reach my pre-pregnancy weight by Harper's first birthday. If I start Monday, that gives me 101 days to lose 13 pounds. I think this is a pretty realistic goal!

If you are interested in participating in my group, do the following...

1.) Make a realistic goal for how much weight you would like to lose by 4-20-2011
2.) Blog about your weight loss goals and encourage others to join you
3.) Link up below.

I will do weekly updates that you can join in with. I am also thinking about having a super secret surprise for everyone who meets their goal and has participated each week. (let me know if you have an suggestions for this)

Check back in for the official start on Monday.



P.S. I will still be sharing my journey even if no one else participates. Feel free to offer your support and shame even if you decide not to join.

I'm Addicted

I have found myself in a serious predicament of being addicted to some not so healthy things. I've been to the gym 6 out of the last 8 days, but I probably haven't lost a pound due to the following addictions.

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

Seriously...peppermint flavored crack is in this drink. I do try to be good and get skim milk and no whip....still has 310 calories. So the two I had last week = 620 calories

Frosty

I think the Wendy's near me has a super secret recipe for these. The last two I've had (in the past week) have been the best Frostys ever. I just had one and could totally eat another. With each one also coming is at 310 calories, that's another 620.

Irish Creme Hershey Kisses

I was at a friends house and discovered these little gems. It's like drinking Bailey's, but I can drive home afterward. I haven't broken down and bought any myself YET and I might get lucky because I think they are only a holiday item so I might not be able to find them. That doesn't mean the 10 I ate while I was there didn't add approximately 230 calories to my total.

So with a total of 1470 calories from my new addictions, I don't think my gym time has helped much. Although it's probably kept my a$$ from turning into a chocolaty mess.

What are you addicted to?