Happy Halloween ~ Got Plans?

Do you have special Halloween plans?

I plan to shop for new winter boots this morning then meet my friends for lunch.

That's always special to me.

 

 

Then tonight, I plan to cook chicken wraps for supper and maybe try out the Pumpkin Muffin recipe that's been flying around Pinterest lately.

I apologize for not posting a link for the recipe but there was no link included with the Pin.  I wonder how many Weight Watcher Points one of these muffins would be.  I need to budget my points today so that I can enjoy one tonight  ~  guilt free. 

Hope you have a wonderful Halloween!

 

 

Edited to add:  I calculate the muffins to be 4 points on the older Weight Watcher's point system.  

My Own Diet Plan ~ maybe I should write a book

I've found a way to get my daily servings of fruits and veggies in and it's really helping with my weight too!

 

What I've been doing lately is at my meals, I've been eating my fruits and vegetables first.  That way I'm not stuffed with the "first foods" of meat and bread, not leaving room for the fruits and vegetables I know I need.  And because of that, I don't eat as much of the entrée.

 

Simplistic I know, but hey, I'm a simple kind of gal.

Here's a current sample of my daily menu:

• Breakfast:  bowl of old fashioned oatmeal with rounded teaspoon each of honey and peanut butter, splash of whole milk. Black coffee,  1/2 cup fruit juice
• Lunch:  First I eat a bowl of fruit (whatever is in season; today was sliced apple, strawberries, grapes, kiwi ~ see picture above), then I have my entrée (today it was leftover chicken pot pie), and 16 ounces of whole milk
• Supper:  Tonight we're having chicken/dressing, and stir-fried zucchini/onions.  (I'll eat the zucchini/onions first, then the chicken/dressing.

Note:  I buy 98% or more of my groceries at Aldi.  They have the fruits and vegetables that are currently in season at great prices! 

Who knows, I may even throw caution to the wind tonight and make a dessert!  After seeing all the pumpkin specialty foods in the store today ~ coffee creamer, pumpkin flavored cream cheese, pumpkin bread mixes ~ and after reading the long list of ingredients in a few of them, I threw a can of pumpkin into my cart (only ingredient was pumpkin).  Then I grabbed a half gallon of vanilla ice cream (didn't look at its ingredients:), for good measure.  I don't know what I'll make but I bet I can find something yummy on Pinterest and I'll top it with ice cream, insuring its yumminess.

So if you count up my fruits/veggies for the day it comes to at least five, not counting the pumpkin dessert and vegetables in the chicken pot pie (which I made from scratch with fresh vegetables).  I know that They've now upped the desired daily servings to 8-11, but I'm trying to be realistic.  If I put 8-11 servings of fruits/vegetables into my short little body, I wouldn't have room left over for anything else and I have no intention of giving up meat, bread, whole milk, and an occasional sweet treat. 

The great benefits that go along with getting these healthy servings in, other than weight loss, are that I'm having more energy and things are more regular if you know what I mean.

What about you?  How many servings of fruits/veggies do you get a day? 
Do you have a fun/creative way of getting them in?  I'd love to hear!

Weigh-In Day!

I've made Thursdays my official Weigh-in Day.
I've been good.
I've stayed within my Weight Watcher's Points.
I've drunk my water.
I've eaten my fruits and vegetables.
I've exercised.

So holding my breath, I step on the scales.

Down 1.8 pounds!!!

 

 

I'm thrilled, especially since I only started counting my Points on Monday!

At this rate, my Fall clothes will fit more comfortably real soon.

 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

 

 

 

After spending all day yesterday...by myself...in the kitchen canning tomatoes, I'm rewarding myself with a day off today.  Lunch with friends!  Yaaaay!!!

 



Wednesday

It's still definitely summer here in Alabama but I've started dreaming of fall.

I bought a piece of fabric at Hobby Lobby for a new fall skirt.

It's a soft baby corduroy.

I washed and dried the fabric already and it came out of the dryer unwrinkled!

That's always great news because it means I'll hopefully have a skirt that I won't have to iron.

I'll wait a little while before I cut out and sew the skirt.

I want to wait and see where my Weight Watcher's season leaves me.

I don't really want to go down a size from what I've been wearing, I just want that size to fit a little looser than it has been.

I stuck to my Weight Watcher's Points yesterday.

I walked 2.6 miles.

I ate my 5 veggies/fruits.

I drunk my water.

And you know what?  I've had lots more energy!

That's a big incentive to stick with the Point counting.

Today is canning day.  Again.

I plan to get into the garden and gather my tomatoes early.

Maybe I can have them canned before noon!



Day 1: Back on Weight Watchers

Day 1 back on Weight Watchers is going well.  I made a 0-Point vegetable soup and decided to eat it for lunch instead of for supper like I first planned.  It would be too hard to eat vegetable soup while everyone else eats the hot meal that I cook!

So, I'll do like I did when I was on Weight Watchers before, eat what everyone else is eating for supper, but just make sure I'm eating the portion size to fit my Points allotment.  I think that's one reason I've kept off the extra pounds as long as I have (eight or more years), because WW taught me how to eat the foods I always eat but in smaller portions.  I think I've lost sight of those smaller portions lately so I'll go back to measuring and weighing until I relearn them.

I also need to incorporate the simpler way I've been cooking the last couple of years, soup or a casserole served with a side of raw veggies.  If the cooking becomes too time intensive, I know me, I'll just grab whatever's handy to eat.

I've found soups to be the best bang for my buck ~ or food for my points. So, tonight we're having chili.  The weather's a little warm right now for chili, but my tummy doesn't care.

Slow Cooker Chili

In a skillet, cook until meat is brown:

1/2 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 - 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves minced garlic

Drain meat and add to slow cooker along with the following ingredients:

quart of tomatoes

2 cans beans, your choice (I use black beans)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 teaspoons mustard

1 teaspoon salt

Stir well.  Cover and cook in slow cooker on low for 4-8 hours. Great served with a dollop of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese!  (If I only had that many points.)

 

I didn't get my menu made in time to put the chili in my slow cooker today, so I'll cook it up in my cast iron Dutch oven.

 

 

 

 

Weight Loss? Ha!

So much for losing those extra three pounds by limiting my food intake.  I went up another pound instead!
I've always said I was made backwards and now I have proof!

 

I don't want to do it, but the only way I know to lose weight, the only way that's ever worked for me with lasting results is the Weight Watchers' At Home plan.  So today, Monday, starts my Point Counting again.

I don't , I don't, I don't want those four pounds to be only the beginning of gaining back those 22 pounds I lost eight or nine years ago.



I've gained back a few before and lost them by just cutting back and walking more.  I've had only one time before that I gained a few pounds and couldn't get rid of them no matter what I did and so I finally did it only by counting Points again.  Well, this will now make two.  So, starting today a-counting I will go.

 

Here's my plan:

Breakfast:  Since I like routine (and oats) I plan to have a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal every morning with peanut butter, honey, chopped dates, and milk.  Never tried it?  You need to.  It's like a (legal) dessert.

Lunch will be a warmed-up, home-cooked meal left over from supper of the night before.

Supper will be Vegetable Soup made from the recipe in my Weight Watchers' Getting Started book. It's really good and hey, it's ZEEEE-RO points!

While losing, Weight Watcher's recommends three servings of milk products a day for teenagers and those over 50.  I'll let you guess which one I am.  They also recommend six glasses of water (no problem), and two teaspoons of good oils (also not a problem).

Can I do it?  We shall see.  Why yes I can! Sure I can!

So, by the time Fall gets here I'll be able to slide right back into my cool weather clothes without missing a beat.

I'm especially looking forward to wearing my favorite brown corduroy skirt again.

 

 



Monday

Dear Diary,
I soooo need inspiration to write regularly.  Maybe I found it?  A Blogalong sounds like fun and inspiration to me.  I'm doing it!  I'm joining in! 

 

I already have my doubts if I can blog e-v-e-r-y   d-a-y  for a whole month.  But hey, it's already got me blogging and it's not even August 1 yet!  So a little's better than nothing, right?  Maybe some of my blogging buddies will even join in with me for more inspiration.  If you want to, here's Effy's link.  (Psst, let me know if you join!)

I had a great weekend!  I attended an outdoor wedding with my hunny on Saturday.  It was a beautiful evening wedding.  A not-hot July day is a very rare and welcomed Alabama event.  The wedding reception was held in a barn.  Yep, a barn, but what a barn!

Then yesterday brought a wonderful time at my family reunion at a great Georgia park.  I didn't take pictures of the park, only family pictures.  Silly me.

And today it's back to normal.  The guys are off to work and I plan to bring order back to our home.  Laundry is already hanging on the line and I have my to-do list made out.  Have I mentioned lately how much I  l-o-v-e my job?  I love being a full-time homemaker.  I really do!  It gives me such pleasure to keep our home clean and running smoothly (most of the time).  I enjoy cooking meals that put a smile on my family's faces.  What a great reward for doing a job that I love so well.  I'm so blessed.

I'm following along with Flylady this week. 

Well, kinda-sorta.  I'm in the same Zone as her but I'm doing my own thing there.  I don't have door knobs in my living room to clean.  Door knobs, really Flylady?  But I do need to pay special attention to my everyday jobs there like pulling out furniture to vacuum and dusting my ceiling fan.  Who knows, I might even clean the windows if the notion strikes!

After the cleaning and laundry have been tackled I plan to make out my menu and grocery list for the week.  On my mental menu for tonight I've planned Hearty Black-Eyed Peas, fresh broccoli/carrots, and cornbread.

And then?  Playtime!  I have a few crafty ideas up my sleeve.  The first one is to sew up some cloth grocery bags to carry with me on my weekly Aldi visit.  My plastic bags are looking pretty grungy and I want some sturdy cloth ones that I can throw in the wash and keep fresh.  I found a free pattern on the internet and I found a piece of cheery canvas fabric in my stash so a-sewing-I-will-go.

My trip to Hobby Lobby last week didn't bring any new hobby ideas for me but it did get me thinking of adding a couple of new skirts to my fall wardrobe.  I may go back tomorrow and pick out a couple of cotton prints for new fall skirts.  I love sewing skirts!  I think they're my favorite things to sew (and wear).  But do I really need more?   I mean, how many skirts does a lady need in her closet anyway?    I've even thought of opening up a shop on Etsy so that I can sew more and more skirts. Maybe...

Oh, and one more, not so fun plan for my week...   CUT BACK ON MY FOOD INTAKE!   I've been bad.  I've gained three pounds and I've got to get rid of it before it turns into five or more!  My problem is, I'm an emotional eater.  I eat more when I'm HAPPY!  But I don't want to swap in that happiness to lose a few pounds.  I guess I've just got to muster up that will-power I found when I lost those 22 pounds nine years ago.  I think I can...I think I can...I think I can....
 

Coffee Happiness

I enjoy coffee.

It makes me happy.

So I have two cups every morning.

Black.

No sugar.

Free embroidery pattern
Wild Olive

I had graduated to drinking two MUGS of coffee each morning, but decided I was going a little overboard.
You can get too much of a good thing!

I got to thinking about coffee drinkers from the 1950's.
Think of the cups June and Ward drunk their morning and evening coffee from.
What about Lucy and Ricky's coffee cups?
They weren't 12 ounce mugs like I was using.
They were tiny.


If June could get her housework done on a tiny cup of coffee (or two) so could I!
 
So, I set out to find myself the "perfect" coffee cup.
It should be small... dainty even.
It should be dark so I don't feel guilty when I see coffee stains in it that I don't want to scrub out.
It should make me happy when I fill it up every morning with my happy brew.
 
It wasn't easy finding the cup to meet all my requirements.
I searched for quite awhile and then
Ta-Da!
There it was sitting on a shelf in the thrift store, just waiting for me!
Simple perfection!

I can now enjoy my small, girly cups of coffee each morning guilt-free

because

I now read that coffee...in moderation...is good for me!

It can help me lose weight!

(You can read that article here.)

And

It keeps me happy and fights off depression!

(Read that article here.)

I'm trying to apply the idea of moderation in other areas of my life.

Maybe I should next look at my sweets consumption.

Would this be considered moderate?

uncommon goods

How about you?

How do you like your coffee?

From a mug?

From a dainty little tea cup?

Black?

Sweet and creamy?

P.S.  Thanks to everyone for your helpful comments on my last post!  I'm still reading and rereading them all and mulling it over.  In the meantime I remain 

~A Happy Valentine~

Linked to:  Show and Tell Friday
                  Pink Saturday
                  Whatever You Want Wednesday

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was the first day of summer and I've made a decision; I'm going to enjoy it!

I've been listening to too many "They say's" lately.  You know, They say I should wear sunblock every second I'm outside, cloudy or rainy.  Oh but now, They say sunblock may actually be bad for me and I need some unprotected time in the sun or my vitamin D levels will be too low.

They said a low fat diet was absolutely necessary for me to have ultimate health.  But wait a minute, now They say I actually need fats for my body to perform the way it should!

Oh last month, They said a high carb diet would give me energy and keep me satisfied while keeping my weight stable.  This month They say, no, it's got to be low ~ or no ~ carbs all the way or I'll get all kinds of inflammation in my body!

 I don't really know who They is, but I'm tired of listening to They  and being jerked around.  I truly want to be healthy, so who should I believe?  I think I'll go to my body's owner's manual and see what it tells me.  Here's the words I'm looking for, straight from the manufacturer:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

                      Proverbs 3: 5-8

Well it's quite simple after all, isn't it?  I'll quit listening to what They say and just listen to what

He says!

Thank You, Lord, for giving such a simple answer to my many questions.

P.S.  And thank you Keren for the wonderful picture of the little girl in her itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini!  How did you know what my inner giggly girl looked  like in a bikini? :)

We did it...we did it...we did it...

With the help of Little Sherry, I finally lost those extra five stubborn holiday pounds.  I've been struggling with them for over three months now, but just couldn't seem to get rid of them.  Deciding I needed help, I made a deal with my inner giggly girl.  I promised I'd make her a new apron if she'd help me lose those five offending pounds.  And together, we did it!  Yes!!!

Guess where we're going today?  Well, first a trip to the Bookmobile, and then on to the fabric store!  I'm going to let Little Sherry pick out any piece of fabric she wants for her new apron.  I think she deserves it!

I'm still taking things slow and easy today, just enjoying life.  It's not easy for me because that's not my style.  But hey, styles change!  Hope you have a great day!  I'm sure we will!

~ Sherry ~

P.S.  What do ya know? My drawing of Little Sherry looks a bit like me.  What a coincidence!

Post linked to: Whatever You Want Wednesday, Good Life Wednesday, Show and Tell Friday

My Holiday Diet Plan

No, I'm not naive enough to think that I can actually lose weight during the holidays. My goal is just to keep any new poundage away. So enters my partner in weight maintenance. I found this cute little 8" brown and pink plate at the Dollar General yesterday and just knew it would be the perfect size to remind me to keep my portions small during the holidays if I want to be small after the holidays.

I know, I'm expecting BIG things from a little plate, but even if it doesn't work I'll still have a cute little dish for my chocolates.

Lose 25 Pounds in One Week!

Just joking, but I got your attention didn't I? Seriously, I think there is some validity to the claims that Apple Cider Vinegar can help with keeping weight down and possibly aid in losing a few pounds. My boys joke that they can't come up with an ailment that ~according to Mom~ Apple Cider Vinegar can't cure.

Here is a quote from the Earth Clinic website:

Apple Cider Vinegar, that wonderful old-timers home remedy, cures more ailments than any other folk remedy -- we're convinced! From the extensive feedback we've received over the past 8 years, the reported cures from drinking Apple Cider Vinegar are numerous. They include cures for allergies (including pet, food and environmental), sinus infections, acne, high cholesterol, flu, chronic fatigue, candida, acid reflux, sore throats, contact dermatitis, arthritis, and gout. Apple Cider Vinegar also breaks down fat and is widely used to lose weight. It has also been reported that a daily dose of apple cider vinegar in water has high blood pressure under control in two weeks!

Apple Cider Vinegar is also wonderful for pets, including dogs, cats, and horses. It helps them with arthritic conditions, controls fleas & barn flies, and gives a beautiful shine to their coats!

If you can get over the taste of apple cider vinegar, you will find it one of the most important natural remedies in healing the body. As a wonderful side effect of drinking apple cider vinegar every day, we've discovered that it brings a healthy, rosy glow to one's complexion! This is great news if you suffer from a pale countenance.


Wow! I've never known anything else with such a wide variety of health claims! You can check out Earth Clinic's website (link above) for testimonial after testimonial and dosage suggestions. I take one tablespoon of vinegar in a half cup of apple juice in the morning and one tablespoon at night in a cup of cold or hot water. I'm convinced it helps me with my weight maintenance and overall general health.

According to most authorities to get the optimum benefits you should use unfiltered, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar with the "mother." I order mine from SwansonVitamins.com. I think $1.62 is cheap for 16 ounces of a miracle cure. But, I've heard of some people that use the plain old cheap pasteurized apple cider vinegar from the grocery store and get good results.

Have you tried it? Do you plan to? I'd love to hear from you!