A little update

I haven't fallen off of the face of the earth or given up on my way of eating.  I'm still alive and well.  I'm still losing weight and eating low carb.  We're just getting a new roof right now and my internet is sketchy.  It was out for a week but is back to working for right now, even though the roof is still not done....

Today the scale said 269!  Out of the 270s!  Hurray!!  Adios 270s, the next time I want to see a _70 in a weight I want it to say 179!  :)

I had a week or two that my scale didn't move much, but all in all things have been evening out.  I'm down 31 pounds now!  Pretty good for almost 3 months now.  I just hope I can maintain that 10 lb a month average.  I have 69 pounds to lose by March 8th, which is now 7 months and 10 days away.  So, if I keep up the average of 10 lbs a month I'll get there!  Oh, how I'm hoping this will happen, but if it doesn't and I'm still pretty close to my desired goal, I'm not going to beat myself up about it.  As long as I'm trying my hardest, that's what matters most.

I had a 2 week trial gym membership while my internet was out.  I went twice.  I hurt my knee the second time, I'm thinking on the elliptical machine.  Dang thing.  I had to stop walking for a few days because of it too.  So, I'm done with the gym, it's just not for me.  But, I did also try aqua zumba, and I really like that!  I've been to that twice and wish I could go more often.

So, things have been going great.  I've had the occasional craving, but I've stayed true to myself and not given into them.  I'm pretty proud of myself for that!

275 Before and During Photos

I had my husband take some pictures for me today after I got home from my walk, you'll have to excuse my makeup less sweaty self.  (You can click the picture to make it bigger.)

 I can see some difference on the side view, but the forward one not so much.  Still, it's progress.  The scale finally said 275 this morning!  And in the before pictures, actually right after them I weighed myself and the scale said 299, it wasn't the morning though, so I subtracted a few pounds to get the 296 that I originally wrote on my weigh-ins.  But, that's what the scale said.... 

Summer Time

I'm ready for school to start again!!!!!!!!!!  Please?  My kids are driving me nuts, but I'm trying to keep them entertained.  The next 10 days they have swimming lessons, which is great, since it gets them out of the house and in the water!  That water sure does look nice too! 

Anyway, this weekend was full of summertime parties.  We went to a friend's backyard party on Friday, then we had my 5 year old's birthday party on Saturday afternoon and then Saturday evening we went to yet another backyard party.  Lots of hot dogs and burgers later and this morning on my weigh-in day I managed to stay the same as last week.  All week long the scale was registering at 1 lb lost, even yesterday it said that, then this morning I'm at 276.  sigh.....  So, I'm still at 24 lbs lost I guess.  Not that I'm not trying!  I tried really hard to stay on track at all of those parties and I think I was pretty successful.  I didn't eat even a bite of carb laden foods.  I brought that broccoli slaw to the Friday party and had that with some dill pickles and 1.5 hot dogs that were a little higher in carbs then I would like, but I still stayed under my carbs for the day.  Then Saturday afternoon I stayed away from the chips and cupcakes and stuck with the zero carb sausages that we brought.  Then Saturday evening I ate a burger and a hot link for dinner with some tomato, onion and lettuce.  Not once did I even THINK about cheating.  Oh well.  The body is a funny thing.  I'm sticking my guns though and hoping that since I didn't lose this past week that it will all fall off this week.  Crossing my fingers!!

I'm going to see if my husband will take some pictures of me tonight or tomorrow morning so that I can see the difference.  I can feel it though!  My pants are constantly having to be pulled up!  But, I still can't quite fit into the smaller size yet.  Soon...

Broccoli Slaw

I first heard of this recipe from The American Homemaker blog.  She adds craisins and uses real sugar in her recipe, and I've made it that way before we were doing low carb, but it's just as good this way!!  This is a great side dish to go with grilled meats or even baked meat dishes.  It's also great to take as a pot luck dish to a bbq.  This entire recipe is only 16 net carbs, so if you wanted to serve 4, it would be 4 carbs per serving.  And that gives very generous servings.  Todd requests this salad a lot, that along with a blue cheese coleslaw that I make.  I'll have to share that recipe the next time I make it.

Broccoli Salad 
16 net carbs for whole recipe

½ cup real bacon pieces (from a package or freshly cooked)
12 oz pkg broccoli coleslaw mix (you can find this by the regular coleslaw mix in most stores)
½ cup sunflower seed kernels (shelled, get the roasted and salted kind)
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP splenda
1 c mayo

In a large bowl combine the broccoli slaw, bacon bits and sunflower seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, splenda and mayo. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

Yum!!  I made this delicious chicken for dinner tonight.  I was so excited to eat it that I completely forgot that I had made a huge salad and had put it in the fridge.  I remembered after I ate and wasn't hungry for anything else, so I guess I'll save the salad for tomorrow.

I got this recipe from Low Carb Layla  I did change a few things though, which I'll note in the recipe below.  I highly recommend this chicken and it was great served with low carb tortilla chips made by frying a low carb tortilla in oil and then sprinkling with salt and some homemade guacamole and sour cream.  Yum!  If you're even thinking of doing low carb, don't hesitate!  This is what I get to eat while losing weight!  I don't feel deprived at all!!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken
 3.5 carbs per serving


3 chicken breasts seasoned with:
Goya Adobo con Cumino (or cumin if you don't have this)
chili powder 
season salt

2 cloves garlic, minced
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (I used pickled because that's what I had on hand)
4 oz full fat cream cheese
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro (plus more to garnish)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 TBSP heavy cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Pan fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon but leave grease.  Sprinkle goya adobo, chili powder and season salt on each side of chicken breasts and pan fry in the bacon grease until browned on each side.  Remove chicken and place on a greased baking dish, continue cooking in oven until cooked through. While the chicken is cooking in the oven, cook the chopped jalapeno and garlic in the same pan the chicken was browned in and cook for approximately 2 minutes over medium heat.  Add chicken broth, scraping and deglazing the pan.  Add cream cheese and stir in until melted.  Add shredded cheddar and stir until melted.  Add in the heavy cream and stir until thickened, this could take up to five minutes.  Add bacon crumbles and cilantro, stirring through for a minute or so.  Spoon sauce over cooked chicken.  Garnish with extra bacon, cilantro and jalapenos if desired.

Random Thoughts

I walked this morning for the first time since Saturday when I got an enormous blister on the bottom of my foot after walking for 4 miles with really thin socks on.  I couldn't really walk for two days after that.  Ouch!  Then my foot was feeling better but I had sick kids.  I tried to go out yesterday, but the baby woke up right before my alarm was set to go off and she had a fever and needed her mama.  She seems to be feeling a bit better today.  I was able to get in 2 miles this morning.  I got some gel inserts for my shoes the other day, but my feet aren't used to them or something and they make my feet hurt.  So, I'm not sure if they are really what I needed.  I really just probably need to fork over the big bucks to get some better walking shoes.  Who knows when that will be able to happen though.  Something always comes up that needs money (most recently a car needing to be fixed after being stranded 40 miles from home)! 

My eating has been really good.  Sticking to my low carb way of eating without much effort, not cheating at all.  But, the scale hasn't moved much since that 5 lb loss last week.  I was actually back up 2 lbs and then back to the 276 and then yesterday I was down to 275 and then this morning I'm back to 276.  So, I guess my body is trying to readjust after that big loss last week.  I'm not really liking it though!!  I guess I still have 4 days until I have to weigh in and things could change a lot by then. I'm hoping they do at least, in my favor. 

I haven't been able to look into the Zumba classes yet because I've had sick kiddos.  Maybe I'll be able to do that soon though.  We have a birthday party that had to be rescheduled for this Saturday since the birthday boy was sick on his real birthday on Monday.  Hopefully everyone stays feeling well so we don't have to cancel it yet again.  That would really stink!! 

I think I might start sharing recipes that I like on here.  That way I can keep track of the ones that I've tried and liked.  And maybe give people some suggestions of good things to eat while on low carb.  I think that variety in the diet is the key to success.  Not getting bored of eating the same things over and over again.  Because then you just want to give up!  Which, if you are eating a variety of delicious things, shouldn't even happen.  So, I'll probably start sharing some good recipes.  I also have my pinterest low carb board that has lots of good looking low carb recipes.  yum!

Oh!!  I saw this picture on pinterest the other day and had to pin it.
This picture is of a 250 lb woman and a 120 lb woman.  Just look at all that horribleness on the 250 lb woman's body!  Look at her insides, how much bigger they are than the 120 lb woman.  But also look at her muscles, underneath all that fat, they almost look the same.  Almost.  I know I probably won't ever be 120 lbs, and I'm currently over 250 lbs, but this is a good reminder!  Something to keep looking at as a reminder of what I don't want my body to look like, not only on the outside, but on the insides too.