X-Weighted Fitness Test....

Ouch!!  I still hurt!  On a good note....it only hurts when I move!

X-WEIGHTED!

Ok...I did it!  I signed up for the X-Weighted Challenge!  I am hoping for success!  Duh!  Sorry...I know that one is a no-brainer!

As far as the Fitness Test goes...lets just say that one of my goals now is to FINISH the fitness test!  lol...not good!  But since I haven't exercised for probably at least 2 years...what could I expect really!

Wish me luck and hope that I at least see some success from this!

Not Happy....

Day 4 - starts out being UP 1.5 LBS!!!   I was very good yesterday & stayed under my 1500 calories...1314 to be exact!  I did my exercise & didn't go out for supper.  None of my calories were junk food...and the lovely scale tells me this morning I am UP 1.5 LBS!  Grrrrrrrrrr.........

Here is a photo of my lovely friend, the scale, he may not be around long!!  Not sure why it's sideways..& don't know how to fix it ...but you get the idea.

Day 3 of Healthy Eating!

Finally 3 days ago I got my head around this Healthy Eating & Weight Loss thing...again.  I have to be mentally ready to do it or there is no sense even trying because, as the past has taught me, it won't work!!  So...I am mentally ready...& I have made it, kicking & screaming pretty much unscathed, to Day 3!!!  Yay me!  Lol...it's baby steps they say!

I am trying to keep my calories to around 1500 per day.  Wow!  I didn't realize how quickly that adds up!  I can't even begin to imagine how many calories I was eating before.  I'd like to know, but would be really scared to find out!  Did I mention that I love Junk Food!!!!  I mean I LOVE VEGGIES!  GO VEGGIES!  ugh!

So tonight I actually took a picture of my food...yeah wow!  Glad hubby wasn't home...but he already thinks I'm crazy so I'm sure he would just shake his head & move on!  I'll add it if I can figure out how to do that!  This blogging thing is new to me..

So, I trudge through this searching for tips & hints to make this Weight Loss/Eating Better thing easier.  I have been reading lots of blogs & find them to be quite motivating & I am getting lots of good ideas!  Thanks for that!! 

Here is a recap of my start so far:

Day 1 - Made the commitment to myself to "Do This" Healthy Eating & Weight Loss thing!  Was invited to go out for WINGS!  Noooooooooooooo!  Don't they know that I would have to live on water alone for like 3 days for 1 night of Wings??????  OMG!  Calories for the day - 1486.

Day 2 - Pretty much uneventful.  Stopped at the grocery store on the way home & picked up some more healthy choices.  Went out to a friends house....fatty cheese ball & artichoke dip were served.  Had only a few pieces...but planned that they may have food there before I went so saved some calories..total calories for the day - 1539 (oh yeah...the Martini...that's what put me over!!!)

Day 3 - Not a bad day.  We usually go out for supper with friends on Saturday nights so I was trying to keep that in mind as I ate & did my exercises!  We didn't end up going so that was good.  Made some sort of Chicken Taco concoction (pictured below).  Calories, so far, today - 1214 but will probably have a snack before going to bed.  I am suspecting that Saturdays are probably going to be my worst days normally so this was a good one!

Ok...now to try to add the photo...

Yay!  It worked!

I made this with:

1/2 cup chopped up chicken

1/4 cup kidney beans

1/4 cup salsa

About 1 cup of cut of red & green peppers & red onion

Taco Spice

Cumin

Garlic

Body Wise Flour Tortillas

I added a bit more salsa on the Flour Tortilla before I put the mixture on.  You could also add a bit of cheese or sour cream...depending on how many calories you have to spare!!  It was quite tasty!

2010...A New Year...A New Decade...A New Start!

Ok..time to refresh & restart all those "goals".  I have a long list of goals for this year that I am still working on getting together..keeping them reasonable  &writing them down.  Of course losing weight & eating healthier are at the top of the list...again! 

Last year was a busy year & I didn't have much time or energy to accomplish last years "goals".  Soooo now I have a lot of catching up to do!  Oh well, a new year...a new fresh start!  No use dwelling on the past!

I do hope to start Blogging a little more...it's kinda nice to sit & write stuff down.  I do find it hard to actually say what I feel or open up about anything...so we'll see how that goes!

Welcome 2010....let's see what this year brings!

Mmmmmmmm Vanilla

Ok, for my very first Blog entry I'm going to talk about vanilla.  Making homemade vanilla to be exact!  For whatever reason I get all Martha Stewarty thinking I can do all these fancy homemade things.  Unfortunately, I'm not really all that good at being Martha Stewarty!  But, in this case - fortunately for me, homemade vanilla is an easy one!  (I once had a fleeting thought of making my own soap, but wisely figured that using the lye would be MUCH too dangerous for someone like me...so I gave up on that idea rather quickly with a hint of disappointment!)  There are various recipes out there, but basically it is a whole complicated process of sticking a few vanilla beans into some of your favorite liquor, shaking it daily (or whenever you remember is more likely for me!) & waiting for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks before you can try it.  Vodka, rum & bourbon seem to be the liquors of choice.  For my first attempt I tried Vodka.  I started this about 2-3 weeks ago.  Once I get something in my head I need to do it "right away".  Soooo...off I went in search of vanilla beans, having no idea where one buys vanilla beans?  I looked online for some sort of clue as to where I might find them locally...no luck!  One day shortly after I was walking through Sobeys & lo & behold there are vanilla beans - $6.95 for two!  Wow...but being the patient person that I am, I bought them so I could get started with my little project.  Of course when I got home & checked the recipes, I needed more vanilla beans...oh well, I'll add more later (thinking hopefully I'd be able to find them a little cheaper).  So I searched out some vodka...found a bottle with about 250 ml or so left...don't I have more Vodka around than that?????  Where did it all go??  Caesar's maybe?  Anyways, so I sliced the vanilla beans & scraped out the little seeds & plopped the beans & seeds into the Vodka.....better to get it started now as recipes suggest that you let it sit for a MIMIMUM of 6 to 8 weeks before use!  So, I got it all started with the supplies that I had....then went online to search out some more (hopefully cheaper) vanilla beans.  That's when I found the "Vanilla Food Company" - and they are in CANADA!  Yay!!  I had seen them recommended on a few of the things I had read, so I thought I would give them a try.  So, I placed my order for 1/2 lb of vanilla beans (go big or go home!).  Well, it was only a few days before my vanilla scented package arrived!  Impressive!!  Unfortunately, it arrived just before I went away on vacation.  So, before I left, I cut up a few beans, scraped out the seeds, plopped it in the vodka with the other ones, shook it & stored it away in a dark place as recommended.  I was going to ask my hubby to shake it for me while I was gone...but figured he would only think I'm crazier than he already thinks I am ...so I whispered a few words of reassurance to my bottle of budding vanilla that I'd be back in a week or so to visit & give it a good shake, closed the door & left.

Now, about 2 1/2 weeks later, home from vacation, visited my vanilla & gave it a good shake, & caught up on a few things...well...not really.  But figuring I should try making more vanilla with Rum to see the difference.  So home I go, search out some empty bottles...where are they when you need them?  Ok...so I found an empty Vodka bottle...so I'll make my Rum vanilla in a Vodka bottle & my Vodka vanilla was made in a Olive Oil bottle...makes sense to me?!  I cut up my vanilla beans & plopped them into the Rum & gave it a good shake.  Put him in the cubby hole next his Vodka buddy & left them alone to bond.   Now to remember to shake 'em!!  Although that shouldn't be a problem because I can't resist looking at them at least every few days?  They are so cute together!

Sooooo, I still have tons of vanilla beans left...1/2 lb is a LOT of vanilla beans!!  Next on the list - vanilla sugar...again extremely easy...but sounds kinda fancy doesn't it?!  Cut up the vanilla beans, scape the seeds out, throw it all in with some sugar, stir it around, cover tightly & shake.  Store it in a dark place & shake!  (Gonna be a full time job shaking vanilla stuff!).  I decided to be really fancy & try it with both Raw Sugar & regular Granulated Sugar...maybe I am kinda Martha Stewarty....or not!

Hmmmm...what to do with all those other vanilla beans???  I guess I'll have to do some research on that!  Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated!

Can't wait to see how it all turns out!