New Numbers, Bad Timing

Last week, I shared my ONEderland excitement.  I'm still there... but it's been a rough week.

My brother came to Colorado for the weekend to visit!  While we had a good time, there were way too many chips and guacamole on Friday night, a delicious filet on Saturday (he grills the best), and way too many glasses of wine as well.... EEKS!

I need to weigh in again soon, and I'm a little nervous I may be back into the 2's.

Here's a challenge that everyone out there can appreciate... I was invited to a work "recognition dinner" for one of my client teams.  "Sure, I'd love to... Where is it?" I say...

Seriously.  That's where I said I'd go.

HAVE YOU SEEN THEIR MENU???

The Olive Garden menu is a dieter's nightmare, even when you think you're doing well.

They have SO many dishes above 1000 calories, and only a tiny few below 500.  You can do a soup and salad for less than 500 and you can do their Linguini alla Marinara for 430 or their Venetian Apricot Chicken for 400.  That's about it, folks. 

Disclaimer:  Unless you go for lunch.  They do have lunch options that are better.  Although, I did once go for lunch and ordered a grilled chicken salad.  I "made" my own off the menu putting grilled chicken on their classic garden salad with the lowfat dressing.  How about they did it, but the chicken had BREADING on it!?  Seriously... GRILLED chicken with breading.  Dieters Beware!

Tonight, unsure about my feelings for Apricot Chicken, I opted for the Linguini alla Marinara (switching to whole wheat pasta) and splitting the dish down the middle to only eat half!  SUCCESS!  I think I did pretty darn good considering.  I did get home and find out that the bowl of salad I ate was insane in calories because of the regular dressing.  Not even sure how a salad could be that insanely calorific (invented word, but appropriate!)


Let's hope the rest of the week is predictable and JC-approved...

ONEderland: I've Arrived

I finally faced the scale today... and have great news to report!

I WEIGH LESS THAN 200 lbs! 

I WEIGH LESS THAN 200 LBS!!

Hmmm... I kind of expected bells to ring and parades to be taking place in town, but instead I celebrated quietly.  I bantered with encouraging friends via BBM who were eagerly awaiting the results, excitedly shared a phone call with my fellow JC'er/sis-in-law Beth, and I wore a perma-smile ALL DAY LONG.  That's how I celebrated, and I also added two more rewards. :)

SOMETHING TO REMEMBER IT

I know that some of you MUST be fans of the Biggest Loser.  I can't believe that I'm the only one out there who gets wildly motivated by watching the cast members lose amazing amounts of weight.  Well, this season, I just LOVED the ladies who competed.  Sisters and Purple Team Members Hannah Curlee and Olivia Ward were my faves, particularly Hannah. 

Even though she wasn't the Biggest Loser, I just related a lot to her story as a single girl from Nashville who had a significant amount of weight to lose.  Well, she wore a necklace to EVERY weigh in that I just loved.  Anyone else see it? 

Through the magic of the internet, I found the necklace at Zoe Chicco Jewelry's website. I wanted it to be my ONEderland necklace, and so it is.  A reminder to me that I never want to see that TWO again, and a beautiful piece to be proud to wear as a result of my accomplishment.  One larger circle to represent where I was, and the smaller one to represent where I am and where I will be in the future - SMALLER.

I debuted my necklace today, and I love it. :)

SOMETHING TO SAVOR

Shame on me for rewarding myself with food.... but I decided to have a small cup of Golden Spoon frozen yogurt (4 oz) to celebrate as well.  A reasonable snack that could be incorporated into my diet, I've only ONCE gone into the yogurt shop since it popped up about 8 months ago next to my usual grocery store.  HUGE WILLPOWER, right? 

Well, I had a 4 oz. Cake Batter Fat Free Yogurt, and it was yummy and refreshing.  I don't crave it or need it tomorrow, but I just kind of wanted it today.  So, I did it!

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT THROUGH THIS PROCESS!  I can't even tell you how encouraging your comments have been. 

Note:  This process has been much easier than I thought it would be 57 lbs ago.  If you don't think you can do it and/or doubt you'll make it far enough, be determined and WANT it.  That's all I've done, the secret to my success.  I promise I don't even wear a cape. :)

Alright, let's go after that last 33.8 lbs now!

xoxo - Kelly

Scale-o-phobe!

"Hi.  My Name is Kelly, and I'm afraid of the scale."

Ok, it's been two days, and it's time for me to check in. I woke up on Monday morning, and I knew I was retaining water!  My fingers were sorta swollen and I am sure it was the low sodium soy sauce I ate the day before.  When I got on the scale, my weight was 200.8!  GASP!!!


I just couldn't go weigh in and see that number staring back at me.  I just couldn't.  I called my JCC and cancelled my appointment.  I felt a little bad, as it was the first time I've EVER cancelled or ran away during this process.  I knew though that it was necessary.  One time only, I will allow it.


Good News:  I've got a showdown with the scale, scheduled for BRIGHT AND EARLY Thursday morning... And the numbers are going to look fantastic!


Stay tuned!

In other much anticipated news.... I FINALLY finished a knitting project I've been working on for MONTHS.  Little Baby Anthony won't notice that it's 3 months late, right??  He's such a cutie.  I hope he likes it!  

To embarrass myself further, I need to make one for Baby Nick too, who is about the same age... Eeks!

If you're a knitter, here's the link to the pattern. Super easy to make!

Unofficial Excitement

I spent another week on the road.  And, a pretty solid week on JC!  My only hesitation in saying that it was phenomenal is associated with the FOUR Cafe Rio Fire Grilled Chicken Salads I ate for lunch.  They were so delicious and mostly pico de gallo, but still I'm not sure on their stats and how that will effect me this week.


Saturday morning when I weighed in, I did have quite the surprise...

Whoa... 199.6 is what the scale read (and it's HARD to take a pic of the numbers, but I think you get the gist.)  So, the rest of my weekend has been spent trying to protect this loss.  I only "count" my weigh-ins at the center since my weight fluctuates every day a bit.  I've been SOOO dedicated JC for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... I'm 100% on plan and even went for a nice walk today.


While Saturday was a day where my weight was led with a 1, I saw that ugly 2 again this morning.  Grrrrrrr!


Trying to stay optimistic, I'm hoping tomorrow morning's the big day!!!!!  Stay tuned!

Shopping Adventures in SLC

After staying up SUPER late last night to do work, I'm all caught up on all things job-related.  So, when I finished up my visits today, I decided to do what EVERY girl does with spare time away from home... SHOP!  I also conveniently have extra space in my suitcase this trip, so the planets must have aligned appropriately for this outing!

And, because I had extra time, I decided to venture out to new shopping locations.  I'd mentioned in previous blogs that I'd hope to one day shop at Loft and White House Black Market.  I knew that there was one not far from my last client visit, so I decided to try it out!

I was a little disappointed by what I found, honestly.  They had a lot of cute short dresses for summer that these legs aren't quite ready for and their pants sizes only went up to a 14.  Hmmpf.  BUT... I found a couple of cute tops and sent them back to the fitting rooms to wait for me to get done looking.

Because I was feeling adventurous, I decided to also take back two pairs of capris that were on sale, both in a size 14.  I mean, I'm wearing a 14W from Lane Bryant... that has to be close right?  Knowing this could be a disaster, I headed back to the dressing room.

Well, there were things that didn't fit.  I had grabbed a few tops optimistically in a large, and well.... they WERE TOO BIG!  Had to go down to a MEDIUM.  And, the capris... well, they half fit.  One pair fit and one pair was a little snug.  I went ahead and bought BOTH!

One thing I do quite a lot is buy the next size down when I shop.  I seem to be growing out of stuff quite quickly, so it's nice to have backups handy.  The thought of being to "shrink into" these is great... super excited to get there.  I've been craving white cargo capris for a while. Hopefully, I'll be able to wear them before it's time to put up the white pants

Interestingly and because sizes are screwy, I'll also mention that I went to the store directly next to Loft - DownEast Basics, and found myself purchasing XL tops and dresses. 

I find it so weird that one store can have you in a medium, while the next has you in an XL.  I guess these clothes are made for teenagers or something, but they looked so adorable I couldn't resist.

Check out this "Heavenly Dress" - - It's so cute on!  And this adorable sheer top...

Sort of an expensive evening, but I think the experience was priceless overall to be able to fit into NORMAL clothes.  Once again, I'm just so thankful that I made the decision to take this JC journey.

Now, time to get to ONEderland and to get into those white capris!  Let's do this, folks!

Victory and an NSV from 30,000 Feet

It's with great pleasure and with great pride that I announce that I lost -2.4 lbs this week!  What???  Yep, -2.4 lbs, I said! 

The spell has been broken!  I'm officially down again!  Wooooooooo!  So happy about all of this.  Now I am just 1.6 away from ONEderland!!!!!  Words cannot describe my excitement (but perhaps the number of exclamation points I just used will give you a clue.)

A big loss is definitely a great way to start a Monday.  As usual, I had to weigh quickly and get the heck out of town!  When you're traveling somewhere you get to see beautiful sites like this, it's really not so bad.

Middle of Nowhere, Idaho

This week, my travels take me to Idaho and Utah.  So, as usual, I trucked to the airport to do my thing (aka... to take an awesome airnap - - which is some of my favorite sleep!)

So... what's my NSV?  Here's a hint.  It has something to do with flying....

As a Denver girl, you KNOW I'm flying Frontier Airlines (only the best airline in the world!)  Their cabins are so cozy with the TVs and the stretch seating that I just love...

Stretch seating just adds like 5 inches to your legroom, and it feels like 1st class since it's in the front of the cabin.  I like to think I'm VIP, so you know I like that, too.  Now, stretch seating adds legroom, but it doesn't add any width to the seat.

So.. The TVs are fantastic and everyone likes to watch them, right?  Well, the TVs were something that I had grown to HATE when flying. When you've got a large bottom, sometimes you fill that seat a little too much... and sometimes (gasp) you even expand into other people's space.

I'd blogged before that my most DREADED thing about traveling as an overweight person was the possibility that I'd eventually have to ask for a seatbelt extender (eeks!).  That was a future embarrassing moment, but unfortunately, there was a weekly moment I was having that was SO humiliating.

The fab TVs that Frontier has are controlled by the armrests.  I always sit on the window, so there's someone sharing my armrest.  Now if you "expand into other people's space" as I mention above, there are times when the armrest wont go down properly, and on most days, you can feel it every time the person next to you changes the channel.  Mostly because they are literally pressing down on your hip fat.  This was MORTIFYING for me.  There was one time when a guy was smacking the armrest down trying to get it down... not realizing my chubby body was pushing it back up.  SO EMBARRASSING.

So, I noticed today... that it's been a LONG time since anyone has woken me up from an airnap due to the dumb armrest, and it's been forever since I felt squished into the seat.  When I looked down today... there was space, folks!  I mean, I carry my weight in my butt, hips, thighs, so it's not like you could fit two of me in the seat, but there is no longer this issue. 

I cannot even tell you how big my smile was when I realized it, and interestingly enough... it was right about the time when the flight attendant came by with a WARM signature Frontier chocolate chip cookie.  Amidst my smile, I offered a polite "no, thank you" and was so glad I'd made the decision to say "no thank you" to many temptations over the past 6+ months.

Hoping for a Good LOSS this Week

So.. last week's weigh-in was TERRIBLE.  For a TWO-WEEK period, I lost only -.4 lbs.  Yep, that's only .2 lbs lost each week.  You can imagine my devastation.


Here's a secret about weight loss that I'll share with you.  You know, just amongst friends.  When I don't lose weight, I know EXACTLY why.  It doesn't take me long to remember the sample Magnum Ice Cream Bar I nibbled on at SuperTarget, or the yummy Popchips I ate at the Orlando Airport (even if I threw over half of the bag in the trash). HONEST!


Now my frustration was that I wasn't participating in this program properly.  Nothing like half-assing things and then being mad at yourself.  My JCC wanted to "talk through it" but it wasn't anything she could help me with... just something I needed to do.  As you know, if you do the program, you lose the weight.  It's as easy as that, and I wasn't doing the program.


As a result, I've become recommitted to Jenny Craig... I need to eat right, weigh in weekly (as opposed to every 2 weeks), and workout when I can!  This week, I have been more diligent than I've been in some time!  I've been eating the breakfast, eating a Subway Veggie Sammie for lunch, and JC for dinner all the way!  Overall, I'm pretty impressed with myself!


AND... We all weigh in during the week, right?  I check my scale every day or so to make sure I'm where I want to be... I SWEAR, I saw it DOWN -3 yesterday!  Oh my goody goodness!  If I could be down -3 this week, that would be ridiculously fabulous!  Hell, I'll take two!


In a desire to hold onto that low number, I went and worked out today at the trails!  Lots of uphill walking in a new spot near Standley Lake!  Note the view of the Rockies! :)
  

VERY good place.. I felt like I was out in the wilderness for real!  Lots of pretty wildflowers, prairie dogs, and the BIGGEST dandelion I've ever seen!

There was even a sign at the trailhead saying to watch out for coyote, which was a little unsettling.  Especially when it included instructions for what to do if attacked!  Eeks!  PS... If attacked, fight back!??  Who writes these warnings??

Ok, tomorrow's the big weigh-in day... let's just hope this trail-walk + my good eating this week will result in something good on that scale!

Thank Gooey Gooey Goodness!

Just got a tweet on the way to the airport from good ol' Jenny saying she's HEARD and that she's BRINGING BACK THE CINNAMON ROLLS!!!!!

I can't even tell you how excited I am about this!  Phew!

Thanks to all of you who sent messages and posted about these yummy treats.  They should be back in the JC freezers this fall!  Wooooooooooo!

(PS... Short post, but I'm at the airport.  Couldn't resist sharing the news!!)

New Recipe: JC Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

HOLY MEXICAN DELICIOUSNESS!

I truly have NO IDEA why I don't eat the JC Fajitas more often.  Every time I do, I'm amazed by how good they are. I modify them differently each time (i.e. my previously posted JC Enchilada creation), but this one.... this one might be my ABSOLUTE favorite!

Close-Up

One of the fabulous ladies on the JC Forums mentioned that she makes the JC Fajitas into Quesadillas, and I couldn't resist trying it out.  

JC Chicken Fajita Quesadilla

Serves 1

1 bag of Jenny Craig Chicken Fajitas

1 Wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese - Light Queso Fresco and Chipotle Flavor

1-2 Tbsp. Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Penzey's Fajita Seasoning (optional)

Cook the fajitas in a skillet per the package directions until the chicken and veggies have browned.  

Remove to a separate bowl and toss with the Penzey's Fajita Seasoning.  (Note:  You can also use the seasoning packet that JC provides, but I prefer Penzey's seasoning because it's a little tastier!)

Thaw the tortillas per the package directions (I did mine in the skillet I used to cook the chicken.)  Take one DELICIOUS wedge of the Laughing Cow Cheese and split it in half lengthwise.  Spread half on each one of the tortillas.  

I felt like I needed some meltable cheese on the quesadilla too, so I added about 1-2 Tbsp of Fat Free Cheddar Cheese (split between the two tortillas.)  Assemble the quesadilla by piling the fajita mixture onto each tortilla, and then fold each tortilla in half.  Coat the pan with cooking spray and add the quesadilla.  Turn after a few minutes and cook on the other side.

It's done when you peek at the insides and it's fabulously gooey and melted... MMMMMmmmm.

Put it on a plate and cut it into triangles with a pizza cutter.  ENJOY!

I can't even begin to tell you how good this is.  The Laughing Cow Cheese melts up really well, and tastes amazing.  It's also really filling!  I dare you to eat this just once.  I'm totally having it tomorrow night again!

Let me know what you think when you try it out!

New Recipe: Roasted Broccoli

I feel like I keep running into people mentioning Roasted Broccoli.  Almost so much where it's like something's trying to tell me to try it!


So, tonight, I decided to jump in and try it out!


Now, the recipe I based this concoction on was by the Barefoot Contessa.  Notice I say that I BASED it on this recipe, but in normal NTTC fashion, there had to be some modifications.

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 pounds broccoli
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• Good Pam olive oil spray
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons a few sprays of Pam olive oil spray. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

It was so delicious!  I eat a lot of broccoli, but I've never eaten it like this!  I would also try it with the fresh basil and lemon juice, but I didn't have any to add. :)

I paired this yummy broccoli with the JC Chicken Carbonara.  Delish!

Calling All JC'ers: Cinnamon Rolls Needed!

Ok, JC'ers, I know you're out there.... I have a favor to ask you.


There is one food on this program that makes me so happy.  That makes me want to start the day off right... and to behave.

JENNY CRAIG CINNAMON ROLLS!!!!!

Look how yummy and delicious these look??  Can you see why we're in love??

Well, the sad truth is that Jenny Craig made these scrumptious cinnamon rolls a TEMPORARY item, which is sold out EVERYWHERE.  I've even tried to find them in other states (Idaho and Utah!)... no luck.

So, here is my ask.  Can you PLEASE generate an email to JC telling them to bring these back?  Here's the link for Contact Us on the JC site to make it nice and easy.  Tell them that you have a whiny blog friend that can't handle life without them, or that if they don't bring them back you're only going to eat ONE serving of fruit!  Whatever it takes, people!  We need these gooey cinnamon rolls back for GOOD!

A non-egg, non-fruit bread eater, I truly don't event want to eat anything else but these.  Let's work to bring them back!!!


Until then, I guess I'm stuck with the Banana Nut Loaf, Cereal, and the occasional Cinnamon French Toast.... sigh

I Heart the Beach

After a whirlwind week traveling to Idaho for work and back, I had a 2nd trip to take!  My dad lives just south of St. Augustine.  It had been about a year and a half since I'd seen him, so I planned a trip to get to the east coast!


Anytime I travel, I usually have a little food anxiety.  This time around, not so much!  My dad stays pretty active, so I knew if I just stayed busy walking and moving with him that I'd be fine.  Also, eating bad food is just not that exciting to me these days.  It just means a major slow-down in weight loss which is a SNOOZE.


ALSO... I had a chance to see one of my bestest friends from college, Jessica, when I was down in FL.  I spent the 1st night in steamy Florida visiting with her family and her daughter and meeting her husband!  Such an awesome visit.  It had been too LONG!

Here's Jess and I

The next morning, I drove to my Dad's place. I just had to get to the beach.  So, of course, we suited up and headed over to the beach after dinner!  BTW - We had grilled chicken, salad, and a tiny bit of couscous for dinner!  


Perfectly on plan!  There is something fabulously therapeutic about being oceanside.  Just gorgeous...

Note my footsteps on the left.  Walking close to the water, of course.

The next day, we went back to Flagler Beach for some fabulous time in the sun!  Now, I stay pretty tan in the summer, but I'm a little burn-ophobic.  So, it wasn't a HUGE day at the beach, but just the same it was enjoyable.  Lots of SPF!

Me and Dad on the beach

Dad and I also took an amazing walk on the beach this day.  Probably more than a mile all the way to the pier and back!  Woooooooo!  This helped significantly to counteract the evening meal.  We went to on a dinner cruise that night, where my food choices were quite limited.  AND, there may have been a 1/2 of piece of pecan pie!!!  Good news is that my dad was more than happy to eat the other 1/2 of the pie so that it didn't end up in my mouth!  It was also Dad and Joanne's 30th Anniversary this night! :)

Happy 30th Anniversary, Dad and Joanne!

We spent the next two days back on the beach, and even went to the beach the morning I left for Colorado.  I wish I had a picture of me sitting in one of those little squatty chairs.  That was my favorite part of the whole trip.  We set the chair down at the bottom of the beach and the waves just swooshed up and splashed me over and over again.  It was like being in the water, but being in the sun.  AND, no worries for jellyfish and whatnot - - phew!


There was a salad incident I need to confess.  My dad made a delicious Cauliflower-Lettuce Salad.  Now, Cauliflower and Lettuce.  That sounds innocent, right?  Hmmm.... Did I forget to mention that it had bacon and mayonnaise in it???  So amazing, and I couldn't stop eating it.  Since my dad has retired, he's gotten very into cooking and it's usually something decadent like this, as it should be.  I'm glad I tried it and can't really stop thinking about how yummy it was, but ,WOW, it won't be something I eat again for some time.

Final day at the Beach - Flagler Beach Pier

Overall, while I certainly love Colorado, I'd love to live somewhere where I had greater access to the beach.  It was a great trip overall... so nice to visit with my Dad!  GREAT GETAWAY - - Much needed!


Oh.... and, the scale looked friendly when I got home.  Looks like I was down 2 lbs!  Going to try to lose a few more before Monday's weigh in... I can almost see ONEderland!