Is there a Magic Pill?!?!

I think I have said this 1000 of times since I began, but it is truth! If you are looking for the magic pill, shake, program, surgery, exercises, etc...STOP LOOKING!!! There is NO magic anything that you can do that will make you lose the weight. Now, you can use these as TOOLS to get you to your goal of weight loss but as soon as you stop, you WILL gain the weight back. If you are reading this, chances are you are overweight or know someone close to you that is. We are all looking for that magic pill. I know I was! I went as far as weight loss surgery for my magic pill. Unfortunately, I am not a surgery success story, heck I was not a success weight loss anything. That's why I started my journey at 395 lbs. Do you know how many times I have tried to lose weight? How many programs like Atkins, meal plans, drinks, exercise programs? I sat down and started listing them all. I came up with 13, wow! That is a lot! So if any of these tools worked for you, then awesome! But please be aware of the fact... if you stop, you have a 95-98% of gaining back your weight plus some within the first 2 years. That is the average that I came up with when looking at a million of studies. Heck I lived it! Man I feel like a Debbie Downer... sorry. But I had to face this truth and get real with myself. With my weight loss surgery, I started at 315lbs and had to lose 20lbs to even get the surgery. So I had surgery at 295 (the weight I am now...again), I lost 80 lbs with my lowest being around 210 ( that lasted for a week). I maintained a 220-230 weight for 6 months. Then it just started changing, the weight started creeping up, and I was on a roller coaster that I couldn't stop. By the time I hit 300lbs again after 2 years, I gave up. I started just living life while ignoring the damage I was doing to my body. And I did that for the next 5 years... until a switch in my brain turned on and enough was enough. That is the secret!!! What secret Sandy, you ask. Its the SWITCH!!!! You know the one in the brain that flips on and all that useless weight loss knowledge comes flooding in. You know all the eye rolling you did when someone mentioned... low fat, protein, low carbs, sugar free, 1200-1500 calories, vegetables, fruit, sleep, drink your water and the worse one of all....EXERCISE!!!! I swear that word is evil, at least I thought it was. It the little changes you start to make in your diet and your activity. You make a little change and when you master that, you make another change and another and another. Before you know it, you go from 395 lbs to 291 lbs in 7 months, You are becoming HEALTHY!!! I never ever though I would say I could be healthy. But I can! I have a healthy diet, I drink water and not my Diet Dr Pepper addiction drink, I stated exercising at a GYM, in front of people for an hour, 3-4 times a week.... what the heck?!?!?! You might say how will this work? You said no magic pill, exercise, program! Your right! Its NOT magic. It is hard work, dedication, proper diet and daily calories for my body, exercises, drinking water and getting enough sleep. Its all the eye rolling stuff that as an morbidly obese person HATES to hear. But it is what works. Here is the kicker though... If I stop any of it...I WILL GAIN THE WEIGHT BACK! And there it is... ITS ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE MEAL AT A TIME! Its not me dieting, but me LIVING on the journey to health. This is my life until the day I go to be with the Lord (then I get a new body, lol). If I can do this, so can you. I am nothing extra special. I am just running my journey and we can do it together. How? By supporting one another, by posting our victories, our discouragement and trials. We can do this and succeed!!!

Weight Loss = Changes! Get ready!

Can we get real ladies...

Weight Loss = Changes! Get ready!

The changes come in diet, activity, motivation, size, inches, family dynamics, appearance, etc...
So let's go over some of them.

Diet- let's face it, if we are overweight that means we either ate more than our bodies needed, have medical issues that we may need Dr supervision for or genetically our bodies are preconditioned to retain wt/slow metabolism/etc. What ever the cause, we need take the choice to change it either by going to the Dr, dieting, researching to find what healthy choice you can make. But you have tp make the choice to change. Only you can make the choice...there is power in your choice!

Activity- believe me, I KNOW IT IT IS HARD TO EXERCISE. You are talking to the anti exercise girl here. Exercise might as well be a 4 letter bad word to me. BUT I had to make the choice to start moving. I had to choose to go to the gym to sign up. I have to choose to get in the car, drive there, feel uncomfortable and sweat. But can i let you in on a secret? Its only been 2 weeks and I am already planning my day tomorrow so I can go before work. I mean come on, everyone that knows me knows this has to be a God thing to make me exercise! Bit I am doing it. I am making the choice to move!
Getting real...I had to lose 100 lbs before i could move without pain to exercise. So yeah,I had to lose weight to be able to exercise to lose weight!

Family Dynamics- this was an eye opener for me. With my choice to get healthy, I am realizing how much I have missed out in with the family. I was the picture taking mom that sat on the sidelines. With losing weight, I have been able to walk 6 miles (with rests) at the county fair, go to the mall with the kids (haven't been to the mall in 3 years), met other moms at school without embarrassment have a cleaner house, heck even discipline the kiddos. I think I scared them one day when they turned around and I was there instead of just yelling from down stairs, mwahaha!

Appearance- You lose weight, you will look different, after a while people will notice, but you won't or at least not as easily. My big tips to take pictures. When you look in the mirror, all you see are your flaws not the 100 lbs you lost. Oh wait that me! But really, when I take picture and compare them, I see the changes and that motivates me. Other things change, one is clothing choices. You can get rid of the baggy, big print clothes. Neck you can even get to pick your clothes and not just buy that shirt because it hides your fat even though you really don't like it. How about this one.... Skin! You cant lose 100lns without some kind of loose skin. My advice get body shape wear like a girdle, spanks or torsette. It makes a big difference when all the loose bits are tucked in and supported... Bye bye back rolls.

Ok to wrap this up. You lose the weight, expect your life to change. Embrace that change. There is power in the change.

Looking at the past 6 months and 100lbs gone! How? Read below...

Small changes = Big results

By just changing the way I eat, I have lost almost 100 lbs. No extra exercising other than work and cleaning etc. I am joining a gym today to lose this other 100 lbs.

Now these changes didnt happen all at one time. They evolved throughout these last 6 months. I didn't have anyone to tell me what to do, I just listened to what my body told me.

So here is the breakdown:
Month 1- ate everything but just had half and counted my points.
Month 2- cut out the ice cream, candy, pastries, fried foods
Month 3- stopped eating processed/prepared/boxed foods and started shopping the perimeter of the store getting more produce, low fat dairy, proteins.
Month 4- start learning new recipes, healthy meals, learn how to start substituting ingredients, snacks, etc.
Month 5- started to move more, going to the park,county fair,parking further from the stores, standing to fold laundry vs sitting,etc.
Month 6- changed from soda pop to water. This was HUGE for me and easier than I thought it would be. I went from drinking a 2liter diet Dr pepper a day to flavor water and now working towards plain water.
Month 7- I am joining the gym this month.

You have to evolve to see those changes you want! Hope this helps ladies. Have a great day!

Ps don't really eat organic but I guess they needed another O for food, lololol.

How to prep pantry for a Disaster or Power outage

(posted on FB9-12-18)

Please pray for family, friends and everyone in NC/SC. This is looking bad. Here in Ohio, there is nothing we can do for prep but we can help in the aftermath by donating.

I have been seeing a lot of posts of the WW site regarding what to eat so i got to making a list that i think would use if i was in this situation and some might be good if anyone lost power.

Water bottles with flavor drops esp for the kiddos. Also fill up milk jugs full of water! And fill up your bathtub with water incase you have to use the toilet (to flush) or to wash clothing stains that need immediate attention, etc.

We are tent campers so i am used to 4 days with no electricity.
We have a Coleman propane camp stove, i would pull out that puppy.
A cooler of just ice, that will last 2 to 3 days if you don't keep opening it.
A cooler and fill with LF slice cheese,FF lunch meat, string cheese, eggs in a carton, grapes, strawberries, cut up watermelon. All of these do well in the cooler for 3 to 4 days.
In a pantry box, i would have
-PB2,
- aldi fit and active preserves 1 pt,
-flatout wraps cut in half to give you more and small soft tortilla shells. They hold up and last longer than bread. 2 to 3pts
-aldi fit and active tuna kits 4pts
-baked bbq chips 4pts
- can veggies and fruit cups, applesauce
- peppers and onions
- bags of apples and oranges
- can chicken breast with taco seasoning
- jar marinara sauce and fit and active pasta 6pts
- shells and cheese for kids, half c 9ts if you have some
-sugar free jello cups, last longer in cooler than pudding.
-protein one bars 2pts

-special k berry cereal 1 c 4pts i like it dry.
- white popcorn 35 cal bag at walmart 2pts
- turkey pepperoni, after you open it can go in cooler
- banana boats, wrap in foil slice banana with mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows 3pts, put on camp stove to heat.
- LF chocolate graham crackers 1 pt ea square, freeze cool whip on it, and put in cool whip in cooler to dip fruit for 1 pt

Hope this gives you some ideas. If you know this can help someone, copy text and fill free to share.

Birthday at a cookie shop?!?! Oh Vey!!!

Me and the kiddos went to one of their friends bday party at a cookie shop this past weekend!!!

🎂What the heck?! Lol, they got to make a chocolate cookie🍪 and decorate half a dozen sugar cookies. Plus they had chips and pizza.....killing me here people!

🍕

Well, poo on you yummy junk food! I had a delicious chicken salad 7pts before the party and took my flavored water. So I was quite content with a full belly. No desire for the junk food.

😜
They had extra so I decorated some, check out my masterpieces!

 So after the party, I knew I didn't want to take them home (kiddos decorated their own and didn't need more). So I stopped at my hubby's work and surprised him and his coworkers with cookies. They told Chris his wife is so cool, lololol!😎

Moral of the story... Had fun with the kids, made hubby look good and stayed on track in the face of temptation! This girl wins! 😘

(Full disclosure I had 2 bites of chocolate chip, counted 2 points and they were good!)

Ps the sign on the counter so true...diets don't work! Lifestyle ladies...lifestyle!

Set Goals! Very Important...without direction, you will lose your way

***Update 9/19: i have lost 100lbs woohoo! Still have a gosl to get into that 2x shirt that is really a xl! Lol.

***Update: I am 4 lbs away from 100lbs. I think there was a part of me that thought I was going to blow this. But God is so good! So sitting here now and thinking what do I set mu goal to. Well i decided not to set a weight goal. Instead I set a shirt goal. I found a pretty top that I really want to wear for Christmas. It is a size 2x and looks tiny to me but i am determine that I an going to wear it! Maybe I should take a pic of me trying to get it on lol. I look like an acrobat lol.***

My goal was 50lbs by my birthday (started March 12th). I am down 60lbs now. I took off the first 50 very quickly just by following the plan and no cheating. So I am very pleased with my progress but now it is time for new goals. So my new goal is 40lbs by the end of the year. Why that long? 1) my weight loss will slow down 2) I have to be realistic with my goals if I was success and not discouragement. So that means, I want to be 100lbs down by 1-1-19.

The 3ps I live By! They helped me lose 100lbs

So I got to thinking....scary I know, lol. Looking back at the last 4 months, I have 3 p's that I have come up with and wanted to share.

1) Plan- plan your goals, plan your week, plan your day! Ex: baseball picnic, pizza and wings on the menu along with cake and dirt dessert...yummmmm but big no no's when you are losing at. What to do? Plan you points for the day, have a 0pt breakfast or under 200 cal. Have a lite lunch under 10 pts or 400 cal, save your points for the picnic or go a step further like I did and make my own tortilla chicken and veggie pizzas before you go. It came to 10 points for both, yummy! Plus I took fruit tray to picnic for 0 pts. Guess what, I didn't even miss the pizza and wings and 1 lost a lb that day! Score!

2)Prepare- prepare your own food. There is not much that is good in those middle aisles at the grocery store. Shop the perimeter of the store. You can control your calories when you make your own food. I am a "in the process reformed fast food junkie", lol. Prepare your food for parties and get togethers. My sister brings salads to EVERYTHING! Why? Because she can't eat heavy gluten foods so she brings something she can eat. People will notice more if you just sit there and have to say "no thank you, I am on a diet", boo who wants to say that?!

3) Portion- ok if you cheat...you cheat yourself. A 1/2 a cup serving is 1/2 cup. If the bag says 13 chips, its not 13 plus 5 more. Those extra servings will add up. Don't fool yourself because you can't fool the scale. So be honest with your portions because we all know the restaurants are not. Speaking of going out to eat, get in the habit of only eating half and taking half home or look for lighter portions if self control if hard for you. Most menus have fit and lite choices, look for those.

I hope these help as a jumping point to get you started. I will be adding more 3P tips and techniques each week as they come up for me and my journey.
xoxo Sandy

What I eat to lose the Weight...

What's in your pantry? What are your favorites? Post your normal foods that you eat daily to help lose the pounds.

In my kitchen you will find: chicken breast, steak, Healthy Choice steamers, FF Greek Yogurt, Dannon Greek Yogurt, cranberry and pecan salad topper, fruits, eggs, 6" 90 cal tortilla shells, bag lettuce, ground turkey breast, tilapia, turkey hot dogs and bacon, crumble feta and blue cheeses, diet dr pepper, skim milk, crystal light mix for my bottle water, baked lay chips, pint halo ice cream, Special K strawberry cereal, pepper, mushrooms and onion, self rising flour, oil cooking spray, Bob Evan Mashed Potatoes, Bolthouse Yogurt dressings only 35 to 45 cals, fat free cake mix, lite swiss cheese slices, turkey pepperoni, fat free cottage cheese, lite ricotta cheese sugar free jello and pudding, whipped topping in can, hershey chocolate sauce.... thats my diet in a nut shell!

Give me my Pizza!!!!

The pizza dilemma for a dieter... Craving pizza all the time? An ultimate comfort food? I hear you, we used to have it 3 times a wk. So ways to get that yummy pizza and still lose weight.
If you have a Pizza Hut, the veggie thin and crispy is the way to go. You can eat 2 or 3 vs the regular crust or you can eat a personal veggie pan if you have the points. I try to go for 1/2. The word is

try lol. I only had pizza 3 times since March.
Instead, I started making my own but using a soft tortilla shell or the Flat out wraps. Load it up with veggies, grilled chicken or turkey pepperoni. Splurge a little on the cheese and hit it with Italian seasonings. Bake 375 for 15 mins. It smells and tasting yummy. I have to keep the kids away because they always want mine. Now we dont even buy pizza, they make their own tortilla pizza. Bbq chicken is a big favorite with us. Heck you can do pineapple and chicken or mushroom and turkey pepperoni. The Flat outs are awesome because it is only 2pts. Picture below of my Flat out bbq chicken pizza.

Sandy's Dieting and Restaurant Plan

Sandy's Dieting and Restaurant Plan: So I knew i was going to a trendy restaurant with coworkers last night. First thought was, "what am I going to eat", second thought was "what am I going to wear" lol. Third thought was, "I need a plan of action!"

1) Prepare
First thing I did was google the restaurant for their menu. Looking at the menu the night before helped guide me into the direction I wanted to go with my food choices.

Next I counted various food points to see what was good options. I did not want to sit at a table of 13 people and be like, "hold up folks let me check my points", having my phone out figuring points in front of everyone.

2) Plan
When i woke up, I knew I wanted to eat lighter during the day and save my points for dinner. I actually do better if i dont eat until 11 so i had a brunch...2 Arby turkey sliders for 10 pts. This gave me 27 for dinner.

So now i can eat stress free and if need be, take home half my dinner. We always get bigger portions anyway at restaurants.

3) Support
This is actually very important. If you have someone supporting you, it is easier to make good decisions because you dont feel like they are judging you. And let's face it, when you've lost 80 lbs, and haven't seen some of your co-workers in a while, your weight is going to come up. So I made sure to sit next to the 2-3 coworkers that I am the closest to and that are 100% supportive. They don't want to just talk weight, we do that already at work so now we can talk family and life instead.

4) Enjoy
Ok, you've done the prep work, made sure you look cute with make up on point, picked the right seat at the restaurant, order a yummy dinner which by the way 2 others ordered the same thing and wished they orsered it tje way you did, and now you can enjoy the evening.

So what did i have to eat... Well, i stuck with water instead of the beers and cocktails everyone else had. I am not much of a drinker so that was fine, 0pts there plus it was easier to get my water in for the day.
Next, enjoyed a couple of pretzel bites that a coworker got for sharing, this thing was as big as a dinner plate! I cut off a small piece, just for taste and cut that into pieces, joined the crowd there with only 2pts.
For dinner i chose the grilled chicken sandwich with bacon, tomato, lettuce and garlic provolone. No bun, instead asked to have it on lettuce. Had the buffalo sauce and ranch on the side. Ate with a fork, dipped my chicken into the sauces which only came to 1pt each that way. And had the roasted potatoes instead of the French fries. And cleaned my plate, it was so good!
So with all my preparing and planning, I had a yummy night that came to 17 points and that is with me rounding up on points, if i was home I would have put it at 10pts, but I would have had my Bolthouse dressins, lite cheese and turkey bacon.
Total for the day 27 out of 37....oh wait wanted something sweet for dessert so i skipped the restaurant ones and went home to make a 321 mug cake with cool whip and pb2...only 4 points so me new total is 31/37... Mission Accomplished

As for the pic here.... I felt very "normal" eating out with my very fit coworkers! No diet here, just healthy eating!

Chew, chew, chew...

... meals are a time of fellowship and conversation.  Eating should be 20-30 mins, when you eat with someone, you are talking and taking your time.

Feeling Hungry?

I really don't believe there is bad foods, just everything has to be eaten in moderation or practice substitution ie: 1 slice of pizza not 3 or DQ ice cream sandwich instead of the blizzard. We all have trigger foods. We just have to practice purposeful eating. For me fresh rolls and butter, Twix bars, DQ blizzards are my triggers so i have decided to refrain at least for now. What is your trigger and how do you get around it?

Menu Ideas

Menu Ideas:
B- turkey bacon 3pts, 1 serving banana egg pancakes with dollop of cool whip and blue berries 1pt

L- bbq chicken pizza with flat out wrap 6pts

D- turkey dinner 14pts (stuffing on top of turkey baked)\

S- chocolate mug cake with whipped pb2 is 4pts, added a squirt of hershey syrup 0pts

Total: 28/37
Water- goal met 72oz

TIP: put your dinner on a smaller salad plate, it actually works to trick the eye and you will feel full

Awesome Resource on the Weight Watcher Basics

Hey everyone!

 i have a link for you to check out. There is a WW connect member that is creating a cook book. He put the first part up and it talks about substitution and the basics. There was a lot that i learned and am going to try. This is great for any diet plan. Let me know what you think.

https://www.lowpointgourmet.com/

Healthy can be Cheap!

This article CBN came across my wall and i was like Yes!!! 

This is what i have been doing the last 5 months. Not into all organic stuff but i am into saving money! i just went to Walmart and spent $185 for family of 5 for 2 wks. i will have to restock on bread, milk, eggs and cereal next wk. i use to spend about $250+ each pay. 

But when i take out the box foods, ice cream, juices, chips the bill goes down. 

i just signed up for her waiting list and got a free ebook to read.

click link below

Grocery Boot Camp

Beginner's Grocery List

We have to start somewhere. Being healthy is something that most of us have to learn. Finding links like this one, is how we have to educate ourselves. 

This is good to start out with.

 Dont forget the app has the bar code scanner to check points. Used it today at Walmart.

http://bestrecipesww.com/grocery-list/

Restaurant/ Fast Food Online Guides

Who says you don't lose weight eating out?!?!

Here are my 2 go to sites to check out my points. If you are an online member, you can find restaurant points on our app!!!

http://skinnypointsonly.com/restaurant-fast-food-survival-guide-weight-watchers-freestyle-smartpoints/

here is the other one, it is awesome, there are articles and other resources:

just click on the restaurant, click weight watchers at the top and you can even filter the points ie get all menu items between 5 and 15 pts. If you dont do WW, it has all the calories and nutrition values.

https://fastfoodnutrition.org/