A Date With Ice Cream On Top

...and I'm not talking about the fruit! Brady and I went on a date tonight, which we haven't done in a while.

Now, when I say a while, I mean a few weeks before our vacation. I am one of those girls who likes to be taken out -- and regularly. It doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to happen. After I have a baby, there's a small window where we can't go out for a few months, so we counter this by stocking up at the end of my pregnancies. Once the baby is on a good nighttime schedule, we hit the town. I just love being with my husband in that way. I also enjoy the time to be Me - Kids. Me - Kids still = Me, just another side. I get to walk slower, think more, and EAT SLOWLY! Love it.

Tonight I was a little nervous about going out to dinner, so I persuaded Brady to just take me to a movie instead. I had been at the park all afternoon with friends and we even ate dinner there. We planned ahead and all brought food to share so when we went home it would just be get-ready-for-bed time. Aaaah.

I made some calzones with white/wheat dough, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, and olives (I'm still trying to use up the giant box of mushrooms I bought from Sam's Club this week, can you tell?). I love making fresh bread and I have a super easy recipe for pizza dough (thanks, April). Now that I have a Kitchen Aid, too, (thanks, Tara) this process is much easier and surprisingly still enjoyable. After years of hand mixing and kneading, my wrists were getting quite sore, but nothing could stop me from my sweet bread (Alisa, I have come a LONG way since our college Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat experimentations).

The good news is, the calzones were great, especially dipped in my favorite chunky marinara. Even though Brady gripped a bit about the cottage cheese instead of ricotta, he still ate two and seemed satisfied. Maybe I'll try pureeing it next time to get a less chunky texture. The bad news, I think I ate 3. I say "think" because with so many nibbles, who really knows the exact amount.

So, when Brady mentioned dinner AND a movie (which usually means dessert, too) I was a little hesitant. He understood, so we skipped dinner and just went to see National Treasure 2. (If you've seen the first, you've seen the second. I do think the movie is well-made and entertaining, though).

And, no, I did not have movie popcorn. I am one of those people who smuggles food into the theater. I think I'd probably pay the ridiculous prices if they just had what I wanted -- 94% fat free popcorn. Instead, I pre-popped my own bag. I have no shame when it comes to health -- really, I don't.

After the movie, instead of Cold Stone (please refer to prior posts about my love for that stuff), we opted to share a large White Chocolate Mousse/Peanut Butter swirl cup at TCBY. The employee was so nice, even though we came in 15 minutes before close. He let me sample as much as I wanted, answered all my questions, showed me the nutrition information, and even weighed our ice cream on the electric scale. While licking it up, Brady and I spent about 10 minutes in the car looking up gram to ounce conversions on his Blackberry to calculate the exact amount of calories in our treat. Oh, the things you do without kids!

While I am not entirely happy with the day, it could have been much worse. I did not eat ALL the dough or the calzones; I brought my own popcorn to a movie; and, I shared a treat with my husband. What a guy!

Speaking of great guys, mine just got even better -- he agreed to run a 5k race with me in February!! I could not be more excited if I were given a new outfit from Banana (although I'd like to test that theory). Even more, my sister's gonna run it, too! I'm all for this one because she babysits my kids while she trains. Tonight, she ran 2 miles on my treadmill while babysitting during our date. And she wants to make this a regular thing...uh, sure!

Tomorrow, I am completing the unpacking process. Although I tried to resist accepting reality, my Vacation Continuation officially ended today when I cleaned the house. While I didn't get everything done, it was still a strong effort, definitely NOT vacation quality. So, tomorrow I'll unpack the girls' suitcases, put away three baskets of laundry, transfer all of Shelley's clothes to her new room, put away her 12-18 month clothes, bring out her 18-24 month bin, organize their new toys, go to a YMCA open house, drive Kelsey and a friend to another friend's house to go to the circus, stop at the church to grind some wheat, make four loaves of wheat bread for a pot luck, and I'll plan the combined Sharing Time/Singing Time activity for Sunday.

Yeah, vacation's definitely over.

Leftover Dinner Omelet

Disclaimer: I am NOT an experienced cook and I like to make things up. The combination can sometimes be disastrous and can definitely be improved. Suggestions are welcome.

For dinner last night we had potato buildups. I don't know if I made that word up or what, but they're basically potatoes with anything piled on top. Last night we used shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and a bit of sour cream. When Brady came home he wasn't very hungry (late lunch out), so he just ate his carrots and grapes. This left two potatoes, shredded cheese, and chopped green onions unused.

Not wanting to waste food (a trait I sometimes wish I didn't have), I decided to use the leftovers to make a breakfast omelet. The result was cheap, fast, and tasty (my favorite combination), so I thought I'd share.

Leftover Dinner Omelet

1 cooked potato, diced
2 Tbsp. EVOO (thanks, Rachel Ray)
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms (not leftover, but sounded good)
7 egg whites
2 eggs
3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c. chopped green onion

Heat oil medium-high. Add potato and mushrooms. Brown. Beat eggs and whites. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add eggs. Cover and cook until mostly done. Add cheese and green onion.

For hungry husbands (or for dinner!), add salsa, black beans, and sour cream and serve in a tortilla.

This morning, I wasn't as attentive as I should have been to the eggs and a slight crust formed on the bottom of the omelet from cooking the eggs at too high of temperature. I didn't mind because I cut and served the omelet like pizza. If you like it softer, cook it low and maybe stir the first minute or so.

Didn't even think to snap a pic. Sorry.

In other news, I tried a palates DVD this morning for some cross-training. I never do anything but run and when I do it's usually long and slow, so I am almost never sore. Let's just say I'll remember real quick what soreness feels like tomorrow! I couldn't even do half the moves and they certainly weren't pretty. Now, a Before Pic of that would be REALLY funny!

Or not.

The Half-Naked Truth

Well, here goes everything.

Current Weight: 149.8 (pre-run, post-poop)
Current BMI: 23.3

Goal Weight: 130
Goal BMI: 20.2

Goal Date: April 23, 2008 (my 11 year wedding anniversary -- it sounded good)

Now for the pics.


I like the last side view because it actually looks like I have a booty! Do not be deceived, however. It's all smoke and mirrors.

Anyway, there it is: My Half-Naked Truth.

Anyone else up for some extra Monday Motivation? Post your half-naked truths here!

Uh-Oh

OK, so I just took my Before Pics and I am seriously embarrassed. Maybe I should have taken the pictures BEFORE I said I would do this crazy thing, so at least I could see what I was getting myself into!

We just got back to Florida tonight and I was planning tomorrow (like I always do) and realized if I waited until tomorrow to take my pics, I would have to take the pictures myself. While the embarrassment would be only slightly less during the process, the outcome would probably be much worse with my camera balanced across the room on a chair or something. Instead, I decided to have Brady snap a few tonight.

Ugh.

If you ever need motivation to lose weight, have someone take a half-naked picture of you! The camera does not lie (thanks a lot everyone else for telling me I looked good -- now I KNOW you were lying). There is no "flattering angle" when you're hardly wearing any clothes. I have gained a new respect for the Biggest Loser competitors. They are very brave. Try it and see for yourself.

Despite my run-in with reality, there is some good news: I am totally motivated and I think we're getting a high-speed internet connection in a week or so (yes, we still have dial-up), which means I'll be able to upload more pictures. The bad news: My connection will be slow until then (fewer pics) and you may need to wear sunglasses (do I really live in Florida??).

The Plan:
I'll post my weight once a week, with blogs in between. If I can bare it (pun intended), I'll post pics once a month. Initially I thought I'd take pictures once a week, but I really want to see results and not just embarrass myself needlessly.

Thanks to everyone for being supportive of my goals. To those of you with similar goals, thanks for sharing the embarrassment!

The Long Road to Perfection

My purpose is clear. I want to be a better person, someday even perfect. I am FAR from achieving this, with a long and difficult journey ahead of me. Sometimes I fail or fall short. Fortunately, I am surrounded by people who understand my goals and encourage me not to give up, even when I totally suck (as many of you have experienced firsthand).

When I started a weight loss group last year, several people asked me why I was doing it. The truth is, I wasn't overweight and, according to my BMI, was considered healthy. I did it because I knew I could be healthier and look better. The truth is the same today.

Some people have expressed concern about my weight loss goals. Why, I really don't know. It is still in a healthy BMI range -- I am WAY above the Milan fashion show standard of 18.5 (;). So why the fuss?

For those of you who don't know, I have never been one to shoot for the trees. I'd rather shoot for the stars and hit the trees, than shoot for the trees and hit the mud. Just like no one would applaud my moral efforts to be Telestial, I only want the same for my physical goals.

One Slice of Pie Please

...humble pie, that is.

Last week, I was feeling pretty good and decided to weigh myself. Why, oh, why did I do it? I knew it was not good, but I just couldn't resist. As I posted, the scale was kind and I felt great...for the moment. But, no matter what, I was doomed.

So, the scale was kind. That made me happy. That also made me feel like I could eat anything I wanted -- for a week. Ugh. Still, if the scale would have been more than I expected, I probably would have given up and eaten everything anyway. I lose control when I'm happy, I lose control when I'm sad. I really need to work out this whole self-control thing.

Either way, weighing myself was not good. So, why did I do it? Why should I do it for that matter? Really, what is the big deal about weight anyway? Why can't we judge ourselves by how we feel and not by a number that fluctuates like a roller coaster? Should I face the scale every day? Once a week? Never?

While I'd really like it to be never, I still have my goal of 130 for this year (I just can't let myself off the hook that easy). And, yes, I am still going to document my progress with pictures. If the sight of my pasty white skin blinds you, you may have to avoid the blog every Monday starting next week. While the thought of posting a half-naked picture of myself has not been motivation enough to keep me away from treats this holiday season, I am hoping that your laughter at my fat will be.

This kind of accountability is just what I need to keep me on track. Anyone interested in losing weight with me, post here on Monday! Better yet, post your weight goals and pictures here, too. We can do this together! Oh, it will be great...a bunch of half-naked "losers" blogging together...what more could you need!

I know it will be difficult, but, then again, my most treasured accomplishments have been my most difficult challenges. And, in the end, we'll be a bunch of half-naked HOTTIES!

Forget the slice, I may need the whole pie.

Happy Birthday to Ben

...twice.

For my brother Ben's 23rd birthday yesterday we ordered an 8 X 12 (25 serving) Cold Stone Creamery Limited Edition Dark Peppermint Pleasure Signature Ice Cream Cake. According to the website description, there are "layers of red velvet cake and dark chocolate peppermint ice cream with chocolate shavings, covered in ganache (my favorite), and garnished with candy cane."

The serving suggestion must be very generous because the 12 people living in my parent's house who are old enough to eat solid food have celebrated Ben's birthday twice now and we still have 1/3 of the cake left. This is certainly not because the cake is NOT good...rather quite the opposite. Let's just say that many usually unappealing vegetables have been happily consumed in the past day!

As it turns out, Shelley and Genevieve like the cake and not the ice cream, while I like the ice cream and not the cake. Perfect combination for my taste buds, not my thighs. I've had at least 2 full servings for myself and several more leftovers from Shelley and Genevieve (as well as a constant picking at the chocolate shavings!).

I recommend this cake to anyone who loves minty or chocolate ice cream, red velvet cake, and/or extra thick chocolate ganache. I do not recommend this cake to people who like their thighs the way they are.