Sugar Addiction

Today is day 5 of the big diet, and I am still hanging on despite the fact that I could have easily eaten sugary cereal for breakfast and sugar sprinkled cookies for lunch.  HA! Yep, I am finding out that sugar is a true addiction and it is not easy to rid your body of it. Despite my cravings, which are diminishing I might add, I have not given in to the sugar that I hear oh-so-clearly calling my name.  I did a bit of reading on low carb dieting, sugar addition, and such, and came a cross a video I wanted to share with you.  I am sure many of you can relate to this. It is a tad long but well worth watching. This guy actually has lots of videos that can be found on his website called Under Ground Wellness.

After doing some reading, I have made a change in my diet plan by removing one shake and replacing it with a high protein, low carb dish that remains low in calories.  I will re-evaluate things as the days go by, making adjustments as needed.  Because I am trying to eat every 2-3 hours, the food consumption is kept in small portions.   I'm sure there is a diet guru out there that can probably point out things I am doing wrong, so feel free to offer any insight you have.  I am open to input. Here is a sample of one dish, which consists of turkey, cheese, and egg. I got a bit happy with the pepper shaker.

My weigh-in on day 5 shows my weight is down 3 pounds.  I know there will be natural fluctuation daily with water retention and other things so my weight could go up and then back down. Plus, I am sure my body is in a shock mode right now, so it might drop the pounds quickly here in the beginning and then taper off.  As far as weighing daily, the other day when I was watching Oprah and the nutrition expert Bob Greene was on there. He said not to weigh until the end of the first month so you don't get discouraged with the daily fluctuation.  That seems like a long time to me. Sorry Bob, but I don't think I can wait a month.

Come back soon to see if the weight loss progress continues. 

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I love FREE things

A few days ago I checked my mail and believe it or not, I got cash in the mail.  Okay, .... well, not really cash.  They were really two coupons for $10 off a purchase of ten dollars or more. You have probably gotten these coupons yourself at some point.  They look like this:



I got two-$10 coupons. 
One is for Khol's and the other for JC Penny. 



I have gotten them in the mail many times.  These kinds of coupons are pretty much used to lure you into the store, basically offering you something for 'free', and then of course you purchase something over ten dollars. You still get a good deal getting ten dollars off your purchase, but you may have spent money you didn't intend to spend on something you may not even need.  Sometimes I use these coupons, sometimes I don't.  A typical scenario would be setting the coupons aside with the intention of using them and then forgetting about them. I guess that is sort of like dropping ten dollars on the ground and losing it. Of course, I have also been the one that has taken them in and used the ten dollar coupon toward something that cost thirty dollars. Are you guilty of that?  I felt good getting ten dollars off, but not nearly as good as I would have felt getting something for free.  I just love free things!

With that said,  I decided to take a different approach this go round when using the coupons.  I decided these coupons were like getting ten dollars in the mail (ten dollars at two different stores).... free money!  I told myself I was going to take one of the coupons in and purchase something I thought I could use and keep it as close to the ten dollars as possible, basically getting it as close to free as I could.  Today I took the Khol's coupon in, and here is what I got for virtually free... I paid a whopping forty-two CENTS! The cashier said, "Can't beat that!"..... of course, I agree.  Can't wait to see what I get using the other one.

Normally $26

It was 60 % off, making it $10.40

Using my $10 off coupon, I got it for 40 cents plus tax = 42 cents.

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Diet and Nutrition

 Day 3 of my weight loss plan........

After giving birth, most women have to go on some kind of diet or exercise plan to rid themselves of the extra weight they acquired.  Me, this is my third time around. I do want this time to be different, so I am trying to change my thinking about diet and nutrition. 

Here is the thing.... take for instance after I had Gibson 12 years ago. I joined Weight Watchers and lost all the weight plus some. I was actually pretty darn skinny, and of course I was exercising, and would have been considered healthy by most standards. So, what was the problem then?  I was still eating all the wrong crap! Even on Weight Watchers I ate bread, ice cream, and sugar.  All I had to do was keep my daily point intake under a certain level.  The diet plan was pretty much based solely on calorie (AKA point) intake.  I was still feeding myself all those terrible carbs. My main goal was to get slim and I didn't really care how I did it.

My goal now is different. I really am going to try and change my diet and nutrition train of thought and back down from all that bad stuff.  I am trying to make my diet consist of high protein, lean meats, and low-carb veggies.  I am trying to do the recommended plan of small meals spread throughout the day, consuming something every 2-3 hours. These first few days, I have been writing down when and what I eat. As I stated in yesterday's blog, I have my own diet plan of eating 8 times a day.  I consume 4- mini nutrition bars, 3- protein shakes which I add protein powder to, and one meal that consists of a lean meat and 3 select veggies. I am trying to keep the calories low, but not too low as I don't want to throw my body in a starvation mode and create a no-win situation for myself. In addition to trying to eat right, I have added a multi-vitamin.  I have never been one to take vitamins (unless pregnant), so hopefully this will make a difference too. 

This is my "orange push-up" secret recipe protein shake. 
18 grams of protein, 6 carbs, under 150 calories,  and YUMMY!!

Now, back to the topic of  sugar and sweets.  They are so yummy!... but they are so bad!!!  and eating one just makes you crave another a few hours later.  It is such a viscous cycle.  This is my third day with no sugar, bread, or anything bad, and I will be the first to say that it is terribly hard.  I could have easily awakened this morning and eaten a Poptart or something like that. Sugar really is like a drug, so I do hope I can rid myself of this addictive white powder... argh!  Good luck to me because I am going to need it!

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Weight Loss Blog

The weight loss plan begins......

The time has come.  The time is here.  I have got to try and rid myself of the weight I gained while pregnant. I have decided to get serious about this weight loss, and what better way to help get my frustrations out than to vent them right here on my blog. Of course I do hope I have some successes to post, too.  I will be the first to tell you that weight loss is not easy, and as I have always said, "If the food didn't taste so damn good, it simply wouldn't be a problem."



 In January of 2009 I started exercising daily. By July of 2009, I was pretty much running about 3-5 miles a day. In about August of 2009 I had sort of gotten my body where I wanted it with about 10-12 pounds to lose when I found out I was pregnant.  Having had two pregnancies before where a lot of weight gain had occurred, I knew the scale was about to start moving up again.  I decided that during this pregnancy, I would continue to walk 3 miles a day, which I successfully did throughout the entire pregnancy.  Unfortunately, despite my efforts, the weight crept on with a whopping 50 pound weight gain by the end.


This is when I was about 8 weeks pregnant.

This was at about 5 months pregnant.

This is just a few days before I delivered, about 12 months ago.



And this is me now.

 So, here I am 12 months postpartum and I am hanging onto about 20 pounds of  baby weight in addition to the 10-12 pounds I wanted to lose before I got pregnant. That's a whopping 30 pounds that I would like to lose.

This little journey is not going to be easy.  Why? Because let's face it, food is good.  In addition, I am a stay at home mom right now, and do you know how many times I pass by my pantry each day?  LOTS!  It's too stinking easy to grab something that is not healthy.  I don't want to remove everything 'bad' from the house because I do have two kids and a hubby that don't have this little weight gain issue like I do.  Plus, I like to bake, which I don't really want to give up.  I guess I will just have to use my nose to enjoy those baked goods and not my mouth.  boo hoo

By the way, I started this little diet yesterday, so this is actually day two for me. Day one of this weight loss journey was quite difficult. Okay, day 2 is hard also!! If you are wondering what kind of weight loss plan I am doing. I guess you could call it the "Molly Plan", as it is basically just a strict diet plan that I have come up with. I devised a plan where I eat every 2-2.5 hours. The plan is made up of 4- 80 calorie nutrition bars, 3 - 140 calorie shakes which I created, and 1 meal that consists of 1 lean meat and 1.5 cups of selected steamed vegetables. Although it is not many calories (under 1,000), I am eating every couple of hours, so I should be able to keep my body in a fat burning zone.  I guess time will tell. 

Despite the fact that I have not been eating well the last few months, I have indeed been exercising.  I have actually been doing 3-5 miles a day (run/walking) six days a week. You would surely think that this would help the weight come off, but it hasn't. Hopefully now that I have given up bread and all the other crap I have been eating, my efforts will start to pay off.  One other factor that I think may have been working against me is the increase in my appetite from breast feeding.  I exclusively breastfed for about 6 months and continued to nurse Hudson several times a day until he was 9 months, and I actually still breast feed once in the mornings, which of course, he is soon to be weaned from that.

Like I said, this little journey is going to be a struggle for me, but with the support of my husband and kids, I do hope I can be successful in getting this weight off.  I will post blog updates on my efforts, so I guess you could say that I will either succeed publically or fail publically. I do hate to fail! So, with that said, pleeeease let the weight loss begin! :-)

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One Year Photos

Hudson turned one on April 7th.  To capture this special time, I decided to snap a few photos.

Click on image to enlarge.



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Downloadable Mothers Day Cards

Calling all Dads.....
Calling all Kids......
Calling all Grand kids.......

Mother's Day is coming up on Sunday, May 8th. And with that said, it is one of the busiest greeting card shopping days of the year. Of course you want your kids to give mom or grand mom a special Mother's Day card, but in this economy, who wants to spend a near five bucks on a greeting card from the stores??? no one!  What's the answer?  Print them using an online downloadable card making site.  I came across a website called Print with My Pic where you can upload a picture right onto the card.  You can then resize the picture to fit the card. There are several designs to choose from, so I'm sure you can find a card you or the kids would like. The site actually includes card designs for all occasions, not just Mother's Day, so from now on you can just download cards right from home and have the added bonus of saving a few bucks. FREE is always a good thing!

Downloadable Mother's Day Card

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Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats

There is always something yummy found at the Phillips' house.  Tonight it is Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats..... Madison loves Rice Krispie Treats!  Gibson, on the other hand, doesn't care for marshmallow, so he will turn his nose up at these. Oh well!  Next time I will do a Gibson favorite.

To make these I used a basic recipe for Rice Krispies, but when I spread the mixture in the pan, I pressed mini chocolate chips into them. The pan I used was one my mom gave me called the Perfect Brownie Pan. I love this pan because it really does make the perfect size treats. I also came across a printable recipe card for Rice Krispie Treats. It is the perfect size to print out and glue to an index card. Of course, the recipe can be found on the side of the cereal box, but this might make a great addition to your recipe box.  Enjoy!

You can purchase The Perfect Brownie Pan at Amazon. Trust me, you will like it.

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How to Fold a Shirt

Yesterday I got into a closet organizing mode.  I decided to give my closet some much needed love. My first move was to purge the closet of anything I haven't worn in 'who knows when', which meant I was getting rid of a LOT of stuff....  purses, belts, hats, and clothes.  Let's just say that some Goodwill shoppers will be pretty happy.

Of course, organizing the closet  meant I had to refold everything all nice and neat.  I am a pretty good clothing folder, but I got to thinking that it sure would be nice to have one of those Flip and Fold shirt folders I saw them using in a department store the other day.  I saw one a long time ago on an  infomercial, but I was surprised when I saw it actually being used in a store.  Come to find out, you can  purchase them through Amazon.

Yesterday though, I didn't have a gadget to help me fold all my clothes, but I did get the idea to go to YouTube to see if there were any videos on how to fold a shirt.  You betcha! You can find a video on just about anything you want. (Love YouTube!)  Interestingly enough, did you know that there is a Japanese shirt folding technique?  They do specialize in origami, so why not shirt folding, too!  Here is the video I watched.  You can actually get American versions of the video, but I sort of liked this Japanese version.  Good grief, she is good at it!



This shirt folding technique is just crazy, but I had to try it out.  I love my shirts to be folded really flat like this. Here is my result. I would say it worked fairly well. 

Although it works great for t-shirts and other short sleeved shirts, it doesn't really work for long sleeve shirts or sweaters. You can find proper folding techniques for those too on YouTube. Try it out.  If you can perfect this Japanese shirt folding technique, you will be pleased with the results.

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Funny Kids' Quotes



For Hudson's birthday, he got the cutest toy.  It's called a Parum Pum Pum and it's from the company B. Basically, it's a colorful eight-piece musical instrument set.  He has had a lot of fun walking around shaking this and rattling that as he creates noises.... music.

Inside the brightly colored package came a tiny booklet filled with funny kids' quotes.  Actually, the booklet went unnoticed for several days.  We set it aside while cleaning up the party mess and days later my husband picked it up, read it, and shared it with me.  We got a good laugh at some of the quotes, so I thought I would share a few with you.  Inside the booklet, it also said you could visit their website for more quotes and even add your own kids' quotes. Here is the link if you would like to do that:  B. Toy website.

I LOVE this one!

Another interesting fact about the B. toy company is that they donate ten cents from every purchase to Free the Children, which is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million young people involved in innovative programs in 45 countries. It's always nice to get a toy and support a good cause at the same time.

 

You can purchase  B. toys at Target or online at Amazon. I think they also have some other stores listed on their website. Here is the one Hudson received as a birthday gift.

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Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake

As I have said before, we are a family of pound cake lovers. My kids especially like the chocolate ones I make.  Today, I decided to do something extra special and make a chocolate chocolate-chip pound cake. If you are a chocolate lover, this is a perfect pound cake. It has chocolate through and through.  I revamped a recipe I had in order to make this my own.... The Blogging Mom's special recipe.  Like most pound cakes, this is a very dense cake.  Because of that, you will need to monitor the cooking time. Enjoy!



Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake



 

Ingredients

3 cups sugar

1 ½ cup butter, softened

4 oz. cream cheese

5 eggs

3 1/4 cups cake flour

¾ cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

½ cup vanilla almond milk

chocolate syrup

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Grease and flour cake pan.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Mix butter with vanilla and sugar till light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes.

Add the cream cheese

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour half of the batter into the pan. Squirt chocolate syrup around on this later.

Add the second half of the batter.  Squirt chocolate syrup around the top and then sprinkle the choclate chips.

Bake for approximately an hour at 325 degrees. At one hour, I turned my oven down to 300 and backed another 15-20 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes or so in the pan, then turn out on a wire rack to cool.

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