Pedometer

As you have probably noticed at the top of my blog there is a new ticker, a mini-challenge between Kellie and myself. It is a walking challenge, to see who can come the closest to walking 232500 steps by Jan. 31st (starting Jan.1st). This works out to be 7500 steps a day which I thought would be as easy as pie!! But yesterday I had my pedometer (picture on the right) on ALL day and I only managed to step about 7289 steps!! I even went for what I thought was a long walk after supper! And apparently Kellie had hers on all day yesterday too and stepped over 8000 steps! I think I might actually have some tough competition ahead of me! LOL

I'm not sure if I like my new pedometer and I think I might have to go get a different one. The one I got for x-mas is nice and stores a lot of info like calories burned, steps taken, steps/mile, miles/hour, a timer and a clock! But in order to figure out how many calories you've burned you have to enter your weight and it only goes up by 4.5kg or 10lb increments! That is not very accurate in my opinion! And since I'm Canadian we measure by kilometers not miles but when I talk about weight it is in pounds not kilograms?! So if I change the setting on this pedometer to read in km then it changes my weight to kg? grrrr It is also suppose to keep track of 7 days history but I have yet to figure that out!? I can't figure out how to see how many steps I did yesterday and of course I never wrote it down! I need to get a book or calender to keep track!
Does anyone else have a pedometer that they would recommend? I would like one that you can at least enter a more accurate weight, to keep track of calories burned!?

Holiday's are over .... finally!

After almost a entire week of family gatherings, festivities and gifts to open the Christmas holidays are finally over! I thrive off routine, my body just doesn't like it when things go a-wall and for the past week things have been more then just a little crazy I feel completely exhausted (physically and mentally) I'm so happy to be back at work on a regular routine again! Christmas was good as usual and I got tons of gifts -as usual! I think my top two gifts would have to be the pedometer and MP3 player!! I'm so clueless when it comes to technology and this MP3 player has got me beyond confused!? I just don't understand the lingo. Hopefully by the New Year I will have figured it out but for now all I have figured out on it is the radio and my music file (and even that isn't working quite right)? My pedometer is also a little high tech for me (seriously) he he, I don't think I have it set up 100% yet but it's close. On my walk last night it said I walked 5000 steps, 2.5 miles and burned 300 cals ! I thought that was amazing! Hopefully everyone else had a good holiday!

Weigh in

Your Gluttony Quotient: 32%

You have a pretty good relationship with food - you enjoy it, but you don't go overboard. You've struck the perfect balance between gluttony and self control.

How much gluttony do you have?

Seeing's how it is Wednesday and I have a few minutes I thought I would update you on how my Christmas weigh in went!

I knew that Boxing Day would be my "make it or break it" day for the holidays. The hubbies parents have a open house every year with every food imaginable! It is awesome, not only all the yummy food but seeing friends and family that you might not have seen for a while.

I got tons of compliments, which was nice and I did catch myself telling people things like "Oh, I just lost a few pounds" or "Oh, it's nothing". When I should have been saying things like "Yeah it's awesome!! Almost 50lbs!" It's like I didn't want people to make that big of a deal about it, but I did feel good when I noticed them talking about me.

So on Boxing Day morning I weighed myself to see just how good I had been over the holidays so far and to my surprise I had lost 3.8lbs!! Which I thought was simply incredible! Not to sure how I pulled that one off?? But then this morning I weighed myself again to see how bad my Boxing Day was and I put some of it back on (0.8lbs) !

I am pleased to announce that I am one of the lucky 500 that was able to loose weight over the holidays! -3lbs to be exact !! Now if only the rest of my life was that easy!

My Christmas was good (family and gift wise) but as for finding a new truck for hubby .... it isn't going to well and I feel a hernia coming on! My gut is in knots, I hate dealing with banks and credit ratings, etc. So much stress! *#&@# I can hardly wait for things to get back to "normal"! I go back to work tomorrow, which I am actually excited about but I wish we had this truck thing figured out?! grrr

~~More fun~~

One last Christmas quiz for the year :) You Are a Creative Gift Giver

Your gifts are one of a kind, special, and well chosen. Whether you've made it yourself or searched all over town... There's really no one who has more of a personal touch than you.

What kind of gift are you?

I found this on Skittles blog.

Fun stuff

I must admit that I am extremely happy that this week is over and that I do have a few days off!! With Christmas only a few days a way - 2 more sleeps to be exact - and after dealing with the loss of a vehicle, I'm not sure if I could have handled much more stress!

Yesterday at work we had our Secret Santa gift exchange, we all drew names and had a $20 limit on a gift for that person. It is supposed to stay a secret (hence Secret Santa) but it never is and eventually everyone finds out who bought for who. Last year I got stuck with some cheesy gift box full of stinky smelly lotions and soaps that just irritate my skin. This year I got a bottle of "Hot Sex"!? ? Apparently it is very similar to Bailey's?? I imagine it is probably a pretty good drink but as a non-drinker.... I wouldn't know! Just another cheesy gift! I don't think I will enter the Secret Santa next year if we do it, I will be the scrooge in the office! Bah humbug!! LOL The boss also treated us to lunch, he bought a meat tray, buns and a veggie platter! I was so happy it wasn't the typical pizza lunch! Last night our bowling league had our Christmas party as well, all we had to do was bring a donation to the food bank. They had platters of meat, cheese, fruits, veggies and desserts. There was also a bunch of door prizes you could buy tickets for and enter to win. I totally loaded up on the veggies and fruits and skipped my NS dessert for the night, I thought I might have over did it yesterday will all the festivities but I weighed myself this morning to finish my mini-Christmas challenge and I couldn't believe I actually lost 0.2lbs - even with all the extra eating !! I guess I made some good choices when I went up to the snack table !

So my official final weigh in for the mini-Christmas challenge is 205.6lbs!

Which is still not goal but pretty darn close and I'm extremely happy about that! Now to think of my next mini-Challenge, Kellie from Fat to Phat (aka-Tired of Weightin) wants to join me in the next mini-challenge so we will have to think of something? Maybe a Valentine hottie challenge? Anyone else interested in joining us in the next mini-challenge?

This will probably be my last post till after Christmas so I thought I would share with you what will be on our activity calendar.

Friday 22nd -- I need to go to the grocery store and pick up ingredients for a salad I am making for tomorrow and prepare veggies for salad. Walk the dog.

Saturday 23rd -- Go shopping for a new truck for the hubby. Finish salad and head to St.Albert for pot luck with friends. Stop to visit my brother on the way (he has to work - haha), stop to visit my dad in St.Albert. Go to pot luck and visit with friends we haven't seen for a while.

Apparently Germans (hubbies family) celebrate on Christmas Eve and that is their big festivities day which works out really good for me cause my family always celebrated on Christmas Day so,

Sunday 24th -- Go to grocery store again and get stuff to make fruit trays and salad for Boxing Day. Hubby wants to go tobogganing (we'll see ??) Have X-mas dinner at hubbies Grandma's, open gifts. Head to hubbies parents house to open more gifts (usually it is about midnight by now).

Monday 25th -- Hubby and me celebrate at our house together, relax for a little while. I make trays for Boxing Day and then head to my mom's for dinner.

Tuesday 26th -- Big party at inlaws -- starts at about 2pm and goes all night! They have open house every year with tons of food and lots of people! This will be my biggest Christmas challenge!

I took the 27th off to relax a bit before heading back to work and plan on seeing one of my other girlfriends that I haven't seen for a while. Then back to work on the 28th !

Well that's about all that's new for now -- sorry for the long post! Thanks for reading to the end! LOL

Happy Holidays !! : )

You Are a Trifle

No doubt, you have many intricate layers. But deep down, you're a little squishy.

What holiday food are you?

Christmas fun!

Your Holiday Personality is Caring

You like to reach out to people all year long, but you're especially giving during the holidays.Make those you love homemade presents (like cookies or scarves). Call someone who might be feeling a little down. Give to your favorite charity.

How should you spend the holidays?

A little stressed!

So I have good news and bad news....

Good news is that hubby is ok and has no scratches or broken bones.

Bad news is that because we only paid $6000 for his truck and because it was only a 98 we decided not to put collision on it. And all insurance companies believe that if you turn left and get in an accident it is automatically your fault! Doesn't matter if the light was green, yellow or red! Still your fault for turning left when it was "un-safe". And there fore because we have no collision and because it was his fault (don't tell him that though) the insurance company is not doing anything for us.... no rental, no adjuster to see if the truck is fixable, no money to get a new one !! My stress level right now is through the roof! I am so angry and depressed about the whole situation! (sigh) I came home last night to find out that not only did hubby wreck the truck he also freaked out when the insurance company said they wouldn't help us and now we also need a new cordless phone! Temper ... temper! He figures we are getting "screwed" and is very bitter about it but honestly it's our own fault for not getting the extra insurance! Well I phoned my bank today and they figure it shouldn't be a problem to get a loan for another vehicle which is good but I'm really not looking forward to having truck payments again! Just when I thought things were starting to look good for us and that we could start building our "nest" to start a family and now this!! &^@@#)& I am pretty much the one that keeps the calm in our house so if I freak out about how we can't afford a vehicle then he will too! So between me and you ...deep down I'm freakin out but can't tell him that! I'm thinking that we will never have a family now cause hubby will think we cant afford one but holy crap I'm getting old and my clock is ticking!! I NEED a family soon and it better be by 2008! I think I really might have to get a second job now just to afford the extra payments and be able to start building our nest! I may have to stop NS - which really sucks cause it is totally working for me!!

Speaking of NS, I tried the new Black bean and tortilla soup yesterday for lunch and at first I was a little worried when I opened the lid. I had a Bacon n' Cheddar Masher flashback!! It looked like a gewy, soupy, poopy mess but then I reminded myself that is soup and should look soupy! So I tried it and was actually pleasantly surprised by how good it was! I think I like the Black bean and rice one better but this one was pretty darn good!! For dessert last night I also tried the White Chocolate chunk cookie I was a little surprised when I took a bite out of it only to discover there is also hazelnuts in it which are one of my favorite nuts! I sure wish I could get a hold of NS's cookie recipes! They all taste so good and are also good for you !

Weigh in!

You Should Weigh 135

If you weigh less than this, you either have a fast metabolism or are about to gain weight.If you weigh more than this, you may be losing a few pounds soon!

How Much Do You Weigh?

So according to this quiz if I keep up with my eating habits that I have now I should weigh 135!! Now I honestly don't think I will ever get to that weight but at least I know that my eating habits are on the right track!

I felt so good this morning, I got on the scale and found out that I had lost another -2.2lbs! Which means I am only 1.8lbs away from getting my mini-challenge goal! The final weigh in for that challenge is this Friday so I feel like it is still attainable! The drive to work was awesome, hardly any traffic, all green lights!! That hardly ever happens! I just felt really good all morning .... until just now.... I got a phone call..... from the hubby..... he got into an accident.....the truck is wrote off!! (@*^$$^@#$(*@#(

We just got the truck in Jan. because I wrote off my truck and he needed one for work, so I got a new SUV and he got a truck! Now we have to go shopping again and get another truck! FLIP - I am so mad! Thankfully he is ok (so far-but will probably stiffen up later tonight) Grrrrr - I'm not sure whose fault it is? He said he was turning left and some lady t-boned him, so I think that means that it is his fault !! Which super sucks - cause now our insurance is guaranteed to go up! And we are going to have truck payments to make again.... Life Sucks! I have this gut wrenching pain now, I hate stress - I think I feel an ulcer coming on! So much for my good day! (!#^%(@#

Merry freaken Christmas!

CANDY:

**Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day are the biggest candy selling days in that order.

**The Dutch are the biggest eaters of candy, at 65 pounds per person a year; Americans eat about 21 pounds a year.

**It is supposedly against the law in Idaho to give anyone a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds.

With Christmas being the second most popular candy day you might want to think twice before reaching into that Pot of Gold! I do not think you will be finding any gold in that box!? he he I know that for myself if I am not sure what to get someone for a gift on x-mas I usually get them a box of chocolates? What else do you get someone that has everything ?

I got my shipment last night !! And guess what was in it? Yup 40lber! And it is skinnier then the 30lb bear, I wonder if they do this on purpose? By the time I get to my goal all the bear will be is fabric- no stuffin! LOL I also got to try a couple "new" things. Last night for my dessert I had the Chocolate Caramel Popcorn. I found this treat to be just as good as the regular Caramel popcorn and as for the chocolate - it was kinda non-existent? I liked it, and when I did stumble upon a chocolate bit it was a nice treat, I would order again! For breakfast this morning I had the "new" Peanut Butter Granola Bar. It was amazing!! If you like peanut butter you will love this one!! Yum!! Now if only it was a tad bigger! I can't wait to try more of the "new" and "improved" foods I received in this order! I also noticed on NS website today that there are WAY more new and improved items then before !! I can hardly wait, these new choices came out just in time - I was starting to get a little bored of the old items!

Fun stuff!

Another Monday~!

I think this cat is part dog!! Isn't it the biggest cat you've ever seen!!

The weekend was good, went by fast again- as usual! I had to work Saturday so after work I decided to do a little shopping. On my way home I passed by this scrapbook store that was closing and everything was 50% off !! I picked up a few stencils and "rub-on's" (I've never tried these before but they were really cheap so thought I would give them a try). I usually get all my scrapbook stuff from Creative Memories but they don't offer rub-on's? My mom came over on Sunday for a visit and to pick up some gifts that I had picked up for her.

Julie from Flip this Body and former NS member, asked in one of my comment boxes how things were going with NS so I figured that now that I am almost half way to goal I would do a recap of NS.

Things I've learned so far:

-The good-

** NS has taught me what a "normal" serving is and how to follow the dietitian pyramid.

** I pay more attention to labels and am slowly learning how many calories are in certain foods.

** I love the simplicity of the diet (grab and go)

** NS is creating a "new" and "improved" menu that is going to offer a lot of new/ yummy items.

** I have discovered a new liking for water - I never really cared for it before.

** I love the little bears that NS gives you for every 10lbs you drop.

** I am one size away from entering a "normal" clothing store - no more plus size!

** I actually know what it feels like to get tickled! Before I would just squirm cause I didn't want my hubby to touch my rolls but now I squirm cause it really does tickle ..... a lot!

-The Bad-

** NS is creating a "new" and "improved" menu that is discontinuing a lot of the old meals BUT they are not bringing the new ones in fast enough - which limits our options when ordering the food.

** The simplicity of NS worries me that I will not like the extra time it takes to make "healthy" meals once I am off the diet. There fore falling back onto old habits cause they are easier.

** Now that I am starting to get compliments people are asking me "How I did it?" and I hate telling them it was with the help of NS cause it makes me feel like I couldn't do it on my own.

** My biggest worry is that I will not be able to tell if I have eaten too many or not enough calories for the day.

** I don't really like getting all the compliments now and I feel really awkward when people do mention that I look good. I think this is because I got used to being the ugly duckling and I don't really like to be under the spot light - yet!?

-The Ugly-

** I have currently lost over 40lbs but yet have only dropped one pant size ?? WTH ??

** I am starting to hate the price of getting healthy and loosing weight but I know it is working for me so I will continue to pay for NS but eventually will have to pay off my VISA. :(

** I can no longer wear my "fat pants" they look silly on me now but I hate the thought of spending more money on clothes that hopefully I wont be in very long!

Overall -- I am getting a little tired of the NS foods and am very thankful that they are coming out with new foods. I feel that since I am half way to goal that I am almost at the top of the hill and these last few steps to get me over the hill are starting to make me feel quite tired. I have noticed that lately I feel like trowing in the towel and I feel I need a little extra push? I am starting to truly believe that I can be thin and that someday I will really like the way I look. I believe that this is the hardest thing I have ever done and to think that even when I do reach my goal it isn't over, I need to do this for the rest of my life and that scares the crap out of me !

On a lighter note I would like to share with you a fun game I found on Mind over Platter's blog. She is also a former NS member and looks absolutely amazing!! See if you can get Santa fit!

X-mas fun

You Are a Tree

You love every part of the holidays, down to the candy canes and stockings. And you're goofy enough to put a Christmas tree ornament on your tree!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

~Friday Fun Facts~

With Christmas only 10 days away, I thought a little bit of turkey facts would be good!

---- Turkey Facts ----

Things you always wanted to know about turkeys but were afraid to ask:

* Domesticated turkey hens are artificially inseminated. They lay 80 - 100 eggs during a 25 week laying cycle, and each egg takes 28 days to hatch.


* Domesticated Turkeys have been bred to have white feathers so there are no unsightly pigment spots under the skin when they are plucked.


* Only tom turkeys gobble, hen turkeys make a clicking noise.




The top five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is: Sandwich, Soup or Stew, Casserole, Stir-fry, and Salad.


The typical 15 pound turkey is 70% white meat and 30% dark meat. White meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat.




I received my Christmas bonus at work today!! Yeah ! I love my job!! This is the first job I have ever had that I has given out Christmas bonuses! We decided to do "secret Santa" at work also, there is only 7 of us at this store so it is easy to co-ordinate. I wasn't really too happy to do secret Santa this year but I figured if everyone else wanted to do it then I didn't want to be the Scrooge. Last year I got a stinky gift basket full of very smelly lotions and creams, not really my style!? If I get another cheesy secret Santa gift this year then next year I don't think I will participate! Anyway we drew names yesterday and I was the one that went around with the names in the hat. I accidentally saw who pulled my name and it just happens to be the only person I was hoping would NOT get me! grrrr I pulled my bosses name so I'm happy about that, he is a pretty easy person to buy for and I already know what I will get him. On the 21st the boss is supplying lunch for everyone (lunch meat and veggies - thankfully! I was worried it would be pizza) and we will do our gift exchange! Here's to hoping that I don't get another crappy Christmas gift! LOL

Christmas fun~!

My Elf Name Is...

Stubby Sugar Butt

What's" Your Elf Name?

I find this to be really humourous ! What's even more funny is that I put my hubbies name in and this is what it said for him ....

Hubbies Elf Name Is...

Minty Sugar Butt

What's" Your Elf Name?

What are the chances that both of us would be Sugar Butt's ?? LMAO !!

Some more fun!

I am an Iris What Flower Are You?

I found this on Skittles blog and thought I would share it. She has a really neat blog full of fun stuff, facts and stories. She won the Bestest Blog of the Day on Dec.9/06 and is definitely worth the time to check out!

Now the Iris is one of my girlfriends all time favorite flower and has alot of meaning behind it for her, so I am kinda glad that I turned out to be an Iris! It makes me feel a little closer to her even though it is just a silly game that probably doesn't mean anything- unless your the superstitious type? Which I just might be ?! he he

Weigh in Wednesday

Week 16 -- I had a feeling that eventually my laziness would catch up to me! I was still able to loose -0.8lbs but it not quite as much as I would have liked to see, oh well at least it is in the right direction! They say that over the holidays the chances of you loosing weight is 1 in 500! That's crazy odds of loosing weight! I think the best case scenario would be to try and maintain your weight over the holidays and anything more is like icing on the cake! he he

Well my 5th shipment of NS is on the way and once again I'm worried that they forgot to put my 40lb bear in the box! Hopefully they remembered and on this shipment I should have some "new" items which I am excited to try! Last night I had the burger for dinner but when I went to open the package my burger was like saw dust? I've heard of this happening to other NS members but it is a first for me! I think I am going to get a hold of customer service today and tell them about it, and maybe on my next order I will have a freebie? I gave the big chunks to the dog and she seemed to enjoy it alot !! LOL

Big rejection !! : ( boo hoo

You Are a Losing Lottery Ticket!

Full of hope and promise. But in the end, a cheap letdown.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

So I found out today that my blog has been rejected for PPP !! :( How disappointing! One of the first rules is that your blog needs to be 90 days old, and I assumed mine was cause I started it when I started the diet (in August). But for the first few months I was on iblogs and then on Oct. 3rd I decided to switch to blogspot, which I am so happy that I did. But because of that, this blog has only been active for 2 months, boo! Now I have to wait anther month before I can start PPP. Which I suppose is actually a good thing cause I'm still trying to get my Paypal account working!?

There is only 12 days till Christmas! Are you ready? I think I am, we still aren't too sure what the "plan" is. We kinda want to just have a lazy x-mas this year and stay home on the 25th but the hubbies family celebrates on the 24th and have a big open house on the 26th so we will definitely see them over the holidays but if we stay home on the 25th then I miss out on seeing my family and I kinda feel bad about that? I can't even imagine what it would be like if we had kids and everyone wanted to see them, we would be running around from house to house never being able to relax! The hubby also mentioned to me that he was thinking that next year we could have x-mas at our house!!!! I said OK, we could probably do that, even though I've never cooked a turkey or cooked for more then 2? I thought we would talk about it a little more but no, that same day he went and asked his parents what they thought and of course they agreed that it was a good idea. So no I'm already thinking about what to cook and how to cook it, how much to make, where is everyone going to sit ....... blah blah blah ! And it's still over a year away! *#@%^ Flip!

Don't forget to check out Bobby Griffin's Bestest blog of the day! And play with the Random blog button, see where it takes you!

Wonderful weekend ....

Well, my weekend was good and fairly busy. Friday night the hubby was making a few extra bucks on the side by clearing snow at a local community hall so I had the evening to myself! I like having my alone time once and a while it was very relaxing. We spent our Saturday morning at Cosco (a local wholesale supplier), picked up a few necessities and then the hubby worked in the garage and I cleaned house. Sunday I wanted to go to the Butterdome craft sale. It is a really big craft sale that happens every year and usually has some pretty good ideas. Of course everything there was way overpriced and although I did see things I liked, I'm too cheap to pay that much for them. I will try and figure out how they made it and try to make my own or something similar. Sunday night we decided to check out Candy Cane Lane, a street in Edmonton that goes all out and decorates there houses with lights and other neat x-mas decorations. It was really nice this year and lots of the houses got involved with the decorating, there were only a few "black holes" (houses that don't decorate at all). After we were finished we headed to Bright Lights, which is also a light display but this one is put on by the city and cost $15 per car. I must admit by far Candy cane lane was way better, not only was it FREE but the displays were nicer. The light display that the city put on looked like it was thrown together at the last minute. Most of the displays had different color lights where there should have been white bulbs, the timing of the displays that moved were off and not timed properly, I was not impressed! I don't think we will go back next year!?

Well that's about all that happened this weekend. I'm still trying to figure out this PPP thing, hopefully I can understand it and make a few extra bucks! Sure could use a few - especially at this time of year! LOL Oh and if your bored and looking for something to do a good way to pass the time is to visit Bestest Blog of all Time and try out his "random blog" button it is way beter then the next blog button!

Friday Fun Facts!

Sweet Potatoes:

When I was younger my family would have sweet potatoes once a year and only once a year, at Christmas. I was quite thankful of this as a child, they weren't really on my top 10 list of things to eat at Christmas especially with all the other yummy choices! However now that I am older and I am starting to appreciate foods that I never cared for as a kid, I actually really like sweet potatoes and they are a healthier choice for you then a regular potatoe. Here are the stats:

Nutrition Facts
Serving size ½ cup (100g) Cooked sweet potatoes

Amount Per Serving & % Daily Value*

Calories 100

Fat Cal 0

Total Fat 0g 0%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 10mg 0%

Total Carbohydrate 24g 8%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 440%

Vitamin C 41%

Calcium 3%

Iron 2%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Food & Nutrition Service, USDA

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 100 g

Potatoes, baked, skin, without salt (100g)
Amount Per Serving

Calories 198
Calories From Fat 1
Fat 0.1 g
Protein 4.29 g

Carbohydrate 46.07g
Saturated Fat 0.026 g
Total Dietary Fiber 7.9 g
Potassium, K 573 mg
Sodium, Na 21 mg
Vitamin B-6 0.614 mg
Vitamin C, ascorbic acid 13.5 mg

Here's the facts:

---When selecting fresh sweet potatoes, choose those that are smooth, plump, dry and clean.

---Sweet potatoes should not be refrigerated unless cooked. Store between 55 and 65 degrees F.

---Sweet potatoes should be peeled deep enough to remove the hard layer beneath the skin; they will turn dark on the outside when cooked if not peeled deep enough.

---Use them in soups, casseroles, puddings, baked goods, or as a substitute for white potatoes in your favorite recipes. They make a nice addition to stir-fries; cut them into thin sticks so that they will cook quickly.

Just a side note....I'm thinking about doing Payperpost adds, I'm a little unsure just cause I'm not so good at this blog thing yet. But they pay you for talking about their stuff and I like that idea! So if you notice some posts in the future that have PPP - that would be a Pay Per Post. So I'm just waiting for them to approve me and I will start making some extra money!

This n' That

I was finally able to go shopping last night after work and almost finished all my Christmas shopping. Yah! I find it so hard to buy for men, girls are so much easier to buy for! So I didn't get home till 6:30, had dinner and then The Biggest Loser was on so I never ended up taking the dog for her walk. That's two days in a row (cause Tues. was grocery shopping day) but I still got my walking exercise just not the dog and boy is she driving me nuts! I need to take her tonight even though it is bowling Thursday and I don't have much time after supper before we go bowling. Today I found THIS and I found to be quite interesting because... a) NS is based on a Low GI diet and b) because I want babies soon! So this is good news for me or anyone else that wants babies someday. For the THAT part of today I thought another fun quiz would be good but couldn't figure out how to link it to the word so here you go!

Your Christmas Stocking Will Be Filled With a Puppy

Well - one cute, soft, cuddly puppy...And a very soiled Christmas stocking.

What Will Be In Your Christmas Stocking?

Wednesday Weigh in!

Week 15 weigh in is surprisingly really good! I think my metabolism has finally kicked in and is starting to do some of the work for me cause to be quite honest I haven't been trying as hard as I have in the past to loose weight and yet it seems to be coming off just fine!?? No complaints here, I'm quite happy with my -2.8lb loss this week!! Now I have definitely earned my 40lb bear, I'm now at notch #9 on the belt and I'm thinking that I'm definitely going to kick Jordannas butt in the mini-challenge! I am just a pound or two from my half way to goal point!! And even with loosing a grand total of 43lbs so far my BMI is still really high, it seems to take forever for that number to go down! I'm still at 35.2 for my BMI which is technically obese and I need it to be at 25 just to be considered healthy?! One of the ladies at work asked me if I was almost at goal and I told her that I wasn't even half way there yet? She thought that if I loose much more it won't look healthy? I think she needs to seriously get her eyes checked?? I told her what my goal weight is and she agreed that it was a good weight but when I told her what my current weight is now she didn't believe me? And when I told her my start weight she looked at me funny? I like to think that I carry my weight well and that a lot of the weight is muscle? LOL

Trivia Tuesday

Are you Naughty or nice Your Result: Your Nice! all sugar, no spice! You're all about sweetness, sunshine, and smiles. We've never met anyone nicer than you. Actually, we wouldn't be surprised to come across you sitting in a peaceful green meadow, surrounded by adorable baby animals eating out of your hand whilst your halo shines in the sun. Ah, we're just taking the mickey. But you are awfully good. Certainly, you may have dipped your toe in the naughty pool once or twice, but you generally stay in the shallow end, leaving the deep waters to the leather-and- nude-magazine crowd. It's all well and good to follow the straight and narrow, but it's okay to walk on the wild side once in a while, too. Have a drink. Organise a practical joke. Go to a strip club. Trust us - as long as no one gets hurt, it's fun to be bad!
your Naughty! wild thing!
Are you naughty or nice?

Tomorrow is Saint Nicholas Day, I'm not really sure if it's a true holiday or just one that my in-laws made up so they get more gifts? Anyway if you've been good all year you get a gift from Saint Nick but if you've been naughty you don't get anything? Now I've never heard of this before I met my hubby but every year so far I have gotten a small gift on Dec.6th and the MIL says its for Saint Nick Day? I guess I'll find out tomorrow if I've been naughty or nice! lol

Christmas Food Trivia:

-Hiding an almond inside rice pudding is a Christmas custom in Sweden. Whoever gets it has good luck for the new year.



-In Oaxaca, Mexico, Christmas Eve is also the Night of the Radishes, when large radishes are cut into animal shapes.



-The Dutch eat chicken stuffed with sauerkraut at Christmas to mark the end the year and celebrate the beginning of the New Year. The reason for chicken? Because the animal scratches the ground, it symbolizes scratching the earth over the old year.

It's begining to look alot like Christmas ..... :)

I absolutely love Christmas and almost everything that goes with it. I love Christmas music and listen to it all day at work, in my car and when I go for my walks! I love how it seems like everyone's attitudes change and everyone seems to be on their best behavior? I hate the icy roads and I hate the shopping trips to the busy malls! Living in Edmonton we have the worlds largest mall and if you are brave enough to enter it at this time of year you could get some really good deals and probably finish all your shopping in one stop. But I am NOT that brave and absolutely hate the crowds and the pushing and shoving, ok maybe it's not that bad but I prefer to stick to the smaller malls or strip malls that the crowds are not so large. I almost finished all my Christmas shopping for this year and only have my nephew and I need to pick up some stocking stuffers for the hubby. I plan on doing that tonight after work.


The weekend was good and actually didn't feel like it flew by? Friday after work I had to try and find a gift for my nephew from my mom, she wanted to get him the TJ Bearytale bear, which is nearly impossible to find right now probably cause it's on sale for $40? I finally found one at the Zellers close to my house but almost had to tackle someone for it! he he Saturday we slept in really late (10:00!) which was nice for a change. I kept myself busy cleaning the house and the hubby was outside finishing putting all the Christmas decorations up. Sunday was more of a lazy day and I really didn't do too much... wrapped all the Christmas gifts I already bought and baked a batch of peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies for the hubby.

Friday Fun Facts

For this week's Fun Facts I thought it would be fun to have some Christmas facts about myself and I found this list on TLC for 4s blog.

Holiday Questions



1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? hmmm... tough choice.... I will have to go with Egg nog! You can have hot chocolate anytime of the year, egg nog is only available at Christmas time!?
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? If Santa wrapped the presents what would the elves do?
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? BOTH !! The more the better!
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but I've always wanted too, just for fun!
5. When do you put your decorations up? After Grey cup, usually the last weekend in Nov. I would do it sooner if the hubby let me ! he he
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Homemade stuffing.. hmmm
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Getting up early to see if our stockings were full and then having a big breakfast with my parents
8. Do you send out Christmas cards? Sometimes but not always?
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? My hubbies family opens ALL their gifts on Christmas eve and has a big dinner. Growing up I was never allowed to open a gift early, even though we asked every year !
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lots of lights and character decorations (not too many balls). I used to use tinsel but then one year my cat ate it, which is apparently really bad but she passed it ok. I saw this shinny thing hanging out of her butt and that was the last year I used tinsel! (TMI?)
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love the snow but hate the icy roads, I wish it never snowed on the roads or sidewalks just on the grass!??? lol
12. Can you ice skate? I haven't tried for a really long time but I imagine it would be like riding a bike? If you've done it before it would be easy to get back on them?
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My hubby proposed to me on Christmas Eve, that would have to be my most favorite gift- so far!
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with family
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I only get to pick one??
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Every year my hubby and I go look at the Christmas lights that the city has on display.
17. What tops your tree? An angel
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Old toy trains by Roger Miller
20. Candy Canes or Chocolate Covered Cherries? How can you go wrong with chocolate and cherries! YUM
21. Favorite Christmas movie? Charlie Brown's Christmas
22. Favorite Candle you burn during the holidays? Holiday Spice - Partylite
23. Favorite Gift to receive at Christmas? I love getting bath stuff.

So yesterday I was kinda bad and didn't stay on plan at all! I was out with my mom all morning and had lunch with her (Grilled Chicken Salad off the seniors menu) and then in the evening I went out with the MIL and had supper with her (Chicken wrap, no cheese and a side salad) ! So I ate out twice yesterday ! BUT I weighed myself this morning to see if I had made good choices when I ate out and guess what?? I lost 0.6lbs! So I must have made some really good choices? I'm considering this to be a big NSV cause it tells me that I am actually learning something from this diet and I'm not so scared to stop NS! I can do this on my own, when the times comes! I must admit though it was quite difficult finding something on the menu's that I felt were "healthy" and neither restaurant had any kind of light dressing for my salad? I had a really hard time trying to figure out how many calories would be in each meal and was unsure if I should have my fruit snack and dessert in the evening or if I already had enough calories for the day? I think it is a fairly fine line between not getting enough calories and having too many, and without having a label or nutrition label to read it is hard to figure out!

Sometimes excercise isn't good...

I found this video on another NS members blog and thought it was super funny! I LMAO - hope you do too!

Wednesday Weigh-in

I was almost certain that for this week, week 14, I wasn't going to see a big number on the scale and I thought that this would be the week that I had no loss or maybe even gain a few ounces?! My exercise program (walking) hasn't really been 100%, due to the sub-zero temperatures and when I do go for my walks I have been cutting them short. I also attended a banquet on the weekend and thought I might have over did it and had too much "bad" food but it looks like even with not staying 100% on the plan I was still able to loose -1.6lbs !! I can handle that!! AND it was just enough to get me my 40lb bear!! YEAH!! Now I can focus on getting my 50lb bear! I can't even imagine how I will feel after loosing 50lbs! I can definitely see and feel a difference in me now and I should probably post some pics so that everyone else can see the difference too. Maybe this weekend I will try and get our scanner to work?! I booked tomorrow off, I need to take my mom to the "doctors" ;) It will be nice to have a day off, sleep in for a little bit and then go pick my mom up. Tomorrow night I am also going to be skipping out on bowling, there is a open house that my MIL wants to go to and I volunteered to take her. It's about an hour drive from our house and on these icy roads could be interesting. The weather is supposed to get better for tomorrow and it's supposed to be -5C, hopefully the weather people are right and it will be fairly nice out?!

10 - Pound (Female) Pound says congratulations on your initial weight loss.She's here to keep you motivated as you continue toward your goal weight

20 - Commitment Losing 20 lbs. proves you have the commitment you need to succeed, but a little inspiration from Commitment couldn't hurt

30 - Community Community Bear says take advantage of the support systems around you. Whether in a chat room or living room, don't be shy about your goals

40 - Determination You said you would do it and you did! That's 40 lbs. down and your very own Determination Bear to boot

Trivia Tuesday

Today I would just like to mention how important it is to take a multi-vitamin as well as eatting healthy. There are lots of "one-a-day" vitamins out there but I like to take one that is formulated for women, cause it has extra folic acid in it. Here are some facts on why you should take a multi-vitamin.

You may be showing signs of malnutrition if you ...
-feel tired and weak.
-feel like you never have the energy to clean your home, make meals or even do the dishes.
-have difficulty losing or gaining weight.
-can't easily get to sleep.
-feel stressed and/or nervous.
-feel drowsy during the day.
-sometimes can't concentrate, you're mind feels numb, or you get confused easily.
-have problems with your digestion.
-have constipation and/or hard dry stools.
-have mood swings, or get easily upset.
-don't have patience for anything.
-sometimes feel depressed.
-have overly dry or oily skin.
-sometimes have nausea and/or abdominal pain.
-have annoying eye twitches.
-bruise easily.
-have muscle cramps and/or low back pain.
-sometimes get cracks and sores in the corners of your mouth.
-notice that your nails have become thin and/or brittle.
-are losing your hair.
-have water retention.
-have uncontrollable temper outbursts.
-don't eat a well-balanced nutritious diet EVERY DAY

I think alot of these symptoms could also be from other issues too and I know that I have had alot of these things happen to me, I hate when my eye twitches! Now I'm not a doctor and have no degree so don't get all freaked out if you have alot of these symtoms, I'm just trying to let you know that maybe you aren't getting all the nutrients you need from the food you eat so it is always a good idea to take a daily vitamin as well! And if your like my mom who hates to take pills you can always take a chewable childrens vitamin- anything is beter then nothing!

Back to work

The weekend was good and flew by as usual, Saturday we had the racing banquet to attend and surprisingly the track manager bought our tickets for us!! So the evening was entirely free - can't complain about that! Saturday morning I went shopping for a new outfit and found a nice pair of black dress pants at Reitmans, unfortunately I'm still in the plus size section but I was a 14 plus so that's borderline "normal" clothes! I found a cute top as well but decided not to buy it cause it was a tank top style and I figured it wasn't very good for -20C!! I also picked up a new pair of jeans that were on sale! After shopping I stopped to get my hair cut, which is fairly short now but I like it that way. At the banquet I did get quite a few comments but mostly from people that knew I was on a diet and some people just commented on my hair?? The dinner was amazing and if my stomach was bigger I probably would have went for seconds but I was so full that I couldn't go up again (which is good). I tried to stay mostly on track, it was a buffet meal so I looked it over first and then planned what I really wanted and what I could skip. They also had fairly healthy desserts - chocolate covered strawberries and banana's so I had a couple of them. I was actually quite surprised at the fact that my plate was fairly empty (compared to before I was on a diet) - I could still see sections of my plate and I couldn't even finish what was on it! I was so full but I do think I might have over eaten just a little cause the next day I was hungry all day!? We stayed fairly late after dinner but didn't dance - just socialized and I even won a door prize!! Yeah!



I found this quiz on Lynn's blog and thought it was really cute! You should try it!

You Are 55% Left Brained, 45% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Looks like I'm almost even! he he I like to think that I am both artistic and smart and now this says I am! LOL

Friday fun facts!

Are we really? It could be true, my hubby eats alot of sweets and he is generally a pretty sweet guy? LOL But seriously I don't think this statment is true, there are lots of people out there that eat alot of food that is fattening but yet they still keep their girlish figure! I often wonder, even though they look good on the outside how healthy are they really on the inside?

Today's fun fact is for my mom, she loves this stuff and I'm not really sure why? I don't particularily care for it but as you can see it is really good for you so keep eatting it mom!

Asparagus:

Asparagus may be eaten raw and it is also delicious cooked as a side dish or in soup. It is high in folic acid content and low in calories, providing less than 4 calories for each spear. It is high in potassium and folacin and is a good source of vitamin B6 and thiamin. It also is a very rich source for rutin which strengthens the wall of capillaries. Asparagus also supplies some iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C.

http://www.healthrecipes.com

This n' That.....

It has been snowing all day ..... it is amazing at how much has come down I would estimate at least 6 inches in the past 4 hours? The roads are apparently really bad and I'm dreading the drive home!

Today I wanted to share THIS blog that is totally unrelated to weight loss, NS or even getting healthy but it is an excellent blog that has won Bobby Griffin's bestest blog of the day on Nov.20/06. It is a very well written and I think highly interesting blog by a girl only 16 years old! I also wanted to share another blog THAT is also non-health/ diet related but also a fun blog to check out and has also won the bestest blog of the day title for Nov.22/06.

My show that I like to watch wasn't on last night, The Biggest Loser, maybe because the States are celebrating Thanksgiving ?? Apparently it is suppose to be on next week and there is only two more episodes so I'm curious to see who gets the title of The Biggest Loser!

Tonight is bowling night and hopefully I'll be able to get my average! I also need to "pre-bowl" for next week cause I have plans to go to this open house next Thursday night. So tonight I will be bowling 6 games! That should burn a few extra calories!

Weigh-in Wednesday!

I got home last night to find my NS shipment was there, one day early, which was good cause I had absolutely no breakfast left and had to eat the hubbies fiber cereal which wasn't very good! I tore into the box assuming that they had forgotten to put 30lb in the order, but guess what?? She was in there! So I went to put her on the window sill beside her sisters, he he, and realized that it looked like she had lost weight too? 10lb and 20lb were WAY bigger then 30lb, 10lbs tummy was stuffed full and 30lb had a really saggy stomach and wrinkled? I wonder if they do this on purpose? LOL

For week 13 i lost a total of -2lbs which is a grand total of -38.6lbs !! I am truly amazed and sometimes I catch myself thinking that I really haven't lost that much or if someone was to ask me how much I weighed I would say a higher number just cause I'm so used to saying it? I feel like I should be 230lbs not 213!! The lowest weight that I have been in the past 5 years is 212, once I pass this mark I think I will be truly ecstatic! I have also noticed that every month my weight loss has gone down which I suppose is normal, they say that the less you have to loose the harder it is to loose! Here are my numbers:

Start weight = 251.8lbs
week 1-4 = 233.6lbs (-18.2lbs)
week 5-8 = 223.4lbs (-10.2lbs)
week 9-12 = 215.2lbs (-8.2lbs)



My prediction for my 4th month would be -6lbs ! I hope I'm wrong on this number, I would really like to see at least another -8lbs but with Christmas and New Years coming up I think realistically I'll only loose 6lbs for this month?!



NS has FINALLY introduced some of it's "new & improved" foods, which unfortunately I have to wait another month to try. Some of the new foods look and sound really yummy and I am looking forward to trying them, it will be like a Christmas present to myself! AND by my next order I should have earned my 40lb bear! I'm so excited - I love my bears! he he