Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Moments with the Mullers: Brownies made from canned black beans??? YES WAY!
Moments with the Mullers: Brownies made from canned black beans??? YES WAY!: Let's start this off with the usual! Pounds lost this week: 3 Pounds Pounds lost since surgery: 81 Pounds Pounds lost overall: ...
Brownies made from canned black beans??? YES WAY!
Let's start this off with the usual!
Pounds lost this week: 3 Pounds
Pounds lost since surgery: 81 Pounds
Pounds lost overall: 123 Pounds
Another awesome weekly weigh in! 3 pounds, I'll take it!! I just did the math and I'm averaging 3.3 pounds a week since my surgery. I'd say that is pretty good. I haven't looked it up, because the one thing they tell you is not to compare yourself to others. Everybody's body is different. Every body works differently. Every WLS is different. It's been hard, because I really am SUPER competitive. It's been hard not to compare. But for me, I'm doing great.
This past week was nothing out of the ordinary. We went to work. We went to the gym. We cooked dinner. We lost weight. Well, I guess there was one or two things special about this week.
The first happened on Thursday. I was invited by East Central University to be a sucessful graduate interviewee. I was nominated by an advisor to represent the McAlester the campus. It is truly an honor. I was suuuuppppeeerrrr nervous. #1. I actually worried about how much weight the cameras would add. Isn't that a ridiculous notion?! Why do we as women do this to ourselves?! #2. I worried if my outfit looked okay. And I'm pretty sure I rocked that business. #3. I still worry if I sounded like an idiot. But was quickly reassured that the video and pictures were to be edited and photoshopped. I LOVE Technology!!! But seriously, it was an honor to be selected. I was truly overwhelmed to be recognized by the hard work that I put forth and to represent all the hardworking students at the McAlester campus.
Speaking of the campus, I do start my MSHR classes in a few weeks. I am excited about that as well. I love to learn. One thing about this surgery is that I've learned so much about body and how it works. I've soooo much about food and how it is fuel for our bodies. I've learned what works and doesn't work for our bodies. Life is about learning. Learning from books and experiences and mistakes and from the wise ones in our lives. It really is kinda beautiful.
The second special thing is that we celebrated Rylee's 5th birthday at my Nana's house. I love family dinners at Nana's! She made spaghetti. I did not eat the noodles. I've done very well at not cheating you know. It's been 6 months since a carb. We made zucchini spaghetti. You really can't tell the different. We ate the same sauce and the same meatballs. It was awesome. And I felt like part of the family eating basically the same, although much healthier, meal as my family. The cupcakes were AMANZINGLY beautiful. You should use Toot's Sweet's by Stephanie Sheppard. She did such an amazing job on the princess dress cupcake cake. Plus, I am told they tasted sooooo good!! If you are unclear about what flavor to get from her, the last cupcake I had was one of her pecan pie cupcakes. OMG! AMAZING! Anyways, that's neither here nor there, because obviously, I didn't have a cupcake or ice cream. No, I hit the good ol' internet for a substitute. It really is hard sometimes, because you feel as if you are being punished and left out of all the good stuff. We experimented and found a really good recipe for Black Beans Brownies. They tasted good. In fact, sooo good that most everyone tried them. I have some of the toughest good critics in my family: Papa, Dad, Ranee and Michael Andrew. 75% of those listed enjoyed the brownies (1 of them didn't try them). Thus the reason why it's the recipe of the week listed below. Even the birthday princess loved the brownies. And she enjoyed the day. Really, that's the most important thing. One day, Miss Ry might read this blog. I just really want her to know how much our relationship means to me and how much I love that little girl. I cannot believe she is 5. She's growing up so very fast. Happy birthday Rylee Michelle. Auntie Lulu loves so very very much!
So, for this week, I'm just going to keep focusing on my 3-4 days of 30 minutes of cardio and my diet. On Saturday, I'm going to try some more sweet treat recipes that is low carb and sugar free to take with me to church camp. That's next week peeps which means, I'm sorry....no blog update next week. Watch FB for lots of pictures and status updates. I'm actually a little scared for next week. The extra physical activity and the heat will more than likely take its toll on my body. I'm also a little worried about the food situation. I'm gonna want an Indian Taco soooo bad, but I don't want to be sick. I may make dough and ask them to fry it up for me. I need to Google some recipes that call for almond flour. The first day, I'm going to get there and look at the menu and then we'll work from there on our menu.
So prayers for next week on my strength and patience with the kiddos. Pray for a great moving of the Spirit among his people and the lost. It's gonna be a great week. You'll hear all about it when I get back!!
Okay, here's the recipe for my black bean brownies as promised!:
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. sugar free chocolate chips
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp instant coffee
1/4 c. Splenda
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line an 8X8 baking dish with parchment peper
3. Spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray
4. Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth
5. Pour onto parchment paper in baking dish and smooth out batter to edges of dish.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out perfectly clean
Frosting:
3/4 can. sugar free chocolate frosting
1 package fatt free cream cheese
Mix the two ingredients together. Top cool brownies with frosting.
ENJOY!!!!
Pounds lost this week: 3 Pounds
Pounds lost since surgery: 81 Pounds
Pounds lost overall: 123 Pounds
Another awesome weekly weigh in! 3 pounds, I'll take it!! I just did the math and I'm averaging 3.3 pounds a week since my surgery. I'd say that is pretty good. I haven't looked it up, because the one thing they tell you is not to compare yourself to others. Everybody's body is different. Every body works differently. Every WLS is different. It's been hard, because I really am SUPER competitive. It's been hard not to compare. But for me, I'm doing great.
This past week was nothing out of the ordinary. We went to work. We went to the gym. We cooked dinner. We lost weight. Well, I guess there was one or two things special about this week.
The first happened on Thursday. I was invited by East Central University to be a sucessful graduate interviewee. I was nominated by an advisor to represent the McAlester the campus. It is truly an honor. I was suuuuppppeeerrrr nervous. #1. I actually worried about how much weight the cameras would add. Isn't that a ridiculous notion?! Why do we as women do this to ourselves?! #2. I worried if my outfit looked okay. And I'm pretty sure I rocked that business. #3. I still worry if I sounded like an idiot. But was quickly reassured that the video and pictures were to be edited and photoshopped. I LOVE Technology!!! But seriously, it was an honor to be selected. I was truly overwhelmed to be recognized by the hard work that I put forth and to represent all the hardworking students at the McAlester campus.
Speaking of the campus, I do start my MSHR classes in a few weeks. I am excited about that as well. I love to learn. One thing about this surgery is that I've learned so much about body and how it works. I've soooo much about food and how it is fuel for our bodies. I've learned what works and doesn't work for our bodies. Life is about learning. Learning from books and experiences and mistakes and from the wise ones in our lives. It really is kinda beautiful.
The second special thing is that we celebrated Rylee's 5th birthday at my Nana's house. I love family dinners at Nana's! She made spaghetti. I did not eat the noodles. I've done very well at not cheating you know. It's been 6 months since a carb. We made zucchini spaghetti. You really can't tell the different. We ate the same sauce and the same meatballs. It was awesome. And I felt like part of the family eating basically the same, although much healthier, meal as my family. The cupcakes were AMANZINGLY beautiful. You should use Toot's Sweet's by Stephanie Sheppard. She did such an amazing job on the princess dress cupcake cake. Plus, I am told they tasted sooooo good!! If you are unclear about what flavor to get from her, the last cupcake I had was one of her pecan pie cupcakes. OMG! AMAZING! Anyways, that's neither here nor there, because obviously, I didn't have a cupcake or ice cream. No, I hit the good ol' internet for a substitute. It really is hard sometimes, because you feel as if you are being punished and left out of all the good stuff. We experimented and found a really good recipe for Black Beans Brownies. They tasted good. In fact, sooo good that most everyone tried them. I have some of the toughest good critics in my family: Papa, Dad, Ranee and Michael Andrew. 75% of those listed enjoyed the brownies (1 of them didn't try them). Thus the reason why it's the recipe of the week listed below. Even the birthday princess loved the brownies. And she enjoyed the day. Really, that's the most important thing. One day, Miss Ry might read this blog. I just really want her to know how much our relationship means to me and how much I love that little girl. I cannot believe she is 5. She's growing up so very fast. Happy birthday Rylee Michelle. Auntie Lulu loves so very very much!
So, for this week, I'm just going to keep focusing on my 3-4 days of 30 minutes of cardio and my diet. On Saturday, I'm going to try some more sweet treat recipes that is low carb and sugar free to take with me to church camp. That's next week peeps which means, I'm sorry....no blog update next week. Watch FB for lots of pictures and status updates. I'm actually a little scared for next week. The extra physical activity and the heat will more than likely take its toll on my body. I'm also a little worried about the food situation. I'm gonna want an Indian Taco soooo bad, but I don't want to be sick. I may make dough and ask them to fry it up for me. I need to Google some recipes that call for almond flour. The first day, I'm going to get there and look at the menu and then we'll work from there on our menu.
So prayers for next week on my strength and patience with the kiddos. Pray for a great moving of the Spirit among his people and the lost. It's gonna be a great week. You'll hear all about it when I get back!!
Okay, here's the recipe for my black bean brownies as promised!:
Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. sugar free chocolate chips
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp instant coffee
1/4 c. Splenda
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line an 8X8 baking dish with parchment peper
3. Spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray
4. Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth
5. Pour onto parchment paper in baking dish and smooth out batter to edges of dish.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out perfectly clean
Frosting:
3/4 can. sugar free chocolate frosting
1 package fatt free cream cheese
Mix the two ingredients together. Top cool brownies with frosting.
ENJOY!!!!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Moments with the Mullers: Tanlines are now a problem....
Moments with the Mullers: Tanlines are now a problem....: I want to start off with some good news. Even though it's two weeks later than what I planned I finally met my goal! I lost 20 pounds si...
Tanlines are now a problem....
I want to start off with some good news. Even though it's two weeks later than what I planned I finally met my goal! I lost 20 pounds since the Bahamas!
So, here's the usual:
Pounds Lost This Week: 4 Pounds
Pounds Lost Since Surgery: 78 Pounds
Overall Weight Loss: 120 Pounds
So, now that I've met the last small goal. It's time to set another one. The next big event, other than church camp (church camp is too close to set a goal), is the Murray County Antique Tractor Implementation Show. It's September 19th. I want to be down another 20 pounds by then. It's a little more agressive. My first thought was 26 and that's an average of 2.8 pounds per week. 20 is a little better. So, I'm starting on it right now. It's easier to attain the smaller goals, but still just as important to remember the larger goal. And that my friends, I only have 75 pounds more to lose by January 28, 2015.
So, the title of my blog. I'm sure many of you saw that we took the camper out this weekend to McGee Creek. It was heavenly. It was wonderful. It's funny too, because when Johnathan and I first got married, I told him: I'm not the camping type. Don't even try it. But I love the camper and the camper life. There's something beautiful about being out in nature, living it up. We are really only in the camper from about 10 or 11p to 8am. Otherwise, we're out there living it up right in the thick of the outdoors. I am in love with the life. Anyways, I know have some pretty prominent tanlines. And I LOVE them. You know why? Because it means so much more to me than having the golden brown skin. I am finally comfortable in my own skin. The last few summers I've avoided the beaches, lakes and water. I felt like a beached whale: disgusting and fat. I know I said this isn't about looks and it's not, but this newfound confidence in my own skin is a little freedom for me. It's not about the way I look. It's about the way I feel and I'm feeling pretty good about myself. So, I'm going to continue enjoying the outdoors and the water. I want to plan more camping trip and enjoy the rest of the summer. Remember, next summer, I plan on be pregnant and from what I've seen and heard, summer and pregnancy doesn't mix too well!
So, what did we eat on this camping trip?? Well, we had bacon and eggs for breakfast. For lunch we had lunch meat, 2% cheese, pickles and light mayo. And for dinner, Johnathan grilled out steaks, turkey burgers and turkey hot dogs and grilled squash with red pepper. Our steaks were pretty amazing. We marinated them for two days in Lovera's marinade. It was sooooo good. I know I'm supposed to think about food as fuel, but it's still a little difficult for me. I want it to taste good and food does have a presence in almost every aspect of my life. My point is, once again, that eating healthy can taste very good. We did have kiddos at this cookout. I bought s'mores. I hope Rylee, Dillon and Amy know how much I love them by watching them roast marshmallows and put them on a gooey graham cracker goodness that I can't have. I took it pretty well. I even assembled them for those kiddos. But I do love my nieces and nephews very very much. It was worth it. Not that I didn't look for sugar free marshmallows, because I did. I even found a cookie type thing in the gluten free isle that I was willing to try. All in all, food wise, we were good. Real good.
So, this week, I'm focusing on these goals. I'm working on these 20 pounds for Septemember and 75 pounds for January. They're not cake goals, but life isn't cake peeps. It's about working hard to make yourself happy and healthy. And, I'm doing my best and I'm happy with the results.
Prayer requests for this week: Start praying now for church camp, Indian Falls Creek. We leave July 27th and come home August 1st. Pray for salvation for the lost, a great calling of God's people and safe and fun week. Pray that I can keep my strength up. There's a lot more physicality and strength needed for this and I really need all the help I can get to this regard.
Again, thank you all so much for your support. It means so much to Johnathan and I to hear your kind words. We are truly working hard and it's nice to be recognized. God bless you all!!
Enjoy the recipe of the week: Parmesan tilapia
Parmesan tilapia
Ingredients:
4 4oz tilapia filets
1 c. parmesan
3 tbls butter
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Salt and pepper both sides of tilapia
2. Comine in a bowl, cheese, butter, lemon juice. You many need to put into microwave to soften butter before mixing.
3. Put talipa on cookie sheet sprayed with pam. Cover the top of the tilapia with the cheese mixture and broil until golden brown.
4. Serve hot
5. ENJOY! YUMMMM!
So, here's the usual:
Pounds Lost This Week: 4 Pounds
Pounds Lost Since Surgery: 78 Pounds
Overall Weight Loss: 120 Pounds
So, now that I've met the last small goal. It's time to set another one. The next big event, other than church camp (church camp is too close to set a goal), is the Murray County Antique Tractor Implementation Show. It's September 19th. I want to be down another 20 pounds by then. It's a little more agressive. My first thought was 26 and that's an average of 2.8 pounds per week. 20 is a little better. So, I'm starting on it right now. It's easier to attain the smaller goals, but still just as important to remember the larger goal. And that my friends, I only have 75 pounds more to lose by January 28, 2015.
So, the title of my blog. I'm sure many of you saw that we took the camper out this weekend to McGee Creek. It was heavenly. It was wonderful. It's funny too, because when Johnathan and I first got married, I told him: I'm not the camping type. Don't even try it. But I love the camper and the camper life. There's something beautiful about being out in nature, living it up. We are really only in the camper from about 10 or 11p to 8am. Otherwise, we're out there living it up right in the thick of the outdoors. I am in love with the life. Anyways, I know have some pretty prominent tanlines. And I LOVE them. You know why? Because it means so much more to me than having the golden brown skin. I am finally comfortable in my own skin. The last few summers I've avoided the beaches, lakes and water. I felt like a beached whale: disgusting and fat. I know I said this isn't about looks and it's not, but this newfound confidence in my own skin is a little freedom for me. It's not about the way I look. It's about the way I feel and I'm feeling pretty good about myself. So, I'm going to continue enjoying the outdoors and the water. I want to plan more camping trip and enjoy the rest of the summer. Remember, next summer, I plan on be pregnant and from what I've seen and heard, summer and pregnancy doesn't mix too well!
So, what did we eat on this camping trip?? Well, we had bacon and eggs for breakfast. For lunch we had lunch meat, 2% cheese, pickles and light mayo. And for dinner, Johnathan grilled out steaks, turkey burgers and turkey hot dogs and grilled squash with red pepper. Our steaks were pretty amazing. We marinated them for two days in Lovera's marinade. It was sooooo good. I know I'm supposed to think about food as fuel, but it's still a little difficult for me. I want it to taste good and food does have a presence in almost every aspect of my life. My point is, once again, that eating healthy can taste very good. We did have kiddos at this cookout. I bought s'mores. I hope Rylee, Dillon and Amy know how much I love them by watching them roast marshmallows and put them on a gooey graham cracker goodness that I can't have. I took it pretty well. I even assembled them for those kiddos. But I do love my nieces and nephews very very much. It was worth it. Not that I didn't look for sugar free marshmallows, because I did. I even found a cookie type thing in the gluten free isle that I was willing to try. All in all, food wise, we were good. Real good.
So, this week, I'm focusing on these goals. I'm working on these 20 pounds for Septemember and 75 pounds for January. They're not cake goals, but life isn't cake peeps. It's about working hard to make yourself happy and healthy. And, I'm doing my best and I'm happy with the results.
Prayer requests for this week: Start praying now for church camp, Indian Falls Creek. We leave July 27th and come home August 1st. Pray for salvation for the lost, a great calling of God's people and safe and fun week. Pray that I can keep my strength up. There's a lot more physicality and strength needed for this and I really need all the help I can get to this regard.
Again, thank you all so much for your support. It means so much to Johnathan and I to hear your kind words. We are truly working hard and it's nice to be recognized. God bless you all!!
Enjoy the recipe of the week: Parmesan tilapia
Parmesan tilapia
Ingredients:
4 4oz tilapia filets
1 c. parmesan
3 tbls butter
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Salt and pepper both sides of tilapia
2. Comine in a bowl, cheese, butter, lemon juice. You many need to put into microwave to soften butter before mixing.
3. Put talipa on cookie sheet sprayed with pam. Cover the top of the tilapia with the cheese mixture and broil until golden brown.
4. Serve hot
5. ENJOY! YUMMMM!
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Moments with the Mullers: Another weekly weigh in and another weekend getawa...
Moments with the Mullers: Another weekly weigh in and another weekend getawa...: Here we go kiddos! Pounds lost last week: 2 Pounds Pounds lost since surgery: 74 Pounds Pounds lost overall: 116 Pounds A...
Another weekly weigh in and another weekend getaway!
Here we go kiddos!
Pounds lost last week: 2 Pounds
Pounds lost since surgery: 74 Pounds
Pounds lost overall: 116 Pounds
Another successful week! Weekend getaways are easy when you go somewhere with an abundance of seafood. Grilled seafood is very nutrious and oh, so very very yummy. Shrimp is my favorite and I had so much of it. I had grilled shrimp and shrimp brioche and cocnut shrimp and stuffed shrimp with crab and monterray jack cheese. The stuffed shrimp was my very favorite. We had it at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. It was worth the money that we spent on it. I also had tiliapia. The first night I had Hawaain Fish and Shrimp with a pineapple salsa. Pretty flippin good, complements of Fish Tales. At Rainforest Cafe, I had a macadamia crusted tilapia with coconut shrimp. It was pretty good. Seafood is such a lean meat and very high in protein. It's a good protein to add your plate. Replace the potatoes with fresh veggies and you have a very nutritous meal. It really isn't that hard to eat healthy on vacation. It's all about making good decisions and letting yourself endulge just a little. How did I endulge? By eating coconut shrimp. I'm not sure I can have it because it's fried, but it's vacation. I can't deny myself every time I turn around. I won't be sucessful if I'm denying myself every little thing.
Food aside, it was a pretty great 4 day weekend. But of course, it always is when Johnathan, Aunt Nae, Uncle Stephen, Maryah, Nick, Michael Andrew, Nana and Papa are involved. We left out Thursday evening and headed to Bryan, TX. I love that city. Basically, because of the people that live there. We arrived at Uncle Joe's at almost 1am. We were exhausted. But Uncle Joe and Aunt Dana had two beds ready for us. We got up the next morning and had a good conversation with Uncle Joe and he cooked us a pretty good breakfast. I rarely eat regular breakfast but I couldn't resist. Then, Rylee, Johnathan, Uncle Joe and I fed Cowboy (a beautiful horse) and then we loaded up and headed up to the coast.
I love the beach and with this new-found confidence, I don't mind being seen in public in a bathing suit. Actually, I half way think I look cute in my suit. I love the smell of the ocean and the feel of the salt water. I love to jump the waves. I love to feel the sun on my skin and the sand in my toes. I know it's a cliche, but the ocean is beautiful. I was more than happy to finally arrive. We spent the rest of the night at the beach and then set up for the parade down Seawall and an amazing firework show over the ocean. It was beautiful and I've never felt more blessed to have the freedom to be able to share this moment with my amazing husband and wonderful family.
The next morning, we got up and had a little breakfast and headed to the beach...yes again. We spent all day there. Johnathan bought a raft and I floated in the ocean and it was amazing. We had good conversation on the beach with Lynard Skynard Pandora playing in the background while the kiddos built sandcastles and caught hermit crabs. It was a great day. Then we rode the ferry across the island. Finally, we got all dressed up and went to family dinner at Fishtales. It was a picture perfect day!
Our last day, we took a dolphin tour and got some close up views of the dolphins. It was pretty cool and we had a really good captain. Then, we drove around Seawall and had lunch at Rainforest Cafe. I love taking Rylee here. She has such a good time and it really is a neat place. They even have a ride that shows you all the rainforests in the world. It's pretty neat. Then, we spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool. We were all a little burnt and the pool offers a little shade. The last thing we did was go to the Pleasure Pier. It was AWESOME. The last 9 or so years of my life, I've been avoiding carnivals and amusment parks because I'm afraid that I'll not fit or be kicked off for being too large. I officially overcame this fear, rational or irrational, this weekend. I did not have one issue with any of the restraints or belts. I rode the biggest ride there and it was awesome! Short, but it has a 90 degree climb and then a drop. It was wonderful. They also have the boat that is always my favorite. Another that swings you in the air like the boat and spins you around. I LOVED it! It was a great feeling! I kinda felt free like I didn't have to worry about anything. I can't wait now until the carnival comes back or we plan a trip to Six Flags!!
Now that we're home, I need to focus on getting back in the swing of a regular diet and exercise. I have GOT to get back to the gym: NO EXCUSES!!!! I need to get back on track with the lifestyle. Vacation is over and time to get back in the swing of things and that includes using my binder for meal planning again. I may even re-evaluate it and add some new recipes to the swing of things! There's only 203 days until January 28, 2015 to lose 79 pounds. That averages 2.5 pounds a week. It's very aggressive...very... and probably unattainable..but it's a goal that I desperately want to hit. I've got to get it together!
Next week, I'll add a recipe that I've eaten to the blog. So, of course prayer requests for the week is that I have the patience and will power to get back on track. Prayer for patience in the week ahead.
You all have absolutely NO idea how much all of your support means to me. It really keeps me going and keeps my head up and a smile on my face. God bless you all for being there for me :)
Happy reading!
Pounds lost last week: 2 Pounds
Pounds lost since surgery: 74 Pounds
Pounds lost overall: 116 Pounds
Another successful week! Weekend getaways are easy when you go somewhere with an abundance of seafood. Grilled seafood is very nutrious and oh, so very very yummy. Shrimp is my favorite and I had so much of it. I had grilled shrimp and shrimp brioche and cocnut shrimp and stuffed shrimp with crab and monterray jack cheese. The stuffed shrimp was my very favorite. We had it at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. It was worth the money that we spent on it. I also had tiliapia. The first night I had Hawaain Fish and Shrimp with a pineapple salsa. Pretty flippin good, complements of Fish Tales. At Rainforest Cafe, I had a macadamia crusted tilapia with coconut shrimp. It was pretty good. Seafood is such a lean meat and very high in protein. It's a good protein to add your plate. Replace the potatoes with fresh veggies and you have a very nutritous meal. It really isn't that hard to eat healthy on vacation. It's all about making good decisions and letting yourself endulge just a little. How did I endulge? By eating coconut shrimp. I'm not sure I can have it because it's fried, but it's vacation. I can't deny myself every time I turn around. I won't be sucessful if I'm denying myself every little thing.
Food aside, it was a pretty great 4 day weekend. But of course, it always is when Johnathan, Aunt Nae, Uncle Stephen, Maryah, Nick, Michael Andrew, Nana and Papa are involved. We left out Thursday evening and headed to Bryan, TX. I love that city. Basically, because of the people that live there. We arrived at Uncle Joe's at almost 1am. We were exhausted. But Uncle Joe and Aunt Dana had two beds ready for us. We got up the next morning and had a good conversation with Uncle Joe and he cooked us a pretty good breakfast. I rarely eat regular breakfast but I couldn't resist. Then, Rylee, Johnathan, Uncle Joe and I fed Cowboy (a beautiful horse) and then we loaded up and headed up to the coast.
I love the beach and with this new-found confidence, I don't mind being seen in public in a bathing suit. Actually, I half way think I look cute in my suit. I love the smell of the ocean and the feel of the salt water. I love to jump the waves. I love to feel the sun on my skin and the sand in my toes. I know it's a cliche, but the ocean is beautiful. I was more than happy to finally arrive. We spent the rest of the night at the beach and then set up for the parade down Seawall and an amazing firework show over the ocean. It was beautiful and I've never felt more blessed to have the freedom to be able to share this moment with my amazing husband and wonderful family.
The next morning, we got up and had a little breakfast and headed to the beach...yes again. We spent all day there. Johnathan bought a raft and I floated in the ocean and it was amazing. We had good conversation on the beach with Lynard Skynard Pandora playing in the background while the kiddos built sandcastles and caught hermit crabs. It was a great day. Then we rode the ferry across the island. Finally, we got all dressed up and went to family dinner at Fishtales. It was a picture perfect day!
Our last day, we took a dolphin tour and got some close up views of the dolphins. It was pretty cool and we had a really good captain. Then, we drove around Seawall and had lunch at Rainforest Cafe. I love taking Rylee here. She has such a good time and it really is a neat place. They even have a ride that shows you all the rainforests in the world. It's pretty neat. Then, we spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool. We were all a little burnt and the pool offers a little shade. The last thing we did was go to the Pleasure Pier. It was AWESOME. The last 9 or so years of my life, I've been avoiding carnivals and amusment parks because I'm afraid that I'll not fit or be kicked off for being too large. I officially overcame this fear, rational or irrational, this weekend. I did not have one issue with any of the restraints or belts. I rode the biggest ride there and it was awesome! Short, but it has a 90 degree climb and then a drop. It was wonderful. They also have the boat that is always my favorite. Another that swings you in the air like the boat and spins you around. I LOVED it! It was a great feeling! I kinda felt free like I didn't have to worry about anything. I can't wait now until the carnival comes back or we plan a trip to Six Flags!!
Now that we're home, I need to focus on getting back in the swing of a regular diet and exercise. I have GOT to get back to the gym: NO EXCUSES!!!! I need to get back on track with the lifestyle. Vacation is over and time to get back in the swing of things and that includes using my binder for meal planning again. I may even re-evaluate it and add some new recipes to the swing of things! There's only 203 days until January 28, 2015 to lose 79 pounds. That averages 2.5 pounds a week. It's very aggressive...very... and probably unattainable..but it's a goal that I desperately want to hit. I've got to get it together!
Next week, I'll add a recipe that I've eaten to the blog. So, of course prayer requests for the week is that I have the patience and will power to get back on track. Prayer for patience in the week ahead.
You all have absolutely NO idea how much all of your support means to me. It really keeps me going and keeps my head up and a smile on my face. God bless you all for being there for me :)
Happy reading!
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Moments with the Mullers: A failure? Or a victory?
Moments with the Mullers: A failure? Or a victory?: Blah...here we go... Pounds Lost This Week: 0 Pounds Pounds Lost Since Surgery: 72 Pounds Overall Weight Loss: 114 Pounds So...
A failure? Or a victory?
Blah...here we go...
Pounds Lost This Week: 0 Pounds
Pounds Lost Since Surgery: 72 Pounds
Overall Weight Loss: 114 Pounds
So, no pounds lost this week. Again, I have to convince myself that this normal. I've read about the ups and downs rollercoaster that is weight loss surgery. When you stall or gain (which is only happened twice) it really is disappointing and disheartening. I honestly know and understand that 72 pounds lost in just 5 months is pretty freaking amazing!! 114 pounds is more than amazing! I shouldn't be down about this. It's a normal part of the process.
Could I have done better? Of course. I snacked. I chose not to go to the gym. Granted I didn't snack on chips or ice cream or cake, I snack on Weight Watchers cheese, beef jerky and Atkins candy (0 carbs, 0 sugar.) I honestly thought the 1 hour of vigirous moving during music class of VBS would be enough exercise to get me through the week. I was actually super wore out after the week of VBS. But no excuses. I should have done a little better.
So, my title "A failure? Or a victory?"... Let's talk about my failure. Remember a month, almost two, when I set the goal of being down another 20 pounds before July 4th??? Well, this week's weigh in made me short by 6 pounds. I am super bummed. I hit the first goal so easily!! Now, I'm struggling for seven weeks to lose these 20 pounds. I realize now I put the pen to the paper (or fingers to the keys) how overzealous that does sound. It's hard to slow down after losing 18 pounds the first week (remember those good ol days?!). I have 6 more pounds to go and it's only the first goal that I haven't met. I'm really trying to work on myself and this "meet or exceed expectations" mentality. While it is a wonderful quality that I have that I have the drive to do these things, but it's unhealthy to obsess over it and to continually beat myself up over a 6 pounds (or less). I should be proud of myself. I've come a very long way. I've overcome some huge goals and discovered that I have some amazing will power that I never knew existed. I'm proud of myself for these 72 pounds/114 pounds. It's not something to beat myself up over.
So my victory (besides the 72/114 pounds) is that I was able to fit into a size 16 pants!!! I honestly canNOT remember the last time I was able to squeeze into a size 16. And it wasn't just one pair of pants, it was two different brands that I was able to fit the 16s!!! Just for the record, this means that I am down 5 pant sizes! 5! That's the difference between a size 0 and a size 10 just so everyone is aware! This is a pretty big deal to me and honestly other plus size women. It also proves that my hard work is paying off. The pounds might not be flying off, but I'm obviously losing inches. It is most definitely a victory and deserves some celebrating!
What a perfect time to celebrate!! We leave for Galveston this week for some family fun. I love the beach. I love my family even more. I love these big trips of ours and we are in for a great time! We are going to go to the Pleasure Pier and ride some rides. We're gonna sit in a hot tub. We're gonna enjoy 7 hours one way in a vehicle and bonding time! I can't wait to share with you next week about our little adventures in Galveston! I'm pretty pumped about the Pleasure Pier because I'm not afraid to try to ride the rides. I've purposely avoided Six Flags because I've been afriad that I would be kicked off the rides for being too big, but now, I'm pretty confident I won't be kicked off the ride for my weight! Stay tuned for next week to get the inside scoop!!
So, prayer requests for this week include prayers for safe travels, pray that I can calm it on the beating myself up over the little things, and prayers for my patience! Again, thank you in advance for your prayers. They mean so very very very much to us!
Now, as promised, tonight I tried a new recipe. I think I might try to start to add a recipe on each blog for everyone to enjoy. That's one thing that most people I tell ask is what do you eat? Is it good? Do you just eat things that taste like cardboard. NO! I have a very very VERY flavorful diet. So, tonight, we had turkey burgers and parmesan zuchinni chips AND a new recipe that could be one of my new favs: Baked Parmesan Tomatoes. Try them and ENJOY!
Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
2 Large Tomatoes
Parmesan
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1. Preheat Oven to 350
2. Slice your tomatoes into three slices. I cut the tops and bottoms off to get three even slices.
3. Season your slices with the oregano, salt and pepper
4. Cover slices with parmesan cheese
5. Drizzle with EVOO
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden brown
Happy Reading!
Pounds Lost This Week: 0 Pounds
Pounds Lost Since Surgery: 72 Pounds
Overall Weight Loss: 114 Pounds
So, no pounds lost this week. Again, I have to convince myself that this normal. I've read about the ups and downs rollercoaster that is weight loss surgery. When you stall or gain (which is only happened twice) it really is disappointing and disheartening. I honestly know and understand that 72 pounds lost in just 5 months is pretty freaking amazing!! 114 pounds is more than amazing! I shouldn't be down about this. It's a normal part of the process.
Could I have done better? Of course. I snacked. I chose not to go to the gym. Granted I didn't snack on chips or ice cream or cake, I snack on Weight Watchers cheese, beef jerky and Atkins candy (0 carbs, 0 sugar.) I honestly thought the 1 hour of vigirous moving during music class of VBS would be enough exercise to get me through the week. I was actually super wore out after the week of VBS. But no excuses. I should have done a little better.
So, my title "A failure? Or a victory?"... Let's talk about my failure. Remember a month, almost two, when I set the goal of being down another 20 pounds before July 4th??? Well, this week's weigh in made me short by 6 pounds. I am super bummed. I hit the first goal so easily!! Now, I'm struggling for seven weeks to lose these 20 pounds. I realize now I put the pen to the paper (or fingers to the keys) how overzealous that does sound. It's hard to slow down after losing 18 pounds the first week (remember those good ol days?!). I have 6 more pounds to go and it's only the first goal that I haven't met. I'm really trying to work on myself and this "meet or exceed expectations" mentality. While it is a wonderful quality that I have that I have the drive to do these things, but it's unhealthy to obsess over it and to continually beat myself up over a 6 pounds (or less). I should be proud of myself. I've come a very long way. I've overcome some huge goals and discovered that I have some amazing will power that I never knew existed. I'm proud of myself for these 72 pounds/114 pounds. It's not something to beat myself up over.
So my victory (besides the 72/114 pounds) is that I was able to fit into a size 16 pants!!! I honestly canNOT remember the last time I was able to squeeze into a size 16. And it wasn't just one pair of pants, it was two different brands that I was able to fit the 16s!!! Just for the record, this means that I am down 5 pant sizes! 5! That's the difference between a size 0 and a size 10 just so everyone is aware! This is a pretty big deal to me and honestly other plus size women. It also proves that my hard work is paying off. The pounds might not be flying off, but I'm obviously losing inches. It is most definitely a victory and deserves some celebrating!
What a perfect time to celebrate!! We leave for Galveston this week for some family fun. I love the beach. I love my family even more. I love these big trips of ours and we are in for a great time! We are going to go to the Pleasure Pier and ride some rides. We're gonna sit in a hot tub. We're gonna enjoy 7 hours one way in a vehicle and bonding time! I can't wait to share with you next week about our little adventures in Galveston! I'm pretty pumped about the Pleasure Pier because I'm not afraid to try to ride the rides. I've purposely avoided Six Flags because I've been afriad that I would be kicked off the rides for being too big, but now, I'm pretty confident I won't be kicked off the ride for my weight! Stay tuned for next week to get the inside scoop!!
So, prayer requests for this week include prayers for safe travels, pray that I can calm it on the beating myself up over the little things, and prayers for my patience! Again, thank you in advance for your prayers. They mean so very very very much to us!
Now, as promised, tonight I tried a new recipe. I think I might try to start to add a recipe on each blog for everyone to enjoy. That's one thing that most people I tell ask is what do you eat? Is it good? Do you just eat things that taste like cardboard. NO! I have a very very VERY flavorful diet. So, tonight, we had turkey burgers and parmesan zuchinni chips AND a new recipe that could be one of my new favs: Baked Parmesan Tomatoes. Try them and ENJOY!
Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
2 Large Tomatoes
Parmesan
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1. Preheat Oven to 350
2. Slice your tomatoes into three slices. I cut the tops and bottoms off to get three even slices.
3. Season your slices with the oregano, salt and pepper
4. Cover slices with parmesan cheese
5. Drizzle with EVOO
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden brown
Happy Reading!
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