My thankful list

I know, you probably figured I forgot all about posting my 10 things I'm thankful for this week. You'll be pleased to know I didn't forget! I did get sidetracked - which is pretty normal for me - but I did remember! Here goes -

1. God's grace - boy, do I ever need that!
2. Health! After last weekend, I'm so thankful everyone is healthy!
3. Deadlines - whether or not I manage to meet them, having them there staring me in the face gives me something to aim for!
4. Coffee - today was the first day in about a week that I've actually had a cup of coffee! YUMMY!!
5. Having a week off from babysitting - the girl I babysit for is having her sister-in-law watch her kids next week, so I'm off the hook! Her sister-in-law is preparing to move, and needs the extra cash. Thankfully, I don't!
6. My kids! They are all such blessings, especially when they are sleeping peacefully and not interrupting me!
7. Interruptions - sometimes, I need to be interrupted to remind me what the important things in life are!
8. Helpers making dinner... Arielle (who is 6 years old) made dinner Thursday night. We had chicken pot pie (although not exactly like we usually make it) and she did all the work herself! I was just there to supervise and advise, I did stir a couple things and I put the pie in the oven and took it out, but she did all the rest of the work herself!
9. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! Yes, we did make a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! No, I haven't denied myself the pleasure of eating a small piece. Yes, I enjoyed it very much!!
10. Friends! They're like family, only better, because we choose them!! :)
    

Just wanted to share

Hello everyone! I was just reading another blog, Sunflowers At Home, and "Ginny" mentioned something I thought might be helpful to us... so I'm posting a link to what she found on our blog for our benefit, too! It has to do with biblical eating, and I'm not going to go into it any further as I have only just glanced at the site, but what I saw looked like it might be beneficial. The name of the site is Setting Captives Free, the Lord's Table - so feel free to check it out! I didn't post my Thankful Thursday top ten list - but I'm planning to do that tomorrow. I figure a day late is better than not at all! Take care everybody!!

Thankful Thursday........

1) Jesus Christ for taking my sins and giving me a way home to God.

2) Frosted over van windows. (thats where my boys leave me love notes)

3) Coffee :)

4) My husband!

5) My 6 wonderful children! What an honor God has placed upon me!

6) The internet! (I meet some of the most wonderful people there! and I can stay in touch with family ALL OVER much easier!

7) Cereal for dinner. (its dinner... need I say more)

8) Coffee (are you starting to see the pattern here? :) )

9) Frustration with my husband over him leaving my van empty on gas. (gives me the chance to spend time with God and learn patience .... forgiveness... and just plain love so that when my husband comes home ... its something to laugh about and not fight!)

10) Second chances!!!

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Mel........... oh hon... so sorry to hear you and your son have been sick. Feel better real soon! Bonus on the weight loss though.... :)

Thank you for the encouragement. 1/2 pound is better than 0 pound. But darn.... it would have been nice to be a full pound... I want more yarn.................LOL

Aunt Joyce.......... Good for you! Another pound gone. Thats awesome!!!

Good grief...............look at all that stuff you have made already this year! WOW!

What a blessing you are to so many! Do you have pictures of all this? It would be fun to see pictures of all the fun stuff we're making with the yarn we are earning. I bought my 3 pounds of yarn that I earned last week so I can make a Valentine Flannel'ghan for Ken.

Okay... off I go... need to get a coffee refill and a new glass of water!

you all have a Thankful Thursday!

And remember........... this is one day at a time... one pound at a time.

Hugs... Love & Blessings,
.::Tam::.

weight lost!

Mel....sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well, but sometimes its good to be sick so that you appreciate it more when we're well! and food tastes so much better.

Tam...down is GOOD, proud of you, just remember we're all in this together. Thanks for the

runza recipe sounds good.

I'm down another pound and ready to buy more yarn....So far this year I've made five baby-toddler afghans, four pair of slippers, four hats, two pair of booties, and two baby caps.

I love the fact that I'm losing weight, but the idea of have lots of yarn is so nice.

weight loss...

Okay, for me - I was dealing with a sick little man this weekend, and then I ended up getting sick, too, so I don't know how permanent this is, but I've lost 5.5 pounds since last week! I hope to keep that off, and expand on it this next week! I was not drinking water for two days, as I switched to Ginger Ale for the nausea, but I'm back to water now. We'll see how well I do this time next week. Oh, and I haven't had any coffee in DAYS!! So perhaps tomorrow I'll feel back up to my old self and able to enjoy the finer things in life (like coffee) LOL!!

Way to keep up the momentum, Tammy! Half a pound doesn't seem like much, but then again, it didn't seem like much when it was creeping onto our bodies either, did it? Like you said, it's still loss, and we'll take whatever we can get (at least I know I will!!). Thanks for the recipe!! Oh - and I like weighing in on Wednesdays rather than Mondays - great idea!!

Joyce - great tip about getting up and going to get something rather than keep it all nearby. I'll have to try that one. Hopefully, I don't lose half my stuff in the process! Ha! Ha!!

Okay - now, I'm off to prepare dinner. We're having something yummy out of my daughter's cookbook. She has claimed a "Campbells Soup" cookbook as her own, and we're going to have Chicken and broccoli Alfredo. I'll be using low sodium cream of chicken soup instead of regular, to cut down on the salt level, and lots of broccoli. Should be yummy!!

Enjoy your evening, everyone!!

Weigh in Wednesday..............

Well............. not as good as last week........... but loss is loss. This morning I weighed in losing 1/2 pound.

How is everyone else doing? Come on ladies............ hop in and share!

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Sharing a recipe!

Runza Burgers

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste
10 hamburger buns, split

Directions
Brown ground beef in a large skillet over high heat. Drain fat. Stir in garlic, onion, and cabbage; cook until vegetables are wilted and soft. Stir in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until reduced to a sloppy joe consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Place hamburger buns on top of meat mixture; cover skillet to steam, about 1 minute. To serve, fill steamed buns with beef and cabbage mixture.

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 284
Total Fat: 10.8g
Cholesterol: 45mg
Sodium: 532mg
Total Carbs: 27.9g
Dietary Fiber: 3.3g
Protein: 18.3g

Enjoy!

hugs..love...&blessings

.::Tam::.

Ok, heres my tip that is working for ME, I always keep all my ' stuff ' yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, anything I need for crafting right next to my chair! Well my granddaughter told my to but it in the other room and when I need something (like always) to get up and get it and go back and put it away. a lot of extra walking on my part but it helps me move around more and my chair area looks so much better, Hope this will help someone....

Tuesday Tips.............

Come on... lets go everyone!!!

I want to see some posts here today on some fun helpful tips on how get moving... or what to do to food to make it taste great but make it healthier... or how to keep your spirits up!!!

So lets go.... post those tips.... :)

We need some encouragement here!

My Tip for the day:

Trade Your Vanilla Lattes for Skinny Vanilla Lattes? WORTH IT!

Starbucks Vanilla Latte, 2% milk, Grande - 250 calories and 6g fat

Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Latte, Grande - 130 calories and 0g fat

If you drink a Starbucks Vanilla Latte every day, simply switching to the Skinny version would add up to 12.5 pounds of weight loss over a year. I think THAT is worth making the switch.

hugs..love and Blessings

.::Tam::.

Thankful Thursday

Here are my 10 things I'm thankful for today, in no particular order:

#3: My children - they are AWESOME!!!
#9: Our weather! Believe it or not, yes, I'm thankful for our weather! We've not had it too bad this year, and we don't have earthquakes here!!
#5: My parents, without whom I would not be here!
#1: My husband, especially after this morning!
#7: Coffee!
#10: Having people trust me enough to watch their children!
#2: My Lord, is there really anything else to say?
#8: My siblings... one of which is making me an aunt for the first time!!!!!
#4: Things to be thankful for lists - helps to focus my attention on the good stuff!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Thankful Thursday..........

Oh... its here again..........time to list 10 things you are Thankful for!!!
I know you all can do it! Come on in ... grab a cup of coffee and visit for a while.


I am Thankful for:

1) My Heavenly Father! (He teaches me everyday to love.. live and laugh)
2) My earthly Father who is now in Heaven. ( he taught me to be the person I am today! I think he would be proud)
3) Coffee............ :)
4) My family!
5) The roof over my head.. food in my tummy and clothes on my back!
6) Being the one that others come to for advice. (means God trusts me enough to lead them to me.... even when I feel overwhelmed by it all)
7) Coffee.......... (dont give me that look........... you knew it would be here again :) heheehe)
8) Sink full of dirty dishes......... (means last nights dinner was awesome and we enjoyed each others company too much to mess with cleaning up after)
9) My yarn stash!!!
10) My very very dirty van! (the fact that I have a van to drive in the first place... and all that mud reminds me of the beautiful place I live. Beautiful land.. in a beautiful house... in the beautiful country!


Mel: Hey.... no worries about "no loss" No gain is GREAT!! Hang in there with us... grab your water and lets get moving. This is one day at a time... No pressure!
Thank you for the congrats on my first 3lbs! :) I cant wait to go buy my 3lbs of yarn this weekend.

Hey Dragonflymom: Great to see you!!!
Not bad for calorie count even with a day of McDonalds! I think you can do it with 1500 calories. My daily goal is more than 1000 and less than 1500. There are days I just make it over 1000 and some I'm pushing the 1500. But its working!
I dont go to the gym... I think its great that you do!!! I have things I can work out on at home... so thats good enough for now. When the weather gets nice I'll be able to get out and walk.
Thanks for the congrats! I'm pretty happy about it!


Okay.. time for a coffee refill and a new glass of water!
Have a very Thankful Thursday everyone!!!


hugs.. love and Blessings,
.::Tam::.

Well I went to the gym, and worked on the treadmill for 20 minutes at a speed on it of 3.5 which may not seem like much, but I have not done this in a long time, and it was going fast........LOL but I did stay on it for the whole 20 minutes........of course I went home right after that, but I was just glad to be there. Anyway I calculated my ideal weight, and it says I should eat 1650 calories a day, when I first started seeing a dietician awhile back, and actually wrote down everything, I had trouble eating that much.......so we lowered it to 1300 a day, but I am not going to do that..........I wrote down all I had today, and I ate 1623 even with the mcDonalds for lunch.....I have drank about 48 oz of water so far, which is good, since I usually drink diet pop....which I know can be just as bad as drinking non diet pop........my point for me is......today I didn't have a drink by my side at all times like I usually do, and when I have the bottle of water there, it goes slow.......so that is good.........I will shoot for less calories tomorrow, and try to stay at or under 1500......I also weighed myself tonight.........I will do the Wednesday weigh.

Congrats Tammy on losing 3 pounds.

weigh in Wednesday

Nothing to report - no gain, but no loss either. :( Can't really complain too much, though, because I have done NOTHING as far as working at it at all, and haven't gained anything!

Congratulations, Tammy!! 3 pounds is AWESOME! The best part is I didn't find those 3 pounds you lost! LOL

Time for me to buckle down and really do something with this. Hopefully, next week will show at least some improvement...

Till next time, all!

My Day?

Well just let me say that I have slacked off a lot, I will write more later. I had a Slim Fast shake for breakfast, but mcdonalds for lunch.....:( I had a mcchicken and fries.......bad bad, could have done without the fries..........anyway I will drink my water and head to the YMCA. So will be back later tonight with more, I have neglected this blog as well as my weight.

Weigh-in Wednesday...........

I've lost 3 pounds....................... I'm really excited!!!

I've been drinking my water ... some days better than others... but I have been drinking it... which is an improvement from not. :) I have been keeping my calorie count to under 1500 a day.... and moving around more! So it's working. Yay!!!!

How is everyone else doing.................?

Come on now... check in... loss or no loss............ its time to check in.. so we can encourage each other!

I really need to start digging through my recipes and sharing them here with you all!

I have several that would be great for all of us to use!

Okay........ I need to get things moving around here... the boys will be getting up soon for school!

You all have a GREAT DAY!!!

hugs..love & blessings,

.::Tam::.

Good Morning..........

how is everyone this fine day?
Staying warm I hope... and staying focused!

My weekend was busy as always with the three young ones in sports! I cant believe I'm still trying to get caught back up from being away for Christmas!

I hope I'm successful this week with weight loss... My head has been killing me for days now and its starting to upset my stomach! yuck!
But I'm hangin' tough... I'm drinking my water and watching what I eat!

Well.. . I hate to cut this post short... but I need to get back it around here!
You all have a GREAT day!
I'm going to look through my recipes and post one later.


hugs...love .. and blessings
.::Tam::.

Drink your water!

I ran 3.25 miles on Saturday. Took a break on Sunday and hopefully have time to go to run tonight.
Kairi

Satisfying Saturday.................

YIPPIE........... I like this day!!!
Today you get to satisfy a craving ......... in moderation though.... be good... but take care of that sweet tooth... or whatever may be driving you crazy that you haven't eaten all week that you would love to have a little of!

How is everyone doing?
I'm doing pretty darn good! Don't know if I have lost weight yet.. .but I'm feeling good! So that's a great start!

The boys have basketball games today... so I may make some sandwiches again to take with us. Its healthier than eating concession food... its cheaper too. It worked great last weekend.

Well.... my friends........... I'm off to get things ready for us to get going to games. I just wanted to pop in and say Good Morning and wish everyone a Wonderful weekend!!


hugs... love and blessings,
.::Tam::.

ok Remind me and i will also weigh in on Weds:) I will be at windy's by then so a new start!!
as for things to be thankful for, Let me see:

1) God loves me
2) for my Family
3) I am moving home
4) that I have a Roof over my head(pray for those in haiti!)
5)My Crocheting
6) like you Tammy my Internet this is my lifeline:)
7) My coffee & Tea
8) that my Brother-in-Law finally Found a job and it pays well!
9) that i was able to get all my yarn into Vac& seal bags LOL
10) For all my Crochet Group friends

Hugs
sissie

Thankful Thursday...........

Good morning all.
Sorry I missed posting yesterday. I dropped off the boys and had a day of running errands and visiting my mom.
I'm off again today for a couple things but not for a couple hours yet.
Since I didnt post yesterday... I didnt get the chance to announce Weigh-In Wednesday. Now dont panic............ you dont have to tell us how much you weigh... ..just use Wednesdays to weigh in and post your loss. That will help us encourage each other.
Now I weighed in... but obviously wont have a post of 'Loss' until next Wednesday.
Thursdays will be "Thankful Thursdays" Post 10 things you are thankful for. This is a good way to keep your spirits up. Make us step back and see the good and thankful things we have and not always focus on things that go wrong. So many look at themselves and think their extra weight is who they are and its unattractive. Not true... you are NOT your weight... and you are NOT ugly. Dont let the extra weight you carry control you... you control it!!!
We are all in this to get healthier!! We will feel better... and yes... look better... but it starts on the inside.... inside our heads and hearts!!!

So...................What am I thankful for?

I am thankful for:
1) My God. He loves me for all I am and all I'm not! He loves me thin or thick. He loves me simply because I am His!
2) Coffee............ sorry ... just had too! :)
3) My family! They are my life.
4) My crafting....... gives me a chance to do something for others! I love making handmade gifts!
5) My laptop........... its where I have all my friends.
6) Cold winter days. I get to snuggle with my kids and watch a movie!
7) Stepping on cold wet winter clothes. Means my kids were out having the time of their lives in the snow!
8) Each and every trial in my life... past... (I've gained knowledge) present... (gives me a chance to spend more time with God) future......(God's not done with me yet!!!)
9) Coffee................ come on now... you knew it would be in here again! :)
10) low calorie foods............ hehehehe :)


So... anyone else?
Come on in................... share with us!
Coffee is on... and low cal muffins are on the counter! Help yourself and lets chat!


have a great day everyone!
hugs... love and blessings,
.::Tam::.

We have a fitness center in our apartment complex. So I started to go there. I want to go at least 3 times a week. Right now I go when Henri is in the preschool. Usually for half an hour I walk/run 2 miles and lose about 200 kcal each time. Next week my school starts so I hope I can find time when my husband is at home in the evenings. I can't take Henri with me since it might not be safe for him. Next week I will be changing my workout also and want to lose 300- 400 kcal each time.
I have been trying not to eat after dinner. And also not eat much during the day. I weigh myself usually once a week on Sunday. Right now I don't see much change but I have more energy after running/walking and it feels good.
Kairi

A good day........

Howdy all..................
well....I had a good day yesterday.

my calorie count went like this:
Breakfast: 420 - breakfast sandwich
Lunch: 200 - banana & apple
Dinner: 500 - salad & thin slice of pizza
Snack: 100 - couple bits of birthday cake

Coffee: 100 - due to creamer
Water intake: 11 - 8oz glasses
____________________________
Total calories for day: 1320

Not bad!!! My goal is to get above 1000 and stay under 1500


How are all the rest of you doing?
What method are you using to lose?
Dont forget to get up and move around. Dont overdue..... just move more.
Try setting things you would normally have sitting next to you across the room so that when you need it.. you have to get up to use it... drink it.. or eat it.
That may sound annoying ... but it will be worth it when you start to see the weight come off and you find you have more energy!

Okay........... here we go............ New Day!
grab your water and lets get movin'




hugs... love & blessings,
.::Tam::.

Good Morning.............

How is everyone doing?
Yesterday was good for me! I drank as much water as I could through the day while being out. I had a breakfast sandwich for breakfast... a lunch meat sandwich for lunch... and steak & eggs for dinner. I didn't snack at all during the day... which was helpful!
Today is my sweet little Michael's Birthday. So we will be going to Chuck E Cheese for dinner tonight. Now don't worry... they have a great salad bar there ... so I will make myself a nice dinner from the salad bar and be happy!!! Thanks to my mom... we have some awesome coupons to use there ... so pizza and partying is our plans for tonight!

Mel............ its great to see you.......... and thank you for the great tips!!! You're right... If we make a purpose of sitting to eat... enjoy our food... eat slower.. chew better and not inhale our food... sit for a while... we will feel full and walk away feeling much better about ourselves. And yes... a glass of water before you eat... and while you eat... is a great tip. Water with your meals makes the food taste better... you enjoy it more. Water before your meal... helps fill you a bit before so that you don't over eat... and gets your pallet ready for the food.
Water is so very important during this time .... it speeds up your metabolism... and flushes your system of all kinds of things your body does not need. ... not to mention.. it keeps you hydrated!

Okay... I'm off to get my water... another cup of coffee... and get some knitting done for a while.
you all have a GREAT day!



hugs....love... & blessings,
.::Tam::.


water ... water ... water! :)

Yeah!! Let's do this thing!

Thanks for the pep talk, Tammy! Yes, I also have many many pounds of weight I want/need to lose, and gaining yarn is always awesome! I'm ready to get the ball (of yarn) rolling on this - I like all of your ideas, and have one of my own to share. I recently read this online - and it makes sense... DO NOT EAT WHILE STANDING UP. I never really thought about it before, but I do eat while standing up often. It is much better, if you are going to take the time and energy to eat something, to go sit down at the table and really savor each bite. No more rushing through meals - that's the reason I go back for more... I've eaten too fast and don't realize I'm full! My step-dad used to tell me it takes your stomach 20 minutes to tell your brain it's full... so for an entire 20 minutes you can keep eating, but your stomach is really full... I'm certain that's why I come away from meals feeling STUFFED! So that's my 2 cents worth today... sit down and savor your food, wait a few minutes before getting seconds... oh - and drink 8 ounces of water before each meal! :)

Happy weight loss, everybody!!

Happy New Year,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lets get this weight loss movin' this year!!!

I have pounds of weight I want to lose and pounds of yarn I want to gain.

So............ no more slacking everyone.................. lets get our backsides and hooks in gear!

Dont panic... we're not going to go jogging.... we're not going to miss out on the yummy foods....... But we are going to get up and move more often... and we are going to pay attention to our size of servings we eat... watch our snacking ... pay attention to the nutrition of the foods.. and drink more water!

So............ today... on the way to church... I will get a big bottle of water at the gas station we always stop at to start my water intake for the day.

I will be making some lunchmeat sandwiches to take along with us to eat at the boys basketball games instead of the hotdogs and nachos they serve at the concession stand. I'll put mustard on my sandwich... (no calories in mustard)

Havent decided on dinner yet for tonight.. .but I will stop at one serving!

Okay.................... anyone else?

ready to start the new year with losing weight and gaining yarn?

LETS GO.

hugs...love... & blessing,

.::Tam::.