196.2 - Ran 3 Miles Just to Test Myself

The Wasatch Woman 6K walk/10K run is in a week, and I haven't been training all that much since school started again, and I lost my teenage babysitters during the day. So, I decided to run 3 miles today when Zen didn't have to go to work until 10am this morning. To my surprise, I could still do it! So, even though my legs started feeling tired and stiff by the end, I completed 3 miles. I know the 6k walk/run will be harder next week, not just because it's about 3.76 miles, but also because there is some uphill terrain making it harder to deal with. But I'm gonna do it. Challenge is still good!

Weight - 196.2
Weight Lost - 39.2 lb. in 99 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1887
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1843 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2843 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 570
MFD Calorie Balance - 44 over at a 2 lb a week loss rate, 956 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.8 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 39 (372 total for this session), I did everything and I exercised an extra 30 minutes as well as posted
Cat's Challenge Points - 49 points to report today. That makes 207.5 points so far!!
Exercise - ran 3 miles (wahoo!) in 45 minutes, then did 15 minutes on my Gazelle strider

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Breakfast - 36 oz. water with exercising, 1 banana, 1 wedge Laughing Cow light swiss cheese, 3 Tablespoons creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup Great Value frozen berry medley cooked with the creamy wheat
Total calories - 349

Snack #1 - 4 mini peanut butter cookies (recipe below)
Total calories - 320

Lunch - 1-3/4 cups cooked spaghetti squash, 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce, 2 tsp. brown sugar
Total calories - 177

Snack #2 - 4 Land O Frost smoked turkey slices, 4 mini peanut butter cookies, 24 oz. water, 7 cups (almost 1 bag) Pop Weave light microwave popcorn with canola oil, 1 bite of spaghetti sauce
Total calories - 531

Dinner - 3 oz. pizza dough (recipe below), 1 oz. cooked hamburger, 1 oz. Kroger shredded nacho cheese blend, 1 oz. Kroger mozzarella shredded cheese, 2 Tbsp. Great Value italian diced tomatoes pureed, 1 cup romaine hearts lettuce, 2 Tbsp. chopped tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. Kraft Vinaigrette ~ Vidalia Onion w/ Roasted Red Pepper salad dressing, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 508

Peanut Butter Cookies - Gil's favorite flavor

1 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 egg whites (or 2 whole eggs)
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
2-1/2 cups flour

80 calories per 19g cookie (melon-ball size of dough)

Place melon-ball size balls of dough on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 9 to 11 minutes, just until the bottoms of the cookies are a light brown, or caramel, color. These have a tendency to brown too fast, that is why I took the temp from 350 down to 325.

Pizza Dough - my standard. For more fiber you can substitue 1/4 to 1/3 of the white flour with whole wheat flour.

1-1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. canol oil
4 cups flour
1-1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/4 tsp. sugar

3 oz. dough has 210 calories

Frankly, I just stick it in a bread machine, and let it rip. I'm not that crazy about kneading dough by hand. But you can do it if you have to.

195.8 - Just the Stats

Weight - 195.8
Weight Lost - 39.6 lb. in 98 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1717
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 2124 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 3124 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 854
MFD Calorie Balance - 407 left to eat at a 2 lb a week loss rate, 1407 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.8 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 37 (333 total for this session), I did everything and I exercised an extra 30 minutes
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 4 goes from 24 Sept to 30 Sept. I had 40.5 points for Session 3. That makes 158.5 points so far!!
Exercise - 45 minutes on my Gazelle strider, 10 minutes of crunches, and 5 minutes push-ups against the wall (I'm working up to the "real" kind of push-ups) and doing the plank (I did 45 seconds today), also I did an hour of house-cleaning with Sammy on my back in the backpack (thus the extra MFD activity points)

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Breakfast - 48 oz. water with exercising, 3 Tablespoons creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup Great Value frozen berry medley cooked with the creamy wheat
Total calories - 190

Snack #1 - 1 mini Tootsie Roll
Total calories - 11

Lunch - 12 oz. water, 1 banana, Tostitos baked scoops 16.5 chips worth, 1 cup Kroger Mirepoix Cajun Style Blend veggies sauteed, 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup Naturally Yours fat-free sour cream, 1 wedge Laughing Cow light swiss cheese spread, 1 cup Malt o Meal Tootie Fruitie cereal, 1/2 cup 2% milk
Total calories - 617

Snack #2 - 1/2 of Great Value chocolate & vanilla flavored ice cream sandwich, 2 sandwich crackers Austin PB & J
Total calories - 143

Dinner - 2-1/3 cups cooked spaghetti pasta noodles, 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce, 1 cup romaine hearts lettuce, 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Light dressing, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 596

Dessert - 1 Great Value chocolate & vanilla flavored ice cream sandwich
Total calories - 160

197.4 - Blaaahhh

I feel very blaaahhh today. Go read this post and this post on HWHL.

Weight - 197.4
Weight Lost - 38.0 lb. in 97 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1818
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1920 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2920 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 638
MFD Calorie Balance - 102 left to eat at a 2 lb a week loss rate, 1102 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.2 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 39 (296 total for this session), I did everything and I exercised an extra 30 minutes and I posted on HWHL
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 4 goes from 24 Sept to 30 Sept. I had 40.5 points for Session 3. That makes 158.5 points so far!!
Exercise - 45 minutes on my Gazelle strider, 10 minutes of crunches, and 5 minutes push-ups against the wall (I'm working up to the "real" kind of push-ups) and doing the plank (I did 35 seconds today, I will try 45 seconds tomorrow)

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Breakfast - one mouthful of 2% milk or 1 oz., 1 thin slice Land O Frost smoked ham, 40 oz. water with exercising, 3 Tablespoons creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 3/4 cup frozen strawberries & 3/4 cup frozen peaches both cooked with the creamy wheat
Total calories - 224

Lunch - 2 slices Land O Frost thinly sliced smoked ham, 1-1/4 cup or 5 oz. baby carrots, 1 cup of Chicken Fried Rice (recipe yesterday)
Total calories - 263

Snack #1 - 3/4 of a Wendy's small vanilla Frostie, 2 sandwich crackers of Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter, 4 sandwich crackers of Austin PB & J crackers, 4 oz. skim milk, 2 mini Tootsie rolls, 12 oz. of V-8 100% vegetable juice low sodium
Total calories - 559

Dinner - 2 dinner rolls 1/4 wheat flour, 2 tsp. Great Value Cardio Choice Buttery Spread, 1 Tablespoon grape jelly, 1 cup Chicken Noodle Soup, 1 banana, 16 oz. water
Total calories - 624

Dessert - 1 s'more treat (1 whole graham cracker, 1 regular large marshmallow, 1/4 Hershey's-style chocolate bar), 12 oz. tap water before bed
Total calories - 148

197.6 - Don't Worry, I'm Still Going

Still going, still striving, though I've dropped some of the intensity I had this summer. I think passing the 200 mark took some of the urgency out of me. I just feel great, and I'm basking in my good feelings of health and better appearance. But don't worry, I'm still committed, still focused on tracking my progress and trying to make healthy choices everyday. I'm just super-busy with the kids, and trying to make my eBay store successful, so I can help pay the bills and put food on the table.

Weight - 197.6
Weight Lost - 37.8 lb. in 96 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1390
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1903 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2903 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 622
MFD Calorie Balance - 513 left to eat at a 2 lb a week loss rate, 1513 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 3.0 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 36 (257 total for this session), I did everything, except eat breakfast, eat all my fruits and veggies, but I exercised an extra 30 minutes and I posted on HWHL
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 4 goes from 24 Sept to 30 Sept. I had 40.5 points for Session 3. That makes 158.5 points so far!!
Exercise - 45 minutes on my Gazelle strider, 10 minutes of crunches, and 5 minutes doing the plank (only 30 seconds for me) plus doing push-ups against the wall (I'm working up to the "real" kind of push-ups)

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Breakfast - missed breakfast today, but I drank 40 oz. water during and after exercising
Total calories - 0

Lunch - 2 slices Land O Frost thinly sliced smoked ham, 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) of Austin chocolatey peanut butter crackers, 1 banana, 1 wedge Laughing Cow light swiss cheese
Total calories - 375

Snack #1 - 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) of Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter, 1 pluot (plum/apricot hybrid), 1/2 cup green seedless grapes, 1 wedge Laughing Cow light swiss cheese, 10 oz. water
Total calories - 335

Dinner - 2 cups chicken fried rice (recipe below), 20 oz. water
Total calories - 349

Dessert - 1 Great Value chocolate & vanilla ice cream sandwich, 1 Great Value peanut butter ice cream sandwich, 20 oz. water before bed
Total calories - 330

Chicken Fried Rice - a great favorite at our house! This is the feed-an-army size of recipe for our family of 7. Smaller families could easily cut this in half.

2-1/2 cups dry white long-grain rice, then cooked with 5 cups+ water, for a total of about 10 cups cooked rice
13 oz. or 3 cups cooked chopped boneless skinless chicken breast, which I think is about 2 to 3 chicken breasts
2 cups celery sliced
1 cup green onions chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 to 2-1/2 cups frozen peas & carrots
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 Tbsp. brown sugar

Cook the rice with water. While it is cooking, saute the chicken in a large skillet or pot, then add the celery, green onions, and minced garlic. After a few minutes, add the frozen peas and carrots until they are heated through. Add the cooked rice on top. Mix the soy sauce and brown sugar together, then pour it over the rice. Fold everything together. Enjoy!!

198.0 - Sabbath During the Cold Months

Audrey, you've asked about my Sunday exercise. During the summer, I would just walk while I listened to General Conference on my MP3. I try not to do any serious exercise, because it's the Sabbath. But I allowed myself the walking because I would listen to spiritual things while walking. Now that it's heading into the cold months, I might not get any exercising done on Sundays, since it will be too cold for my comfort to go for a walk. I'm kind of up in the air about exercising on my Gazelle strider while I listen to talks on cd or mp3, since it's about impossible to use my Gazelle without working up a sweat. I don't know. I'm still thinking about it.

Weight - 198.0 (guesstimate, I forgot to weigh myself)
Weight Lost - 37.4 lb. in 95 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1636
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1284 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2284 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 0
MFD Calorie Balance - 352 over at a 2 lb a week loss rate, 648 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.3 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 25 (221 total for session), I did everything, except eat all my fruits and veggies, take a multi-vitamin, exercise, and I just couldn't resist a few sips of my leftover soda pop from the night before. Man, if you HWHL lurkers are watching, I'm gonna get my clock cleaned this session!!!
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 4 goes from 24 Sept to 30 Sept. I had 40.5 points for Session 3. That makes 158.5 points so far!!
Exercise - none

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Breakfast - 2 Cups Life cereal, 1 cup 2% milk
Total calories - 442

Lunch - 24 oz. water, 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) of Austin chocolatey peanut butter crackers, 2 slices Oscar Mayer smoked turkey round lunchmeat, 2 El Monterey bean & cheese burritos
Total calories - 730

Snack #1 - 24 oz. water
Total calories - 0

Dinner - 24 oz. water, 1 slice Smith's white cottage bread, 1 slice Great Value american cheese, 1 tsp. Smart Balance light, 1 cup tomato soup made from condensed with skim milk,
Total calories - 349

Dessert - 2/3 cup fat-free strawberry frozen yogurt ice cream
Total calories - 115

197.0 - It Was A Blast!! And I Think My Stomach Has Shrunk

I had so much fun yesterday! I want to tell the whole saga, but I'm hitting the sack now, so I can get up early and get Connor signed up for swim lessons in October.

I was going to eat like a horse today, and I definitely packed on the calories, but I could really feel the point where my stomach said, "I'm full, you can stop now!" So, I listened and quit eating. It was kind of annoying, because I was going to really, really enjoy myself, but feeling sick and bloated wasn't what I wanted to feel. So, I felt physically fine, but I still felt slightly emotionally unfulfilled from the experience. I guess I've just learned that I value treating my body right more than I want to please my emotions. I think I feel emotionally the same everyday as I did when I wasn't really paying attention to what I was eating, but now I am just more careful to make choices that keep me in a healthy calorie range, plus I get the nutritional benefit of eating a balance diet when I pay attention to what I'm eating and set nutritional goals.

Weight - 197.0 (I forgot to weigh myself, so this is just a guess)
Weight Lost - 38.4 lb. in 94 days
Total Calories Eaten - 4246 (this is a guesstimate)
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1592 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2592 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 314
MFD Calorie Balance - 2654 over at a 2 lb a week loss rate, 1654 over at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 3.3 lb gain/week
HWHL Points Today - 24 (196 total for session), I did about half the things and didn't do these - eat all my fruits and veggies, drink 64 oz. water, no soda pop, take a multi-vitamin, and stop eating 2 hours before bed
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 4 goes from 24 Sept to 30 Sept. I had 40.5 points for Session 3. That makes 158.5 points so far!!
Exercise - 30 minutes on my Gazelle strider

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Breakfast - 2 cups Life cereal, 1 cup 2% milk
Total calories - 440

Snack #1 - 1 package Austin chocolately peanut butter sandwich crackers (6 sandwich crackers)
Total calories - 190

Lunch - 12 oz. bottled water, 8 oz. lemonade, 1 jumbo hamburger bun, 1-1/2 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 3 oz. turkey lunch meat, 2 slices white american cheese, 5 small tomato slices, about 5 pickle slices, 1 large leaf of green leaf lettuce, 1 brownie square, 1 handful of potato chips, 1 cup pasta salad
Total calories - 1366

Snack #2 - 1 large sugar cookie no icing, 1 large chocolate chip cookie, 8 oz. lemonade, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 505

Dinner - 12 oz. water, 16 oz. lemonade, 1 marinated cooked chicken breast, 1 baked potato, 2-1/2 Tbsp. sour cream, 1 Tbsp. butter, 1 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, 1 dinner roll, 1 cup iceberg lettuce, 2 large cherry tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. ranch salad dressing
Total calories - 1166

Dessert - 1 small slice cheesecake about 2oz.
Total calories - 198

Snack #3 - 1 package Austin chocolately peanut butter sandwich crackers (6 sandwich crackers), 1 package Austin PB & J sandwich crackers (6 sandwich crackers)
32 oz. diet caffeine-free Pepsi
Total calories - 380

197.0 - Free Day Tomorrow!!

Tomorrow is my BIG SCRAPBOOKING CROP!! It's a charity fundraiser event, and goes from 10am to 10pm, and lunch and dinner will be catered, so I'm not holding back on the calories!! I'll lose my Cat's Challenge 5 points for calorie range, but fooey, there's no way I'm dieting tomorrow!

P.S. The pounds are dropping off now that it's the "time of the month."

Weight - 197.0
Weight Lost - 38.4 lb. in 93 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1598
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1592 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2592 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 475
MFD Calorie Balance - 6 over at a 2 lb a week loss rate, 994 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.0 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 31 (171 total for session), I did everything, except eat breakfast and stop eating at least 2 hrs before bedtime
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 4 goes from 24 Sept to 30 Sept. I had 40.5 points for Session 3. That makes 158.5 points so far!!
Exercise - 30 minutes on my Gazelle strider

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Breakfast - missed breakfast today
Total calories - 0

Lunch - 2 cups romaine hearts lettuce, 1/2 cup chopped roma tomato, 1.36 oz. chopped cooked chicken breast, 1-1/2 Tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch Light dressing, 5 oz. or 1-1/4 cups baby carrots, 1 wedge Laughing Cow creamy swiss cheese, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 243

Snack #1 - 5/6 (5 sandwich crackers) of a package of Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter)
Total calories - 158

Dinner - 2 cups Life cereal original, 1 cup 2% milk, 20 oz. water
Total calories - 440

Snack #2 - 2 s'mores (2 whole graham crackers, 1/2 Hershey's chocolate bar, 2 regular marshmallows), 1 apple, 1 small banana, 2/3 cup Kroger Artisan Vanilla Bean ice cream, 3/4 cup blackberries frozen then reheated and put on ice cream, 2 thin slices Land O Frost smoked ham lunchmeat, 20 oz. water
Total calories - 758

198.6 - Crackdown on the Family Schedule

I have come to the conclusion that I just have to accept the fact that I have to go to bed soon after baby Sammy goes to bed, so that I can get up with him at 5 to 5:30 am, and then stay up for the rest of the day. So, I told all the kids tonight that the new bedtime was 8pm. We would read scriptures, then do baths, jammies, stories, clean the kitchen etc., so that everyone is in bed by 9pm. Of course, the teenagers take FOREVER getting themselves in bed (why is that?!), but at least the high-maintenance little ones were in bed tonight by about 9:15 pm. Thank goodness! I decided I need to be in my bed, too, and hopefully falling asleep by 10pm, so that I have a chance at getting 7 hours a sleep every night. I hope this will improve my productivity.

Weight - 198.6
Weight Lost - 36.8 lb. in 92 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1661
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1762 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2762 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 475
MFD Calorie Balance - 101 left to eat at a 2 lb a week loss rate, 1101 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.2 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 36 (140 total for session), I did everything, including an extra 15 minutes exercising
Cat's Challenge Points - 40.5 points for Session 3 today. That makes 158.5 points so far!!
Exercise - 30 minutes on my Gazelle strider, 20 minutes ice skating

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Breakfast - 2 cups Malt O Meal Tootie Fruitie cereal, 3/4 cup skim milk
Total calories - 322

Snack #1 - 1-1/3 cups fresh strawberries, 24 oz. water

Lunch - 2 cups romaine hearts lettuce, 1/2 cup chopped roma tomato, 2 oz. chopped cooked chicken breast, 1-1/3 Tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch Light dressing, 24 oz. water, 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter
Total calories - 356 (**Note - my chicken salad was only 166 calories, awesome lunch!)

Snack #2 - 4 or 5 bites of Connor's cheese nachos, 1 bag or 8.5 cups microwave popcorn Pop Weaver light butter made with canola oil
Total calories - 308

Dinner - 300 g of Chili Mac (recipe below)
Total calories - 386

Dessert - 1 peach peeled, 1 Great Value peanut butter ice cream sandwich, 24 oz. water until bed
Total calories - 225

Chili Mac - this is a favorite at our house!

about 5 cups dry macaroni noodles, about 1 lb. 4oz. (you could use 1 lb. if you wanted, I add a little extra because of my big family)
2 cups or about 1 lb. cooked extra lean hamburger with salt, pepper, dried minced onion
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14oz. can chili ready tomatoes
1 teaspoon taco seasoning (you can add a tablespoon or two if you like it really spicy)
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
8 oz. shredded cheddar or cojack cheese

257 calories per 200 grams

Put the macaroni in boiling water to cook. Cook the hamburger, drain the fat if necessary. Take the two cans of tomatoes and puree in the blender. Add to the hamburger. Add the taco seasoning, salt and brown sugar and let it simmer for five minutes. When the macaroni is al dente, drain it. Right before you add the macaroni, stir the cheese into the sauce. Add the macaroni and stir gently until everything is well-combined and the cheese has melted. Enjoy!

199.6 - Still Tired

I was really tired today. Read all about it on HWHL. I didn't get to my exercising until 8:30 at night, but I did it, because I couldn't stand that I hadn't done any at all. I hate that! I feel so sluggish when I don't.

Weight - 199.6
Weight Lost - 35.8 lb. in 91 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1949
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1611 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2611 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 318
MFD Calorie Balance - over by 338 for a 2 lb a week loss rate, 662 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.3 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 32 (104 total for session), I did everything except remember the vitamin and stop eating 2 hours before bed
Cat's Challenge Points - I earned 52.5 points for Session 2. That makes 118 points so far!! This session goes from Friday Sept. 17 to Thursday Sept. 23.
Exercise - 30 minutes on my Gazelle strider

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Breakfast - 3-1/8 cups Malt O Meal Tootie Fruitie cereal, 1-1/2 cups skim milk
Total calories - 526

Lunch - Chocolate & Vanilla ice cream sandwich, 1 apple, 1 banana, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 337

Snack #1 - 5oz. or 1-1/4 cups baby carrots, 1-3/4 oz. extra lean beef patty
Total calories - 131

Dinner - 1 wedge Laughing Cow swiss cheese, 1 cup cooked white rice, 1-1/4 cups Pork Curry Sauce (recipe below), 1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets reheated, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 546

Dessert - 208 g Pear Peach Berry Crisp (recipe from 2 days ago), 1/2 cup Kroger Artisan Vanilla Bean ice cream, 24 oz. water until bed
Total calories - 359

Snack #2 - 1 cup low sodium V-8 100% vegetable juice
Total calories - 50

Pork Curry Sauce - I know, I seem to be making a lot of curry lately, about once a week it seems. But every time I make it I think of a way to improve the recipe. I forgot to measure how much sauce this made, so I'm just guesstimating on the calories per portion size. So here is today's version:

2.5 pounds pork loin, boneless country style ribless
4.5 cups water
3 teaspoons chicken base (it's like boullion, but in a paste form in a jar)
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk lite by A Taste of Thai
1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 4oz. can diced green chiles
1 tsp. salt
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon curry powder

221 calories per 1 cup serving, assuming the recipe makes about 10.75 cups

Take the pork and brown it in an extra-large skillet, or in a large pot. While it is browning, add the chicken base to 4 cups of the water. After it is browned on both sides, add the chicken broth, and deglaze the pan (that means the lovely brown crusty stuff on the bottom of the pan dissolves into the water, creating a broth.) Cook the pork the rest of the way in the broth and let it get tenderized, about 45 min. to 1 hour. Remove the pork and the broth. Saute the onions, chop the pork into bite-size pieces, then add the pork and broth back into the pot. Mix the cornstarch into the remaining 1/2 cup of water, then stir it into the pot. Add the lime zest, lime juice, coconut milk, salt, and curry powder. Mix and bring to a simmer, and let the flavors combine for about 10 min. Serve over rice.

199.8 - Tired Out of My Mind

I am so unbelievable tired out of my mind. I'll see if I can blog about it tomorrow. I wanted to eat a ton of food earlier, so badly, but I resisted because I knew the hunger was only temporary, but fat says forever - "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!" I hate losing my progress! My eyes keep closing, no kidding. I'm too busy... zzzzzzzzzz

Weight - 199.8
Weight Lost - 35.6 lb. in 90 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1979
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1932 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2932 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 637
MFD Calorie Balance - over by 47 for a 2 lb a week loss rate, 953 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.9 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 36 (72 total for session), I did everything except remember the vitamin, but I did exercise an extra 30 min.
Cat's Challenge Points - I earned 52.5 points for Session 2. That makes 118 points so far!! This session goes from Friday Sept. 17 to Thursday Sept. 23.
Exercise - 60 minutes on my Gazelle strider

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Breakfast - 24 oz. water with exercising, 3 Tablespoons dry cream of wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup frozen strawberries cooked with the wheat
Total calories - 170

Snack #1 - 1 banana, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 120

Lunch - 24 oz. water, 28 g Santitas yellow tortilla chips, a little under 1/2 cup homemade guacamole, 2 cups cooked fresh pumpkin, 2 teaspoons Smart Balance buttery spread, 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar, 3/4 cup chopped tomato, 1 Tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch Light
Total calories - 573

Snack #2 - 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter, 2 cups watermelon
Total calories - 280

Dinner - 1 5 oz. patty of extra lean ground beef, dash salt & pepper, 1/2 cup homemade potato salad (recipe tomorrow)
Total calories - 308

Dessert - 2 slices apple cake with whipped topping at book club
Total calories - 528

199.8 - Still Goin' Strong

Weight - 199.8
Weight Lost - 35.6 lb. in 89 days
Total Calories Eaten - 2150
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1932 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2932 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 637
MFD Calorie Balance - over by 218 for a 2 lb a week loss rate, 782 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.6 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 36 (36 total for this session) - I did everything except take the multi-vitamin, but I exercised an extra 30 minutes.
Cat's Challenge Points - I earned 52.5 points for Session 2. That makes 118 points so far!! This session goes from Friday Sept. 17 to Thursday Sept. 23.
Exercise - 60 minutes on my Gazelle strider

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Breakfast - 24 oz. water with exercising, 3 Tablespoons dry cream of wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup frozen strawberries cooked with the wheat
Total calories - 170

Snack #1 - 1 ice cream sandwich
Total calories - 160

Lunch - 24 oz. water, 2 Taco Time cantina street tacos, 1 nectarine, 209 g of Pear Peach Berry Crisp (recipe from yesterday)
Total calories - 538

Snack #2 - 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter, 1/3 package (2 sandwich crackers) Austin chocolatey peanut butter
Total calories - 253

Dinner - 24 oz. water, 32 g Santitas yellow tortilla chips, 1.89 oz. extra lean hamburger cooked, 47 g mild cheddar cheese shredded, 2 Tablespoons Great Value mild salsa, 2 Tablespoons Naturally Yours fat free sour cream, 1/4 cup my homemade guacamole, 1/4 cup red tomatoes, 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup cooked fresh pumpkin, 1 dab Smart Balance buttery spread, 1 tsp. brown sugar, 2 cups watermelon
Total calories - 734

Dessert - 2 homemade s'mores (graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows)
Total calories - 295

199.8 - Holy Cow!! It Has Hardly Sunk In Yet!

Well, I finally did it. I broke 200!! I was trying to remember the last time I was less than 200, and I think it was before my first son was born over 16 years ago. It's just mind-boggling. Frankly, I can hardly get my brain around it tonight. It's going to take a few days to sink in.

Weight - 199.8
Weight Lost - 35.6 lb. in 88 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1420
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1295 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2295 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 0
MFD Calorie Balance - over by 125 for a 2 lb a week loss rate, 875 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.8 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - none, we are between sessions, next session starts tomorrow
Cat's Challenge Points - I earned 52.5 points for Session 2. That makes 118 points so far!! This session goes from Friday Sept. 17 to Thursday Sept. 23.
Exercise - none for me, I totally lazed about today, but I will be working hard tomorrow. I am NOT losing my big milestone. I want 200 pounds gone forever!!

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Breakfast - 2 cups Malt O Meal Tootie Fruitie cereal, 3/4 cup 2% milk
Total calories - 350

Lunch - 1-1/4 cups baby carrots, snitched 1 chip with melted cheese from Connor's plate, 1 whole graham cracker, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 168


Dinner - 250 g of Potato Sausage Fry-Up (recipe below)
Total calories - 338

Dessert - Two bowls or 540 g of Pear Peach Berry Crisp (recipe below), 24 oz. water, another 24 oz. water before bed
Total calories - 378

Potato Sausage Fry-Up This hardly merits an official recipe, because there are so few ingredients, but it's really yummy!

930 g raw potatoes (about 6 small to medium), chopped
1 cup chopped onion (about 80 g)
7 oz. (1/2 the sausage) Hillshire Farm Chicken Smoked Hardwood Sausage (polish kielbasa style, which comes fully cooked in the package, it's usually with the hotdogs in the grocery store), sliced or chopped
4-1/2 oz. shredded cheddar or cojack cheese
dash salt & pepper

200 g serving is 270 calories, 9.4 g fat

Spray the bottom of a non-stick skillet with canola oil, then fry the potatoes, keeping the lid on, but stirring every few minutes. Do this until they are nearly soft enough to eat. Next add the onions and sausage. Cook until the onions are tender and you get a little browning on the sausage. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Pear Peach Berry Crisp - This was delicious!! But the bottom turned into soup because of the extra-ripe fruit. I should have added flour or cornstarch plus some sugar to the fruit before putting the topping on. But this recipe bears some repeating, for sure. Again, I made enough to feed an army. It fit in my pan that is so big, it's exactly like 2 9x13 pans put together. So halve, or even quarter, this recipe, depending on how many people you want to feed. I took an original apple crisp recipe, and tripled the topping ingredients to cover this whole pan.

14 cups pears, sliced
14 cups peaches, sliced
8 cups frozen strawberries, thawed and quarted lengthwise
1-1/2 cups dried cranberries
Topping:
2 sticks, or 1 cup, butter
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups quick oats
2-1/4 cups brown sugar
2-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2-1/4 tsp. nutmeg

200g serving 209 calories

I had some really ripe, even over-ripe, boxes of pears and peaches. So, I thought I'd made a ginormous amount of crisp with them, so we could snack on it for a few days. Remember, there are seven people in my family. I always cook big. Here are the layered pears and peaches.

This little gadget used to mix the topping is a pastry blender, and I use it to cut the butter into the flour for biscuit recipes and oddly enough, to mix my guacamole so it's still chunky instead of pureed. It makes a rough mix of ingredients, which is just what is needed for biscuits. That also means that you have to soften the butter first, about 10 to 15 seconds for 2 sticks in the microwave.

A layered view of the pears, peaches, strawberries, and cranberries.

The completely assembled fruit.

The topping.

The cooked dish. Yummy in your tummy!

200.4 - Almost, Almost, Almost!!!

Tomorrow I'm posting what I did all day today, and why I got distracted and missed my exercise today. But more on that tomorrow.

Weight - 200.4
Weight Lost - 35.0 lb. in 87 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1485
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1396 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2396 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 98
MFD Calorie Balance - over by 89 for a 2 lb a week loss rate, 911 left to eat at a weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.8 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 56 (455 total this session) I did everything today except exercise, take the multi-vitamin, and stopping eating 2 hrs before bedtime, but I got the 30 extra points for setting and achieving a goal, which was to break 205. I'm so close to breaking 200!
Cat's Challenge Points - I earned 52.5 points for Session 2. That makes 118 points so far!! This session goes from Friday Sept. 17 to Thursday Sept. 23.
Exercise - no official exercise for HWHL or Cat's Challenge points, but I did get some MFD activity points for my running around (I mean errands, including actual running through Walmart) which helps with my calorie range

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Breakfast - 1 Great Value Turkey Sausage Breakfast Bowl, 1 pluot (plum-apricot hybrid), 16 oz. water
Total calories - 300

Lunch - 1.3 cups Malt O Meal Honey Buzzers cereal, 1/2 cup 2% milk
Total calories - 168


Dinner - 1 oz. Santitas yellow corn tortilla chips, 3/8 cup Nalley Turkey Chili (love this stuff, try it if you haven't! 230 calories per cup, only 3.5 g fat), 50 g (a little less than 1/2 cup) Kroger Colby & Monterey Jack shredded cheese, 1 roma tomato, 1 nectarine
Total calories - 486

Dessert - 3/5 of a large Sonic Lemon Berry Cream Slush
Total calories - 378

Snack #1 - 24 oz. water, 2 cups romaine hearts lettuce, 1.5 oz. chicken breast cooked & diced, 1-1/2 Tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Light (this was a really quick and easy salad, especially if you keep cooked chicken breast in little ziplock bags in the freezer like I do, and it was very delicious!), 24 oz. water late at night
Total calories - 154

200.4 - Sooooo Close!!

Man, 200.4, I am so close, I can taste the victory! I'm super-excited to see the scales in the morning! After I post this, I'm going downstairs to put a few more minutes in on my Gazelle. When I finally broke 204, I think it was because I did some exercise after dinner, telling my body to burn, baby burn. It might have been just a coincidence but I think not.

About my breakfast issues - I don't like eating right before I exercise, and I keep telling myself that I am going to get to my exercising any minute now. I get up around 5:30am with baby Sammy, then I sit at the computer messing around for a few hours, or I go back to bed, it just depends on how busy I am. Then, I get Connor up and ready for school, then it can be another hour or two before I get the exercising done, with having to take care of Emma and Sammy, so sometimes it's lunch before I eat breakfast. Today, I forbade myself from playing on the computer after I got Sammy back in bed at about 6am. I ran a few errands, then was home by 7am when the teenagers go to school. My three little ones were still asleep, and I made myself exercise instead of doing a bunch of computer stuff. So, I got to eat breakfast today. I need to do that from now on - no computer for me until I exercise. In fact, I since I did that today, that can be my "give up a favorite sin" challenge for the next week on Cat's Challenge.

P.S. I'm doing a little jig because I have the most points so far on Cat's Challenge. Not that it matters in the big picture, but I do like rewards, and it's fun to be out in the front sometimes.

Weight - 200.4
Weight Lost - 35.0 lb. in 86 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1416
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1777 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2777 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 479
MFD Calorie Balance - 361 left to eat at a 2 lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.7 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 34 (399 total this session) I did everything today except eat fruits and veggies, but I got an extra point for the extra exercise.
Cat's Challenge Points - I earned 52.5 points for Session 2. That makes 118 points so far!! This session goes from Friday Sept. 17 to Thursday Sept. 23.
Exercise - 30 minutes on my Gazelle in the morning, and 15 minutes on my Gazelle before bed.

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Breakfast - Ha, ha! I had breakfast today. 24 oz. water with exercising before breakfast, 3 Tbsp. creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup frozen Great Value Berry Medley cooked with the creamy wheat
Total calories - 190

Lunch - 20 oz. water, 2 slices Smith's Whole Wheat Cottage Bread, 0.7 Tbsp Miracle Whip Light, 1 slice Oscar Mayer smoked turkey round lunchmeat, 1 wedge laughing cow cheese, 1-cup-worth of romaine hearts lettuce leaves on my sandwich, 1/2 roma tomato, 1 pear
Total calories - 380


Dinner - 20 oz. water, 2 slices Papa Murphy's Chicken Bacon DeLite pizza, 1 small slice Papa Murphy's double-stuffed pepperoni pizza family size, 2 small slices Papa Murphy's Cinnawheel dessert pizza, 16 oz. Crystal Light pink lemonade drink, 20 oz. water after dinner
Total calories - 846

200.6 - What Awaits Me In the Morning?

What will the scales tell me in the morning?!

Weight - 200.6
Weight Lost - 34.8 lb. in 85 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1319
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1540 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2540 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 240
MFD Calorie Balance - 221 left to eat at a 2 lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.4 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 36 (365 total this session) I did everything today except eat breakfast, but I also posted.
Cat's Challenge Points - 52.5 points for Session 2today. That makes 118 points so far!!
Exercise - 30 minutes ice skating

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Breakfast - None, again!! I think I am having exercise issues.

Lunch - 1/2 cup Wheat Chex, 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1 cup Malt O Meal Tootie Fruitie cereal, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 pear
Total calories - 416

Snack #1 - 1 pear, 2 slices Smith's Whole Wheat Cottage Bread, 0.8 Tbsp Miracle Whip Light, 3 slices Land O Frost smoked turkey, 1 wedge laughing cow cheese, 1 peach, 16 oz. V-8 100% Low Sodium Vegetable Juice, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 532

Dinner - 24 oz. water, 1 cup prepared w/Smart Balance and skim milk of boxed macaroni & cheese, 3/4 cup Great Value crinkle cut carrots, 1/2 tsp. Smart Balance, 24 oz. water after dinner
Total calories - 371

201.8 - Almost There!!!

Yippee!! I'm so close to breaking 200. I should celebrate when I do, but how? Any suggestions??

Weight - 201.8
Weight Lost - 33.6 lb. in 84 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1778
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1750 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2750 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 443
MFD Calorie Balance - 29 over for 2 lb loss/week rate, 971 left to eat at the weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.9 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 47 (329 total this session) I did everything today, as well as posting and also did the inspiring quotes challenge.
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 2 goes from Friday Sept 10th to Thursday Sept 16th. I had 65.5 points for Session 1.
Exercise - 30 min. on my Gazelle strider, 15 minutes ice skating

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Breakfast - 48 oz. water with exercising before breakfast, 1/2 cup Wheat Chex cereal, 1/2 cup Rice Chex cereal, 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1 banana
Total calories - 330

Lunch - 5/8 cup chocolate pudding (lame lunch, I know, but I'd just been to the dentist to get an old baby tooth pulled, so this was all I could stand a few hours after my appointment)
Total calories - 169

Snack #1 - 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin Peanut Butter & Chocolate crackers, 23 g Quaker Rosemary & Toasted Garlic rice snacks, 1 small chocolate white chip cookie (recipe a few days ago)
Total calories - 372

Dinner - 7 brussels srouts, 1/3 cup Becky's Spaghetti Sauce, 1 cup cooked spaghetti pasta noodles, 1/2 Tablespoon Reduced Fat Great Value Parmesan style grated topping, 8 cup Great Value California frozen veggie mix reheated, 1/2 tsp. Smart Balance buttery spread, 5 oz. V-8 Low Sodium vegetable juice, 1 Peanut Butter Great Value ice cream sandwich
Total calories - 557

Dessert - 1 fruit smoothie (1 cup skim milk, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 small banana), 5/6 package (5 sandwich crackers) Austin Peanut Butter & Chocolate crackers, 1.87 g Quaker Rosemary & Toasted Garlic rice snacks
Total calories - 350

204.2 - Scales: Budge Already!!

Dinner was great, I really have to have it again, but I will do an HWHL post about it on Thursday.

Weight - 204.2
Weight Lost - 31.2 lb. in 83 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1301
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1646 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2646 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 326
MFD Calorie Balance - 345 left to eat at 2 lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.7 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 33 (282 total this session) I did everything today, except eat breakfast and take the multivitamin.
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 2 goes from Friday Sept 10th to Thursday Sept 16th. I had 65.5 points for Session 1.
Exercise - 30 min. on my Gazelle strider

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Breakfast - missed it again, darn it!!

Lunch - 24 oz. water before lunch, 1 plum, 1/2 cup Wheat Chex cereal, 1/2 cup Rice Chex cereal, 1/2+ cup 2% milk
Total calories - 293

Snack #1 - 2-1/4 oz. piece of pumpkin pie dessert my VT's brought, 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) of Austin PB & J crackers, 24 oz. water, 16 g Quaker Rosemary & Toasted Garlic Rice Snacks
Total calories - 442

Dinner - 2 cups romaine hearts lettuce, 2 oz. diced cooked chicken breast, 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/4 cup Great Value mild salsa, 1/4 cup Naturally Yours fat-free sour cream, 1/2 cup homemade guacamole
Total calories - 286

Dessert - 1 banana, 1 Great Value Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream sandwich
Total calories - 280

204.0 - Late Night Eating

I think I know what my problem is the past few weeks. I need to stop eating after 7pm!! I seem to be getting half my calories of the day after 7pm. I'm forcing my body to store calories all the time. I gotta quit doing that.

Weight - 204.0
Weight Lost - 31.4 lb. in 82 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1920
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1889 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2889 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 569
MFD Calorie Balance - over by 31 at 2lb loss/week rate, 969 left to eat at weight maintenance level
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.9 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 32 (249 total this session) I did everything today, except eat breakfast and stopping to eat 2 hours before bedtime, but I got two extra points for the extra exercising.
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 2 goes from Friday Sept 10th to Thursday Sept 16th. I had 65.5 points for Session 1.
Exercise - 30 min. on my Gazelle strider, 30 minutes ice skating

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Breakfast - missed it again, darn it!!

Snack - 24 oz. water with exercising, 1 plum
Total calories - 30

Lunch - 3 Tbsp. creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup frozen strawberries cooked with the creamy wheat, 1 slice Smith's Whole Wheat Cottage Bread, 1-1/2 tsp. Miracle Whip Light, 1 slice Oscar Mayer Smoked Turkey round lunchmeat, 1 wedge laughing cow cheese, 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 527

Snack #2 - 6 Great Value Honey Pretzel twists, 2 small Chocolate White Chip Cookies (recipe on yesterday's post)
Total calories - 199

Dinner - 1 Cup Beef Strips Onions & Gravy, 1 cup cooked white long grain rice, 3/4 cup peas in cream sauce, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 651
**Note - I will post the recipes in the morning

Dessert - 1 Great Value Chocolate Vanilla ice cream sandwich, 1/2 banana, 1 small choc chip banana cookie (no recipe, was brought to me by a friend)
Total calories - 334

Snack #3 - 1-1/2 cups frozen cauliflower reheated, dash salt & pepper, 1-1/2 Tablespoons shredded parmesan, 2 Tbsp. of the Beef Strips Onions & Gravy, 7 oz. water, 1 pluot (plum-apricot hybrid)
Total calories - 178

205.2 - Lunch With The Scrappers

The 10-point challenge this week on HWHL was to post about a lunch, or lunch date, you had. I chose to report on the scrapbooking crop I went to over at the library yesterday:

Here we are, all set up in one of the library meeting rooms. As many of you know, scrapbooking supplies multiply like Tribbles. So, room to spread out at a crop is essential.

Laurie Johnston, who has been hosting the crop for several years and inviting me forever to come to the crop, is in the black t-shirt on the left, and her daughter Kamila is on the right.

They both wore these cool t-shirts - "Scrappers are acid free." Does anyone still want to have a cool HWHL t-shirt? I'd pay for one!!

Everyone brings snacks, that while tasty, are not the healthiest or lowfat. There was a lovely selection of chocolate cheesecake slices, which I resisted after I checked the calories on each slice.

Here I am, all spread out with tons of stuff. This is only about 1/10 of what I own, seriously. It's sad.

Here is what I ate for lunch - I brought carrot sticks as backup, as well as my digital scales and 1-cup incremental measuring cup. Kind of anal, I know, but I hate guessing on calories. I picked grapes and healthy crackers from the snack table, and I splurged (not pictured) on a piece of the coconut nut bread. And of course, I had my trusty 24oz. pink water bottle.

I had so much fun at the crop. In fact, a little too much fun, because I talked, gabbed, surfed the internet looking for stuff for my project (digital cutting files for my electronic Pazzles die-cutting machine), so I basically got nothing done. So, sorry, I have no pictures of projects to post. I'm going to try and work on something the next few days that I can post for you guys. Also, Laurie told me about their yearly Scrappin' It Pink breast cancer fundraiser crop that they host once a year, where they donate part of the entrance fee to the Susan G. Komen foundation. This year it's on Saturday, Sept. 25th, and goes from 10am to 10pm at the college. There are door prizes, scrapping challenges and make-n-takes, and it's a catered lunch and dinner by the college. I think I'll have to make that a "free day" for my calorie points. I'm really looking forward to it, now I just have to figure out what to do with my kids! I need a serious plan for that.

It just goes to show that there can be good surprises around every corner. I was really bummed about not being able to go to Salt Lake, but I found something good, maybe even better in the long run, by staying here in Rock Springs. Laurie has been encouraging me to come for several years, and I always kind of blocked it out, sometimes intending to go but always forgetting. I made a serious commitment to go this time, and I think it will be a great blessing. I got to meet some new people, and I rekindled my enthusiasm for scrapbooking.

P.S. I took these pics with my little point-and-shoot because my digital SLR is in the shop getting the lense fixed after I was stupid enough to take it to the pool, and then wade out in the water with it. I hate point-and-shoots, I really, really do. The lag-time between pushing the button and when the camera actually takes the picture, the lack of control over settings, etc. I miss my camera!

Weight - 205.2
Weight Lost - 30.8 lb. in 81 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1507
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1545 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2545 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 218
MFD Calorie Balance - 38 left to eat at 2lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.1 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 42 (217 total this session) I did everything today including extra for posting, except completing 30 minutes of exercise, but I completed the lunch post challenge for 10 points
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 2 goes from Friday Sept 10th to Thursday Sept 16th. I had 65.5 points for Session 1.
Exercise - 20 minutes on the Gazelle strider

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Breakfast - 24 oz. water with exercising, 1 banana, 1/2 cup Corn Chex cereal, 1/2 cup Wheat Chex cereal, 1/2 cup 2% milk
Total calories - 325

Lunch - 12 plums, 1 Frigo Light mozzarella string cheese, 1 slice Smith's Whole Wheat Cottage Bread, 1-1/2 tsp. Miracle Whip Light, 1 slice Oscar Mayer Smoked Turkey round lunchmeat, 1 wedge laughing cow cheese, 1 roma tomato sliced, 11g of Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks Rosemary & Toasted Garlic, 4 small Chocolate White Chip Cookies (recipe below), 24 oz. water
Total calories - 588

Dinner - 2 small Chocolate White Chip Cookies, 2 cups romaine hearts lettuce, 1/2 cup Nalley's Turkey Chili, 1/3 cup roma tomato chopped, 1/4 cup Great Value Mild Salsa, 1/4 cup Naturally Yours fat-free sour cream, 2 Tbsp. Kroger Nacho shredded cheese, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 366

Dessert - 1 small Chocolate White Chip Cookie, 1 Great Value peanut butter ice cream sandwich
Total calories - 228

Chocolate White Chip Cookies - a Becky original

1 cup or 2 sticks butter
1-1/2 cups white sugar
3 egg whites or 2 eggs (calories below reflect the egg whites)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-3/4 cups white flour
1 bag or about 11 oz. white baking chips

Calories - 116 calories per 1 oz. serving

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, vanilla, soda and salt & mix. Add the cocoa and the flour. Mix. Add the white chips and stir. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes for melon-ball size cookie dough, longer for larger balls of dough.

**Note - This is a high altitude recipe (I'm at 6700 feet), so if you are at a low altitude, you should probably reduce the flour to 1-1/2 cups.

204.6 - Another Stupid Plateau

Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhh! What is up with these darn plateaus!!! The numbers tell me that I'm doing really well, and working my tail off. What's the deal? I wonder if I should change the Activity Level settings on My Food Diary, so that I eat less calories, or if I should leave well enough alone, and just keep going as is. My instinct is that I shouldn't eat much less than 1800 calories, and I'm often in the 1500-1650 range, so I don't see that eating less than that is a good idea. Maybe I should just have some patience. And maybe I should set a goal to quit eating after 7pm. I seem to be getting a lot of my calories later at night, even though it's in my calorie range.

Do you like this new arrangement, the blogging first, followed by all the data? I think it will be better, or at least more interesting for everyone.

Weight - 204.6
Weight Lost - 30.8 lb. in 80 days
Total Calories Eaten - 1718
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1899 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2899 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 575
MFD Calorie Balance - 181 left to eat at 2lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.4 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 34 (175 total this session) I did everything today, except stopping to eat 2 hours before bedtime, but I got two extra points for the extra exercising.
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 2 goes from Friday Sept 10th to Thursday Sept 16th. I had 65.5 points for Session 1.
Exercise - ran 1.5 miles on the treadmill in 22.5 minutes 4mph, swam 3/4 miles, 24 laps in 40 minutes

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Breakfast - 24 oz. water with exercising, 1 banana, 3 Tbsp. creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup frozen strawberries cooked with the creamy wheat, 1 plum
Total calories - 320

Lunch - 1 cup baby carrots, 1 cup grapes, 1 oz. Wheat Thins Toasted Chips Garden Valley Veggie, 1 2oz. slice of coconut nut bread, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 412

Dinner - Papa Murphy's Double Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza 1-3/4 slices 266 g Family Size, 2 cups romaine lettuce, 2/3 cup chopped roma tomatoes, 1-1/2 Tbsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Light salad dressing, 1 Tbsp. Salad Toppins, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 787

Dessert - 2 small slices 62 g Papa Murphy's Cinnamon Wheel pizza
Total calories - 199

204.6 - Blogs Do Matter

Weight - 204.6
Weight Lost - 30.8 lb. in 79 days

Total Calories Eaten - 1854
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 2139 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 3139 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 815
MFD Calorie Balance - 285 left to eat at 2lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.6 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 38 (141 total this session) I did everything today, plus three extra points for the extra exercising.
Cat's Challenge Points - Session 2 goes from Friday Sept 10th to Thursday Sept 16th. I had 65.5 points for Session 1.
Exercise - 20 minutes on my Gazelle strider, 60 minutes Zumba class

See, this is why I do the HWHL and Cat's Challenge blogs. I did a small workout on my Gazelle, and ran out of time before I had to be somewhere. Then, I knew I had Zumba class later at night, and if it was just me, I totally would have bailed on it. But because I knew there were points involved, especially the extra 2 bonus Cat's points I get for exercising 1 hour straight, I went to Zumba class. I am finding that I am motivated by rewards, even if they are just comments in cyberspace.

A shout-out to Gwen - thanks for the great comments! I'm glad I'm helping a little, and hopefully I'm a good read. Although, it seems to be mostly about the data these days. I'll have to see if I can get out of my rut, and write a good post. And I did check out Bountiful Baskets. It sounds really interesting. I emailed the blog authors, but I haven't heard back. I should write them again. I'd love to get something going in my area.

Gwen, here's a great quote for you. MyFoodDiary.com randomly puts up quotes all the time, and I read one today that defines success for me: "Fall down seven times, get up eight - a Japanese proverb" It doesn't matter if you fall off the wagon. It's always waiting there for you to get back on. You can do it!!

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Breakfast - 1/2 small banana, 3 Tbsp. creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup frozen strawberries cooked with the creamy wheat, 1 chocolate peanut butter chip cookie (recipe 2 days ago), 24 oz. water
Total calories - 337

Lunch - one bite of Dani's nachos (I estimate 4.6 g Santitas yellow corn tortillas, 7 g cojack shredded cheese), 1 Frigo Light mozzarella string cheese, 1 slice whole wheat bread, 2 teaspoons Miracle Whip Light, 3 thin slices ham, 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese, 5 oz. or 1-1/4 cups baby carrots, 24 oz. water
Total calories - 353

Snack #1 - 2 peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, 10 Great Value honey braided pretzel sticks, 1 large apple, about 5/8 cup vanilla pudding made with skim
Total calories - 586

Dinner - 24 oz. water, 1 oz. Tostitos Baked Scoops, 0.72 oz. chopped chicken breast, 5 Tbsp. Great Value black bean & corn salsa, 1/2 cup chopped roma tomato, 2 Tbsp. Naturally Yours fat free sour cream, 1 peanut butter chocolate chip cookie
Total calories - 345

Snack #2 - 7 oz. V8 Low Sodium 100% vegetable juice, 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin PB & J crackers
Total calories - 234

204.4 - First Cat's Challenge Session

Weight - 204.4
Weight Lost - 31 lb. in 78 days

Total Calories Eaten - 1510
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1567 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2567 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 244
MFD Calorie Balance - 57 left to eat at 2lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.1 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 34 (103 total this session) I did everything, except remember that darn multi-vitamin. Aaargh!
Cat's Challenge Points - starts Sept 1st and goes to December 31st, with weekly reports. Today is the first reporting session!! Here is a breakdown:
Session 1 - Sept 1 to Sept 9

Sept 1 - 7.5 points: 2.5 pt. swimming, 3 points run 3 miles + 2 extra points for 1 hour
Sept 2 - 5.5 points: 3 points zumba class + 2 extra points for 1 hour, 0.5 points ice skating
Sept 3 - 6.5 points: 1.5 points Gazelle, 3 points zumba class + 2 extra points for 1 hour
Sept 4 - 1.5 points: 1.5 points ice skating
Sept 5 - 1.0 points: 1 point Gazelle
Sept 6 - 4.0 points: 2 points Gazelle (doubled for Labor Day)
Sept 7 - 2.0 points: 1.5 points Gazelle, 0.5 points ice skating
Sept 8 - 2.0 points: 1.5 points Gazelle, 0.5 points ice skating
Sept 9 - 1.0 points: 1 point ice skating
Subtotal: 31 points for exercising

Sept 1 & 2 - Subtotal 6.5 points: 1.5 points for 64oz. water intake, 1.5 points for counting calories, 1.5 points for staying in calorie zone for 2 days, 2 points for posting on my blog
Sept 3 to 9 - Subtotal 28 points: 5 points for 64oz. water intake, 5 points for counting calories, 5 points for staying in calorie zone for 2 days, 2 points for 2 pounds lost, 7 points for posting on my blog, 5 points for posting about something in particular and then putting a link for it on Cat's Challenge Facebook page, 1 point for reporting points on Thursday

Grand Total - 65.5 points
Exercise - 30 minutes ice skating at the rink, practising foot strokes

Man, today was crazy busy! Plus, I got distracted with a binky picture project for Emma's puzzles on our computer. I've got to write about me and Dani tomorrow, and our experience on the rink tonight, but it's after midnight, and I'm going to bed.

Also, this was my first time counting points for Cat's Challenge, and it was a ton! If I can keep it up, I will finish the 500 in 7 more weeks, which will be on October 28th, just two days after my birthday. Hey, that would be a pretty good birthday goal - earn the 500 by my b-day!

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Breakfast - 1 nectarine, 3 Tbsp. creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup frozen strawberries cooked with the creamy wheat, 1 bite of Connor's grilled cheese sandwich, 1 peanut butter chip cookie (recipe from yesterday), 24 oz. water
Total calories - 373

Lunch - 1/2 of a banana, 1 slice whole wheat bread, 1-1/2 teaspoons Miracle Whip Light, most of 1 roma tomato, 2 thin slices ham, 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese, 1 peanut butter chip cookie
Total calories - 356

Snack #1 - 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter
Total calories - 190

Dinner - 24 oz. water, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 tsp. Smart Balance Light buttery spread (for cooking this grilled cheese sandwich), 1 slice American cheese, 2 thin slices Land O' Frost Smoked Ham, 3/4 cup prepared tomato soup, 1-1/4 cup baby carrots, 1 peanut butter chip cookie, 24 oz. water after dinner until bedtime
Total calories - 590

204.8 - Weight is Moving Again

No one has commented for a week, do I have any lurkers out there?

Weight - 204.8
Weight Lost - 30.6 lb. in 77 days

Total Calories Eaten - 1522
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1815 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2815 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 490
MFD Calorie Balance - 293 left to eat at 2lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.6 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 33 (69 total this session) I did everything, except stop eating 2 hours before bedtime, but I also did 15 minutes extra exercising
Cat's Challenge Points - starts Sept 1st and goes to December 31st, with weekly reports. The first report is this week on Thursday, Sept. 9th.
Exercise - 30 minutes on my Gazelle strider and later 20 minutes ice skating (this is all the time I had while Connor was at swimming)

Yep, that weight is finally moving again.

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Breakfast - 24oz water with exercise, 3 Tbsp. creamy wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water and dash of salt, 1 cup frozen strawberries cooked with the cereal, 1-1/2 plums
Total Calories - 215

Snack #1 - 1 Frigo Mozzarella Light string cheese
Total Calories - 60

Lunch - 24oz. water, 1 banana, 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) of Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter
Total calories - 310

Snack #2 - 1 chocolate peanut butter chip cookie 1 oz. (recipe below)
Total calories - 113

Dinner - 1-1/3 cups cooked brown rice, 2/3 cup (about 5.86 oz.) green chile beef curry (recipe below), 8 brussels sprouts frozen then reheated, 1 cup california veggie mix (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot slices) frozen then reheated, 1 tsp. Smart Balance buttery spread, 24 oz. water after dinner until bed time
Total calories - 495

Dessert - 2 cups strawberry banana milkshake (made with skim milk, frozen strawberries, ripe bananas)
Total calories - 216

Snack #3 - 1 chocolate peanut butter chip cookie 1 oz.
Total calories - 113

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups butter
1 Cup + 2 Tbsp. white granulated sugar
1 Cup + 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
5 egg whites
3 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
2-1/2 tsp. salt
5-1/4 Cups flour
1/2 of a 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 of a 10 oz. bag of peanut butter flavor chips

1 oz. cookie has 113 calories, 5.1 g fat

Cream the butter and sugars. Then mix in the egg whites & vanilla. Most recipes will tell you to sift the dry ingredients, but frankly, I never bother. I mix the baking soda and salt in next, and then when everything is blended I mix in the flour. Last, add the chocolate and peanut butter chips. I bake these at 350 for 9.5 minutes.

Just for reference, this recipe is basically 1-1/2 times a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe, which uses a whole bag of chocolate chips. So, if you like a higher concentration of chocolate chips, add the whole bag of chocolate chips, or keep the ratios even and put in 3/4 bag chocolate chips and 3/4 bag peanut butter chips. Also, when I made this last night, I used 5-1/4 cups flour. Next time, I will probably just use 5 Cups to have a slightly flatter, less dense cookie. Don't get me wrong, these are still chewy cookies if you don't overcook them, but last night they were just a bit too dense.

**Note** - This is a high altitude recipe, I am at 6700 feet, so if you are at a lower elevation, you need to take 1/2 cup flour out of this recipe, leaving you with 4-3/4 cups flour, or for the slightly less dense cookie, use 4-1/2 cups flour

Green Chile Beef Curry

2 lbs. top round london broil beef
2 small, or 2 cups, chopped onion
1 28 oz. can Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1 13.5 oz. can A Taste of Thai Lite Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
zest and juice of 1 lime

27 calories per 1 oz., 1 g fat (last night I had 2/3 cup, which was about 5.86 oz and 158 calories)

I'll be the first to confess, I'm terrible at picking out beef, almost completely clueless. I understand hamburger, and that's about it. For the rest, I tend to shop by price, so I picked out a lean cut of meat in a value pack. You are going to cut these into thin strips, so it's less critical to get a tender piece of meat.

Cut the meat into thin strips, about 1/8" thick and about 1/2" wide x 2" to 3" long. Saute the strips in a large skillet or large dutch-oven style pot. Add the onions and saute until tender. Then pour in the chile sauce and the coconut milk and stir. Add the lime zest & juice, the curry powder and the salt. Stir and simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors combine. Serve over rice. Just a warning, this is on the spicy side. Next time, I'm going to experiment with a different recipe, even though I do like this one.

205.6 - Man, Finally Broke That Dumb Plateau!

Weight - 205.6
Weight Lost - 29.8 lb. in 76 days

Total Calories Eaten - 1329
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1781 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2781 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 451
MFD Calorie Balance - 452 left to eat at 2lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.9 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - 36 (36 total this session) I did everything, except eat breakfast and take that darn multi-vitamin, but I also did 15 minutes extra exercising and I also posted
Cat's Challenge Points - starts Sept 1st and goes to December 31st, with weekly reports. The first report is this week on Thursday, Sept. 9th.
Exercise - 30 minutes on my Gazelle strider and later 15 minutes ice skating (this is all the time I had while Connor was at swimming)

Yey! The scales finally budged past 206!! I was beginning to think radical things, like I was pregnant or something, which is just about impossible since I had my tubes tied. I even went out and bought a pregnancy test. Of course, it was negative, but that's just how I am, irrational sometimes.

Missed breakfast again, darn it! I've gotta quit doing that! But today was sooo hectic with Connor's first day at kindergarden, and with getting the teenagers out the door by 7am made the morning just crazy. I'll do better tomorrow.

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Breakfast - none for me today, was just too busy, but I did have 24 oz water with my morning exercise.

Lunch - 2 plums, a little over 2 Tbsp. dry creamy wheat cereal cooked with 1/2 cup water and a dash of salt, 1 cup frozen strawberries cooked with the cereal, 6 Triscuit Reduced Fat crackers, 1-1/3 Tablespoons Naturally More peanut butter, 1 Tablespoon Smucker's Sugar Free raspberry jam, 1 Frigo Mozzarella Light string cheese, 24oz. water after lunch
Total calories - 487

Dinner - 14-1/4 oz. of chicken enchiladas, 2-1/2 cups romaine hearts lettuce, 1/2 cup diced tomato, 1-1/2 Tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch Light, 0.5 oz. generic brand Cheetos, 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin peanut butter chocolate sandwich crackers, 24 oz. water after dinner until bed time
Total calories - 842


Chicken Enchiladas - Makes a great crock pot meal!

-28 oz. can Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
-2 regular cans cream of chicken soup
-12 oz. water
-13 oz, or 3 cups, or 3 chicken breasts cooked & diced
-10 oz. cheddar or cojack cheese
-about 22 corn tortillas

33 calories per 1oz, 1.5 g fat, 1.9 g protein (I know, I know, who would only eat 1 oz?, but that's just how I set up the measurements. It makes it easy to tabulate by weight exactly how many calories I'm eating)

First, make the sauce by putting the green chili sauce, the 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, and the water in a pot and stir together. Heat until bubbly and well-blended. Then add the chicken and stir. Now, in a large crock pot or 9x13 pan, layer the tortillas one at a time with a scoop of sauce (enough to cover the tortilla, about 1/3 cup), and a sprinkle of cheese. Whatever sauce is leftover at the end just pour it on top. If you assemble it while the sauce is still hot, it will cook in the crock pot on low for about 3 hours and be nice and bubbly. You can also cook it in the oven, probably about 375 for 30 to 45 minutes.

206.6 - New Routine Tomorrow

Weight - 206.6
Weight Lost - 28.8 lb. in 75 days

Total Calories Eaten - 1483
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1830 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2830 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 494
MFD Calorie Balance - 347 left to eat at 2lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 2.7 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - none, we are between sessions, but we start tomorrow!!
Cat's Challenge Points - starts Sept 1st and goes to December 31st, with weekly reports. The first report is this week on Thursday, Sept. 9th.
Exercise - 45 minutes on my Gazelle strider, I had my heartrate monitor on, so I would keep it zipping. It was a pretty good workout.

I did better today with my calorie intake, but that's only because I missed breakfast again. Shoot! Again, I was so busy with the kids in the morning, and I kept telling myself that I would eat breakfast after I exercised, which wasn't until noon.

School starts tomorrow! I'm so excited to see what the new routine is going to feel like, with Connor in kindergarden, and me trying to get to bed by 10pm everynight. Sam goes to sleep by 9:00 or 9:30 everynight, but then he gets up a 5am. I want to get up and stay up after he goes back to sleep, and that means getting in bed by 10 on school nights. It's going to take a lot of discipline to do that, because I savor my time at night when everyone is in bed and I have free, uninterrupted time to myself. I'll have to start liking mornings. Grrrr.

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Breakfast - none for me today, was just too busy.

Lunch - 24 oz. water with exercising, 1 plum, about 8 Cheez-It White Cheddar Reduced Fat crackers, 1 cup freeze-dried refried beans cooked with 1 cup water, 1 oz. or about 14 chips Tostitos Baked Scoops, 2.5 tablespoons Naturally Yours fat free sour cream, 7 oz. V-8 style 100% vegetable juice, 24 oz. water with lunch
Total calories - 528

Snack - 5/6 package (5 sandwich crackers) Austin cheese crackers with peanut butter (man, I am a sucker for sandwich crackers, especially any with peanut butter, I gotta look into making my own with reduced fat ingredients)
Total calories - 158

Dinner - 1.75 cups cooked spaghetti pasta noodles, 9/16 cup spaghetti sauce (recipe below), 1-5/8 cup romaine hearts lettuce & tomato salad, 2 tsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Light, 24 oz. water after dinner until bed time
Total calories - 474

Dessert - 1-1/4 cup Blackberry Fat Free Frozen Yogurt (recipe follows), 1 banana put in blender with the frozen yogurt
Total calories - 324

Becky's Awesome Spaghetti Sauce

-28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, pureed in the blender (you can use a regular can of diced tomatoes, I doubt it makes a difference)
-1 6oz. can tomato paste
-2 cups or 1 lb. hamburger which has been cooked and the fat drained, then cooked with salt, pepper, and dried minced onion
-2 Tbsp. brown sugar
-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
-1/2 to 1 tsp. salt to taste

75 calories per 1/2 cup serving, 1.7 g fat, 7.7 g protein

Make sure to puree the canned diced tomatoes in a the blender, juice and all. Then put everything in a pot and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Pretty good stuff, it tastes even better if you make it with italian sausage instead of hamburger, but that will also increase the calories. What makes this a great sauce, in my opinion, is the pureed tomatoes. It's much better than just regular tomato sauce, because it gives it a texture that is as if it were made from fresh tomatoes. Also, it does make a lot of sauce, but because of the small can of tomato paste, it's hard to halve this recipe. Just freeze whatever portion you don't need, and save it for another night. Also, I use this whole recipe to make a 9x13 pan of lasagne, which recipe I'm sure will wind up here eventually.

Blackberry Fat Free Frozen Yogurt -

1 large 32oz. container Mountain High vanilla fat free yogurt (at Smith's)
1-1/2 cups frozen blackberries, then thaw them in the microwave

This is so super-easy, it's hardly a recipe. Put the yogurt in the ice cream machine, then add the blackberries the last few minutes, so that they break up into small little balls that are still visible when the ice cream is done.

Makes 4-1/2 cups, 163 calories per 1 cup

206.2 - Just Back Up a Truck and Dump a Load of Food In My Mouth

Weight - 206.2
Weight Lost - 29.2 lb. in 74 days

Total Calories Eaten - 1782
Today's MFD calorie allowance range - 1553 for a 2 lb loss/week rate, 2553 for weight maintenance
MFD occupation activity level - Moderate Activity
Total MFD Exercise/Activity Calories Earned - 219
MFD Calorie Balance - 229 over at 2lb loss/week rate, 271 left to eat at 1lb loss/week rate
MFD Weight Loss Rate Today - 1.5 lb loss/week
HWHL Points Today - none, we are between sessions
Cat's Challenge Points - starts Sept 1st and goes to December 31st, with weekly reports. The first report is next week on Thursday, Sept. 9th.
Exercise - 20 minutes on my Gazelle strider while listening to Conference on my MP3 (I'm still having issues about this and can't make up my mind about exercise on Sunday, I really enjoy my time listening and get a lot out of it, but feel kind of guilty about the exercise. Hmmm...)

Man, I have been soooo hungry and snacky the past few days. As you can tell, my calorie intake has increased, and I'm often in the l pound a week category, instead of in the 2 pounds or even 3 pounds a week loss rate. The day I ran 3 miles seems like a lifetime ago, but it was only three days. Crazy. I just want to lie in bed and have someone back a truck up to my mouth and dump food in it all day.

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Breakfast - 1 banana, 3 tbsp. dry cream wheat cooked with 3/4 cup water & dash of salt, 1 cup frozen mixed berries cooked with the wheat, 20 oz. water later with exercising
Total calories - 318

Lunch - 1 apple, 7 tortilla chips, 1 oz. shredded cojack cheese, 7 oz. V8-style 100% vegetable juice, 1/2 cup mint ice cream (same recipe as yesterday, just omitted the crushed choc cookies), 1/4 dry refried beans cooked with 1/4 cup water, 3 more tortilla chips, 1 tbsp Naturally Yours fat-free sour cream, 10 oz. water
Total calories - 573

Snack - 1 package (6 sandwich crackers) Austin PB & J sandwich crackers
Total calories - 190

Dinner - nibbles of boneless skinless chicken breast as I cooked, guesstimate about 2oz. worth, 2 cups of Chicken Fried Rice, 40 oz. water after dinner until bed time
Total calories - 422

Dessert - 1 cup mint fat-free frozen yogurt (not worth putting up a recipe, it tasted weird, just fat-free yogurt, sugar, peppermint extract, I think yogurt and mint just don't mix)
Total calories - 277

Chicken Fried Rice - monster big recipe, you will probably want to halve it unless you are feeding a big family

2-1/2 cups dry white long-grain rice, then cooked with 5 to 5-1/2 cups water
2-1/2 cups diced celery
1-1/2 cups diced green onions (green tops and white onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
3 cups or 13 oz. diced cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, about 3 chkn breasts
1/2 cup soy sauce or teryaki sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

349 calories for a 2-cup serving, 3.1 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 17.9 g protein

First cook the rice in a separate pot as you are chopping veggies. Saute the celery, green onions, and garlic. When they are almost softened, throw in the peas and carrots and chicken. Cook and stir occasionaly for a few minutes until the peas and carrots are heated through. Next, put the cooked rice on top and pour the mixture of soy sauce and brown sugar on top of the rice. Fold everything together gently until it's well-blended, you don't want to mush up the rice so that it's really sticky. Enjoy!