Let the chaos begin!

We are gearing up to start a major renovation/addition to our under 1000 sq/ft house.  The addition is mostly garage and probably wont be fully completed for a year or so, but I still just can't wait.  Two car garage, wrap around porch, actual grass in my yard.  Is that every girl's dream?  I just made the feminist movement take two steps back, but I really don't care.  I am pumped!  I've been reading this great blog lately, Thrifty Decor Chick, and I cannot stop!  She's awesome.  Ryan is not as excited as I am because now I have projects all over the house.  I'm currently painting my bedroom furniture.  I'm taking before and afters (just like TDC does) so I'll probably post them once I have everything just so.

"How is she going to tie this into weight loss?" You might be asking yourself this question right now.  Here is how...

Apparently idle hands feed my belly!  I'm a grazer by nature, but with a task, project, or what have you, I find myself much more in control.  Loving it and loving the face lift our house is getting!  

Wish me us luck!

My Personal Pico

Every time I make Pico de Gallo, its a different variation.  This recipe is pretty close to what I do almost every time...

3-4 Large Ripe Tomatoes
1/2 Onion (or more)
2-3 Green Bell Peppers
(I sometimes put in Jalapeño, but mine didn't come up this year!)
1 Medium Cucumber
1-2 TBS Minced Garlic



1 Tsp Chili Powder
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Emeril's Signature Seasoning
1 TBP Lemon Juice
1t Tsp Black Pepper
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh/Dried Parsley

Tortilla Chips for dippin'!

Chop up all the chop-ables

Add seasonings

Enjoy!

This is roughly my recipe, but do your own thing!  Its fresh, its healthy, its in season!
Sometimes I'll add popcorn shrimp...ugh so good!!!  Since my garden is literally overflowing with most of these ingredients I have been making this stuff up in a huge mixing bowl and having it for lunch and dinner some nights!  Love love love it!  The seasonings are mostly things that you should have in your cabinet anyways, so its only a little pricey when you make it for the first time and have to buy everything.

Yum yum!

Today Danny and I had lettuce wraps for lunch...
1 head of lettuce $1.89
1 pound ground turkey $2.38
1 bag of Steam in Bag rice with veggies $2.25
Splash of soy sauce

Brown turkey in a skillet and cook rice according to directions
Mix rice and turkey together and add a splash of soy sauce
Un-peel a leaf from the head of (washed) lettuce
Add Turkey/Rice mixture to lettuce and roll up to eat like a taco

Credit for this goes to two people
PF Chang's - they serve something similar as an appetizer
My little brother and his GF - They started making these a few weeks ago but with boca burger meat (which is probably even better for you)

I decided to go super healthy for lunch today, since I had some girlfriends over for lunch yesterday and we had Pizza, Bread sticks, and Chocolate cake.  I felt guilty.  Especially when one of them said, "I feel bad I was reading your blog all morning and now we're eating pizza for lunch!"  Thanks for rubbing it in Al!

Found a cute little site with some motivating scripture! Here are a few...

• "Do you not yet understand that whatever enters in at the mouth, goes into the belly, and is cast out into the sewer?" ~ Matthew 15:17
• "Be not anxious for what you shall eat, or what you shall drink ... or what you shall wear ... Isn't life more than food? ... and the body more than clothing?" ~ Luke 12:22; 29
• "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." ~ Matthew 4:4
• "The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 14:17
• "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit ... therefore; glorify God in your body." ~ I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20
• “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”~Phillippians 4:13 
• “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”~ Phillippians 4:6 
• “Whatever  you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ~1 Corinthians 10:31

Not much to report, except that I have to wear an ankle brace for 3 months. I'm wondering how this will effect my exercising. It's not too bothersome, just a little pinchy. I sprained my ankle horribly, 3 times. The last time was when I was pregnant and ever since then I've had problems with it just giving out on me or a burning sensation through my whole ankle. I finally (after 2 years and Ryan pleading with me to stop limping around the house) got it checked out. Diagnosis...floppy ankle. Loose ligaments are my issue and he prescribed an ankle brace and physical therapy exercises for 3 months and then we will see how things are holding up. I'll do anything to not have surgery so this is just fine with me.

I know I've talked about Penelope Cruz before and how skinny little people make me want to be a skinny little person. But doesn't everyone have that realistic celebrity body that they covet? I love Kate Winslet, and I love her even more so after seeing her wardrobe in "Revolutionary Road" So maybe its not so much her body type as it is her clothing style that I like. I follow a blog "50s Times" about a woman who lived a year as if she was in the 50s and its really interesting. I love the clothing and the sense of style everyone had. I'm probably drawn to it because I have no sense of style what-so-ever. I had a dear friend threaten to turn me in to "What Not To Wear" if she caught me in jeans and a hoodie or t-shirt again. Regardless, she has such a real figure.

...(these ... represent 15 minutes of my time looking for this pointless information on the web)

I looked into it and she is about 5'6" and says she weighs about 130 . Personally, I think she looks a bit heavier, but not in a bad way, just in a way that makes me think I'm closer to my goal. If I'm only an inch taller, there is no way I'm getting down to 130. Thats crazy people skinny! I'm still going to shoot for 145-155, but once I'm down to 160 I want to seriously consider what I want to do and where I am with my overall health.

I went to the doctor a few weeks ago because I felt a lump on my back. I was freaked out. You shouldn't have a lumpy back, I don't care who you are. So I went in and was all nervous. My doc takes one look and feels it and says "Its a lipoma...a fatty tumor. Lose some weight and it should go away." To which I responded, "Well I've lost 25 pounds!" He says, "...Lose 25 more." I had to laugh a little. Here I am so proud of how much I have lost and my doctor is still focused on how far I have to go. He then told me that I probably found the tumor because of the weight loss. For most people, they go away when you lose weight. Sometimes they stick around though and he said there will be super skinny people with a big lump somewhere. "So you don't want me to get too skinny, right?" He just laughed.

I'm glad I've got people on both sides of the fence though. People congratulating me on how much weight I've lost and people who encourage me to keep with it and keep losing more! Thanks to you, whichever side you're on!!

I guess I did find a lot on which to report!

Down to an even 180! Ooh baby almost there! I want to get down to 160 and then reassess from there! So only 20 more pounds to go! Exclamation points!!!!!

Dear Stomach,

I am sorry that I stretched you out on vacation. We were doing so well!

Dear Head,
I'm sorry I drank enormous amounts of caffeine and now you have had a headache for the last week.

Okay, now that I've got my apologies out of the way...
I'm still down. I thought I would be up a few pounds after vacation, but alas my butt has avoided any added jiggle.

The picture on the left is from this year, and the one on the right is from 2009. I think you can tell a big difference! I loved being on vacation, and not wearing a maternity suit (9 months after actually being pregnant.)