ALL THE NEWS AND MORE...

April 17, 2009

I wanted to give some updates especially to those who continue to encourage me in my journey of weight loss. You will never know how much it means to me to have friends who are praying for me and Jimmy and encouraging us in our journey to better health. It's a constant battle and submission is a daily prayer in our lives.

Both of us had a couple of bad weeks. We didn't go completely off the wagon but just did not stay consistent in our eating habits and exercise. I got lazy and took a break from the every day walking and indulged in a few good meals. I gained 2.6 lbs over the 2 week break. Because it was Easter and I was on vacation from work, I only weighed in once at my weight watchers meeting over the 2 week period.

Jimmy and I ate at a place downtown called Xia's and it was very good. We actually went back a 2nd time and enjoyed another good meal with my stepson and his girlfriend. Xia's is close in comparison with PF Changs but PF Changs will remain my favorite.

Now, we are back to the walking, back to planning meals, and eating better. I couldn't resist the urge to step on the scales at home this morning and see what type of progress I was making. I definitely wanted to get rid of the 2.6 lbs I gained over the 2 weeks but also continue my journey of weight loss. My scales showed that I have lost 3.8 lbs which is great. I will not weigh again until weigh in on Wednesday at Weight Watchers. Hopefully, I will have some positive news to share on my weight loss.

Jimmy is doing much better too and was walking this morning on the treadmill when I awakened. I have been pestering him to go shopping. (something that is very hard to get my husband to do) He is in need of clothes that actually fit him. He continues to walk around holding his pants up and it is driving me crazy. Someone please tell him to go buy some clothes that fit him! He did purchase him a new pair of tennis shoes, now if I can get him to buy some pants that fit.

Our last couple of weeks have been busy. We have shared some good times with friends, celebrated the Death, Burial and Resurrection of a Risen Savior, and made some exciting plans for vacation this year.

We are headed to DISNEY! We are so excited. I made the final reservations this past week and we are going for 7 nights and 8 days. Disney is running such great specials that Jimmy and I decided that our vacation budget would be better spent at Disney than anywhere else. Just a sample of what we received and the cost:

• 7 nights, 8 days (Sat.-Sat.) at a Resort on Disney
• 6 days of tickets for all the Disney theme parks.
• Free lunch, snack, and sit down dinner for each of us for 7 days.
• Celebrating my birthday which gives us "extra perks" along with the package (front of the lines for rides, birthday surprises throughout the week, and more)
• extra hours in the theme parks because we are staying on the resort.
• Total cost for a family of 3= $1370.96

You must book your vacation by June 21, 2009 to receive this deal and the stays are valid from August 16 through October 03, 2009. We are going in September and yes, Rachael will miss some school, but its DISNEY and MICKEY!!! Rachael is already counting the days, but I have cautioned her not to hurry her summer away. There are other things on the agenda for this summer and she was offered a babysitting job that will help her save some money for camp this year.

I also had the opportunity to share my testimony to the 7, 8, and 9th grade girls at Union Grove Christian School this past week. The Lord had been preparing my heart for this for months and I had even requested the church to pray for me after we returned from the Ladies Conference in Gatlinburg. Through God's word and prayer, I felt the nudging of the Lord to share my story and use my testimony to reach others that may be struggling with difficulties in their own lives and to show them that your childhood does not have to dictate the person you become in your adulthood and that God does have the answer and will never leave you! I will be sharing my testimony in other places as well as the Lord leads. I am praying about where the Lord will lead me next and I know that he already has the answer and will reveal it in his time.

I'm getting ready to finish up a short week at work and preparing myself for a busy weekend. I am painting in my dining room and trying to get some decorating done so I can conquer another room in the house. Pray for me to have patience.

Here is a recipe for this week. Sorry I missed last week. I'll try and do better. This one is out of the Biggest Loser Cookbook and I calculated the WW points as well.

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN STIR-FRY

• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound trimmed boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
• 1 cup 1/2" wide strips onion (about 1" long)
• 1 cup 1/2" wide strips green bell pepper (about 1" long)
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic
• 1/4 cup bottled sweet and sour stir-fry sauce (La Choy)

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the chicken and toss until the chicken pieces are thoroughly coated.

Place a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over high heat. When hot, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the garlic may burn. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.

Return the pan to high heat and add another teaspoon sesame oil and half the chicken in a single layer. Cook until the pieces are lightly browned on the bottom. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until cooked chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the cooked chicken to the bowl of mixed vegetables. Return the pan to high heat, add the remaining oil, and cook the remaining chicken.

Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan to reheat if necessary. Transfer to a medium serving bowl, add the sauce, and mix until well combined. Divide the stir-fry among 4 serving bowls.

***Make sure you add the sauce after the chicken is removed from pan. If you add sauce to the hot pan with chicken, the sauce will cook and stick to bottom of pan and you won't get to enjoy any sauce****

Per serving: 223 calories, 27 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat (less than 1 saturated), 66 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 283 mg sodium. WW points per serving = 5 points.

Serve with a multi grain or brown rice and maybe applesauce. Here's a delicious dessert.

Peanut Butter-Fudge Sundae

• 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons reduced-fat peanut butter (I use JIF)
• 1/2 cup fat-free churned chocolate cookies and cream ice cream (I use Breyers) fat-free chocolate or vanilla will work too)
• 1 tablespoon fat-free aerosol whipped topping (in a can)

In a small bowl, stir together the syrup and peanut butter until well combined. Spoon the ice cream into a small dessert bowl. Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over the ice cream, top with the whipped topping, and serve. Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: 195 calories, 5 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat (less than 1 g saturated) trace cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 143 mg sodium. WW points = 3 points.