Chocolate happens

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

2011-04-30T16:17:00.001-04:00

How I feel lately....

Healthy Low Fat Eggplant Rollatini recipe

2009-10-13T23:05:00.001-04:00

Eggplant Rollatini

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants (about 3 pounds)
¼ cup shredded ff mozzarella cheese
1 cup ff ricotta cheese
1 egg white
2 TBS grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley (washed and chopped)
Kosher salt
Olive oil cooking spray
Salt and pepper
4-5 cups tomato sauce

Cut the ends off the eggplants and peel them
Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into about 1/4-inch thick slices. You should get between 10 and 15 slices
Preheat oven to 375
Next you need to “salt” the eggplant to get the bitterness and moisture out. You can do this one of two ways:
Option 1: Lay out paper towels and place eggplant slices on the paper towels. Sprinkle the kosher salt on the eggplant and cover with another paper towel. Let sit for about 15 – 20 minutes
Option 2: Place the eggplant slices onto a rack with a pan underneath. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let them sit for about 15-20 minutes.
Whichever option you choose, rinse off the salt and pat the eggplant slices with paper towel after they are done salting.
Spray a large cookie sheet with olive oil cooking spray. (You may need more than one sheet or you will have to cook the eggplant slices in batches). Lay the slices on the cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes on each side until soft. When they are done, take them out and let them cool.

While the slices are baking, mix the cheese filling. In a large bowl, beat the egg white. Mix the ricotta in with the egg white. Add mozzarella, grated cheese, parsley and salt and pepper. Mix together.

Take a baking dish and spread about 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom. Use more or less depending on the size of the baking dish. You want just enough to cover the bottom. Take the eggplant slices and put about 1 tablespoon of the filling on the bottom of the slice. Roll it up and place it in the baking pan seam side down. Do the same for all the slices. Cover with sauce and bake for about 20-25 minutes until bubbly. Optional – you can add shredded mozzarella or grated cheese on top of the sauce before you bake it. I don’t do this but I do put a little more sauce and grated cheese on top before I eat it.

I get 2-3 servings out of this depending on how many slices I get out of the eggplant at about 5 WW points per serving.

NOTE TO SELF (yes, I am yelling)

2009-09-12T00:15:00.002-04:00

Stop the mindless eating! You are feeling depressed, anxious and scared. Eating and gaining weight will not make you feel any better. You are trying to comfort yourself with food. It doesn't work. You will only feel worse in the end. GET A GRIP!!!

Just say no (to steroids)

2009-09-10T18:51:00.003-04:00

So, my experience with the steroids did not go well. I took them as directed yesterday. I had to take 6 pills throughout the day. I took 2 before breakfast, 1 after lunch, 1 after dinner and 2 before bed. After I took the 2 before bed, I fell asleep. I woke up an hour later because I heard Lexi breathing hard. When I woke up, I felt wide awake. I wanted to get up and turn on the computer or TV but I didn't. I tossed and turned instead. I could not go back to sleep for 2 hours. Finally I fell back to sleep. I woke up about an hour later again with severe pain in my left arm and leg. Again I felt like I could not go back to sleep. I felt kind of amped up and the pain in my arm and leg was really bad. I slept on and off for the rest of the night but I was very restless and had weird dreams. When I got to work this morning, I took another pill before breakfast but I didn't feel good. My arm and leg hurt and my heart was pounding. I called my doctor and he said not to take any more pills. They have scheduled me for the bone scan on Monday. I can't wait to go get radioactive! Never a dull moment!

Thanks, Lesley for the good wishes! I really appreciate them! :)

I guess I have gotten off the topic of what this blog was supposed to be about, which was the maintenance of my weight loss. Actually, this is related because I have been stress eating like crazy!!! I need to go weigh in and I'm afraid I'm going to be over my goal. I just need to go and face it. As far as my exercise goes, I did the zumba class last week and my toe hurt bad afterwards. I won't be going back until all the swelling and pain is gone, whenever that is.

Toe update (if anyone is reading)

2009-09-09T22:29:00.002-04:00

So, I went back to the Podiatrist yesterday. My toe is still red, swollen and it hurts. He said he is not concerned about the red and swollen part but he is concerned that it hurts. He took an x ray and didn't see anything. He put me on steroids for 1 week to see if that helps. If not, I have to go for a bone scan to see if there is something else going on. I'm not liking the way this is sounding. Of course I had to research bone cancer and the majority of the time it is cancer that has metastasized to the bone from another type of cancer. I found one case of a woman who had a red, swollen toe and it turned out she had uterine cancer. I'm really hoping and praying these steroids help and it's nothing else.

Also, I had Lexi at the vet today because she is losing all her hair and she is panting like crazy and drinking a ton of water. When I had her there a month ago, they diagnosed her with an underactive thyroid. Now they think she has Cushings disease. The blood test alone for that was $190.00!

Between my toe, Lexi with her medical problems and Bert the cat who has an absessed tooth, we are not doing very well right now.

All I want to do is eat!!!!!

The tale of my toe (it's a long one)

2009-09-05T15:17:00.007-04:00

About 2 months ago I was giving myself a pedicure. When I took the polish off one of my nails, I noticed that the nail was discolored and kind of soft and flaky. I picked on it a little bit, trying to smooth it out. Then I polished my nails. I noticed that the one I picked on looked a little red around the nail but then it went away. Now let me say that I do my own pedicures because I don't really like nail salons and I'm always afraid of getting a fungus or infection.

So, about a month ago, I woke up one Sunday morning and was going to give myself another pedicure. When I went to take the polish off that nail that I had picked on, I noticed it was red and swollen around the nail bed. I took off the polish and the nail looked really bad, very discolored and it was peeling. It didn't really hurt, but it was a little sore. I was worried that it was infected so I went to the walk in clinic to have it looked at. The doctor said I must have gotten bacteria into the nail when I picked on it. She put me on antibiotics and told me it should start to look better within 48 hours. She told me not to put anything on the nail but a bandaid.

Two days later I had a dermatologist appointment for a spot on my arm. While I was there, I had her look at my toe. She said it was a fungus, not an infection. She prescribed some cream for me to put on and around the nail. She said I really didn't even need the antibiotics but since I had started them I needed to finish them. I started using the cream and a week later it didn't look any better. I went back to the dermatologist and she said maybe it was infected and gave me a very strong antibiotic ointment to put on it.

A week later there was still no change. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. I made an appointment with my primary care doctor. He told me to stop putting anything on it and just leave it alone for a week. I went back a week later for a follow up and it was no better. He said it looked more inflamed than infected since there has never been any pus or anything coming out of it and gave me an anti inflammitory to take. You guessed it - it didn't help.

A friend recommended I see a podiatrist. I made an appointment and the podiatrist said there was probably a slight infection in the nail bed in addition to a fungus in the nail and I should soak it in vinegar and water 3 times a day. He said it should be better in 2 days. It wasn't. I called the office and they told me to come back in. I went back and he told me the nail needed to come out. OMG, you have to be kidding me. I thought I would be sick right then and there just thinking about it. He said the infection was probably deep in the nail bed and once the nail was out, it would drain and get better. He numbed me up really good and took out the nail. I really didn't feel a thing, which surprised and pleased me. He wraps it all up and tells me to continue soaking it and come back in 2 days to have the bandage removed. When I went back and they took off the bandage, it looked better. I thought the problem was solved. He told me to soak it 3 times a day and after each soak put neosporin and a bandaid on it. He said it should drain after each soak be almost back to normal in a week. Nothing ever drained out of it and it got red again. A week passes and it's no better than before I had the nail pulled!!! I call the office and they tell me to come in. He looks at it and agrees it looks no better than before the nail was pulled. He then gives me a prescription for an antibiotic/anti inflammatory drop. He tells me to use it for a week and it should get better. That was on Tuesday. On Friday, it seemed to be getting more red and the drops burn when I put them on. I called the office and they were closed. I didn't bother to have him paged. Maybe I should have. I have stopped using the drops and am back to the neosporin.

I don't know what to do next. Four doctors have seen this and none of them have been able to figure out what to do or what's wrong with it. I'm very frustrated and don't know where to turn next. I will call the podiatrist on Tuesday unless it gets worse before then. I just wish someone could figure out what is wrong and what needs to be done to make it better!

Trying to get more active

2009-08-15T19:18:00.004-04:00

I took a Zumba class 2 weeks ago. I liked it so much I decided to sign up for 12 weeks of classes at the local community college. Classes start this Wednesday and they are 1 1/2 hours long. I don't know if I can keep up for that long but I'm going to try. It's only once a week so it shouldn't be bad. I need to get back on the treadmill at home! After I took the Zumba class 2 weeks ago, I was feeling so good I did the treadmill 2 nights during the week and it felt great. I really need to work out more but I am just lazy and lack motivation.

My weight is still around 131. I just want to get back below 130 but it's not happening. Since I turned 50 (did I just say that?!), it seems my body has changed and it's harder to lose or maintain. I've been eating pretty healthy the past few weeks. I've substituted spaghetti squash in place of pasta and have been eating very little meat. I'm thinking about going vegetarian again. I did it for a year once and loved it. I ate fish and dairy but no meat at all. My only problem is what I will eat for lunch. When I was vegetarian, I used to eat cottage cheese but now I am lactose intolerant and can't eat it anymore. I normally eat a turkey sandwich every day now, I just don't know what I would eat instead. I need protein at lunch to hold me over. Maybe I will check out the WW vegetarian message board and see if I can get any ideas there.

Over a year?

2009-08-08T23:26:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been over a year since I posted anything! My weight has gone up a few pounds. I am currently at about 131. I guess I got a little too confident with my maintenance. I was not tracking points and I was eating much more than I should have been. Time to get back on the wagon and get a few pounds off. I want to get back down to 127. I don't feel good at this weight and my pants are tight! I'm trying to eat more natural/non processed foods. Lots and lots of veggies and lean protein. I know I can do this!

Just going with the flow

2008-07-02T22:21:00.003-04:00

Nothing at all exciting or new going on in my life. I am actually pretty bored right now with my life and I'm surprised and happy that I am not turning to food for comfort. Maintenance is going fine for the most part. I have been weighing in at about 127, which is 2 pounds up from where I was at. The only thing I've been doing differently is having a large bag of popcorn every night instead of a 100 calorie bag. Kind of scary if that can make me gain 2 pounds! I'm going to see how it goes over the next few weeks and I may go back to losing mode and try to lose 5 more pounds. Oh well...

Maintenance is interesting...

2008-05-03T11:29:00.002-04:00

This is weird. I've been using more of my WPA's and am finding that I am losing more during maintenance. Last week I used my AP'S (I only earned about 8) and almost all of my WPA's and this morning I weighed 124.5! That's 3 pounds down. Weird. I'm not complaining, though. I'm happy with where my weight is, even though some days I look in the mirror and think I'm fat. I just have to tell myself to get over it! Maybe the loss is due to my working out more. I've been going to the gym almost every day on my lunch hour and walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes plus doing 3 or 4 strength training machines. Sometimes at night I'll hop on the treadmill for another 25-30 minutes. I don't earn many AP's but whatever I can get is better than nothing. I enjoy my workouts but I don't want to be a slave to them. I'm considering "pointless maintenance" which is where you don't count points anymore. I think I could do it but it would take some getting used to since I am so used to counting points. Maybe I will track every other day to start off and see how that goes.

Am I really doing this?

2008-04-19T09:30:00.002-04:00

I am planning my day around exercise! Me?! Yes, I decided I am going to the gym to do the strength training circuit and I am planning my Saturday around it. I NEVER thought that would happen! I have the day off from work on Monday and I might even go again. What has come over me? LOL!

OK, so that didn't last long

2008-04-17T21:39:00.002-04:00

Well, my weight of 125.5 didn't last long. It was was due to a stomach virus and once I started eating again I gained the 2 pounds back that I lost. I'm holding steady at about 127 - 127.5. I can live with that. I've started working out again and it feels great. I'm going to the gym every day on my lunch hour and then sometimes getting on the treadmill again at home at night. It's hard to earn AP's at this weight! One hour on the treadmill only earns 2 AP'S. If I go for 65 minutes I earn 3. I'm not all that worried about how many points I earn though. It's more about how I feel and just the fact that I am exercising and doing something good for myself. I need to get a good strength training program going too. I know that will make a huge difference.

Long time no post

2008-04-02T22:07:00.004-04:00

Wow, since I last posted I am now down to 125.5 pounds! I am trying to maintain at this weight. So far so good. Will see how it goes. What I really need to do it get my butt back into exercise gear! I have been way too lazy lately. I did the treadmill tonight for 40 minutes and it felt great!

Here is a pic of me with my brother 2 weeks ago.

Goal - 60 pounds gone!

2008-01-29T19:53:00.000-05:00

This is scary. I am at my goal of 129 and I'm not sure if I want to stop losing. Now I'm thinking I want to lose 5 more pounds and get under 125. I wonder if I'm going overboard. Maybe I should just be happy with 129 and try to maintain there? I guess I will see how I feel at 129 and then decide if I want to stop losing or keep going. I've been in losing mode for so long I'm afraid to start maintenance. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!

Another contest - woohoo!!!

2008-01-20T20:03:00.000-05:00

Check out Roni’s new contest! I can win a Nutritional Smart Scale from Eat Smart and so can you! Click here for details!

About me...

2008-01-09T21:21:00.001-05:00

I doubt anyone is reading this but if you are, I'll tell you a little about myself and my WW journey. I joined WW in Jan. of 2007 for what seems like the hundreth time. I had joined and quit more times than I could count. Now, I should say that a couple of times I was very successful with the program. In 1990, after a very, very bad time in my life, I went from my normal weight of about 115 pounds down to 95 pounds. I was not anorexic but pretty close to it. Food just wasn't a priority for me at the time and I barely ate. Things then got somewhat better in my life and I started eating and eating like there was no tomorrow. I was still very unhappy and I used food to try and make me happy. My go-to foods were potato chips and either chocolate ice cream or brownies, and I ate them every night. I went up to about 150 pounds. Finally, I just got fed up with myself and I went and joined WW and started exercising. I got back down to about 113-118 pounds and stayed there for years. For some reason I quit WW before I made goal and never made Lifetime even though I did maintain my weight for years and exercised regularly.

Fast forward to the year 1999. I was maintaining at about 118-120 pounds when I started not feeling well. I was having weird muscle pains all over but mainly in my arms and legs and many other symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, dizziness and stomach problems. I went from doctor to doctor and had a variety of tests. During this time I stopped exercising and started eating. I was eating out of frustration and fear not knowing what was wrong with me. It hurt me to walk or move my arms and I could not exercise. Once again, I turned to my old friends, chips and chocolate. I just stopped caring about myself and once again went back up to about 150 pounds. I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia which just made me very depressed since there are not really any good treatments for it. I guess I just felt sorry for myself and didn't care enough to try and lose weight even though all my doctors told me I would feel better if I did. Then, in 2001, my cousin asked me to be her maid of honor in her wedding. Well, there was NO WAY I was going to stand up in front of all those people looking the way I did. So, I once again joined WW and I dieted like there was no tomorrow. I also joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. I worked through the pain and lost almost 30 pounds in 4 months. By the time the wedding rolled around, I looked great. But, guess what? The next day, no, I'm lying, the night of the wedding, I started eating again. Anything and everything. And within a few short months I gained back every pound and then some. This time though, my weight didn't stop at 150. It went all the way up to 189, the highest it has ever been and I stayed there for almost 6 years.

So, that brings me back to where I started with this blog...January 2007. I was sick and tired of being fat and feeling bad and once again I joined WW. At the same time, I was in a transition in my life. Due to the death of my Grandmother and my Mom needing me, I put my house up for sale and moved 150 miles away and was staying with my Mom and step dad until my house sold. This was not a good place for me to be living while trying to stay on program as there were always treats in the house and I had a hard time resisting them. I think I went to about 3 or 4 WW meetings and I lost about 5 pounds, then gained back a couple and quit. Finally, my house sold and I was able to buy my own place again. There were no more temptations because I had complete control over what was in the house. I moved into my house in Feb. 2007 and joined WW again in March. This time I was fully committed to the plan and to getting healthy. Since I was back in my house with my own stuff again, I was able to start using my treadmill which had been in storage for 6 months. I started slowly but soon was up to about an hour a night. Since March, I have lost 56 pounds and am down to 133 and have made Lifetime. I am actually below my WW goal of 141, still working on my personal goal of 129. I hope that I have learned enough this past year to make this stick for life. I never want to go back to where I was again. I feel so much better and my Fibromyalgia rarely acts up anymore.

I am looking forward to the "new me" in 2008 and hopefully for the rest of my life.

Free popcorn and movies!!!

2008-01-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

I just read about this on Roni's site http://weightwatchen.com/

Orville Redenbacher http://www.orville.com is giving away free popcorn and movies for a year! All I have to do to enter is mention them in a post each day between now and January 11. I hope I win! I already eat their popcorn every night, how cool would it be to get a year's supply free?!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T23:18:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to anyone who may be reading this! I hope to start posting on a regular basis.

Say hello and let me know you were here!