A brand new start

Jennifer,
Here's the pudding dessert recipe. It is really tasty. I've yet to meet someone that turns it down!
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (8 ounce) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (16 ounce) tub of Cool Whip
3 cups milk
1 (3.4 ounce) pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 (3.9 ounce) pkg instant chocolate pudding

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine pecans, flour, and butter. Press into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the Cool Whip. Spread on top of cooled crust.
In a large bowl, combine milk, chocolate pudding mix, and vanilla pudding mix. Beat until thick. Pour over the cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Decorate with chocolate curls, or finely chopped nuts, or sprinkles.

You can easily substitute low fat choices for the Cool Whip, cream cheese and milk. Not a guilt-free desset, but certainly less-than-sinful!

I've also made this with different nuts. And last Easter I made this with lemon pudding instead of the chocolate and vanilla.

Very tasty,
Totallyscrappy
 
You could make it more guilt free by using sugar free vanilla and chocolate pudding, using a no calorie butter substitute (like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray,) and Splenda instead of sugar. Surely it wouldn't be as succulent, but it wouldn't be a diet sabatoge. It does sound tasty though. Made me want some chocolate!!!
 
Okay, I talked on the phone last night for quite some time and never managed to get online. I did walk for 45 minutes yesterday and my eating habits were ok. They weren't that bad, but... I felt the slide into old habits of eating to calm myself or becuase of stress.

On Mondays and Tuesdays I work and then go for a walk, so I'm not getting home until 6. Add to that the fact that DH has a service on Mondays and on Tuesdays he has meetings, so he isn't home until after the boys are in bed. The stress of teaching all day and then taking care of the kids all evening without break or help really "got to me" last night. When I walked into the kitchen after the kids were in bed I cried. I was just so tired and the sink was full of dirty dishes and the food needed to be put away and laundry needed to be done, and ... and ... and... Somehow I got the kitchen done and then I was ready to go to bed and wound up talking to an old teacher friend. When I got off the phone it was almost 1 am. Gosh!

Today was an okay day, but I really could feel that frustration building. Coming home from dinner I began to feel overwhelmed by how much I still had to do before I could go to bed. (On Wednesdays we go to church for dinner and then I usually go to a Christian Book Club, but tonight I had a Vacation Bible School leaders' meeting.) DH is so busy with the church that I have very little help from him and somedays I truly struggle with that. (I won't be bitter, I won't be bitter. :) )
Anyway, to make a long story boring... I was feeling disappointed and stressed and the call of food was so "loud." I wanted to just put the kids to bed and sit down with something to eat. Some of the desire for the food is to fill up or mask those feelings with something comforting, and the other need is that if I'm going to eat something I'm going to sit down and do nothing while I eat it.
I used to pray that God would make me thin or help me to stay on the diet plan. Now I've asked God to take away that feeling like I NEED to eat something because I am stressed.

(One funny thing that happened... I was putting away the German potato salad and I thought I would just "sample" a forkful. I stuck the fork in some potato slices and lifted the fork and half the slices fell off. I brought the rest of the forkful over the sink and when I went gobble them up they fell right into the sink! It was like a little angel was sitting on my fork pushing the food off so I couldn't eat it. Aaron asked me what I was doing and I said, "Not eating potato salad.")

About the time that I was going to throw in the towel and binge and sleep I popped in my walking dvd and dragged myself up. While watching it I was rejuvinated. I'm doing this for me! I want to be healthy. I want to be a good example for my children. If I fall off the truck and eat too many sweets it doesn't mean I've failed. If I don't have time or energy to work out, it doesn't mean I've failed. If I don't manage to drink 2 glasses of water (let alone 6-8) aday, it doesn't mean I've failed. One day at a time! Not only can I do this, but I am doing this!

I also have to add that knowing that I've got you fellow weightloss buddies to keep me moving my butt surely helped motivate me!!!

Food
breakfast bar

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup of cranberry almond crunch cereal

salad
chili and cheese and 6 chips
taquita
fruit salad (honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries, pineapple, grapes)
2 bites of chocolate chip cookie
diet pepsi

5 goldfish crackers
5 M&M's

cheeseburger, (bacon, onions, tomato, mushrooms, ketchup)
mixed veggies
3 potato wedges
small scoop ice cream and spoonful of blueberry dumpcake
lemonade


Exercise
2 mile walk

Totallyscrappy
re-committed everyday!
What are my goals... I can do this!!!

Tonight DH took a picture of me in front of tv after workout with a bottle of water. I love the idea of doing a weight loss scrapbook.
 
Good morning!
Way too busy last night. So, here I am this morning typing in yesterday's food.

Food

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup cranberry crunch cereal
water

cookies and icing eaten while baking with 3 year old
diet coke with lime

casa salad
couple of bites of cottage cheese
3 pretzel rods (with icing...)
water

cookies and icing eaten just because they are in the kitchen (tsk, tsk..)

small bowl of vegetable soup
diet pepsi

no exercise today (there was housecleaning and kid-chasing, but no walking.)

Totallyscrappy
 
Aww, I'm sorry you had a bad few days, but look at how well you handled it!!! I'll tell you, I really respect you girls who have kids. I don't know how you do it...I juggle work and school and sometimes I just feel so overwhelmed-I can't even imagine what it's like to have kids to look after too! You are truly accomplishing something great everyday if you can put your kids safely into bed and balance the rest of your life accordingly. You're doing an awesome job-keep it up!
 
Thanks, Funnkymonk! Just hearing someone say so makes me feel like this is all "worth it." There are some times that I go to bed reminding myself that I did feed them, clothe them and keep them safe ALL day and that is worth something!!

DH gave me my Valentine's Day present yesterday. Well, he gave me one of four presents. Every Friday in February he has the kids all day and I can do what I want without worrying about the children (or him). Yesterday I went to school to get a few things done and some planning time, worked out in the middle of the afternoon, surfed the net in the middle of the afternoon, went for dinner and scrapbooking with a friend. Just the feeling that DH wasn't at home wondering when I was coming home or worrying that they were bothering him on his day off was such a break!! A great day. What will I do next Friday???

Food

yogurt and cereal
water

2 granola bars
water

open-faced ham and swiss sandwich
tomato slices
small serving of German potato salad
1/2 red pepper drizzled with three cheese ranch dressing
5 potato chips and 3 goldfish crackers eaten while serving kidlets
diet cherry pepsi

bowl of popcorn
2 chocolate hearts
water

5 wheat thins with strawberry butter
bowl of potato soup
cheddar cheese
sourdough roll (it was sooo good)
small serving of Tiramisu
diet cherry pepsi
water

Exercise

1 mile walk
The three boys decided to join me! It was an absolute hoot watching them move to the dvd. Even the 18 month old stood in front of the television and shook his booty and waved his arms. Way too cute. Definitely a picture for my weight loss scrapbook.

Off to get the tires rotated today!!
Totallyscrappy
 
Online playing games...

Went to WalMart this morning to have tires the rotated. It takes a while, so I wound up walking the store and spending 80 dollars. Go figure.

Did have an incident in the craft aisle, however. Sam was in the cart and the two other boys were walking around the cart. Then Aaron started to hang on to the cart. I reminded him that you are not supposed to do that. So, he walks around to the front of the cart and "hangs." In the blink of an eye he is on the floor, cart is on top of him with Sam on the ground and the back wheels spinning in the air. Sam is crying because he is scared and Aaron is crying because he is hurt. I found a "sales associate" to get us an ice pack and he has a bruise on his leg to remind him not to hang on the carts! Boy, your adreniline starts pumping...

Anyway... Quick food and exercise entry and then I'm off to the showers!

Food

yogurt and cereal
water

ritz crackers and cheese cubes
water

ham and swiss on wheat
tomato slices
ww ice cream cone
diet coke with lime

large slice of pizza
(mushroom, pepperoni, and onions)
lettuce and tomato with french (low carb) dressing
water

Exercise
2 mile walk

Splish, splash, I was taking a bath...
Totallyscrappy
 
Ikes....hope the boys are ok....bet that was kinda scary for them and you. I was at Micheals crafts today, 40% off sale ...thinking ok lets buy a few lil arts and crafts thingies... $112.00 later....can you imagine if I paid full price. :eek:
 
Got to love a sale!
Hubby is out doing hospital calls and the kids are napping. I'd be fibbing if I said the kids were all asleep, but they are all in their rooms, quiet. I think I'll go walk.
Totallyscrappy
 
sounds like you are doing a good job... i like reading other journal entries to get ideas for meals, and you seem to have lots of different things! =)
 
I just reread this afternoon's entry and it sounds like I went for a walk while my kids were napping (or playing) in their rooms! I went for a walk with the dvd player!!! Didn't abandon the kiddies. And, truth be told, when they heard me turn on the "walking movie" they begged to come out and do it with me. I did manage to get a cute picture of the three of them in front of Leslie Sansone.
 
Hey, Amomono. Thanks for checking in on me! :) I like reading the other journals for meal ideas too. I enjoy cooking (and baking) and I try to vary my diet so that I stay interested. Now, having said that, I eat a lot of the same things over and over in the week and then when I go to the grocery store I get some new "favorite."

Today I sang upstairs with the faculty and staff choir. I hadn't sang in the choir since having Aaron. That was kinda fun. Nobody complained, so I guess I wasn't too bad!!!

Food
banana
water

2 eggs "scrambled" with cheddar, onions, and mushrooms (it started out as an omlette)
1 slice of whole wheat toast with country crock and all fruit spread
cucumber spears with three cheese ranch dip
pieces of pepperoni plucked off Sam's pizza
water

open-faced, toasted tomato, ham and swiss sandwich
small serving of German potato salad
peas
WW chocolate ice cream cone
diet coke with lime

Exercise
2 mile walk

A good friend of mine is having a miscarriage (baby's development has stopped (no heartbeat), but she is still pregnant. I am so sad for her and her family. I had a hard time sleeping last night. Just isn't fair. It does bring a small smile to my face that our babies are playing together in heaven.

I think I'm going to kick off here and go to bed.
Totallyscrappy
 
Down another pound!!!! Grand total thus far is 19 pounds.

I missed journaling yesterday and today is a going to be a blur, so here is what I ate today:

Food:

Ritz bitz cheese and crackers (12)
water

2 fig newtons
water

(Forgot breakfast and snacks at home, so I had to rummage through the preschool snacks for something slightly worth eating.)

taco salad
diet cherry pepsi
small handful of m&m's

Happy Fat Tuesday!!! The only thing to eat (if you can't get a pachki) is a pancake!!! We went to IHOP for pancakes.

1 pancake stuffed with strawberries
1/2 an order of hasbrowns
1 scrambled egg
2 slices of bacon
water

water, water, water!

Exercise
I'm exhausted. I talked to a friend until 1:25 and didn't get to sleep until after 2. Tough when you got to get up at 6:15! Anyway, I was thinking about hitting the showers and then going to bed before 9, but after logging on here, I think I can walk a mile before bedtime!
 
Thanks, ladies! I can't believe I am doing it! Last night after my 2 mile walk (and I thought I'd be happy to do a one mile since I was so tired...) I went into the bedroom and said to DH, "Watch this." I pulled off my pants without unzipping or unbuttoning! Whoo-hoo! The sad part is I love those pants. Sniffle, sniffle... I'm going to miss them. :D
Totallyscrappy
 
Thanks! A shopping we will go, a shopping we will go...

What a day! Aaron threw up last night, so I kept him home from school. So we played all day (because when a four year old throws up it may be nothing at all...). I did manage to get a few layouts scrapbooked ("Cookies" and "What will you become?") and that always makes me a happy momma.

While they were napping I got the layouts done and I did a two mile walk. I like getting the walk done early in the day.

Then I got the kids ready for dinner over at the church. Went to dinner, went to church (Ash Wednesday), came home and blah, blah, blah.

Food

pancake with strawberries
1 scrambled egg with cheese
hashbrowns
water

peanut butter and all fruit spread on really chewy wheat bread
(I'm trying to get used to it!)
100 cal pack of Oreos
milk

water

ham
twice baked potato
green beans
apple sauce
3 bites of a biscuit
a few sips of lemonade
water
diet cherry pepsi

Exercise
2 mile walk

I'm thinking about eating a WW ice cream cone, but I know it is late and I should just "work through it." Yup, "work through it."
Totallyscrappy
 
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