The Grill

One thing I love about the nice weather is that it means it is "grilling season". We actually can use our grill almost year around because we have a screened in porch that protects us and it from the elements, but we definitely use it most March-December. Growing up in California and Idaho this is referred to as a barbecue but in TN bbq means pulled pork so we had to get accustomed to the word "grill". Using your grill is so easy and makes eating healthy a no brainer. We probably use it at least 3-4 times per week for our dinners. We usually grill meat but we also grill lots of vegetables too. I just think it makes dinner so easy. I marinate some meat and give it to my husband and then I just worry about making a vegetable. Right now we have been eating lots of asparagus, artichokes and zucchini and we haven't even been eating a starch at dinner. Sometimes I do make rice or potato or pasta but I love these foods and I find myself being full without them.

We grill chicken probably the most. I buy large packs of boneless, skinless breasts and then separate them into freezer bags with 2 large breasts each. I usually only eat a half. We also grill pork tenderloin, chops, country style ribs pretty frequently. On occasion we do beef and turkey burgers and even the occasional turkey dog. I also love to do a cedar salmon on the grill. I'll have to post a recipe on how to do that soon. We don't eat a lot of steak or red meat mostly because it is not as healthy and it is more expensive. Also it is not our specialty. I save eating my steak for when we visit my grandparents (my grandpa makes an amazing steak on the grill) or for having a special treat when we eat out.

I usually prep the meat ahead of time by putting on a spice rub or marinade or just putting a little bbq sauce in the bag and letting it sit. We love sweet baby Ray's sauce. When making chicken I also hit the chicken so that it flattens out a little. This helps it to cook quicker. It is super easy, super healthy since all the fat is dripping off and we use lean cuts of meat and it's a lot of fun. So dust off your grill and enjoy some kabobs, grilled corn on the cob or something.

Check out this article for some grilling tips and tricks as well as some items to substitute in order to make your next family cookout a little more healthy.

M&M Attack

Hudson's favorite treat is M&Ms. Yesterday, I was doing the regular shopping at Walmart and decided to get him a treat. This was Bad idea #1 since he was not with me. I had a very busy day yesterday. I picked up the house, went to teach CPR and then went straight to Walmart. All I had was a banana for breakfast and by the time I was shopping I was famished. We all know that you aren't supposed to go to the grocery store hungry, right? Bad idea #2 I was good though, I had a list; I only bought what was on the list.....until I got to the check out line and I decided to get my sweet boy a treat. The lady asked if I would like to leave them out and I said yes because I wanted to give them to him as soon as I picked him up. Bad idea #3. So, I get in the car throw the M&Ms in the cup holder and leave to get the kids. But then I remembered that I needed to go to the post office to mail off a little gift to my friend who has a 4 month old baby with leukemia and is staying in Children's hospital for 6 months. (Please pray for baby Graham Shippen). I also needed stamps and to mail my Knox County business tax which was past due. The post office is very close to where my kids were so I ran in; still hungry as ever. I get back in the car and decide to open the M&Ms and just have a couple to turn down the growl of my grumbling tummy. Bad idea #4. Well, they did not turn down my growl they awakened the beast and before I knew it...all the M&Ms were gone. Talk about guilt. First of all the guilt of eating the M&Ms, secondly the guilt of eating all of them, and thirdly now I have no treat for my sweet boy. Lessons learned from all 3 bad ideas. Hopefully you can learn from them too. On a better note, I have been very good about my eating other than this escapade. I have been keeping a food journal and making good choices. Not sure what got into me, but I did write it down that I ate them :)

Really Bad News for the Big Chested

We all know that the human head weighs about 10 pounds. I know I can't cut my head off to lose weight though. However, I had a friend that told me the funniest story once...she told me that she used to have her husband hold her breasts while she weighed because she didn't think that it was fair to weigh them; she told me that it decreased her weight by almost 10 pounds. Then the other day I had another friend that was talking about her 10 Lb rack. This really got me thinking. Are they really 5 pounds a piece? For those of you that know me, you know that I am not small in the chest area. These days I am about a 38D. Well, yesterday I decided to weigh it out. Out came my digital food scale (covered in saran wrap) and a little experiment. There I was standing in the kitchen, food scale on the counter and I just plopped one of my girls on the scale. Thankfully Travis didn't walk in and catch me cause he would of thought I was crazy. It's okay that he may be reading about it now but it would of been awkward to explain in the moment.

I hate to burst your bubble but these babies only weigh about 1.5 pounds a piece. I wish that they weighed more even though I don't want them to be bigger. Actually you all know that I want them smaller (see this previous post) and plan to reward myself for losing the weight with a new pair. Yet I am still trying to figure out a way to pay for them; they are way more expensive than I had thought. Any fundraising ideas? I thought about selling my story to a magazine when I get to my goal weight but I have been researching and while I could be featured, they don't pay you for your story. I think that kind of sucks, I mean losing 110 pounds should be worth something, don't you think? Ha ha :) Anyways, I'll listen to any suggestions.

So for those of you that are a little top heavy and you'd like to blame your weight on your breasts I hate to break it to you but they don't weigh what you think. I actually researched it a little more and I found that "The average breast weighs about 0.5 kg (~1 lb). Each breast contributes to about 4-5% of the body fat and thus 1% of the total body weight of an average woman."

This equation was almost perfect for me. Anyway..I know it's a little weird but just in case you were wondering or making excuses, I just thought that I would clarify. So, thats it, that is my bad news. If you thought your rack was 10Lbs, it's not (it's probably closer to 3). If you really think about it, it totally makes sense. Think about a 6-8oz chicken breast; that is pretty big...I mean I can't imagine a human one being 10x that size.

See why I can't share all my posts on facebook. I mean...I am friends with my pastor and my grandpa on facebook. I guess I either have to edit my friends or edit my posts. Haha.

Swim Suit Season

I bought my first tankini ever! I had bikini's in high school but then my body went down hill so I have been sporting the one piece for the past 12 years. The last time I remember flaunting myself in a bikini was Summer of 1997 while I was living in Santa Cruz, Calif. I weighed 117 pounds and was happy to show it off. Geez that was a long time ago. Anywho...

I am pretty happy with my purchase. It is cute. It fits just a little snug but I know it will be fitting perfectly in the next 6 weeks. I have already been wearing it to lay out on the back deck during our nice days but I haven't actually been to a pool and the lake isn't quite warm enough yet. Maybe in a couple of weeks. The weather sure has been beautiful. I think it has even been a little warmer than normal. The last couple of days have been in the low 80s and the afternoons have brought us about an hour of thunderstorms. I love the rain. Especially the way it rains here in TN. It just comes down so hard but then it clears away and leaves a beautiful blue sky. Quick and powerful.

It felt pretty great to go to the swimsuit section and be able to have a selection instead of gagging at all the big girl suits with the skirts. I have always hated swim suit shopping. By the way, I have never worn a skirt. Thankfully I did know one little trick about swim suit shopping so if you are overweight let me give you a tip. Most swimmers that swim on teams wear speedo or TYR swimsuit brands. They give you lots of support; I literally felt two sizes smaller wearing one of these swimsuits compared to one you'd by at Macy's or JC Penney's. They aren't quite as stylish but they are getting better. Now you can get them with ruching on the sides and a variety of colors/patterns. Spend the money, go to a swim shop and buy something that will make you feel better about yourself. These suits usually also have better breast support and I highly suggest a racer back if you are larger in the chest area. The one that I bought ties around the neck so that is nice to keep the girls lifted :)

I am pretty excited about my new tankini. Pics to come soon.

To Facebook or not to Facebook

I admit it! I love Facebook! It is super easy to stay connected with people and with my i-phone it is even easier to just check my Facebook as often as wanted. As you all probably know Facebook has a feature where you can share your blog with all your Facebook friends. I have not done this in the past because I wasn't ready to share my weight with all of those people or my journey. However, several of them now know about my blog and it would be nice to have more followers. The comments really do keep me motivated.

If I do it, there are a few people that I might have to delete from facebook. I just don't know what to do? I think I am scared to fail. It's one thing for 25 people to know, its another to tell 250 and all their friends, friends, etc. I finally did break down and tell most of my family. I can't lie though...that was hard since several of my relatives look like playboy models. (You know who you are if you are reading this).

I also don't understand why there are several people that read it regularly but aren't an official follower. Not to be negative but it makes it hard for a blogger sometimes. You don't know who is reading, if it's helping anyone, or if it's worth the time if you don't even know who your followers are or if people don't leave comments. FYI...this is not to fish for comments but do you see why it can be frustrating. Someone once told me that leaving a comment on a blog is like giving a blog hug. I love that analogy. I admit that I don't follow many blogs but the ones that I do, I try to let the author be aware that I am reading. Thank you to the few that do comment or send personal notes...it truly is the wind that fans my flame.

What to do? about Facebook that is............

Biggest Loser Winner

12 weeks ago we started a friendly competition with about 20 people participating to lose weight. The competition was officially over a week ago and we have ourselves a winner. She lose 30 pounds...more than 13% of her body weight; that is 1% a week. She looks phenomenal. I am so proud of her because we actually started this journey a year ago. A foot injury held her back last year but this year a little competition was just what she needed and it got her motivated.

THE WINNER IS....

TERI FARRAND

Check out her before & after pics.

Before

After

Seriously, doesn't she look amazing!? Teri is a great person! She is one of the sweetest and kindest people I know. She and her husband have been great friends to us and her sweet beautiful little girl is one of Hudson's very best friends. I am happy to announce her as the winner. She has done an amazing job and I am so proud of her. She totally kicked my butt the last 12 weeks and now it is getting me motivated to get going again!