Week 25: I Have Taken A Trip...

To ONEDERLAND!!! Woo Hoo!! Oh yea... before the end of July even. BOOYA. I will never go back into TWO-land again! It feels so good to finally reach this goal. I totally feel like crying! So I lost 2 pounds last week and my man lost 3 pounds.

We have really hit with some adversity, yet I think we’ve been handling it SO much better than we would have last year with all our weight on. We would have both slipped in a depression, I'm sure. But this time, it doesn’t seem as hard to overcome and we’ve been overwhelmed with blessings and seeing the Lord's hand in helping us. Since both vehicles were down, my man rides the bus and then the train to work 1.5 hours each way and it’s not that bad. He actually enjoys it. And a friend offered for us to use her van so that we could take our family on a day trip with my brother on his boat. How nice was that? We had a wonderful time that makes up for not being able to go on our week long vacation to Utah.

I even attempted the boogie board - which I would never have even attempted before. I didn’t get up on it, BUT I tried! Next year..... watch out!

My Man, on the other hand, ROCKED the boogie board for his first time!! He is such a natural athlete.

I have some other great news: I am now a Health Coach for “Take Shape For Life”. I’m SO excited to help others who want to lose weight and get into better health using this program. It has really changed our lives. I am totally sold on eating smaller meals every 3 hours or so (6 meals a day) and we plan on doing that the rest of our lives. I am excited knowing that there is a transition plan and maintenance plan for when we reach our goal... it’s just so unlike all the other lifestyle changes we’ve ever attempted. This time it is working and there is NO TURNING BACK.

Last week I had cottage cheese as one half of my “lean” along with a chicken patty, and my salad for a meal. Oh, how I loved having that cottage cheese. I've been having it for my lean a few times this week. Great for summer, too.

Also, I finally got the new Medifast Chocolate Chip Pancake mix. The first pancakes were thin but still tasted so good to me. Then, tonight we made it again and I thought we should try it as a waffle. So we added 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 cup egg beaters along with the 1/4 cup water and put it in my waffle iron... and voila! A fluffy, yummy WAFFLE with walden farms sugar free syrup on it. Oh was good! I felt like I was cheating. :)

My goals for this next week are my Freedom Challenge goals I’ve been working on which are: Get to bed at a good time (before 11pm), get up at a good time (by 8 am), drink 100 ounces of water a day, and lastly Keep a POSITIVE attitude - even in the face of adversity. That last one is a kicker but it really does help. I can feel the Lord helping me stay positive too, as I focus on taking care of my family and serving those around me. It’s like, if I take care of those who need me, the Lord takes care of me (emotionally)... that’s what I’m learning! Even when times are hard: SIEZE THE DAY!!! It will all turn out for our best. Have a great week. XOX

He ran a 5K and won a pie!

My man rocks! Last Saturday was our "Pioneer Day" celebration and he got up and ran/walked a 5K that was actually closer to a 7K! Then, right afterwards, at the Pioneer Day Fair, he won this huge apple pie on the cake walk. Plus he volunteered ALL of his time at the fair handling the mixer for the performances. How could I not love this man to pieces?

The other day, he had to go through his clothes again and pulled these out and showed me. I had to snap a picture of his old size 48 jeans. He wears size 38 right now! Yaw!!!

I tried doing something different with asparagus this week. I broiled them in the oven with a little olive oil drizzled on it and some sea salt. I broiled it for about 3 minutes, then turned them over and broiled them for another few minutes until they were tender.

Then I made a kind of sauce with a couple T. red wine vinegar, a little mustard, freshly ground black pepper, chopped green onion, basil, and 1 garlic clove minced and then put it on top of the broiled asparagus. Yum.. My man even liked them.

Life is SWEET with all these changes BUT we've been having our share of set backs too.

For instance, BOTH our cars have died on us, the 2nd one just yesterday! We've had to cancel our Vacation to Utah next week :( It is a total bummer and our kids are very disappointed (as are we) but, better than having our van break down during our trip!

Our van was only working in one gear (tranny going out) and we were using it yesterday to go pick up our car that was majorly overheating, and just after we got our car dropped off at a shop - the van stopped driving in any gear except reverse in the middle of an intersection! So my man, amazingly drove BACKWARDS down the street - going the right way but just backwards, and into a turning lane and a parking lot. And there we were completely stranded! Thankfully, a good friend came and rescued us! Yay... we didn't have to sit in that heat.

Not only that, but we had a BBQ invite that night and our host friends came and picked our whole family up! How cool is that? We enjoyed a nice evening relaxing after all that car drama with good friends, an incredible view of the country, a dip in a little pool, petting some chickens & ducks, and some great eats!

I even beat my man at tether ball (with a little cheating).

My yummy BBQ meal: Chicken skewers dipped in orange sauce, shrimp skewers and salad. SO delish! We brought the pie that my man won and he even treated himself to a piece... but I stayed right OP and did not. He deserved it, though, and I think he has more "room" in his plan for a tiny little bit of "treating" off plan than I do. And I'm okay with that (for now at least).

My man admitted to me the other day, that he was concerned because in our past when we'd diet, he would always lose like twice as much as me and I'd always get so discouraged. So he has been PURPOSELY trying to keep his loses more even with me so I would feel better. (He could be losing faster) I was AMAZED to learn that that's what he's been doing. I am sometimes blown away at how much he loves me!! Anyway... thanks for reading, my blogger friends... I love you ALL!!! Ta ta for now. :)

Week 24 ~ on the 24th of July even!

I lost 3 pounds this last week and my man stayed the same. I am SOOO close to "Onederland" I can almost taste it.... feels like it's taking so long to get there but it will be so SAWEET when I do!! I loved the "learning list" that Sam came up with over at Believe in yourself... the main two being: 1. Believe that you can do it. 2. Don't Stop.

Okay.... I think those two things will be my new Mantra!!

Believe that you can do it, and Don't Stop!!

And I tell ya... this week, for the first time in 24 weeks, I felt a little food deprived. I let myself, for a time, feel sorry that I'm not eating out and having fancy breakfasts at IHOP or having more fun lunches with friends and for a day or two, I felt a little pity party.

BUT that's OVER now because I feel SO much better than I ever did!! Goodbye to all that is old and negative and sorrowing... and HELLO to my new healthy, happy, positive future!!

We've been doing a lot more on the BBQ this summer. Here is some chicken we did with some friends and this time, I just used Walden Farms BBQ sauce and it was simple and yummy! My daughter made that big salad... doesn't it look fresh and good?

I made cauliflower pizza again... yum! (see recipe in a previous post) And here is a taco salad where I just put my taco meat (lean ground beef & ground turkey breast with a little taco seasoning and tomato sauce) on a bed of lettuce with some veggies and sprinkled a little Walden Farms Ranch dressing on top. I did this same thing again with a little less meat, and added some low fat cheese. I enjoyed it!

Here I added my Orange Sauce to my chicken and then put it on top of my sauteed zucchini and mushrooms. And, we are loving the Kale chips. Here is the Kale all cut with a little olive oil on them and sea salt, ready for the oven (at 350 degree for approx. 15 min.)... they come out so tasty and with a crunch that kind of melts in your mouth!

Here is to another week of BELIEVING THAT WE CAN DO IT, and NOT STOPPING!!!

Yay... I got an award!!

I was awarded "The Versatile Blogger" award from an awesome blogger and lady: Debby at Deb will be FREE! Thank you Debby - you are truly an amazing woman!

I am supposed to thank the person who gave me this award (done), tell 7 things about myself (below), nominate 10 newly discovered blogs (below), and then let them know about the award (will do).

7 things about me:

1. I am 5 foot 3 inches (pretty much a shorty).

2. I enjoy making lists, planning things and being organized.

3. I love cats and dachshunds (we raised them when I was a child) but I have no pets right now :(

4. I discovered salmon a few years ago and have a new love for fish now!

5. I love having friends and really cherish the few that I have!

6. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and get a lot of joy from serving in the church.

7. Overall, I feel that I am very different, weird, often immature & silly - but I am very devoted to my family and friends.

10 Blogging buddies I nominate:

Jennifer at Weight Loss Journey ~ Our Medifast Blog

Juli at Julie's Journey

Mary at Maryd1112, A Medifast/TSFL work in Progress

Laurie at Laurie's Journey to Better Health

Lucy at Lucy's Own Blog

MaryFran at A New Start: Losing Weight

Ann at She woke up fat

Diane at It's Time

Pattie at My Be Slim Journey

Veronica at Losing the Weight

I CAUGHT my Husband CHEATING!!!!! (In the act!)

BUSTED!!!!

What is a gal to do when you when her man goes off and does something like this? Do I just ignore it? Do I confront him? (Or do I just take a picture and giggle?)

It’s the end of WEEK 23 and we’re Back from our trip to UTAH! I weighed in upon arriving home today (my birthday)... and I found that I LOST 2 POUNDS!! And my man lost 2 POUNDS!!

[He even had cotton candy... the little sneak! How does he get away with that? Actually, I don’t mind, I can’t stand the stuff... and he didn’t enjoy it anyway.]

But we Both truly enjoyed an amazing trip. We attended the beautiful wedding and reception of our niece... (the reception is where the cotton candy incident happened), and we payed an impromptu visit to my sister-in-law, totally surprising her at a park! Too fun. She, my brother and her family were so responsive to our weight loss and listened to us ramble on about it. They even asked me if I would be their coach if they wanted to do Medifast! I have been considering eventually becoming a coach after I lose ALL my weight but they asked me if I’d be their coach sooner. How cool is that?

It was so fun visiting AND

We both got to ride go carts.

This is the FIRST time I’ve ridden a go-cart since I was a teen... because I’ve been TOO BIG to even fit in one! Yay... I can fit now! The ride was wickedly sweet, to say the least!! Thanks to my nephew who let us ride for free.

We stayed with my friend, Emily, in her gorgeous home up on the hill overlooking both Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley, and enjoyed her trampoline with the breathtaking views of the mountains. I LOVE the mountains and really miss them. We don't have these here in Oregon!

We spent a whole day exploring Salt Lake City’s “Temple Square” and reminisced our wedding day 21 years ago (awww.. sigh...) and ended our last night with a splurge to the Macaroni Grill for our birthday dinners!

My man had this pizza (yes, off plan), and I had this halibut with veggies in a balsamic vinegar sauce and it was so scrumptious! (ON PLAN!). Isn’t it amazing that my man can eat off plan twice (cotton candy and pizza) and still lose 2 pounds? He rocks!

I made some lettuce taco wraps while we were there and also chicken wraps another night.

We headed home earlier (and gleefully as we shown in the pic above) and surprised our kiddos when they got home from church! (jump out and scare kind of surprise... we’re such mean parents!! tee hee) Overall, it was the best and most memorable “alone” trip we’ve had together, even in a car with no AC and 103 degree weather. I am feeling truly blessed!! :)

God loves broken things

I am having a hard day again emotionally... like so many times in my past. I know it’s the adversary who wants me down. My husband says I torture myself and it’s probably true.

I have NO reason to feel down. I have an incredible husband and children and we are on an amazing journey full of hope. I know I am not alone, even when I feel that way.

I read today on “The anti-Jared Blog” this statement which really stuck out to me:

“When you are confident, you bring people up. When you have no self worth, you bring people down.”

I want so much to be that continually confident person who brings people up all around me. It is my greatest desire to be a constantly fun and positive person. I know my Savior can heal my every heartache and so I will rely on Him again today. :)

I’ve thought a lot of one of my favorite songs by Kenneth Cope called “Broken”. It talks about how God loves broken things... The words are so beautiful. I loved this video that someone put together for this song and I’ll share it here. Enjoy!

We are going to try and sneak off (just me and my man) tomorrow for a quick trip out of state for our Birthdays... so that should be fun (even tho we’re so broke, it’ just being together that’ll be wonderful and so needed). Of course, I will be packing all our food and we will be staying ON PLAN. I hope for a loss... any loss, come next weigh in! Happy week to anyone reading this. Remember to: Seize the Day!

Week 22

My man lost 4 pounds last week! He was alone to make all his own L&G’s and he did FABULOUSLY - staying ON PLAN too.

Me.... I lost ZERO!!! I stayed the same weight. This is my first week NOT losing, and after last week, with all that walking, drinking water and being SO hot... I really am bummed!! I really wanted to be rewarded with a closer number to the “19’s”. Drat!!

Both of our birthday’s are this coming weekend and I was imagining that it would be the coolest “gift” to myself to be under 200 pounds by then. It’s not looking too promising as that would mean I’d have to lose about a pound a day.

Oh well, my man says I probably gained muscle from all that walking and hiking. SO... I am putting this “no loss” behind me and continuing on as usual. It’s the long haul that really matters, and I am in this for the long haul this time! :) Life is GOOD! :)

I'm Baaaaaack!!

HOWDY!!

It may seem like no time has passed since my last post but for me, it’s been been like months ago (see description of “Margene Time” in previous post). I have been gone the last 5 days with my daughters to Girls Camp with the young women in our church.

The camp songs, skits, prizes, flag ceremonies, cheers, new friends made, and watching my girls grow... priceless! It’s been like being in another world ~ fun, hot, exhilarating, uplifting, and exhausting!

This is the path I walked UPHILL 70 yards to my cabin - several times a day! This would have been torture a year ago. This week, it was merely tiring. I had to make that trek down the hill and back up in the middle of the night, EVERY night, to make my middle-of-the-night trip to the commode! That’s because I was drinking close to my 100 oz. of water!! Yea baby!! [This was not fun].

And not only that... I stayed ON PLAN the WHOLE TIME! I think I need a trophy! The SUPER COOL part of the whole meal time was that I was up there with my Wonderful Coach and friend, LaTrease, helping her with the crafts every day and we swapped making meals for each other. So I had a “buddy” on plan with me which made it so nice!

One of the nights, I made this Ginger Glazed mahi mahi with some sauteed zucchini, peppers and cabbage. Loved it.

Another night, LaTrease made these lettuce chicken wraps! Oh my, this is a new favorite!! She mixed up some chopped chicken & chopped celery with some fat free mayo, little mustard, and garlic & herb Mrs. dash. Then scooped a couple larger spoonfuls in an iceberg lettuce “bowl” and then wrapped them up. Cool, crisp, and great for summer and it was deliciously filling!

I wanted to offer a sincere THANK YOU for each of you who have posted comments! I cherish every one and appreciate the kind words and support so much!! It was a treat to come home and read the comments from my last post... brought me to tears. Thank you!

I will be weighing in tomorrow and posting our loss for last week. Weigh in is usually saturday mornings but I wasn’t here this morning so it’s bumped up a day this week. And one last note: “I said a BOOM CHICK A BOOM!”... “I said a BOOM CHICKA ROCKA -CHICKA ROCKA CHICKA BOOM!”... “uh hu - Oh yea - One more time!”

Comparison Pics along with my thoughts

Today at church, I had quite a few comments on my weight loss... the most I've ever had, really. I almost just don't know what to say or how to handle it. It's like I've lost enough to make it noticeable now. So, I put these pics together for my own comparison. I see that woman on the very left and inside I still feel like I am her. It is the weirded thing! I feel self-conscious as if I am that heavy still. But I love feeling better and all the NSV (non-scale victories) that I am having. I wish I could put into words how LIFE CHANGING it has been for me!

My man looked at that pic of himself on the left and said "I don't even remember being that big." Okay, why does HE get to not remember? :) I have watched HIS life transform in the last few months. He has also recently gotten on an ADD medication dosage that is changing his life and allowing him to THINK, FOCUS, and see things like he hasn't before so that combined with his weight loss has been amazingly life changing for him. My heart is so full in gratitude that he is feeling better and happier and so much more hopeful. He really is the most awesome guy I know!!

These last two days have been very astounding, emotional, and endearing between my man and myself as we have talked and worked through (and cried through) some long on-going trials & heartaches. Yet an amazing piece of clarity has come from it. I believe in personal revelation from God and I believe that my husband can receive divinely inspired promptings for the benefit of his family (including me!). And I know the Lord has revealed a truth to me through my husband that has shed so much light on years and years of prayers. I feel so humbled and so very thankful for the blessings I have. I hope I can remember this when the trials come again.

The longer you wait for something, the more it means to you when it finally comes. And in my case, there are SO many wonderful blessings I have but MOST of them I have had to WAIT for. Have I mentioned that I am not good at waiting? My man KNOWS that 1 year in normal time is equivalent to approx. 6 years in "Margene time"! This is true! You have no idea! But I tell you, I don't take my blessings for granted and I don't think of them lightly. I KNOW where they come from and HE who blesses me with them. So maybe those are lessons I've needed to learn (drat... I hate having to always learn lessons - I need a lesson-break here!!).

I've been realizing that both my man and I are such LATE BLOOMERS!! We are both the youngest of big families and we were clueless parents and socially delayed and awkward misfits... I could go on and on. But it has taken ALL THESE YEARS to reach a point where we feel like we can contribute and serve the Lord more fully, and not be TOTAL dorks in social settings. (We're still immature mind you, but not overly dorky anymore) Everything that seems to come so easily for others seemed (and seems) so much harder for us... but NOW we're getting it. NOW, we're beginning to see that "bigger picture" and realize all the "big lies" that set us back from reaching our potential. I don't know if this makes any sense but it kind of does to me right now, although it is way late (after 2 am) and I need to get to bed. Goodnight my dear readers!! (If you made it this far, you are a true saint!)

Week 21 - Happy Independence Day!!!

HAPPY 4th of July!!! (tomorrow)

It's the end of WEEK 21, and this last week BOTH my man and I lost 4 pounds!! (8 pounds total). That brings me down a total of 74 pounds and my man down a total of 75 pounds! BOOYA!

In celebration, we walked our first 5K this morning before the city parade. It is called the "catwalk" for Cancer Awareness and Treatment. My girls and I walked in honor of my dear sister who is a breast cancer survivor!! My father and my grandmother both died from cancer so it really gave us motivation to walk as well.

(Seriously... is that really my tushie??)

I got all my kids to join us too, except for my oldest son who was at a youth camp. How's that for a former couch-potato, video gaming family?

(Except wait, we still play video games!)

Look at that gorgeous skinny man!!! Hubba hubba!

My little guy held my hand most the way. When he's 16, I doubt he'll do that anymore so I take it while I can get it!! :)

Afterwards, we enjoyed the parade. We have lived in this town over a decade and have NEVER gone to the parade until today. Our old selves would probably still be at home.. IN BED.. or watching the tube. I don't want to miss out on LIFE anymore!! We saw many friends, clapped and cheered, and felt joy and gratitude for our great country and freedoms!

I hope you find a way to Celebrate Life this weekend!!!

A couple of Lean and Green meals this week:

I found myself completely out of all my veggies one night EXCEPT for cabbage. So I grilled up two chicken burgers with sauteed cabbage and it was yummy!

This was delish: sauteed summer squash, fresh cut tomatoes, and some roast beef (from Costco). Loved it!