Comments working now!

At least, they were a few minutes ago! YIPPEE!!! Looks like my "followers" are back now, too!

Good. I really didn't want to move the blog or change the template.

Morgan's Chicken and Rice

Morgan's Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

Chicken Breast, no skin, 16 ounces -- sliced into strips
Mixed Vegetables, one can (drained)
98% fat free cream of chicken soup, one can
Water, tap, 1.5 cup
White Rice, long grain, 1 cup
Garlic, minced, 1 tsp

Directions

Slice chicken into thin strips.
In a casserole dish, place cream of chicken soup, water, drained vegetables, rice, and minced garlic.
Stir thoroughly and add chicken strips, stir again.
Cover.
Bake at 400 for one hour.
Uncover and cook for 5 minutes more.
Serves 4.

Nutritional Information
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 266.6
Total Fat 3.1 g
Saturated Fat 1.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 75.1 mg
Sodium 585.2 mg
Potassium 351.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 25.5 g
Dietary Fiber 1.7 g
Sugars 3.3 g
Protein 30.6 g
Vitamin A 53.0 %
Vitamin B-12 7.2 %
Vitamin B-6 33.0 %
Vitamin C 5.8 %
Vitamin E 0.8 %
Calcium 3.6 %
Copper 4.0 %
Folate 6.9 %
Iron 10.7 %
Magnesium 9.3 %
Manganese 10.3 %
Niacin 66.3 %
Pantothenic Acid 10.8 %
Phosphorus 23.9 %
Riboflavin 6.4 %
Selenium 33.1 %
Thiamin 9.6 %
Zinc 7.3 %

Prayers for Adam, Please!

My young cousin, Adam, is in Orlando Florida.
He has severe pneumonia and is awaiting transport to another hospital.

They don't know if he can be stabilizied to make the trip.

Please, please pray for Adam -- he just turned 14 last week.
Please put him on your prayers chains!

Thank you, Terri

COMMENTS

Several people have emailed me to tell me that my COMMENT link doesn't work.

I've contacted Blogger and hope they can help resolve the issue!

Thanks,

Terri

Appreciating every pound...

I lost one pound at this weigh-in. At first, I admit, I was disappointed. I thought maybe I'd lost two or three pounds.

I lost one pound. I didn't gain one pound. I didn't stay at the same weight. I LOST WEIGHT!!!

This is a very good thing -- so why should I be disappointed? I shouldn't. I will celebrate this loss and take pride in it!

I've lost 54 pounds since January... and hope to lose about 30 more by December 31.

I just have to keep to my meal plans and devote more time and energy to exercise. I have a tendency to blame my lack of activity on the heat and humidity. I shouldn't use that as an excuse.

I have to keep moving... exercise is the key to success!

The photo you see above was taken yesterday. I'm wearing my new size 18 jeans! Hoping by my birthday in October, I'll be in the 16s.

Wish me luck, will you?

No more *X* Sizes for me!!!

This morning... I was looking for my jeans and found the size 16/18 jeans that my Mom bought but never wore.

So... in a pique of curiosity, I tried them on.
Just to see how much more I needed to lose to fit into them.

THE JEANS FIT!!! THEY FIT!!!

Okay, yes, they are a bit snug in the tummy.
But there was no struggle to get them on... the legs, thighs, backside
were fine.
I figure another 5 pounds and the tummy will be perfect, too!
So, the remainder of my size 1X clothes, that I wore around the house,
are off to the thrift store!

Mike has promised me a shopping trip in a week or two for a couple pairs of size 16 pants and a couple of new shirts (my shirts are getting way too big on me!).
I am so excited -- it has been YEARS since I fit into anything other than an *X* size!

To celebrate, I'm going to make my walk a two-mile jaunt this morning! :)

Thank you, dear Lord, for holding me close and giving me the strength and courage that I need to fight this battle!

It sure doesn't take a "roxie" scientist to figure out how to lose weight. It's just takes self-control, perserverance, and strength of mind and heart. :)

I read a scary blog today.

I read a very scary blog today. The gal weighs about 268 pounds and is documenting her struggle to lose weight. *No, I won't post the blog address.*

As I read more posts, I could plainly see that she's not going about it the right way.
She's eating about 600 to 800 calories per day. Now, she's going for Gastric Bypass Surgery.


She's not losing weight because her body is in starvation mode. She's not eating enough. Now, she's taking the drastic step of surgery to "fix" her weight problem.

I so want to beg her NOT to have surgery, to try losing weight the RIGHT way. She must eat enough to fuel her body and her brain. She must eat enough to fuel the exercise she desperately needs as well.

What do you do when you see what someone else is doing wrong? When you've made those mistakes (about food intake -- no surgery for me!) and learned from them?

I don't know this woman. I wish I did. I so want to email her, but I don't know how she'd respond to my comments.

I'd like to know why hasn't the nutritionist from her Doctor's Office explained to her that she must eat to lose weight?
Why hasn't the Doctor told her that starving herself only makes weight loss more difficult?
Money. It's the only answer that makes sense.
Are they preying on this woman's desire to 'be thin', preying on her need for a quick fix?


What a shame. I fear she has issues far beyond that of her weight. I fear that losing weight will not bring her the happiness and satisfaction that she imagines.

I hope that all goes well for her and I will think of her often.

This is not your Mother's Hula Hoop!

Hoopnotica!

I so want one of these! It just made it to the top of my ever-growing wish list!

The Hula Hoop was always my favourite way to workout when I was in my 20s.
I weighed 135 pounds back then and had a small waist...

Those were the days.
I'd hula hoop every morning for about 1/2 hour.
I'd play and re-play Falco's Rock me, Amadeus and The Eurythmics' 1984.

I just gotta have one of these! I'll add it to my growing work-out equipment collection.

Every little bit helps, right? Can't hurt to have some fun while you're exercising!

Another pound down! Yea, me!

I lost another pound this week! Yea, me! That makes 53 since January, 09! If I can keep losing -- just one pound per week -- I could weigh about 225 by December!

I am, however, hoping to get back to two pounds lost per week soon.

The extreme heat and then the late-afternoon rains are wreaking havoc on my walks. I really can't walk in 90+ heat and humidity and the by the time the sun is going down, we're getting late afternoon / evening rain storms.

Damned if I do -- damned if I don't.

The mini-tramp is really helping. I should have my exercise bike soon, too.

I'm on my third day of eating 5 or 6 small meals rather than 3 larger meals and this is working out well so far. I find that I'm not getting hungry between meals, I tend to not want so much food, and I'm actually even sleeping better!

By 11:00 p.m. I was ready for bed! I could barely keep my eyes open enough to finish watching those dumb Braves of mine get whipped by the Rockies.

I've got my Pedometer hooked to my belt loop and I've been walking about this house this morning... oh, and of course, I wore it to my weigh-in!

I'm making spaghetti this evening for dinner. I bought the Barilla Whole Grain pasta , Lean Ground Round, and Ragu Sauce. I'll pair that with French Style Green beans. Makes a nice, low-cal, low-fat meal.

This morning, I strayed from my usual Cheerios and 2% Milk breakfast and opted for a Yoplait fat-free Key Lime Yogurt and a Quaker Fiber bar.

Sometimes, you just have to mix things up! LOL!

Ah, well. Time to go do some chores (Laundry, Dishes, Kitchen...). Sounds like fun, eh?

A change in my eating habits

I decided, upon the advice of a friend, to cahnge my eating habits. Gretchen is a Physical Therapist who used to participate in Bodybuilding.

She suggested to me that I try eating 5 or 6 small meals per day rather than 3 larger meals.

I've been doing this for two days. I've managed to stay well within my calorie range and I don't feel hungry at all.

This is a typical day (so far):

9:00 a.m. Breakfast (1 cup Cheerios / 1/2 cup 2% milk)

11:00 a.m. Snack (Yogurt or fruit cup)

1:00 p.m. Lunch

3:00 p.m. Snack (see above snack)

6:00 Dinner.

If I haven't made my calories for the day, I will have a snack about 9:00 p.m.

I don't know yet how this will impact my weigh-ins -- Gretchen says it may take a week or two to see what, if any, impact this change will have on my weight.

If it's a positive impact, then I'll maintain this eating schedule. If not, I'll go back to three meals.

It's been rainy for most of the day here in Southeast Georgia. Hoping it will stay clear enough so that I can get in my mile walk this evening.

Remember... just move. Take an exta step... wash the dishes... fold clothes... just move!

DO or DO NOT. There is no "Try"!

It seems so far away now...

Before my weight loss endeavours. I weighed 298 pounds.

This is me at 250. That was 4 pounds ago!

It seems like a dream that I was once a 135 pound woman. But it really wasn't all that long ago.

Just before I met my husband, as a matter of fact. In 1988, I weighed 135 pounds. By 1990, I weighed about 155. Manageable but still a bit overweight.

When I left the hospital after I had my daughter in 1992, I carried 174 pounds on my 5' 3" frame.

From that time until January of 2009, I just packed on the weight. I reached 298.

Now, I'm at 246. Obese, yes.

But I haven't given up. I won't give up.

I've lost a total of 52 pounds and I am still on my way.

I'm posting a "Before" photo and a "during" photo. I hope, in the not-so-off future, to post an "after" photo, too!

Roasted Pork Loin with Vegetables

ROASTED PORK LOIN WITH VEGETABLES

Ingredients:

*Green Giant Fresh Baby Cut Carrots, 6 oz (1/2 package)
*Vidalia Onion (1 Medium Onion)
*Gold (Yellow) Potatoes (1 potato = 1 serving), 8 serving
*Pork Loin Filet Cracked Rosemary (4 oz = 1 serving), 8 serving
*Squash - Yellow Crookneck, 1 1/2 cup
*1 cup water

Directions:

Wash potatoes and squash.
Dice vegetables, except carrots.
Place potatoes, squash, onion, and carrots in bottom
of roasting pan.
Season and add 1 cup water.
Place rack on top of vegetables and place roast on top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake, covered for 1 hour on 375.
Remove aluminum foil, turn oven to 350 and cook 1 more hour
until vegetables are tender.

Number of Servings: 8

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Serving Size: 1 serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 292.2
Total Fat 7.0 g
Saturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 35.0 mg
Sodium 673.1 mg
Potassium 621.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 34.0 g
Dietary Fiber 3.3 g
Sugars 3.2 g
Protein 25.6 g
Vitamin A 79.2 %
Vitamin B-6 10.0 %
Vitamin C 63.4 %
Calcium 3.6 %
Copper 0.3 %
Folate 6.8 %
Iron 8.6 %
Magnesium 6.5 %
Niacin 8.0 %
Phosphorus 6.0 %
Riboflavin 2.0 %
Thiamin 8.5 %
Zinc 2.0 %

Tuna Salad w/ Spicy brown mustard and ranch.

TUNA SALAD with SPICY BROWN MUSTARD and BUTTERMILK RANCH DRESSING.

Ingredients
1 Package Great Value Premium Chunk Light Tuna in water (foil pouch)
2 Tablespoons Great Value Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
1 Teaspoon French's Spicy Brown Mustard
2 Tablespoons BacO's Bacon Bits

Directions
In a bowl, mix tuna, bacos, ranch dressing, and mustard.
Serve over mixed salad greens or on bread for sandwiches.

To lower fat / sodium content, use light or fat-free ranch.

Serves 3.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES:

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 121.7
Total Fat 5.1 g
Saturated Fat 0.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Cholesterol 36.7 mg
Sodium 498.4 mg
Potassium 176.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 1.6 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 0.3 g
Protein 16.5 g

Vitamin B-12 23.3 %
Vitamin B-6 9.3 %
Iron 2.3 %
Niacin 23.3 %
Phosphorus 2.3 %