This is one of the easiest recipes you can make and it's even easier if you have leftover spaghetti squash and chicken. Either way, there are only few steps involved in making this dish and no measuring tools involved. I made 1 serving of this with leftovers.
Chicken with Spaghetti Squash. Photo by Theresa.
Chicken with Spaghetti Squash
  1. Bake spaghetti squash.
    You can cook the squash whole or cut it in half. If you cut it in half, remove the seeds and center strings and place each half face down on a baking sheet. If you cook it whole, remove the seeds and center strings after the squash is cooked.
  2. When squash is cooked, use a fork to scrape the squash into a baking dish.
  3. If you don't have cooked chicken, cook or bake it while the squash is baking.
  4. Shred the cooked chicken and mix it in with the squash. You should have equal amounts of squash to chicken or less squash than chicken.
  5. Add a few shakes of garlic salt.
  6. Add a few shakes of black pepper.
  7. Add other spices that sound good to you; I kept mine simple.
  8. Adding salt is optional; I didn't add any.
  9. Add a pat of butter broken into pieces on top, use butter enough butter to suit your needs based on how much chicken and squash you have in the casserole dish.
  10. Lightly sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  11. Heat in microwave until the chicken is hot and the butter and Parmesan melt into the squash.*
*If you cooked the chicken and squash at the same time to make this recipe, you may not need to put this dish in the microwave. You can add the spices to the chicken as it's cooking or when you're shredding it, so they blends into the chicken. Mix the hot chicken, spices, and squash, top with butter and Parmesan and enjoy!

April 20, 2014
My new best friend is my Fitbit - it not only helps me track my daily walking goals, which it measures in steps and in distance, but also because I'm accountable to eight other Fitbit friends. I set a goal to walk 10,000 steps every day in the month of April and no matter what else was going on in my day, I've met my daily goal.
Daily statistics in steps April 1-11.
Daily statistics in distance April 1-11.

My Fibit keeps me motivated and inspired to meet my daily walking goals. I've had it for months, but now I'm using it as it was meant to be used: to set goals and see them through. Plus, having upped my game, by creating a daily goal, I'm ahead of a few of my Fitbit buddies. A little competition is a good thing, as it inspires us all to keep moving. 

I usually walk after work with my friend who got me into using a Fitbit. Some days we walk at lunchtime and other days we walk at the end of the day. We're looking forward to the muddy trails drying up, so we can meet at sunrise and walk along the reservoir once again. It's incredible to start the day in nature before heading off to work.

Some days are harder for me to get in my steps than others. This is especially true when my walking buddy is traveling, as she was this week. It's all about setting my mind to it, getting out of my own way, ignoring my whining thoughts "but I'm so tired, blah, blah, blah," putting on my sneakers, and just walking. After about a minute, I'm so engaged in my walk that I wonder what all that whining was about.

At the end of a long day last week, I was really tired and I wanted to skip the walk and just go home. What saved the day for me was having parked my car far from my office that morning. The five minute walk to my car, which used to take me fifteen minutes, was just enough distance to warm me up and inspire me to keep walking until my goal was met.

There were a few times that I synced my Fitbit, at the end of the day, only to discover I had not walked my 10,000 steps. On those nights, I walked up and down the stairs in my house until my goal was met.

I've learned to plan for success. Some mornings I go up and down my steps ten times to jump start my day. I park far from my office as much as possible. I check my progress during the day and make sure my daily goal has been met before I get in my car. I've found that when I am walking alone, I can catch up with friends and family on my cellphone and finish getting in my steps.

An essential part of achieving success is to reassess one's goals along the way. I set three exercise goals for the month of April: 10,000 steps daily, 30 squats daily (3 days on and 1 day off), and five minutes of upper arm exercises. I met my walking goals on days 1, 2, and 3, but I didn't do the squats or upper arm exercises. Each day that I didn't do the other two exercises, I felt like I was failing. Walking 10,000 steps a day is not failure.

On day four I reassessed my exercise goals. I realized that adding three new habits into my daily life wasn't realistic. I let go of the other two goals, so I could keep my focus on walking 10,000 steps daily. Reassessing my goals was a great idea!

Are you ready to up your game? Are you ready to get into the game? What exercise goal can you set and meet for the rest of this month? Remember that diet you said you would start tomorrow, only tomorrow never came? You own your commitment to healthy eating, so isn't it time for you to own your exercise commitment too? Keep it simple and start today.
April 12, 2014
Now that we're having warmer weather, and the winter blues are gone, I pulled out my favorite spring/fall coat, a beautiful blue leather jacket. Later that day I was walking with my friend and I remembered a photo of me wearing the jacket two years ago, so I had her take a new photo.
March 2012 vs March 2014
It feels egotistical to say this, but when I look at these photos all I can think is WOW! I was shocked at how big this jacket is on me. I had one of those moments of conflict, when I realized just how much weight I've lost, but at the same time I felt sad that I can't wear this jacket anymore. This is a good problem to have!

I'm excited to dive into my summer clothes and see what else doesn't fit. Will this be the summer that I'll empty my closets of all my clothes because they are too big?

A sneak peek into this question: a few nights ago I tried on a few of my summer dresses and, umm, wait for it - yes - they are too big!

OMG, what am I going to wear on my vacation in 3 weeks?

Conflicted again! But wait. This is a good thing Theresa - this is what you've been working towards and waiting to have happen!

How long has it been since you took a photo of yourself? I encourage you to take photos and to take them often, because it's the best way for you to really see your weight loss and to have a record of just how far you have come on your journey. Seeing before and after photos is much more rewarding than looking at numbers on a scale or a chart of your weight.


April 11, 2014
Recently I received a couple emails with questions and I wanted to share my responses with all of you. Today I focused on questions from Carol:
Photo source: Etsy
Today is my 8 month anniversary with Julie! I can't believe how the time has flown!! I am down 3 sizes, I was 22/24 and now I am 16/18. I am happy to have gone down but to be honest I am a little disappointed that I'm not down more? When I look in the mirror I still look fat. I know we all lose differently but I am scared I won't lose anymore it seems I've been this size for months. It helps to read your blog, I wonder if you or your bloggers have any advice? 

Congratulations Carol for you success in dropping 3 sizes! You are not alone in feeling the way you do about slow weight loss and how you look in the mirror. I've experienced both and many others who read this blog have too.

Let's looks at your questions up close and personal and see if we can turn this around for you.

Slow Weight loss

I too was frustrated with how slow my weight came off. A couple weeks ago, a little over three years on this program, I realized I was still complaining about this and I decided the time had come for me to change my tune. I was tired of singing Wah, Wah, Wah and I decided to focus on the positive instead of the negative.

How did I change my tune? I reflected back to where I've been, where I am today, and I took a good look in the mirror . . .

You are Down Three Sizes

Celebrate your new size and appreciate where you are today. Plateaus are part of the journey, as our body slows down to heal itself. Ask yourself: physically and mentally - do you feel better in a 16/18 or size 22/24? When was the last time you were a 16/18? Celebrate your success and keep doing what you've been doing.

I'm no longer a 30/32. Hello! This is really big and sometimes I too forget where I've been. Today I'm between a 14-18, in real women's sizes, not large women's clothing. In fact, I can't find anything to fit me in large women's stores anymore, although once in a while I go in and give it another try. Okay, so I bought undies (size 14) at Lane Bryant few months ago, but it was only because I had a gift card. The last time I was able to shop in regular clothing stores was the early 1990's and the last time I was able to wear a size 14 was 1984.

Disappointed in Not Being Smaller

Okay, so you want to be down more. Don't let yourself get caught up playing that song, stop it now! What's the alternative here - quitting and gaining back all the weight you lost? Not an option right? 

I struggled with this issue too, cue music: I wanna be smaller, wah, wah, wah. Well guess what? I am smaller and so are you! Celebrate and focus on how much smaller you are today.

One of the things that gets me singing that song again is when I compare my weight loss journey to others; cue music. There are many factors as to why some lose faster than others. I can't begin to understand them, although I have tortured myself trying to figure this out -  I stopped trying.

My journey is what it is and I'm so happy to be the size I am today and no longer a 30/32. When I remember where I've been, it helps me be put things back into perspective and appreciate the size I am today.

It's Taking So Long

When was the last time you stayed with a weight loss program for 8 months? How long has it been that you've maintained this size (or any size) for this long? Would you prefer a) taking a long time to drop to the next size or b) going up a size?

Cue music, Why is this taking so long? This is yet another verse and one we need to stop singing. It doesn't matter how long it takes to reach our goal size. What matters is that we keep moving forward. Time is going to pass whether we stay the course or not.

Whining, cue music, When Can I Eat X or Y Again? only keeps the music playing. If not eating X or Y means we get to maintain the size we are today, then let's not worry about when we can have those foods again.

Let's stop all this music and stop feeling sorry for ourselves for not being able to eat like others, as this keeps the music playing over and over again. Eating like others is what put all that extra weight on us. We may or may not ever be able to eat like others, so let's get over this and focus on how good it feels to finally look like others (no longer obese). Our key-food choices allow us to avoid foods that we seem to have allergic reactions to in ways others do not. For us, non-key food puts weight on us; key foods do not. We choose which foods we eat, so let's stop this song too.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Mirrors and photographs often reflect what we want to see. Some people look in the mirror and see a thin person when they are quite heavy, and others look in the mirror and see a fat person, but in reality they're underweight. Take photos and take them often. Further along in your journey those photos will show your reality - you are smaller than you used to be. You're probably smaller than you think you are too.

Most people struggle with seeing the changes in the mirror. People at goal size struggle with this too. This is something each of us must come to terms with or we will gain our weight back. We are what we think we are and the sooner in our journey we start to see ourselves as we really are the better.

I'm still working on this issue, but I realize this is part of the journey and I'm determined to work this through. Last week I tried on a floor-length dress and when I looked in the mirror I had mixed feelings. A part of me felt WOW and another part of me only focused on the roundness of my hips, cue music, Oh Those Hips. No, stop! Cue music, Wow! Much better.

Can I Eat This or That?

I continue to refine what I'm eating. Recently I was reminded that Julie teaches us to shop on the outside parameter of the grocery store, where food is fresh and less likely to be processed. This was big and I realized there were items inside the isles that I was eating that are not key-friendly. Step away from the center isles.

The key program has evolved over the years, as do most programs based on research studies. Some of us were told we could have X and others were told we couldn't have X. Go by what you learned in your classes.

That said, I have been persuaded to take a second look at some of my food choices. This morning I cooked chicken and decided to skip the mayo today and have just plan chicken. We can have mayo, but we have to be mindful of the amount of fat we're eating. Today I was mindful and I chose not to have mayo.

Sometimes I think about all this way too much. Everything I need to know about this program is my mind and I don't need to over complicate things. The later is hard to do, but sometimes it comes as a great relief to me when I realize I'm complicating things and I just stop thinking so much.

Wah, Wah, Wah

I'm SO over all the complaining and it feels great! I encourage you to do the same as soon as possible. Don't wait 3 years to stop complaining or worse - don't allow your frustration, with how slow you feel your progress is going, to drive you off program entirely.

Change your tune today!



April 01, 2014
It's time to get moving! For the month of April I have set exercise goals for myself to help me keep committed to exercise. I've been on this weight loss program for over 3 years and this way of eating is a routine way of life for me. It's time to make exercise routine as well. I feel great mentally and physically when I exercise, so why not feel this way every day?
Get moving!
Last summer I walked at 6am with a friend and after months of her encouragement, I finally bought a Fitbit. It's been a great tool to keep me motivated to meet my walking goals and keep me accountable. Having a walking buddy is a great help too, as time seems to pass faster and I stepped up my game to get up to her walking pace.

I did great keeping up with my steps throughout the fall with my friend and when the temperature dropped we moved into the gym. Then the dead of winter hit and I fell off my routine. My friend traveled a lot and I didn't get in the gym much. A few weeks ago, we recommitted to walking again and I feel great, but I want more consistency. Oh, and I have a 10k run in 3 weeks!

So, what's a girl to do? Encourage more friends to buy a Fitbit so we can inspire one another of course! I now have 10 Fitbit friends and it's been a lot of fun cheering each other on. Fit bit has these fun icons that you can cheer your friends and they get a message of encouragement from you via email.
Last night I was disappointed in how low my number of steps were at the end of the day. I reported to my friends "What? Only 8,405 steps today? How is that possible? I was sure I did well over 10,000. Sigh...."

One friend encouraged me to meet my 10,000 steps by doing the steps inside my house.

"I'll go up and down my stairs 10 times and report back in" I replied and then I did it!

I did it!
See how this works? Friends can be a great motivator for us!

My Exercise Goals for April
  1. Walk 10,000 steps daily, which is a little over 4 miles.
  2. Do 30 squats daily: 3 days on, 1 day off, and repeat for the whole month.
    This How to Squat video explains how to do a squat the right way and the key is this: if your knees or back hurt you're doing them wrong! How cool is that? No pain should be going on when you're doing squats!
  3. Five minutes of upper arm workout.
    This How to Tone Your Upper Arms video shows 3 simple exercises that I can do after my walk, so my body is warmed up before I do them.
How About You?

Are you ready to set small daily goals for the month of April? Small goals are easier to accomplish, foster a sense of success, and helps you achieve the next day's goals.
Each daily goal is like a rung on a ladder that helps you, step by step, to the top. --AARP
Start where you are today and make realistic goals. You don't have run a marathon, but can you walk out your front door for 5 minutes and then back home? Start there and add on longer goals. If you can walk for 20 minutes, build up to 30 minutes. Signup for a 3 mile walk (5k) later this year that will help you reach a 3-mile goal. Find a friend to join you or do it alone, either way it will help you and help raise money for a good cause. If you've been walking 3 miles, consider a 6 mile (10k) or commit to walking more times a week.
Walking won't just get you in better shape — it could cut down your chances of developing dementia as well. Plus, some studies show that people who cannot walk a quarter-mile in five minutes have a higher mortality rate. Buy a pedometer; try to average 10,000 steps a day, seven days a week. (source unknown)
Resources

These resources may help you get started exercise or to kick things up:


March 31, 2014
When I was a little girl, I loved vegetables and I hated meat. I would sit for hours at the kitchen table. It was just me and a big thick slice of meatloaf the size of Block Island, or so it seemed to me at the time. Mom told me I had to eat all the food on my plate because there were children starving in China, and I was not to leave the table until I had eaten every bite on my plate.  
That's me running along side of the parade with my brothers and very pregnant aunt.
I spent many a night at the kitchen table until 9pm. I poked my meatloaf with a fork, unwilling to take a bite, as Mom folded laundry in the adjacent living room and glanced over to give me the evil eye from time to time. Each time she walked down the hall to put away laundry, I fed a piece of meatloaf to my dog Outlaw. This didn't help children starving in China, but it sure made Outlaw a happy dog and eventually my plate was empty.

I never I understood how eating the food on my plate could help children in China, but I do know many mothers told their kids to finish their plates because of children starving elsewhere in the world. The real reasons they told us to clean our plates:
  1. we were wasting food and she worked hard to earn the money to buy that food, and 
  2. she cooked it and, whether we liked it or not, we going to eat it.
My Mom would be shocked to see me cooking and eating meat today, especially roast beef. Roast beef was the meat we argued over the most. She served it every Sunday, so you can guess where I spent most of my time on Sunday nights: at the kitchen table with a happy dog at my feet.

This program has completely reversed my feelings about meat and I am happy with how much meat seems to agree with me. Prior to this program I never would have ordered a steak at a restaurant or cooked one a home. Cooking a hamburger, meatloaf, or meatballs, was about as meaty as I could handle. It was not uncommon for me to be in the middle of eating a hamburger and stop because I had lost my appetite for it before I could finish. As much as I enjoy meat today, sometimes I still lose my appetite for meat as I'm eating it.

When I think about the lesson mom was trying to teach me, the only lesson I learned was to feel guilty for leaving food on my plate. I won't blame my mom for my weight issues, but forcing me to eat everything on my plate did not help me or any  starving child elsewhere in the world.

So many of us were taught to clean our plates that many diets encourage leaving a few bites our plates, to help us break us from this brainwashing habit. I get the concept, but I prefer to put less on my plate or ask for a to-go box instead.

Hmm, it seems I really do take not being wasteful to heart. Thanks Mom!

The moral of my story: save yourself first. Children around the world will still be hungry if we skip the bread, hold the fries, or decline the second vegetable. Eating non-key foods won't help them either.




March 30, 2014
When I think about rutabagas, I reflect back to happy memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas family gatherings. The dinner table was so crowded that no one noticed my plate was filled with only vegetables. It isn't that I didn't like turkey, but if I could get away with eating just vegetables, that was my preference. Plus, it was always fun seeing if I could get away with it.
Rutabaga French Fries; recipe below. Photo source: Jacky.
l My mom never cooked rutabagas. It was my dad's mother who brought rutabagas and other root vegetables to our holiday table. Unlike me and my Dad, my Mom loathed root veggies and as they cooked on the stove Mom would turn her nose up and whisper unpleasant remarks about their aroma. But me, I loved how they smelled.

Grandma always boiled and mashed her rutabagas. I never saw olive oil in her kitchen, she cooked and baked with lard and bacon fat. I don't know if it was an economic or cultural factor, or her personal choice not to use olive oil. 

I do know that Grandma and Dad would have enjoyed these rutabaga french fries as much as I did.

Rutabaga French Fries

This rutabaga french fries recipe came from key friend Jacky and a few preparation tips from me.
1. Peel the rutabaga. This is actually quite easy to do, as the outer peel, which is usually waxed to preserve freshness all winter long, peels away easily with a sharp vegetable peeler. It's much like peeling the skin off an apple.
Peel the skin off.
2. Cut rutabaga into sticks. The flesh itself is very hard, but you can slice it away in thin slices, starting from the outside.

3. Spread the sticks out on a cookie sheet, coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and a little cayenne pepper or season to suit your taste (salt optional) and mix with your hands to coat all the sticks well with oil and seasonings.
4.  Bake at 425 about 40-45 minutes; turn them over when they're about half cooked. Optional: when they're almost done, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake more 5 minutes.
I only set the oven to 400, next time I'll go higher so they are more crisp.
Here's what I had with my Rutabaga French Fries; yummy!
Rutabagas turn sweet when they're baked and having roasted or baked veggies along with a nice piece of meat makes for a nice dinner. Plus, they're high in antioxidant and anti-cancer compounds and one cup of rutabaga contains 53% of the daily recommended vitamin C. (Nutritional data from What are Rutabagas Good For? )
March 30, 2014
Last week I was in a room with about a dozen people when I heard a someone say "I wish I could eat anything I wanted." I was surprised to hear these words coming from a tall and slender person. My immediate response, which I kept to myself: you CAN eat anything you want, but you have to live with the consequences of your choices.
Consequences
This was a gentle reminder for me on a couple of fronts.

First, I don't need to feel sorry for myself that I can't eat this or that. It is my choice not to eat those foods.

The truth is, I really can eat anything I want and so can you. I can eat any and all the carbs and sugars I desire, but the consequences of eating those foods will lead me back to obesity.

Let's say it together now: NO thank you.

I choose NOT to eat carbs, sugars, and other foods that don't support a healthy lifestyle. I want a long and healthy life far more than I want those foods. It's my choice, so there's no need to feel sorry for myself.

It's your choice too: sugar and carbs or a healthy life?

The second reminder was that even people with slender bodies, who we think have it together when it comes to food, have food issues. This saga of wishing we could eat anything we want to eat can't go on for the rest of our lives. I don't want to reach my goal size and find myself feeling sorry that I can't eat this or that. There must be a way to stop this kind of self-pity.

Let's stop this now.

Spending our energies in such negative thoughts is not healthy. Remember what I said about wanting a long and healthy life? There's no room in a long and healthy life for negativity, so let's put an end to that way of thinking right now.

Let's push away those kind of thoughts every time they surface. Pause and reflect on what we're thinking and then smile as an affirmation that we are letting go of this way of thinking, because it no longer serves us

I'm going to use the "tap, tap, tap" metaphor, to tap away (push away) this kind of thinking, in the same way I push away food cravings.

Let's move beyond our old ways of thinking. We choose what we eat or don't eat, so let's own this. We choose to eat healthy foods and we choose what we think. Let's fill our minds and our bodies with things that support healthy living.

Let's live with those consequences! 



Photo source: Reality Clark County

March 18, 2014
I apologize to Theresa for taking so long to put some thoughts and pictures down on my trip to Montana, September 2013. Can I start by saying it was one of my most memorable trips ever?

If you have never been to Montana, might I suggest it? If you want to spend time in a rural, rugged area with beautiful scenery and a peaceful way of life, then Montana is the place for you.

I got to go with my husband when he took a business trip there-spouses were invited, and I have been different places with the same core of people many times. Each time it is like the spouses picked up where we left off...totally enjoyable. Two of the girls and I have stayed in contact, and it was good to see them again. The only difference this time compared to the last time I saw them? My weight. And my zest for life!!!!! 
This picture is from our Newport Rhode Island Trip in August 2010.
This is me (on the right) 10 months before I went to Julie.
This is us in Montana, September 2013, me in the middle
Me ziplining!
We stayed in a beautiful resort 6500 feet above sea level on a mountain called Lone Peak in the Southeastern part. The ladies and I got to do some really fun things such as ziplining, which I never would have done before my Key way of life. Not only was it scary but fun going down, it was quite the terrain climbing UP to get to where we were going. Hiking up the mountain to the zip line was tough and challenging, but I DID IT!!! The whole afternoon adventure was SO freeing and exhilarating, and exciting! I NEVER would have thought I would EVER have done this! And I WILL do it again!!!!
Me at Lone Peak
We took an expedition trip to the top of Lone Peak (11500 feet above sea level) and enjoyed a view I have never ever experienced before, seeing 2 other states (Idaho and Wyoming). It was chilly, but an event I am thrilled I got to be a part of. A little scary taking the tram and the expedition truck, but I never worried once that  I was out of my "league" or that we would come across a challenge I wouldn't be a part of. Also, I had to really find my "trust factor" to take the above picture because standing out on that metal ledge, there was nothing below me, and that is my biggest fear of all!
Lone Peak
No one believes this is not a photo shopped picture
My husband and I had a day to travel to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. On our drive in the park, we came across a lone bison (there are no buffalo in the US, only American Bison) happily having lunch by the side of the road. I had hubby turn our vehicle around, and I got out because I wanted a picture-My husband wouldn't get out to take it! A nice gentleman who was also snapping pictures took this "one and done" picture of me. My favorite picture of all!

I stayed on program the ENTIRE time. I had duck bacon, elk chili, walleye trout, and bison-I had NO problem explaining what I wanted wherever we went, and everywhere we went they were VERY accommodating. We had a kitchen in our room, so we were able to have food readily available for "just in case", but I never needed it. My husband and I made sure we walked every day-the weather was wonderful, and the mountain air was amazing.

I hope he is chosen to go this coming September to the next business/pleasure trip-it will be in Rockport, Maine, and it looks like it will be held at a beautiful coastal resort-this weekend trip is always in some pretty nice places-and now I jump right in and join in whatever activities they have planned. 

Vacations are different now! I look for things to do that I wouldn't do if I was home. I love being included, I am not (as) afraid, and I feel like I fit in! Thank you Julie!



March 08, 2014
This delicious recipe and photo comes to us from Lou.
Sausage Casserole
Ingredients

Add what you like or have available - here's what Lou used:
  • 5 pounds of link breakfast sausage
  • 15 eggs
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • About 1 cup shredded cheese (your choice - I used Colby jack and mozzarella)
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan
  • About 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • Pepper to taste
Directions:
  1. Cook sausage links.
  2. Sauté onions and pepper in a little olive oil. Once cooked set aside.
  3. Beat the eggs and add the garlic powder and Parmesan mixing well.
  4. Drain the sausage and cut into chunks and add to a baking dish. Mine was about 16/8 and 2 in deep. 
  5. Add the onions and peppers.
  6. Pour in the eggs and add your shredded cheese.
  7. Bake until solid - about an hour at 350.
March 02, 2014
Craving something sweet? Stuffed red peppers to the rescue! I basically used my meatball recipe, but instead of rolling up the meatballs and cooking them all day in the crock pot, I stuffed them into peppers and dinner was ready in about an hour. Here's my yummy recipe.
Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
  • 4 large red bell peppers (or your favorite kind of bell pepper)
  • 1 small jar of tomato sauce (or homemade tomato sauce)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 lbs ground beef 
  • 6-8 cloves of fresh minced garlic (or garlic flakes or garlic powder)
  • Fresh chopped basil (add enough to suit your taste)
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I use Progresso Italian Seasoned)
Directions
  1. Cut the bell peppers in half length-wise and remove seeds and ends.
  2. After cutting the peppers in half, find a baking dish all the peppers will fit into.
  3. Cover the bottom of the dish with tomato sauce; the sauce doesn't have to be deep. I did not use the whole jar of sauce, but sometimes I do.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs.
  5. Add the ground beef, garlic, basil, and onions in the bowl with the eggs.
  6. Add the breadcrumbs on top of all the other ingredients.
  7. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together.
  8. Stuff all of the meat mixture into the peppers and then place the peppers in the baking dish. You may top with more sauce. 
  9. Cover or don't cover, they turn out delicious either way and the dish burns either way.
  10. Bake at 400 degrees until the beef is cooked all the way through. I didn't watch the clock, but it was about an hour. I slice into a pepper to see if it's cook enough before serving.
 07/17/14 Update

 I made this recipe again last night for a friend and I cut this recipe in half. I served it yellow squash that I turned into noodles with my spirooli.

Same recipe, different day. Photo by Theresa.

Noodles made with yellow squash. Photo by Theresa.


March 02, 2014
How much time do you spend thinking about your size? Before I started Key Hypnosis, I didn't walk around thinking how obese I was; I was oblivious to my size. However, since I started losing weight, I walk around wishing I was a smaller size all the time. I need to figure out how to stop this obsession.
July 2009                                       Feb. 2014
Last Saturday morning a friend sent me this photo (above) from the summer of 2009. I looked at that photo next to the selfie I had taken the night night before (above) and I thought to myself "Well, Theresa, there is no denying that you are many sizes smaller today than you were in 2009 - just look at these two photos!"

I remember the moment my friend took that photo in 2009. I did not want my photo taken and I froze; hence the goofy smile. I remember thinking "well, at least I'm wearing my favorite blouse."

Instead of being happy she captured a fun moment in time, what I was wearing was paramount. Until the camera came out, I was having a wonderful lunch with a friend I've known since I was 6 years old. Stopping to take this photo disrupted my fun, because the moments before having my photo taken gave me time to pause and time to remember: I am obese.

It's 2014 and I'm no longer obese. I don't mind having my photo taken. In fact I take a lot of selfies. Looking back at where I was re-energizes me, motivates me, and allows me to feel proud of my journey. It also affirms I am smaller. Lots smaller.

Two days ago, as I was walking towards Tailgate, my favorite deli in South Hadley where everyone knows my name (Cheers), I ran into a colleague and that interaction gave me new insight into my obsession.

What's your secret?" my colleague asked me as she stepped up on the sidewalk and shut her car door.

"What secret?" I had no idea what she was talking about.

"How did you lose so much weight?" she asked.

It was a light bulb moment for me: I don't always walk around thinking about being a smaller size!

I started to tell her about the hypnosis, but she interrupted me.

"Oh no, I'm not going to do that. Just tell me what you eat." she said.

Sigh. Where do I begin? I told her I eat a lot of protein and...

"Oh no, I'm not going to do that either. Do you have anything written down?"

I gently suggested she pick up the South Beach or Atkins diet book. You have to be all in this program or it's not going to work.

I had locked into the idea that I was obsessed with constantly thinking about my size, only to discover, when my colleague asked me what my secret was and I clueless as to what she was talking about, that I wasn't as obsessed as I thought.

Author Rhonda Byrne writes about the stubbornness of thought and how once you think something, it's very difficult to eradicate that idea from your mind. The late, social psychologist Dan Wegner described this as "the great irony of mental control: in order to insure that you aren’t thinking about an unwanted idea, you have to continually turn your mind to that very idea. How do you know that you aren’t thinking of a white bear driving a red Ferrari unless you think about whether you’re thinking it?"

Source: "The Powerlessness of Positive Thinking," by Adam Alter, The New Yorker, 2/19/14.
February 28, 2014
For the past three February's, we’ve attended a large (300 plus) party, compete with a huge potluck dinner and band. In the past, I’ve left by 8:30, stuffed from food, feeling ill, and usually on the verge of a panic attack.

This year, I was hungry an hour before the party, so I ate dinner at home. When we arrived, I wasn’t hungry, so just glanced at the long line of homemade food. (No exaggeration - when 300 people all bring a dish, there is a HUGE amount of food. The tables lined one entire wall of the hall) There were a few meat dishes and veggie dishes I could have sampled, but eh, I wasn’t hungry anymore. My husband enjoyed two platefuls, while I had some seltzer, and was perfectly happy. There was a plateful of cupcakes, brownies, and other sweets in the center of the table - I glanced at them, then noticed them no more than I did the silverware and napkins.

A couple hours after the dinner was served, I was watching a nearby group, and thinking how different my life is now. They each had platefuls of munchies and desserts, and passed them between them, exclaiming how yummy everything was. I’m not judging them - in the past that was me. That was how I enjoyed parties. That was what a party meant to me… how many different yummy foods were there to gorge myself with. I thought I was having fun.

This year, I danced every fast dance the band played. I was barely out of breath. I wasn’t overheated to the point of wondering if I was going to faint. People I knew came up me and exclaimed about the difference in me. They didn’t mean the weight, even though in the last seven months I’ve dropped 5-6 sizes. They meant the spark. They said they had never seen me so happy and having so much fun. Even my husband, who sees me every day, said he had never seen that expression on my face before. He said my face was lit up like a teenage girl at a high school dance. And honestly, that’s what I felt like. I was me again. I wasn’t paralyzed with embarrassment anymore. I wasn’t locked in that prison of fat. I had energy…I could move… I was having FUN!

This morning, I’m not even sore (thank you Zumba for the conditioning!) and the glow is still there. Welcome back, life. I missed you more than I even knew.

7 months with Julie - sorry for the blurry picture - I was in a hurry to go out!


February 23, 2014
As I sit at the foot of my bed on my cedar chest petting my kitty, I realize I would not have sat here eight sizes ago. Eight sizes ago I was too afraid my weight would break the cedar chest. But not today. Today I sit here without hesitation and focus only on giving Ginger kitty my full attention, which she appreciates.
Ginger kitty
It is in these brief moments of time that I appreciate changes in my life that I hadn't noticed before. I refer to these moments as a non-scale victories. In this moment, I pause to appreciate the size I am today and I'm happy right where I am in this moment.

I've experienced a gamut of non-scale victories as I dropped weight. Being able to sit with my legs crossed was a small victory compared to running a 5k. Both are on my victory scale.

I didn't run around to all my friends and announce:
I can sit with my legs crossed!
I can sit with my legs crossed!
I can sit with my legs crossed!
I wanted to, but I didn't. Instead, I posted that experience to this blog, because I know many of you can appreciate this kind of non-scale victory.

Today I embrace my size.

Today I will stop focusing on wanting to be a different size and use that energy in other ways.

I am not giving up my desire to reach my goal size. I give time to that in my visualizations and then I focus on other things in life. I no longer live in-between where I am today and where I want to be--I live in the moment.

What about the you? Have you had any non-victory scale moments lately? I'd love to hear them.

This video sheds light on embracing your size. I hope it inspires you the way it inspires me.

February 19, 2014
Instead of bacon, try...baked ham

There's a way to get hot, crispy slices of pork without all the fat:
  1. Lay slices of deli ham on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; 
  2. Cover them with another piece of parchment; 
  3. Press another sheet pan on top, to keep the meat flat. 
  4. Bakes the ham at 275 degrees until crispy (about 25 minutes). 
It's perfect in an egg sandwich, or chopped and sprinkled over salad.


Recipe Source: Oprah
February 19, 2014
Looking for something to warm you up on these cold winter days? This spicy recipe may help!
Cauliflower Buffalo Bites
Ingredients
  • 1 head of cauliflower, washed and broken up into small florets
  • 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. of your favorite hot wing sauce
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 425
  2. Toss cauliflower with olive oil and distribute evenly.
  3. Combine garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and salt in a small bowl. 
  4. Toss spice mixture over cauliflower and mix well, making sure all the cauliflower is coated in the spices.
  5. Spread cauliflower out on a rimmed baking sheet a roast for 20 minutes.
  6. Toss with wing sauce and serve with your favorite blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Recipe and photo from one of our key friends.
February 19, 2014
Thank you Jill for this delicious key-friendly recipe and your photo.
Meat Crust Quiche
Ingredients
  • 1 pound uncooked breakfast pork sausage (or Italian sausage) 
  • ½ yellow onion, diced 
  • 2 cups fresh spinach 
  • 4 eggs, whisked 
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground paprika 
  • salt and pepper, to taste <salt is always optional>
  • 2 tablespoons any kind of fat
* I added a bit of Parmesan in the egg mixture and put about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese on top.

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Press meat evenly into a pie plate on bottom and sides.
  3. Place the pan on a baking sheet (in case of any spills) and bake for 18-20 minutes until meat presses back when you poke it. Do not overcook.
  4. While your crust is baking, place 2 tablespoons of fat into a saucepan over medium heat and add the minced garlic and chopped onion.
  5. Once the onions begin to become translucent, sprinkle in a bit of salt and pepper, toss in spinach, and then cover. 
  6. When spinach is wilted, remove mixture from the pan and place in a bowl to cool. 
  7. When mixture has cooled, add in the eggs, garlic powder, ground paprika and a bit more salt (optional). Mix well. 
  8. After the crust is done baking, remove the excess fat that may be left behind, then pour your egg mixture on top of the meat crust.
  9. Place the pan back into the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes. Once the middle pushes back when you poke it, it’s all good to go. 
  10. Let cool, cut and serve.
February 19, 2014
Sharing a few recipes this morning and then a new post. This one is yummy.

Bacon wrapped Filet Mignon with Mushroom Sauté
Directions
  1. Pan sear the beef on high to your liking then deglaze the pan with some chicken stock, add mushrooms (or onions) to the pan, add a dab of butter and cook down making sure to scrape all the yummy bits off the pan. 
  2. Scoop onto the meat and enjoy. 
Photo and recipe from one of our key friends.
February 19, 2014
Do you ever have moments when a non-key-friendly food is in front of you and time suddenly seems to stop? It's just you and the food. Everything around you becomes a blur except for that food and it's calling your name. In moments like this, we get to choose: continue on our weight loss journey towards our goal or turn off the main road. In moments like this, the choice is ours alone. Circumstances and people are influences, but ultimately--the decision is ours. Choose wisely.
Photo source: Best Fan Photos from Comic-Con 2012
Earlier this week, I had such a moment. My day was going great, but the day was nearly over, I was out of out of time to finish my list of long errands, and I was hungry. I was in the mood for something hot and spicy, so I stopped at Taco Bell. I hadn't been to Taco Bell in a few years, but I was confident their menu offered a few good choices.

Standing in front of the cashier, my confidence wavered. I finally settled on a chicken bowl and a beef burrito, with no beans, no rice, no tortilla, etc., for either item. I must pause here to say that as I wrote this I went to Taco Bell online to see what is in the bowl and I will not order it again. Next time I will choose more wisely.

I squeezed hot sauce from several little packets onto the chicken bowl and then ate all of it before opening the burrito. Oh-oh! It's wrapped in a tortilla--they did not hold the wrap as I had asked. Sigh. Carbs have been calling out to me for weeks. This was going to be one of those hard moments.

"I can do this" I said to myself.

"I'll just scrape everything off the wrap and into a bowl." This only took a few seconds, but it was one of those moments when time slowed down. It was just me and that wrap, everything else was out of focus.

"Just one bite will be okay," a nagging voice whispered in my ear.

"It won't hurt anything," the nag insisted, getting louder as time slowed down even more.

"Nobody needs to know! Nobody will know!" the nag began to shout. Time came to a stop.

As I scraped the ingredients into my dish, I pushed away the craving to have just one bite of the wrap.

"Tap, tap, tap." I thought, "push away" that thought. (Julie uses her hands to visually reinforce this tapping technique. As one hand moves closer to face, the other hand pushes (taps) the hand away.)

"Again," I repeated. "Tap, tap, tap." I tossed the tortilla into the trash.

 The nag was silent. The balance of time was restored. The moment passed. Victory!

This wasn't my first moment like this and it won't be my last, but the choice is always mine.

Have carbs or sugar been calling you? Tap away (push) those cravings. Be okay with how hard it is in your moments when non-key foods call out to you. Feel victorious when you choose not to eat them. If you make a regretful choice, be gentle with yourself and move on. Tap, tap, tap. Instead of beating yourself up, focus on something you can change right now. Choose to jump back into the river right this moment. Choose to eat foods that support your weight loss goals. Choose to reach your goal size.

When irrational thoughts pop into your head - choose wisely what you do next.

One of my favorite examples of a bad outcome from irrational thoughts comes from the movie Ghost Busters:
"The traveler will come in the form of any structure you choose." Zeus told Ghost Busters Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis).
"I couldn’t help it - it just popped in there!" Ray said after a giant Mr. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man materialized.
"Ray has gone bye-bye Egon. What have you got left?" Dr. Venkman asked.
"Sorry Venkman, I’m terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought." Egon replied.
Choose wisely. Don't let food leave you terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought.


February 15, 2014
A key component to this weight loss program is visualization. In class Julie guides us through a long visualization and she encourages us to visualize how we want to look at our goal size. The visualization process should not end when class is over. If what we think is what we get - then I want to be mindful about what I think. Is what I'm saying preventing me from getting what I want--am I wishing for the wrong things? To answer this, I wrote a list of sentences that I say about this program that start with I wish...
Photo source: Bubblews
I wish I was a smaller size. I wish I would lose weight as fast as everyone else. I wish I was at goal size. I wish I could eat some of the foods I used to eat. I wish I could eat like everyone else. I wish I could eat more cheese. I wish this wasn't so hard. I wish there was a book or list of foods allowed on this program. I wish I knew my weight.

I'm sure there are more things I want, but this is enough inventory to take stock of and decide what's really important. Reviewing this list, I realize I already have some of these things and some of them aren't that important.

I wish I was a smaller size.
Oh, wait - I am a smaller size - I'm 8 sizes smaller than I was 3 years ago. I was a size 30/32 at the end of January 2011 when I first saw Julie. It may be hard for some to believe, but it is easy for me to forget how much weight I've lost because my weight has come off gradually. Wait - what part of losing weight gradually is bad? My ego wants to be at goal size today, but losing weight slowly is healthy. I'm doing everything I can to reach my my goal size and as long as I continue on this path I will continue to drop sizes. I'm going to stop focusing on this wish.

I wish I would lose weight as fast as everyone else.
I'm not everyone else, so I can let go of this wish too. Yes, I know others who lost their weight quicker. I also know people who are not losing weight fast. Time isn't what I should be spending my wishes on, as I have no control over time. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. It's time to stop looking at time and focus on something I can do: staying the course.

I wish I was at goal size.
This is where visualization plays a big role in this journey. To help me visualize what is realistic for me, I look at other women who are my height and body type; this is a good thing. Wishing I was at goal size is not a good thing. Why? Wishing to be somewhere other than where I am has more of a negative connotation than a positive one. To turn this around, I'm switching my focus on visualizing me at my goal size instead of wishing I was there. I'm not giving up on reaching my goal size. The difference is positive thinking: visualizing my goal as obtained versus focusing on the negative: I'm not where I want to be.

I wish I could eat some of the foods I used to eat.
This wish can only lead to a dead end. Let me be perfectly honest here - ALL of the foods I used to eat that come to mind (when I think of foods I wish I could eat) are carbs. Carbs turn to sugar and sugar is what led me to a size 30/32. Eating the way I used to is not an option. Eating some of the foods I used to eat is not an option either, at least not while I'm in the weight loss phase of this program. Meanwhile, I remain optimistic when I have cravings. I remind myself that it's just for now that I choose not to eat those food - it isn't for the rest of my life. When I reach my goal and learn how to maintain my weight, I will introduce foods that I don't eat today. I may find some of those foods are triggers for me and then avoid them. Today, I don't want to eat ANY of the foods I used to eat, so I can drop this from my wish list.

I wish I could eat like everyone else. 
Once again - I'm not everyone else. If I look around and ask myself: do I really want to eat like everyone else? The answer is no. I don't need this on my wish list for another moment.

I wish I could eat more cheese. 
Cheese is a condiment, it's not a protein, it should not be eaten by itself, and it is not to be considered the main course. Eating too much cheese can make us plateau or even gain weight. Oh no, no, no - I do not wish I could eat more cheese.

I wish this wasn't so hard. 
The simple truth is change isn't easy for most of us, but the one constant thing in our lives is that things change. In order for me to go from a size 30/32 to a size 8, I must change. I must push through whatever feels hard and stay the course. If it was easy, I would have been a size 8 years ago.  Losing weight is hard. Learning to maintain weight loss is hard. Being a size 30/32 was hard too. Life as an obese woman was hard. Nobody promised this would be easy. This journey is hard. End of story. Move along. Focus on other things.

I wish there was a book or list of foods allowed on this program.
This program is not like other weight loss programs. The book or a list you want doesn't exist. We were taught to follow what we learn in our class and not to confer with others because, like everything else in life, this program changes. The program evolves. A yogurt we once enjoyed is no longer allowed because the company changed how they made it (they added sugar). Get over it. Something I've started doing is to ask myself "if Julie were here, would I eat this?" This helps me know what is on program. In doubt - leave it out.

I wish I could know my weight. 
We don't get on the scale because those numbers mess with our head. When I first started this journey I thought I would ask my doctor to tell me after I passed the 50 pound weight loss mark. I didn't need anyone to tell me I passed that milestone because I knew this by the size of clothes I wore. Yes, every time I visit my doctor I want to know what I weigh, but I agreed not to weigh myself when I began this program and I want to keep my commitment. Remember: knowing our weight tells our mind know how much weight we need to gain back. No, I don't really want to know my weight.

My One Wish

I believe what we think is what we get out of life, so I strive to be more mindful about what I wish for and what I think about. In the big picture of life, I only have one wish for me, all my friends and family, and for all of you: I wish for all of us to have good health.

I have good health today and I worked hard to get here. But not everyone has good health. Last week friends told me they lost a friend to cancer; five friends of my friends are gone.

Today I choose to focus on what's really important in life: I choose to let myself dream big, I choose to continue to change, to evolve, to learn, and to push through the hard things in life, and I chose to live my best life. I wish this for all of us.

Tap, tap, tap.

February 08, 2014