Pictures of weight loss

Well, I finally got around to finding the picture of me and DH at Becca's wedding on January 5th. We were both at our heaviest at this point.


They aren't the best pictures in the world for seeing how heavy I was, but let's just say that those pants and that top don't even come close to fitting now! Here is a picture of me on March 13, which was Picture Day. And yes, I'm that girl who stands in the staff bathroom and takes a picture of herself.

This was down 18.2 lbs and the shirt and pants are down a size!
I will try to post new pics with each clothing size. And I'll post his as well!

David and I joined Prairie Life on Friday. It's a little more expensive than we were hoping for, but we figure if we can get into shape as well as lose weight, it's worth it. Plus, it's one more thing that we can do together! We are going for a swim class today! It's out by his work, so he can go before or after work. It has fairly easy interstate access, so I can go after work to a class if I want! We're both so excited to see the weight coming off and getting into shape and doing it together!

25 down, 25 to go!

I can't believe it! I went to weighin on Friday, and I lost 6 lbs! I usually gain weight over conferences because I'm stressed and eat alot. But, I lost! :-) So, I've hit the 25 lb mark AND this was also my 10%. I can't believe I've lost 10% of my body weight in 3 months. I'm so ecstatic! Next week, I will officially set my ultimate goal. It will probably be 25-30 more lbs.

In other news: one of the CL cops has seen me in a towel. And he thought I looked good! I finally found my Christmas gift from my mom, so next time I need new clothes, I can get a good chunk of clothes - especially if I can find stuff on sale at Fashion Bug!

We joined a gym yesterday also. We decided to go with Prairie Life, which is a little more expensive than I wanted, but it's worth it for us. There are different classes going on. The one thing I wish is that there were some around 7 or 8 at night because then I wouldn't have to rush as much. But, the hours are super convenient for both David and I. He went this morning after work and loved it. I'm going tomorrow after church for a swim class! Super excited!!!!

I'm in class today, which sucks. I have class until 12:00 and then I'm working until 5:00. That's about all in the world of Amanda! Thanks for reading! Oh, and another recipe will be on tonight - yummy meatloaf!

Baked Turkey and Jack Cheese Chimichangas

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients
2 sprays cooking spray
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
16 oz fat-free canned refried beans
1 3/4 cup salsa
4 1/2 oz canned green chili peppers, mild, drained and diced
1 tsp chili powder
3 Tbsp scallion(s), thinly sliced
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
8 large burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s)
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Instructions
** Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Coat a 13- X 9- X 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
** Add turkey to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from pan and then add beans, 1 3/4 cups of salsa, chili peppers, chili powder and scallions. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes; stir in cheese.
** Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil; warm in oven for 10 minutes.
** Assemble chimichangas by spooning about 1/2 cup of turkey mixture onto each tortilla; fold in sides and roll up.
** Place chimichangas, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish.
** Bake, uncovered, until tortillas are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes.
** Serve each topped with 2 tablespoons of salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

For Weight Watchers People: POINTS® Value: 5

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 35 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Here's a fall warmer, a dish that's sure to get everyone to the table the minute it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients
3/4 pound raw turkey sausage, casings removed (We used sweet Italian Sausage)
1 medium onion(s), chopped
1 medium green pepper(s), chopped
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp canned tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
12 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, ziti, cooked according to package directions (We used whole-wheat penne because we couldn't find ziti)
6 oz shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese

Instructions
** Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
** Crumble the sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes.
** Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
** Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often.
** Stir in the pasta and half the grated cheese. Spread evenly into a 9- X 13-inch baking pan. Top evenly with the remaining cheese.
** Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing into 8 pieces and then serve.

For Weight Watchers People: POINTS® Value: 5

Getting Organized

Well, we bought our house back at the very end of September. We installed a dishwasher almost right away, and lost most of our under-the-counter space doing so. So, we've been making do by using the table to hold our pots and pans. Too bad the table is about to die.

So, my dad gave us some bookshelves, and we turned one of them into a little pantry. Our pots are now in the cabinets, and all dry foods are in our new make-shift pantry! To make it look more finished, I added a curtain to it, just so I don't have to look at all that food all the time!



I'm pretty proud of my work! Eventually, we'll build in a real pantry, but for the time being, this was a $20 project that looks nice and got rid of the table from the middle of the kitchen. Oh, and we even have our counter space back because I can actually put all my groceries away!

Barbequed Turkey Joes

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4

Use extra-lean ground turkey to help keep the fat down in this zesty, quick-cooking sandwich. Opt for a tangy barbecue sauce for extra flavor.

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 medium bell pepper(s), chopped
1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped
1/2 medium yellow pepper(s), chopped (we added this ourselves for a little more color and a slightly different flavor)
1/2 medium onion(s), chopped
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
4 medium mixed-grain hamburger roll(s), sliced in half

Instructions
** Brown turkey in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off liquid. Add peppers and onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
** Add barbecue sauce and cayenne pepper; heat thoroughly, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
** Top bottom half of buns with turkey mixture; cover with top half of bun and serve.

If you are a WW person: POINTS® Value: 6

New clothes!

Today was Picture Day! I normally hate picture day with a passion ~ the kids are all dressed up, so I can't do anything that is messy. It sucks. Well, this year was different...

With 18.2 lbs lost as of tonight, I needed new clothes! I went to Fashion Bug to get a couple things - enough to get by until I can hit Steve & Barry's this weekend. I might also hit the outlet mall and see if I can get anything affordable down there!


I'm extremely proud of this outlet: the pants are a full size down, and the top is a misses rather than women's! I also got 2 other shirts that are womens because most of the misses tops were too low cut. AND a pair of jeans that are a little too tight but will fit in a week or two!

Oh, and David joined tonight! I am so excited because now we can do it together ~ he's been eating what I cook, but now it will be different because he's tracking as well! We're excited to get started!

And my recipe posting will start tonight!