Wanted to share a very neat website

I stumbled across it and thought it was a kind gesture for friends or family letting them know they are in your thoughts, or prayers or just to let them know you were thinking of them.I love candles and just to light one brings a type of peace..http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.cfm?l=eng&cid=11644916http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?l=eng

Thinking of starting...

Jerry and I discussed starting a local support group for families with obese children/insulin resistant. We are by no means experts on the subject and in no way doctors nor in the position to give medical advice. However we know we need to pay things forward. Whether it be a walking group for families or a support group. Giving basic information we have learned.

I went to eat lunch with Simplicity at school yesterday, and goodness it was so sad how many of the girls in her class were heavier. And their food choices were unbelievable. Of course they are children, well meaning parents think they are doing the right thing by allowing their children to eat the school lunch. The menu consisted of Pizza,brownie, chocolate milk, french fries. Of course it was a Friday but still.

Jerry knows he would like to do something but is Little hesitant, afraid he will not have enough to say. ( I laughed to myself on that one)Or he will not give the proper advice. And I said Jerry our group will not be to give medical advice it will be to offer support and to teach what we have learned. How we deal with classroom parties, holidays, all the things Dr. G has taught us.

Also Dr. G our nutriontist when speaking on the phone to Jerry said thinking of letting you guys be my poster family, with People magazine. And Jerry laughed and Dr. G said don't laugh I'm not joking....
So...who knows.

I am excited about our new group we may start. Being shy myself, however i have to remember all the families that are struggling the way we once did. And still do at times but given the tools the road is alittle smoother journey now. Patience still reminds overweight, however things are more managable and she is no longer in the danger zone. We are finally able to get her clothes in the childrens dept instead of ladies.

Pumpkin Fluff

Pumpkin Fluff, 16 ounces of sugar free whip cream,(cool whip) 1box of sugar free pudding,(cheesecake), And 3/4 can of solid pumpkin, and a few sprinkles of Cinnamon. If the girls really want something a sweet treat. I make this and let them dip with apples.  I know this might seem like a Thanksgiving type desert but I am very much ready for pumpkins on the porch and ghosts hanging up.We make this anytime of year   The photo is of my Kaplin when he was a baby. :) I'm anticipating Fall.

Apple Cider in Crock pot

2 quarts of unsweetened apple cider

1 sliver of lemon peel

1/2 Teaspoon of all spice

1 Stick of Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon of whole cloves

Heat all and and let simmer on the stove for 10 minutes, then put in crock pot

and let simmer and strain before serving. Makes 16 servings Or you could look for sugar free cider in the store. It is alot less calories than a coffee with a donut.

Todays food holiday is Guacamole

Half of our family loves Guacamole, all the girls. I make it homemade for the girls and they will dip carrot sticks or celery. Of course they like Multi grain chips or pita chips. But I try to limit the chips because of the sodium. It is so easy to over eat on chips.  3 ripe Avocado's, 2 Roma tomato chopped, hand full of cilantro, juice from a lemon, and one small red onion. And alittle sea salt or garlic powder.  I had gotten this recipe from my Spanish friend/neighbor. I hope today on your journeys your able to have a snack that celebrates the holiday. Yummy!!! Plus a food processor helps, I cannot remember life before my processor.

My Simplicity and her chicken tenders

To be honest we have not had breaded chicken in a year, and i really do not care to. However Simplicity loves chicken tenders  breaded of course!!! It is truly sad at her school chicken tenders and fried foods are served on a regular basis.
Anyway I have not tried this recipe yet, well honestly because I do not want to give Patience the impression breaded foods are ok. However i seen this recipe on the Doctors show and thought I would share.http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_synopsis/422?section=feature&title=Rocco's%20Recipes

It is the second recipe down. And also a healthier option for mashed potatoes. - Cauliflower.

I doubt that I will make this chicken recipe but i would much rather make Simplicity something at home than for her to go to walmart and get chicken tenders in a bunch of oil.  Just wanted to share. These recipes are from Chef Rocco's new book Eat this not that.

Before when we were trying to "Diet" ourselves we would make weight watchers speical K baked chicken in the oven. For the Crispy taste. Anyway...what i have come to find out is the closest to grilled or natural you eat the better for you. However Simplicity is 11 years old. One day she will want her chicken tenders. :(

Word of Encouragement Today

Luke 18:27   The Things that are Impossible with Men Are possible with God.

Todays National food Holiday is Linguine

In which I wanted to answer a question, Do we still eat Pasta?

To be honest, not really for Jerry and I. Our tastes have become so accustomed to the veggie/protein meal we do not really crave pasta.

We love veggies and seafood. We could grill some eggplant along with some onions and tomatoes and mushrooms and add pasta sauce. And if we wanted sprinkle Little of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

With Patience eating pasta is a different story. Maybe once or twice a month I will have spaghetti night for her and Simplicity. But...it will be whole wheat pasta. And a good size Salad will accompany her pasta.

With all the veggies. The purpose of that is to balance it out. To make her fill up on veggies instead of pasta.
Of course we use Turkey meat for the sauce.
I have notice Patience since she is so used to the veggie/protein pattern after eating pasta she will become sleepy. Although it is whole wheat. Anyway...our pasta never includes bread sticks etc.

Pasta is not a bad thing if used in Moderation. For our family, it is not needed. Patience will sometimes ask for the eggplant with Pasta sauce. We always make our sauce  with no sugar.  I hope today on your journeys if you choose to eat Pasta you take a try out of whole wheat, it isnt that bad. And just another step to being healthier.

I wanted to include the recommended serving sizes of Pasta. This link also has a online food diary.http://www.myfooddiary.com/resources/estimating_serving_sizes.asp

I remember last year when we went to Hollywood and ordered from the hotel room Patience food the serving size for a child was Huge. We had asked for whole wheat but they did not have it. When i look at this photo I feel like crying...but then i have to remember Patience has done so well. And she is no longer weighing as much. I am sharing this photo to remind myself look how far she has come. She did not eat all the pasta in this bowl. So thankful we know what it does to her body. After she had the pasta she was tired. I am so proud of my Patience.
She was beat, that day she had toured Hollywood and taped for the show, But i know she really enjoyed herself. Something about Patience and being the center of attention...;)- she doesn't mind. She has proven to me time and time again- never let your outer appearance outweigh your inner beauty, she has always let her spirit shine. Even when she was heavier, she never was afraid to  sing or dance. :)

Southern Fried Food Festival

Have you ever heard of such, next week in a town over from us they are having this: The menu includes Fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, french fries, Fried twinkies, fried sneackers bars, funnel cakes, Fried apples, you name it and it is fried!!!! Fried oreo's.

How do we handle this as parents? And for ourselves? Not go? And hear the kids say oh its a carnvial we want to go!!! And say no sorry kids we cannot go ever!!! I have to admit Fried green tomatoes sound pretty yummy. However do they have nutrintional value? And will i put on a few pounds?

What we will do as a family is let the children go walk around, ride some rides, play in the bouncy thing, pet the animals. Enjoy all the facuets of the festival but not even go around the food. Do not even go down the lane. However the pay off is either before the festival go to subway, or a healthier food choice place to eat  before or after.

That is the way it has to be, In the case of Simplicity if she were going with a friend and their parents I would probally give her some money to get her a carmel apple or such. Simplicity is actually underweight. But it wouldnt be alot the focus would be on the festival. It is all about loving yourself and choosing the best for your body.  Of course Jerry  and I may look at each other and smile and say ohhh, but really try not to in front of Patience because we are more able to say no than she is, she is still a child. If she sees the cotton candy of course she will want to be more like the other kids. I know I always say this but I am so very proud of my Patience and her will power. - Very sweet girl. From a geographic stand point, we are going to have festivals like this come up. But is all about doing what is right for our daughter and learning to adapt.

Also on a side note, Patience and Simplicity started a Cheerleading Class last week. I figured it would be good excerise for Patience and help to keep her active. She is bigger than the other girls but she puts all she has into the class. Some of the flips were to much for her. Because Patience still is heavier for her age. However as long as she wants to do the class I will contiune to encourage her. If she chooses to do dance or karate i will encourage that as well. Patience is not a quitter. We meet with the trainer tonight. :)- Patience still attends Girls Scouts also. We really try to keep her busy or she keeps us busy!!!

A word of Encouragemnet

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, Says the Lord They are plans of good and not for disaster to give you a future and a Hope.

Thinking about a year ago sitting on my couch seeing Patience continue to gain the weight, taking her to all different doctors running around town. I thought things were hopeless. Her life was going to continue to remain in the unhealthy body. And then the commerical came on with Dr. Phil. that he wanted parents who needed the help. I actually laughed and said oh the chances of him choosing our family is slim.It was a very hard time for me, it is was getting to the point even adults in the stores were whispering at her and her weight. People can be judgemental if they do not know you.

I know i have shared that before but I am just so so thankful, God blessed our family with the knowledge of how to help Patience with her food plan and well the whole family.

Whether it be weight loss, a job, a medical problem whatever your need be remind yourself God has hope for your future. Sometimes it may take much effort on your part, I didn't just write the show and boom we were picked. I had to send in photos, videos, tell our story.

There is hope for your future, although I have some medical obstacles at this moment I am so grateful for medical doctors and their advancements.Have a blessed day today and know God loves you and has much hope for your future. Even if you have only lost a few pounds, know you can continue to prosper and keep going.

National Peanut day

When I think of peanuts I think of this guy. To be honest we do not eat alot of peanuts, because if I got started on eating them i would eat to many. We are more of a almond family now. If we use peanut butter for a recipe it is all natural. However if we were on a roadtrip and the only stores around were alittle market with no health food in site, I would choose to get Patience alittle bag of peanuts with no salt for a snack over a resse peanut butter cup!!!!- Plain oh natural peanuts in a shell.  It is all about the little choices we make. Everytime I make the healthiest choice I feel like saying, Hello grown up Tori where did you come from...lol

In all honesty it is about wanting the best for your family and following through. Even when no one else is looking. You do what you do because you want to be healthy. Not for numbers on a scale.

Today's American food holiday is Milkshake

http://www.myhealthyherbs.com/MilkShakeRecipes.htm

For me of course my "shake'' is for breakfast daily.
I havent tried the milkshakes above but I am sure they are good.

A challenge for myself- 30 days

I really would like to reach the goal weight soon, so I have decided to take a break from the internet.
Other than checking my email and doing my blog. NO facebook, no chat boards.
Something I would like to do. On October 11, willl  be 30 days
I guess you could say I will be living like the Amish,,,,, with electricity. ;)

I will miss all of my facebook friends, but I need to reach the goal weight soon. And the time I spend on the computer could be more time working out.

I strive to be a diamond... with my weight loss goal

Each day I have to remind myself a diamond was once a piece of coal. And the more work i put into it the better the outcome.

Postitive thinking

We are all human and there will be days of sadness, and days we seem defeated but I have to admit positive thinking determines how your day will go. Instead of seeing my pitcher of water as half empty today i chose to see it as half full. Truly when i take time to Praise God and be thankful for the blessings i have been given it makes the day go better. I have noticed when I show a happy attitude around my children they are more willing to do what I ask. This morning i am going for my 4 mile walk and be happy about it. No grumbling here, I should be thankful for the nice day and the ability to be able to go and walk, some people are confined to a bed. Today is a blessing, I hope you have a very blessed day.

In our times of growth we may not see it But we are always held by Gods Love. This little plant that I purchased Patience reminded me of that today.
It was sitting in the window and the thought came to mind.
Growing takes time in no matter what you do whether it be losing weight, growing spirtitually, gettting through a difficult time. No matter what God watches over you and loves you.

They are a pair....

These two are really a pair, Patience is a Mommas girl at times however she loves her daddy very much.

Some  of the photo's are before the weight loss or in the process of losing the weight.

Patience almost reaching 100 pounds last Sept.

Jerry  Last Sept.

Sept. 2010

I Know sometimes it may seem like I am bragging, the whole process is a emotional journey, One in which I am so thankful for that we were given the chance. Would there be these happy smiles in the photos today if we had not went down this road?

We sometimes have to look back to know we never want to go down old roads again.

Todays National Food Holiday day is Cheese Pizza!!!

OK I would be lieing if our family vowed to never eat pizza again. If we vowed to do that we would be setting our self up. Kids will be kids, and while it would just be easier to just call Domino's  than have our fresh homemade pizza, or domion's with all the ooey gooey taste. I have to consider Patience. And what it does to her body and how it would be so easy to fall back into the food trap.
So we occasionally have pizza night a couple nights  month, but we try to make it our self. If we did order from Domino's it would be a medium for the whole family and  salads on the side. Besides making your pizza is fun.It is a shame how Kaplin's high school offers pizza daily on the menu. He is a great kid, and of course he picks the pizza.

Whole Wheat Crust Pizza
1 pkg of Hodgson Mill Active dry yeast

1cup of warm water

11/2 cups of Wheat flour

1/2 tsp. of salt

2 Tsp. olive oil

11/2 cups of unbleached white flour

Disvovle yeast in warm water Allow to rest for 5 minutes Stir in whole wheat, salt,olive oil, and white unbleached flour. by hand about 5 minutes. Dough will be smooth and elestic

Spray meduim bowl with cooking no stick spray place pizza dough in bown and turn cover and allow to rise in warm draft free bowl for 15 minutes spray one 14 inch pizza or two  10 inch pans. Bake till cheese is melted and crust is brown.

We make sure the kids experience the joy of cooking, adding the different veggies and spices And sauces. Pizza night just isn't about vegging out in front of the TV it is becoming a chef and spending time with family.

Hope today on your journeys you have a taste of Italy. After all its national cheese pizza day.

Patience loves Banana peppers on her pizza with cheese.

Simplicity's favorite is cheese and Turkey pepperoni

Kaplin loves turkey pepperoni with banana peppers

I love tons of veggies

And Jerry loves black olives

Another healthier alternative would be whole wheat tortilla's for the crust.

Grocery Haul with Jerry- a few words about lettuce

I am very sorry when I recorded the video I had the camera sideways....lol  These are typical items we know to purchase weekly. To be honest we rarely purchase dairy, but if we did it is always soy, or rice milk.
I forgot to include our fruits at a later time I will include that. And if we were to purchase bread very whole wheat or the wheat wraps.

Today is National Trail mix day or Eat outside day

And also the day I first met my husband in real life.



We met online and had spoken for 6 months then finally decided to meet. At the time meeting online was kind of a new thing. My parents were little weary, but I trusted my heart and we were married 8 months later. :)
So August 31 holds a special place in my heart. When Jerry met Simplicity a few weeks later he gave her the cutest Halloween barbie.Who knows where the barbie is now but its the little things you never forget.

Today we go work out with the trainer Zane, so it might just be little trail mix on the way to the gym for the kids.
http://www.ezhealthydiet.com/healthy-trail-mix-recipe.html

The barbie was close to this but it had the cutest orange polka  dot skirt with black dots. I thought that was so sweet of Jerry. It held alittle pumpkin. It is the little things :)

This is how little my Simplicity was when Jerry and I met. Kaplin and Simplicity both captured his heart.

.

This song Hero, was very popular when we had met, and as were talking each night it would play on the radio, so the song Hero holds a special place in my heart.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDzi3NvQ5Vw

It takes a very special hero to have a blended family and never think twice. 8 years ago today we met.

A newer updated photo of Jerry he is now 174 down from 330!!! He has cut his hair since this photo but I am so proud of Jerry and his weight loss. I surely hope the Dr. does not wish for him to lose more. :) These are Kaplin's clothing.

And it also blows my mind how last year at this time my sweet Patience was almost 100 pounds.

How can the photo here be the same girl in the upper right hand corner. If it seems like I am bragging...I guess I may-be alittle. :) I plan to post photo's of myself when I have reached the goal weight.

Everyone should have a happily ever after....My princess

This is Simplicity's and Patience's all time favorite song from Taylor Swift. Patience was so delighted to be able to wear the outfit. Sadly enough there were a few years we could not Play dress up. This Halloween she plans to be A Queen, a Gypsy or a princess. So we will see. She plans on wearing the outfit.