A little bit about me

All right, so here is my first blog ever.  I was so inspired by all the other food and weight loss blogs that I have been reading, that I decided to start my own.  I thought about what I might want to write about for a while, and got the idea for this blog while I was ordering the new Hungry Girl Cookbook, "300 under 300".

I realized that I have become somewhat obsessed with Hungry Girl recipes, not only because most of them are fun and easy to make, but also because they make me feel as though I am not watching my calories.  Some of the recipes even make me feel like I am eating junk food, and definitely satisfy my cravings for these foods.  I can eat what I feel like I would not normally be able to, while still staying on plan with Weight Watchers. A win-win if I do say so!

The test of each recipe usually comes when my husband and two-year-old son try it.  If they both like it, then I know we have a winner.  I, on the other hand, hate wasting food.  So, even if none of us like it, I will usually manage to eat the leftovers for lunch the next day or two at work.  I figure if that is all I have to eat for lunch, then my choice is to eat the not-so-good leftovers, or go hungry.  Luckily, most of her recipes are very good, so I rarely have the problem of eating something I am not fond of.

I am currently on my third and (hopefully) final journey of weight loss.  My first was when I was only 9 years old.  I had gotten a little chubby, and my mother decided to start counting my calories over the summer and make me lose the weight.  I was more aware of what was going on than she may have thought, and unfortunately I became very self-conscious of my weight from then on.  I remember returning to school in the fall hoping that no one would comment about my weight loss.  To me, it was not a complement for someone to say how good I looked.  Instead, it was a reference to the fact that I used to be fat.  I was horrified if anyone brought it up, and would become completely embarrassed at any mention of my weight loss.  Luckily, the comments didn't last long, and everything returned to normal shortly after.  Everything except for my body image.  I was now aware that I had been fat, and from then on was paranoid about becoming fat again.

I managed to keep most of the weight off through high school, college, and even my twenties.  I would occasionally gain and lose the same 15 pounds, but would always manage to return to my previous weight with a little bit of exercise and watching what I ate.  It wasn't until I got married and had my first child that I really had to work to lose the weight.  Before I got married, I lost those 15 pounds that kept creeping onto my body.  Since I had been depriving myself for several months before the wedding, I completely pigged out on our honeymoon.  It was so nice to not have to worry about fitting into that dress anymore!  Plus, we were at an all-inclusive resort where we could eat and drink to our heart's content.  Eight days later, I came home 10 pounds heavier.  The weight slowly crept on during the first 9 months of our marriage, where I then got pregnant while at the heaviest weight I had ever been.  Once I finally gave birth, I was 70 pounds heavier than I wanted to be.  Luckily, the first 20 pounds melted off quickly, but a year later, my wedding ring still didn't fit and either did most of my old clothes.  My lack of motivation to lose the weight came from the fact that I knew I would be getting pregnant again in the future.  But, after my husband continued to bug me to get my wedding ring re-sized so I could wear it, I decided I should probably lose at least some of the weight before getting pregnant again. I turned to Weight Watchers and lost 30 more pounds before getting pregnant again. 

So, now I am on my third and final weight loss journey.  I had my second son four months ago, and I am determined to lose the rest of the baby weight by summer.  Here is me with only 20 pounds left to go!

My husband and I are not planning on having any more children, so I was looking forward to getting back to my old body.  This time, as soon as I got clearance from my OB at my six-week postnatal appointment, I started the new Points+ program from Weight Watchers.  I was a little annoyed at the change in the points system at first, since I could no longer glance at something and easily figure out the points.  I actually had to put the information into my Points+ calculator, making grocery trips take forever - not an easy task with a newborn!  But, a few months and 25 pounds later, I have gotten the hang of it.  I now have 15 more pounds to go to be at my goal weight of 145 pounds. This time, I am really enjoying my new eating habits and feel like I will stay at my goal weight permanently. Part of the reason is thanks to Hungry Girl. Her recipes are fun to make and eat.  I'm here to tell you which ones are good.