Brown paper packages tied up with strings...

I don't know if you knew this about me, but I love to eat...I mean LOOOOVE to eat. I've been asked about a million times what kind of food do I eat to help me lose weight. So I've put together a list of some of my favorite things that have helped me on my journey. Mind you, this does not include fruits and vegatables (not that I don't love them, but I thought that one was a little obvious). These are more of the foods that have helped with certain cravings that would turn me into a real "B" if I didn't get them.

1.

Morning Star Corn Dogs. Now, I love me a good corn dog, and these don't disappoint. They're a little smaller than the other brands you may have tried, but at 150 calories, they're still yumtastic!

2.

Tofu noodles. Don't let the name fool you (or the fact that they're floating in liquid). I haven't sworn off pasta completely, but when I'm having a little craving at home, you better believe this is the first thing I grab. I could eat the whole bag and feel absolutely NO guilt...you just can't beat 20 calories per serving!

3.

100 Calories of chocolately goodness! Vita tops are my go-to dessert. You can find them in the freezer section because they have so few (if any) preservatives. I pop these in the microwave for about 25 seconds, and BAM! I just can't say enough good things about them. You should try them...they're good.

4.

There's good reason I put this one next. After I microwave my Vita top, I'll crumble it in a bowl, and mix it with a sugar free JELL-O cup. It's SOOOOOO stinkin' good. And of course it's good all by itself too!

5.

I don't think this needs explaining.

6.

These little guys are fan-freakin'-tastic. Sure they're a little small, but they'll curb your craving for a poptart any day.

7.

Yep, that's right...tea from an AVEDA salon. If you ever go to one and they offer you a cup of tea, TRY IT! This one has been a real life saver in the evenings. I try not to eat past 6:30, but some nights those cravings really start to hit around 8. So I just brew a cup of this, and the cravings are gone. It's a little pricey, but I think it's worth every penny.

So that's it. These are just some of my favorite go-to foods (and drink) that I've discovered over the last year or so. I hope you'll try some of these if you haven't already! Happy eating!

A little more before and after

So the picture on the left was from about 2 years ago. One of my kindergartners grabbed my phone and took a (very unflattering) picture. 60 pounds later is the picture on the right. I really can't believe the difference until I see it in photos. Let me tell you it's been really nice fitting into normal size clothes. I've gone from a tight 16 pants and xl top to a size 6 pants and Medium top. I'm pretty happy with my size right now, I just have some toning in the belly area to work on. My goal weight is only 16 pounds away, but I honestly don't care if I get there or not. I'm actually happy with how I look right now...and that's the best feeling in the world.

This is my rant

I am a teacher. I don't do it for the money or the glory. I am not a super hero. I am human. There are rules in place to keep your child safe. Some people get angry because of these rules. Sometimes mistakes get made...again, we're human. Budgets get cut, so teachers get cut. My average class is 40 students. I don't just "have fun" all day with your kids. I teach them how to sit criss cross apple sauce, how to raise their hand when they want to speak, how to manage their time properly, how to play nice with others, how to put a bubble in their mouth in the hallway, how to say please and thank you, oh, and how to sing.

My days are not always filled with joy and sunshine, but I have to put on a happy face for my kids no matter what's going on in my life. This is not an easy job...especially now.

So please remember when we do make a mistake (and we will), yelling at us isn't going to solve the problem. The first day of school is always going to be chaotic...no matter where you go. You may have to wait longer to pick up your child from the car rider line. Five hundred other parents had the same idea you did.

Just be patient with us. Teachers need positive reinforcement too!

The big Five - OH!

I'm happy to say that 50 pounds are gone! Yay me! Now, I'm not big on having my picture taken anywhere from the chest, down. It took quite a bit of looking to find a "before" picture...and it's not even at my fattest!

This was actually taken in 2007 on our family cruise. I'm about 8 pounds from my heaviest. Ugh!

And this...was taken today! :o)

If it weren't for my dang boobs, I'd probably look a little slimmer. I still have 26 more pounds until my goal, but what a difference 50 pounds makes!

Slow and steady sucks

This losing weight stuff is for the birds. So how long ago was that last post? Like, forever ago. I had 5 pounds to lose. Five measly pounds! And in all that time, I've lost just 3 of them. And I worked my butt off (literally) for those 3 pounds. So just 2 more until the 50 pound mark. It really does get harder the closer you get to your goal. But I am proud to say that I'm in a size 8 bottom. We just won't talk about the top. I'm still a little top heavy, but I'm working on it. And I may eventually meet up with a surgeon to take care of that issue.

Just 5 more!

Okay, just 5 more pounds and I'll be at a big milestone! I'm on the scale every day. I know I shouldn't be, but I just can't help it. I've finally broke my plateau that I'm not sure I already wrote about.

But I think I worked out too hard yesterday. I wore my heart rate monitor while doing Zumba, and when I finished, it said I had burned over 600 calories! I think I actually did a double take on my watch. That's almost double what I normally burn. I guess I upped my intensity quite a bit. I was all excited about it until today when I woke up. I've felt like a slug all day. I probably should have eaten more yesterday. Lesson learned.

You know what makes me a little happier?...

A NEW CAR!

It's my responsible dream car. I have other dream cars, but they would just be dumb ideas right now. It's a Toyota Camry. Actually it's Joe's car (my Corolla is gonna last FOREVER)...don't you just love Toyota?

Puppy didn't like sliding around in the back seat, so I put his seat in.

Ya, we're pretty happy with it.