In the fall of 2010, I was transferred to the middle school. Soon after starting there, I gained more weight and increased my pants’ size. It must have been from stress.
Soon I was back to the weight from when I started the journey. My body held onto it like it was a security blanket.
The next school year, I was back at the elementary school and continued to maintain that weight. I had about 3 or 4 pants I could wear comfortably to work.
At one point, I tried to lose some of the weight. I played the numbers game once again. After a couple of weeks, I had given up and regained any weight I had lost.
I allowed myself to not take care of my health.
I once again was transferred to work with middle school-age children. My class was very disrespectful. Also, the stress of the job took the weight and really held onto it. I was gradually moving towards the biggest pants size I had ever worn. (I also wasn’t eating breakfast regularly, drinking Coke, and eating lunch was a balancing act.)
I did not like how I looked.
They transferred me back to the elementary in November, and I joined Elf 4 Health.
This is my third time participating in this program. I love it because I get to buy for one person and another person buys for me. It’s a challenge to buy for someone who I’ve never met. Getting a box in the mail makes me feel special and excited.
This month I sent it to Nicky. My box was sent from Alex, who lives in Iowa. She did a great job because not only did I enjoy the goodies, but so has my family.
Here’s a picture of the goodies I received.
My husband and I went away for a quick overnight trip the day I received the box. We took the Popchips and yogurt raisins with us. While we were at the zoo, we snacked on yogurt raisins. Oh my goodness, they were so good!!!:) After walking around the zoo, we opened up the Popchips. My husband loved them. (He’s had some salt and vinegar Popchips before but not the plain flavor.) I loved them also.
I’m saving the spaghetti sauce for a special meal. We love spaghetti around here, so it will be enjoyed by my whole family.
The Iowas honey was used in a salad dressing. It was good, and I love the bear-shaped bottle!
At night, I treat myself to a few pieces of dark chocolate. I love letting them melt in my mouth. I also love coffee, so I couldn’t wait to try the candy bar. It is delicious and something I normally wouldn’t have bought for myself.
The brown bag is ground coffee from a local coffee shop. Before leaving for my overnight trip, I had planned to brew a cup of coffee to take with me. I had woken up at 3:30 and fell in and out of sleep. I knew I would be staying up and unable to get a real nap. This coffee came at a great time.
Thank you so much, Alex! You did a great job!
And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals. In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:
-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your pen pal pairing via email. You will be responsible for contacting your pen pal and getting their mailing address and any other information you might need, like allergies or dietary restrictions. -You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your pen pal! -The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items, or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box to a fun recipe…use your imagination! -You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!) -Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your pen pal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. -Foodie Penpals is open to US, Canadian & European residents. Please note Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from the US to Canada and vice versa.
My other grandma’s health declined after her fall. We gradually began going through her belongings and cleaning out her house. She was unable to live on her own anymore.
I maintained my weight during that time, but I was not as focused on my health because of the stress in my life.
Fourteen months after her fall, I received the call I was dreading. Grandma was slipping fast.
For the next 5 days, I sat by her bedside with the rest of my family. Christmas Eve of 2008 was the day she left her Earthly body.
I gradually gained about 10 pounds and went up 2 ppantssizes during the next year and a half.
Then I was transferred from an elementary school to a middle school.
On the last Saturday of October 2007, I talked to my grandma (Grandma H.) for the last time about life and supper. Soon after that last conversation, her foot fell asleep, and she tried to walk on it. She ended up falling down and breaking her leg. Soon afterward, her health began to decline.
The next day I got a call from my father’s sister (my aunt). My other grandma (Grandma B.) was dying and was not expected to live past the evening. At 3 o’clock in the morning, I woke up suddenly. My grandma was saying goodbye to me.
While at work the next day, I got a call from my aunt that Grandma B. had died at around 3 o’clock that morning. I left work, went to the hospital to visit Grandma H., who broke her leg, and then went home to pack. My sister and I left the next morning to drive to Pittsburgh.
We went to her funeral on Halloween. Ironic because she had a big sweet tooth.
Although Grandma B. and I were not close, I associate many memories with her. Her twin beds in her guest bedroom – one had plastic covering the mattress. You would slip and slide all night long if you were the unfortunate one to get that bed. She did not cook. How much she missed my grandpa, who died in 1992.
Her death has impacted me but not as much as what was to come.
Five and a half years ago, I saw my weight creeping upward. My youngest was almost 2, and the “I’m going to lose the weight when he’s 1 no longer applied.” It was time for action. Memorial Day 2007 was the official day I decided to take over my life.
But at that time, I believed and thought I almost needed to starve myself to lose weight. I joined Spark people and realized I needed to eat differently, not starve myself.
I kept eating some of the same foods but in smaller quantities. It became a numbers game instead of a real lifestyle change. (I love math, so this was perfect for me.).
My biggest supporter was my maternal grandma. She and I would talk daily about life and what I would cook for supper.
By the time I was back at work, II was down almost 30 pounds and wearing the smallest pant size I had ever worn as an adult.
Then October of 2007 came, and my life completely changed forever. . . .
My family doesn’t like shrimp, so traditional shrimp scampi is a no go at my house. So I decided to make scampi with chicken instead. You know a meal is a winner when the hubby, the Wee One, and the Imaginative One all love the meal. There were no complaints about the meal.
About five years ago, I got a spaghetti pot that cooks the spaghetti whole. The boys loved eating whole pieces of linguine. They loved slurping up the pieces. It made the meal fun for them.
Chicken Scampi
Stars of the recipe:
1/2 box of linguine, cooked (reserve 1 cup of the cooking water) – I used whole wheat pasta.
1 lb. of chicken, cubed
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 Tbsp. butter (separate into a 2 Tbsp. piece and a 3 Tbsp. piece)
1/2 onion, diced
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 c. white wine
2 lemons, juiced (microwave them for 10 seconds before juicing them)
1 TbspDrieded parsley or 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
Steps:
Cook the linguine, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
In a skillet, heat the oil and 2 Tbsp. of the butter over medium heat.
When the butter is melted, add the chicken, onions, and garlic. Cook until the chicken is cooked. (5 to 10 minutes)
Remove the chicken, onions, and garlic. Tent a piece of foil over the chicken to keep it warm.
Place the skillet over high heat. Add the lemon juice and white wine. Deglaze the bottom of the skillet and then cook until boiling. Add the cooking water and 3 Tbsp. Butter.
Lower the heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken, onions, and garlic. Cook for about 3-5 more minutes until the sauce is thickened.
