Wednesday Wramblings (on Friday...)

Well, I wasn't able to do another Wednesday Wramblings this week (or last week for that matter).... but I have so many things that have been going on, it feels like a Wednesday Wramblings post.

I know that I haven't posted in a while, but we've been traveling, my birthday came and went and my in-laws were in town for a few days.   So it's just been kind of busy.

Feed My Face Update
I am doing AWESOME on my diet.  I have been staying totally on track with my Weight Watchers points and am down yet another pound this week.  It seems like a really really slow process, but I am not going to complain.  As long as the scale continues to follow a downward trend, I am going to force myself to be content with that.

I got really discouraged a couple weeks ago because I gained 1.2 pounds after a week of hard-core dieting.  I think that's one reason I just didn't blog that week.  I was mad.  But I kept going and tried to just press on, and lo and behold.  I am now losing again... wee haw!

I did take a little Weight Watchers break for my birthday (duh).  My mom made me my traditional birthday dessert - apple pie.  She seriously makes the best apple pie I've ever eaten in my entire life.  I don't know how many hundreds of points it had in it, but who cares?  It was my birthday and I stuffed my face with it. 

I also wanted to share this amazing recipe now that the weather is thinking about turning cooler.  It's only upper 90's now.  Here in Texas, when it is consistently below 100 for a few days in a row, it seems like fall.  I have made this soup a lot over the last few years since I discovered it.  It only takes 30 minutes TOTAL (prep and cooking).  It is super healthy and you can easily count WW points if that's your thing.

CHICKEN FAJITA TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 packages chicken tenders, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
• 1 tablespoon coriander, a palm full
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 5 to 6 sprigs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 bag white corn tortilla chips
• 1 cup shredded pepper Jack or sharp white Cheddar
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Handful fresh cilantro leaves or fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, begin to brown 4 minutes, add coriander, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, onions, bell pepper and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and stock, heat through.

While the soup is working, lightly crush some tortilla chips and divide among 4 bowls. You need a couple of handfuls per bowl. Top the chips with a little cheese. Toss the avocado with lime juice. Top the chips with ladles of soup. Garnish soup with avocado, scallions and cilantro or parsley.

So there's that.  YUMMMMMM!!!!!!

Sweaty Mess Update
The half-marathon training continues.  Dad and I are now up to 6 mile long runs on Saturday mornings.  We have found a great neighborhood to run in that's relatively flat and pretty close.  We run through this community area in Grand Prairie called Mira Lagos.  Super nice with fountains and parks and pools and fields with hay bales.  I almost don't hate running 6 miles when we are there.  

 

And (BONUS!!!) I got some seriously cool running-theme gifts for my birthday.  I have wanted a Garmin Forerunner GPS watch for a long long time and now finally own one!  I am totally addicted to it and anyone who is really serious about running just has to have one.  I wouldn't call myself a serious runner by any means, but knowing how fast I am going and how far I've gone while on a run just changes the whole experience for me.  

 

I also got this water holster belt thingy.  A couple weeks ago when Dad and I were running about 5.5 miles, I think, I told him we needed hydration options.  When you run 5Ks and 10Ks, you have nice little people that hand you water cups every couple miles or so.  But when you run 6 miles on your own -- those people aren't there.  We were getting so hot and really hitting the wall at about 4 miles...

Dad said he refused to carry any more weight than he already was, so if we needed water, I was going to have to be the one to wear it.  So -- he bought me this pink one for my birthday!  I think he got the pink so that he wouldn't ever have to take a turn wearing it.  But whatever... it is kind of dorky, but some how I feel totally hard core when I have it on.

 

Syringes

School hasn't officially started, but I've done some orientation stuff.  I am going to be doing a few weeks of clinicals at Terrel State Hospital.  For those of you who aren't familiar with that, it's the state psychiatric hospital.  Wow.  My friend and I were assigned to the forensic unit.  The forensic unit houses inpatients who have charges against them and are awaiting trial, but they can't be in the jail system because of mental illness.  So I am going to be hanging with not only criminals, but criminals with behavioral health "issues."  I'll just have to let your imagination run with that...

I got a really cute new bag for school/work!  It has tons of pockets and room for books and stuff.  I do not sell Thirty-One products.  It's one of those direct marketing businesses where you have "parties" and buy stuff.  I love their bags... but I am a raging bagaholic.

 

 

Do you see how I put my orange stethoscope in the pocket like that?  Two reasons:  1)  You can see how the bag is perfect for my nursing student needs; and 2)  You can be jealous and impressed with my overall medical amazingness.

As part of our psychiatric and mental health rotations, we have to attend and observe a 12-step program meeting.  There's Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous... but then there is an even more interesting one that I thought might be more entertaining - Overeaters Anonymous.  My friend and I went to one of the many meetings they have in the Dallas area and were warmly welcomed to observe.  It was a very interesting experience.  I thought maybe I could actually learn a few tips from attending.

My husband, David:  "Hey, what did you do this afternoon with the kids?"

Me:  "Well, they went to a friend's house while I went to this meeting thing."

David:  "What meeting?"

Me:  "Overeaters Anonymous."

David:  "You went to what?"

Me:  "Overeaters Anonymous."

David:  very long pause and puzzled expression

Me:  "Oh my gosh!  For school, David!  It was for school!"

 

Wednedsay Wramblings

Yes, I know that isn't how you spell ramblings... but I liked how using a W worked with Wednesday.  So that may be the title of my Wednesday posts from now on.  I feel a trademark coming on...

Feed My Face Update
I have somehow managed to resist the Ben and Jerry's in my freezer.  I am so proud!

See?!!!??!?!?!  There she is.  Still sitting right where she belongs.  I'll have to figure out some time to eat it.  Maybe after I run 10 miles or something.  Do you think that's a good goal?  Let me know...

When I am trying to eat to lose weight, I tend to eat a lot of things over and over again.  A lot of people get tired of the same meals, but when I find something that works, I don't mind the repetition.

Here is a list of foods I eat on a (almost) daily basis:
1.  Turkey sandwiches with a slice of Kraft BIG slice 2% lowfat cheese on Nature's Own 100% whole wheat bread.  For the Weight Watchers folks in the house, 2 points for the cheese, only 1 point for 2 slices of bread!!  It took a lot of research to find a bread brand/kind (NOT a sandwich thin) that would let me eat 2 slices for only 1 point.
2.  Omelette with 1 cup of liquid real egg with mushrooms, onions and green bell pepper.  Then I sprinkle 1/4 cup of 2% low fat shredded sharp cheddar on top and serve with salsa.  Whole thing?  4 points.  Beautiful.
3.  Dryers Frozen Fruit Bars (I like strawberry and grape).  1 point each.
4.  Chick-fila ice dream cones.  I have one or two a week for a special treat.  2 points each for the small.
5.  Baked potatoes with random stuff on top.  Potatoes are anywhere from 1-3 points depending on the size.  My dad is super-creative with what he puts on top.  When we go to Dickey's or any BBQ place, he basically puts the whole condiment bar on his potato.  Baked beans, pickles, peppers, jalapenos, everything.  I don't do that.  I like to put turkey and broccoli on mine at home.
6.  FRUIT.  All kinds, all day.  Usually 1 point each per piece or per cup.
7.  Diet Dr. Pepper.  I know it's not the best thing in the world to drink because of the chemicals and stuff, but it's a nice treat at the end of the day when you just need "the burn."
8.  Fiber One Bars - chocolate and peanut butter are my two favorite flavors.  BUT THEN.... I learned that the peanut butter ones are 3 points each and not the standard 2 points that all the other Fiber One bars are!!!  I had been counting them as 2 points for months the first time I did WW.  Ignorance was such bliss.

We need to talk a bit about Fiber One bars.  Circa 2009 when my dad and sister and I first did WW, Fiber One bars were the most popular WW go-to snack/breakfast.  You couldn't attend a single meeting without someone mentioning that they LOVE Fiber One bars.  They are dessert-like, filling, and only 2 points each.  So Dad, Kelsey and I starting living off of them.  We all were having at least one per day.  I mean, when you first start WW, you are scared to eat anything outside of the short list of things you've been told are okay and that you are 100% sure of the calculated points.  Anything else is "scary."

About 2 weeks later, my dad had a stench that followed him around like a fog.

We had no idea what was going on.  His truck stank.  He stank sitting next to you.  He farted constantly... and they were this ungodly funk that I cannot even explain to you.  It had gotten to a point when you could hardly stand to be around him.  I think he came close to losing friends.  That seems dramatic, but I am not kidding.  It made you choke.

So I started doing a little research and found out that it was probably the hailed Fiber One bars we had come to love.  Dad was NOT the only victim.  Others had noticed and were discussing the same problems online.

 

So my dad had to wean off of them.  It's really sad, actually, because I don't know what I'd do without them.  They are my breakfast almost everyday.  I do NOT have the gassy side effects that Dad does.  So if you eat a lot of Fiber One bars and have noticed that you have horrific gas or if your car smells like fart stink when you get into it, you may want to consider giving the rest of your stash to someone who is fiber-tolerant.

Sweaty Mess Update

I have been doing well on all my half marathon training.  I haven't missed a single workout or run yet.  Of course, we are only 2 weeks in, but if I can do it for 2 weeks, why not the whole time?  Right?  This week so far I have run 2 miles, done one Insanity workout, and taken the rest day.  The next 4 days include two 3 mile runs, an Insanity workout and the long 5 mile run that Dad and I will do Sunday morning before church.  If anyone out there wants to run 5 miles with us Sunday morning, you are welcome to join.  Just get in touch with me somehow via Facebook or the comment section of this blog or email me at bro.williams@gmail.com.

My Monday run was 2 miles.  I was an IDIOT and ran it at 4pm because I had this party deal-io to go to that evening and knew if I didn't run it before the party, there would be no way to do it after.  So, I took a picture of the weather on my phone right as I was going out the door, because it was ridiculous.

 

Yes.  It was 102 when I left to start the run.  Holy balls.  It was a BAD idea.  I will never do that again.  Running 2 miles in 102 felt like running 5 miles in decent weather.

Here's a brilliant capture of me after the run.

 

The more I continue to stare at this picture, the less convinced I am that it was a good idea to put it up here.  But whatevs.  You can tell I am smoking hot.  That towel I'm wearing is what I continually dipped in ice water and put on my head for about an hour.  And my face stayed about that red for a solid 90 minutes.

Syringes

I'm in nursing school and eventually will share the woes of all that, but we don't start class until August 20, so until then, no syringes.  I do work in the ICU at a hospital close by, but I can't really talk about that too much because I have to respect the privacy of the patients I help take care of as well as the friendships I am developing with my coworkers.  There are so many hilarious things I could tell, though....