How many points for chocolate covered larvae?

No...really...how many?

On Monday, my co-workers and I spent the day at the museum for a staff development opportunity. Imagine that...an entire day at the museum instead of toiling around the dreary campus. Everyone experienced the planetarium, Animalopolis an IMAX feature, the exhibit halls, and the Cockrell Butterfly Center.

Can you find the katydid?

After exploring the Cockrell Butterfly Center, some of the staff, as well as myself decided to play Fear Factor and eat some chocolate covered insects. I indulged in the chocolate covered larvae pictured at the top of the post. The larvae reminded me of a Nestle's Crunch Bar, chocolaty, but yet crispy at the same time.

Sour Cream & Onion Crickets anyone? Or how bout we split a pack of BBQ Larvae...any takers?

LORDY, LORDY...Guess who lost FORTY?

40 is:

• the number of weeks a woman is pregnant (That's if you know when you actually got pregnant...LOL.).
  
  
• used by God to represent the period of testing or judgment (The period of time necessary to accomplish some major part of God's plan.).
  
  
• the customary number of hours in a work week.

• the number representing Ali Baba's thieves.
  
  
• used in Michael Jackson's song "Billie Jean" on his Thriller album. "For forty days, and for forty nights, the law was on her side."
  
  
• the size used for liquor, specifically a cheap malt liquor. On occasion, an individual may pour some of his 40 on the curb for one of his slain homies (I just had a Boys in the Hood flashback...love that movie).
  
  

40 is the number of pounds removed from my body today. Well 41.4 to be exact! BAM!

Today's weigh in yielded a 2.2 loss.

Last week, a co-worker called me and proposed a novel idea. She suggested that myself, as well as 3 other teachers take turns bringing lunch for each other. So, in other words, I only worried about packing my lunch 2 days this week:

• Monday: Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potatoes...7 points. I paired raw carrots with mine.

• Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup...4 points. I paired cucumbers with my portion.

• Wednesday (my turn): My mom prepared Enchilasagna from Devin Alexander's cookbook The Most Decadent Diet Ever! 8 points for the entire portion, or 4 points for half. I devoured the entire portion. For my veggie serving I ate cucumbers.
  
  
• Thursday: Taco Bake...not sure of the points, but I requested the recipe. I paired the taco bake with green beans.

• Friday: Since only 4 of us agreed to this experiment, Friday we're on our own.

My only reservation about this lunch experiment...the lack of control. Although the ladies use Weight Watchers cookbooks to prepare the meals, I worry about the ingredients, specifically salt. Like I said this is an experiment, and we shall she what the results yield. But you must admit, it's a great idea with awesome benefits.

Ain't No Stopping Me Now!

As my one year anniversary with Weight Watchers nears, I feel a little unsatisfied with my 39 pound weight loss. But, then the thought occurred to me. I should compare old and new photos to see what a difference 39 lbs. make. Lately, whenever I feel myself dipping into a slump I pull out old photos and I usually regain my motivation and momentum.

February 2008/August 2009


September 2008/October 2009


April 2008/October 2009

After seeing these three comparisons, I am more than grateful for the 39 pound loss!

Don't Rain On My Parade

Now I know why I ate myself into a comatose state last week...TOM!

I need to keep better track of my TOM. But you know what? My Linda Blair Exorcist head spinning impersonations last week should have tipped me off to TOM's arrival.

I think blackberry sells an application that keeps track of your monthly cycle, and it looks like I may need to invest. My cycle brings with it this overwhelming urge to eat and eat and eat for no reason, and eating without knowing why takes a toll on my motivation and momentum. In my opinion, keeping better track of TOM's arrival may allow me to plan and prepare in order to keep my hormonal hunger at bay. Eating like a maniac makes me feel out-of-control, and I worry about old habits resurfacing.

I feel better now knowing that the Gordita, the Halloween candy, the fries I stole from my children, the decadent brownie (I sometimes daydream about), and all that other crap I inhaled resulted from my little friend. I hope TOM vamooses by my weigh in this Saturday, but I doubt it. My last weigh in revealed .8 separates me from losing 40 lbs, and TOM better not rain on my parade at this Saturday's weigh in.

Arrrrrr! Ahoy Mateys! (NSV Alert)

Man o man, the weekends fly by so fast. As usual, planned activities and festivities monopolized my entire weekend. Saturday night my girlfriends and I celebrated Missy's birthday.

The birthday girl...Missy.

Group picture...that's me in the khaki shirt dress on the end.


NSV alert! I think June was the last time I partied with the ladies, so when I approached the table they whooped and hollered at my new and improved figure. The belt really helped to slim me down.

Sunday, I dropped the boys off at rehearsal and scooted down the freeway to Frankel's costume shop where I spent an arm and a leg and kidney on my Halloween costume. Don't worry, I will get my moneys worth because I received 3 Halloween party invites, and I plan to attend all 3. So without further adieu, I present to you, The Treasure Hunt Pirate. BAM!

I still need to purchase the boots and the fishnets. I pray that the fishnets hide the "cottage cheese" on the back of my thighs. Man on Halloween, I plan to rock the crap out of this little ensemble!

What a CAT-astrophe!

At the end of the day last Friday, I thought to myself...

"If I eat one more thing today my stomach could possibly explode! I think, once I take the Browns to the Superbowl (I know...TMI), my stomach may consider forgiving me for the abuse."

Last week's exercise and healthy eating status in one word...CAT-astrophe!

The homemade Gordita and the brownies laden with oozing caramel contributed to my catastrophic week, but despite the Gordita, I managed to lose .6 this week and only .8 pounds separate me from my 40 pound goal.

Fellow bloggers, the most dangerous, as well as my favorite time of the year looms ahead. For me October kicks off the season of gluttony and the onslaught of food glorious food accompanied with each holiday celebration. It starts off innocent enough. One by one Halloween candy bowls begin popping up on the desk's of colleagues. As I walk by, the candy taunts and teases me, "Eat me...eat me." Before I know it my hand inadvertently takes a dive into the bowl.

Whether we want them to or not, the holidays inch closer and closer each day my friends. So, I MUST make every effort to focus and stop the madness NOW before things get out of hand. How you ask? Well for starters:

• I avoid all areas with Halloween candy.
  
  
• Today during a team planning meeting, a jar of candy stared me dead in my eyes, so I moved the jar behind two large containers. Out of sight...out of mind.
  
  
• I calculated the point values for my favorite Halloween fun size candy. A bag of fun size M&M's, 2 points.
  
  
• After a staff meeting last week (where bowls upon bowls of my favorite goodies sat on tables)I chose to leave the candy at work instead of throwing some goodies in my purse for an end-of-the-day-on-the-road-snack.
  
  
• And most important, I plan to take care of my self (last week's WW meeting topic). Taking care of myself includes attending meetings weekly, eating wisely, and moving more.

Here's to a more productive and successful week.

Post Teaser: Wait until you see my Halloween costume. Details to be revealed in tomorrow's post.

The NOT so ITSY BITSY spider clogged up the waterspout...

A few weeks ago a friend of mine, D, sent me an email expressing her weight loss frustrations. She reached her limit or "last straw" as I refer to it and vowed to make every effort to drop some pounds. D's email forced me to recall the last straw that brought me to WW.

October 2008

October 2009

That hideous spider picture symbolizes my "last straw" so to speak. I took one glance at this photo and shuddered in disgust. Look at my stomach. It appears as though I may give birth to a sac of baby spiders.

Why am I dressed like a spider you ask? In Texas, public schools celebrate Red Ribbon Week to encourage students to "Say no to drugs!" Fortunately for me last year's theme, Drugs Bug Me, fulfilled my lifelong dream of dressing as the Roly Poly Spider...not really.

Long story short, my class donned spider outfits and paraded around the school for the "Drugs Bug Me" rally. Just between you and me...if given a choice, I prefer ladybugs. Since red is my signature color and looks fabulous with my skin tone, a ladybug costume might have been more flattering. No, on second thought, me wearing a big red ladybug costume brings the image of the Kool-Aid dude to mind...

For Lil Ol' Me?

A big shout out to fashionista extraordinaire, God's Favorite Shoes for honoring lil ol' me with the Honest Scrap award. I often venture over to GFS' blog to discover what new frugal fashion finds she unearths at local resale shops. Truth be told, she happened upon an Alexander McQueen skirt for a grand total of $4 dollars. YES $4! That's the stuff fashion urban legends are made of.

Okay, so I present to you...the rules:

1. Say Thank and give a link to the presenter of the award.
2. Share “10 Honest Things” about myself.
3. Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
4. Tell those 7 people that they have been awarded the HONEST SCRAP award and inform them of these guidelines.

Without further adieu............

1. My guilty pleasures: Wham! (yes wake me up before you go go Wham!), eating peanut butter from the jar (No one else eats the PB, so yes I double dip!), watching iCarly and Drake and Josh, dating gold-toothed(just one) tatted up guys with a dash of hood in them (...the total opposite of myself).
   
   
2. My good friend Shentelle and I constantly toy with the idea of mixing a lil cream with the coffee. In layman's terms, dating outside our race. We complain about the shortage of men, but at the same time we limit ourselves to just dating black men. So now's the time to mix a lil non dairy creamer with a lil MochaTrina!
   
   
3. Every Christmas my kids and I look forward to riding through the same hoity toity neighborhood looking at Christmas lights. After the viewing of light we mosey on over to Starbucks for hot cocoa and dessert. I want to create long lasting traditions that I hope my kids will pass on to their children.
   
   
4. Often I put on high heel shoes and dance like a stripper (upstairs alone in my room of course). Sometimes when out with friends, we swing on stop signs downtown...yes as a stripper would.
   
   
5. I struggle with my weight loss roller coaster on a daily basis. I just want to wake up cured.
   
   
6. I always cry at the end of Beaches. I know the outcome of the story, but yet I cry like a lil baby. I wail at the end of Imitation of Life too.
   
   
7. I am easily annoyed and short tempered. Take for instance: why do drivers rubberneck when they see a wreck? Do you plan to get out and help? Keep it moving people! Why do you self check your groceries at Wal-Mart when you plan to purchase over 30 items? People, please self check with 15 items or less. Why do you bring items to the register at Ross with no price tag? PLEASE bring the same or a like item. AND, why are you writing a check?
   
   
8. Even though I teach and raise 2 boys of my own, I am really not a kid person. Nothing against children. It's more something against their parents. I rarely appreciate people that force me to look at photos of their children. Don't ask...don't tell I always say.
   
   
9. My Mom says I am mean. And I am, but only when the situation calls for it.
   
   
10. I am an only child who at times exhibits only child characteristics: selfishness, self- absorbtion , and super ultra competitiveness. But on the other hand I often display resourcefulness, independence, and self-reliance. O...I failed to mention my award winning outgoing personlity.
    

Hey? Can I get back to you on my 7 picks? Gotta run...my schedule is insane these days!

3 Generations of Fabulousness

This past weekend, the boys and I journeyed to Louisiana to celebrate my grandma's 94th birthday!

Pictured below: 3 Generations of Fabulousness...Myself, my Mother, and my Grandmother.

My grandmother received a proclamation from the Governor of Louisiana in honor of her 94th birthday. The city councilman presented the proclamation and also declared October 9th as Mable Allen Day!

Of course, I filled my belly with an abundance of wonderful food including this fabolous cake created by my mother.

O and check this out! Remember that 2 pounds I found week before last? Well...I lost them AGAIN! That's right...2 pounds down. So once again, 38.6 lbs. down

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

I sat down at my laptop to write a post about the photograph that represents my last straw. Everyone owns a last straw photo which causes you to make a life defining choice to stop crying like a lil' girl and get healthy. As I continue typing, my eyelids feel heavier and heavier with each blink. I ain't gonna make y'all. So, I must postpone my last straw piece and keep this post short but sweet.

Well first and foremost...my weigh in. I got three words for you...WTH! I gained +2 pounds this week. But you know what? I tell you what...no need to talk about the gain...moving on! So, why so tired you ask? I shall tell you why...dating, or as I call it working! Dating sounds like fun, but dating takes a lot of work! I consider dating an Olympic sport, and this weekend I took home the GOLD!