What a wonderful day for a DATE with a wonderful husband~

*** I'm sending out a BIG hello to the ladies I ran into today in

Medford who said they read my blog!!! XOXO!!! ****

HELLO Bloggers! Did you think I disappeared? That maybe after that last post I plunged off of the deep end, into a huge bowl of tapioca? NO, not me. I'm here & making the changes that I need to make. I have come to realize a huge weakness of mine is wanting to eat in the evenings. It seems like I sit on the couch to watch something on TV & my brain opens up a Rolodex of favorite foods & starts saying "what about chips? Do chips sound good? Well then something sweet... how about some chocolate? Or cheese & crackers? Doesn't that sound satisfying?" Until my feet get in on the action & the next thing you know I'm in the kitchen. I'm now trying to be strategic - - - I'm eating a BIG healthy dinner, full of filling foods, around 6PM. Then, if I NEEEeeeeeed a snack, I can have something like a sugar free jello while I watch TV. (all of those Biggest Loser sponsor dollars are paying off for Jello) I *thought* I was being smart tonight & grabbed a box of raisins. Healthy, RIGHT? WRONG. Those little guys have 130 calories per serving (no thanks, I just got rid of those at the gym about an hour ago), THIRTY THREE carbs, and one measly gram of protein. Seriously?

If any of you smart people out there have some other healthy evening snack suggestions... please PLEASE feel free to post! I'd love to have some more options and NOT feel guilty about them or have to do any crunches before I go to bed. (like I would. Right.)

I had such a nice day today! Eric & I were supposed to go skiing but, thanks to the sun, we ran out of snow at the ski parks around here. Both of our children were already farmed out to my parents & a sitter so we couldn't let THAT go to waste (it would be like missing Haley's Comet - as those of you who have children know) so we scooted off to Medford for the day. The town we live in has about 20,000 people meaning we have a SUPER Wal-Mart & an Applebees but no Target, Olive Garden, or mall. And I can't tell you how nice it is to shop with no one crying, interrupting, demanding, diaper dirtying... Mama needed a day like this. One thing I have been really looking forward to is shopping in Macy's. I love clothing & have not been able to get to Macy's since losing the weight. This would be my first time ever to shop in the "regular" woman's section of this store. I thought I would be in Heaven! And I have to say... it was nice to be able to look around & have so many options... but it was a bit overwhelming! I am so used to being confined inside "Woman's World" which is usually 200 square feet & located on the lower floor of any dept store between the children's section & appliances. (can I get an "Amen" from my plus sized sisters?)

So, with all of the choices I had, I ended up only buying a coat from Eddie Bauer. I tried it on & it was so nice & fit really well... I said to Eric "I love this coat." And he said "then buy it." And as we were walking out of the store I took his hand & I said "since I have lost this weight, I finally feel pretty" and Eric said "you have always been pretty, you're just now letting it shine through."

And that is why I hang out with Dr. Hempel. He's cool like that.