A Smart Ones Dessert Review

Smart Ones Strawberry Shortcake

This dessert comes in a two individual serving box. Each serving is 5 points plus. At my local grocery store I paid $2.88 plus tax.

At first glance the serving looked tiny, but after an hour of anxious room temperature thaw I was surprised at how well it satisfied my sweet tooth. The serving size turned out to be perfect! (you can always do a quick microwave thaw but I like the anticipation of the wait).

I was afraid it would have that chewy frozen taste most cake desserts have but it was moist and delicious. The dessert did not look as good as the one on the front of box. But what frozen meal does?

The fat chick in me would have liked more whip topping (because I am addicted to whip topping), but in reality it was just enough.

The question you really want the answer to....yes it is worth using 5 of your points on.
It's late in the evening and you still haven't met your daily points goal...oh yes this dessert is worth relaxing on the couch with while chilling with the family or by yourself.

Is it worth digging into your weekly allowance points? Not so much. Now their Key Lime pie is a different story....

WooHoo !!!

Doctor visit went well. My A1C was 6.5. Down from 11.0 !!!

I will have to go to a orthopedic doctor for my hips :(

Eeeek !!!

Eeeek !

Doctor visit tomorrow. Hope I get a good report. My doctor is going to be shocked at my weight loss! Hope my A1C is within the acceptable range. Sadly I have no pants that fit, so I have to wear an old pair. They are so big I have to pull them up and tuck them under my boobs and use a belt.

Getting ready for Halloween. This weekend Joey and I decorated the yard. We finished Grim! Even Dad wanted a pic with Grim! The cemetery is looking good, the light wasn't hitting the area right so the pics did not turn out well. Hopefully I will be able to get a good cemetery pic and post it soon.

GRIM - Joey built fence. He did a great job!



DAD & GRIM



I experimented with a new zombie look…not sure I’m liking it. The skin flap is okay but the raw meat thingy looks a little too rounded. Looks like pizza to me. Maybe next time I will skip the skin flaps and bloddy pieces and just go for older dead.



Me...DEAD!  Not contacts in eyes, just my eyes rolled back.


Still working on Joeys look. He wants half his face painted as a skull and other half his exposed meat. (That does not sound right, no matter which way I phrase it). The skull make-up is killing me. I just can't seem to get it right.

Scarowinds and Renaissance Festival

I had a fantastic weekend. Friday we (Hubby Joey, Sis Dana, nephew Corey, niece Haley, cousins Tia and Jesse) spent the evening at Carowinds Amusement park, which during October becomes SCAROWINDS! (scare-o-winds).

The teens drove us crazy during the ride there. Seems no one understood the concept of ‘inside voices’. But we survived the ride!

Once there WE HAD A FRIGGIN BLAST!

Joey rode a few rides with the teens. Than we all went through two haunted mazes together. A frightened Dana spent several hilarious minutes running from a clown! Than the teens dumped us and took off on their own. So Dana, Joey and I hit five more haunted mazes, a foggy cemetery and a haunted rave type thing. We screamed, we laughed, and we realized our old knees didn’t like all that walking! It was so much fun I want to go again! And again! I did not have a funnel cake or cinnabons or even fudge. I was good and did not eat anything sold at the park.



Me, a creature, and Joey




Left to right: Tia, Haley, Corey, Dana, me, Jesse



Joey and I made it back home sometime after 1 a.m., went to bed around 2-ish, slept a tad than we were up at 6 a.m. to go to the Renaissance Festival! We met up with cousin Jon, aunt Cathy and her boyfriend Wayne. We were soon separated; we got ditched again when Joey and I went to get me a new puzzle ring wedding band. After losing some weight my four band puzzle ring kept falling off. It was a size 6, my new SIX band puzzle ring is a size 4 ½ !!! It has taken me seven years to figure out how to solve the 4 band puzzle now I have a 6 band!

Joey and I had a great time. Walked around, saw a few comedy acts, and Joey looked at a whole lot of boobs! Left at five, got home sometime after six, and crashed on the couch around 8!

The ride to Scarowinds



That was long yellow brick road...



Blast from the past

Blast from the past.
I have had a few bad weeks. I have not gained but I have not lost. I have let my fears get to me again. But I am determined to push down those fears and continue on my journey to become healthier.

I decided to do a little comparison between the old me and the current me, to see if it would help me focus. I believe it has worked.

I know I still have a long weigh (ha ha) to go. But looking at how far I have come has helped me feel renewed and determined.

Me in 2008 and me now. I’m just a tad dead in the current picture, but it’s a slimmer dead!

My Husband Joey

I met Joey in late 1995. We moved in together May 1996. Our son Matthew was born March 1997. Joey and I married 1998. We are ‘that old married couple’.

I love that man so much. He is my rock. When we met I already had a small child. (Rachel. Now 18) That did not scare him off like it did most young men. He has helped raise her and support her.  Joey was there for me when Michael, my brother, was murdered. I was there for him when his Aunt Annalee passed. She raised him after his parents died. We have had many good times and we have had our share of bad times. We thought we had been through it all.

Until Aug 19, 2005. Our Mattman collapsed during practice on the football field. He passed away. He was only 8 years old. Joey, Rachel and I were heartbroken. We still are. We leaned on each other but we still had to learn how to deal with the loss in our own way. Matthew left a hole that will never be filled.

We heard many stories of how most couples divorce after a death of a child. We beat the odds and are still together.  We both have our good days and we have our “Matthew days”.  Joey is a good man, he loved me when I didn’t even love myself.

Joey likes the big chicks. Oh if you ask him he will deny it. But he does. So now I must share my biggest fear with you. I am terrified Joey will leave me if I lose a lot of weight. It is a fear that has held me back for many years. Joeys assures me he loves me no matter what I weigh. But I still have that fear. I always joke my first husband left me because I got fat and my second husband will leave me if I get skinny.

But I also feared if I didn’t lose the weight I would die young and leave him all alone. Then he would find some other  chick to replace me.  Which would piss me off; he is supposed to be miserable without me. If he found another I would have to haunt him the rest of his life. I don’t intend to be the Casper the friendly ghost type of ghost.

So now I am taking a gamble on this wonderful man still loving me after the weight loss. J

Zombies ! Run !

27 pounds lost so far!

Yesterday was a hectic crazy day. Did not do so well on my eating plan. Ate things I should not have but did manage to keep my portion sizes small.

I spent the early part of the day getting ready for the Modern Film Fest Zombie Walk. I vended there, selling zombie dolls I make.

Took some time to apply my zombie make-up. Three hours. But most of that time was spent waiting for the liquid latex to dry. I had my hair up in rollers so after the make up was done all I had to do was take out rollers and tease hair a little to make tangled and messy. I was pleased with the look...just the right amount of dead.

This is me...dead.
Had to go show my dad. I scared him but I did manage to get him to take a picture with me.

Of course Stalker Zombie Joe (my hubby) went with me.

Joey's make-up took 30 minutes to do. Because last week we used liquid latex and tissue to make the piece on his face. All I had to do was apply and paint it with ooey gooey vaseline mixed with stage make-up.

We had fun. Hung out with some great zombies! Saw Elvis and Michael Jackson (as zombies). Sold a few zombie dolls. Donated a two headed doll for the grand prize of the zombie costume contest. Joey really enjoyed watching the belly dance group perform.

Once home Joeys make-up was off in five seconds mine took a little over 30 minutes.

I'm very excited because next year I will be a much slimmer zombie ! ! !

A Little Motivation

Ok....I will admit. I have had a rough couple of weeks. I still followed my Weight Watchers plan...sorta. I was not as strict as I should have been. Here is what happened, at first I was losing weight so fast and that kept me motivated. Than the weight loss slowed, a lot. I had a very tough time staying focused.

But even though I did not track my points as well as I should I still made healthy food choices.

So today was the weigh in. I was shaking as I got on the scales. My fear was my weight had stayed the same or worse it had crept up a tad. I step on the scales, with dread I look down at the number....25 pounds lost !!!

Hell yeah! 25 pounds!!! 25 freaking long-gone-never-to-be-seen-again pounds! Talk about some motivation. Now I feel ready to jump back on the program 100%. I have also discovered that even when not obsessing with points and portions I have adapted to a healthy way of eating and it is becoming second nature to me.

EXERCISE....Be gone you demon!

There is a demon in my life. It is the ‘I hate exercise demon’ that possess me.

But do I really want to exorcise the exercise demon?

No. Not really. Not yet anyway.

Diets in the past have failed me or I have failed them. One reason this happens is I try to change my eating habits and begin an exercise program at the same time. Then I obsess with them. It is the all or nothing attitude I have. 

So this time I will focus on my eating habits first. Once they become second nature to me I will add exercise in. Oh I do walk a few laps at work during lunch and hike every now and then but it is not what I consider  a exercise program.

I do not like running plus it is dangerous when you have big boobs. Plus my hips are bad.

Walking for long periods of time just gets boring. Even with my mp3 player blasting some My Chemical Romance.

Biking. Nope. My balance is not really good right now.

Team sports. I am not a team player.

Dancing. Oh I love dancing but I’m not going somewhere and dance as big as I am. Plus the bad hip thing again.

So exercise is not on my agenda right now.

I know some of you are saying ‘you can’t not exercise while on a weight loss plan’. Well I say…bite me. At least I’m doing something to improve my health. Maybe one day I will add exercise to my life but right now I’m doing what is right for me.

3,2,1 blast off.

Week one was a crazy week. I was never hungry and my energy level began to go up a little more everyday. The best part...the weight was melting off.

I suspected the first week would be good. The bigger you are the faster you lose at first.
3 pounds down. Gone forever.

Week two. Just as easy as week one. Plus, oh hell yes...I was 198. Finally I was below the 200 mark.

Week three. Still on a roll. 194 pounds. 13 pounds of nasty unhealthy fat gone! Plus i was having to lower my insulin dose a little every few days. I even went hiking, could not go far. Still a fat chick and out of shape. But I went and it was fun.

Week four: My period hit. I wanted chocolate. I walked at work during lunch, I Wii bowled with my hubby at night. I did everything I could think of to keep myself away from chocolate. Until Friday. A co-worker made fudge and brought it to work. I tried to be good, really I did. Finally I could not take it anymore...I had one bite. I chewed it slowly, it was awesome. As I was reaching for another piece, it hit me. I was satisified, I did not want that next bite, did not need it. So I didn't have it. Woohoo me! Weight 191 pounds.

Week five: Seems passing the 190 mark was going to be difficult. But I kept faith in my new eating habits and stuck with the program. Plus I measured my waist: 44 inches. That's right... six inches gone! Never have I lost weight in my belly! People think I have had surgery because my belly has shrunk so much so fast. And I can see my feet again when i look down!

Week six: Hurt my back. Could not move. Had to go to doctor. She was amazed and excited about my weightloss. She showed me how my pulse and blood pressure had improved since my last visit. stuck with diet 85% of the time. It's not easy to stay focused when you're doped up.

Week seven: back on track. But where is the weightloss. Why can't I punch through that 190 mark?

Week eight: What the hell? I got on the scales and bam! 186! Not only did i pass the 190 mark but I blew through it!

Week nine: 185. This is where I am at right now. Wearing XL tee shirts and size 18 pants. I am still fat and have a ways to go but whew...the benefits. I am more confident in myself. I have more energy. I move around much easier. Plus, things have gotten more intense in the bedroom.

Just so you know, this is a recap of the last nine weeks. Don't get the idea it was easy as pie. There were times I struggled and got discouraged. But I do have a support system. My co-workers are amazing. Everyday they encourage me and make me owe up to any cheating. I don't really think cheating is the word because I always stay within my point limit.
Nancy, a co-worker quizzes my everyday about my points from the day before. She tells me every Friday, "You be good and don't go over your point limit this weekend!" When she brings brownies to work she always has me a bite size piece cut so I don't have to feel left out. My co-workers are more excited about my weightloss than I am! Keeping them all in the loop really helps. Helps keep me accountable and motivated.

The journey of a hundred miles starts with...an apple?

I read the Weight Watcher points plus start up booklet. I told myself, "Self, try it for a day. 24 hours of your life you can devote to this and see how it feels." I'm sure you're thinking, 24 hours! What kind of commitment is that? Well for me a big one. With most diets I didn't not make it past the 3 hour mark. Why?

Here was my line of thinking... If I die with the next few minutes, would I want my last meal to be something tasteless and nasty? (Yes, true story.)

The first 24 hours began with a trip to the grocery store. I bought a few meals and a bag of apples.

My first ever meal to begin the mission to a new me was an apple. Have you ever really sat and ate an apple and only focused on the apple. The noise it makes when you bite into the crispy apple. The juice that shoots all over the apple and your hand. The sweetly tart taste. The texture as it rolls around in your mouth as you chew? (FYI: this is not an erotic story you pervs) As i took my time to eat this Granny Smith apple i realized this was the best sweet treat ever. It really did beat candy. Yes I was shocked too.

I had three small frozen meals that day and two apples for snack. Don't knock the frozen meals, it is a great way to learn portion control if you aren't into measuring every bite of food that goes into your mouth.

The day ended just as it began: with me on this new diet. I was not hungry, I did not go over my point limit and I knew I could live with this plan. I also made a new best friend...the apple. Thank you ever so much Ms. Eve for taking that first bite!

Facing the facts

The day I began to change my life I weighed 207 pounds. I have weighed more in the past but no matter the type of diet, or amount of exercise I was never able to drop below the 200 mark. I have always known, this weight amount was my barrier. My downfall. I would get close to it but never 'get there'. So i would give up and the weight gain would start up again. In my heart I have felt that once I drop below that 200 amount weightloss would be a breeze and I would be on my way to a better me.

I knew I was going to lose weight this time I just hadn't figured out how I was going to go about it. I was checking out diets and not finding anything that appealed to me. Than, (drum beat inserted here) my mom called. She was buying her a Weight Watchers start up kit and wanted to buy me one. I panicked in that moment...Weight Watchers was a group thing and I am not a group person. (there is a story about that which I will share at a later date). Plus to me Weight Watchers seemed a little to cult like and I do not want to be a cult follower. A cult leader maybe, but not a follower. Well my mom must have sensed my weariness she said, "Susan you don't have to join, just follow the program."

Against my better judgement I said, "Okay mom get me the kit." She told me i would have it in a week or so. So during that week of waiting I ate like there was not going to be a tomorrow. That week I was miserable (like every other week before) my sugar was out of control, my stomach hated me and showed me how it felt by torturing me, and even getting up to go to work was a huge task, i just had no energy.

So to recap...over 200 pounds, health on a major decline and the fear of an early death was an everyday thing to me.

Facing the facts:
207 pounds
sugar numbers never dropping below the 200 mark
waist, 50 inches.
2 x and 3x shirts
22 size pants (tight at that)
hip pain
breathlessness
depression
oh and lets not forget...I hated my self for being fat. I was a failure. To myself and others.

One Fat Chick Bio

I'm 38, overweight, out of shape and suffer from obesity related illnesses.
But I'm on a mission to change all of that.
I'm recaiming my life one pound at a time.

Some days are a breeze others, not so much. First let me tell you how I got fat. I could blame my weight issues on the bad things that have happened to me in my life, my brother was murdered and my little boy passed away. Oh, I did have jumps in my weight during those times but the reason I am fat is....I love food. Food is great. The feel of chocolate melting and coating my tongue with that lucious milk chocolately goodness. Yum! Pizza, on my goodness, PIZZA. The best food ever! tons of melted cheese over top of crusty garlicky bread. Mmmm Mmmm good. Potato chips, what can I say about the potato chip other than it is the best snack ever made.

See I love food, sadly not the heathy variety.

I also hate to exercise, ok hate is a strong word. I really don't despise exercise, i'm just too lazy. Why exercise when there are books to be read, movies to be watched and a million other things that are way more fun than making ones self sweat.

My love of food added to my inactive lifestyle equaled: one fat chick.

I am 5'1 and over 200 lbs. (well not now, I way less) I have type 2 diabeties. I take several meds: two shots and 3 types of pills. I am suppose to take more but I don't. Walking up stairs is torture, seeing my feet over my stomach: impossible. My balance is bad, my blah blah blah. I could go on forever about the negatives of being fat.

After over 15 years of being fat it happened: i realized their is no magic pill that will make me slim, my doctor can only help me so much if I'm not willing to help myself, and spending countless amounts of money on unused exercise videos will not give me the healthy body I crave. I was so tired of living my life around my med schedule. I was tired of hiding my body behind bulky clothes. I was tired of waiting for my life to happen. I was tired of be tired all the time.

Finally my mind, body and the universe aligned perfectly and a light bulb moment occured. I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN LOOSE MY WEIGHT. NO ONE CAN DO IT FOR ME.

Thus began my mission to acheive the healthiest version of me.