My name is Katie Kemmerer...

And I have confession. Before I get to the point, I want to say this. We all lie to ourselves about something. Whether it's money, a relationship, work, or family. Any way you spin it, it's a lie. I've lied to myself the past 26 years. I am over indulgent, an over eater, and over the top. So here's the actual shocker (not really), I DID NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT! Ha! You thought I was going to say something sweet. Nope. I didn't lose any weight. Why? Well I just told you why. I over eat, over indulge and have NO self control when it comes to food. This is why I need to reteach myself how to eat. This is why I blog. It keeps my honest. If I say it out loud, it makes it real. No Katie, you did not lose any weight. Did I have a great time? YES. Does it feel as good as wearing a size smaller. NO. It's hard to admit you're failing. But like the great Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over until it's over." Truly poetic. Listen, I'm a positive person. Positive energy equals positive outcome. This is a life style change and not an over night fix. As long as I keep this in mind, I will see results. Hang in there with me. I'm off to Nashville tomorrow for a small vacation which is going to be rough on the diet. Regardless, I will move forward.

<Insert picture of me surrounded by cookies, wine,  chips and gauc, and feeling sorry for myself>

<Insert picture of me give the aforementioned items the middle finger in my size 10 jeans again>

Tossing your salad. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Do you suffer from unused fruit and vegetables? Are you throwing away HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS every week? Do you want to turn in frig into SOLID GOLD?
Okay I don't have those answers but I do have a solution that is so simple you're going to punch yourself in the face (don't do it).
FRUIT SALAD! YAY!
I buy all this stuff in the beginning of the week with the intent of eating all of it. Nope. Not gonna happen. Instead of throwing it all away, toss a little salad together. My dad used to make us fruit salads with mangos, pineapples, grapes, etc. It's so simple and you can take it anywhere! Do NOT be afraid to cut into a pineapple or melon. It's intuitive. You know how to do...SO DO IT!

My fruit salad was all my blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and honeydew. Booyah.

The key to losing weight is...

Making food taste good (thank you Kait Lunny). This is so true. You must make your food taste good and satisfying otherwise you will leave your meals wanting more. In my case, I want more of everything. EVERYTHING. We were BBQing on Thursday with chicken and I didn't want just the usual. My friend Kait busted out Food & Wine magazine with a list of marinates that I could use for the chicken. I went with a very simple marinate that I unfornuately do not remember the exactly proportions.
Here is what is in it:

Curry, oregano, salt, minced garlic, white vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and chili powder.

I let it sit for about an hour but next time I will let it sit over night and use less oregano. The philosophy of making your food taste good seems entirely too simple. That's because it is. You have to eat things you like in order to maintain/lose weight. There are simple and lite ways to make your food taste good. Keep this in mind next time you grill!

i LOVE alcohol.

No I don't have a problem but I do enjoy a drink. When I lived in France, I would drink bottles (with an s) of wine and I still lost about 40 pounds while I was there. How?!?! Why!??! Well, when you are walking everywhere for miles and miles, you tend to lose weight. It is true, French women don't get fat. They don't get fat because their food is ALL NATURAL and their meals are PORTIONED small and satisfying. There is nothing they hiding from us, they just know how to live.
I've been struggling to find a drink that is guilt free and satisfying at the same time. My mom mentioned Skinny Girl Margarita as being low cal and low carb. I bought one bottle...the next day I went back and bought 2 more bottles. It's 0 points for 1.5 fl oz which means it's 1 point for 8 fl oz. GAME THE F ON.
I wish Bethanny would pay me for this blog but it's just me trying to spread the word to my sistas who want to drink and not feel so guilty.

I'm telling you ladies, you can add lime or fruit to it but it comes with the tequila already in it so you're golden. ENJOY!!!!

Fat Girl Syndrome (FGS)

This is a very serious syndrome. Girls have issues. Let's get that out of the way. We are always self evaluating, self scrutinizing, self harassing, self everything because let's be honest, it's all about you. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently. I am dead serious. My mom always told me, "No one can make you happy but yourself." True dat Mama K.

I remember I was a freshman at UD when my mom did the hardest thing a mom could do. She told me I didn't look good in an outfit. She didn't say it because she was trying to hurt me but she was trying to save me. I was wearing ill fitting clothing and acting like it was completely okay. I suffered from Fat Girl Syndrome (FGS). It's the idea that you think you look good anything. You don't. You REALLY don't. Symptoms of FGS include but are not limited to:

-Muffin tops
-Too tight clothing
-Repetition of the line, "I am going to find a man that loves me and not my body."
-Skinny jeans that no longer look skinny but look like actual skin
-Eating to hide your feelings
-Excuses for not going to gym or trying to work out
-Drinking too much and making an ass of yourself on the dance floor because you look "sexy" in that strapless dress.
- Camel toe

You are probably thinking to yourself that I am a complete bitch for saying this but I am being honest. I wish someone had said this to me. I wish my mom didn't have to do something that goes against every fiber in her being. She shouldn't have to tell her daughter, "You look bad in that outfit and you need to change." Her daughter should have realized that her clothes were inappropriate.

I didn't really see my own body until I hit my highest weight of 245 my junior year of college. I decided enough was a enough and tried my best to figure out how to lose weight in college. That summer I went home and I tried Nutrisystem. It really showed me how much I was eating and how much actually NEEDED to eat. I love food but I want to eat food because I love it NOT because I feel like I need to eat it. It's that need that makes eating hard. I feel like I constantly need to eat. My friend Kelli asked me where I am starting and what are my point values. I am going to put myself out there and post a lovely picture of myself with my stats.

Height: 5'7"
Starting weight: 198
Current weight: 193
Goal weight: 179.5
Points allowed per day: 31
Anytime Points: 49
Highest weight in lifetime: 245
Lowest weight in lifetime: 165

The funny thing about weight loss...

I LOVE BREAKFAST! I WANT TO SHOUT FROM THE ROOF TOPS HOW MUCH I LOVE BREAKFAST!!!!!!! Okay I got that out of the way. I am always looking for a new way to eat breakfast. I need to find a balance between filling and points. I had eggs left over from my banana bread (1 egg, 2 egg whites) and WW bread that is only 2 points for 2 slices. I ran to the store and picked up some turkey bacon is 2 points for 3 slices (this will now be a staple in my frig). I added mushrooms and salt/pepper et VOILA!
For a total of 7 points, I got a fantastic breakfast!

The funny thing about weight loss is if you DO NOT TRY to lose weight, you won't. And this week I tried my hardest to NOT LOSE WEIGHT. I ate like SHIT all week. I chose to eat unhealthy because the FGS (Fat Girl Syndrom) came back. "I can eat what I want! I am beautiful! Blah, Blah, Blah" SHUT UP. No you can't. You need to make sacrifices and know that this is a process. Now that school has ended, I need to get back into the swing of things. Acme has a fruit sale going on right now so I will get some fruits and veggies I have never tried.

The spoils of chicken.

My boyfriend's mom gave us a recipe for the most fattening, most unhealthy thing ever created by man; Chicken Tetrazinni. I looked it up on WW and they sub out A LOT of things but it was mighty delicious. I usually take a picture BEFORE we eat but clearly someone could not hold out.
Here is the recipe.

12 oz Pasta, whole-wheat, uncooked, use whole-wheat egg noodles
1 spray(s) Cooking spray
2 Tbsp Margarine, fat free, divided
3 Tbsp Vinegar, tarragon-flavored
1 pound(s) Mushrooms, fresh, sliced (about 6 cups)
1½ cup(s) Chicken, broth, fat free
1 cup(s) Milk, fat free
4 tsp Arrowroot powder
1 tsp Dried thyme
1 tsp Tarragon, dried
½ tsp Salt, table, or more to taste
¼ tsp Pepper, black, or more to taste
¼ cup(s) Cream, sour, fat free
3 cup(s) Chicken breast, cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup(s) Peas and carrots, raw, thawed
3 Tbsp SoyaKaas Grated parmesan style, or similar product

Instructions
1. Cook noodles according to package directions with added salt; drain and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9 X 13-inch pan with cooking spray.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of margarine and vinegar together in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook until soft, stirring, about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
4. Whisk broth, milk and arrowroot together in a medium-size saucepan until smooth. Stir in remaining tablespoon of margarine; set over medium heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until thickened and boiling, about 8 minutes. Stir in thyme, tarragon, salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat; stir in sour cream.
5. Combine cooked noodles, chicken, mushrooms, peas and carrots, and sauce together in a large bowl. Pour into prepared pan; sprinkle with grated topping. Bake until bubbling and hot, and top is starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.

The serving size is about 7 points. It's very good but be warned. It's not as creamy and savory as you thing it will be.