Hey! My name is Erin and I’m going to try to catch you up to speed with what’s been going on.

I rejoined WW on Dec. 31, 2011 — this might be my 24th or 26th time rejoining…

I used to be my mother’s caregiver for the past 9 years (we’ll call her Gigglemom… I’m known as Gigglechick… I have a Jack Russell named Gigglepup.) Over those nine years, I wound up gaining 90 pounds. Now, I am not going to totally blame GMom for the weight gain, but, let’s just say the STRESS didn’t help.

Fast Forward – December 4th, 2011 – Gigglemom passed away. I decided that I need to focus on ME now. Let me tell you, it’s a weird thing to have the role of caregiver whipped out from under you all of a sudden — you now need to reassess what is a priority in your life. So, for the first time in a decade, I became my own caregiver.

I am 41 years old, 5’6″ and when I rejoined WW, I was 236 pounds.

My leader, Nicole at the Brick NJ meeting location (9am Saturday morning) is awesome and the entire group at that meeting is fantastic.

The first week, I actually was able to just cook for myself (not me and Gmom) and it worked wonders.

I guess I will just list the weight loss from 12/31/11 to 03/31/12 for this post:

12.31.11 * 236.0 * START
01.07.12 * 226.8 * 9.2 loss
01.14.12 * 223.6 * 3.2 loss
01.21.12 * 222.2 * 1.4 loss
01.28.12 * 221.0 * 1.2 loss
02.04.12 * 217.6 * 3.4 loss
02.11.12 * 215.4 * 2.2 loss
02.18.12 * 214.8 * 0.6 loss
02.25.12 * 214.8 * 0.0 loss
03.03.12 * 213.6 * 1.2 loss
03.10.12 * 213.6 * 0.0 loss
03.17.12 * 211.0 * 2.6 loss
03.24.12 * 211.0 * 0.0 loss
03.31.12 * 206.6 * 4.4 loss

I am setting my final Goal to be 150 pounds. So, I still have a ways to go. My next goal though is 192 (this will be my second 10%)

Here is my Weight Loss Spreadsheet that I set up in Google Docs:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AkB9yqobnfYqcGpsUG8zS05EVlFxMjVBMVNFUFVvVWc&output=html

HERE’S SEAN’S STORY:
giveforward.com/teamsean

This is my nephew Sean (on the left… not to be confused with his uncle Tom who’s yapping) — PLEASE spread the word about THIS Sunday Feb 26th Pancake breakfast at Applebee’s in Brick,NJ and also the fundraiser that Jersey Mike’s is doing this weekend as well…

THANK YOU!!

APPLEBEE’S INFO: Come out to BRICK Applebee’s on February 26th from 8am-10am for a pancake breakfast, tickets are $10 and everyone is welcome, every single cent earned will go to support Sean and his fight, if interested in tickets contact Brian De Almeida @ BTHSFPO@gmail.com.

JERSEY MIKE’S IN BRICK NJ — $2 coupon starting Friday the 24th at 10 am and ending on Monday the 27th at 9pm
MORE INFO: facebook.com/pages/Jersey-Mikes-Subs-Brick-NJ/216318421784340

Hooray! Week 6 on Weight Watchers and I’m down 20.6 pounds!!!! Lost another 2.2 pounds this week (and that was WITH my punctuation being here for the week.)

Pretty damned psyched!!

I think that my success this time is a combo of:

A) Weight Watchers — of course.
B) Less stress from not having to worry about Gigglemom
C) Cooking for myself. Not having to make side dishes and giant portions of food.

So, I am well on my way (or weigh… see what i did there?) to my goal of 155 pounds

That’s my initial goal weight. I think I was at a decent weight 10 years ago when my lowest was 159. I might dare for 150 for a nice even number. Since I am 5’6″, the high 150s are at the upper end of the goal scale.

In the meantime, I hit my 20 pound mark! I am less than 3 pounds away from my WW 10% goal (which is 23 pounds) and then my next personal goal is 30 pounds….

when i hit 30 pounds, i’m gonna go get a massage.

THIS WEEK’S GOAL: to start going back to the gym…. because next Saturday, I actually am “running” the Manasquan Mid-Winter Beach Run — okay, it’s 2 miles and i will probably do a brisk walk.

HERE IS MY PROGRESS SO FAR — in a nice tidy spreadsheet.

it all began with THIS RECIPE that I found on AllRecipes.com

but since i’ve been on weight watchers (and kicking ass by the way…) i’ve revamped it so that it averages out to be 4 points per slice.

i’ve scrapped the bacon bits (although you CAN use the oscar mayer pre-cooked bacon slices and crumble them and figure the points)

1 (9 inch) deep dish frozen pie crust — I use a regular – not deep dish… averages out to 2 points per slice

4 eggs, lightly beaten — i use the 4 servings of Egg Beaters instead.

1 cup half-and-half cream — i swapped it for FAT FREE Half & Half

then i load it with veggies. tonight i had green, red, orange peppers and onions that i chopped up and mixed with the cheese.

I’ve been using Reduced Fat shredded cheeses. Personally, the Sargento ones have been great.

in last week’s i used Reduced Fat Shredded 4 Mexican Cheese from Sargento and poured fresh salsa on top then added the egg mixture. served it with a side of guacamole! YUM!

here’s the finished Quiche… I call it The ConQuichetador!

GO GIANTS!

My weight that day was 236.0 glorious pounds. HOORAY!! (*ahem* that was sarcasm)

Anyway, I’ve been focusing on myself finally for the first time in nearly a decade and in 5 weeks, I’ve lost 18.4 pounds! (granted, I’ve got a lot more to lose, I want to hit 155 pounds at some point. It’s looking like Fall 2012 for that. according to my Weight Loss Spreadsheet that I’ve mapped out.)

GO. read the Q&A. if you’re new to my blog and haven’t followed me on facebook yet, you might learn something from what I say in the interview!

I’m going to list the bullhockey that happened this year – as bulletpoints – but, since I haven’t posted since my Chocolate Cream Pie photo on Thanksgiving, I do have to mention one extremely important item.

On December 4th, 2011, Gigglemom passed away. Yeah, she’s pinin’ for the fjords. Over the past 12 years of blogging I can’t believe i frigging waited almost an entire month before I posted about her death.

She died at home. In her sleep. Peacefully. (She and I always joked around that she would die whilst choking on a piece of rice or during a coughing fit. but she didn’t. and I am grateful that she just, for lack of a better cliche, “slipped away”)

That said (I’ve been whinging about it on my facebook page since the 4th, so, if you’re not over there — Erin Gigglechick Bennett — then you are SOOOOOO missing out on my annoying status updates.)

Speaking of updates… yeah yeah, i am going to try to update the blog more often — I need to.

NOW FOR THE LIST OF 2011 CRAPOLA
• February, Phooka (my MINI) was repo’d — and not by Emilio Estevez. The police had to be called because I locked myself in the car and held it hostage for an hour as the tow truck guy had it hooked up. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE: Giggledad and my stepmom lent me the money to pay it off and are patiently waiting for me to get on my feet again.

• Gigglemom went into the hospital from Feb 10 to 21st then was in the rehab where she coded on March 1st and they performed CPR on her when she was DNR…. in turn, breaking 12 ribs, 17 fractures in them, 3 compression fractures in her spine and fractured her sternum. She then was in the hospital from march 1 through April 7th.

• while GMom was in the hospital, my GiggleAunt Judy wound up on a different floor and GAJ and GM wound up tag teaming between the ICU and regular rooms and rehab stints…. unfortunately, GiggleAunt Judy passed away at the age of 64 on April 9th.

• GMom wound up back in the hospital on April 25th and then was in the rehab until mid-july.

• in August we had a falling out with our neighbors – who are on the condo board.

• September gigglemom receives a notice that the condo board is suing her and will try to get the condo to be foreclosed on. I wind up taking the financial reins and try to get things straightened out. Finally I was able to pay a lump sum of $$$ on november 15th (with a balance of $9600 due still)

• On December 4th, Gigglemom passes away.

I’m trying to remember what else on the negative side has happened. I’m putting it all in the past.

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE OF 2011:

• My nephew Sean – who was diagnosed with pediatric cancer last October 2010 – was given a clean bill of health/scans over the summer. Thank GOD.

• I have been working closely with Dave Attell on his show Dave’s Old Porn and designing the website for that. This has been the highlight of my year – not only because it’s a reeeeeally funny show, but, because he’s just one of the best people I could ever know. A really nice, decent guy.

• Gigglepup was certified as a Therapy Dog (haven’t gone out to do therapy work with her yet, but, she’s certified.)

YEAH. THAT is about it for 2011 positive stuff.

Here’s to 2012 being fantastic. (Heck, it can’t get worse than losing both my Gigglemom and My GiggleAunt in the same year…. 2012, DO NOT TAKE THAT AS A CHALLENGE)

Well, it’s 10:53pm on the 31st. I’m at home on this New Year’s Eve, mainly because I just wasn’t in the mood to deal with people face to face… and also because i am trying to de-clutter the condo today and tomorrow (and most likely over the next month) as well as de-clutter my body…

I re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-joined Weight Watchers today… so, 2011 you will be the last year to ever see me at the weight of 236 EFFING TUBBYGUT (thanks to my friend hines for coining that phrase today) POUNDS

Here’s to 2012 being MY year (and your year, too, but this is my blog and i am looking forward to focusing on myself this year… since the past 8 years I have been Gigglemom’s caregiver.)

So, 2011…. you’ve certainly made me stronger, but, I hope 2012 makes me happier.