Beth Dyess

Maters!!!

on August 11th, 2010 by Rob

Beth and I have started a new thing. Maters…. in the back yard. Of course I had to use a picture of Tow-Mater (my kids love this)!!

But what we have found is that it is a lot of fun for all of us. Beth and I make sure that they are watered by assigning one of the kids to do it each day. George particularly loves it.

The tomatos that we planted this spring grew about 5 feet tall and ended up giving us tomatos for about 6 weeks. Not bad for our first go ’round.

Since then… actually just in the past few days, we have planted some pepers and some different kinds of tomatos… grape tomatos I think.

The whole point of this exercise is to not only foster some fun for our family… being out in the back yard together (of course Dad just kind of sits on the porch and drinks beer)…. but to also to try to spur my kids interest in vegtables. I want them to LIKE vegtables.

When I was a kid, my GRANDPARENTS grew tomatos in the back-yard, but vegtables were not really a part of my life. I mean, I ate a lot of pop-tarts, but those don’t grow in the back-yard. Maybe if my PARENTS had been into it…. I would have grown to like vegtables and I would not have been 25 years old when I ate my first tomato. (Which by the way is actually a fruit).

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Staying with the restaurant theme….

on February 28th, 2010 by Rob

There is a really great web-site out there… that I consult all of the time…. Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone.

This link will take you to the part of the site that I use all the time…. the home page is kinda busy with ads and a whole bunch of other crap that I haven’t even looked at… might be good, I just don’t have the patience.

So, I consult this when I am about to go out to a restaurant… this site gives all of the Weight Watchers point values for things at the restaurant. There are about 1000 places listed…. so as long as it is not some mom and pop- then your good.

Now, I say your good… but what if you are going to Galatoire’s on Bourbon Street. Well, that is NOT going to be on Dotti’s list. So, here are three tips to help you through that meal. (without ketchup)- sorry, inside joke with my sister!!

1. Just get an appetizer or two. Speaking of my sister, she does this    all the time…. you know, come to think of it, she’s not fat…. guess I should have been paying attention to her more all these years.

2. Share an entree with someone else. I have a friend that he and his wife do this all the time. Last time we went to Brennan’s with them they spent like $60.00 less than we did.

3. Avoid value meals- you know… the upsize at McDonald’s or really any fast food joint… come to think of it, avoid fast food joints (I know… this is a tall order)

4. Doggy bag it. Don’t eat it all….. take some home.

5. Order water- I said it not long ago, one of the biggest reasons for weight issues in this country (and the south) is sugar in our drinks.

So, there ya have it… some strategies that will help next time you go out to eat.

Comments?????

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We’re gonna need a bigger boat!!

on January 25th, 2010 by Rob

“Don’t you think we should go back to shore and get a bigger boat?” Chiefy said this at least twice while they were trying to catch Jaws.

Well, this is a little how I feel today… just not real motivated… and I just feel like I am getting bigger. A little like a whale. I sent a text to Clark a few days ago and told him that I felt fat. He sent one back that said “I AM fat”- meaning him, of course…. he is not going to call me fat.

I guess I am staying about the same… but I just don’t feel very motivated. I would like to loose about 20lbs. Well, as soon as I get on a roll and do really well for a few days…. wham!!!! Something trips me up. I just feel a little blah.

I think that I will start again tomorrow… pass the cheeseburgers! That would be very easy for me to do today. But this is the old “stinkin’ thinkin’” as alcoholics talk about it. I just have to persevere. O.K.- that’s it… having a salad at lunch and going to run this afternoon.

On a personal note… Beth got a real good report from the doctor this morning. About 3 months ago she was diagnosed with Lupus. The doc told us this morning that the drug she has been taking seems to be working well… and she reported to him that she seems to feel better. Well, thanks for all small favors… but this was a big one. Big load off of my mind and I am sure an even bigger one off of hers. Thanks for thinking about us!!!

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Recipe: Personal Pizza

on October 13th, 2008 by Beth

Personal Pizza

Ingredients

1 sm whole wheat pita

2 tbsp Newman’s Own Sockarooni spaghetti sauce

1 tbsp part skim shredded parmesan cheese

¼ cup low fat or part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup mixed veggies

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pita on pizza pan with concave up. Smear sauce right to the edges of pita. Top with Parmesan, mozzarella, and your favorite veggies. Bake in oven for 15 min. or until middle bubbles.

This is the perfect size for an individual and is very tasty. Even my 3yr old son likes to have his own pizza, but only with the cheese. Hope you like it, let me know!

Note: for added flavor you can brush pita with a dressing made of olive oil, minced garlic, and salt.

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September 2008

on September 18th, 2008 by Beth

All this has happened very fast. We are three weeks away from the final reveal and weigh in. The pictures and filming will be taken in Oxford, MS at a bed and breakfast. They tried to tie it into the football game and the university, but the presidential debate is happening the week after and the secret service will not allow the film crew to set up.

Rob looks great, I only hope he looks as good on camera and in the magazine as he does in person.
Well the reveal was exciting and Robert lost the most weight. He lost 82 pounds, that’s almost a whole person. Rob looked great in the pictures I took and I think he will look just as good on the TV. George and Henry were wonderful for little kids. Henry ran up and hugged Rob right after he weighed and while everyone was clapping for him. It was as if it was scripted. George was dressed in a blue bubble suit that was his fathers when he was a baby. I was so proud of Rob. Victor asked me a rather embarrassing question regarding Rob’s private anatomy, and I answered as carefully as I can because the camera crew and microphones were recording the entire exchange. Now all we can do is wait for the program.

We got a call saying that they want Rob to go to New York to do promotions for the show. Tanya will also be going (her story is inspirational). It turns out that they will also let me and Tanya’s husband go as well. I’m so excited we leave tomorrow and get back the day of the show. NYC here we come!!!!

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August 2008

on August 3rd, 2008 by Beth

Robs worried that he won’t meet his goal of loosing 80 pounds, by the end of this weight loss program. He can do it, but I think the pressure of getting to the end is affecting him. He is trying to workout a little extra during the week, and running on the weekends. He won’t have a problem, but I have agreed to cook more at home and send him with his lunch as often as possible. He doesn’t have much control over what he eats during the day because he travels and has to take people to lunch. I’m shopping for him separate and often making meals just for him so that we can be certain of his caloric and fat intake.

He’s looking so great, and just as predicted we have reached the point that he is CUTER THAN ME. AHHHHHHHH!!!!! Well once this is all over maybe we can shift some attention and time my way. I cannot take George to mother’s morning out or the gym child care, because he has to be 6 months old. So, I have to wait for Rob to get home to watch the boys before I can go to workout, but Rob has so much on his plate with his regular work, extra workouts, and watching his diet.

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July 2008

on July 10th, 2008 by Beth

Henry is going to be 3 this month. He is getting to be such a little boy and not a toddler. He really seems to be interested in his baby brother, and strangely always wants to see George’s dirty diapers. Other mothers tell me this is rather common. As excited as Henry is about his brother he has asked me several times when is George’s mother coming to get him. I tried to explain that I am both his mother and George’s mother, but he will have none of that nonsense, and argues that I cannot be both he and George’s mother. People who haven’t seen Rob in a while are dropping their jaws. This is a great encouragement for Rob, and he asks me every so often if he really looks as if he is loosing weight. I think it will take a lot longer for Rob to see himself as the skinnier, fitter man that he is today. His mind will take longer to catch up with his body. He and I can be looking in the same mirror, and he still sees himself as large despite the fact that he’s in smaller pants and belts. I can tell in the way he moves and just the way he carries himself that his body has had some major changes. He still walks like the weight is there but his balance is better and movements more fluid. He thinks I’m crazy when I tell him these things.

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June 2008

on June 6th, 2008 by Beth

I still spend most of the day tired, because George is eating every 3 hours. Robert is more tired than usual, because George is in our bedroom in his bassinette, and Rob still has to get up at 5AM every morning to workout. He has started to really enjoy running and is amazed that he can run 5K in a very reasonable time. Rob is one of those people who only last year would snicker at the bikers on the Natchez Trace and would shake his head at runners on Saturday morning. He used to turn to me and say these people have lost their mind. As much as he liked our old neighbor who ran in triathlons, he would shake his head in wonder why anyone would voluntarily do such a thing. Now, I crack up every time he tells me about his most recent improved 5K time, and he turns red and tells me to leave him alone.

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May 2008

on May 29th, 2008 by Beth

This is going to be a big month. Lately, I’m getting tired almost as often as during the 1st trimester. I feel exhausted even after I take the dogs out for a brief walk. All I seem to want to do is sleep, eat and sleep some more. My mom is coming to stay for two weeks the week the baby comes. She will be a great help. She wasn’t retired when Henry was born, and she could only come for a short time, and had to leave before he was released from the neonatal and allowed to come home. Rob is getting nervous about the baby, the Planet Grande filming, his work, and his workout. He is worrying about almost everything. I’m just too tired to worry, and too excited about having another baby to care about the filming.

Well George Robert Dyess has entered the world at 8 pounds 1 ounce, 20 inches long, and absolutely beautiful. Maybe everyone always thinks this, but, Robert and I can make some beautiful babies. George always smells sooooo good and makes me feel warm and happy every time I touch him. I couldn’t love Rob more than I do right now. The film crew from Planet Grande Pictures was so great! Amazingly, they were very discrete and somehow seemed to blend into the background of the hospital staff

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April 2008

on April 3rd, 2008 by Beth

Well the baby is due June 11th, but my doctor has suggested that a C section will be the best option, based on my age, previous lost pregnancies, and having had a C section with Henry. So, it is scheduled for May 30th, and I will do all I can to make certain this one stays put until then. Although I realize that I have little control over what happens, I can do things like keeping stressors under control, eating right, and getting enough rest. Rob has been a big help with eating right, and getting enough sleep. I have to cook for Rob and that means watching the calories, fat, carbs etc. He is going to sleep early so he can get up at 4:30AM to workout, and I tend to follow his lead. Rob and his weight loss challenge has been such a great distraction, to keep me from being worried about myself and the pregnancy. The film crew wants to be there for the birth, but this requires my Doctors and the hospitals consent, so we will just have to wait and see

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