Dodging Disasters

Morning came fast!  My head hit the pillow and before I knew it, it was time to get up, even though it was still dark outside at 6 a.m. –Boo:(  I got up and dressed in my “gym clothes” to prepare for Day 2 of my new gym experience ;)

First, I ate my power Yogurt Bowl breakfast:  Chobani nonfat plain yogurt, 1 c. blueberries, sprinkle of Post Trail Mix Crunch Cereal …

Sadly, I was disappointed in this one.  I decided to try it using organic frozen wild blueberries and while they made a nice “syrup” when I microwaved them, they weren’t very sweet or flavorful at all.  Ugh.  Now, I need to find something to do with the GINORMOUS bag of them that I bought at BJ’s Wholesale.  Any suggestions??

After my lackluster breakfast, it was off to the gym again.  I hit the elliptical for 50 minutes and did a 15 minute lower body weight workout with a few ab sets thrown in at the end.  What I’m liking about the gym is I am extending my workout time without it seeming like it;  it’s fun to be exercising with others and goes by so much quicker than when I’m in my dreary old basement :)

I couldn’t wait to get to lunchtime!  I was craving eggs, so I put together a “kitchen sink” scramble.  Every leftover veggie in the fridge went in there:  spinach, broccoli, red pepper and red onion.  I also threw in some diced ham and 2% cheese…

It was perfect with a small slice of Seven Grain Bread…

After lunch, I was able to get a little house cleaning done.  My list  of “to do’s” is a mile long with things I want to get accomplished before the holidays and I’m stinking with time management, lately.  I have to get better at being more efficient!

School let out and snack time was imminent.  Even though I wasn’t very hungry, I decided to eat to avoid the potential for disaster!  I opted to snack smart with an apple and PB2 which I ended up sharing some of with little daughter…

 

This snack worked out well in holding me over until dinner.  Yay, no disaster!!!

I had a nice, healthy dinner planned of barbequed pork chops, grilled sweet potatoes and salad.  Faces were made by the daughters.  Faces were made back by me.  Everyone ate…or else ;P  

Thankfully, to save them from this horrendous dinner, I made these dinner rolls that I was obsessed with making after seeing them on Zesty’s blog.  I did fool with the recipe by using half whole wheat flour.  They didn’t look as professional as Zesty’s, but tasted great!

I picked on a few more pieces, then packed them up to dodge that potential for disaster! Whew!

Hope you have a Happy Friday!!

ONE GOOD THING: I made it through after-school snack time with just a healthy snack and no other munching!!

Just Beachy

Hey Everyone!  I’m posting early since we are leaving from the shore later tonight and will be getting home late…

Look what I saw this morning…

Now THAT’S what I’m talking about!

I wasted no time hopping on my bike and went for an awesome hour long ride with my Dad!  The weather was just perfect for riding :)

When I got back, I was huuungry.  I whipped up the same breakfast as yesterday:  bagel sammie with egg white and reduced fat cheese…

And Teeccino with a splash of soymilk…

Then, it was off to the beach…

We brought lunch to the beach and dug in not long after getting there.  Something about that sea air makes ya hungry!  I packed up a crabby salad for myself…

I could eat those giant crabcakes everyday!  I also munched on some of these Kettle Brand Baked Buffalo Bleu chips (spicy!)…

and a darling clementine…

I’m off to shower and pack.  See ya at home tomorrow !

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Let’s Try This Again

Pouring rain.  That was the sound of the morning.  It looked like the day was going to be a total washout:(  I wasn’t up for bike riding in a torrential downpour, so I decided to do a 10 minute Pilates workout that I found on Sparkpeople.  I definitely felt the burn;  I am really enjoying adding in this new form of exercise!

Breakfast started off with a nice cuppa Teeccino….

We bought limited groceries since we were here for just the weekend, so my choices were eggs and bagels.  I opted for both and made a bagel sammie using half a bagel, 1 egg white and reduced fat cheddar cheese…

Yum!  That held me over for most of the morning. 

Finally, the skies shifted and the rain dried up!  I took the opportunity to hop on my bike for a quick 20 minute ride before lunch.

We decided to try packing lunch and going to the pool again.  The husband and daughters rushed over to the pool and I made up the picnic lunch.  I had a lovely crabcake waiting for me in the fridge, so I decided to eat my fancy lunch before heading to the pool…

Look at how big this guy was…

and filled with all crab…

I ate it “lettuce wrap” style with some deliciously sweet homegrown tomatoes on the side.  Then finished with a nectarine topped with a ray of light…

Hooray for sun!!!!  We were so thankful for the sun to join us while we swam at the pool!

We were famished by dinner time and decided on Chinese takeout for an easy dinner.  This gets a little tough for me;  Chinese food doesn’t usually fill me for long and I try my best to stay away from all the fried dishes.  But, I was in the mood to try something that I don’t normally order , so I “branched out” and got the Shrimp Lo Mein…

It was so good!  I paired it with a non-Chinese dish – baby arugula, romaine and tomato salad.  Gotta get in the extra veggies!

I couldn’t help having another forkful or two of Lo Mein…

A while later,  chanting started… ice cream, ice cream, ice cream…

We stopped in a new ice cream place that serves gelato.  Oh no.  There is no way to resist the creamy goodness of gelato.  I made sure to choose the most “screaming with calories” flavor…Chocolate Raspberry Brownie….

To. Die. For.

Okay, I’ll be honest here, I am sucking horribly this week at intuitive eating and leaving the dieting mentality behind.  I have guilted the bejesus out of myself for the past week and am having a really hard time listening to my body’s satiety cues.  I realize that being in tune with yourself takes so much practice.  It is very hard to let myself go and trust myself.  I really need to be focused with this approach;  it is not something that comes natural to me.  At all.  I’m a little scared, too.  I’m scared of the scale and what it’s going to say when I get on it next.  I’m scared of food and what eating “the wrong things” or “more than I should” will do to my weight loss efforts.  I’m scared to dig deeper and figure out exactly why I eat the way I do and why I feel the need to comfort myself, in a variety of situations,  with food.  I feel like I’ve ventured into a sort of “food addiction” rehab.  I think it’s worth the work;  I’m just scared of what happens during the detox period…

Hope you all are having a glorious Saturday!

Question of the Day…  What is your favorite Chinese takeout dish?

Speed Blogging

Hey Everyone! Hope you're enjoying your Saturday! As usual, I'd love to blog your eyes off, but I'm gonna speed blog tonight as I am worn out from an all afternoon into evening baby shower! So, let's get to it...

 

I woke up starving today! I did no exercise (slug) and got right to breakfast. I made an egg sandwich with one egg white, a slice of 2% cheese on a Pepperidge Farm Deli Flat. It looked kinda plain to me, so I spruced it up with a handful of baby spinach...

I got ready and headed out to a lovely baby shower for my SIL's niece. I was really hungry by this time (2:30!), so I nibbled on some of the table snacks...

 

my snacking plate…

 

After chatting for a while, the buffet was ready for the taking....

I decided on fruit salad, pasta salad with sundried tomatoes and romaine salad with mandarin oranges, olives and feta. It was all delicious!

 

Cake and cookies were also served later, but since I felt satisfied with my meal, I decided not to eat any :)

Lots more chatting it up and present opening, then it was time to go. I finally made it home by 7:30 and was feeling really hungry. I went right to the fridge, but couldn't decided what I wanted. As I was thinking, I snacked on a small piece of banana bread and leftover calzone. Nothing really jumped out at me ( I think I was beyond hunger at this point and couldn't decide), so I opted for a small bowl of Post Trail Mix Crunch with blueberries and unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze...

That hit the spot!

Off to cuddle up with the hubs. Have a great night!!

btw, tried out Windows Live Writer tonight - have NO idea what I'm doing or how to size/load my pics! Guess it's a learning process! Anyone have a copy of WLW for Dummies - LOL!

When A Plan Comes Together

Back again! Hope you all had as beautiful a day as it was here. The sun was shining, no humidity and a light breeze. Just perfect! I was tempted to go for an outdoor run, but decided the impact on my hip might not be as harsh if I stick with the treadmill for a while. I did 40 minutes; 14 of which completely sucked. Those first minutes seemed brutal for some reason. I was not feeling strong at all, but I perservered, then got into a groove and it was fine for the rest of the run. Watching The Hills kept me entertained during it, too.

After the run, I made a breakfast burrito with a small La Tortilla Factory tortilla, 3 egg whites and salsa. It was only 2 POINTS, but very filling...


So filling, in fact, that I wasn't ready for lunch until 1:30! I dug around in the fridge and found some of the bbq baked tofu that I made (last week??). It still looked decent, so I made a bbq baked tofu sandwich on a honey wheat bun with lettuce and a slice of 2% cheese. Delish! On the side, I had a serving of crinkle potatoes, an apple and a fruit and nut bite for dessert. A voluminous lunch for 8 POINTS...


No snack attack this afternoon! My lunch took me all the way to dinner. Maybe the 8 POINTS is the amount I need or it could have been the combination of filling foods that kept me satisfied and not looking to munch. I hope that's the ticket :)


I planned a nice, healthy dinner, but the husband and daughters had a different plan - PIZZA! I let them go the pizza route, but stuck to my dinner plan for myself ...

Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. chicken breast cut in 1" pieces
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 c. broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 c. fat free chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 c. cooked brown rice

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and garlic and cook 1 minute. Season chicken with thyme, salt and pepper and add to skillet. Brown on all sides for 3 minutes.
2. Add broccoli; cover and cook 2 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup broth, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through(about 5 minutes).
4. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup broth, add to skillet and simmer 1 minute.
5. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings. 5 POINTS per serving. Each serving is 1 cup chicken mixture and 1/2 cup rice.

I found this recipe in one of my old WW recipe binders. It is quick and delicious! Best part is now I have 3 additional servings that I packed up and put in the freezer for those heat and eat dinner nights! Definitely a keeper...

I had plenty of room for dessert, so I made up my old favorite - Deep Chocolate Vitatop with PB2 icing for 2 POINTS...

and a blueberry crackshake (2 POINTS) to wash it down...

The daughters were intrigued by my crackshake and came running with their straws to take a taste. Some taste! They ended up drinking half of my shake - booo! It's okay; I don't mind sharing the health ;P

Another good day in! I'm hoping to get to my WW meeting this Thurs.; it's been a while and I really miss it! I like going to the meeting; I just don't always love the weighing part! I have been avoiding the scale the past couple of weeks, but I'm going to stay the course this week and see if the scale speaks good things to me =)

Have a great night!

Horsing Around

I've been horsing around. I've been feeling this way all day about my weight loss since starting this BLBE challenge. From the January start date, I have lost 4 pounds. That is very suckish. People have told me that sometimes getting those last 10 pounds off is harder than the entire weight loss to date and may take a long time. I'm feeling a little frustrated about that. Mainly because it's not that I'm plateauing; I'm just horsing around and not putting my best effort forward with the eating part of it. Exercise is still on target. I ran for 30 min. outdoors this morning and plan on doing some strength training tonight. Now, I just have to figure out how to refocus my eating.

I was on the right track with breakfast this morning. I made an egg sammie with an Ezekiel Plain English Muffin, a slice of 2% cheese and one egg white and had a nice steaming cup of Eggnoggin Tea for 3 POINTS...


I was determined to be productive around the house today and tried not to have any distractions like phone, TV and computer! I got in a good bit of laundry and cleaned up the kitchen, only to mess it up again with lunch! I do that all the time! I decided to have a Chicken BLT wrap made with 2 slices of grease- all -over -the- micro center cut bacon, 2 oz. chicken (Perdue Short Cuts), lettuce, tomato and a squirt of Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch wrapped up in a La Tortilla Factory Tortilla. Some crunchy Creamy Ranch Soy Crisps and a Fuji apple were a perfect side for this 7 POINT lunch...

Neeeeigh. It was a regular horse and pony show this afternoon. I started with a serving of pretzel sticks (I knew I shouldn't have bought these suckers the other day) and a string cheese for 3 POINTS...

And then, I had about 45 more handfuls of pretzels. And then, I had a handful of Peanut Butter Puffins. And ..... then...... I decided I HAD to mess up the kitchen again and make THIS...

If you're thinking brownie, cookie or cake batter, MAN, you have gotten to know me soooo well!! However, I decided to take a different route and created a new evil for myself...Homemade Almond Butter!!!! I have been seeing Barney Butter and other almond butters all over the blogosphere and have been convinced that I must try it. Since, I had some whole almonds in the house, I decided I would make it myself. I did some research and here is the recipe I came up with that I put through Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder for your POINT verifying convenience :) Oh my greatness! It is absolutely delicious. The husband and big daughter took a spoonful and were big fans! I, of course, had to try it by spoonful and then, spread on 2 flax crackers. I "forgot" to get pics of that ;) Don't worry though, you'll definitely be seeing it again!

That was a filling afternoon buffet snack, so I "downsized" my original plan for dinner and just went with 1 c. tortellini with marinara and 1 tbsp. parmesan for 5 POINTS...

And leftover Breaded Cheese Stuffed Zucchini for 3 POINTS...

There will be no dessert tonight! I said that quite emphatically, in case you didn't hear me :) I will distract any further thoughts of kitchen goodies by sitting down with the daughters to watch a heinous Disney movie that will inevitably begin or end with the death of a parent. I am going to write them a letter one day!

Then, it will be time to hit the hay. Neigh.

I Survived!

Today was a day of some cool non-scale victories! The first was my workout. I postponed my exercise until after getting the daughters off to school. It was such a beautiful, sunny morning(although 30*) that I thought I would head outside to "try" a run. I wasn't expecting much from myself. Running outside has not been something I have been able to accomplish. I barely could make it a block without feeling like I was going to have to call 911! Today, I decided to use the great advice given to me by fellow bloggers/runners which was go slow. I realized that the difference in running outdoors is that you don't have the treadmill to set your pace for you, so you tend to go a little faster and take greater strides. This in turn causes major breathlessness and a potential call for an ambulance. Well, at least for me :) So, I took my time, kept my strides shorter and really tried to focus on my breathing. The first 3 minutes were the hardest; I had to keep talking to myself, egging myself on because after 1 minute, I was ready to quit. My neighborhood is very hilly and I kept thinking that there was no way I was going to make it. But, I ended up making it around one time, then another and another. Before I knew it, 45 minutes had passed! I clocked the mileage in my car later and it was 2.1 miles! Holy Crap! I cannot believe I ran (well, really slow- jogged!) 2 hilly miles. Who am I????? I didn't used to like to even walk! I felt proud of myself for breaking that mental barrier. Now, I feel like a 5k race is within my reach. To be con't on that...

On to the food...
After my "run", I made myself an egg sammie using a Weight Watchers Petite Bagel, 1 egg white cooked with a handful of baby spinach, a slice of 2% cheese and a slice of center cut bacon. Delish! Another 3 POINT beefy breakfast winner...




I had a haircut appointment at lunchtime today, so I decided to wait until afterward to eat lunch, but, to keep my hunger in check, I had a Weight Watchers Berries and Cream Yogurt and a Kashi Fruit and Grain Raspberry Chocolate bar. A filling 3 POINT snack...


Good thing I had a snack. My appointment ran a little long and then, I had to squeeze in some errands before I got a chance to get home. When I got home, my long awaited (it's only been a week, but has seemed like an eternity!) shipment of PB2 came! YAY!!! Oh, how I've missed it! I didn't waste a minute ripping open the box and fixing up a PB2 and sugar free jam sammie on a store brand light english muffin. I slice up and apple and chowed down on this yummy 3 POINT lunch...

Since I ate so late, I really didn't want an afternoon snack. I just made some Coffee Cocoa and sipped on that while I did some housework.

My second non-scale victory came at dinner. It's Friday. It's Pizza Night. Do I avoid it like the plague? Have visions of it "falling in the toilet" -eww? No, tonight I will meet this head on! I will show this pizza who's boss! Right? Right! I had the crusts prepared, made the sauce earlier in the day, now I only had to grate the cheese. Wonderful mozzarella cheese. As I grate, some large pieces break off, too large to plop on the pizza, but too small to grate without shredding my fingers along with it. Normally, these pieces find their way right into my mouth. But, nooooo! I will not let it, tonight. I go into my handbag and grab a piece of super minty gum and pop it in my mouth. Mint + mozzarella is gross, so this worked out great!! I was able to prepare the pizza without doing major cheese damage before the pizza was even ready! Cool! When, the pizza was ready, I cut 2 small slices for myself, made a big salad for everyone and I also, threw some leftover broccoli on my plate. My plate was overflowing with food which made me happy and my eyes were already "satisfied" before I even ate the food. I loved every bite of this! I ate pizza with the family and I did it without being piggy. It was a good feeling. Also, a good 10 POINT dinner...

I can't believe I am saying this, but I could have gone without dessert again, tonight! But, I decided to eat it anyway because in my shipment of PB2 came a sample of CHOCOLATE PB2!!!!!! OMG! I had to try it immediately. I mixed it with a tsp. of fluff and topped my Deep Chocolate Vitatop with the chocoPB2/fluff icing...

Oh. my. greatness. Life is too short to not eat dessert :)

Hope everyone had a Happy Friday and had some non-scale victories of your own today!