Just Be Myself

Hey all!  Weekend go okay?  It was so nice here.  I had intended on going for a walk or maybe doing some Pilates as my “rest day” activity, but ended up doing NADA!  Oh well!  I have to say that my hip is thanking me for it.  I gave it a nice recoup time this weekend and it feels a lot better!  So instead of working out, I worked around the house cleaning and catching up on laundry. I worked up an appetite for breakfast and stopped for an old fave of Trader Joe’s High Fiber O’s, strawberries and skim milk…

More cleaning and laundry.  We live like pigs, I’ve decided.  Or maybe our dog is really disguised as a pig.  I don’t know, it was just a mess around here!

I finally got things in semi-order and settled in to make lunch.  I was craving a wrap, mainly because I found these cool new (to me) Joseph’s Lavash Bread (found them in BJ’s)…

They are huge!  A serving is a half, but with these great stats, eating a whole one is no biggie…

I made a basic turkey and asiago cheese with lettuce, tomato and dijon mustard and had a super sweet Fuji apple on the side “for dessert”…

I really wanted to have some time to sit this afternoon.  I’ve been thinking a lot lately that I don’t take time to “just be”.  Everything is so fast;  the day flies by and I have a million things in my head about what I should be doing, what I want to do, where I need to go, etc.  My mind is never quiet.  I’m feeling unfocused, maybe even a little unnerved because of it.  Even if it’s just 5 minutes to STOP.  BREATHE.  LISTEN.  That’s all I’m asking of myself.  Did I do it?  NO!  Too many distractions.  But, it’s a goal I have for this week!

My Mom, Dad and Gram came over later in the day to hang out and have Sunday dinner with us.  It was so nice out, we decided on squeaking out the last days of grilling time.  I made burgers on the grill served on “healthy” Ezekiel Hamburger Buns and white, fluffy kaiser buns for the protesters to healthiness (you know who they are ;)…

Some sweet potato fries…

a big green salad…

and Gram brought her Zucchini Quiche, too…

My plate…

Mmmm…my burger with some fixins…

It was a fun time with healthy eats!  The Ezekiel buns were a hit and so filling that I didn’t even finish my burger!  Unheard of!

I hope you all had a great weekend!

ONE GOOD THING:  I respected my body and took time off to let it recoup from my hard workout week.

Question of the Day:  Do you take time during the day to “just be”?

Card Sharks

Happy Friday!  Wow, can’t believe it’s the last weekend of the summer :(  It’s been a great one;  so sad to see it go…

I have been enjoying lazing around in the morning and so have the daughters.  We are getting it all in before the school grind begins on Tues.  We lounged around in our pj’s;  they played, I played around on the computer and then did some cleaning.  I finally got around to eating breakfast.  Another yummy yogurt bowl…

• 1 c. plain nonfat Chobani Greek yogurt
• 1 c. blueberries ( 1/2 c. made into blueberry syrup)
• 1 tbsp. Post Trail Mix Crunch Cereal

A little while later, I got on the kicks and headed to the basement for a treadmill run.  I felt really good…at first.  Then, that darn hip pain acted up, this time on the left side!  I was so annoyed because I actually felt strong otherwise and got in a good groove right away with this run.  I decided to stop at 30 minutes, so as not to push it any more.  I felt so sore the remainder of the day and ended up icing my hip tonight.  Boo!

Trying to use up some of the leftovers in the fridge, I made up a Chicken Tzatziki Salad for lunch…

• 6 oz. grilled chicken breast seasoned with evoo, garlic, onion powder, oregano, s + p
• romaine lettuce
• diced tomato
• 1 oz. light feta cheese
• scoop of leftover tzatziki sauce

It was delish!

More cleaning up – the inlaws were coming for dinner!  I stopped mid-clean and had a quick snack…

And a quick break of trampoline jumping with the daughters!  Well, I mainly laid on the trampoline while they jumped around me :)  The inlaws came while we they were jumping, so I limped off and started on dinner.

I planned on grillin and chillin.  I made up burgers using 96% lean ground beef  and grilled up a bunch of veggies for a Grilled Veggie Salad…

while the burgers were cooking, I made up a simple green salad, too…

My plate…

After the daughters put on a “dance show”, we started up a serious whoop ass friendly game of cards with the inlaws.  I snacked on a  Choco – Cranberry- Almond Granola Bars and a few cantaloupe to keep my mind sharp…

Score:  Me + Husband = 2,  The Inlaws = 1

Go Us!!!

I have to tell ya, I’m loving the ONE GOOD THING that you all are sharing with me!  I think I’ll keep it going for a while, so feel free to share your ONE GOOD THING anytime!

ONE GOOD THING:  I did not pick on any extra slices of cheese for the burgers while I was preparing them :)

Have a great night!!

Water Works

I woke up ready to go this morning! I put on the kicks and headed right to the treadmill. I got in another strong 40 minute run. I was wondering if I would be feeling strong running 2 days in a row and it seemed to work out. I like when I don't feel like my feet are dragging through the whole run. I'd like to push myself into an hour long run once a week to see if I can increase my endurance. Baby steps right now....

I didn't feel like much breakfast after that, so I just had a Quinoa Cranberry Bran Muffin with a 1/2 tsp. smear of light butter for 3 POINTS...


I liked these even better today. They are definitely a hearty muffin with lots of texture. The cranberries are a great addition along with the hint of cinnamon. The husband "forgot" to try them this morning, so no review from him. Maybe, I can talk him into a guest review tomorrow!


After breakfast, the daughters and I donned our bathing suits, packed a lunch and headed to swim at my parents' pool. The water was perfect for me - 82 degrees! We splashed around a little, then got out to eat our lunch. It was PB+J all the way around! I made mine with 2 tbsp. PB2 and 1 tsp. jelly on Arnold Whole Grain White. Alongside, I had 1 cup of Trader Joe's Organic Lentil Soup and some watermelon. It was a satisfying 6 POINT lunch...

After lunch (no, we did not wait an hour!), we got back in the pool and did lots of exercise. I did some pool weight lifting (biceps and triceps), jogging and leg exercises. I also tried to swim a couple of laps which are so hard because I am not Dana Torres, but even my lame way is a great cardio workout!


When we came home, I started on dinner. But first, I needed a snack...

White nectarines are so good this time of year! I also grabbed a string cheese and a cracker, but made sure to stop there. Whew, it was a close one, though.

I planned on grilled lean burgers for dinner. I decided to go bunless (don't I wish) and just topped my burger with a slice of Asiago cheese, ketchup and a couple pickles. I made roasted potatoes with green beans for a side. It was a flavorful 9 POINT dinner...

I almost didn't have dessert. Almost. I'm pretty sure I could have gone without it, but I think it's another habit I have created. I'll need to work on that one. Baby steps :) After all, what would life be like without dessert?! This little harmless scoop of Breyers Fat Free Double Churn French Chocolate topped with some sliced almonds and a teensy squirt of chocolate syrup surely can't be all that bad.... it's only 3 little POINTS :)

I'm off to get in my 10 minute strength routine. Hope everyone had an easy Monday!

Rise And Shine, It's Scale Time

My first official Saturday of summer vacation started with me getting up and hitting the treadmill by 7:30 a.m.! It was earlier than I wanted, but I planned on going to the 8:30 WW meeting and I needed to get in my workout first. I did a 30 minute run, cleaned up and went to the meeting. I was happy to be down 2.6 lbs. I am back to where I was before the snack-a-rama weeks. I feel good about my "new" way of counting POINTS, but what I think may have made the most difference is not having a snack in the afternoon. It kept me from overeating in the afternoon because I never started to begin with. I'm going to continue this for another week and see how it goes.


My breakfast was a sample bar that was given out at the meeting. It was only 1 POINT and very yummy...


I had to run a bunch of errands after that, so I didn't have time to come home for a more substantial breakfast. I decided to wait it out for a bigger lunch. But, that turned out to be a rush job, too. My Dad wanted to take us to the movies to see UP at 12:30, so I packed up lunch to take with me. I went with a roasted veggie hummus wrap made with leftover roasted veggies and 2 tbsp. hummus rolled into a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Tortilla for 3 POINTS...

And I took some carrots and soy crisps for munching during the movie (2 POINTS)...

The daughters got popcorn and I did indulge in some of that. Why is movie popcorn so hard to resist?! I looked it up when I got home and I'm guessing I ate about 5 POINTS worth.

I relaxed to the max the rest of the afternoon and watched some mindless tv - The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Those women are nutty! While watching, I started on making dinner. I had planned on burgers and I was dying to try and recreate those Greek Lima Beans that friends brought to our last bbq. Here's the recipe I came up with...

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 c. diced onion
• 1/4 c. diced carrots
• 1/4 c. diced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz. frozen fordhook lima beans
• 1/2 c. canned petite diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. oregano
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 c. water or chicken broth

1. Saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
2. Add beans, tomatoes and seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Transfer to baking dish. Add water, cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Serves 5 (about 1/2 cup). 2 POINTS per serving.

It was very good! Not exactly like the original, but I think that had way more olive oil involved than what I used. I also made some of Gram's green beans, too. Altogether, a great tasting 8 POINT dinner...

I went for my traditional dessert - Fudgy Peanut Chip Vitatop with PB2 for 2 POINTS. It tasted extra good tonight....

I'm looking forward to snoozing now! Have a great night!

Shake It UP

Sorry, I missed last night; things got a little hectic around here and it got too late for me to focus on writing, but I enjoyed catching up on some of your blogs! Also, other than a good 4.2 mile walk, I can't say I was on program yesterday. Lots of snacking went on and not much of an actual meal occurred :( I feel good today though and decided I wasn't going to try so hard, but just let the day come as it may. I wanted to try to listen to my body and take the time to understand when I am hungry and not go by the clock. I've been thinking about making some changes in my program. I haven't come up with exactly what I want to do yet, but I know I need to shake things up a bit! We'll see...


I had a million errands planned for today. We are hosting a family bbq this Sun. and I have lots to get done! I knew there would be no time for my hour long walk or a big breakfast this morning. I went with a simple bowl of Trader Joe's High Fiber O's (3/4 c.) and 2 tbsp. dried cranberries topped with 1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze for 3 POINTS...



I ran to buy some flowers for planting, bought some produce and stopped home to unload the car. Before I ran out again, I made a strawberry crackshake (1 POINT) to go...


Breakfast didn't stay with me very long. I was hungry by 11:30! Normally, I would try to ignore that because it seems too early to eat lunch. I would push it off until 12:30-1:00 and then be famished! Today, I "listened" and prepared my lunch. I was looking forward to it anyway! While getting the daughters ready for school early this morning, I had prepped and baked some tofu to have for lunch. I used a block of Nasoya Firm Lite Tofu that I cut into 5 slices. I dipped 2 slices in Frank's Hot Sauce and the other 3 in barbeque sauce, then baked in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. For today's lunch, I decided on the Baked Buffalo Tofu and made a sandwich (inspired by Kathi's awesome Tofu Reuben). I placed the Baked Buffalo Tofu on 2 slices of TJ's spelt bread with lettuce, tomato and Marie's Chunky Lite Blue Cheese Dressing. OMG, this was so good!!! I used a little extra dressing for carrot dipping and had the finally ripened apriums. They are really great. They remind me of a mini peach; I'm not sure if I detect the apricot, but it's been a long time since I've had a fresh one. I enjoyed them, regardless. A most awesome 5 POINT lunch...

Out the door again for more errands. When the daughters came home from school, it was the ominous snack time. I noticed that I was really hungry for a snack today. Most times, I'm not and I eat one "just in case". I know there are different schools of thought on this. Some say to eat to keep hunger at bay and others say, just eat when you're hungry. So, that's what I did today and I tried to keep my snack healthy and well, just a snack! I think I end up making snacks into a meal-sized portion instead of something that's just enough to get me to the next meal. I mean, really, what is a snack?? I think we forget sometimes. I actually looked it up in the dictionary. Webster's defines snack as : a small portion of food; a bite; a share. Hmmm....interesting. My snacks seem to be like buffets lately- lol! So, with that in mind, I chose some cherries (which I shared with the daughters) and a bite - a Larabite! I made these up yesterday. I took the homemade Larabar recipe (click HERE) and put it in a mini candy cup mold that I had gotten at the craft store. They are meant for making homemade peanut butter cups, but I used them to make these fruit and nut bites! I like the Larabars, but I don't like spending 4 POINTS on one and there is something about only eating half of one that makes me feel unsatisfied. So, I thought if I put them in these little cups, they would feel more like an individual serving instead of "just a half". I know it's silly, but it worked for me. The recipe makes 2 bars, which made 8 bites - 1 POINT each. Perfect "snack" ...

And I couldn't resist making another crackshake! This was a knockoff Mocha Frap. I'll call it a Mocka Frap! Gosh, I'm loopy today! I used 1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 1 tbsp. instant espresso powder, 1 tbsp. sugar-free fat-free chocolate fudge pudding mix and 7 ice cubes for 1 POINT...

Dinner was burgers and brussels! Can you believe there are no fries on my plate? Instead, I opted for some roasted brussel sprouts which were fantastic! I used 96% lean beef for the burgers, topped it with a slice of Weight Watchers Pepperjack Cheese and served with lettuce, pickles and ketchup on a Honey Wheat Bun. A delicious and filling 8 POINT dinner...

I debated with myself on whether or not to have dessert. I really wasn't hungry. It's okay to not have dessert, I said to myself! But the "horns" came out, so here's what I chose...

How's that for shakin It up??!!! I feel good about my choices today. It was refreshing to listen to my body and just trying to be relaxed about the whole thing. I'm also glad that my body wasn't calling for brownies and chocolate chip cookies! Cuz, I might have listened to that;)

I'd like to leave you with a Question of the Day: Do you eat meals because it's the right "time" (i.e. lunchtime, dinnertime)according to the clock or do you try to eat whenever you are hungry regardless of time?

A New Member

I just joined Weight Watchers. Not really. I've been a member since July 2007, but when I went to my meeting this morning, I decided that I am going to pretend that I am a brand new member! Goofy, right? Well, remember that feeling you had when you made the solid decision to embark on a weight loss program? Kinda a mix between disgusted, fed-up, overwhelmed, desperate and excited for a new start? Then, you fully immersed yourself in your program of choice, being extra attentive and hypervigilant about following it to the T. You were very "rah rah" and "I can do it". Well, I tried to channel all those feelings from "day one" and went into my meeting this morning like it was my first. I told the receptionist my plan and she played along. Fresh start. I'm not looking at any of the previous pages of my weigh-in booklet and lamenting over it. I'm just starting new. And how ANNOYING am I that I am one of those people that joins Weight Watchers and only has 10 pounds to lose *wink, wink* ???!!!!

I headed out early for my meeting and rushed back just in time to have some toast before taking little daughter to a make-up dance class. I toasted up 2 slices of Trader Joe's Sprouted Grain Wheat Bread and spread them with 1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge for 3 POINTS...



When we got home, I did some housework and headed to the treadmill for a 35 minute run and 5 minutes of tricep dips/weights.

Before I knew it, it was after 1:00 and time for lunch. Chips made a reappearance in the form of these...

A big serving is only 2 POINTS...

I also made a salmon salad wrap using a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Wrap , a handful of baby spinach and the other half of the salmon salad mix - YUM! I paired it with some carrots for a delish 5 POINT lunch...

I will definitely keep that salmon salad in my normal rotation; it is so good!

I spent some time outside with the husband and daughters. What a glorious day! We had lunch outside and it was so nice!

While prepping for dinner, I realized I was getting hungry. I didn't think I could make it an hour til dinner, so I grabbed this for a snack...

I love this bar just as much as the Peanut Butter flavor!!! I think this may be my fave, though. You can taste and smell the banana flavor and the bits of walnut. These are so great and only 2 POINTS! Thanks again to Robyn at Gnu Foods for introducing me to these beauties!

We broke out the grill for dinner tonight! It was perfect grilling weather. I decided on burgers. I used 96% lean ground beef and some seasonings and formed the patties. I served mine on an Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bun with a side(3 oz.) of sweet potato oven fries and grapes. A summery 9 POINT dinner...

and a good old dessert of Deep Chocolate Vitatop with PB2 "icing"! I paired it with 1/2 c. skim milk for a satisfying 3 POINT dessert...

Wow, this Weight Watchers Program is so easy to follow! I ate all the things I loved, but still stayed within my daily POINTS! This is such a great program; I'm gonna tell all my friends! I don't know why I haven't done this before ; )

Fake it til I make it =)

Not For Beginners

Holy Crap! Level 2 of the Shred is not for beginners. I don't even know if it's for intermediates! What the heck, Jillian???? I thought I might give Level 2 a try today, for something different. Well, it sure was different! OMG, there were these plank exercises and these "walking push-up "things and Jillian was saying things like "bad-asses" and "I want you to feel like you're going to die"!!!!! AAAAHHHH! I thought I might cry half-way through-lol! Um, I think it's back to Level 1 for me. I don't want to die, Jil. Really. I just want to get all sweaty and huff and puff. I'm thinkin that is good enough, right?? Shred Count - 20 more days! -of Level 1 :]



It was a beautiful balmy day today!!! I had the urge to run outside again, but decided to take it "easy" and just do the Shred (which I found was NOT easy!). I was in the mood for a big breakfast, so I made salsa eggs using 3 egg whites, 1/4 c. salsa and 1/2 oz. Cabot's 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese. I toasted a Weight Watchers Petite Bagel and added a 1/2 oz. of the Cabot's cheese over the top. Yummy, filling and 3 POINTS...







Lunch was the leftover whole wheat eggplant veggie pizza and carrots (6 POINTS)...

My snack was a Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt (these are so good and creamy) and a Weight Watchers Oatmeal Raisin Mini Bar (o.k., but not my fave) for 2 POINTS...

This wonderful weather brought out that summer grillin feeling! I decided on burgers on the grill. The husband and daughters were thrilled! I only had club rolls, so I made the burgers in a rectangle shape instead of round. I used 96% lean ground beef which is awesome and only 3 POINTS for 4 oz. I topped my burger with a slice of 2% cheese, sauteed mushrooms, onions, ketchup and a couple pickles. An amazing 6 POINT burger! Can't have burgers without fries, so I had a side of oven baked frozen fries ( 3 oz. is 2 POINTS) and a side salad with Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch...

And 2 days without dessert is enough punishment for anyone, so I had my usual Vitatop with PB2. Oh, how I have missed it....

The brownies are.... outta here! Whew! Thank goodness. That is a first for me. I have NEVER not succumbed to brownies. And I do mean brownie with an "s" on the end! I don't need no stinkin brownies; I got my Vitatops and they are waaaaay better anyway. Uh, huh ;]

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!