Making It Through Day 2

I woke up to another nice morning. I was tempted to go for an outdoor run, but my ankle has been bothering me a little, so I opted for the elliptical instead. I did a weighted 35 minutes and 20 tricep dips. The weighted vest makes a big difference. I don't realize how heavy it is until I take it off! And it's only got 18 lbs. in it right now!


After the workout, I made a quick bowl of cereal: Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Fiber One, strawberries and 1/2 c. skim milk for 3 POINTS...

I was in the kitchen after that doing some "cook ahead" meals. I was in the mood for some coffee, but after I made it, I decided I would rather have something cold. I dug out the blender and made a "frappucino". I used 1/2 c. skim milk, 1 c. brewed coffee, 1 tsp. instant espresso powder, 1 tbsp. sugar free caramel syrup and lot of ice. This was definitely a big serving - like a "venti" ;) All for only 1 POINT...

Lunch was al fresco since it was so nice. I had a hummus sammie made with 2 tbsp. hummus, baby spinach, tomato and pickles on an Arnold Sandwich Thin. A sweet fuji apple and barbeque soy crisps were great sides for a 6 POINT lunch...

After lunch, we headed to the movies. The daughters each wanted to see something different, so the husband and I decided to divide and conquer. The husband and little daughter went to see Monsters vs. Aliens and big daughter and I saw The Hannah Montana Movie. I enjoyed the movie, although her "twang" seriously gets on my nerves. And once again, thanks to Disney for making yet another movie where the mother is dead! Sheesh! Anyway, there was no out of control popcorn shoveling thanks to the fact that big daughter wanted Twizzlers instead of popcorn. I'm safe with Twizzlers, so it was all good :) By the time we got home, I was ready for a snack. I went with 1 oz. Penny Sticks honey wheat pretzels and a lite string cheese for 3 POINTS...

An hour later, my stomach was growling! Seriously growling, not just "hmmm... I feel like eating something". I drank a bucket of water, but that didn't help with the growling, although it did help me stay out of the kitchen because I was spending loads of time in the bathroom!

I got dinner going before any crazy snacking could occur. I made garlic thyme chicken thighs on the grill (technically, the husband is grill master!) and sauteed kale and white beans with hearty Italian bread for the family and a slice of Trader Joe's Sprouted Flourless Wheatberry bread for me. What a delicious 7 POINT dinner...

I wasn't in the mood for a big dessert, but I still wanted a little sweet. I decided on these...

I love these little chocolate chip cookies! What I think is neat about them is that they are very crispy, but yet have not been baked! They have not been heated to more than 75 degrees which helps keep the nutrients intact. I think because of that, they can be considered a "raw food". They are made with soy protein and fruit and vegetable concentrates made up of apple, broccoli, carrot, cranberry, orange and tomato.. All I taste is sweet yumminess! A serving is 5 little cookies for 130 cal., 4 gr. fat and 3 gr. fiber which is 2 POINTS...

Perfect with a cup of tea which I did not feel like making! Just as perfect on their own :)

Well, I made it through Day 2 of my "fresh start"! My stomach is having the nerve to growl right now! I guess it got used to having tons of crappy snacks shoved into it, so now it's complaining. But, *fingers in my ears* la la la la la, I can't hear you!!!!!!!!

Going to bed to dream of ..... six pack abs =)

Healthy Eats

I was striving for healthy eats today. I think the junk foods trigger me to grab for more, so I'm going to try to focus on as much whole foods as possible. It will take some time, I love my junk and have a house full of it that I don't want to waste. Little by little, hopefully I can get to eating a "clean" diet most of the time. We'll see how it goes! You know I love to try these experiments in eating!

Breakfast was 1/2 c. Fiber One and 1/2 c. skim milk topped with 8 strawberries. I also had a mangled hard boiled egg white. I hate when the shell doesn't want to come off! A filling 3 POINT breakfast...


While I was eating this, I thought for a minute that the milk had gone bad. I had just bought this the other date and it didn't expire until April, but it didn't taste right to me. I had the husband taste it, too. Why do we ask someone to taste something when we think it's bad??? It's that weird? Who wants to taste something bad? But, the husband tried it and said it was perfectly fine. I don't know why it tasted weird to me; maybe I'm used to Almond Breeze now.


I had a hair appointment at lunchtime and some errands to run after, so I ate lunch a little early. I was excited to try these new Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Burger Buns...

They are huge and so hearty! One bun is 170 cal., 1.5 gr. fat, 6 gr. fiber and 9 gr. protein which comes in at 3 POINTS. I went with a Boca Bruschetta Tomato Basil Parmesan Veggie Patty and 1 tbsp. lite mozzarella to go on the hearty bun. I had just enough time for a side of carrots before heading out the door. A yummy 5 POINT lunch...

Lots of cleaning went on around this filthy house this afternoon. It feels so good to have things in order... for 25 seconds. The daughters came home from school. Snack crumbs and spilled drinks found their way back to the floor. Oh well, I tried. After re-cleaning some stuff, I stopped for a snack of 2 small plums for 1 POINT....

Pretty good, eh??? Fruit for a snack. Just fruit. No crunch = no munch. Could this be the secret to keeping from munching away in the afternoon???

And it was pizza for dinner tonight. I had originally planned on making pasta for myself, but it got too late and I was beginning to get a little too hungry. I decided to go with the pizza and a big salad of endive, escarole and radicchio dressed with a little olive oil, red wine vinegar and a drizzle of honey. I took my time eating tonight, trying to really enjoy everything on my plate. I found that one slice and the salad was enough to feel satisified. It was a great 9 POINT dinner...

After more cleaning, I'm calling it a night! I'm posting this while getting a fabulous new hairstyle by little daughter who is VERY rough and yanking out many of my hairs. Hopefully she will get some of the gray ones. YIKES! Ouch, I'm thinking she does not have a future in the world of cosmetology ;) I am also enjoying this Banana Date Breakfast Cookie for 2 POINTS...

Mmmm...works for me! Gotta go "tip" my hairstylist. Have a great night:)

Meatout Day

As I was uploading my pictures for this post, I realized I ate an all vegetarian menu today! So, I am taking part in a belated Meatout Day . This was originally on March 20 and is a day that this group asks for us to "kick the meat habit" for at least a day and eat a diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Done! I'm just a few (okay, five!) days late. Better late than never they say...

After a 30 min. run (all I had time for) this morning, I made a yummy breakfast of hummus-filled eggs. Remember the first time I made these? They really are terrific and packed with protein staying power. I had a fuji apple on the side for a 3 POINT breakfast...

I had to take Gram to a meeting at her new housing community and after that, we met up with my Mom for lunch at Ruby's Diner. I ordered the Vegwich which was avocado slices, lowfat cheese, tomato, lettuce, spinach and nonfat mayo on a whole wheat bun. I also got a side salad with lite Italian dressing. It was satisfying; nothing to write home about taste-wise though. It was a good healthy 9 POINT choice compared to some of the other menu items (Kobe sliders!!!!!)...

When we finished lunch, we went bathing suit shopping. While in the dressing room, I experienced severe trauma from which I will not recover without very expensive therapy. Nuf said.

I had the nerve to eat a snack after my shopping experience. It was healthy though, so I guess it's o.k. - Weight Watchers Berries and Cream Yogurt, 1/2 c. blueberries and 1/4 c. Fiber One for 2 POINTS...

More vegetarian-ness...dinner was 2 oz. barbeque baked tofu , 3 oz. sweet potato fries (with ketchup -my new fave!) and a bit of super garlicky spinach (sorry, hubby). A delicious 6 POINT dinner...

And for dessert....BROWNIE!! I wrestled with this one after my traumatic shopping, but these are legal ...

Lyndsay, a Weight Watchers rep, sent these out to me and I couldn't wait to break into them! The box contains 4 individually wrapped brownies with each brownie being 120 calories, 3.5 gr. fat and 4 gr. fiber. Only 2 POINTS and a decent size...

And nice thickness...

But, how do they taste??? Well, let's just say, that I am lucky that only 4 come to a box and that they are individually wrapped! They were chewy squares of goodness with bits of mini chocolate chips throughout. Very satisfying. I chose to eat mine plain tonight, but it would be great topped with whipped topping and strawberries or with a scoop of fat free ice cream. So many options....so little time...

before I have to wear an itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny........... one piece bathing suit with a turtleneck and long sleeves attached and a cute matching skirt that goes to my ankles :(

Which Came First???

It still feels like winter out there! The sun was shining, but it was freezing. There was no running outside; I'm just too cold! I've been trying to change things up a bit this week, so I planned on working out later in the morning and eat breakfast first.

I went with another open faced omelette this morning. I made a mexican inspired one using 3 egg whites with chopped green pepper, 1 oz. Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar and salsa. Yum! I also had a toasted Ezekiel english muffin with some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray. An eyeful for 4 POINTS...


A little while after, I headed to the elliptical for 45 min. of heart pumping and brain numbing TV watching! I wore my weighted vest with 15 lbs. which amped up the workout. I'm really enjoying watching TV while doing my workout. I was switching between Rachel Ray and The Real (Idiotic) Housewives of New York! Gripping TV! I love it!!!

I ran to the produce store to get some much needed fruits/veg; then came home and chopped up a bazillion carrot sticks. I buy the 3 lb. bag, chop them into sticks and put them in ziploc bags in the fridge so that I will chose carrots instead of cookies :) Sounds like a good plan, right???

I assembled a big salad for lunch. I used green leaf lettuce, carrots!, tomato, chicken and 1 oz. Cabot's 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese(again). For the dressing, I mixed 1 tbsp. Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch with 2 tbsp. salsa (again). A delicious 5 Point combo...

After the exciting task of scrubbing the bathroom, I fixed a snack for myself and the daughters. They chose fresh plums and hard boiled eggs! Aren't they healthy??? They really surprise me with their choices sometimes. If I were a kid, I would be getting out the cookies! This could be why I am overweight and they are not! They really do eat intuitively; I hope I can continue to honor that about them and not be a food pusher. I don't want them to lose that innate part of them and have food issues when they get older. Sorry for the tangent! Anyway, I wanted to be healthy, too, so I made a bowl filled with Weight Watchers Berries and Cream Yogurt, 4 strawberries and 1/2 c. Fiber One Cereal for a yummy 2 POINTS...

And for dinner.... more chicken! I made baked chicken thighs and drums seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper and onion powder. To go with it, I had 1/2 c. creamed corn and a side of tofu fries - yum! For the tofu fries, I used Nasoya Lite Firm Tofu, sliced it into fry shape and sprinkled it with a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika. I baked the fries in the oven on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray for about 30 -35 min. at 400 degrees (along with the chicken). These were great, especially dipped in ketchup! The daughters even tried ONE and didn't hate :) A protein packed 8 POINT dinner...

I was pretty full after this dinner, but we ate on the early side tonight, so I felt like I wanted a little something later. I went with a nice cup of coffee with skim milk and a Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookie for 2 POINTS...

Another day with not many munching feelings! Me likey :)

Hope everyone had an excellent day!!!

Just Cruising

Sorry for the non-food post yesterday, but did you like the Screaming Banshee???!!! My mom sent that to me last year and it cracks me up! I am the Screaming Banshee!! Life was so busy yesterday. I ran errands, wrapped presents, ran more errands, did some returning, cleaned, cooked, planned cookie recipes, organized stuff and wandered aimlessly around a couple stores looking for some last minute gifts (to no avail, so I'll be doing that on Mon., too!). Craziness.

Soooo, let's talk about the food. It's true confession time. When I committed myself to doing this blog, I resolved that I would be completely honest with myself and anyone who reads about my food intake. There is no perfection, no eating on program 100% and always choosing all the healthy and proper food groups , EVERY DAY, ALL DAY. As much as I would like to live that way, it doesn't always happen. But, this is part of the weight loss journey and I suspect, part of the maintenance lifestyle, too. So that being said, I will admit to not tracking yesterday and pretty much going downward at warp speed. I didn't snap pics of my indiscretions, either. I thought maybe that would make the junk I ate not exist, but I'm just playing games with myself. Anyway, I'll take you through a quick run through of the eating debacle. I started off with some cereal and Soy Slender. Note to self: this is Not a good enough breakfast! It did not stick with me at all. I kinda knew it wasn't going to, but I was in a hurry and it was the quickest thing I could wolf down. I was starving an hour later. Not good; this could have been the start of it all. I think I need a bigger breakfast during these holiday, goodies abound days. I came home starving for lunch and decided on PB2 and SF jelly on an Arnold Sandwich Thin, a serving of Kettle Baked Potato Chips and 2 clementines. So far, so good. Later, when the daughters came home is when it went downhill fast. I had a snack of Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt and a Weight Watchers 1 Point Oatmeal Raisin Bar. And some pretzel sticks and more pretzel sticks, and some crackers with hummus and a Kit Kat and a Crunch Bar(stinkin leftover Halloween candy!) and some cheese and who knows what else! That's all I can remember, but there may have been more of those little candy bars involved. I was in an eating trance. Ugh. I finally reeled myself in, back to reality, and decided to get back on track for my next meal - which I should have skipped because I sure wasn't "hungry" anymore! I did "force" myself to eat a healthy dinner. I did take a pic of that...


So, I think I am feeling back in the game today. However, tomorrow is "Cookie Day" at my mom's house. We bake a ton of cookies (and eat them, too). I don't know what my game plan is for tomorrow. Eat, not eat, plan and track Points, don't. I don't know. I think I will play it by ear. I am feeling pressure to still be losing, but I think maybe I should get through this holiday not worrying so much about a loss, and try to make the best choices I can. No pressure, just cruisin. January is right around the corner and then it'll be crunch time!

This morning, I learned from my breakfast yesterday so I had a filling one. I went with 2 Egg, Cheese and Bacon Muffins and a Thomas' Light English Muffin...

Here's hoping it's smooth sailing in the healthy eating department today...

Food In Bowls

The theme for the rest of the day seemed to be : Food in Bowls! Snack time was tricky. I had planned on eating an early dinner instead of having a snack because I was going to be at a birthday party with little daughter until 7:30 p.m. However, I was still full from lunch at this time. I didn't want to not eat something and wait until coming home because I knew I wouldn't make it. There was going to be pizza at the party and you know pizza and I are not good friends lately!! I decided I had to eat something, so I chose a Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt , put it in too big of a bowl, sliced some strawberries and topped it with a dollop of Cool Whip Free and a sprinkle of Fiber One Cereal...





Good decision. It held me over just enough that I didn't feel overly tempted to dig in to the pizza or the cake. But on the way home from the party, my stomach was growling. This had the potential for disaster. Often times I make it through a tempting party only to come home and eat the house down! I kept it under control tonight, though. I felt it was a little to late to have a regular dinner, so I thought some "dressed up" oatmeal sounded good. I don't love oatmeal, but I keep trying to! Well, tonight I liked it. I have been thinking about one of my favorite cookies that I make at holiday time called a Cranberry Hootycreek. Great name, huh! I found this recipe years ago and I love the flavors. It's basically an oatmeal cookie with dried cranberries, white chocolate and pecans. I thought these flavors would be awesome in oatmeal. Right on!! For my Cranberry Hootycreek Oatmeal I used...

• 1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 c. water
• 1/4 c. dried cranberries
• 15 grams white chocolate chips (this was about 2 tbsp.)
• 1 Kashi TLC Roasted Almond Crunch Granola Bar, crushed(substituted this since I didn't have any pecans)

Cook oats and water according to package directions. Stir in dried cranberries. Dress it up with white chocolate chips and crushed granola bar.


Oh my goodness....


What can I say? Unbelievable good. This came out to an 8 Point oatmeal!!! Yikes! I would not use that many Points for breakfast, but for a dinner and dessert combo, it was perfect! I didn't even look for a sweet or more munchies afterward! I guess miracles can happen...:)