Striving To Maintain

Hi everyone! Sorry, I missed posting yesterday. I'm finding my summer days are filled to the brim with entertaining the daughters and by night time, I am just too tired to post. It's been fun though! I'm trying to keep to a schedule as best I can so as to keep the sibling blow-ups to a minimum. So far, so good! What is not so good is my eating plan. While I can't say it's gone to hell in a handbasket, it's just not been up to par. I'm not physically tracking my food, however as a habit, I do mentally count what I am eating. And I'm noticing a lot of picking here and there: crusts off daughters' sandwiches, an extra chip or two, bites of leftovers... you know, that kind of thing. I know from experience that it all adds up in the end. But, my mindset seems to be to just get through the summer without packing on any more pounds. I think I'll have good weeks where I feel completely on track and in a losing mode and then, I'll have others when I'm just trying to get by without a massive gain. I looked at the calendar and see nothing but holidays, parties and vacations in the upcoming weeks. UGH. So, instead of stressing about losing and making it to my goal weight, my NEW GOAL is to get through the rest of the summer without gaining. If I lose, great. If not, that's okay, too. And come September, when everyone is back to where they should be, I feel like I can focus on myself again. Does this sound like a cop-out? Maybe. But, I know the more stressed I feel, the more I want to eat. A lot. Lots of eating = gaining. I don't want to go there. So, maintain is the state I'm striving for!

Now, onto the food...

After Jillian kicked my non-Shredded butt, I made a yummy wafflewich using 2 Eggo Nutrigrain Waffles, 1 tbsp. PB2 and a sliced Fuji apple for 4 POINTS...

Lunch was completely boring. Please excuse my lack of creativity in the lunch department. I've been trying to be good about using leftovers and I also find the usual sandwich, chip, fruit combo to work best during these busy days. So here's today's: leftover grilled chicken in a small La Tortilla Factory tortilla, Kettle Baked Chips (oh, I've missed having these -yum!) and watermelon for 7 POINTS...

Non pictured snacking went on in the afternoon. Not too crazy, though. Just some reduced fat Cheez-its and some No Pudge Brownie batter licks!

For dinner, I tried a recipe from Devin Alexanders' book, The Most Decadent Diet Ever, for Salisbury Steaks in Rich Brown Gravy. It was very good; definitely a family favorite...

Salisbury Steaks With Rich Brown Gravy

1/3 c. egg substitute

1/4 c. old-fashioned oats

1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. onion soup mix

1 tbsp. dried minced onion

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 lb. 96% lean ground beef

3 tbsp. flour; divided

1 c. fat-free, lower sodium beef broth

2 tbsp. ketchup

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

olive oil spray

1 onion, sliced and separated into rings (about 3 1/2 c.)

Combine egg substitute and the oats in a medium mixing bowl. Let stand for 3 minutes to soften the oats. Add onion soup mix, minced onion, garlic powder, pepper and beef. Mix until well combined and then shape into 4 oval patties about 1 inch thick, 3 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches long.

Put 2 tbsp. flour in a medium shallow bowl. Dip the patties in the flour to coat them on all sides. Put the remaining flour in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in enough broth to form a paste. Then slowly whisk in the remaining broth, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Set aside.

Preheat large nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, lightly mist it with spray. Put in the patties and brown on both sides. Pour the broth mixture into the skittlet. Add the onion rings to the skillet. Bring the liquid to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer aobut 15 minutes, flipping patties once, halfway through. Transfer to a platter; spoon onions and gravy over the patties and serve.

Makes 4 patties; 4 servings

1 patty with 1/4 of the gravy and onions has 205 calories, 26 gr. protein, 13 gr. carbohydrates, 5 gr. fat, 60 mg. cholesterol, 1 gr. fiber, 573 mg. sodium

To go with it, I had 1/2 c. high fiber noodles and a scant 1/2 c. peas. A hearty 8 POINT meal...

Of course, I had to have one of the No Pudge Brownies that I made this afternoon. So dessert was a Brownie Strawberry Shortcake for 3 POINTS...

I'm off to enjoy the beautiful evening! Have a great night everyone!!!

Who's That Porker

Hey All! I'm not up for much chatting tonight. I found out today that a friend has cancer and it has made me very sad. For me, very sad = lots of afternoon snacking. Yep, I'm a full fledged emotional eater, no doubt about it. Today, I don't care so much. It's inconsequential to the battle that my friend is undergoing. So, here's my day for what it is. No excuses, no pity party, no "why oh whys". It is what it is and that's how I dealt with things today :(


I started off strong with a weighted 35 minute elliptical workout. I tore it up this morning! While on the elliptical, I pushed hard and kept yelling out loud (very Jillian-like), So you want to eat cookies??? You want to eat cookie dough??? Nothing's for free!!! The husband was working out with me and he kept egging me on saying, "yeah, I saw you eat lots of cookie dough!" It was funny! I was dripping in sweat and cursing like a truck driver the whole time! After 35 minutes, I got off and finished up with a 15 minute treadmill run. My HRM said I burned 450 calories. Um, okay. That probably covered about 2 cookies and a lick of cookie dough. Oh well. Better than nothing ;P

I wasn't hungry for a while after that beating, so I waited for an hour before I settled into a cereal bowl of 3/4 c. High Fiber O's, 1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, 1/2 c. blueberries and a couple chopped dried apricots for 3 POINTS...


Lunch was a hummus wrap with Laughing Cow Light Cheese, cucumbers and baby spinach in a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Wrap. I went with a side of good old soy crisps and an apple for a tasty 7 POINT lunch...

Then came the sad news, a trip to the library with the daughters and back home for afternoon munching. If it wasn't nailed down, I ate it.

Dinner was leftover Pineapple Luau Pork (from the freezer) served over brown rice for 6 POINTS...

Speaking of pork, who's that porker...

The daughters found that picture of me with the hubby (isn't he cute!)while rummaging through some albums down the basement. They ran up to show me saying they couldn't believe that was me. They don't remember me looking that way. Nice to know they have impaired long term memories. That may serve me well for the many "mom crimes" I have committed! LOL! Although, they'll probably remember ALL those incidents that "ruined" their childhood ;P Anyway, here's a pic of the "mom they know" taken by little daughter (excuse my hideous lack of makeup )...

Sometimes I still see that person in the first picture. It's good to know that you all don't, though :D

Have a great night!

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!

A Snack Intervention

It was another sunshiny day, today. I thought I would go for another walk at the trail. Before I left, I had quick breakfast of Banana Fudge Vitatop (1 POINT) and a mango crackshake (2 POINTS)...



Then, I hit the trail. I walked 4.2 miles in about an hour. I tried to really keep my arms pumping to burn those calories. I wonder if I am burning as many calories as when I run. I run at a pretty slow pace, so maybe walking this way is doing a better calorie burning job? I don't know. I guess I have to save up for a Body Bugg to know for sure!

For lunch, I made a wrap with 1/4 c. Spinach Artichoke Hummus, cucumber slices, lettuce and a La Tortilla Factory Wrap. I went back to soy crisps and carrots for a side. A tasty 5 POINT lunch...

I felt like something sweet after, so I had one of these Sunsweet Prunes ; they are individually wrapped which makes them feel more "special". As if prunes could be special. Well, I guess if you're having bathroom "issues", these could be very special :) Anyway, 4 of these gems are only 1 POINT...

When the daughters came home from school, I made a snack of savory rice crackers with Laughing Cow Light and 3 strawbabies for 2 POINTS...

Then, I snacked on a handful of goldfish, a chocolate and 2 Righteous Rounds cookies. What can I say? Same old, same old. I need an intervention. A snack intervention. Anyone care to stage one for me? I promise I'll go to rehab; really, I will! I won't bore you with my lamenting about my snack issues. Moving on....

Dinner was carb-arific and quick. I combined 2 oz. of Ronzoni Smart Taste elbow macaroni with 1/2 c. TJ's marinated bean salad from yesterday. What a terrific combo! This bean salad is a great topping for pasta; no other seasoning, sauce or oil needed! I topped it with a tbsp. grated parmesan cheese. A delicious 6 POINTS...

I also had some whole wheat naan for 2 POINTS...

Then I ended the night with a 1/2 c. Banana Split Froyo for 2 POINTS...

Hope you got to soak up the sun today! Have a great night =)

Let The Games Begin

Well, The Biggest Loser was stinkaroo last night, don't ya think? Could they have dragged it out any longer? I mean, c'mon THREE hours is too long. And then there were the less than fantastic transformations. That was disappointing. I felt badly for Tara that she didn't win, but she is still a winner in the fact that she can now live the life she wants and feel good about herself. I'm not sure how I feel about Helen. She looks good, though. And Jerry did an amazing job for himself, not to mention Mike, too! Now to wait for next season! Anyone catch when that is supposed to start?





It was another fantastic morning of sun, so I thought a run was in order. I had a million errands to take care of, so I decided to eat breakfast before my run. I went with a Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin (these are whole wheat -from TJ's) with PB2 for 3 POINTS...







I went for a run on a different trail this time. I decided to change not only the venue, but the workout, too. I ran for 1.5 miles, then fast walked mixed with 20 second hard-as-I- can- run sprints for the last mile. I know I look totally foolish doing this. The junk in the trunk is jiggling all over the place coupled with the fact that I am breathing like I am gasping for my last breaths. What is this all doing for me? I don't know. I "think" I am burning more calories. I hope I don't break my neck. I ended this dufus track meet with 30 tricep dips on a park bench.



After my olympic games, I did more running, but of the errand kind. I was all over the place and I started to get hungry, but really wanted to finish what I had to do. I decided to stop in the mini-Starbucks in Target and get a Tall Caramel Light Frappuccino(2 POINTS) to tie me over. It was good to the last drop...



I finally got home to make lunch and I was really ready. I used the leftover Barbeque Bean Salad and made 2 mini wraps with the small La Tortilla Factory Tortillas that are 50 calories each. Along with it, I had some yummy watermelon and a HALF serving of Sour Cream and Onion Rice Chips (yay, me!). A delish 6 POINT lunch...

Mmmm....this bean salad was even better today...

Then, it was off to afterschool activities and volunteering at church. I knew I would be home later, so I grabbed another Gnu bar. This chocolate brownie flavor was pretty good, but not my favorite! I can't believe it! My favorites were (in order of yumminess):

• Peanut Butter
• Banana Walnut
• Cinnamon Raisin
• Orange Cranberry
• Chocolate Brownie

I will definitely order these online so I can get the flavors I like best. My TJ's only carries the Cinnamon Raisin and Orange Cranberry. Can't beat a 2 POINT bar with 12 grams of fiber...

When I got home, I whipped up an easy dinner of Perdue Baked Chicken Tenderloins with a side of Gram's green beans for 5 POINTS...

I ended the night with some Banana Split Froyo for 2 POINTS...

and a couple of .... you guessed it...chocolate covered almonds! I should throw them away. They are evil. I am requesting that God make an ammendment to the 10 Commandments to include #11 - Thou shalt not buy nor eat chocolate covered almonds. Although, that may not completely work as a deterrent for me. Ugh, burn, baby, burn...

Oh well. My goal...goal...goal tomorrow is to NOT eat those flippin things. I gotta stop playing these head games with myself and just buckle down and finish this!

Have a great night everyone!

A Better Buffet

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! I hope everyone has had an enjoyable day!

The weather was spectacular this morning - thanks, Mother Nature! It was sunny, but a little on the cooler side and breezy. Perfect running weather! I was out the door by 8:15 a.m. and ran for 40 minutes. The wind made it a bit tough ,providing some resistance, but I just slowed my pace during those times and that helped me get through it. I came home and was shuffled upstairs by the husband and daughters who wanted to give me my breakfast in bed. I really wanted to stay on track with my eating today, so I kinda dictated what I wanted to eat for breakfast. I know that sounds very type A, but if I didn't, the husband would have made a really elaborate breakfast and I didn't want to splurge that much. I tried not to take the fun out of it for them, but I had to keep my goal in mind of what I needed today. So, I decided on whole grain banana almond pancakes. The husband made them and put a few sliced strawberries on the side. He was disappointed that they didn't come out in "perfect circles" (now, who's type A!) because he knew I would take a picture of them and he wanted them to look really amazing! Aww. I made sure he knew that it doesn't matter what they looked like, they tasted TERRIFIC! I really enjoyed this 3 POINT breakfast in bed...

After I lounged around, I got ready to meet my parents at Gram's new apartment community. We were all going to have brunch in the restaurant there. I wasn't sure what to expect for this. Brunches are notoriously a bad place for those who are trying to make healthy choices! I was pleasantly surprised at what was available. I was able to fill my plate with a bit of Cinnamon Rubbed Pork Loin, mixed green salad, green beans, broccoli and a spoonful of potatoes...

I also had a nibble of my Mom's cheese blintz, cheese strata and little daughter's chocolate cake. I was able to avoid the other hot buffet items and completely avoided the mile long dessert table altogether. Hey, if you don't look at it, you don't really know that you're missing anything, right?!

I also had a few sips of Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)...

and a nice cup of decaf...

I estimated the whole thing at 10 POINTS. I was happy that I didn't go hog wild and felt satisfied with everything I ate :)

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring Gram's new community, walking the grounds and the husband and daughters even played a little putt golf. It's a beautiful place and was a wonderful afternoon celebrating mothers and daughters...


Later, the husband and daughters wanted pizza for dinner (they could eat it every night!), so I made Veggie and Smoked Gouda Quesadillas for myself. I sauteed baby portabellas, onion and red bell pepper and spinach with cooking spray and filled 2 small La Tortilla Factory Tortillas with the veggies and 2 oz. lite smoked gouda cheese. I used 2 tbsp. marinara for dipping this yummy 6 POINT meal...

Dessert was on the menu, tonight! A repeat of last night - Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip Vitatop with PB2 - gotta love it!

What a great Mother's Day! I got to do the things that are important to me, eat the way that is important to me and be with the people that are important to me! Can't ask for much more than that!

Have a great night =)

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 =)