Who's Counting??

Not me! Especially not today. I am blaming the hideous rainy weather for my funk and lack of motivation. It has been cold and raining for 2 days straight. I'm ready for some spring. Spring will get me out of this funk and help me refocus on losing these last pounds. Yep, that'll do it! I hope.

I toyed with the idea of stopping my daily POINTS tracking for a while. I have been a "die hard" tracker. It has really worked for me. Weight Watchers emphasizes it as a tool for success and I agree. But, for some reason, I have been sick of it and felt like I wanted a break from it. In all reality, I knew that I was looking for some excuse to be off track. After thinking about it for a bit longer, I realized that not journaling/tracking isn't going to help me any. It will only hinder my weight loss. I need to stop looking for excuses and start doing what I KNOW works. So, today I let caution fly to the wind. No counting POINTS. No writing things down. No real "watching" what I ate. And that's it. Tomorrow, I am going to my meeting and starting anew. I have no special holidays or celebrations on my calendar for the next 2 weeks, so there is nothing to deter me from trying to be as "hard core" as when I first started this weight loss journey 22 months and 70 pounds ago. So, here's a look at my day without counting...

Breakfast was a ham, egg and cheese pita pizza...




I made an open faced omelette with 2 egg whites, 1 1/2 oz. ham, 1 oz. Cabots 75% reduced fat cheese and a bit of spinach and put it on top of a Weight Watcher Pita...


Then, I had a side of small chocolate Easter eggs. (no pic) Not great breakfast food, but they were tasty:)

I did a quick 30 min. on the elliptical, then headed to my parents' house to spend some time with my Mom. It's her birthday, today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to take her out to lunch, but since we were going out to dinner tonight, she decided she wanted to eat in. She ended up making me lunch instead!!! My Dad and Gram joined us for this celebratory lunch of yummy chicken fajitas...


Mom sauteed some chicken breast, onions and peppers in a tbsp. olive oil with a bit of seasonings. She served this with La Tortilla Factory Tortillas (the small ones that are 50 cal.), fresh salsa, shredded lettuce and Cabot's 50% Light shredded cheese. I had one...

Then another with a side of Tostitos MultiGrain Tortilla Chips...

and a Hershey's dark chocolate with cranberries and almonds (no pic- grabbed one before I left!)

My snack this afternoon was a handful of Penny Sticks Honey Wheat pretzels...

Then, it was off to P.F. Changs for Mom's Birthday Dinner! We started off with Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Dad's fave) and Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps...

The lighting was pretty bad in the restaurant, so sorry for the stinky pics. Here's a sampling of the other items we ordered...

Beginning at 12 o'clock : Mongolian Beef, Chang's Chicken, Dry rub Spareribs, Dan Dan Noodles, Singapore Street Noodles and Shrimp with Lobster Sauce. All were absolutely delicious :)

More Chang's Chicken and salad with blue cheese crumbles ...

After PF Chang's, we headed back to my house for birthday cake and presents! Mom requested Carrot Cake. It was so amazing...

I am stuffed. I think I am ready to tackle this again. Ready to face the scale at my meeting tomorrow, gain new resolve and GET TO GOAL!!!!!

Awards And The Carb Party!

I received this terrific award from my buddy, Kelly over at Happy Texans and I was so excited! What a great way to start the day!!


When receiving this award, you must list 7 things you love and pass the award on to 7 bloggers. My list of loves goes like this...

1. the husband
2. the kids
3. all the family
4. cooking
5. blogging!
6. reading
7. exercising (huh???-a new love for me!)

Blogging and being a part of the blog community has been such a blast! There are so many great ones; here's a few that I'm passing the award to...

• Cooking with Kate
• Fat Fitness Food
• Living Life Happy and Healthy
• Mom on the Run
• My Journey
• Snippets and Bites
• The Incredible Shrinking Family

Now that the award show is over, let's get to the party! The carb party that is. I have been craving carbs all day! It started with breakfast...

A Kim's Light Everything Bagel with Laughing Cow Cheese and a small dish of cantaloupe and blueberries for 4 POINTS...

Then I hit the treadmill for a 20 min.weighted walk (18 lbs.!) and another 20 min. weighted elliptical workout. I also did 20 tricep dips off my weight bench - whew, those are tough!

I put off my errands because it was just too dreary and rainy to go out today! The cold and dampness really gets to me lately. I hung around the house and worked on my closet of "expired" clothes! I have been getting rid of 13 years of clothes that don't fit any longer. Kinda fun, but kinda scary at the same time.

When lunchtime rolled around, I definitely wanted some type of sandwich. I decided on an eggplant meatball wrap made with Dominex eggplant meatballs, 1 tbsp. marinara sauce, 2 tbsp. lite shredded mozzarella in a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Wrap. I paired it with 2 oz. leftover sweet potato fries (and ketchup!) and a fuji apple for a yummy 7 POINT lunch...



Dreary days = munchies. This afternoon they were in full force. I decided to have a snack with lot of crunch (and carbs); Kashi TLC 7 Grain Crackers and 2 tbsp. PB2 for 3 POINTS...

It was dance night with little daughter, so breakfast for dinner was the way to go. I wasn't in the mood to fuss with making something fancy for myself, so I had the same. I went with a "fried" whole egg plus one white, center cut bacon, an Arnold Sandwich Thin with Laughing Cow Cheese and 1 c. cantaloupe for a 6 POINT brinner....

Mmmm...I forgot how awesome whole eggs are; haven't had one in a while! I'm posting a bit earlier than normal tonight, so no dessert pic. Not sure if I'll have one or not. Maybe I'll just have more BREAD!!!! Mmmmm......I heart Carbs <3

Have a great night!!!

On The Lighter Side

Yuck. That was the weather this morning. I had planned on an outdoor run, but I didn't feel like braving the elements. I headed to the basement for a 30 minute run, then went to Shred. I wasn't too hungry after that, so I had a "little" breakfast of a CranBran Vitatop crumbled over a Fiber One Vanilla Yogurt for 2 POINTS...




I got myself ready and set out for a morning of errands galore! I was also on a quest for a chocolate fountain ( don't ask!) which sent me on many wild goose chases until I finally scored one at a good discount. There will be more details on the fountain this weekend :)



In between this craziness, I stopped home for lunch. I was starving and shaky; I shouldn't have let it go that long, but you know how it is when you're on a mission! The first thing I could see was wraps. I was in the mood for something warm (it was so cold and rainy/snowy out), so I decided to make a veggie quesadilla. I filled a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Tortilla with a wedge of Laughing Cow Light, baby spinach, leftover sauteed baby bella mushrooms and roasted red peppers. I folded it in half and heated it in a nonstick skillet until golden on both sides. Along with that, I had a handful of carrots and a squirt of Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch for dipping. I wish I could say this was delicious, but I do not even remember eating this 4 POINT lunch! I had starvation-induced amnesia...

I was still hungry afterward. I think I missed my "chippy" crunch. I was out of chips, so I had a Kashi TLC Pumpkin Spice Flax Granola Bar for some 3 POINT crunch...

The rest of the afternoon was spent running the daughters to and fro. By dinner time, I was definitely ready to eat. I didn't have a specific plan; the husband was working late and the daughters were thrilled to have hot dogs and mac-n-cheese. Quite frankly, I would have been thrilled to have hot dogs and mac-n-cheese, however, that is not conducive to weight loss ;) I opted for a "fried" egg, sauteed spinach, sauteed mushrooms and a small 2 oz. ciabatta roll. Yum, I haven't had a "whole" egg in a long time! A delish 5 POINT dinner...

As I was cleaning up the dishes, a mound of mac-n-cheese shot out of the pot! Thankfully, I was able to catch it with my mouth before it got all over ;) It was quite an impressive mound; I'll call it "THE 3 POINTER" :0)

Overall, it was a good eating day although I didn't hit my daily Target POINTS. But, I did listen to my body, so even though I ate on the lighter side today, it seems that is all my body required today. The intuitive eating experiment continues...

I'm headed to bed now just in case my body decides to require more mac-n-cheese! Nite =)

It's Official!

It's official! For the first time, in 13 years of marriage, I weigh..............................LESS than the husband!!!!! I am so happy! I have informed him that he now needs to treat me like the petite and fragile flower that I am. Can you hear the laughter? Yeah, it went on for a while...

So, today was WI day for BLBE2 and Weight Watchers. Good news to report Team Angie members; I am down 1.4 lbs! Happy Dance. I think my 3 day 5K "payin for it" runs helped out!

I brought my breakfast to eat after the meeting: an apple and slice of pumpkin cranberry bread that I made last night (yum - and only 2 POINTS per slice)...



I invited Mom and Gram to lunch at my house. I made Falafel Wraps for Mom and me using the falafel patties from the other day, lettuce, tomatoes and some tzatziki dressing all rolled into a La Tortilla Factory Tortilla. Carrots and hummus were a great side. A wonderful 7 POINT lunch...


Oh, and Gram opted out of falafel and brought her own soup. Sorry, Gram :(

Lunch was so filling, I decided to tempt fate and go without a snack. I did make some of Jenn's yummy Coffee Cocoa for a treat, though. This is quickly becoming a family favorite. The daughters like it, so I have had it waiting for them when they get home from school (decaf, of course!). Here's my cup, "half-full"......

Dinner was Philly Cheesesteaks, fries and salad. Mmmm...what's not to love??? This type of meal really makes me feel like I am not on a diet, but living a lifestyle of healthy eating. I was able to take something that once was fat-laden and artery clogging and have made it healthier, but still in keeping with the same flavors of the original. The husband and daughters eat it - no complaints. That's how I know it's pretty close to the original! It's one of my favorite 8 POINT dinners, too...

I could've gotten away without dessert tonight. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. But, I didn't. I went with one of these guys...

It was just enough and I closed up shop before I could be tempted into eating something else. I strung a good couple days together; don't want to break the flow. I'm going to try my hardest to keep it going this week. I am only 1 lb. away from a 70 lb. loss. I really want it next week!

We'll see......

Nite =)

Duct Tape

I need duct tape. Not for a household project -for my mouth. I need to tape it up with the strongest duct tape so that I will not allow anymore junk to find it's way into my mouth. I know it sounds extreme, but I think it will work! Okay, it's not realistic, but I am really having a hard time and I don't know of a way to get out of this overeating pattern. Every morning I wake up with the right intentions, but I head in the wrong direction from afternoon to evening. I need to snap out of this! I am kinda mad at myself for giving in to the whole "oh, it's a holiday - just enjoy yourself" hype because it clearly is something I cannot handle at this time. I don't just "get right back on the wagon". I chase after the wagon for weeks as it is doing the Indy 500 in front of me and I can't catch up with it!! So, maybe I am not ready to NOT be in weight loss mode. I need to stay as focused as I can so that I don't completely go off into "never never want to be there again "land. Well, let's get to the food - there sure was a lot of it...



Lunch today was a white bean, roasted pepper and spinach wrap. I used 2 tbsp. white bean dip, roasted peppers, a handful of baby spinach in a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Tortilla. I had the usual sides of grapes and Kettle Baked Potato Chips...







But this was not enough. I also had to eat all the crusts cut off from little daughter's PB&J and two handfuls of pretzel sticks.

Snack time was not a mountain of brownies that I wanted very badly. I decided on a brownie substitute...

I crumbled the Chocolate Brownie Clif Z Bar over 1/2 c. plain yogurt sweetened with a little Splenda...

This was a really tasty snack and pretty filling. I will definitely have this again.

I'm not completely sure, but I do think I grabbed a chocolate or two after this. Isn't that sad? I was in an eating trance!

My in-laws came for dinner tonight and I put out most of our leftovers to eat. They had lasagne and I made a baked penne with some leftover whole wheat penne, part skim ricotta and some reduced fat mozzarella. I also had a salad with oil and vinegar and a slice of some reeeally good rustic bread. I think I said I wasn't going to buy this bread again, but "whoot, there it is"...

I ended up having another piece and a half, PLUS some of little daughter's crusts. Wait, there's more. I picked on some more of the pasta and I had 2 of my Gram's deep fried veggies (she makes them every Christmas Eve). Sorry no pics. I think then I can pretend I never ate them!

But, WAIT, there's more...

and sad to say, more chocolate followed:(

I am ready for bed now, however I am probably so sugared up that I won't sleep right. I hope to snap out of this eating. I feel terrible mentally and physically, but it's almost like I can't stop myself. It's getting to the point where nothing is really looking that appetizing, but I am just compelled to eat it. I don't know. I need some "divine intervention" soon!!!! Or duct tape, whichever comes first...

Five Days

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was busy, fun and full of amazing food and treats! I woke up today feeling "the holiday hangover". Too much food, sweets and not enough sleep will do that to me! Good thing I don't add too much alcohol in there! So, I thought today may be a little rough with trying to reel myself in from all the overeating. I decided to start the day by filling my jug of water so that I would be reminded to drink a lot of it today. I couldn't figure out what to have for breakfast; nothing seemed that appetizing except for cookies and chocolate, which I had to stop myself from just mindlessly grabbing. It's amazing how quickly that mindless eating comes back into play! I reminded myself that the "holiday" is just one day, o.k. give it two and the next "eat -a thon holiday" is five days from now. There is no reason why I should continue to go hog wild until New Years; although it is easy and fun to do! But, I know it will only make it that much harder for me come January. So, I'm gonna try my best to give good eating a chance for the next five days.

For breakfast, I finally decided to just go with what I was in the mood for ,which oddly enough ,was beans! Weird, huh? I made a white bean dip (kinda like hummus) and spread that on an Arnold Sandwich Thin. It was so good! I am glad I went with that instead of a traditional breakfast...



For lunch, I had a turkey wrap using 2 oz. turkey, lettuce and a squirt of dijonnaise on a La Tortilla Factory tortilla. I also had some grapes and a serving of Kettle Baked Potato Chips. A great 5 Point lunch...


I still felt like munching a little after lunch, but I got myself out of the kitchen and the munchies have gone away for right now. I'll keep chuggin the water - hope that helps me out - there is chocolate EVERYWHERE in my house!!!!!

Temptations

There are temptations everywhere and not the singing kind :) This afternoon, I decided to get a bit of a head start on tomorrow's "Cookie Day", so I made some chocolate covered pretzels. They came out nice and festive looking! But, did they taste good?? I had to make sure, so I ate one and a half! Then I felt bad about it for a minute. Then I decided not to feel bad, I am just cruising remember, I said to myself. I don't have to "lose" this week; just keep my head above water. It seems like these are the conversations I will be having with myself this holiday! But, I kept it with just those pretzels and did not continue down the slippery slope! I figured I should eat lunch fast before I went for other stuff. I made a turkey blt wrap with 2 oz. turkey, 2 slices of center cut bacon cooked in the micro, lettuce, tomato and a squirt of Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch on a La Tortilla Factory Tortilla. Some grapes and a serving of Kettle Baked Chips went with it. A great 6 Point lunch...





I went food shopping and then rushed home to take little daughter to another birthday party! Ugh, these dinner time-ish parties are rough on the weight watcher! I ate a Kashi TLC Pumpkin Spice Flax Granola Bar on the way. This is my favorite flavor; so good...





Well, this was an interesting party. It was at a children's salon/party place. They got hair and makeup done, dressed up, walked a runway, then got to go for a ride in a pink limo! It was insane! While the girls were getting all dolled up, a couple of the moms decided we should go to the pub right next to the party place and grab something to eat since the girls were going to be a couple hours. The menu was filled with amazingly good for you choices such as bacon cheese fries, buffalo wings, fried mac and cheese bites, giant cheeseburgers and a jumbo soft pretzel topped with crabmeat and 2 kinds of melted cheese!!! Thankfully, there was a Gardenburger on the menu!! I ordered that and opted for the fruit salad instead of the potato chips that went with it. Funny thing was that the food took so long to come to the table, we ended up having to take it "to go" so that we wouldn't be late for the girls! So, I saved it for when I got home (which was a 30 min. ride-ugh!) Here's my cold dinner to go...

I finished with my yummy Deep Chocolate Vitatop and PB2 dessert...

I still haven't come up with an eating game plan for tomorrow. I'll sleep on it and maybe it'll come to me in the morning...

Good night =)

According To Plan

No need for the coffee pit stop. The Power Pumpkin Pancakes held me to lunch. I love when that happens! I stopped home for lunch and when I walked in the door, I was instantly hungry. I decided to make the quickest thing possible. I went with a turkey and cheese wrap. I used 2 oz. turkey, a slice of 2 % cheese, lettuce and a squirt of dijonnaise all rolled in a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Tortilla. I also had 2 clementines and a serving of pretzel sticks. A smart and delicious 6 Point lunch...





I've been craving a smoothie, shake or cold drink today, even though it's nippy outside. I used to have smoothies for breakfast, but they just don't hold me long enough. But for a snack, it works out o.k. I was getting ready to pull out the yogurt and fruit, but then I saw my new love, PB2! I thought it would be great in a shake! I was thinking chocolate (of course!) and peanut butter, so here's what I ended up concocting: a PB2 Black and White Shake. These are the top billing stars...

Soy Slender is another awesome product. It is 70 cal., 3 gr. fat and 3 gr. fiber for 1 cup. That is 1 WW Point and it tastes great, even in cereal! So for my shake, I used 1 c. Soy Slender, 2 tbsp. PB2 powder, 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and about 6 ice cubes all whizzed up in the blender! That's it, easy and yum for only 2 Points! I took it "to go" and sipped it while driving little daughter to dance class (she demanded I make her one when we got home!)...

Another quickie dinner tonight. I decided to subject the family to eating the delicious Cha Siu Bao that I really like. They put up a fight, but ended up eating it! It's doughy and soft - what's not to like people!!!! Okay, I'll stop yelling :) I made a salad with cucumbers and Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch Dressing. It was just right for a late dinner. A good tasting 6 Point dinner...

Now wait until you see dessert! I remembered I had a couple Deep Chocolate Vitatops in the freezer and I thought it should marry PB2!! I am really getting my fill of this stuff today. I defrosted the Vitatop, mixed up the PB2 and used it as "icing" on the Vitatop. I sprinkled with 1 tsp. mini chocolate chips for cuteness. Can you stand this- and for only 2.5 Points (the .5 Point is the tsp. of mini chips)?? Oh my greatness, if you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan, this is your new best friend...

BFF's =)

Uneventful

Hi Everyone! It's been an uneventful, but busy day hanging around the house (if that makes sense??). I got in a good run on the treadmill this morning. I went a little harder than I normally do on a Sunday, but I felt inspired by my conversations with Katie on Friday nite. I really want to try to run a 5K race sometime in the spring. I have to start practicing running outdoors. We'll see. Anyway, my food today was uneventful also. Nothing creative or overly exciting(hope I don't bore you!). Just some good eats.


This morning I had a ham, egg and cheese sandwich. I used some ham, 1 egg white, a slice of 2 % cheese and a Thomas' Light English Muffin. Really tasty and better for you than Mickey D's...





For lunch, I made a veggie wrap using 2 tbsp. of hummus, some shredded carrots and a handful of baby spinach rolled in a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Tortilla. Have I told you how much I love this hummus? I know, you're bored. Sorry! (but... it's great!!!!) Along with the wrap, I had a serving of pretzel sticks and a sliced plum. All this goodness for only 6 Points...

No time for a snack this afternoon. I was a cleaning banshee; finished all the bathrooms, did some wash, cleaned kitchen and floors. Somewhere between bathrooms and wash, I made a roasted chicken and some baked potatoes for dinner. I had 4 oz. of the roasted chicken, a small baked potato with some Green Giant Broccoli with Cheese piled on and a sprinkle of 2 % cheddar . I had some spinach left over from last night, so I ate that, too...

Dinner was 9 Points tonight and very filling. I didn't want much in the way of dessert; I never say that, but I guess I really did have some "filling" Momentum- type foods. I made a cup of decaf coffee with skim milk and then decided to add a Gingersnap. It was just enough...

I am so happy with what I accomplished around the house today. I feel like I have a head start on the week ahead. Hopefully, I'll keep my lead... =)

Still Not Cranky

I will proudly announce that I am still not cranky from lack of sleep. At least I don't think I am; I'm not asking the family since they may beg to differ and that will make me cranky;) I am pretty tired though, so I'll give a quick run down of my meals today.



Lunch was a wrap using my new La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Tortilla, 2 oz. honey ham, slice of 2 % cheese, lettuce and a squirt of dijonaise (a mix of dijon mustard and mayo). Along with that came my carrot cranberry salad and some Kettle Baked Potato Chips. A filling 7 Point lunch...





A snack probably wasn't necessary today. I wasn't really that hungry, but I fear if I don't eat something then I will go off the beaten track for dinner or after. Also, I think it dawned on me today that eating a little something even if I'm not feeling like it, does help keep my mood even and my energy up. Hence, no crankies! I saw the yummy hummus that I made the other day in the fridge and decided that would be a good snack. I paired it with a couple carrots and a half serving of New York Style 97% Fat Free Bagel Chips. I forgot about these guys; they are so good with hummus...

For dinner, I made the family stuffed shells. Lots of delicious cheese. I didn't want to go there; it would not have been pretty. So, I made myself a serving of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta. A serving is a measly 2 oz. which is why I don't eat pasta very often; it just doesn't "look" like enought food for me. A 2 oz. serving of this pasta is 180 cal., 1 gr. fat and 6 gr. fiber. which is 3 Points. I added to the volume by sauteeing some mushrooms and spinach; mixed it all together with a bit of my homemade pasta sauce. I sprinkled on 1 heaping tsp. of parmesan and spread the pasta out onto my plate instead of using a bowl. It "seems" bigger that way. Yes, I am that easily fooled! Very tasty...

I finished the night with some decaf Chocolate Tea (which does not taste one bit like chocolate, but it sounds good) and a Gingersnap cookie from last night's party...

Going to crank out some sleep =)

Rush,Rush,Rush!!

I have been running(not in an exercise way) since early this morning! I woke up extra early so that I could fit in my workout - yay, me- before going with big daughter on an all day field trip to a cool museum. I was rush, rush, rushing because big daughter begged that I not be late - I'm trying to get better with that! So, breakfast was short and sweet. A Banana Date Breakfast Cookie and some Eggnoggin Tea - to go...

Before I left, I had to pack my lunch for the field trip. I thought a wrap would be a good thing. I finally found a suitable replacement for the other store brand tortillas that I was using and my store discontinued. These wraps are called La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious. They sure are! Each tortilla is 80 cal., 3 gr. fat, and 12 gr. fiber. Also, 1 Point. Yipee...

I made a wrap with 2 oz. turkey, a handful of baby spinach, slice of center cut bacon and a tsp. Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch Dressing. I also brought an apple and bottle water. Perfect and not too sloppy!

We had to wolf this down in a nanosecond since the teachers had us on a tight schedule. I snapped this picture as quick as I could (people were looking at me strangely, too - the one side effect of food blogging!) and I gobbled it up.

It was nice to spend time with big daughter. She isn't completely embarassed of me yet, and did acknowledge my presence most of the time we were at the museum. We had a good time!

Then, there was more rushing to get home and also, rushing to make some cookies for a Christmas party I am attending tonight. I tried a lowfat cookie recipe from Aimee's Adventures called Caramel Kiss Cookies and regular Gingersnaps recipe that I make often at holiday time. I tried the Caramel Kiss Cookies and they were good! They are cute little guys and only 1 Point per cookie...

Betcha can't eat just one...... :)