Triumph over the holidays

What is the deal with the holidays and over indulgence? Every time you turn around someone is presenting you with a new sweet treat. Cookies in the office kitchen, elegant dessert spreads at the young couples gathering at church, cookies and cakes during office lunches. Sadly, it’s not just the holidays. When we get together with friends we meet for dinner or we go out for ice cream. We even take people food when they have babies or are recovering from an illness. Why is it that food is the way we express our joy, excitement, love, or whatever emotion the occasion calls for? Why don’t we get together to go for walks? Why don’t we meet at the gym? Why don’t we just get together to play games and hangout-without food? No wonder so many people-myself for sure included-struggle with their weight, and the adventure of losing it. Food is everywhere. This holiday season I vow to take control over myself and not get so bogged down and overwhelmed with the food. I don’t need the cookie in the conference room. I don’t need the brownies sweet Mrs. Johnson baked. I need to continue down the pathway set before me that is my journey to a healthier me. I need to drop several, okay lots, of pounds to ensure that my body is in the best place health wise when Michael and I start trying to have a baby. No one can lose this weight for me and certainly no one is going to carry that baby for me either! Nope, it’s all up to me. [Now if only I can get my enormous sweet tooth on board this motivation train!] I’ve been going strong with this Turbo Fire/ChaLEAN extreme workout journey. I’ve been watching what I eat-although I haven’t been as strict as I should be. However, as of Tuesday I am tracking weight watchers points-using the old system-and trying to get that under control too. Another thing I vow to do during this holiday season- and really for a period even longer than that-is to put away my scale. Why is it that we “measure” our self-worth based on that number? That number doesn’t determine who I am. It doesn’t control the person I want to be. But somehow it manages to weasel its way into my every thought. Today I was up, yesterday I was down, and tomorrow I’ll be the same. It’s a never ending, vicious cycle. Well, no more. I’m putting it away. I do not need that stupid, petty, unfriendly piece of glass to tell me who I am. I’m going to continue working hard, eating right, and making sure that the choices I’m making are choices that will make me healthier. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure I’ll indulge in a cookie here, a slice of cake there-I am after all a woman! However, I’m not going to feel guilty about those choices, because I am doing extremely intense workouts and making healthy food choices at all other times. I mean, this is a lifestyle change and let’s be real honest, what is a life without a sweet here and there? But, that also doesn’t mean I need it every day, even every other day. In moderation, right? I mean, the end all goal of this is a healthier me. A healthier me so I can create an environment as healthy as possible for our future baby to grow in. What better motivation could there be? I just need to keep my “eye on the prize” and not be so focused on the “results.” I know that change is coming-I’ve seen small glimpses of it already. And I know, even though I can’t seem to muster up those thoughts when I’m standing on the scale, thatchange doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a slow, steady race, one that this time around I’m going to WIN! So, Holiday season, you will not beat me. I will remain strong. I will continue to push through my workouts. And next month when you’ve left us, I will not feel guilty because you defeated me. I will WIN!

Wheels of change keep on turning

What a difference a weekend can make. Friday I posted about us waiting until July to try to start making a baby and in just 3 short days that date has changed. We are now going to start in April. Michael and I had quite the discussion last night. While I whole-heartedly agree with all of his reasoning, one of the number one reasons I’ve been so eager to start trying is because I want my child to know my grandmother (while she’s currently in decent health, I know there will come a time-much sooner than I’m willing to deal with when she’s not with us). There are no words available that describe how much this lady means to me. Honestly, every time I think about the possibility of my child never knowing her it brings me to tears, and if that doesn’t do it, taking the thought a step further and knowing that my child will never know my grandfather (he passed away when I was in 5th grade) just breaks my heart. I was definitely a granddaddy’s baby. I remember the smell of his truck, those old overalls he wore all the time, his green John Deer hat, the smell of his aftershave, and the roughness of his hands. To say that I miss him really only scratches the surface, but the thought of my child never meeting him-or her- just breaks my heart. While I know that this is no reason to rush into having a baby, Michael and I are both ready. We’ve come to an entirely new place in the last several months with this decision. For Michael it went from being not no, but absolutely no to now he’s excited about the possibility but cautious and wants to make sure that we are doing everything possible to do what’s best for our future baby-and family! Our reasons for waiting this long are financial-as I stated on Friday. Thankfully, God has been so amazing in the last year (really when isn’t God amazing). He’s blessed us so much-and continues to-and has put us in a position where we are financially okay where we are if we got pregnant today; we just wanted to add a little cushion. Now, the fact that we are moving up the “start” date does not mean that we aren’t going to continue to do everything possible to pay off our car and pay down our student loans. Those are still our goals. However, we understand that with all of the doors that have been opened in the last month or so we will be able to do that in June. So whether we are pregnant then or still trying to get pregnant it doesn’t really affect our ability to make that goal a reality. Now, the real question: What does that make my weight loss goal look like? It makes it a little less likely to drop 40 pounds-I’m just being realistic-but I am going to do EVERYTHING in my power to get as close to it as possible. Now, let me back up, when I say everything I don’t mean I’m going to do anything unhealthy like upchuck or take diet pills, but I’m going to make sure that I’m eating right and working out. As a matter of fact, as of this morning my Beach Body challenge has begun. Bring on the change! I know WHATEVER change happens it’s for the good because it’s creating a healthier environment for Baby Fox.

Dancing my way right back into this!

What a difference a year can make. This time last year I was finishing up school and praying to find a job. We’d just moved into our house and we had just celebrated our 3rd anniversary. In just 12 months man has there been change. I graduated, I got a full time job with only minimal downtime between graduation and starting work, and we moved from being that couple that wasn’t even talking about kids to the couple who has planned when we are going to start trying to make a baby. How is it that so much can change in just mere months? Furthermore, a few weeks ago I had dinner with a girl friend of mine from high school that I hadn’t seen since graduation. It dawned on me as I was making my way to the restaurant that I graduated high school nearly ten years ago. I’ve gotten a degree, I’ve married an amazing man, we’ve purchased a house, I’ve made LOADS of stupid mistakes and dumb choices, but how in the world has it been 10 years. It seems like yesterday we were walking across that stage. So I take a step back and put into perspective-yes, tons of things of changed in the last 12 months but man how things have changed in the last 10 years. It’s times like these that I look back and reflect on that old saying “if only I could go back knowing what I know now.” Although, I have to admit, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Why? Because I wouldn’t be the person I am now and be married to the man I’m married to and have the love, admiration, and appreciation I have for him without having been through the hell I went through. This reflection is also important for me to ponder as I look back thinking “how in the world has it been 10 years” because the next 6 months are going to be quite the challenge to make it through. Michael and I initially decided to starting trying to have a baby December 1st-yup, just two measly weeks from now. However, after a much needed conversation back in late August we decided to put that plan on hold in an attempt to pay off our car before we started trying. Now, what you must understand is that me coming to that agreement with him was by far one of the hardest “compromises” I’ve ever had to make in my life. We have been married for 4 years and I’ve been ready to start a family for three of them. Needless to say, our conversation led us to the paying off the car agreement because we both understand that while one is never financially “ready” for a baby, there are steps you can take to prepare yourself and to put yourself in a better position. We also aren’t exactly the best when it comes to making a plan and sticking to it. Generally I set my sights on something and then in one way or another I get my way. Luckily, this time around Michael stood his ground-firmly! We sort of took this “plan” as an opportunity to show ourselves that we are ready to do whatever it takes to make sure that we are in the best place possible before we start a family. We know life happens. We know the unexpected will happen. But, our car will be paid off. We technically don’t finish paying for the car until February 2013. However, we’ve been taking the steps of making extra payments and doing what we can to pay it off by June 2012. And seriously, God has truly blessed that decision. I’ve had a peace about our decision and on top of that doors have been opening left and right providing us more and more opportunities to make additional payments-from bonuses at work to Michael getting a design job on the side-just a single project but hey, every penny counts, to him being able to “sell” 40 hours of vacation time for an extra check. I’m not going to lie, two weeks from now I’m probably going to be quite emotional, but, in the long run I know our waiting is the right choice. And the waiting is actually the entire purpose of this post. As we have 7 and a half months before we start trying and I want to drop at least 40 pounds before we get pregnant I thought what better time than now to take on the BeachBodyChallenge. An old church friend recently challenged severalfacebook friends to the challenge and 5 of us have accepted. We start on Monday and I’m PSYCHED. So psyched that I started a little early. Since Monday I’ve been doing the workouts-Turbo Fire and ChaLEAN Extreme-in an effort tosort of familiarize myself with them before we get into full swing. I’ve also been without soda since Monday. It’s the baby steps, really! Anywho, this morning I started the Turbo Fire Inferno kick start plan and I’m looking forward to the next 5 days with that eating plan before getting into the beachbody.com meal plans. I’m going to be tracking my progress with photos, measurements, and weight and I’m going to be sharing it with you. What better way to stay accountable than to make it public knowledge, right? The calendar is marked for July 1 (or whenever mother nature so desires to allow ovulation during July) for Operation Baby Fox to start sothe race is on! My goal? To be in a better state health wise. To create an environment that is the healthiest possible for carrying! The wake up call? No one can do this for me-losing the weight or carrying the baby. It’s up to me. What better reason to get fit than to create a human life? Here’s to the journey. I’ll be posting workouts and food journals and I ask that you help keep me accountable. If I eat something that I shouldn’t, call me out on it. Have recipe ideas? Share them with me.

I’m standing at the starting line and I’ve got my shoes on and laced up! I’m ready for the whistle!

Blogging for the motivation WIN

Day one of getting back into blogging DONE, and man-I can’t believe I ever gave it up. I got home last night (after taking Michael his keys, stopping in to get some YUMMY bubble tea and an order of spring rolls, and two hours worth of traffic) and decided instead of sitting on the couch watching Netflix I would pull out the Wii and try out the new Zumba game. When that was done I decided-the weather has been crappy and I can’t walk- I might as well actually use the elliptical machine in the downstairs room. 30 minutes of zumba and 45 minutes of elliptical later I was done with a workout that was purely inspired by my recommitment to blogging. Another win for the new found need to blog is the fact that last night when I stopped for bubble tea and spring rolls I knew I had to go home and cook meatloaf (it was supposed to be cooked 2 days ago). So, like any good wife I went home and made the meatloaf. The WIN comes in because instead of indulging in the meatloaf (which isn’t bad for me at all-in fact a piece would have been 6 points-but would I have only had 1 piece?) I decided to have an orange and then a banana with some nutellaspread. Why? Because I was satisfied by the bubble tea and the spring rolls and felt no need to eat another meal. Why else? Because I knew I’d be sharing it with the world and that motivation kept me in line. Last week probably would have been a different story. I would have had the bubble tea, the spring rolls, and the meatloaf. It’s crazy what happens when you find something in your life that keeps you in check. Oh blogging how I’ve missed you! Until tomorrow: good eats!

Wednesday Food Breakdown:

Breakfast was a bowl of oatmeal with bananas, chocolate chips, and walnuts. I didn’t even finish the bowl. Breakfast was 4 points.

Snacks included an apple, a banana, and a banana with nutella(2 points).

Lunch was a smart ones (pasta with vodka sauce for 8 points) and a morning star fake chicken patty (3 points) for a total of 11 points.

Dinner included (btw the hours of 5 and 10) a milk black bubble tea (it was like pure heaven) for 9 points, spring rolls (3=6 points), an orange, and a banana with nutella (5 points)

I used 8 extra points for the day (thank you black tea you were SO worth it) which leaves me with 21 extra points for the week!

Blogging-oh the blogging!

It feels nice to be blogging again. I had totally talked myself into believing that blogging less was a good thing, but I actually missed it-and the motivation it brought with it. I love the escape blogging allows-escape from my constant thought of tracking and food and life. For some reason, while the blog keeps me on track throughout the day, it somehow manages to allow me the freedom to not spend my ENTIRE day thinking about my points or what my next meals will be. Do any of you have a constant dialogue going on in your head? What am I thinking, of course you do, you are a woman. At least blogging allows me to escape from some of the thoughts that were once consuming my thoughts daily-food, points, and weight. Now I can spend my time aimlessly thinking about weekend plans, what dress to wear to the upcoming wedding we are going to, what color to dye my hair in 2 weeks when I FINALLY get to get a cut and color, how long of a walk I should take this afternoon (oh wait it’s raining, maybe I should do the elliptical, maybe I should take a break-and that back and forth). It’s amazing how many thoughts circulate through my (and every other woman’s) brain in like 30 seconds. I don’t think a man would last an hour in our shoes!

Along with the addition of blogging back in my life, as of yesterday (as I mentioned in yesterday’s post) I have gone back to the new plan and man did I miss it. The free fruits, the better choices, the healthier eating- it’s amazing how switching from the old plan to the new plan changed so much within just a week. Yesterday I had a banana, an apple, and an orange. It was AMAZING. And, as I mentioned yesterday, today’s post will include a food breakdown for the first time in a long time (go ahead and judge because the hubby and I went to a Braves game last night and we had a great time and I don’t feel one ounce of guilt about it!) Speaking of the Braves, I’m really looking forward to more impromptu trips to the Ted to get our Tomahawk Chop on-it should be a fun spring! Until next time: good eats!

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for:

Tuesday Food Breakdown:

Breakfast was a cinnamon raisin bagel thin (oh man I’m so glad they added more varieties to this line because I love me some bagel thins) with 2 T of whipped Cream Cheese for 5 points.

Snacks included an apple and a banana with Nutella (2 T=5 points).

Lunch was a smart ones (3 cheese baked ziti) for 8 points.

Afternoon snack included an orange-did I already mention how excited I am about the free fruit.

Dinner included wings (I had 5 of our 20 for 15 points) with some cheese fries (12 points-I don’t know exactly how many I had so I’m over guestimating here) and a coke (I filled it with ice so less soda and the hubby helped so I’m counting it as 4 points). We went to a little bar next to Turner Field before the game and just got to unwind from our work day before walking across the street to enjoy some Braves baseball. (Come onSpring and more baseball at the Ted!)

Yes, I can count, I used 20 extra points yesterday because of our dinner-but again, no guilt!

Tuesday for the Win!

I don’t know what it is about this blog that keeps me motivated but I’ve realized that in the last month or so that I haven’t been faithful to my writing I’ve found small (well large) loop holes for indulging in things that are definitely not point friendly and quite honestly nowhere close to being health friendly-Red Robin burgers (what happened to my not eating at food chains?), ice cream (I scream, you scream we all scream for….SUGAR and FAT), chips (don’t even get me started on the ways these are bad); I think you get the picture. While I have tracked-okay, back up a few steps, I have tracked most of what I eat but weekends come and I haven’t been as honest with my tracking as I was being. An oversight here, a forgotten soda there, and before you know it I’m finding myself back in that old rut of “I’ll just start over next week.” I even convinced myself that the plan wasn’t working as well (which, in all honesty I still question) as the old plan so I switched for a week. Guess what I discovered? I ate less fruit (that same old mentality of not wanting to “waste” points when they are so hard to come by), even bought some smart ones, and found myself in that old behavior of eating more processed foods and less of the good stuff. REALITY CHECK: while the results I was seeing while doing the new plan were definitely not coming as quickly (I apparently need instant gratification-what happened to my mantra: one day at a time?) as the results I saw using the old plan, results were still there. I’m down several inches all over. I’m wearing pants I haven’t worn in a year. Shirts are fitting better. So, results are there, the scale just isn’t being as friendly. [Enter the excuse making -stage right]

Luckily, unlike previous attempts, I’m not letting those excuses [exit stage left] stand in my way. Today is the start of a new week with tracking so I’m throwing that old plan out (as it should be) and getting back on track with the new one. Welcome back to my lunch box banana, apple, orange, and blueberries!

I do have to take just a second to make a clarification though. My weekly tracking has been great. Also, last week I walked 5 days a week with walks ranging from 2 miles a day to 5 miles a day. I even spent a good part of the weekend dancing (a workout all in itself I’m telling you) with friends while we played “just dance 2”.

I’m not exactly sure where I’m going to fit it in, but I’m getting back on track with posts too. It seems like for me it was way easier to stay motivated when I knew I was not only going to have to look at my journal myself but I was going to be posting it for anybody that stumbles upon this site to read-and let’s be honest: JUDGE. So, here’s to adding better foods back into my day, journaling like a pro, and posting on a daily basis. Tomorrow’s post will include the food breakdowns come back also!

Until tomorrow: good eats!

Changes

Spring is fast approaching. If you live anywhere near Atlanta you probably feel like it’s already been here for about a month. Yes we have our back and forth cold then warm (as is usual with this crazy state and its weather) but for the most part the last month has been AMAZING. You can definitely tell spring is here too because there are way more people out and about in the afternoons.

Recently Michael and I have been putting greater effort into discovering the local parks around us (Gwinnett County has done a phenomenal job with the park and recs throughout the county). In fact, we’ve found 4 wonderful parks within just 6 miles of our house. The park we discovered just a few days ago has been our favorite so far. It has a walking trail (perfect for me), a dog park (would be perfect but Jake HATES the dog park), playground areas (perfect for future additions), a skate park (I didn’t even know these still existed), picnic areas (tables and field space), grassy areas (perfect for the hubby and his Frisbee needs), a basketball court (perfect for me-I miss those days), and a general since of being a great park (perfect for ANYONE)!

Warmer weather means more time outdoors and more time outdoors means more time dedicated to reaching my goal. All around it’s a win-win for me. In the last week I’ve walked upwards of 15 miles with plans to only increase that number as the weeks progress towards my 3 day walk in October. The pending walk has been such a motivator. Each day I get home from work (weather permitting) I lace up my shoes, grab Jake’s leash, and out the door we go to hit the trail. Daylight savings time has been such a blessing. It gives me a much needed extra hour of daylight in the afternoons that allows me to get the stuff I need to get done at home before my walk done and still enjoy plenty of daylight for the perfect walk. While my sleep pattern didn’t like adjusting to it (who knew just one measly hour could wreak so much havoc on one’s life???) my weight loss and workout patterns LOVED it. Have any of you taken advantage of the extra daylight? How?

What’s interesting is that in the previous weeks whenever I missed out on posting I felt tremendously guilty. I felt like I was somehow cheating on myself and my efforts, despite the fact that I was fully tracking, working out, and all around doing well with the plan. Ironic. However, somewhere between the guilt and today I’ve discovered a state of no longer feeling any guilt at all. I’ve packed my evenings with walks, spending time with the hubby, getting stuff done around the house, and even getting ready for the next day-none of which left any time for posts. While I love this blog and what it has done for me in the recent months, I no longer feel an OBLIGATION to post every single day. As such, I will be changing my “commitment” to this blog and it will become a for sure once a week post and hopefully (time willing) I’ll find an opportunity to post here and there throughout the week as well in addition to the once weekly post. I mean, we only have this life to live once, so I’m going to LIVE it! Hopefully this will also help with the large writers’ block I’ve had of late.

The blog will still be filled with my thoughts on food, working out, and my journey but it is going to morph into less of a daily food breakdown and more into my weekly victories (scale or non-scale related) and my favorite meals throughout that week. That’s more of a lifestyle than the DAILY posting. To me that was becoming an obsession and quite honestly the break has been kind of nice. Don’t fret, this in no way means I’m going to stop doing my daily tracking or working out. Until next time: good eats!

Back in the swing of things!

Seriously, where does the time go? I just realized that I haven’t made a single post in nearly a week. A WEEK. Man, this working 40 hours a week thing is really affecting my ability to get things like this done. I mean, it’s already Thursday. It seems like just yesterday was the weekend.

I am happy to report, though, that it has not affected my ability to track and stay on target. In fact, I’ve been having a pretty great week this week. Several days I’ve even been under my daily target because at the end of the day I was totally satisfied and couldn’t possibly even give a second thought to putting additional food in my body.

I’m still holding strong on my “no weigh in” policy I adopted a week or so ago; well at least I’m trying to hold strong. It seems like every time I pass the scale it is taunting me: just step on and see what you weigh, you can do it, one foot at a time. However, after my total obsession with the scale a few weeks ago I think it’s healthy to avoid the temptation and focus on other things like the inches I’m losing all over!

In other update related news I just recently signed up to walk the Susan G. Komen 60 Miles for a Cure Breast Cancer 3 Day, and I’m getting super excited. It’s such an amazing cause (my grandmother is a breast cancer survivor), every time I hear the commercials I tear up. I think it’s going to be one of those incredible life experiences that only come along every so often. It’s also given me the extra motivation I needed to become serious about my working out again. While I was already walking (a few days a week) and occasionally lifting weights, preparing to walk 60 miles has given me that extra boost to step up my game. Thankfully Day Light Savings happens this weekend (it couldn’t have come at a better time) so I’ll have an extra hour in the evenings (getting home from work and trying to get my walk in before it gets dark has been quite a battle this week because their just aren’t enough hours in the day to get done with everything I need to get done) to walk just a little further! I signed up on Monday and since then I’ve walked almost 9 miles. I have about 30 more weeks to get prepared for the journey and I can’t wait!

Hopefully this experience will help me find that extra “boost” in my weight loss journey as well. I have really loved it this go round. Last time I was serious about Weight Watchers I was super committed to going to meetings and a bit OCD about tracking. Sadly, often I found myself (as in I’ve been reflecting on my last go round in the last few months) eating foods that weren’t necessarily the best options health wise but options that were easy to track (Smart Ones; Chick-fil-A; WW muffins, snacks, ice creams-you get the point). This attempt has been SO different. I’m preparing a lot more foods at home. I’m not filling my pantry and freezer with those overly processed, easy to prepare meals. I’m buying tons more fresh produce and filling my day with fruits (something that NEVER happened last time because they were a “waste” of points-thank goodness the new plan has FREE fruit) and vegetables. I’m making sure to be more active and be intentional with my activities. The side effects? I have way more energy. I feel way better health wise (not filling up with preservatives and other crap). I’m sleeping better. I’m losing inches. I’m creating a LIFESTYLE not sticking to a diet. It’s amazing to go back to my old food journal and compare it to my current journal. Have you done that recently? Ever? Are you making any changes in your life to make your journey more sustainable?

I do have to admit my one struggle with the new plan: With the old plan I saw results much quicker. It seemed like the weight was just falling off. This go round has been quite different though. I’ve had losses anywhere from .4 lbs up to 3 lbs. I’ve been up (remember that 5 lb gain week-the one that created the obsession????). I’ve been seriously tracking for nearly 2 months and I’m right around 10 lbs lost. With the old plan by month two I had already lost nearly 20 lbs. I know I shouldn’t get frustrated and I definitely know this isn’t a race-I know the loss will come. I also know that my body is going to be much better off once I reach my goal this time vs. where it would have been last time (again, I’m eating way way way better). I just have to continually remind myself: ONE DAY AT A TIME. Why is it that when we make any kind of attempts in our life if we don’t see immediate results and get immediate gratification we are unhappy and feel like we’ve failed? Does anyone else feel that way?

It will not hold me back! I will continue to push on! Until next time [I say next time because at this rate who knows when it will be (= ]: good eats!

(I’ll give you Tuesday and Wednesday’s Food Breakdown)

Tuesday:

Breakfast was a fruit smoothie made with frozen strawberries, a banana, and 1 c OJ with a splash of water. (3 points for the OJ)

Snacks during the day include homemade sweet potato chips (basically just sliced and baked with nothing added) for 2 points; a mixture of banana, strawberry and 2% Greek Yogurt (1/8 c) for 0 points; and Trader Joe’s spinach dip with carrots (4 points).

Lunch was a Boca Fake Chicken patty on a plain bagel thin with pickles. (7points-3 for the chicken and 3 for the bagel thin and 1 for mayo)

Dinner was a delicious combo of spaghetti squash (amazing alternative to HIGH in points pasta) for 0 points, with homemade chicken meatballs (combined ground chicken with grated parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, oregano, and basil) at 1.6 points each (I had 2 for 3.2 points) and marinara sauce (3 points). I was going to make a second bowl (because I budgeted for 4 meatballs) but after the first bowl I was STUFFED. As far as the squash is concerned it was SUPER easy to make because we just cut it in half, scraped out the seeds and gook with an ice cream scoop, put it in the microwave and let it cook for 8-10 minutes. After it cooks you let it cool a bit then you use a fork to sort of scrape the insides out and it looks like spaghetti noodles. For a bonus it tastes way better than a bland bowl of pasta too!

That was a total of 22.2 points for the day leaving me with 6.8 left over (again, I was completely stuffed and satisfied and couldn’t have imagined having another bite).

Wednesday:

Breakfast was quite the treat yesterday. I had steak (4 oz) and eggs (1 whole egg and 2 whites, scrambled) for 8 points. No we don’t usually make steak for breakfast but we accidentally forgot we sat steaks out the other day and had to cook them but we’d already made other dinner plans so we just decided to have them for breakfast (only legit because the steaks were from the whole ribeye we bought several weeks ago for 40 bucks and cut up and individually froze).

Snacks during the day included raspberries and blueberries with 1/8 cup of yogurt (0 points) and on the way home from work I had ¼ c of raw cashews (4 points) and grapes.

Lunch was an old favorite p-nutty chicken wraps (minus the wraps). It’s a combination of broccoli slaw, 2 T peanut butter (I used almond butter this time though), and 3 T thai sweet chili sauce and chicken (I divided the mixture into two so Michael could have lunch too). You put it all in a bowl, mix it up, and ta-da! The total recipe breaks down like this: broccoli slaw was 0, the almond butter 5, the thai chili sauce 3, and the 4 oz of chicken 4 for a total of 12. Since I divided it in half my lunch was 6 points.

Dinner was another old favorite: maple/soy/garlic (marinated over night) salmon with 2/3 c of rice and fresh steamed green beans (all of which was cooked and ready for me when I got home last night from ladies’ small group-BEST.HUSBAND.EVER) The fish was 5 points, the rice 3.5, and the green beans 0 for a total of 8.5 points.

The days total point value was 26.5 leaving me with 2.5 points left over (again, not another bite was doable!)

Mother Nature and her fury

Why is it that Mother Nature sees to it every month that we-as strong, capable women are rendered useless (at least in my case) for a solid day because she brings on us a wrath that has so much fury we can do nothing but bow down and take it. In other words, why am I in such pain? Why do I have to go an entire day (sometimes longer depending on the cycle) feeling like I don’t/can’t even get out of bed? Too bad the real world doesn’t work on the same schedule as Mother Nature; nope, here I am, out of bed, sitting at my desk and ready to start another work day. All because we “ate the fruit” well man ate the fruit too and what does he suffer? I say NOTHING like we do. They don’t deal with a painful issue MONTHLY, they don’t carry a baby, and they don’t give birth. Now, as far as the last two I’m sort of happy. A friend of ours made an excellent point last week. She said, “Sometimes I miss being pregnant. It allowed me 9 months to be so close with this person growing inside me. Everywhere I went, there he was. No one else got that. I felt EVERY movement.” I wouldn’t trade the opportunity to experience that for anything in the world. So, on day’s like today when I want to curse Mother Nature and her damn fury I have instead decided to take a step back and rejoice in the fact that one day soon (within the next two years anyway) these pains will go away (for a few months anyway) and they will be replaced with a human life. Every time I think about pregnancy or having a baby it amazes me to think about the fact that when that time finally comes I too will be able to experience so many things with that little person that my husband will never get. Sure he’ll be able to see it with his eyes (in the later months when it’s visible) and sure he’ll be able to touch my belly, but I’ll be able to experience so much more. So, unleash your wrath Momma N, because I will not let you ruin this day! I will overcome you. (In my mind the song “I am Woman” seems to be playing like theme music right now-haha) In fact, tonight after work I’m going to get all dressed up, splash makeup on my face, and head out to the symphony with my husband and you will be in the background-not even an after thought!

I say all this like I’m super empowered but isn’t it amazing what Mother Nature does to us each month? She brings on cravings (I had a piece of cheesecake yesterday), irritability (I have an extremely short fuse with my hubby and the things I’m willing to put up with-especially this month because I’m sick as well), mood swings, and a desire to do nothing but veg out. Yesterday when I made it home from work I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and do nothing but I’ve learned a new trick. I’ve learned that if I immediately ask Jake if he wants to go for a walk than I HAVE to do it. Seriously, he follows me around the entire time I’m changing clothes, getting water, finding his leash, getting a plastic doggie bag (and whatever else I may need to do) giving me this guilt trip that we still haven’t made it out the door. You try asking a dog if he wants to go for a walk and seeing him get all excited and then try not to go-it just isn’t happening. Once we made it to the trail we got in our groove and made it 3 miles in 45 minutes. While I didn’t want to do it once it was over I was so glad I did. We followed our walk with a trip to Kroger for bananas and frozen fruit because as of late my favorite (extremely low in points) snack is a fruit smoothie made with orange juice. I knew I wouldn’t be having dinner until late because I was going to a ladies’ small group bible study gathering (last night was our first meeting and I’m already super excited about it-we are finally making a “home” in this church and it feels amazing) so I whipped up a smoothie and headed out the door-it kept me completely full and satisfied until I made it home at 9:30 and made dinner.

Moral of the post: Mother Nature cannot hold us back. We are STRONG, CAPABLE women and we will WIN! Until next time: good eats!

Wednesday Food Breakdown:

Breakfast was a peach, banana, OJ, protein smoothie for 6 points.

Snacks for the day included a nut/craisin mix (5 points) and another fruit smoothie sans protein (3 points).

Lunch included a turkey wrap (6 points) and blackberries.

Treat cheesecake because we had an office birthday party and I gave in (damn you Mother Nature and your cravings and cramping.) for 12 points.

Dinner included steamed fresh green beans (0) and marinated ribeye (8 points) and a bite of the hubby’s cheesecake (12-it is EXTREMELY high in points and bites are OUTRAGEOUS-I just figured out the points for it this morning and yao-zah-no more bites for me). I used 21 of my extra points for the week yesterday and have 28 left for the week but plan on avoiding them like the plague!

Is that sound the motivation train whistle coming back through?

I know I’ve posted on this before, but seriously, where does the time go? I’ve already been at Carroll Tire for a month now. CRAZY. I have to say, 40 hour work weeks definitely make the weeks fly by. It seems like it was just Friday (last week) and it’s already halfway through this week’s Wednesday.

Fortunately, I think I’ve finally gotten the work, workout, house work routine figured out for the work week. In fact, yesterday after work I took the dog for a 3 mile walk, did the laundry, and made dinner all before 8 o’clock. Afterwards I was able to sit down and relax and watch Karate Kid (the newer one with Will Smith’s son in it) with the hubby (definitely his choice). I’ve come to the conclusion that in order for me to be successful with my workout goals I have to get right to work when I get home in the afternoons-that means no lounging around on the bed/couch saying I’ll do it in an hour (because we all know that hour translate into the rest of the evening) but immediately changing out of my work clothes into workout clothes, lacing up the tennis shoes, putting Jake’s collars on and walking right back out the door and hitting the trail. In my head this sounds awful, when do I rest? But honestly, last night’s walk was amazing. I haven’t been feeling well the last several days (sore throat, achy body, light-headedness and headaches-thank you allergy season that came way to early because of all the Spring-like weather-at least I hope that’s to blame) but I powered through it and when I was done (no it wasn’t the miracle cure and no I didn’t feel 100% better, not even 75% better) I was so glad I did. The fresh air was great. The walk was invigorating. I know Jake was grateful to get out of the house. My body was happy. And believe it or not, the walk actually helped motivate me to make better dinner choices: I avoided the homemade oreo cheesecake in the refrigerator. (An article posted on a blog I read helped too: http://troykennedy.typepad.com/getting_stronger/2010/11/how-to-lose-a-pound.html ) As a final hooray for the walk, it helped me get a better night’s sleep last night also!

Taking a step back (to the link posted above): WOW. I mean we all knew this, but having it put into words and actually reading and then breaking it down into those snacks we all love but know are so not worth it-WOW. It definitely opened my eyes (and was another helpful tool to avoid the cheesecake last night). I LOVE reading articles, books, blogs, etc…about fitness, losing weight, and creating a healthy lifestyle. So, instead of just sitting in front of the TV watching Karate Kid I decided to multitask-and what woman doesn’t do this on a DAILY basis?- and pour through one of the library books I picked up a few weeks ago. It discusses the benefits of eating “power foods” and talks about ways to go about changing more than just our eating habits and in turn figure out that we actually like who we are (the way we are). I got some great meal ideas and I’ll be trying them out in the next few days! Have you read any interesting articles lately? Have any advice?

How have you been doing with your goals? Are you sticking with it? Giving up? Remember: One step and one day at a time-No one can do it for you but YOU! Until tomorrow: good eats!

Tuesday Food Breakdown:

Breakfast was a bit out of the normal routine with a Fruit Smoothie made with frozen banana, frozen peaches, frozen mixed berries, 1 C of OJ and ¾ C of water. DELICIOUS! (3 points)

Snacks during the day included a piece of beer bread (4 points) and a pomegranate.

Lunch included a leftover piece of meatloaf (from a WW cookbook with a few tweaks because I didn’t have everything it called for) for 6 points.

Dinner was a chicken breast cooked with sautéed onions, mushrooms and garlic combined with cooking wine and cream of mushroom soup (7 points) served over ½ c of rice (3 points) and brussel sprouts (2 points because I used oil to cook them). I also had a sprite (sore throat, remember and not feeling well) 4 points.

Total for the Day was 29.

Monday Rainbows not "Blues"

After a glorious weekend like we had this weekend not even “back to work blues” can keep me down! Our weekend was jammed pack with dates, friends, and the great outdoors.

We kicked it off by going to Gwinnett Arena (just 6 miles from our house) to see “The Greatest Show on Earth” aka Ringling Bros Circus. Prior to Friday I hadn’t been to the circus in YEARS (at least 20). I was such a kid. Giddy, excited, and just happy to be there. The atmosphere was fun and high energy. It was quite a show. At one point they had 7 people on motor bikes inside a steel circle cage-SCARY! We saw elephants, tigers, clowns, trapeze artists, midgets, a ring master, contortionists, and so much more! I even got to enjoy some cotton candy (although I only had a few bites).

Saturday we took advantage of the weekend and slept in. When we finally made it out of bed (no later than 10) we decided to venture over to the Gwinnett International Farmers Market (also just another mere 6 miles from our house-in a different direction). We found amazing deals on fruits and veggies and even meats. We love good bargains! We stocked up on oranges, cucumbers, blueberries, blackberries, even got a few pomegranates too, as well as fresh green beans, okra, and cauliflower! I’m really looking forward to meals this week! Saturday afternoon we took it easy (I took a nap) before we loaded up the car and headed to Marietta for Movie Night with the Woods (and other frisbee friends)! We LOVE movie night and seeing our friends (especially since we moved away from Marietta and don’t get to see them as much as we use to). The featured film as Aliens (my first viewing). Such a fun night! We made it home around 2 and then were off to bed to get up early the next morning for ANOTHER jam packed day!

Yesterday we made our way to GCC (our new church that we are loving more and more) for a great service! We made it home and enjoyed some leftover chili (our contribution to the movie night potluck) and beer bread (thanks again for that recipe, Sarah) and Glee! After our food settled we made our way out to Stone Mountain (just 12 miles from the house-don’t we live by such great places) for our first bike ride of the year. It was a great ride, definitely challenging, and super hilly. We ended up walking around a bit after our bike ride and just enjoying each other and the BEAUTIFUL weather! We then made our way home and showered in preparation for our AMAZING date night thanks to GCC Young Couples Fellowship. We were given an envelope with a date in it (thanks to The Great Date Experience) and we had a blast. I won’t ruin it in case any of you want to try it out but just suffice to say we had a BLAST! I will say it ended with dancing in our living room…..so sweet! I am married to one very amazing man!

What’d you do with your weekend? Did you get out and enjoy the weather? Did you share it with someone you love? Did you just enjoy life and rejoice in the fact that God gave us another day on this earth? I definitely did! As you can see this weekend was about enjoying my hubby (we haven’t exactly had loads of time together lately) and the weather and just life in general and not my obsession with food and points. As such, there is no food break down for the weekend (I stayed within points but I wasn’t obsessed with them, I simply enjoyed my weekend). I will be breaking down today’s eating in tomorrow’s post so stay tuned for that.

I will also be putting away the scale for a few weeks. I think it has become quite an obsession as of late and I don’t think a healthy one. I’m going to be tracking 100% and Michael and I are starting our workout routine back up tonight so I’m going to be measuring non-scale victories for the next month instead of reading a scale. I just want to change things up a bit. I’ll definitely be keeping you posted about how it’s going! Until tomorrow: good eats!

Dinner parties. And what's that? The motivation train pulling back through?

Mid-week dinner parties are the best! As most of you know part of my heart is being able to open up my home to our friends and play hostess and last night’s dinner date with the Shuover’s did my heart so much good! The boys occupied their time with video games while the ladies made dinner (and what a delicious dinner it was, thanks for the idea Becca, it was YUMMY). After dinner we made our way downstairs and spent the next hour laughing, dancing, and just having a good time. I’m telling you, if you haven’t tried it out “Just Dance 2” is the way to go. Especially if you have friends/family/guests over-super fun!

Not only did the dinner party make my Thursday awesome but it jump started my weekend beautifully-and we have one CRAZY weekend planned. Tonight we are going to Ringling Bros Circus. That’s right I said CIRCUS. I am giddy like a school girl. I was talking to my mom yesterday and we decided that it has been at least 20 years since I’ve made a trip to the circus. Granted, the circus I went to as a child was more just animals, but tonight’s show is supposed to be a spectacular display of animals, tricks, high-flying acrobatics, clowns, a ring master, and so much more-I CAN’T WAIT! (I am shamefully hoping the hubby let’s us have some cotton candy-I mean what trip to the circus wouldn’t be complete without it?) Tomorrow we are jamming our day full with a trip to the farmers market we just discovered, a ride on our bikes down the Silver Comet Trail, and movie night with our friends (I love seeing old friends)! Sunday we are busy with church and then a young couples date night sponsored by our church that evening. Needless to say, we shouldn’t lack for things to do this weekend! What are your weekend plans? Are you going to be active at all?

Speaking of active, I’m happy to report that in the last two days I have begun to get more active. Each day I’ve taken the dog for a 30 minute walk and played Just Dance 2 for about an hour. I can feel my energy level picking back up as I’m getting back on track with better eating choices and more activity also. It never ceases to amaze me how our body responds to the way we fuel it. Speaking of fueling our body, I had the chance to have an in depth conversation about a new “eating” plan last night and you may possibly be seeing the likes of that in the weeks to come. Stay tuned. Until next time (it’ll probably be a few days because I’m going to ENJOY my weekend and you should too): good eats!

Thursday Food Break Down:

Breakfast was another PB Banana Bagel Thin for 6 points.

Snacks during the work day included carrots with dip (2), string cheese (1), and blackberries.

Lunch included a turkey (meat from the deli not prepackaged) bagel thin.

Dinner was a concoction of stuff bell peppers (sort of). I cooked the chicken and then shredded it. We cut the peppers in half and baked them on 300 for 10 minutes. We cut up avocado, onion, tomato, and lettuce and then placed everything on the table so we could create our own pepper. Mine consisted of chicken (6 points), avocados (5 points), onions, pico, and jalapenos. It was SUPER delicious and super filling. I had 2 halves of a pepper but only finished one and made it a 1/3 of the way through the other one before having to dump out the toppings and just eat them with a fork because I was getting full. DELICIOUS!

Cha-cha-cha-changes!

Tuesday night I had the opportunity to head back to Cobb County (and our old apartment complex) to meet up with a friend for dinner. Isn’t seeing old friends nice? Something about good friends, good conversation, and good food just makes my heart satisfied. Interestingly, having dinner with that friend reminded me how much life has changed in the last 3 months. For as long as I can remember I was a student. I was working towards achieving something. Well, all that changed in December-I FINALLY graduated and for now (hopefully they’ll keep me but currently it’s temporary in status) I have a real job where I work M-F from 8-4 and have weekends free. Granted, during my long college adventure I had a real 40 hour a week job (working in a Pre-K classroom) so I saw what “working for the weekend” meant but not anywhere near as much as I understand and see it now. While working in Pre-K is challenging it is also fun and rewarding in a totally different sense then my current job. Sure it was mentally challenging but so is this.

(Pulling it back around to the actual point) My point is this: life changes. What this also made me realize is that our bodies change too-if we put in the right amount of effort and stick to it. What I find interesting is that after one bad week on the scale (as much as I would like to believe it wasn’t related to) and an injured hubby who can’t workout I am struggling to stay motivated-to workout, to eat as healthy as I was. Don’t get me wrong-I’m not going crazy with food or anything, but my food journal hasn’t been as well rounded as it was 2 weeks ago. Part of that is owed to the fact that I work 8 hours a day, I’m in the car 2 additional hours, and by the time I get home I’m zapped. I’ve been trying to be active but I haven’t been as successful as I’d have liked. So what do you do when you’ve lost your motivation? No, seriously, what do you do?

What I’ve come up with is this: I’m reevaluating my reasons for doing this: (1) being a healthier, happier human being, (2) creating an environment that is the healthiest possible for when we try to start having babies, (3) to live a longer, better life! I think I lose track of those reasons often because they are all LONG term and none are really for the RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW part of my life. As such, I’ve decided to adapt the plan a bit and add in some short term goals that will help me reach those long term ones that are the most important. I haven’t exactly given thought to what those are going to be yet (I’m open to some suggestions for reasonable short term goals) so look for that post in the next day or so.

On a separate, yet still related, note I have decided to (for the time being) give up running. Why? (1) I HATE it-I have never been a runner and find no joy in it at all. (2) I struggle to get motivated to do something every day when I HATE it. (3) I get easily frustrated with myself when I’m not improving each day. (4) It hurts. My hips are sore, my knee is dying, and did I mention already-I HATE it. 1-4 tells me it’s time to get a new activity. So, I’m reverting back to my old tried and true method of long, intense walks. I LOVE going for walks/hikes. It calms me and lifts my spirits while also doing something for my health. Now I don’t mean a casual stroll down the street, I mean pace up, really moving, walk. I came to this (I HATE running) conclusion last night as I set out for my evening run. I made it 1/10 of a mile and turned around, headed back home, got the dog and went for a 30 minute walk instead. My walk led me to shooting some hoops in the driveway (Michael still wasn’t home from work yet), which led to a game of H-O-R-S-E once Michael made it home (I won, as always), which led to a game of Just Dance 2 while dinner was cooking. Talk about a workout, if you ever want to “workout” without actually “working out” just get some friends together and play JD2-crazy fun but man it gets you moving.

I’m trying my hardest to get back in my groove. I find eating healthy in the morning and while at work is super easy but my hard time of the day when I struggle the most is between getting home from work and when Michael gets home from work. Knowing that I know that as soon as I get home and get settled in I have to put on the tennis shoes and hit the street (to walk). Again, I’m open to any and ALL suggestions for getting re-motivated and getting back on track. Until next time: good eats!

Tuesday Food Break Down:

Breakfast was 1 c Shredded Wheat cereal (not frosted) with a banana and milk. 7 points.

Lunch was leftover chicken in cream sauce for 7 points (a recipe I found at www.eatingwell.com) with 1 c of rice (5 points).

Snacks during the day included steamed sugar snap peas (I don’t know if that’s what they are called but they are the green pea pod things you get in Chinese dishes), blackberries, and a light string cheese (1 point).

Dinner was sushi (I had dinner with my friend at a place on the Marietta Sq that I’ve been craving since we moved away from Marietta) for 20 points (I don’t believe it was this many but I would rather over estimate than under. We then went to pinkberry and I had a small chocolate froyo with raspberries and yogurt chips. (7 points)

Monday Food Break Down:

Breakfast was a PB Banana Bagel Thin for 6 points.

Snacks included carrots with veggie dip (I mix lite sour cream with a package of hidden valley dips mix you can find in the salad dressing aisle of any grocery store) for 2 points, blackberries, a banana, and a light string cheese (1 point).

Lunch included a salad filled with veggies and blueberries w 1 T of walnuts and a Balsamic vinaigrette dressing for 6 points.

My after work before Michael gets home indulgencewere Doritos. 6 points

Dinner was Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole (a WW friendly recipe passed to me by my old meeting leader) for 8 points (I had just a slight bit more than 1 serving). It’s super easy to make: Brown your hamburger meat (we use 93% lean) and sauté an onion. Mix those with ½ can of cheddar cheese soup and ½ can of cream of mushroom soup. Place mixture in a glass baking dish and top with tater tots (or French fries if you prefer) and let it bake for about 30 minutes on 350.

MIA

MIA

While I would normally apologize for my MIA status, this time I’m not. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to this idea of the blog helping motivate me, helping me along this journey, etc…and while it has it has also gotten in the way a time or two also. From the beginning I stated that I wanted this to be a lifestyle change-NOT a diet. After last Tuesday’s weigh in it became just that-a diet. I became obsessed with why my weigh-in didn’t go in my favor. I poured over my food journal and my activities log. I read back through my blog. I recalculated points. To say the least it wasn’t a healthy week mentally. I was frustrated, hurt, and while I put on a happy face and pretended to be okay with the scale, that’s not what this blog is about. So, in the name of TOTAL honesty, I have to say: I was PISSED. I had been working my butt off. I was eating within my points. I was doing all the right things. Granted, looking through my food journal it’s easy to see where I went wrong (all the super heavy meals at the end of the week right before weigh-in) but 5 lbs-SERIOUSLY?

With all that on my mind I decided to take a step back. While I continued to write down every bite I put in my mouth I didn’t obsess over the calculations and the points. In fact, on Friday night I enjoyed every bit of my date night with the hubby and didn’t one time hesitate to enjoy myself because of the points (I did take them into consideration when selecting a destination though and chose Korean BBQ over the always disastrous but incredibly delicious Taco Mac).

Every once in a while you just have to take a step back. As I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again, this is a JOURNEY and I’d be totally UNREALISTIC if I thought for one second that every step of it was going to be perfect. I’m going to give in to indulgences, I’m going to skip workouts, I’m going to live life, because that’s what its there for. But, the next day (or next meal) I’m going to get right back in stride and keep moving forward.

While I did take the week off, and enjoyed the “rest”, I’d be lying like a dog if I told you that my body was happy about it. As I reported in earlier blogs when I was working out consistently and eating healthier foods (I didn’t go crazy this week, I still ate at home, didn’t have fried foods, etc…I just wasn’t having meals like fish and veggies) my body was in complete motivation mode and providing me with ample amounts of energy and great sleep. This week, however, I felt sluggish and unmotivated and to top it off I wasn’t getting great sleep (hence my early departure last night at 8 PM-that hasn’t happened since I was like 5). It’s amazing how our body rewards us when we take care of it! Weird, I know!

So here’s to a new week. I weighed in this morning and was at exactly the same spot I was after last week’s weigh-in. I didn’t gain-I stayed the same. Now to move forward; one step and one day at a time. How do you stay motivated when something let’s you down? I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions. I would also love to hear some tips/suggestions for ways to keep from becoming obsessed with counting points and calories. I want this to be a lifestyle and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life consumed with that constant voice in the back of my head discussing points consumed vs. points left for the day-that just isn’t any way to live.

I will get back to food breakdowns with tomorrow’s post! Until then: good eats!

Where has my motivation train gone?

I think the motivation train has left the station temporarily. At least the exercise one anyway. Last weekend Michael played Frisbee for the first time in quite a while. Sadly it didn’t end well for his hamstring. Since his injury I have run twice, I’ve done a run/walk, and 2 Power 90 workouts. However, the last 2 days after getting home from work have equated to just hanging out. The part that sucks is that the weather has been so amazing. I want to get out and run, I want to get out and ride bikes, I want to go for a hike but somewhere in my mind I seem to only want to do those things with the hubby-not alone. How do you find the motivation to stick with your exercise routine when you are doing them alone?

Beyond my lack of motivation for exercise I have been lacking the motivation to cook this week too. Thankfully Monday and Tuesday we used the crockpot and had 2 delicious meals. However, Wednesday and Thursday were quite different. We were supposed to have steak stir fry for dinner last night but I-in the midst of my crazy work day yesterday-somehow managed to skip lunch and when I got home at 5:15 I was starving. I tried to snack but by 6:15 eating dinner was unavoidable and seeing as the steak was still frozen I opted for the simple option of leftover chicken casserole. Why do I not want to cook this week? Did the crockpot spoil me? Am I that exhausted from work(mentally, obviously not physically)? Did Tuesday’s weigh in have that much of a negative affect on me? Shouldn’t that have worked in the opposite way-bad weigh in=extra motivation to cook healthier and exercise more? (On the positive side of Tuesday’s ugliness, I took my measurements this morning-I needed a pick me up-and while the scale is definitely not being my friend this week I’m still seeing smaller numbers with body measurements. Scale be damned.)

How can I get back in my groove? I’ve decided the only way to do it is by sheer force-that’s right, I’m going to just power through it. This weekend-with it’s sunshine, warm temps, and lack of work-will be filled with outdoor activities, movement and exercise, and cooking. What better way to get back on the train than just jumping on it? I have to keep reminding myself: no one else is going to make these changes for me, I have to make them for myself! I can’t ride on Michael’s coat tails to find my motivation for exercising-I have to do it without him.

This weekend is going to be beautiful, so get out there and enjoy the sunshine and the spring like temps! Until tomorrow (because the hubby and I are meeting for drinks tonight I think): good eats!

Thursday Food Break Down:

Breakfast was a piece of beer bread (leftover from the previous night’s dinner) for 5 points spread with butter for 2.

Somewhere in the middle of the morning I had a banana.

Lunch seemed to drift away from me and around 2 I had some pineapple and a pack of crackers (5).

When I got home I snacked on beer bread (it was the only thing in sight and I was ravenous) for 12 points-TERRIBLE.

Dinner was leftover chicken casserole and a ginger ale float for a treat afterwards for a total of 18 points.

Later in the evening I had another piece of beer bread (skipping lunch is NOT my friend) and ended up using 20extra points for the day leaving me with 4 going into the weekend where (as I already reported) I’m looking forward to sticking to only my daily points as I head into next week’s weigh in.