Pretty good for a Saturday...

But the nights not over. Cleaned the house and washed clothes all day. Tried a new recipe from Cooking Light and it was delicious. Had the parents over and they also loved it.

Food Journal
Egg, Cheese, and Ham on Toast- 210
Plum- 50
Lean Hot Pocket- 250
Chips- 75
Plum- 50
Baked Ziti Casserole- 362 (www.myrecipes.com- Recipe ID: 1662827)
Salad- 45
Chocolate- 75
Total- 1117 (will probably go over a little but still a very good day (for a Saturday!)

I'm trying to learn how to hyperlink so that the recipes I use are a little easier to get to. I am off to a good start. Hopefully tommorrow I can do it.

I'm now a soccer Mom!

Busy day today...Worked out, worked, came home after lunch, cleaned the house, cooked dinner, and off to the very first soccer game. They lost but we still had fun. It makes me so nervous. I'm the crazy lady yelling on the sidelines. Oh, well...

Food Journal
Hostess Blueberry Streusel Muffins- 100
Health Choice Panini- 310
Cucumbers- 35
Tilapia- 150
Brown Rice- 54
Broccoli- 20
Mindless Chocolate munching- 150 (still that darned Easter candy—When will it ever be over??)
Total- 819

Note- I can’t believe that I have gone 5 full days without weighing myself. I literally have had some withdraws. I pass a scale and want to hop on with every part of my being. Isn’t that crazy? It is insane to me. I am totally looking forward to Monday morning so that I can weigh myself!!!

Forget to eat???

Could I really forget to eat? Yes and no. I was so busy today that I really did not have time to think about snacking. I had my normal breakfast but did not have a morning snack. I had my normal lunch but did not have an afternoon snack. And guess what? I didn't miss either of them. I came home and made burgers for the kids and a veggie burger for me and did not munch mindlessly while doing so because why? I was trying to hurry up and do everything before we left for soccer practice. I wish I could train my mind that I don't have to nibble while cooking dinner just because I missed my afternoon snack. My body didn't REALLY need it anyway. I do a lot of things out of habit, eating is one of them. Oh and the tapping thing...I can't remember it either :)

Daily food journal:
Mini Quakers- 90
Lean Cuisine- 270
Cucumbers- 30
Veggie burger w/ bun: 230
Fries- 120
Calories- 740 (wll have cookies and milk tonight after kiddies go to bed)

P.S. Workouts have been going great. Tomorrow will be day five in a row!! Can you believe it?

Emotional Eating and Tapping????

I watched "I can make you thin" again last night. This guy has some strange views but I might as well try it. When you begin to feel like you are under stress or really about to eat something emotionally you are to perform a thing called "tapping". It is very strange, you tap pressure points throughout the body and it calms the emotional turmoil and the desire to eat whatever it may be goes away also. I'm going to try it next time and at least see if it works.

Granola bar- 90
Grapes- 35
Lean cuisine- 207 (Asian pot stickers- VERY good)
Cucumbers- 25
Mini Quakers- 90
Chicken Enchilada- 272
Yellow Rice- 85
Black Beans- 70
Chocolate- 75 (that darned Easter candy)
Total- 949

Monday--Back to routine

Why can't I keep a routine on the weekend? Monday through Friday is so easy for me to stay on target. Saturday and Sunday not so easy. I have to say that I weighed myself this morning and then PUT THE SCALE AWAY! I put it in the closet and made up my mind that I will only weigh myself on Monday mornings. Step one accomplished!

Granola Bar- 90
Lean Cuisine- 290
Cucumbers- 25
Chicken Enchiladas- 272 (www.3fatchicks.com)
Yellow Rice- 85
Black Beans- 70
Chocolate- 75 (couple of bites- estimated)
Total- 907

Workout this morning- 20 minutes on treadmill and worked back, chest, and abs

Easter

The Easter bunny was pretty waist friendly this year. He brought a store bought basket instead of a handmade one. Not much candy. On the other hand the Grandparents were evil!!! I'm not sure how to get over this obstacle. I feel my mother sabotages my diet any chance she gets. She has no idea what healthy eating is and fortunately for her she does not need to for weight reasons. She should for her health but I don't think she really cares. I know that I don't go to her house as much as I should when I am "actively" on a diet. When I do I feel the need to snack. She always has a good amount of junk food around and she cooks everything fried or with lots of fat. I know this is my problem not hers but I just wish she would sometimes make an effort and make something healthy. It is one of my many excuses to eat something that I should not. I am fully understanding my issues but not sure how to change the way my mind works!!

LOOOONG Day!

Yesterday was great but very long. We walked 12,552 steps yesterday. Not sure what distance that would equate to. We had a great time. Nathan ended up having a stomach virus a couple hours prior to leaving but we survived. He slept the entire train trip home (thank goodness). Ate quite a bit of junk but I am preparing myself for the week. Easter dinner at my Grandma's house will be the end of the not-so-great-eating spree I am on. Will be making up my menus tonight for the week and go the grocery store after leaving my Grandma's. It will work out great. I will be absolutely stuffed so I won't go crazy with the snacks. Back to the gym Monday. Since I have made my exercise schedule I haven't had a full week at work yet. This will be the 1st week of my 5-day workouts. Hopefully the scale will show it. I am going to try hard to put my scale away for the week. I am going to weigh myself Monday morning and put it away until next Monday. I think I am psyching myself out when I weigh so much. Hello. My name is Amy and I am a scale junkie. I know it's a problem. I just can't help myself! I will begin the 12 steps. My 1st step being PUT THE SCALE AWAY!!!

What day is today?

Not much to say today...Feels like a Saturday. Mall food and a movie (popcorn included). Getting ready for our train ride tomorrow. At least we will be walking a lot maybe burn off the calories from today.

A Couple of Food Reviews

I thought with my hummus experience that I should be venturing out and trying new things. Unfortunately the 3 things I tried were not so great.

1. Heavenly Desserts- The Original Sugar-Free Fat-Free Meringue Cookie- Vanilla. I knew was too good to be true. The box says 10 cookies=40 calories. Yeah, right. I couldn't get past 2 cookies much less 10. They left a horrible medicinal flavor in my mouth for quite a while afterwards. It also had a warning on the box that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Who could actually excessively consume them? They were horrible! The entire box (minus 2) is already in the trash!

2. Little Debbie- 100 calorie Snow Puffs. These were just alright. It is a soft fudge cookie/cake, topped with a marshmallow puff and coconut. I guess if I like marshmallow a lot I would really like this but I am not a huge fan of marshmallows. If you like chocolate covered marshmallows, this desert is for you!

3. Quaker mini Delights- Caramel Drizzle- I thinks my standards were way up there with this one. I was hoping for another Cinnamon Struesel but I wasn't that lucky. They taste alright but they aren't the cinnamon. It was more rice cake tasty than caramel.

Well, that's all for the new foods. My brand new huge Kroger has the grand opening tomorrow so I am sure to find a couple of new things to try.

New show on TLC

I watched a new show called "I can make you thin". It was pretty good. Although I did fall asleep toward the end. It is some British guy that is a motivational speaker. I think the show will be a 6 week series. I will continue to tape it and watch and see if he has any useful information. He had 4 golden rules. 1. Eat when your hungry 2. Eat what you want 3. Eat consciously 4. Stop when you think you are full. A big thing with him is setting your fork and knife down in between bites. You should be chewing your food at least 20 times and taste and enjoy it. You should not be doing anything other than eating. I'm all for that but it is so hard. I am so used to shoving my food in my mouth before I can even taste it. I don't sit down and relax and enjoy my food. I think I always eat more than I should because I eat so fast, my brain doesn't have enough time for my stomach to catch up with it.

Food Journal, pretty good today

Granola Bar-90
Fruit Salad-50
Beef and Noodles-280
Salad-45
Brussel Sprouts-25
Chips-75
Crackers and Hummus-160
Pork Chop and Rice Bake-325 (www.recipezaar.com Recipe # 95115-substituted pork loin chops for the chicken)
Green Beans-15
Total- 1065

Tomorrow I have a couple of food reviews.

Monday

Pretty good day today. I am trying to ween myself of Benadryl. I am an addict. I take it every night to help me sleep. It is wonderful. I haven't had any since Thursday night so I am not sleeping as good as a normally do. I know it is not a good idea to take medication nightly so you don't have to say anything. This last statement is going directly to cdotbdot and cukeedo. I can't get your new spelling down. My mind is now fixated on the old one and can't seem to pin down the new spelling. Went to the gym this morning and did 20 minutes on the elliptical and followed up with an upper body workout. I think I finally have my mind around the whole weightloss/exercise issues. Hopefully it will stick with me and I will continue to stay motivated. I wish you luck at the Y, very good way to reward yourself. I on the other hand tend to reward myself in ways in which I should not (Pizza, Hot Wings, a single with cheese from Wendy's with a biggie fry...the list could go on and on).

My food journal for the day:

Granola bar- 90
Chicken and rice- 300
Squash- 20
Cucumber- 20
Mini quakers- 90
Tortilla roll-up- 186
General Tso's Chicken- 323 (www.recipezaar.com Recipe #: 162379--DELICIOUS- but a little on the spicy side--use 1/4 tsp of red pepper for a less spicy version)
Crackers and Hummus- 160
Total- 1189 (still wanting a nighttime snack so I may go over by 160--not too bad for being so munchy today)

Tried something new...and liked it!

Went to Wal-mart today for a "few" things...ended up spending $180. This is the reason I despise Wal-mart. I can go to Kroger for a few things and only get a few things. I think it is because I don't know my way around Wal-mart so I have to go down every aisle and see things that I want that are not on my list. The boys also want things that they would not want from Kroger (or that Kroger does not provide). Case in point...The boys wanted a corn dog from the deli. I decided to get them one since they had not had lunch (I on the other hand had a healthy lunch of left over Chicken and Rice--I'm such a bad mom :)). Standing in line by the refrigerated specialty cheeses I noticed a container of hummus. I have never tried the stuff but see it in a lot blogs so I decided to buy some. But then, I thought, no crackers to go with my hummus. Down the cracker aisle I went...found the moderately healthy ones (Kashi whole grains). $ 180 later I'm at home and trying my new found "dip and chips" THEY WERE WONDERFUL!!! I got the Roasted Garlic Flavor. I have to say that this will be a staple in my house now, even Nathan liked them. It was a good thing to munch on while cooking dinner. The hummus has 50 calories fro 2 tbls and the crackers 130 for 15. This was the perfect size for a little before dinner snack.Tried two new recipes this weekend--Arroz Con Pollo and Beef Tips with Noodles. Both were pretty good. Not sure where I located the Arroz con Pollo but the Beef Tips with Noodles I found at http://allrecipes.com Recipe ID: 23915

Off to get ready for the week...Starting with the gym in the morning!

Slacking a bit

Time flies... I had not realized I had not posted since Wednesday. Thursday was a good day, stayed within my calories, went to Kickboxing class, had a good day. Friday not so good. I did work out in the yard all morning but Nathan had a friend over so McDonald's for lunch and Pizza for dinner. Today has been good. I've been working out in the yard for the last 3 hours, eating some grapes and a granola bar for breakfast and 1/2 sandwich and chips for lunch. Still have a bit of yard work to go and have a chicken and rice dinner cooking in the crock pot. I didn't get on my elliptical as I had told myself I would but I have been working and sweating in the yard. Good trade off I suppose (3 hours of yard work compared to 10 minutes on the elliptical). Tomorrow I will definitely get on the elliptical if I am not working in the yard. Well off to plant...

Quick One

Not much to say today. Here is my food journal and exercise entry.

Granola bar- 100
BBQ Chicken-110
Yellow Rice- 95
Zucchini- 40
Cucumbers- 40
Fruit- 45
Popcorn- 100
Total before dinner- 530 (not sure what dinner will be tonight--it's a church night)

Water- 48 oz.

Exercise-20 minutes on elliptical (2 miles) and Lower body workout; Laughing Hysterically for 20 minutes and searching for my contact in my eye for another 10. (thank you c dot b dot)

What a day!!!

It's amazing what one trip to the gym will do. It makes you feel so good and energized. I am really excited about getting back into it. It is all about your mindset. The morning workout definitely works better for me. The more time I have to make an excuse not to go the more excuses I can come up with. It's hard to make excuses first thing in the morning. I will begin thinking (dreaming) of ways to help you Cukeedo. I do my best thinking while I'm asleep.


Muffin top 100
Shrimp Creole 300
Salad 45
4 strawberries 20
Cantaloupe wedge 25
BBQ Chicken-221 (http://allrecipes.com Recipe ID: 87168)
Yellow Rice- 95
Zucchini-40
Chips- 40
Total after dinner- 886 (thinking about 100 cal Hostess Cakes and milk for dessert)


Water Intake- 48 oz.

Exercise- 20 minutes on treadmill and upper body workout

The key to success

I couldn't sleep last night and while I was tossing and turning I was thinking about weight loss. I began to think about the success I had about a year ago at losing weight and feeling really good about myself. I was really motivated but I am really beginning to think the key to my success at the time was EXERCISE!!! I have been really good about my food choices but the weight is coming off SLOWLY. The exercise part is the only thing I am lacking. Beginning tomorrow I am going back to the gym!!! I really believe that you have to do both to achieve success. One without the other will lead you nowhere. Here is my plan:

Monday- AM workout at gym (elliptical for cardio and arm workout)
Tuesday- Afternoon kickboxing class
Wednesday- AM workout at gym (elliptical and lower body workout)
Thursday- Afternoon kickboxing class
Friday- AM workout at gym (elliptical and abs and back workout)

Okay...I have a plan...I will succeed!

Excuses, Excuses

I know I can come up with them but these are legit...

1. It's drill weekend. It is hard to stay on plan on drill weekend.

2. I'm tired. It is hard to concentrate on food when I am exhausted.

3. It's drill weekend.

Enough said... :)

Quick post

Pretty decent day today...Healthy breakfast (Vitalicious Muffin). Decent lunch (Grilled Chicken Chic-Fil-A sandwich with a shared order of fries) and a delicious dinner...I made grilled chicken breasts with a Vegetable Ratatouille over penne pasta.

I really wanted something sweet today but I know my weigh-in is in the morning so I didn't want to go overboard. So I will just have a small 100 calorie pack later.

Breakfast Pizza Recipe

As requested... My breakfast Pizza recipe came from Cooking Light. It can be located here:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=522124

Only a Confession Today :(

I'm ashamed. I have no excuse. I fell off the wagon at lunch BUT I did have a DIET COKE! The good thing about today is that I'm back on track already. Having a good dinner tonight...Southwest Turkey Burgers. I am craving something sweet right now but it is just because I ate so much at lunch. I was contemplating the menu and trying to be good but I have NO WILLPOWER! One of my accountability partners (k dot b dot...not that I would point her out) was also contemplating the menu but wanted to know what I was having before she decided what she was having. At this point we both decided against the healthy choices. Oh well, we shall overcome!!! A very nice anonymous person bought our lunch today so at least I didn't have to pay to consume what I did. The worst part about eating out is eating past your comfort level. I always tend to eat more when I am at a restaurant, not sure why that is.

Well off to cook the turkey burgers...

A Holy Crap Moment!!

Who knew donut holes were 75 calories each? Had I known that I would not have consumed the 2 that I did. It did make me wonder. Before this journey I would have consumed an entire dozen, sometimes more (they come in a bag of 25)... How many calories would a dozen be...900 CALORIES!!! No wonder how I got to be this weight (not to mention the 2 children I birthed). I would sometimes consume as many calories in one day that I consume in 5 days now!! HOLY CRAP!!!!!

My menu for the day will end here. Wednesday is a church night I always bust my calories. Tonight is lasagna. I know, I know....I could eat dinner before I go, I could have a healthy snack before leaving so I don't load up unhealthy but I consider it a treat. I don't have to cook, I don't have to clean up. I don't go overboard by any means but I do eat and enjoy myself. I bring my own tea made with Splenda and I have a salad with Low fat dressing but that doesn't take the calories away from the food that is cooked. It doesn't add anymore though :)

Today's Food Journal:
Vitalicious Muffin Top- 100
2 donut holes- 150 (and no it wasn't worth it...)
Shrimp and Potatoes Tapas- 180
Corn- 40
Quaker Mini Delights- 90

Another Great Day

It was another great day. I even got my kickboxing class in so I feel great. I do have a confession to make...Thank you c dot b dot :) for making me put this in. I had two miniature Reese's Peanut butter cups AFTER my Girl Scout cookies and milk. It didn't put me over my daily caloric intake but it is easy to hide the fact that I ate them if I did not journal them. So yesterday's total calorie count was...1164.

I've done really good today. Feeling a little under the weather so my appetite is not 100% so I really can't pat myself on the back.

Blue-Bran Vitalicious Muffin Top- 100
Chicken and Cheese Casserole- 280
Mixed Veggies- 40
Shrimp and Potato Tapas-200
Corn on the Cob-40
Calorie Count- 660
Cookies and milk here I come!!!!!


Oh...the scale went back down a couple of pounds...Must have been the Fries :)

Typical Day

Typical day today. The muffins are growing on me. I had the Cran-Bran today and really enjoyed it. I do have a gripe though. I can't understand why the scale has so much power over me. I am a scale junkie. I weigh myself daily. Sometimes 2-3 times per day. I know its not a good idea but I just have to see the numbers. I tried to hide it once and found myself late to work the next day trying to get to my scale that morning. It is a ritual of mine. Wake up, use the bathroom, weigh myself. Normally it is a pound or so different day-to-day but I weighed myself Sunday and I was 153. Monday I was 156!!! How could that be?? Three pounds, in one day. Is it water weight? Where could those 3 pounds have been Sunday morning?? Maybe it was all the salt from the McDonald's fries? Who knows but it sure is upsetting. It is not the number that is so upsetting for me but my attitude, my being. How can three little numbers on the scale control my self-worth? My self esteem?

Today's Food Journal
Vitalicious Muffin- 100
Cantaloupe- 50
Lean Cuisine- 280
Ritz Snack Mix- 100
Chicken and Cheese Casserole- 280
Peas- 30
Total- 840 (I'll probably have those Girl Scout cookies tonight)

Weekly Goals

Well, I did better last night than I thought I was going to. I didn't dig into the Girl Scout Cookies. I instead had a Vitalicious Chocolate muffin top. They aren't as good as I expected. I was hoping for a little sweeter tasting but I guess I can't complain it was only 80 calories. I would have rather had the Girl Scout cookies but I didn't go back.

For my menu today I would rather not post. I did good up until lunch time ;) I had to have lunch with my grandmother. She lives in a retirement home. The food wasn't all that great and I didn't do so bad there. I had a salad with low fat dressing, 1/2 of a Cornish game hen (skin off), and some potatoes. I should have stopped there but the boys wanted ice-cream. I went to a place that was closed on Sundays (isn't that a major ice-cream shop day??) and then decided on McDonald's (BAD IDEA!!!). I had an ice cream cone which wouldn't have been THAT bad but the darn fries were just calling my name. I probably would have not went any further but Nathan thought that an order of fries would be a good idea. I fully agreed. We got a medium and shared. I do have to pat myself on the back though. It was the 2nd time in my entire life that I ordered a DIET COKE from that darn place. I don't know what they do to their Coke but it is the best. I didn't cave in on that front though and of that I am PROUD!!!

My goals for this week:
1. DRINK MORE WATER. I hate the stuff, I really do. But it must be done!
2. Exercise! At least the 2 days of kickboxing and maybe one more day.
3. Stay on plan!!!! Focus on my menus!!

Saturday's Menu

Breakfast Pizza- 200
Spaghetti O's- 280 (not the best choice but it wasn't the whole can, only a serving)
Pork Chop and Rice- 340
Cucumbers in Vinaigrette- 45
Squash- 40
Total- 905

Thinking about cookies and milk after the kids are in bed. I have some Sugar-Free Girl Scout chocolate chip cookies (160 cal per 3) and a glass of skim milk (90 cal). Which would total 1125 for the day. Not too shabby for a Saturday!

Tomorrow I will focus on my goals for the week.

Yesterday was a busy one there was no time to post. I went out and had a steak last night. Didn't overdo it but just didn't feel like calorie counting. Normally I would eat until I was miserable but I only ate until I was satisfied. I had a small salad with low fat dressing, a 6 oz steak, and a small potato (I did use a little real butter).

Today I am working in the yard. I love the first of spring. Cleaning out the flower beds, preparing the garden for planting. I'm not sure what I am going to plant this year. I know I will go with tomatoes, squash, and peppers. But I would like to try something new, maybe fruit (watermelon).

Onto another subject...Menu Planning! I find it necessary to plan my meals. If I don't know what I am going to eat for dinner I tend to go with convenience which ends up being frozen chicken fingers and fries or pizza or fast food. I like to sit down once a week with a pile of recipes and plan. I normally choose 2-3 favorites and 2-3 new ones. I write everything down and then go through the recipes and make my grocery list. It may seem like a lot of time but it actually saves me time in the long run. I don't have to go to the grocery store more than one time that week. Once you get into that habit it is hard to break. Sometimes my plan may change and we go out to eat but I just bump the menus back a day and I am back on track.

I made a good Breakfast Pizza this morning from Cooking Light. The kids didn't like it so much so I probably won't cook it again but it was quite filling. It was made with low fat crescent rolls, egg beaters, turkey sausage, and cheese. I normally wouldn't eat that much for breakfast but I wanted my strength for yard work.

Well off to clean out the flower beds... I will try to post my food journal later.