Thirteen

As of Wednesday I am down a total of 13 pounds - sweet! So what has this week taught me... even though I have had a couple* (yes that means more than one... I will explain in a minute) of slip-ups the scale still showed a loss. Here inlies the challenge - I can not let myself believe that esting food that is outside of my diet guidelines on a regular basis will continue to result loss of weight... it will eventually catch up to me.

*After last Thursday's "baked good debacle" Monday was another challenge - a vendor lunch at Ruby Foo's in NYC. I indulged in a couple of pieces of sushi roll with rice - but my main course was a delicious tuna steak crusted with sesame seeds.

I tried a new recipe this week -Turkey Stuffed Zucchini. I found the recipe on www.Skinnytaste.com - a website of a woman named Gina who posts all sorts of Weight Watchers (WW) recipes - now I am not on WW, but sometimes I can alter the recipes to be low carb (as well as low in calorie and fat). Here is a link to the recipe and a picture - http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/turkey-stuffed-zucchini-4-pts.html - I like recipes with pictures.  I started making this dish on Wednesday, but actually ate it on Thursday - it took a bit of time to prepare the turkey and zucchini before I had to bake it for 35 minutes. This is not a good weeknight (preparation wise) dish, but it was very tasty. My husband enjoyed it, but also commented on the length of preparation (aka all the extra dishes he had to do Wednesday night). Well I ate it again today for lunch (heated some up in the microwave) and I have to say it was still delicious. So I am going to recommend it with the footnote that it is best made on a weekend.

Here is recipe - Turkey Stuffed Zucchini

Servings: 4 (2 halves) • Time: 50 minutes • Points: 4 ww points

• 4 medium zucchini
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp white wine
• 1.3 lb (20.8 oz) ground turkey (99% fat free)
• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Salt and fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Arrange in a baking dish. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces.

In a large sauté pan, melt butter and add onion, shallot and garlic. Cook on a medium-low flame for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini and season with a pinch of salt, cook about 2-3 minutes. Add wine and cook until it reduces. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper, cooking until turkey is white, breaking up in smaller pieces. Add paprika, garlic powder, marjoram and basil. Mix well and cook another minute.

Place turkey meat in a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool. When cooled, add parmesan cheese and egg white, mix well. Using a spoon, fill hollowed zucchinis with stuffing, pressing firmly and top with bread crumbs. Place chicken broth in bottom of the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake 35 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°.
 
I made some modifications -

1. I used butter and olive oil to sauté the onions, shallots, garlic, chopped zucchini and turkey.
2. I did not have any wine so I used chicken stock
3. I did not have all of the spices called for - I ended up using paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning - I did not measure them, just sprinkled them into the pan over the turkey.
4. I used a whole egg instead of just an egg white.
5. I left off the breadcrumbs and just sprinkled on a little more parmesan cheese.
6. I served the stuffed zucchini topped with some marinara sauce.

So there you have it - that was the most exciting news of my week... I have to find something more exciting!

Forgive me readers... I have sinned!

I have to confess - yesterday I ate some baked goods! I know what you are thinking... oh what's a small spurge going to do me, no big deal, don't worry. But when you are on a low carb diet it can have a pretty big impact and I am hoping it will not tip the scale too much. It all started with the snow... it was coming down quickly and everyone at the office was planning to head home early to avoid the dangerous road conditions (that were only bad on the less traveled roads). Like many days at my office there was a fair amount of baked goods available on the conference table near my desk... home baked funfetti cake with chocolate frosting, apple crisp, churros (this is a new item to the usual food that is often available - I do not know who brought them, but whoever you are please do not bring them again!), B&W crumb cake, large cookies (choc chip and sugar w sprinkles), and possibly other stuff. Well I was coerced (that maybe a strong word, but based on what happened later that day it is appropriate) into bringing some home for the kids and hubby - "oh, you will want some treats for the kids when you are stuck in the house" and "oh it will only go to waste if you don't take some".... my response should have been "the kids don't need anything, I went food shopping in preparation for the storm - thanks, but no thanks!" or "these will just go to my WAIST if I bring them home - thanks but no thanks". As you already know I brought it home - 2 pieces of crumb cake, 2 large pieces of cake, 4 cookies (2 and 2) and 1/2 a churro (damn that person - whoever you are!) The kids were enjoying a snack of these delicious treats once we got home, and I just gave in and cut a small piece off the churro and ate it.... that lead to eating all of it.... and that lead to eating a piece of the crumb cake! Then the worst part of the situation was when I heard those dreaded words..."Are you suppose to be eating that?" from my lovely husband. That made me feel like I had been "caught" (because I had been) but my response was "I can eat whatever I want, thank you very much." (And I can eat whatever I want... techincally) While eating the baked goods I did have thoughts of going carb-crazy for the rest of day, but that short conversation was all I needed to end it right then and there! So thank you to my husband for being a pain in the butt and getting me back on track!

As of Wednesday (2 days ago) I was down a total of 10.5 pounds - I hope that I can at least maintain the loss this week and not gain (but of course seeing another loss would be good too!)

That's all I have for now... I have to go in the kitchen and throw out some cake and cookies (sorry to my family in advance)!

Snow, Fevers, Working from Home... OH MY!

The last couple of days have been a little rough... my son was sent from daycare on Tuesday with a fever (most likely connected the ear infections), we got close to a foot of snow yesterday (and we ALL stayed/worked from home) and this morning my little man is still not feeling 100%.

I tried hard to stay strong when it came to my diet - I had a few unconscious mistakes, but other than that not too bad. I think I might do an off cycle weigh in today or tomorrow to give myself some incentive for the weekend.
The last 2 days at home have allowed me the extra time to try out 2 new recipes: Chicken Stroganoff and Crockpot Pork Tenderloin - both recipes were found on www.kimkins.com. Both were pretty good and will be made again in my house.

Chicken Stroganoff
Serves 4
2 - 7oz boneless chicken breast (no skin)
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms, any kind
1 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks
2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
garlic powder
salt & pepper
oil

1. Season chicken generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder
2. Heat a skillet (not non-stick) on high & and add 2-3 tablespoons of oil
3. Sear each side of the chicken for about 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes
Remove the chicken from the pan and discard the oil (if there is any). Put the chicken back in the pan and add 1/2 cup of broth. Cover and cook on med/low until no longer pink in the center. Add more broth as it reduces so there is always about 1/4" in the pan. Remove the chicken and the remaining broth from the pan and place in a dish.
4. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan. Toss in the mushrooms and onions and sauté on medium until soft.
5. Pour the liquid (from the dish with the chicken) back into the pan and add an additional 1/2 cup of broth to deglaze. Turn off the heat to very low and add 1/2 cup of sour cream. Mix until well integrated.
6. Slice the chicken breast into 1" strips and add to the pan. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest to thicken the sauce.

Nutrition Info - these are approximate
Calories: 219
Carbs: 5 grams
Protein: 17 grams
Fat: 14 grams

This recipe was tasty - I used chicken stock instead of broth (I always think it adds more favor) and I do not think I let it sit long enough once it was done to really thicken the sauce. I was better the next day for lunch. I served it over penne for my husband - I ate mine with steamed green beans.

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin
Serves 8
2lbs pork tenderloin - trimmed of any visible fat
1/2 cups olive oil (extra virgin)
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon thyme
black pepper

In a gallon size ziploc bag - mix up the olive oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, mustard, pepper and thyme. Place the pork tenderloins into the bag and marinate for 30 minutes to 3 hours. Place the pork and the marinade into the crockpot (or slowcooker) and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Nutrition Info - these are approximate
Calories: 201
Carbs: 1 gram
Protein: 34 grams
Fat: 6 grams

This was also tasty and pretty easy. The original recipe said to marinate the pork overnight but to me that is too much! I think pork tenderloin is so tender that it can easily get over marinated - yuck. I let mine cook for 7 hours and it basically shredded when I took it out the cooker... maybe 6 hours should be the max next time.

One thing I find difficult about being home on the weekends or working from home is the lack of schedule when it comes to meals... on a normal day my schedule is pretty set breakfast between 8:30 and 9am, lunch between 12 and 1 and dinner around 6:30.  I have a few snacks throughout the day along with plenty of water.  At home I barely eat breakfast and then I want lunch no later than 12... I rarely get a snack or water.
Throw a sick kid into the mix and forget it!  I have to end this post and go get something to eat!!!!!!!!!!

Early weigh in...

We decided to weigh in a day early this week due to the pending blizzard that is scheduled to hit the area tomorrow. I am down 2 pounds - would have liked more, but I will take whatever I can get! That is 6 total since I started.
Monday evenings my daughter has her gym class, and in order to make it to class on time the family eats on our way to class. We eat somewhere in between the daycare and the gym - we have multiple options including Panera Bread, Subway and KFC (these are our favorites). I have always liked Panera Bread the best - I love the soups, sandwiches and salads - I LOVE ALL OF THEM! We ate at Panera last night and I am sad to say it is not the best option for someone trying to stick to a low carb diet. I know what you are thinking - it is called Panera BREAD for goodness sake! Yes I can enjoy a salad (with or without chicken - I always include the chicken) and I did just that... I had the 1/2 Greek Salad (+/- 3 grams of carbs) and a small bowl of the French Onion soup without croutons (13 grams of carbs). But that is a lot of carbs for one meal for me (at this time). While I only went over my allotted daily carb intake by 6 grams I was not really satisfied after the meal. I would have preferred to have the creamy tomato soup and 1/2 a sandwich... and I would have liked to finish the mac and cheese my son did not eat, but alas that is not an option for me right now. Therefore the following must be said:

Dear Panera Bread,
While I am sad to have to break this type of news to you at this time - I cannot subject myself to your delicious menu items as often as I would like to these days - but that does mean I don't love you. Really it is not you, it me... I just need some time apart from you to find my best self. I hope you understand. Please try not to cry. Keep a bowl of creamy tomato soup warm for me... maybe next fall or winter we can see each other again from time to time.
Sincerely,
A former patron

Just to kick me while I down (figuratively speaking) my daughter said she would like to go to Subway next week! Ugh - I think that may be a bit of a problem for me ... I will have to do some major research of the menu and figure out what to order. If necessary I can go to Saladworks a few doors over, because it is snap to lug 2 children to 2 different eating establishments in the span of 20 minutes, right?

In case you were wondering I did not may the spinach muffins last night - I will attempt them tonight (or tomorrow during the blizzard).

Long Weekend

Well I am back at work after an impromptu long weekend - I ended up staying home on Friday because my daughter was running a fever. We took both kids to the doctor on Sunday morning - my daughter has pink eye (as a result of her cold/flu) and my son has an ear infection in both ears... yeah you can imagine how much fun we had at my house this weekend. But the good part - and for me I am amazed at this - I was able to stay true to my diet and not cheat once! That is pretty unbelievable for me - I hope the scale reflects my efforts on Wednesday.

I am planning to make 2 new recipes this week - spinach muffins (As you might have already figured out - I love spinach!) and chicken stroganoff. Both look pretty good - I am hoping to make the spinach muffins tonight. I will let you know how they work out!

I started drinking my protein shakes for breakfast again - not every day, but when it is convenient or when I need to save some carbs and fat for later in the day. I really like this particular protein shake - it is made by Syntrax and is called Nectar Whey Protein Isolate - I like the Cappuccino flavor. It tastes pretty good - I use the blender to mix it up with water and ice - it gets creamy and frothy. It tastes best if you drink it right away. Here is the nutritional breakdown:
Calories - 90
Calories from Fat: 0
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: <5mg
Total Carbohydrates: 0g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 0g
Protein: 23g
Calcium: 160mg
Phosphorus: 75mg
Magnesium: 20mg
Sodium: 60mg
Potassium: 120mg 

For zero carbs, zero fat and 23g of protein you can't beat it! I bought it at Vitamin Shoppe, but you can also find it online at Amazon. It comes in many different flavors... I have tried the Cappuccino and Fuzzy Navel. As I said the Cappuccino is good... the Fuzzy Navel is drinkable. I think I will be going with the Chocolate Truffle flavor next.

This morning for some reason I did a few stretches and squats right after I woke up... maybe my body and mind are asking me for an exercise program? Not sure - let's see what the scale says on Wednesday before I start getting a crazy.

Four, Cuatro, Quatre Baby!!!

That is correct - 4 (FOUR) pounds down from last weeks weigh in for the office challenge! That is the motivation I was looking for!

I can see now that the extra time I have spent preparing my meals in advance is worth it and I will continue to do it. Although it is much easier when I can take left overs from the prior nights dinner than creating another whole meal for myself. I did that last night - I got my lunch and lunch for my son taken care of right after dinner - it saved me lots of time. Last night I made Spinach Meatballs - they were really good! At just 0.5 (grams) carbs per meatball how can you beat it! For anyone on Weight Watchers I entered the recipe into the Weight Watchers recipe builder on the WW's website and it came out to 1 point per meatball! Pretty good if you ask me... here is the recipe:

Spinach Meatballs
Makes 30

1lb 95% lean ground beef
2 eggs
10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 button mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon each salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Treat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a food processor combine spinach, parmesan, mushrooms, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and spices. Process until well combined.
3. Add eggs one at a time and process until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Add beef and mix until well combined.
4. Shape into thirty 1 1/2" balls. Place on the baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

I ate 8 meatballs (4 carbs) with 1/2 cup of marinara sauce and 1/4 cup of RF Shredded Mozzarella - my husband and the kids had spaghetti with their meatballs! I was happy the kids ate them - I would not say the LOVED them, but I did get a "I don't hate them" from my 4 year old! I think both kids ate 1 whole one cut up - usually they eat 2 or 3 traditional meatballs, so that is fine. I had 6 meatballs for lunch today (again with sauce and cheese) - heated it up in the microwave at the office.
Some good news - other than the 4 pounds I lost - I was able to wake up with my alarm this morning! Yay me... oh I also woke up with a start at 2 am. I thought it was 6 am, but no it was 2 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING! My son decided he wanted to get up and cry out for someone to come and rock him a little bit. I was back in bed by 2:15 - thank you to my husband for taking over. I was happy I woke up at 6 am when my alarm went off - I had lots of plans of what I would do with an extra half hour added on to my morning- but alas those plans went down the drain when my son woke up at 6:05am. I am afraid that if I try to wake up any earlier he will wake up at the same time! I will try it again tomorrow and hope he sleeps later.
My latest challenge - I will be heading out to dinner tomorrow night with my girlfriends... I will be reviewing the menu of the restaurant to see what the best options for my dinner will be. I know I will go over my max carb allowance for the day, but as long as I avoid processed sugars, etc. I should be fine. The only thing I will REALLY MISS will be the wine - oh lovely wine, how I will yearn for you, but that would totally kill my momentum. So I have to pass on that cold, refreshing, delicious, crisp, smooth drink and stick with a diet soda or better yet water. I know water is the best option to drink at any time, but I just can not get excited about water.
Well the day is coming to an end and I think I will head off to bed... and dream of sipping that cold glass of wine I will not be ordering tomorrow night.

Day 2: So far so good...

Well it is close to the end of day and all and all it was a pretty good day. I was able to pack up my breakfast and lunch last night before I fell asleep - I was also able to prepare lunch for my son (so that saved me some time this morning). I was pretty busy at work most of the day so I ate when I could and was not hungry the rest of the day.

Tomorrow is the weekly weigh in for the office challenge - now I have only been on my plan since yesterday - but I hope I will see a change on the scale (a good change). I can't complain if it does not show a loss because it has only been 2 days, but it would be a good motivator if it did.

What I will complain about is the fact that now I seem to be immune to my alarm clock! I wake up and it has either gone off and I have snoozed it in my sleep or it has been going off for 15 to 20 minutes and I did not hear it. I have it on the "buzz" mode because music doesn't work for me... I just hear it in my dreams like background music. This has never happened to me before - I am the person that wakes up when one of my kids rolls over in their bed or breathes heavily. Not sure what is going on, but I have to figure something out. I would like to be up earlier - to exercise* or at least eat breakfast before I leave the house in the morning. I am going to try and get to bed early tonight!

*Ok I watched the exercise DVDs I bought - Tony Horton's 10 minute Trainer... whoa! I am not sure I am coordinated enough to do the moves they are showing, but I am going to try.  A couple of challanges I am facing - where to do the exercising in my house - there is some jumping involved and I would prefer not to break anything or cause my house to collaspe. In addition, I would prefer not to exercise in front of an audience- see I already have an audience with me when I get dressed in the morning, go to the bathroom, and even at times while I am showering... oh the joys of having 2 small children! But at least the first couple of times I would like to be alone.  Maybe I have to think about exercising in the evening after the kids go to bed.  We shall see!

So far I ate today -
• 1 mini quiche
• 16 oz decaf coffee w 2 Tbsp 1/2 and 1/2
• 8 oz decaf tea
• chicken breast with salsa and cheese (same as yesterday w/o the sour cream - and yes I missed the sour cream)
• small salad - lettuce, cucumbers, tomato and sliced mushrooms with a little EVOO and lots of red wine vinegar
• 1 SF Jell-O (orange)

(I packed myself some turkey and RF swiss - but decided not to eat it - my carb count was getting a little high and I wanted to leave myself some room for dinner. I think I will eat it tomorrow for breakfast.)

Tonight I am going to try a new recipe for Spinach Meatballs - it has frozen chopped spinach, lean ground beef, parmesan cheese, egg whites, and some seasonings. I hope the kids will eat them - they will have them over spaghetti with marinara sauce... I will have them with the sauce and some RF shredded mozzarella. I will let you know how it turns out!

Day 1 - Officially on the new plan

Well it is the end of day one - and I am spent!

I stayed up late last night preparing food for this weeks breakfasts and lunches - I had to wait for the kids to be in bed so that I could concentrate on what needed to be done. I took some time in the afternoon to review/print some information from the my diet plans website (www.kimkins.com) and then headed over the supermarket. I shopped both for me and the family - while I will try to only prepare one dinner in the evening (we will all eat the protein portion and they will enjoy the side dishes too) the shopping cart was mighty full.
I cleaned and pounded 6 chicken breasts - I cut each in half (making 12 - 4 to 5 oz servings), I baked off 4 servings and individually wrapped and froze the remaining 8.
I measured out 1 cup servings of lettuce, 1/4 cup servings of sliced cucumbers and stored them in the zip lock bags in the fridge. I cut up 2 campari tomatoes for today as well.
Then I prepared some mini quiche for quick breakfasts - 6 eggs, 1 cup 1/2 & 1/2, 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese and 1/2 cup crumbled bacon - mixed all together and poured into muffin tin and baked it for 40 min at 350 degrees. Notes for next time - I the recipe said it would make 12 muffins/quiches... I only got 10. I think I must have over-filled the cups - I will try to be less generous next time. The recipe said to grease the muffin pan - I have a non-stick pan and I did spray it with Pam, but they still stuck. I have to grease it up better next time.

I packed the following food for the day (in my new Vera Bradley lunch tote (thanks Big Sis!)):
1 Mini Quiche
1 serving of Ham (Oscar Mayer Deli - shaved)and 2 slices of RF Swiss
1 chicken breast, 3 Tbs of Salsa, 1/4 cup RF Cheese
2 Tbs sour cream
1 bag/cup of lettuce, cucumbers and tomato
1 Sugar Fee Jell-O - Lemon/Lime

I added:
1 cup of decaf tea
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Bottled Water

I took my daughter to her gym class tonight - therefore we ate dinner at one of her favorite places on earth... KFC. I ate a Grilled Chicken Breast (I tried to not eat the skin - I did not eat all of it) and I had a diet soda.

All and all I think the day went well - I was feeling a little nauseous in the late morning (but I think it was motion sickness from riding on the "vomit-comet" otherwise known as my company's van service). I was a little discouraged when another co-work said she was going to get a burger and a chocolate milkshake for lunch... but when she saw my lunch and how I had carefully measured each item she changed her order and got a salad (no milkshake). So I guess you could say I am helping others be healthy - I am like a superhero really.... ok maybe that is a little much for the first day, but by June 2010 you will be referring to me as Captain Cares About Others Health! I will have to work on a better name, but you get my drift.

I am going to pack up my lunch for tomorrow and go to bed... and dream about eating pasta and ice cream and chocolate candy!

Attention, Attention, I have an Announcement...

Ok so I ready to announce my goal and diet plan....

As of today, Thursday, January 28, 2010, my goal is to lose 40 pounds by June 1st. That would be approximately 2 to 2.5 pounds per week (18 weeks). I will be following a diet plan that I have used in the past and had success with. You can find all the information online at www.kimkins.com - it is a low carb, low fat plan. I brought the exercise DVDs up from the basement and read all of the booklets that came with them... I also assembled the resistance band thingy that I am suppose to use. I plan to watch the DVD tonight - I do not know how or when I will fit the exercising into my daily schedule but it has to be done! I will figure it out.

I can not believe I just committed to that goal... in writing no less! Please accept my apology now for any bitchy, snotty, out-of-her-mind remarks I may make in the next 18 weeks. Lack sugar and fat mixed with required exercising can do funny things to a gal. But remember I love you and I love myself and therefore we must all endure and stay strong during this difficult time.

Godspeed to me...

I am so full...

I am so full.... of baloney! Not really because I do not eat baloney or bologna - I think it is gross and not sure exactly what it consists of. Therefore I do not eat it, but that is not the point! The point is I made some strong statements and claims last year regarding my attempts to lose weight and never followed through! That is right I just blew it off - the holiday's came and went and now I am worse off than before. I gotta get my head in the game and take care of business.

I entered a weight loss challenge (of sorts) at work today... we tried this last year and nothing came of it. But I am hoping this time will be different. You are probably wondering why start something like that on a Wednesday - well we had to start sometime so today was the day. I have to say stepping on that scale was nerve racking and the number that came up was more than I thought it would be... not my highest weight ever, but too close for comfort. I am going to set a goal... not sure what it will be yet... I will post that later this week. I have found that setting a goal and announcing it is helpful!

As a side note about setting/announcing a goal...earlier this month I was selling Girl Scout cookies on behalf of my 7 year old niece - once I told people I wanted to sell 20 boxes for her the orders started pouring in! I upped my goal to 50 boxes, let people know and WHAM! I sold 52 boxes! Yes that's right 52 BOXES - I kicked some serious Girl Scout Cookie ass! (the cookies not an actual Girl Scout) I have not placed an order yet for my own personal consumption and based on this blog I probably should refrain from ordering at all. But it's for the Girl Scouts - Troop 1140 - I can't let them down, right? We will see what happens.

So I think I will head down to the basement tonight and dig through the remains of the Christmas wrapping and other stuff that has been sent down there to never be seen again and find the DVDs I never opened. I gotta do something! Plus I have a lot of laundry that needs to be done so I will be in general vicinity of the box the DVDs are in. (It is astounding how much laundry 2 children can create on a weekly basis... between the washer and dryer and the dishwasher something is always running at my house.)

Check back soon for my goal announcement and what my plan will be to try and lose some weight.

Baby Steps by Dr. Leo Marvin

I have not kept my word/promise... I have not watched the DVDs yet (I have not even unwrapped them from the plastic coating). I am trying to build up some momentum again... it has been chilly this week and I love snuggling on the couch with a blanket and watching TV (and falling asleep)... but I did have 3 good days (diet wise) so far this week and today has been going good, too. I have been trying to eat healthy at meal times and trying to resist eating junk* in between the meals.

*The main problem with that is while I work in an office you would think I work in a bakery/candy store. Everywhere I turn there is candy or sweets in my line of vision... right now I am staring at 1 bowl of candy corn, 1 bowl of mixed Halloween candy and a box of Dunkin Donut muffins! I want to poke my eyes out with a stick (or a muffin - because maybe some of it will fall in my mouth).

I have healthy snacks on hand - FiberOne Yogurt (only 1 pt on WW), delicious empire apples (also 1 pt - because it is relatively small), and single serving bags of Jolly Time Healthy Pop popcorn - as you can see I am all set for the day. But yet I cannot resist the temptation of the candy bowl - it is ridiculous. It does not matter where the candy sits I will always seem to come in close proximity to it at some point during the day.

So now I am taking "Baby Steps" to get my momentum/motivation back on track... I love the movie "What About Bob"! At Dr. Marvin's suggestion I will repeat to myself - I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful... I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful... I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful... whenever I am tempted now.

Slow Down does not mean Stop!

I have say I have somewhat lost my drive for dieting and (the thought of) exercising! Since I have been home from vacation I can't seem to get myself back on track.... I can't even see the track, I am not sitting on the bleachers, or even in the locker room... you can find me standing next to the vending machines eating a Twix! (Did I ever mention I love any candy bar that comes in 2 pieces - Twix, Almond Joy, Mounds, 100 Grand to name a few.) Uuuggghhh! I have to stop this madness!
I can't commit to starting tomorrow, but this weekend I will watch and try to do at least 1 of the 10 minute training sessions. I might have my 3 year old doing it along side me, but I will do it! I have about 10 hours worth of television shows backed up on my TiVo from last week that I want to watch - but I think I can take a break during that time to try the exercise DVDs. It is amazing how much TV I try to watch in a one week period - that 10 hours does not include the 5 episodes of Oprah I deleted without watching. If only I had the same zest for exercising that I had for watching Dancing with the Stars.... I would be super fit by now.

That is all I have for now... I have to go wash the chocolate off my face now.

Does Sweating count as Excerise?

I have completed my first trip to Disney... 2 days - yes it was a very short visit by Disney standards, but just enough for me! I have already decided that are next visit will be 1. when my son is out of diapers and off formula and 2. in a winter month! I can not understand how on earth families can stand to be in the parks in the summer months - IT WAS SO UNBELIEVABLY HOT - it was like Africa hot (although I have never been to Africa I am fairly certain the temperature is the same)! I am pretty sure that anything I ate - and I ate a lot - was worked off with all the walking (more like trudging) and sweating. I was literally sweating from the minute we walked out of the hotel room to the minute we returned - sure we were in the air conditioning on and off throughout the day - but I do not think I ever actually stopped sweating. I was sure to drink lots of water to keep from getting dehydrated, I think I drank close to a gallon a day - plus I had a margarita each evening (that may have contributed to the sweating a little). Anyway we saw everything we came to see - which again is not much by most peoples standards, but enough for a 3.5 year old).

Day 1 - we went to Hollywood Studios and saw the Little Mermaid show, the Playhouse Disney show, the Muppet's 3D movie and had lunch with Jojo, Goliath, June and Leo (from Little Einsteins). After that we went back to the hotel and took a swim in the pool - that was very refreshing! Then we showered, got changed ad headed over the Magic Kingdom for the "Not So Scary Halloween Party" - trick-or-treating and riding a couple of rides (like the Dumbo (twice)) - it was lots of fun! And we got to see the Hallo-Wishes fireworks display. Day 2 - We spent the day at the Magic Kingdom - went on all the rides in Toon Town and Fantasy Land - we made a few purchases ($$$$) and headed out of the park around 4pm.
We are now relaxing in luxury at my families home in Port St. Lucie - I am enjoying the good food, good wine and good family time! I will check back in once I am back in New Jersey....

Not a bad start...

Yesterday's start to my families one week vacation got off to without too much drama - my diet was not quite out of my mind at that point and I have to say I had a pretty good day overall. The day began with one of my new favorites - oatmeal from Jamba Juice (Newark Airport gets another star in my book for having a Jamba Juice on site.) Oh - this was unusual... we enter the airport after checking are bags at the curbside check-in, we take the elevator (using double stroller for the kiddies) up to level to go through security. As we are approaching the security area my 3 and 1/2 year says "It smells like bacon - I need a piece of bacon!" - so after locating the Jamba Juice we stopped by "Steak Escape" for a side of bacon - she enjoyed the bacon! We boarded the plane and had a relatively drama free flight - the kids were great considering the confined space. We were offered turkey sandwiches on the flight - I have to say it was one of the best "meals" I have ever eaten on a plane (while flying Coach - nothing compares to First Class baby). The meal consisted of a Jennie-O 99% fat free turkey sandwich on a small roll (I removed the wilted lettuce and skipped the lite mayo), a small bag of baby carrots, and a mini Kit Kat... practically perfect in every way! Once we landed and use the restroom we dropped by the airport Burger King for some chicken tenders for my daughter - she ate 2, I ate the rest (like 8)! After a wait in the rental car line, another trip to the restroom for each child (yes that means we used the restroom 3 times within a 20 minute period), a somewhat trying wait and ride to the rental car off site pick up place I began to sweat like never before! It was raining and the air was so thick with heat - the rain drops were warm - GROSS! I stood under a canopy for what seemed like an hour (the intense sweating was blurring my sense of time) until we finally had the bags loaded, infant car seat installed (that took 2 attempts) and the booster seat strapped into the Nissan Xterra we rented. Off to Babies R Us for baby supplies and then on to my aunts for the first destination of the week.
Today I realized the Xterra is too SMALL! We hung out in the pool after breakfast (pancakes (not too many)) and then got ready to leave the house for a visit to the Turtle Museum and then the beach. We took one car (that is 3 adults and 2 kids in car seats) - I road in the back with the infant seat, the booster seat and my larger than I would like body - I thought I was going to pass out - and I started sweating again... at leat it was 100 degrees out - I can use that as an excuse! We went to a Turtle Museum - they rescue turtles and nurse them back to health... it was cool. Plus at the gift shop I bought an awesome hat for the beach! After the Museum we headed to the beach in Jupiter - it was a nice day!
Right now I am totally exhausted and will be heading to bed shortly... I have to be up early in the morning - we are heading to Disney tomorrow! But the real reason to get up early is that my husband is taking the Xterra back to the car rental place and changing it for a mini-van! I do not think he is happy about this and he is not doing it because he agrees the car is too small for us.... the reason is he refuses to listen to me complain for the rest of the vacation about the car. Whatever the reason (which I have decided will be "he agrees that I am right about the car being too small") I am happy! Stupid Xterra!

Sweet dreams from Palm Beach Gardens... catch up with you from Orlando!

SLOW DOWN there sweetheart...

I leave on vacation tomorrow - although you would think I left yesterday the way I have eaten in the last 24 hours. I started out yesterday with good intentions... oatmeal with a few raisins and cinnamon and coffee (pretty standard) but then it happened - the dreaded Breakfast Meeting! I was not out of control, but I did have a Bonni Bell cheddar cheese thing and a mini dark snickers during the meeting... then some carrots and hummus about an hour later. I know none of this sounds all that bad, but this could be the beginning of my fall from the "wagon". A Tuna Melt for lunch - I skipped the fries and had a few more carrots, followed later in the afternoon by a small (unusually crisp and crunchy) apple... again not too bad. Then came dinner at the diner - French Dip sandwich and French fries! I could have had a salad or an egg white omelet with veggies, but no I had to get the sandwich with the fries. Well I paid the price - I am so thirsty from all the salt (in the au jus) I can't get enough water into me... I am feeling pretty bloated this morning. And to make matters worse I just ate a peanut butter and (strawberry) jelly on rye for breakfast - and that is after a co-worker generously offered to bring me oatmeal from Jamba Juice! I do not know where my head is!
My plan for the rest of the day is to have a SmartOne for lunch with a side salad and Progresso Lite Soup (the pot roast soup is fantastic) for dinner... maybe another apple as a snack.

Upon my return from vacation I vow/pledge/whatever to start using the exercising DVDs and renew my diligent dieting mentality. I may even do the before photos suggested in the program - watch out Tony Horton - I might be featured on your next infomercial! (I know you are saying to SLOW DOWN there sweetheart- you have not even unwrapped the DVD yet! But I did open the box it came in and made a vow/pledge thing a few minutes/sentences ago! - have some faith in me.)

Oh - I bought new sneakers for my trip/my future exercising endeavors - I am wearing them now! They are the Nike ones with the weird looking shock absorber/springy things on the heel - I got grey with maroon accents. I never like the "new sneaker" look - you know when you see a person with bright white sneakers (new or not) and all you can think is "I guess that person got new sneakers... hmmm maybe they should only wear them at the gym (so I don't have to look at them - you know because I never go to the gym).

Tomorrow I am “leaving on a jet plane” (I just love John Denver) and heading south… I will catch up with you from the Sunshine State!

Today I ate (so far):
You just read it 2 minutes ago – I am not a fan a duplicate work efforts, so look above.

I opened the box...

Yes I actually had some time last night and I opened the box the DVDs were sent in. I read everything included - remember this is Tony Horton’s' Ten Minute Trainer program. I got the DVD with 4 or 5 10 minute workouts, a set of flip-cards to take along with you when you travel (in case you do not have access to a DVD player), a resistance band, meal guide, some other stuff and a measuring tape. They really stress taking before and after photos and measurements. I would like to do that, but I am horrified at the thought of what the pictures will look like and who will possibly see them - not mention who will take the photos in the first place. Nothing like having your husband take your before photos to kill any kind of mood that might be in the air that night. What I would really like is convenience him to do the program with me, but I am not sure he will agree. Maybe I should actually try out the program and log some real exercise hours before I try to get other people on board.
I went over my WW points yet again yesterday - but I still think I am doing fairly well on the program. I have 25 points to use each day - but I also have 35 additional points to use during the week as needed - they are needed. They have something called Activity Points - I have not looked into that yet as I have never been active enough to warrant using them... but who knows maybe with my 10 Minute Trainer I will be eligible to use Activity Points... I will let you know.

You might be asking yourself "Does this gal have a goal or a deadline in her mind" - the answer is Yes and No. I am a member of a wedding party for a wedding to take place in the end of June 2010 - then I have weddings the following 2 weekends - so it would be nice to not have purchase a plus size bridesmaid dress for once. But all in all I would like to get to a size/weight that I feel comfortable in my own skin - I weight I can maintain through healthy eating and moderate exercise. I would like to feel comfortable buying clothes and believing I will be able to wear it year after year. So those are some of my thoughts....


Today I ate (so far):
Raisin Brand and Corn Flakes (3/4 cups each) with 8oz of skim milk
Decaf Coffee w/ 2 creamers
Salad with "organic sesame ginger dressing"

I plan to each a Smart One in about an hour and who knows what for dinner...

They have arrived.........

Well I was right - the DVDs were on my front steps when I got home last night. I did not open the box last night - maybe tonight (if I can get a few minutes alone... not likely, but I can always hope). It is very possible I will not open the box until I return from Florida - that is sad and pathetic but very possible.
It is Tuesday and the online Weight Watchers site said I had to record my weight loss/gain today... happy to report I am down another 1.5 lbs - that makes 3 lbs total... not to shabby for one week’s time.

Thank God it's Monday?

I had a very busy weekend - shopped and did errands on Friday (in the rain) - I took the day off from work, Saturday was a blur of dance class, dropping the kids off at 2 different locations for overnight and a very fun time at a fabulous engagement party, Sunday was just too exhausting to get into. Needless to say I did not stick to my "diet" all that much - I did make so good choices (you know the less of two evils kind of choices), but all said and done I am happy it is Monday and I can get back on track.
I am leaving for Florida on Saturday for a one week vacation with the family. I am planning to use the "lesser or two evils" thought process for that week when it comes to eating.

I believe my exercise DVDs will be waiting for me when I get home today - my plan is to watch the DVDs this week and actually do them when I return from Florida. No sense in starting something and then taking a week off, just to start all over again... Right?!?!? I am sure everyone would agree with me. Oh yeah - my cousin said she loves going to the gym so much - it's addictive... I am not sure I can believe anything that ever comes out of her mouth again... just kidding, but who say that!

I just wanted to say 2 more things today -
1. I LOVE Fresca - it is the best diet soda on the planet and highly under rated.
2. I went to Walmart on Friday - better experience than anticipated - apparently if you go early in the morning it is not too bad. I purchased a number of the Geraminal pieces for my daughter - she likes them and they fit pretty good - let's see how they hold up in the washer and dryer...

Today I ate:
Oatmeal from Jamba Juice - fantastic - 5 WW pts
Fig and Blue salad from Shnipper's - approx 11 WW pts
Coffee and Water

Things are moving...

So this morning I was happily surprised that the scale has finally moved in the right direction - I have lost 1.5 pounds. Not too bad, while this could be attributed to the fact that I am on the tail end of my visit from my "aunt flo" I am going to pretend it is completely related to my diligent dieting efforts of the last 48 hours. I received an email confirmation stating my exercise DVDs - Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer - has been shipped. This email both excites me and terrifies me at the same time - I love getting mail, but the thought of actually doing the exercise depresses me. I am mystified by people who say they love exercising or going to the gym - you know those people who update their status on Facebook with "Hitting the gym" or "Just had an awesome workout - I feel great!" - Really? I do not believe them... I guess it is possible to eventually get to that state, but I doubt I will ever be that type of person. Let's face facts I (like the rest of the world) would rather sleep later in the morning, lay on the couch and catch up on some missed TV (I love you TiVo) or play with my children than take time out of my day for exercise. But I have come to the conclusion that I have no choice - I have waited long enough for the miracle of just waking up thin to happen (if it ever does happen I will let you know). So once I get my DVDs I will begin an exercise routine (oh God - I just swallowed a little vomit that came up into my mouth).

Anyway... I went over my WW points yesterday, but overall had a good day. I made dinner last night - lemon chicken (made up the recipe as I went along), brussel sprouts (my husband’s favorite veggie – weird I know) and some Lipton broccoli/cheddar noodles. I enjoyed a Skinny Cow ice cream pop - my 3 year old loves them (we both had one) - and that was my evening.

Today I ate (so far):
Raisin Bran and Corn Flakes with skim milk
Coffee (decaf) with 2 creamers

I brought left over chicken from last nights dinner for lunch - I am guessing I will add it to a salad - sounds great, right?... yeah I know it doesn't, but I am trying here!

Figuring out what to eat today...

Today I worked in my NYC location - which means I am too lazy to bring any food from home in order to keep me on the straight and narrow when it comes to my diet. I did do some research last night and decided on oatmeal with dried fruit from Starbucks - yummy! - for breakfast - 6 points on WW (Weight Watchers). A co-worker suggested the oatmeal at Jumba Juice - I will be trying that next week. For lunch I ventured over to Just Salads - a little overwhelming with all the choices. I had the Hudson Valley Mix salad with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette - they forgot the butternut squash, but it was good all the same... not sure it was 12 points on WW good, but good. And I am very proud of my self for skipping the delicious bread that comes with the salad - that will count as my exercise for today.
When working in NJ I try to bring a SmartOne for lunch and make a salad at the cafeteria... the trouble with all this is I am a creature of habit and tend to eat the same thing everyday... which is boring... which then ends in me falling off the wagon.

Today I ate (so far):
Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal w dried fruit topping
Medium 1/2 decaf 1/2 regular coffee with 2 creamers
Medium ice tea from Starbucks
Hudson Valley Mix salad - sans squash and extra bread
Crystal Light Lemonade

Exercise - whatever - the DVDs are on the way.