Girl Scout Cookies

I don't know what it is about Girl Scout cookies that make them so delicious. Perhaps that you can only get them them at a certain time of year?  Perhaps the delicious combination of cookie, chocolate, and peanut butter of the Tagalong?  Or maybe the coconut, caramel, and chocolate of the Samoa?  Regardless, I suddenly lose any amount of self-restraint when the box has been opened.  I've had 3 boxes of Tagalongs and 1 box of Samoas in my cabinet for weeks (along with Thin Mints and Shortbread cookies...but I don't like those as well), and haven't touched them.  Then, yesterday, I opened the Tagalongs.   I ate one (I ended up counting it as part of dessert last night if you're wondering why you didn't see it on my menu).  Today, I ate one again. The can feel "the precious" calling to me from the kitchen. Maybe I should go ahead and eat all three boxes and then I can move on with life. Good idea, yes?

I went to the gym this afternoon, but I had to leave after I finished the elliptical because of the weather.  I came home and did some of my own free weights for awhile to make up for it.

So my menu today:
Breakfast:  cereal bar (160 calories)
Lunch:  salad (50 calories), 200 Digiorno pizza, apple (60 calories), 100 calorie cake
Snack:  Tagalong - 1 (70 calories)
Dinner:  Chicken parm - I sautee the cutlets in a pan with just salt and pepper, then cover in my yummy tomato-basil sauce with some mozzarella and broil it in the oven.  I serve it over spaghetti (Smart Taste!) 450 calories
Dessert:  Ice cream - 130 calories

Total for the day:  1220 calories

Two days in one!

I didn't blog yesterday because it was so busy. I planned in the morning, went running (yay me!), and then went over to hang out with my dad and brother (and his family) last night.  Unfortunately, it was not the healthiest day for me, and I have absolutely no idea how many calories I consumed last night.

Bottom line, after 5 weeks of doing this, I'm down about ten pounds. That's two pounds a week, which isn't terrible.  This week I lost about 1.5 lbs.  I suppose if I keep going at this pace I'll be finished in fifteen more weeks. I'm not losing weight terribly fast, and this week was especially frustrating because I was pretty good all week and ended up working out 6 times!  But, I have to remember that I'm not on the Biggest Loser working out 6 hours a day. I'm trying to do this realistically, in a way that I'll be able to maintain after I reach my goal.

Yesterday's menu:
Breakfast:  McDonald's sausage mcmuffin (370 calories....we planned at mcdonald's yesterday morning)
Lunch  leftover pasta (smaller portion - 400 calories)
 Dinner:  Williamson Brothers BBQ sandwich, a little brunswick stew, and mac/cheese
Dessert:  slice of lemon meringue pie (let's guess 300 calories).
Total:  ???

So, today is Sunday, and even though it's early, my menu is already planned.
Sunday: 
Breakfast:  Cheerios with half a banana (200 calories)
Lunch:  Fajitas (300 calories), chips (150 calories)
Dinner: Chili at church...I only know how many calories the chili I made has, which is about 400 including the crackers and cheese.
Dessert:  I bet there will be something sweet involved....let's guess 250 calories

Total for Sunday:  1300 calories

Grumpy...

This has been a really long, hard week for me.  I think it's a combination of the busy-ness that has ensued our lives in the last couple of weeks and just a hard week at work.  At any rate, today I'm exhausted and feel like I may burst into tears if anyone looks at me wrong.  Just a warning.  :-)

At the doctor yesterday, I was weighed, so I'm not looking forward to my weigh-in this weekend. I mean, I know it was late in the day and fully clothed, but it was still frustrating, because I've been REALLY good this week, and I've worked out 5 times!  I am encouraged by how my clothes are fitting, though.  I know the old adage "muscle weighs more than fat", but I kind of think that's what we tell ourselves to feel better.  At least it's what I tell myself to feel better.  Maybe I'll be surprised. 

So this weekend I plan to relax.  Tomorrow I'm planning with my teammates for the 4th nine weeks in the morning, and then just hanging out in the afternoon. My house needs to be cleaned...maybe someone will want to show it this weekend...that always motivates us to clean.  Saturdays are definitely my favorite day of the week.

Anyway - my menu today:
Breakfast:  cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  Lean cuisine pizza (350 calories), apple (60 calories), 100 calorie cake
Dinner:  ziti with tomato-basil sauce and an asiago cheese topping. (500 calories)
Dessert:  ice cream - 130 calories

Total:  1300 calories

Soup Diet

Apparently, I've embarked on a soup diet, where I only eat chicken noodle soup.  I had some for lunch today (Campbell's), and then ended up having more with my dinner tonight (Chick-fil-a). The good news is that it's low calorie and fairly filling...the bad news is that I'm soon going to be sick of eating chicken soup.  Tomorrow night I'm making my yummy ziti with tomato-basil marinara and asiago cheese sauce.  I'm excited already. :-)

I had a busy afternoon, first a meeting, then a doctor's appointment with my asthma/allergy doctor.  Apparently, I'm still not breathing clearly, so I'm on more medication for a few more days. At least I'm on the road to recovery, right?  Then, I went to ladies' workout at my church...so I feel good.

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  soup (220 calories), apple (60 calories), fat-free pringles (70 calories), 100 calorie cake
Snack: popcorn (100 calories)
Dinner:  Chick-fil-a grilled chicken sandwich (300 calories) and soup (220 calories)
Dessert:  Ice cream - 120 calories

Total for the day: 1330 - check my math...because it's late and my brain hurts.

The secret to looking skinny is...

So today I discovered how to make people think you are losing weight...are you ready?  It's brilliant!  You wear clothes that are slightly too big for you!  I wore a pair of pants today that I bought right before I got pregnant that are wide-leg, and that I bought in a size larger than I frequently wear because they were so cheap.  Anyway, they were a little baggy, and I got no less than five compliments on how skinny I was getting! So, there you go...just wear clothes one size too big, and you're golden. 

Today was a fairly uneventful day.  I'm on my own for dinner tonight, so I treated myself to Chipotle.  I did go to the gym today (I worked out FOUR days in a row!  Go me!!), so that helps make me feel better about it.  Don't you love how I can logic my way into eating yummy food?

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  leftover poppyseed chicken (400 calories), apple (60 calories), 100 calorie cake
Dinner:  Chipotle - burrito bowl with rice, chicken, corn salsa, cheese, and tomatillo salsa (630 calories), chips (200 calories)
Dessert:  ice cream - 110 calories

Total for the day: 1660 calories - a little above my target of 1500, but I burned way more than 160 calories working out today!

Fried foods...

Some people stop eating unhealthy food and don't miss it. They learn about all the preservatives and fat and unhealthy stuff that is in the food and that it does to the body.  They no longer crave those foods they had eaten for so long.  This isn't me. I know fully well why fried foods are bad for you and the negative effects they have on the body, but I still miss them. Mmm...french fries...mozzarella sticks...spicy chicken sandwiches...

I have many of the Hungry Girl cookbooks, and for the most part, I love them.  They have awesome recipes and are especially good at making desserts low calorie.  But, I must admit, their fried foods alternative is less than desirable. They suggest using Fiber One cereal as a coating for various foods, and to bake it off in the oven.  I don't mind the oven part, but have you ever actually eaten Fiber One?  Yeck!  I mean, I know they suggest adding some spices for flavor, but there aren't enough spices in the world to get rid of the tree branch flavor that's in the cereal.

Anyway, I'm not eating any fried foods today, but I'm thinking about them...and therefore blogging about them.  At any rate...here's my menu:

Breakfast:  cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  leftover fiesta pasta (350 calories), apple (60 calories), 100 calorie cake
Misc calories:  100 - a little snacking while waiting on Glen to get home for dinner (a couple goldfish, small piece dark chocolate, a ritz cracker)
Dinner: poppyseed chicken (400 calories) with veggies - squash and zucchini...
Dessert:  ice cream -120 calories

Total for the day: 1300 calories - and yes, I went to the gym!

I'm so hungry!

You know those people who say things like, "I forgot to each lunch today" or "I was so busy I just didn't get hungry".  I am so not one of those people.  I'm not saying that I don't get so busy occasionally that I may be forced to postpone (uh, I rarely skip), but you better believe that I am fully aware that I'm not eating.   As a matter of fact, I am so hungry these days that I'm constantly thinking about what and when I'm going to be able to eat again. Now, part of this is due to my meticulous menu planning, but mostly, it's because I'm hungry.  All the time.  I know I've cut my calories, and my body is adjusting, but somehow, I think that since I'm so hungry, the weight should be falling off faster than it does on the Biggest Loser. Unfortunately, no...it doesn't work that way.  That's my goal in life...to become someone who is so unoccupied with food that I can simply forget to eat because I was involved in something else.

So tonight I'm making the Fiesta Pasta toss that I made the first day I blogged. It's lean ground beef with taco sauce and spices, mixed with veggie rotini (spinach, tomato, and carrot pasta), and covered with mexican cheese (low-fat). It's about 350 calories per serving...but there may be an extra spoonful involved, so let's just say 500.

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  200 calorie pizza, salad (50 calories), apple (60 calories), 100 calorie cake
Snack:  one small piece of dark chocolate with raspberry (I looked it up...67 calories)
Dinner:  Fiesta pasta (500 calories)
Dessert:  teeny tiny ice cream cone - 120 calories

Total for the day:  1257

I was totally planning on going to the gym today, but daycare called and said Caleb had a temp of like 99% (he's teething...getting gigantic molars), so I went ahead and picked him up, but I'm going to go for a run a soon as Glen gets home.  I haven't ran in awhile...so it will be good to revisit a different form of cardio.

Holding Steady...

So I weighed myself this morning...and lost no weight.  I mean, I've only been to the gym twice this past week, and I was sick for several days so I spent a lot of time laying around doing nothing.   I suppose I should be thankful I didn't gain anything. To quote Scarlett, "Tomorrow is another day!"

After a disappointing weigh-in, I decided that I was going to the gym after church this morning, asthma or no asthma. I did go, and I was fine. I actually worked out a little harder than I have been. I paid attention to the heart rate monitor and tried to keep my heart rate in the "target range".  Plus, I found a new machine that's supposed to work your abs and obliques, so I'm going to make that one part of my daily abdominal work.

I'm not 100% sure what's for dinner tonight, but I had been planning on fajitas, but we ended up having quesadillas for lunch, so I'm not really feeling more Mexican.  Plus, I'm going to see my brother and sister-in-law at the hospital this evening to meet my new niece.  I think I'll bring home Wendy's for dinner...you can eat there for a reasonable number of calories.

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal - 150 calories
Lunch:  chicken quesadilla (350 calories), chips (150 calories)
Snack:  100 calorie cake
Dinner:  Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich (370 calories), small chili (270 calories)
Dessert:  some chocolate covered strawberries that Glen brought home from a church reception (150 calories...they're small strawberries)

Total for the day:  1350 calories

Woman vs. Food

You know what  you shouldn't watch while you're trying to lose weight?  Man vs. Food on the Travel channel.  I was getting a pedicure today and it was on the TV in the salon.  Suddenly, these gigantic portions seemed totally reasonable.  I mean...one of the episodes was an Italian challenge.  If I were ever to take on an eating challenge...this would be the one.  I would be in some significant pain if I attempted to eat even half of what he tried to eat, but it still made me crave some yummy, authentic italian food.  Maybe I should just stay away from any food show I know is going to end badly.

I went shopping today at the outlet mall in Dawsonville. I can definitely tell that I've lost some weight because of the success I had shopping. In recent months, I haven't really bought much because nothing fit right, and I wasn't willing to go up another size.  Today, however, everything I tried on fit perfectly and it resulted in some major purchasing.  There's a Loft outlet there...and I LOVE the Loft, so the outlet was even better.   Really, really cute stuff.

This morning, I woke up coughing and wheezing really badly, so I went back to the doctor.  He told me I was "wheezing significantly" and needed oral steroids.  I'm still coughing/wheezing more than I would like, but hopefully I will continue to get better.  Other than that, I think my sinus infection is on the way out.

My menu:
Breakfast:  I didn't eat...I went to the doctor instead.
Lunch:  Subway turkey sandwich (320 calories), fat-free pringles (70 calories), 100 calorie cake
Snack:  half of a small vanilla frozen yogurt (130 calories)...Caleb ate the other half
Dinner:  buffalo chicken cutlets with cheese (250 calories), risotto (I've already done a diatribe about how I don't think risotto is really 350 calories, but I'm still counting it)
Dessert:  130 calories

Total for the day:  1350 calories

No gym today - that whole wheezing thing really interferes with a workout.

Ode to PBJ

So today, I was planning on being really good because tonight is my February bible study/dinner/games with my Sunday school class.  I brought some chicken noodle soup, an apple, and a 100 calorie cake for lunch.  Unfortunately, I spilled my soup all over the table while it was still mostly (well more than half) full.  Sigh.  So I cleaned it up and threw it away and went to investigate the food choices in the cafeteria.   I ended up with a Smuckers PBJ (which I ate with my apple and 100 calorie cake).  Have you ever had one of these?  THEY ARE AWESOME!  I mean, I love PBJ in general – peanut butter rocks – but these are soft and there is tons of delicious peanut butter and jelly inside.  I guess my homemade sandwiches have always been skimpy on the actual PBJ – trying to save calories, you know?  But this was an incredibly yummy sandwich.  I’ve always been a fan, but it had been a long time since I had one.  Anyway, this delightful treat was 320 calories (sigh), so my lunch was now 480 calories.  Usually, that would be fine, but it’s pizza night tonight.  Oh, well, life goes on.

I’m so glad it’s Friday.  I’ve been sick most of the week and I need a weekend to rest and relax.  It is supposed to be beautiful outside, so my plan is for Glen and I to take Caleb to a nearby park.  He loves to run and play, and it will ensure a good afternoon nap, which is an added bonus. No workout today...I've been coughing a little bit because of my asthma is acting up due to the change in weather.

My menu:

Breakfast:  cereal bar – 160 calories

Lunch:  PBJ, apple, 100 calorie cake (480 calories)

Dinner:  pizza, salad, dessert.  I’m going to say I’ll eat two pieces.  But we’ll see.   No crusts.  

Total for the day:  A lot.  Really – I’m at 620 before dinner, so it won’t be too bad.  Maybe 1500.

Feeling Better...

So I made it through a whole day of work!  yay!  I even went to the gym and to ladies' workout at my church afterward.  I'm still congested, and my sinuses still hurt really badly, but I'm declaring myself all better.  Hopefully, I will be.

Other than that, my day has been busy, but fairly uneventful. I didn't eat dinner till nine because of all the working out I did. 

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  leftover lasagna - 460 calories
Snack:  fruit cup - 100 calories
Dinner:  Chickfila grilled sandwich (290 calories), bowl of soup (220 calories)
Dessert:  ice cream - 110 calories

Total for the day:  1240 calories - and two workouts!  Go me!

I hate being sick!

I ended up staying home today from work again. I tried going in, but when I got there I was told I looked worse than I did the day before and I should go home.  I think I might have the flu on top of the sinus infection.  Or maybe it's just the worst sinus infection I've ever had (which is saying something when you consider the number of sinus infections I get in a year). Anyway, I must have jinxed myself on Monday when I said I would have lots of gym days this week, because yesterday and today I have barely been able to get off the sofa. 

So, I haven't been super hungry today.  I mean, between breakfast and lunch, I've only had 620 calories. I don't know what I'm going to do for dinner because Glen is at church tonight and will eat there.  I don't want to drive and get anything, and I don't want to cook a whole meal just for me. Maybe I'll get Glen to bring home Chick-fil-a for me. We'll see. 

I feel like I've been home alone a lot lately (maybe because I have), so I'm a little lonely and bored.  I mean, Caleb is hanging out with me now, and we're watching Despicable Me (SO much better than Thomas). But he'll go to bed early.  I hate being sick. 

My unexciting menu for today:

Breakfast:  cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  leftover lasagna from last night - 460 calories
Dinner:  I don't know.  But I figure it will probably be soup and a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a, which is 480 calories.
Dessert:  (if I eat it) - ice cream - 120 calories

Total for the day:  1220

Lasagna night!

Remember that sinus infection I had a couple weeks ago?  Well, apparently it never went away, because I woke up this morning feeling worse than I had before. It's been coming back for a few days, but today was the breaking point. I went to the doctor and got more medicine...hopefully it works this time!  As a result, I spent the afternoon watching TV and napping on the sofa.  I feel like someone knocked me in the face with a two by four.  So, needless to say, no gym today. I'm actually annoyed at myself for not going, but I did go yesterday when I wasn't feeling 100% and I could tell in my workout.

I'm super excited about tonight's dinner - it's Lazy Lasagna.  I got it from Rachael Ray (it's on her show website) and I'm modifying it a little bit.  Basically, you break up lasagna noodles and cook them, then mix with a regular meat sauce. Rachael (we're best friends, so I can call her by her first name) tops it with a bechamel sauce and then with mozzarella, but I'm not a huge fan of bechamel sauces that aren't really a cheese sauce.  Plus, I've always made my lasagna with cottage cheese (fat free!) so I mix that into the pasta and meat sauce, then top with part-skim mozzarella.  My recipe calculator, which is http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp says it has 460 calories per serving.  Have any of you noticed how much I love pasta? Plus, you don't have to layer this dish. Yum...

So my menu today:
Breakfast: cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  200 calorie Digiorno pizza, salad (100 calories), apple (60 calories), 100 calorie cake
Dinner:  lasagna - 460 calories
Dessert:  ice cream cone - 120 calories

Total:  1200 - yay me!

So the microscopic ice cream cones Glen bought are definitely yummy, however, they are eaten in about two bites.  They're mini Drumsticks, I think, but they are s'mores flavors and caramel flavors.  They do satisfy that sweet tooth I have at the end of the meal, though.

Happy Valentine's Day!

So last night there may have been a piece of molten chocolate cake involved with a scoop of vanilla ice cream involved.  It was included in the "Valentine's Special", so Glen and I may have shared it.  I regret nothing.  FYI:  Just Go With It was an awesome movie.  I recommend it! 

Valentine's Day is a fun day when you're a teacher, but a hard day when you're trying to watch what you eat.  I was pretty good, but there was definitely at least one or two piece of chocolate involved.  For dinner tonight, I'm cooking Glen's favorite - chicken spaghetti.  It's sour cream (fat-free), cream of chicken soup (98% fat-free), chicken (I buy a rotisserie chicken and take off the skin and de-bone it), and 1.5 cups of 2% cheddar mixed into the sauce. Then you add one box of spaghetti (Smart Taste!), and mix it up and cover it with another 1.5 cups of 2% cheese and bake it. I entered everything into a recipe calculator and it's about 450 calories per serving.

I did go to the gym today.  My schedule this week (so far!) has plenty of gym time in it, so I'm going to try and go 4 times.  I am really starting to feel a difference in the way I look, so that makes me more motivated.

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch:  200 calorie Digiorno pizza, side salad (maybe 50 calories), apple (60 calories)
Snack:  V-day candy...I'm going to estimate 200 calories here. I only ate two pieces, but one piece had peanut butter. 
Dinner:  chicken spaghetti - 450 calories
Dessert:  ice cream - 110 calories (Glen found a new mini ice cream cone that has fewer calories, but it's tiny)

Total for the day: 1230 - Pretty good and I worked out too!

Date Night!

Tonight we are celebrating Valentine's Day.  My mom is babysitting, and Glen and I are going out to a movie and dinner.  I'm trying to remember the last time we had a babysitter for a date night...I'm thinking it was before Christmas. We have had my parents babysit a couple of times recently, but it was for other reasons.  Anyway, I'm very excited about an evening out!  Even if I do have to stay up past my bedtime. 

I had so much fun last night at Sips N Strokes.  I painted Starry Night, which I am thinking looks better as I spend time with my painting.  I totally want to go back. Maybe I can decorate my new house (which we will get as soon as this one sells!) with my own artwork. Anyone who knows me well knows why this is funny.  I don't have an artistic bone in my body, much less in my family (sorry, guys...but it's true).  But, it was a fun night.  I did follow the menu I posted yesterday for dinner and it was really good.  Plus, I got to have some much needed girl time.

So tonight I think are going to Genghis Grill.  It's one of those restaurants where you select your protein, veggies, sauces, and starch and they stir-fry it for you.  Because I actually get to pick everything out myself, I know what I am eating.  Plus...it's DELICIOUS and healthy! We are also going to a movie (I'm thinking the Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler) and I will probably have some dark chocolate raisinets.  Raisins are actually higher in calories than one might expect, but they are also healthy, right?  The dark chocolate is well, chocolate...but it's supposed to be better for you than milk chocolate, although I don't think there is any difference in calories. 

So my menu for today:  (I think)
Breakfast:  cereal bar (160 calories).   There were delicious looking cinnamon rolls in Sunday School, but I managed to restrain myself.  A friend and I tried to estimate the number of calories in these cinnamon rolls and we guessed 300.  I decided I would rather have a treat at the movies.  Sometimes dieting just involves deciding when you want to treat yourself. 

Lunch:  Subway - turkey and pepperjack on whole wheat - 330 calories, fat-free bbq pringles (70 calories), 100 calorie cake

Dinner:  Genghis Grill - boneless, skinless chicken, veggies (onion, carrot, celery, peppers, water chestnuts), brown rice and szechuan sauce (this one is a mixture of hot sauce, teriyaki, soy sauce, and probably some other stuff...I don't think it's high in calories, though).  I don't know how many calories this meal has, but I do think it a good choice for eating out. 

Movie treat:  dark chocolate raisinets....190 calories

Success!

I decided to weigh myself today instead of tomorrow.  I think Saturday feels more like the end of the week than Sunday...plus, I got on the scale and was pleased with the results this morning so I decided it has to count.  This week, I lost 3.5 pounds!  Yay!  Progress!  That makes a total of 8.5 pounds so far. The most exciting thing, though, is that I am actually beginning to feel like I'm losing weight.  My belt is on the tightest notch.  Ooh, this is going to involve more shopping soon! 

This weekend is a little bit different in that I won't be including all the caloric contents of the food I'm eating, because I have no way of knowing most of them.  But, my goal is to make good choices this weekend.  Today I went to the Train Expo at the Cobb Galleria, and had lunch afterward at Jock and Jill's.  I had a grilled chicken sandwich on a whole wheat bun (no cheese - just lettuce, onion, and pickles) and a side salad (with a very small amount of cheese and a few croutons) with low-fat balsamic vinagrette.  Our waiter was terrible, though, so there's no way of knowing if I actually got the low-fat version.  But, I figure the sandwich and salad had to come in around 400 calories.

Tonight I'm having a Girl's Night Out (YAY!) and we're having dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  I looked at the menu earlier (again, no nutritional info), but they had a few options that I think have potential.  I could get a grilled chicken wrap (tomato tortilla)  with tortilla soup (no avocado - yuck!),or maybe grilled shrimp or a couple chicken tacos.  I am going to have some chips and salsa though.  But I'll try to restrain myself from overdoing it. 

Tomorrow, Glen and I are going out to dinner for V-day, but I think I've already chosen where we're going (I just have to ask Glen), and it will be easy to eat healthy there.

My menu:
Breakfast:  banana (100 calories) - I know...100 calories in a banana?  Ridiculous.  Fruit should be no calories, like veggies.
Lunch:  Grilled chicken sandwich, side salad
Dinner:  Probably the wrap and tortilla soup, but I reserve the right to change my mind.  The tortilla soup typically has 235 calories in most Mexican restaurants, and the wrap can't be THAT bad. I'm guessing 190 calories for the tortilla, 110 for the grilled chicken, and maybe 100 for the cheese.

Total:  Don't know, but still proud of how I'm doing eating out.

Fast Food Quandries

First off, I never had dessert last night (I fell asleep on the couch instead), so instead of 1490, it was 1360).

Rarely do I ever see commercials for fast food that make me want to eat it. I actually dislike most fast food restaurants (except Chick-fil-a), and don't eat there unless I have to.  I mean, every now and then I wind up at McDonald's or Wendy's, and it's okay...but usually if I'm going to consume that many calories I want them to taste better.  Two places stand out in my strong dislike:  Hardees and Burger King.  I mean...their burgers make my stomach turn.  Yuck.  Plus they have enough calories for like an entire day.

Anyway, I was driving home and heard a commercial on the radio for Wendy's Chicken Asiago Club. Uh...YUM!!! You can have either regular or spicy chicken, asiago cheese, and bacon. Why does this sound so appealing to me?  I never look at fast food and want it!  But I was ready to take a side trip over to Wendy's and try one out.  Don't worry, I didn't.

I don't know how long I'll be able to restrain myself, but one thing I do know is this:  whenever I do eat it, it won't be nearly as good as I think it will.  I'll feel terrible after eating it, and beat myself up about it for days.  This is the healthy approach to food I can't have, yes?

At any rate - tonight I'm having Chipotle, but I'm altering the calorie content of the chips, because last time I didn't eat anywhere near half a bag.  So I'm going to go with 1/3 of the bag and say 190 calories.  Seems about right...it's about the same as regular chips.

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal bar (160 calories)
Lunch:  smaller serving of leftover asiago (400 calories), apple (60 calories), 100 calorie cake
Dinner:  Chipotle chicken burrito bowl (630 calories - see my Chipotle blog from January for a detailed description of ingredients and calorie content), chips (190 calories)
Dessert:  popsicle (25 calories)

Total for the day:  1465

Mama said there'd be days like this...

I knew this would happen eventually, but I don't have much to say today...Caleb isn't feeling well, so I'm hoping he makes a quick recovery. I went to the gym after work and I worked out really hard. I feel so good after I work out.  Many thanks to my wonderful husband for picking up Caleb several times this week so I could make it to the gym after meetings.  (I had three after school meetings this week!).



My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal bar (160 calories)
Lunch:  leftover poppyseed chicken (400 calories), part of an apple (50 calories), 100 calorie cake
Snack:  pretzels (150 calories)
Dinner:  ziti with tomato-basil sauce and asiago cheese sauce (500 calories)
Dessert:  ice cream (130 calories)

Total for the day:  1490 calories

Chicken biscuits and Elliptical machines

So this morning, I ate a chicken biscuit from Chick-fil-a.  (I know…I’m not losing any weight this week…at this point, I’m just trying to break even).  Did you know a chicken biscuit has 440 calories?  I mean…I don’t know why that seemed high to me but it did.  I actually don’t like biscuits unless they have something on them, so I always tear off the edges where there is no chicken.  But this particular biscuit had a perfectly shaped piece of chicken, so I didn’t tear off much of it.  

The good news is that I wasn’t at all hungry all morning.  Usually I’m ready to eat my arm, but today I wasn’t even super hungry at lunch.  I did go work out today, too.  I think my workouts are where I’m seeing the most change.  I can go longer and harder on the elliptical machine, and I’m upping the amount of weight I am lifting.   

In the end, my calorie count was fine even with the yummy breakfast treat.  It's funny though, how I stress so about something like that now. I guess that says a lot about my eating habits...there is a certain amount of guilt when I eat something I know I shouldn't.  But, I must admit, my goal is truly "all things in moderation", because I will eventually go off a diet but I want to make a lifestyle change. Perhaps that's why it took me almost two years to lose this weight the first time...because I didn't count every calorie and just tried to exercise and eat sensibly.  This time...I am counting every calorie, at least for awhile, but I want to reach a point where I don't have to anymore because I make balanced choices automatically.  We'll see if I get there.

My menu:

Breakfast:  Chicken biscuit – 440 calories

Lunch:  leftover buffalo chicken pasta – Usually it’s 420, but I didn’t eat all of it, so I’m guessing 350 calories, apple – 60 calories, 100 calorie cake

Dinner:  Poppyseed chicken (fat free cream of chicken soup, fat free sour cream, and chicken mixed together and baked with reduced fat ritz crackers on top) with rice and veggies – 400 calories

Dessert:  Popsicle - 25 calories

Total for the day: 1350 calories – Not too bad

Snacks...

The problem with me is that if you put a snack in front of me, I act like I have no control.  Today at a meeting there was trail mix (nuts, raisins, chocolate) sitting in front of me, and I just couldn't resist. Plus, I had an entire conversation with myself about how this was really a good snack (uh, yeah...). So below, I count it as 200 calories, and I'm going to hope it was close...but I also know it was high in protein because of the nuts.

Busy today, so this is short, but here ya go:

My menu:
Breakfast- cereal bar - 160 calories
Lunch - leftover chili with crackers - 325 calories, grapes - 50 calories, 100 calorie cakes
Snack:  popcorn, trail mix - I'm guessing 250 calories total
Dinner:  Buffalo Chicken Pasta - this stuff is AWESOME.  It's a Rachael Ray recipe - chicken, celery, onion, carrot, garlic all cooked together with tomato sauce and hot sauce.  You add elbow macaroni (I use Smart Taste) and cover it with pepperjack cheese.  I entered the recipe into a calorie counter and it's only 420 calories per serving.  Yay!
Dessert:  ice cream - 130 calories

Total for today:  1335 calories

I didn't work out, but I also just sat down and it's 7:53...so it's been a BUSY day.

Deep Thoughts by Holly

Don’t you just get tired of counting every single calorie?  I spend every day examining the nutritional content of what I am eating, entering recipes into calculators, and looking up restaurant info.  It’s exhausting!  Am I really going to have to do this forever?  I mean, I won’t blog about it forever (I know, heartbreaking), but to truly be health-conscious, you have to know what you’re eating.  People talk about lifestyle changes, but I’m sorry, at some point the obsessiveness will have to stop.  Food is becoming work!  Maybe that’s the point…if I have to work so hard to figure out what I’m eating…I will only eat the healthy stuff.  That’s so unrealistic, though. 

One of my favorite authors is Jen Lancaster, who writes mostly memoirs.  One of her books is about a weight loss adventure.  She is one of the funniest, most candid authors I have ever read, and she talks about doing the Atkins diet.  Unfortunately, since all carbs are denied, she writes about how she is constantly craving anything with a little sugar in it.  She has a delicious cheese sauce, but can’t use anything to dip into it!  No chips, bread, or tortillas allowed!  So finally, she is dipping pieces of cheese into cheese sauce!  Brilliant! Yet…so wrong.   I mean, we all know I LOVE carbs so I would only last about 20 minutes on Atkins, but because I know that I shouldn’t eat all the stuff that is bad for me…I want it!  Now!

I wish I had a personal chef who could make all my meals with my caloric specifications, and do all the calculating for me.  I think that’s how celebrities stay so thin.  So, when I win the lottery (which I’m going to have to start playing to win)…that’s one of my first moves.

My menu today:

Breakfast:  Cereal bar (160 calories)

Lunch:  3 Hungry Girl leftover  English muffin pizzas from last night (250 calories), grapes and strawberries (100 calories), 100 calorie cake

Snack:  Okay, I had a meeting at school, so I knew I wouldn’t get home until late tonight, so I had to have a snack.  I stressed all afternoon about what to eat.  I looked up smoothie king calories (OMG!), snacks, “healthy” fast food snacks, etc.  I finally decided on a mini turkey sandwich (or kid’s sandwich) from Subway.  210 calories…not bad…I’ve eaten a single cookie with as many calories.

Dinner:  Glen is cooking – yay!  He’s making chili, but I entered all the ingredients (lean ground beef, tomato sauce, chili beans, seasoning) into a calorie counter and it comes to 295 calories per serving.  I don’t know that I think the ground beef is right because the calories it attributes to that are high (it’s 93% lean), but I always err on the side of caution.  Oh, let’s add another 50 calories for crackers and low-fat cheese (just a little!).  So…we’ll just go with 350 for dinner.

Dessert:  Ice cream – 130 calories.  Assuming I eat it. Or maybe a Hungry Girl cupcake - 92 calories.  One or the other...

I did work out today – yay!  So my total for the day is: 1300 – not bad!

Frustrated!

So this morning, it was time to weigh myself again. I've been really good all week, sticking to my calorie allowance, working out, so I was expecting GREAT results.  I got on the scale and...lost two pounds.  Then, I got on the scale again...and lost one pound. I decided a third time on the scale was a bad idea, so I stopped there. I weighed myself again after church (after lunch and fully dressed) and I gained 3 pounds from this morning.

Maybe I've been watching too much of the Biggest Loser, but I was expecting more. Maybe 3-5 pounds?  I decided it was time to reassess. What could be my problem?  After some deep soul-searching, I came up with an answer.  It seems so obvious.  Do I need to eat less?  Eat more veggies?  Workout more?  No...quite simply...I need a new scale.  Costco has a Weight Watchers glass scale for like $20.  I'm buying it.  Happy Valentine's Day to me.  (For V-day, I want the scale and a car charger for my phone.  I know...super romantic).

The bottom line is that regardless of my weight loss this week (I'm going with 2 lbs, for a 5 lbs total so far), is that I feel better and my clothes fit better.  I wore a size 8 skirt to church today.  An 8!! Now, this skirt was probably marked wrong originally, and it was a tiny bit snug (but super cute!), but the tag said an 8 so it counts.  The jeans I'm wearing now are a 10, but I have some that I wear all the time that are a 12. I want to know...anyone else regularly wear three different sizes of clothes?

After being so proud of myself for a whole week for not splurging...I'm not counting calories tonight.  I'm going over to a friend's for the super bowl, and she is making yummy food.  I'm bringing a few things that I know are healthier (Hungry Girl boneless buffalo wings (175 calories for 5), HG jelly-filled cupcakes (92 calories), and HG mini-pizzas (75 calories).  But, I'm going to practice portion control and eat until I am full.

So...my menu today:
Breakfast:  Cheerios with skim milk (150 calories)
Lunch: grilled chicken wrap in a tomato tortilla with corn salsa, lettuce, and cheese (500 calories) and a few fries (300 calories)
Dinner:  Well, I've had 950 already....let's just go all out and say 1000.

Total:  1950.  Well, it's less than I used to eat everyday...so I guess it could be worse.

No gym today...no time.  I will be going tomorrow, though.

Lunges HURT!

I don't know why, but I'm in a really blah mood today.  The sun finally came out, so I can't blame it on the weather, but anyway...I probably just need some extra sleep. I really think I require at least 9 hours a night, preferably 10.  Unfortunately, I'd have to go to bed at 8pm most nights to accomplish that, so instead I stay tired.

I'm really sore today from the ladies' workout at my church on Thursday.  We did lots of lunges and squats that night, and yesterday I was okay, but today the soreness set in.  I went to the gym today and did the elliptical machine and it hurt WAY worse than it usually does.  I decided to do to chest/arm weights after the elliptical. I made it to the gym four times this week, so I'm happy with how I've done. 

I can probably subtract about 100-150 calories from yesterday.  Glen came home with low fat tortillas, which has 30 fewer calories than the other kind. Plus, I only ate two fajitas (I always put three, but I always eat two...),so that would subtract more. 

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal (150 calories)
Lunch:  chicken noodle soup (240 calories), 200 calorie pizza portion - Digiorno
Afternoon:  I went to a baby shower, and I decided the only thing I was going to eat was a cupcake.  So I skipped all the mini-sandwiches, crackers, cheese, etc., and got a strawberry cupcake.  It was yummy, but very sweet so I only ate half...I'm going to estimate 150 calories...
Dinner: Buffalo chicken cutlets (with cheese tonight, so 250 calories), risotto - I don't know how to figure this out, the container says 150 calories per serving, and all I add is garlic, onion, and chicken stock so I don't know how that adds another 200 calories. But when I googled it, the internet estimated 350 calories. I'm going high to be safe...but I think it's probably wrong.

Total for the day: 1340 calories...I'm not having ice cream tonight...but I may have a popsicle (25 calories). 

TGIF?

So this morning at work, I happened by my email and noticed I had one from Glen with the subject line "Call me".  I thought..uh-oh...this has happened multiple times in the last six weeks and it's never good.  So I check my phone and I have a text that says "call me" and a voicemail. No!  Never good!  So I make arrangements to leave the room to return the call. I find out Caleb fell this morning at daycare and his tooth busted into his lip.  They thought we needed to take him to the ER to get stitches. So I knew I had to go...got a sub, and left.
Stitches?  In Caleb?  You think Caleb will sit still for stitches?  Ha.

The pediatrician recommend we take him to Scottish Rite Urgent Care so we did.  His poor lip is so swollen...it looks like he lost a fight.  They didn't end up doing stitches (YAY!) because the tooth didn't puncture all the way through the lip (but it was close).  So Caleb has a hole in his upper lip. 

Afterwards, we stopped at McDonald's for lunch.  It was already 1pm, and Caleb was starving.  I got him a happy meal, and I got myself chicken nuggets (460 calories) and a side salad (60 calories with dressing).  I knew Caleb would eat some, so I got 10 pieces , but Caleb ate 2-3 of them, so I'm estimating I ate around 400 calories from the nuggets (probably more like 350, but I'm rounding up for safety) and 60 from the salad.  Not bad for a trip to McDonald's!  Caleb didn't really eat the fries, so he had part of a cheeseburger and a few nuggets.  He's in the 8%ile in weight.  Lucky. 

So we're home now, and Caleb is napping.  Poor little guy had a rough day.  For dinner, I'm not totally sure what I'm going to make. I'm thinking I want to make fajitas which would have about 500 calories for three fajitas...maybe less if I can get Glen to pick up some low-cal tortillas on the way home.  But I'll go with the higher count for now.

My menu:
Breakfast:  cereal bar (160 calories)
Lunch:  7 chicken nuggets, side salad topped with veggies (no cheese or crutons...sad)- 460 calories
Dinner: chicken fajitas with onions and peppers- 500 calories
Dessert:  ice cream (130 calories)

Total for the day: 1250 calories

I didn't go to the gym today for obvious reasons, though I was planning on it. Tomorrow I have a shower to go to, so it's not looking to good either...but...I'm starting to notice a difference in my clothes, which is EXCITING!