GRRrrrrr!

The scale is about the same. Not cool. I couldn't go to the gym today, and the food overall was not what I would have liked to eat today. Not fair to make you work through lunch and not give you a choice about food. I usually keep some Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice in the freezer, but haven't had time to stock up!

We had the same Italian sandwiches with the cured, fat-injected meat. Salad with 16 gram-of-fat dressing, and some cheese-garlic bread things that must be loaded with fat. Then, I had an evening events with appetizers. You know that stuff is horrible for you, but I was starving to the point where I was shaking.

The good news is that my all-day event tomorrow is rescheduled and I WILL go to body pump! I need it soooo bad.

I made another really quick item for breakfast tomorrow. Grilled cheese with Havarti with Dill cheese and turkey bacon. Not low fat (except the bacon) but really quick and a great way to use up some cheese I had. I hope they like it. With my busy schedule, it's a wonder I had time to make anything!

Well, here's to a healthier tomorrow!

fast food breakfast homework

I have another meeting tomorrow that will include breakfast and lunch. You never really know what you're going to get, so I offered to pick up breakfast. I know Tim Horton's has some really healthy options, such as yogurt and berries. You can get vanilla yogurt (160 cals and 2.5 grams of fat) or strawberry yogurt (140 cals and 2 grams of fat.) My 4-year-old son loves this! I get it for him all the time, as it's a healthy snack. We drove off the other day at the drive-through and he didn't see that I had it, and his eyes welled up with tears. It was so sad. He wasn't feeling well and he really wanted yogurt. Once I handed it to him, he was all smiles.

I also ordered bagels with light cream cheese. I looked them all up so I'd know the best option in the morning. A 12-grain bagel has 330 cals and 9 grams of fat. More than I would have thought, but 6 grams of fiber. A honey-wheat bagel has 300 calories and 3 grams of fat, but only 4 grams of fiber, and a plain bagel has 260 calories and 1.5 grams of fat, but only 2 grams of fiber. I guess it all depends on if you're looking to up your intake of whole grains, or consume fewer calories and fat. It probably all evens out in the end weight wise, an the 12-grain and wheat bagels have more nutritional value.

Muffins, as I mentioned last night, are always scary. I can't actually remember what I ordered. I think it was a cranberry blueberry bran muffin, which has 290 cals and 9 grams of fat. I may have also ordered the whole grain raspberry muffin, which has 17 grams of fat! Yikes! And 400 calories. If it sounds healthy, it doesn't always mean it is healthy. I'm really hoping I ordered the low-fat cranberry muffin, which has 290 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. Not bad. Just for the heck of it, I checked out the wheat carrot muffin. Sounds really healthy, right? Try 400 calories and 19 grams of fat!

OK, well I certainly will make an educated choice in the morning. Regardless of my choice, I'm sure it's better than the store-bought pastries that often show up. They have so much shortening in them, I can't even imagine the fat content. I'll look that up for another day.

I'm again working on my breakfast for Friday. Tonight I made smoked Gouda, sun dried tomato, and turkey bacon quiche. It is not a low-fat or probably even a healthy option, with all that cheese, sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, and pie crust. I did use half eggs and half egg-whites. Well, not everyone will be looking for a low-fat option. Those who are will have my low-fat mini pumpkin and dried cranberry bunt cakes.

I'm feeling quite relaxed tonight, which I truly needed today. I hit the gym at lunch. I'm so glad I took the time, as I won't have a chance tomorrow. I really could have worked right through lunch, but needed the stress relief. After work I had a massage. She said my muscles were really, really tight. I'm not surprised. I need to do that more often. I actually booked another one next month. The salon really surprised me, as they are a "no tip" salon. I had never heard of that. It's kind of a good feeling. There's always the tip dilemma. . . how much, which services, etc. Well, I should sleep well tonight with my relaxed muscles. I often wake up sore from my workout.

Well, off to check on my quiche. I'll pop it in the freezer till Friday!

Wow, the days keep getting crazier and crazier! That means working out and eating right gets to be more of a challenge. Today, I had another meeting through lunch. I hate to say that lunch today was not nearly as healthy as yesterday. The salad was good, although the dressing had 16 grams of fat per 2 Tablespoons. I skipped that, so the salad was bland.

There were also some Italian rolled bread things with cheese, spinach, etc. Not low fat at all, I'm sure, so I skipped those as well. Finally, there were small Italian sandwiches. The veggies in them were healthy, but the meat was all that cured Italian meat, prosciutto, salami, and mortedella. If you didn't know, mortedella not only is cured, which adds preservatives and tons of sodium, but they actually inject fat into it. That's what all the white spots are. It is about 1/3 fat. I pulled it out along with the salami, which can have up to ten grams of fat per ounce, depending on the type. I kept the prosciutto, which has the lowest fat content of all the Italian meats at between 3-5 percent. I don't think people think about how much fat these types of meats contain!

In preparation for my breakfast day at work on Friday, I decided to get a head start, as the week will be so busy. I made low-fat pumpkin-cranberry mini bunt cakes. Well, they are semi-homemade.

1 Pkg. Pillsbury pumpkin bread mix
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs

Bake according to package directions. Makes about 12 mini-bunt cakes or muffins. Top with frosting glaze and chopped dried cranberries and apricots.

I'm really trying to make things low fat. People don't realize how much fat is in an ordinary muffin. For example, a Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Muffin has 560 calories and 24 grams of fat. My low-fat muffins have about 2 grams of fat.

In the first six months at my current job, I gained about ten pounds. I must have underestimated the fat and calorie content of the everyday muffin. Add that to the fact that I had been working out about ten hours a week, and cut that back significantly when I started the job.

You can eat healthy fast food though. I love the Fresco menu at Taco Bell. Especially when I don't want to cook or get out of the car to go into a store! I ate the Fresco Bean Burrito (330 calories and 7 grams of fat) and a Fresco Chicken Soft Taco (170 calories and 4 grams of fat.) Not too bad for dinner and there's lots of fiber, and fresh tomatoes.

Caught a little of Biggest Loser tonight. They sent Abby home. It was sad, but it looks like she's doing great and she's lost 80 pounds. Very sad story, as she lost her husband, and two children in a car accident. I can't even imagine! I'd eat everything too. And probably drink a lot too.

Well, TTFN. Eat well and don't forget to breathe!

Why can't we all just get along?

I was thinking about this after my blog last night when I mentioned that some people try to sabotage you when you're losing weight because they aren't. I mean, you hear all the time about thin people hating fat people, but I think it happens just as much the other way around. I think I can comment without any bias, as I am somewhere in the middle. My sister on the other hand, is very thin. People will make comment like, "why do you exercise, you don't need to exercise." Hello, why do you think she's thin? It doesn't just come naturally to most people. And then people at her office made a rule that those who were exercising at lunch couldn't change in the office bathroom. Huh? Simply because the ones who can't get off their fat asses to exercise wanted to sabotage the workouts. People can be really ridiculous. If you want to be fat, be fat. Not anyone else's problem but yours. Oh, maybe the people who will have to take care of you when you have a stroke or something.

On the other hand, I know people who are thin who make comments and I don't think they even realize that they are being mean.

At different points in my life I have been the victim of both sides. I decided to google "why do fat people hate skinny people?" It's amazing what you can get out of a google search. For example, in the article below, some people in London believe fat people should be protected by hate crime laws. Not really sure how the law works there, but at least in the U.S. don't basic laws protect you from hate crimes because you're human? I guess I've gotta dig out my old Mass Media Law book. So, now we need special laws because we're fat? That's right up there with disability for those who are fat. Don't get me started on that one again.

http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/news-should-fat-people-be-protected-under-hate-crime-laws#

This should end up being a pretty good week as far as eating, because I won't have time anyway! I ate some microwaved dry blueberry pancakes for breakfast, while I was jetting off to a meeting. Then, lunch was pretty healthy (thank goodness some people at work take that into consideration. . . thanks Karen!) Ate half a sliced turkey wrap and some salad and I actually drank a bottle of water! Yeah, I know, crazy right? I usually end up trying to fit in all my water in the evening. Makes for a lot of trips to the bathroom during the night.

So glad I fit Body Pump in yesterday. I almost let other people's needs come before mine again, but I thought twice and made it happen. Now, if only I can sneak in a quick run tomorrow, I'll feel great! I know how easy it is to just accept there's no time to exercise, but really there's all the time in the world now and if we don't fit it in now, it will be too late and we'll wish we had. It really does make you a better person, not just physically but mentally as well, especially in the winter months. Nothing like a good work out to stave off seasonal affective disorder. Check out this article:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article5157336.ece#

Well, an early night as I've got an early morning and a long day!

Party weekend!

OMG! I think I hate food! I spent all day Friday getting ready for my daughter's 21 birthday, and making all kinds of food. I actually cheated and bought some pre-made stuff. I had to, I was about to go insane trying to get everything done.

All this after the pumpkin cook off, and then another party on Saturday. I know I said I'd share my risotto recipe, so here it is:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 pound roasted pumpkin or butternut squash (drizzle with oil, shake on some salt and pepper, cumin, and coriander)
1/2 cup dry white wine
6-8 cups hot chicken stock
1/4 tsp each nutmeg, ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon
1 cup three-cheese Italian blend
1 cup lite coconut milk

Saute onions and garlic until softened, add rice and cook until translucent, add wine, and cook until evaporated. Add spices. Add stock one ladle at a time and cook until absorbed. Continue to add stock until rice is al dente. Add cheese and coconut milk. Heat through and serve.

Enjoy!

This week is going to be the best ever for my diet. With all the parties behind me, I'm not going to let anything stop me from losing the weight. Sometimes you encounter people who want to sabotage what you're doing because they don't have the will power. That's OK. They're just unhappy with themselves. Not my problem.

I can't go to the gym tomorow because meetings were scheduled during lunch, but I went today to make up for it.

Dinner tonight was a simple healthy pizza

1 Boboli crust
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta
1/2 cup grated butternut squash
fresh sage and rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup goat cheese
salt and pepper
Drizzle with olive oil, if you like.

Bake at 350 until browned.

Well, time to get ready for another crazy week!

Pumpkin cookoff, busy schedules, and the evil scale!

Yeah! I won the "healthy recipe" entry in the pumpkin cook off. My healthy dish was a modified version of a dip I had a few weekends ago at the girls "spa day."
I called it:

Curried Pumpkin and Cream Cheese dip
1 8 oz pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tbs. Curry powder
About 6 oz. spicy Major Grey or mango chutney

Soften cream cheese and mix with pumpkin, shake curry power on top of pumpkin/cream cheese mixture, top with chutney and bake at 350 until bubbling. Serve with baked pita or tortilla chips.

The other two dishes I made that tied for "next runner-up" were Roasted Pumpkin Risotto and Thai Curry Pumpkin Soup with Shrimp.

The soup I've made before and written about. It's very simple:

1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 15 oz can low-fat chicken stock
1 15 oz. can light coconut milk
1 Tbs. curry
1/2 tsp. each cinnamon and ground cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. large shrimp
Salt and Pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add shrimp and saute until pink, add salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker along with remaining ingredients and cook on med-high for 3-4 hours. Top with fresh cilantro. Serve.

The risotto was not really low-fat but I guess it was reduced fat. I'll share the recipe tomorrow. That one was a bit more time-consuming.

So, the Pumpkin cook-off raised $175 for United Way, plus my company matches it, so that's $350! Plus, I won a Williams-Sonoma cook book, knife set, and cutting board.

Didn't make it to the gym, but I am going tomorrow before my day gets crazy! I have the day off, but I have a birthday party for my daughter. I have a lot of running around to do, but will hit the gym before everything else gets in the way. Not liking what the scale is saying. Hopefully, it's just water weight gain, but it said I gained two pounds. Not cool at all! I need start putting me before everyone else's needs, which is what I always tend to do. Sometimes, we just need to say no! I guess I started when I said no to a charity meeting tomorrow. I probably could have done it, but I have so much on my plate tomorrow, and they called at the last minute. I can't do it all!

I will feel much better after an hour or so at the gym. It really is as mental as physical!

Indian food

I did what every good mother would do. . . I skipped they gym to have lunch with my daughter who turned 21 today. She wanted to go to the Indian restaurant. I was nearly headed to the gym when plans changed. After all, your baby girl only turns 21 once. And it was Indian food. I mean, all those veggies and spices it's just going to go right through you. And the hot spices are supposed to be good for your metabolism, right? So, as always, I'm heading back to work and my stomach started gurgling. I wasn't too bad off though. I think I've built up a tolerance. I do eat curry a lot!

I had my hair colored and my nails done after work, so that was good for keeping me out of the fridge for about three hours. I still don't look any thinner with the new do. Is there actually a hairstyle that makes you look thinner?

Then, I had to go to the grocery store to get ingredients for the Pumpkin cook-off tomorrow at work. It's to raise money for United Way. My problem is that I couldn't narrow in all my options. I could cook every meal with pumpkin. I just love it. It's good for you too! I mean pumpkins are high in beta-carotene, potassium, fiber, and zinc. There are some ancient "healing" properties as well, apparently. Check out this article: http://hubpages.com/hub/Health-Benefits-of-Pumpkin

I will share my recipes for my dishes tomorrow. I narrowed it down to three, finally. There are so many additional items I could have, would have loved to make. I decided on savory dishes. I did already make pumpkin chocolate chip cheese cake for the United Way auction a few weeks ago.

It will be hard to avoid eating too much tomorrow with all the pumpkin options. I'll have to be sure to hit the gym at some point. Maybe I'll even get up early and run? Or maybe not.

Stale scale, beet and goat cheese pizza

I think I'm in a rut again. . . Scale hasn't changed. Not eating bad, but not being super good either. I guess my downfall has been chips and crackers. They've been low-fat but I know I should avoid them altogether. Tonight I made a simple, healthy pizza:

Beet, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Pizza with Fresh Sage (for one)

1 Boboli pizza crust
1 thinly sliced beet
hand full of fresh sage
1 fresh Rosemary sprig
2 slices thinly-sliced red onion
1/4 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs. crumbled goat cheese
1 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place sliced beets in circular pattern on crust, top with mushrooms, sage, Rosemary, onion, and goat cheese. Drizzle with oil. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until beets are cooked through.

Tomorrow night, I have to create something for a Pumpkin cook off to raise money for United Way. I will attempt to make something healthy. I will also attempt to kick up my weight loss. I need to work it! Maybe I need a few one-on-one sessions with the hot instructor! Hmmm. Food for thought.

Eat out or go to the gym. . . hmmmm

For a split second I thought I'd chose lunch when my friend Kristi and I were heading to the gym, but for that one hour we would be enjoying our lunch and kicking ourselves for the rest of the day. We made the right choice. It can all go bad in a split second. Don't let those last-minute temptations get to you.

Trust me, I was completely exhaused since I had to start my day about an hour early, and I am so not a morning person. Since I got started earlier than normal and had to travel out of town this morning, I didn't have time for breakfast or even coffee till about 10:30! I can't even believe I made it through the morning.

I scarfed down a couple of toaster waffles before the gym, since I rolled back into town about 15 minutes before class. There was no way I was hitting Body Pump without breakfast or lunch. I do not skip meals. Food is my life! While I'm eating one meal I'm usually thinking about the next! It probably wouldn't hurt me to miss a few meals. . . but I did tend to snack a bit more than usually later in the day. I tried to keep it healthy. . . a piece of cheese, an apple, then I ate some baked jax and baked chips. Yes, they were baked but still not the healthiest choice. I should just avoid buying those. Actually, they were left over from my son's birthday party.

Fortunately, I had some leftover "Spoof Bourgignon" from last night, so I didn't have to think too much about dinner tonight. Monday's are long. My son crashed early and I'm not far behind. I don't think I'll make it to the end of Dancing with the Stars. Oh well.

Spoof Bourguignon

Jillian would be so proud. Julia, probably not so much! I finally had a chance to try the recipe I promised a while ago. . . my healthy version of Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. Mine replaces all the high-fat ingredients with low or non-fat substitutes. So here's what you need:

1 Tbs. olive oil
5 slices extra lean turkey bacon (instead of lardons of pork or bacon)
3 six-ounce packages meatless beef strips (I used meats desire by Yves)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
6 sprigs fresh thyme
10 parsley stems
3 bay leaves
1 head garlic
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
2 cups good (sturdy and fruity) red wine such as pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon
2 cups strong dark stock (beef or vegetable)
10 oz. pearl onions (fresh or frozen)
10 oz. fresh baby button mushrooms, whole

Heat oil in pan over med-high heat, add turkey bacon and cook a couple minutes, add beef strips, salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 more minutes, add onion, carrot, herbs (tie together so they can be easily removed), garlic, chopped, tomato, 2 cups wine, stock. Cook about 1 1/2 hours. Add pearl onions and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms and pearl onions are tender, about 1/2 hour. You can thicken if you like with flour or corn starch. You can also serve with potatoes or egg noodles.

The stew serves about six and has less than 4 grams of fat! I was surprised how good it was considering the low fat content. Even my four-year old liked it! Don't worry, the alcohol cooks out of it.

Not sure exactly how many fat grams in the traditional version, but from what I can see it's at least 20 grams per serving. I haven't taken the time to figure it out. Probably a lot more. Famous food expert James Beard once said, "A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch." He was a rather large man. I will not argue that the full-fat version would be better. I've never made it, but I'm sure I will some day, but how can it not be delicious. For now, I'm still working on losing those 20 pounds. I guess I'm a tart! Bon appetite!

So, the cold weather forced me to pick my butternut squash, but that just means I have a bunch of fresh squash to cook. Tonight, I made a delicious quesadilla with one of the small squash and some fresh sage from my garden. Here's how to make it:

1 cup butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
1/2 cup fresh baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs. dried cranberries
1/4 cup goat cheese
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 whole wheat tortillas

Heat oil in med. frying pan then saute squash until tender, add sage, mushrooms, and cranberries and cook until mushrooms are soft. Remove from pan and place tortilla in pan, add half of squash mixture and half of goat cheese. Cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is browned, turn over an cook until other side is brown. Remove from pan and repeat with second tortilla. Cut into four pieces and serve.

You could add some chipotle spiced fat-free sour cream too. I just love fresh garden veggies and herbs!

It was a nice day for a walk outside, and probably one of few where it will still be warm enough to go without bundling up. Lots of dogs in the park. The only problem with that, is that my son likes to kiss them. He sticks his tongue out and lets them lick his. Ewwww it's so gross. I can never grab him away quickly enough! Well, we got a nice hour-long walk in anyway!

Weekends have so much potential, but somehow I never seem to accomplish what I set out to. I always think I'll spend so much time working out, cleaning the house, writing a novel, etc. and just relaxing and recovering from the work week just seems to take too much time. I mean, we spend all week saying how hard it is to find time to go to the gym, then we spend all weekend justifying why we aren't spending that time at the gym. Excuses, excuses!

WWJD (What would Jillian do?) I wonder if she ever just eats a big fat burger or anything like that? I know what Julia would do, she'd make a Boeuf Bourguignon . OJ, I wrote about it a while back, but I finally picked up the stuff from my healthy version, Spoof Bourguignon and I plan to make it tomorrow. If it's edible, I will share the recipe tomorrow.

Cold weather keeps the gym rats home

The cold weather seems to have affected how many people go to the gym after work. Aero-step class was pretty empty tonight. I can't let that slow me down. I mean yeah, I'd rather curl up on the couch with a blanket and a glass of wine after work, but it's a long cold winter and it's just beginning so I've gotta keep pumpin' and crunchin' and so should you! I've never been one of those people who goes all winter without exercising then starts again to get in shape for "swimsuit season." It's best to never get out of the habit.

My new workout clothes arrived today. I think it's fun to get new workout clothes. Not only that but when it gets busy during the week, I may not get them washed and who wants to wear old stinky workout clothes that smell like a dirty sneaker? Not me. So you've gotta have back-ups. Plus, you just feel better in the new clothes. You want to show them off, so you have to go to the gym and work out, right? It also makes a big difference now that I've lost nine pounds because I have less of a belly and less back fat. I'm only 11 pounds away from my goal of 20 pounds! Of course, I may want to set a new goal at that point because I'll want to drop a few more. We'll get to the first goal and see how we're doing. That brings me to the holidays, and those can be a challenge! Maintaining at that point till Jan. may be a better goal. That's what my company wellness team is focusing on. Many people put on 5-7 pound over the holidays. I really do not want to do that!

Those garlic mashed potatoes can have fat-free cream, fat-free margarine, and fat-free sour cream. It's really better than you think. And of course, there's my favorite curried butternut squash soup. Baked sweet potatoes are really good for you too. I'll see what yummy things I can come up with. Oh, how I love cooking for the holidays.

Since I didn't have a chance to catch biggest loser this week, I caught the two-minute recap. Coach Mo was sent home. He's lost 76 pounds so far! Another guy lost 73 pounds in just four weeks! That's amazing! I guess when you have a lot to lose you will put up big numbers each week. I will be pretty happy when I reach my 20-pound goal.

The Sleep Diet, Portobello, portabello, portabella. . . what? Go to sleep!

Maybe it's the sleep diet! Bad lack of motivation day yesterday, but I went to bed early, woke up energized, ate really well, hit the gym, and lost another pound! Yes! I'm at Nine pounds in four weeks. I know it's not the numbers they're putting up on biggest loser, but I really only have 20-30 pounds to lose anyway. OK, 11-21 pounds now.

I have read many articles that say getting more sleep helps you lose weight. I'm not sure about that. I think I've always found that when I stay up late and get up early and don't eat more, I lose weight. I'll leave that up to the experts. I do think you need to get 7-8 hours to function well and it's better for your health. Not to mention, my skin looks way better when I'm hydrated and well rested. I performed way better in Body Pump today too. . . and I got my Scott fix. Yeah, he teaches body pump and totally motivates and has dreamy eyes. Yes, he's married, but it's fun to at least dream your way through class. Makes it more tolerable. I hope he's not reading this! Oh, BTW, here's an article on the "sleep diet" http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2009/02/the-sleep-diet-is-here.

I really need an update from my weight-loss challenge buddies. It's hard to know where you stand and sometimes the close race will cause you to kick it up a notch or two! Six weeks left to lose at least six pounds. I'm quite sure I can do it.

No recipes tonight. Today was good food wise. Another low-fat banana blueberry muffin to start, lunch of Lean Cuisine Pumpkin Squash Ravioli, and dinner at Applebee's. Had their Weight Watchers Steak with Portobello mushrooms and some red wine. No time for snacks today. I love it when it's busy. So much better for the diet! (BTW, did you know it's acceptable to spell Portobello three ways, also including portabello and portabella. Just an FYI!)

Well, off to sleep. After all the jury is still out on whether that helps with weight loss. Either way, it's enjoyable!

OK, so today seemed like a Monday because of the holiday and the weather completely sapped my energy! That means I did not make it to the gym. I only start feeling guilty if this lasts more than a day, so it's off to Body Pump tomorrow. Tonight I'll get to bed early and hit the gym extra hard. No, really!

I give myself two days a week to just chill. I just hate it when those days come so early in the week. No wiggle room at the end. It didn't help matters that I received the Thanksgiving editions of Food and Wine and Williams-Sonoma in the mail today. Makes me want to cook lots of comfort food. I was pretty good. I had frozen some of my low fat blueberry banana muffins that I made last week, and I had Healthy Choice Pot Stickers and HC Beef Merlot for lunch and dinner. I did have one glass of red wine. Fortunately that's all that was left. I also had a small bag of baked jax for a snack, some raw green beans, and a few bites of the low-fat pizza I made last night that my son wouldn't eat. OK, that's everything. Could have been worse, could have been better. Just need to get some water.

I weighed myself today, and the scale was about the same as last week. That and my lack of motivation today is not a good sign. I've gotta get in gear. I hope it's just a one-day thing. Maybe my new work-out clothes will motivate me. I really hate to lose momentum. The real bummer is that I don't even have the energy to stay up and watch Biggest Loser tonight, which might motivate me. I guess I stayed up too late last night. Maybe the flu shot I had today affected me somehow. Who knows. I have to get them, I don't want my son to get sick. Well, I hope to have a more motivating story to tell tomorrow.

For some reason Monday holidays are really unproductive. I mean, I always have great intentions of running about ten miles, plus getting in some weights and additional cardio. I guess I should feel pretty good about my three-mile run. At least I got it in early on so I didn't spend most of the day coming up with excuses. I'm supposed to weigh in tomorrow. I was at eight pounds lost last week. I've been fairly good, but somehow I don't feel as though I've lost any more. I guess I shouldn't have made that sweet potato thing with the white truffle oil.

I did make a nice low fat pizza today that was really good:

Two Boboli pizza crusts
1 cup fat-free ricotta
1 cup fat-free mozzarella
Two garlic cloves
1 diced fresh tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
1 Tbs. olive oil

Mix ricotta, mozzarella, and garlic together and spread on crust. Top with tomato, sage, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake about 15-20 minutes at 400. Serves two. Enjoy!

A little trick I try to practice on the weekends is to get up and put my workout clothes on. That way I'm ready for my workout anytime. And really, it's best to do it early on because there are so many things that come up on the weekend. I also find that investing a little money in some nice workout clothes is well worth it. First of all, you feel better at the gym. Secondly, you can also wear them on the weekends and they are super comfortable and attractive enough to wear to run to the store as well. I find I wear those clothes more and more. They just feel good! Plus, I ordered a bunch of new stuff online today! Got the new Athleta catalog today. I was good though, I didn't order the new stuff. I went online and picked out some sale stuff. It's still expensive, but a lot more reasonable and usually well made.

Another thing with those Monday holidays is that they screw up my workout routine. I mean, I usually go to body pump on Monday, so I'll have a hard time getting in three body pump workouts this week. I guess I'll just have to do more cardio instead. I guess I need the extra fat burning anyway. I guess it's good to mix up your routine. It shocks your body into losing weight. It shocks my joints too, unfortunately. I really notice that in my old age!

OK, wish me luck on the scale tomorrow. I'll be sure to weigh after running a kazillion miles or so!

Ok, Body pump was good today, which is especially good because a day with the girls, and an evening with the other girls can be hard on the diet. My dish today was Sweet Potato, Leet, and Fontina Cheese Tart with White Truffle Oil.

One package reduced fat crescent rolls, rolled out on a round baking sheet.
1 thinly-sliced sweet potato
1 thinkly slilced leek (about a half cup)
8 oz. sliced fontina cheese (this is not low fat, so feel free to substitutute with low-fat cheese)
salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle with white truffle oil (use very little, as it is very rich and high in fat!)

Spread thinly-sliced sweet potato on rolled out crescent rolls, cover with leeks, top with fontina cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle a little white truffle oil on top. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until brown. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

I thoroughly enjoyed my day of pampering today. The fifteen-minute mini-massage just made me realize just how much I really enjoy and need that, so I booked a one-hour massage. And I realized how much I forget to breathe. I mean, we do it when we have to to live, but we can save so much stress by doing it deeply and regularly. OK people, it's not just for sex! Breathe! Do some yoga or pilates or a massage. It's for you're own good! Your life could depend on it!

My Oprah moment!

OK, so like any other Friday, which is dress-down day at work, I opened up my drawers and looked for some jeans that would fit over my J-Lo booty. Not finding anything, I pulled out some that I've put on several times this summer, only to peel them off frustrated when, if I could actually get them over my but and legs, buttoning them was a completely different story. I figured I'd try them again, just for the heck of it. After all, I've lost eight pounds, so it was worth a try, right? I was right! I got them up over my but, lets, and thighs and buttoned them no problem! Yes! There is no feeling like that. These are really low-rise jeans, so that was an amazing feeling. It's kind of like that time when Oprah finally fit into her size ten Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. So, they will look a little better when I lose a little more muffin top, but I could wear them with a new top that had a ruffle that hit right in the muffin top area.

Nothing motivates you even more to eat healthy than fitting into something you haven't been able to wear for a while. I ate really healthy again, grabbing some Healthy Choice dinners that I fortunately had on hand. Those keep me from eating something bad when my day gets crazy, which today did. Heading into a three-day weekend is sometimes not even worth the effort! OK, I'll take it anyway and like it!

Didn't make it to the gym at lunch since I didn't get a lunch break today, so I forced myself to get in a quick three-mile run on the treadmill before picking up my son at daycare. I just have to go on auto pilot and not make it mental, or I wouldn't go. Besides, the competition is heating up. I'm only ahead by a few pounds ahead in this diet challenge. I think some of my competitors are holding out. That's OK. Nothing like a little challenge to really get you motivated! We do it in class at the gym all the time. You can't go wimpy on the weights if your workout buddies are kicking it up, right? OK girls, it's on in a big way. Eight pounds are nothing. Think of what I can do if I really try!

Jillian would be so proud. Julia. . . yes, I miss the butter but not the weight!

Grrrrrrr I hate buffets!

I feel gross! Not only did I not make it to the gym today, but we had two big company meetings. . . one at breakfast and one at lunch. So I had to eat hotel food for two meals. I tried to be good, but buffets are never really good because for one you don't know how the food is prepared, and two they tend to be breeding grounds for bacteria. People don't always practice safe food serving techniques, so they touch things, etc. I tried to go through the line early, but it doesn't always work that way. Let's just say my tummy isn't feeling all that good.

To top it off, I'm exhausted and I'm making a pumpkin chocolate chip cheesecake for a United Way auction. Funny how I'm always volunteering for this stuff, then when the time comes it's always a bad day for it. Cheesecake takes so long to make. I doubled the recipe, so it will take a total of at least an hour and a half to bake. God, I just want to go to bed!

I wanted to eat something super healthy tonight, so I made a quick stir fry with stir fry veggies, shrimp, fresh mushrooms, a little sherry, brown sugar, and soy sauce. It wasn't bad, but guess I just wasn't in the mood. Do you ever get burnt out on veggies? I need a new veg. Gotta kick it up or I'll get in a rut and go back to my evil non-veggie eating ways.

I'll hit the gym hard tomorrow and I'll feel much better!

Cheap fat on, Expensive fat off!

Last night I mentioned that it would cost me about $14,000 for Smart Lipo, referring back to one of my earlier posts. They do it in "zones" such as stomach, back, inner thighs, outer thighs. . . and one of my friends said "fat isn't cheap!" But, I said it's only cheap going on. Think about it. . . you go to the drive through, or the grocery store and you can get just about anything that's bad for you for a buck or so. . . I think pound for pound and dollar for dollar you should be able to get it removed for the same price it went on. We spend next to nothing on the crappy food we eat, then spend hundreds, even thousands trying to get rid of it! I guess it's worth spending the extra money to eat healthy food, huh? I mean, I've been spending alot more money buying all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables, but it still doesn't add up to the $14,000 I'd spend on Smart Lipo. Not to mention that with that I would likely put it all back on in no time because I wouldn't be changing my bad habits.

Oh, and I know that looking good is our primary reason for wanting to lose weight, but consider the added benefit of reducing our risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, etc. Why are the health benefits not higher on our list? Those who are naturally thin quite often don't exercise. It's not until our clothes don't fit that we do something about it. . . or we have a reunion, wedding, etc. that we really get crackin on the weight loss thing. So, dying prematurely isn't really such a big deal it's really just about how we look right? OK, just wanted to get it straight!

I'm really trying to just change my overall eating habits this time. I mean, I don't do drive through often anyway, but I do so love cheese, and foods with cream sauce. Risotto is one of my favorites, with lots of cream, butter, and cheese. I know you can lighten it up, and it's just about getting in the habit. I'm thinking too about all the nutrients in those colorful veggies and fruits. I know that I'll be so much better off in the long run. And these changes have resulted in me dropping Eight pounds, without counting or tracking or writing everything down. That's a change I can live with. If I eat something I know might be a little higher in fat and calories, such as the turkey and pesto sandwich I had today, I make it up at dinner. So, I had some Chinese bean curd and vegetable soup and some carrots. The soup was basically broth, a little tofu, and veggies. A little bland, but it helped keep my day on track and it's better than skipping a meal.

Once again, it would have been so easy to skip the gym at lunch. My workout buddy Kristi and I pulled in to town almost on two wheels from an out-of-town meeting and arrived in the nick of time. We pushed ourselves even more today. I felt amazing after the class. Kicking it up with a little more weight really makes a difference in the results you get. That and a significant reduction in fat and calories is what it takes to drop the weight. I mean, I've exercised all my life. I'm not one to take months off. A bad week for me is only working out 2 or 3 times. So, although that exercise has kept me from weighing 200 pounds, it was not enough to lose weight. You must do both!

I don't know if the gym will happen tomorrow as I have an incredibly hectic day, but I always have my Jillian tapes to back me up.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? A while back I wrote about Smart Lipo, but the fact that it would cost me about $14,000 to lose the equivalent of 24 pounds and I'd have fat leaking out for a day or so prompted me to scrap that idea and make some lifestyle changes. An old friend suggested Lipo Dissolve recently, and I said no, no, NO! I'm no expert, but I've read that they inject a solution that melts the fat, but it has no where to go, so it gets absorbed by your organs and can cause long-term damage. I have to say that's one I would never consider. If you're going to go there, go all the way and have it sucked out! It has to be removed from your body to be effective!

I'm watching Biggest Loser while I'm writing this. They went out to eat and discussed how to order your food without all the added fat. That's so hard to do, because either restaurants aren't willing to work with you or they don't get it right! I've actually had to wipe butter off asparagus in the past. Should have just sent it back. I don't think it adds anything except disgusting fat to your dish! I doesn't really add flavor, if you ask me. Longhorn Steakhouse has sweet potato and asparagus as options, so I always get those as my sides, but be careful, because even when you ask, you don't always get it without the butter. I'd recommend avoiding the steaks though, as they have 50 plus grams of fat. Yeah, I know. I was shocked! I will give them credit, as they are one of very few steak house chains that will actually give the nutrition info. It's so much better to cook at home or if you do not have time, pick up some Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, or Weight Watcher dinners. Especially if you are rushed, you can make them quickly and avoid binge eating. I try to keep some on hand so that I don't get home and get tempted to order take out. I also keep a few extras on hand at work so I don't end up running out for fast food.

I don't know if you do this or not, but I like to make deals with myself. I'll sometimes make the exercise thing mental and talk myself right out of it. I say I'll work out double time tomorrow. We all know tomorrow never comes. By the end of the week, there's no way you can make it up. It's better to say, "I'll just do a half hour today since I'm tired or busy." That way, you get something in and it all adds up. Usually, once you get started you keep going anyway. Today I wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep, as I stayed up way too late last night. But, knowing me like I do, I knew the week would get busy and I would be disappointed with myself. So, I went to the gym and ran three miles. I didn't over do it, but just got in some good cardio and cleared my head, making me a better person before going back to work.

So, I'm pretty excited to announce that after just three weeks of really crackin' down, I've lost Eight pounds! That's right! Think about that. . . that's 32 sticks of butter! Could you actually smuggle 32 sticks of butter under your clothing without anyone noticing? Yeah, I didn't think so. Not even inside a panty girdle! So why is it that we think no one will notice it when it's in our body? Oh, the lies we tell ourselves.

So, I always have some article of clothing that I think will fit me again someday, so I refuse to throw it away. The last time I did that, it was my Louis and Francois Girbaud jeans. I loved them. They were like size five or six. I finally got back into them, and guess what? They were out of style! They were like mom jeans. C'mon, I was so hot in those when I bought them. Needless to say, they are gone. My recent "item" is a really nice size 8 Banana Republic wool skirt. It fit me nicely last year, but I quickly grew out of it. I tried it on this morning. I still look like Mrs. Sue Wiggins from Carol Bernette in it, but it's much better than it was a few weeks ago. I think another five pounds and I'm back in, baby! (remember her, with the but sticking out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHQsVXUM8vQ&feature=PlayList&p=A36E961BB657679F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=56

Meanwhile, I'll keep eating bags of carrots for evening snacks. Somehow, that makes the left-over cupcakes with bright green butter cream icing and chocolate ice cream cups look really disgusting.

OK, I'm shooting for another two pounds for next week. The original goal was ten percent in ten weeks. I'm almost half way there in just three weeks. Hopefully, my friends and family who are in this contest with me are being honest! Well, back to my body icon, Jillian. TTYL!

Misery loves company. . .

That's why so many of us were in Body Pump Class at noon today. I always seems that everyone is dragging, not just me. I think we're still hung over and trying desperately to alleviate some of the guilt from the sins of the weekend. I hate to break it to you, but exercise isn't going to cure the guilt of that guy you made out with, but it sure will help you feel better about all that cheese. And, it just might put some life back into you, kind of like a bloody Mary! Yeah, you can cure that hangover with a little hair of the dog, or a good workout. Most of us pick the first one, which only leaves us feeling bad again the next day. It's a vicious cycle.

I recreated a recipe to use up some very ripe bananas. I think it's a muffin that just might cure the muffin top!

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup skim milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons apple sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Mix all ingredients together, pour into muffin pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.

What's up with all those new bran products anyway. I mean, you can buy anything with bran in it. It's good that we can get our fiber so easily these days, but is it just me, or do those things give you really bad cramps, almost immediately? I guess you just have to get some Oops, I crapped my pants. Here, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blwBvrFQy-Y

The birthday party

It is really hard to have a four-year-old's birthday party and keep the food healthy, but I managed to do it. Of course, chasing the kids around and picking up after them is excellent exercise!

Of course there was cake (cup cakes for that matter) and ice cream. I got the little cups, so I didn't have to scoop. That way, there's no tasting. Less mess too! There was a little food-fight incident and green icing everywhere, but I guess that's what being four is all about!

For the adults there was strawberry mango salsa, curried cauliflower dip, and peanut butter mocha dip for apples. Those were all Weight Watchers recipes. Then I made this Black bean Butternut Squash Turkey Chili:

1 pound ground turkey
1 chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans black beans
1 pound chopped butternut squash (or sweet potatoes)
1 can diced green chilies
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbs. curry
1 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground gloves
1 cinnamon stick (remove after cooking)
1 star anise (remove after cooking)

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on med-high 4-5 hours, until squash is tender and turkey is completely cooked. You can top with fat free cheese if you like.

Between all the shopping, cooking, and cleaning, I really got in a good work out over the weekend. I also got in a couple of Jillian's cardio kickboxing workouts. Nothing relaxes you just before a bunch of company like a good cardio workout. Now I'm completely exhausted! Good thing four-year-old birthdays come only once a year!

Well, got an early morning, so it's an early night tonight.

Fueled by Rage!

So, I was so irate over an article in a local college paper dissing people with disabilities. Don't even get me started on this one. However, I used that anger to power my 6:30 a.m. cardio kickboxing workout. Yeah, I never workout that early, but I was laying in bed fuming.

So many people fire off an E-mail response when they should just hit the gym first. They will lower their blood pressure, think more rationally about their response, and just be healthier all over.

So, my workout was at home with Jillian, my body icon, so I didn't go to the gym and didn't weigh myself.

I also found a really good way to keep from indulging in too much wine. Just buy those small "juice box" wines, that only hold 3 glasses. At least that's the most you will drink. Sometimes we lose track, so that keeps us on track. And really, who drinks one glass. . . we usually pour a two-glass serving and consider it one anyway. In fact, I have a wine glass that holds an entire glass of wine. It's smaller than you would think, really!

My late-night snacks lately have consisted of steamed veggies. Tonight, it was Brussels sprouts. Yes, I said Brussels sprouts. You'd be amazed how good they really are. I ate them with salt, freshly ground pepper, and cayenne pepper. On Thanksgiving last year, I served them with lemon zest and bacon crumbles with a little olive oil. They really are better than you think. Have you tried them since you were a kid?

Speaking of kids, tomorrow I'm having my four-year-old's birthday party. I will be having make-your-own pizzas for them. Not sure yet what the adult items will be, but it will be healthy! I'll keep you posted.

Dinner tonight was Weight Watchers pot roast. Not too bad. It was better than cooking tonight, when I had another crazy day. Got pulled over for speeding. That after an United Way presentation. No good deed goes unpunished! Got off with a warning. I needed a pick-me-up after that, so I got a non fat pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, and was so excited that they now have their instant coffee. I bought a small package to try. I don't have time to make coffee in the morning, and on the weekends can't be bothered for just me. I've been waiting for this! I am a bit of a coffee snob, so I'm just trying the small package to start. I'll keep you posted on that as well.

I will try, try, try to get to body pump in the a.m. and will also try to weigh in. In spite of the last two really good food days, I don't feel as though I've lost too much. You can usually tell by how you feel.

Let me know how you're doing? TTYL

I'm a fruit!

You are what you eat, so today I'm a fruit. Sounds appropriate.

I would never forget to eat, but today I was really too busy to do so. I arrived at work and had back-to-back meetings then had to drive two hours to a meeting, then back again. I barely had time to grab some fruit salad in the morning and ate an apple in the car that I grabbed at the last minute. I did eat one mini peanut butter cup, which probably kept me going more than anything.

I really don't advocate for not eating a full meal because it usually leads to overeating later. I was determined I wouldn't do that. I stopped at the store, and tried some new things from the grocery store, for something different. I made a quick stir fry with the following:

1 package Yakisoba Stir Fry noodles (in the soy-products area near produce)
meat-free BBQ skewers (they really taste like meat! They're good and low fat.)
mushrooms
broccoli
onions
green or red peppers
water chestnuts

Just cook about five or so minutes in a pan coated with non-stick spray and you have a really good, low-fat stir fry. You can kick it up a little with some ginger, garlic, and red pepper too if you like.

The whole package of skewers (2 servings) has only 260 calories and 5 grams of fat. The Stir Fry noodles are fresh, so you don't have to boil them, which saves time. They have 2.5 grams of fat per serving. It was surprisingly filling. Those BBQ skewers are a really good substitute for meat. I mean, they satisfy that craving and have way less fat, which is good since my red-meat binge caused me to gain 7 or 8 pounds!

I didn't make it to the gym, or drag my but out of bed to go running this morning, so I put in one of my DVDs and let Jillian Michaels kick my but! It was a great workout. Especially since my daughter apparently took her five-pound weights back, so I had to use tens for everything including the standing mountain climbers with weights. Basically, you're doing high knees while alternating shoulder presses for a count of 30. Then 30 more. Forward lunges with side arm raises were killer with ten pounds too. I love Jillian. She always gets me by when I can't make the gym. I think she's even buffer and meaner this season on Biggest Loser!

Gotta weigh in tomorrow at the gym, if I can actually make it. I hope my day of almost all fruit and veggies will help me lose at least a little. I wasn't really feeling like I had lost much this week, so we shall see!