Detox

Wow. I had a crazy, exhausting day yesterday with the head-spinning trip up to NYC and back. It was a good day but there were some major decisions made that are gonna lead to lots more work (and work stress) for me in the future...

But, that's really beside the point. As I kinda predicted, yesterday was a total wash when it came to anything remotely close to dieting. Quick travel and day-long meetings don't lend themselves well to healthy eating. So I just allowed myself to eat whatever was easiest and am not counting any of the points. I'd be afraid it's in triple digits anyway.

So, if you want to live vicariously through my total non-dieting day, here's the rundown (don't judge me!):

Breakfast:
At Union Station. My gate was right next to McDonald's. What did you think was gonna happen?
Bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle's Sandwich (omg, so delicious!)
Hashbrowns
Small orange juice

On the Train:
A full-calorie 12 oz can of Sierra Mist

Lunch:
At a meeting where the other group we were meeting with provided the lunch spread.
1/2 a ham and swiss sandwich on wheat with mayo
2 big pickle spears
a handful of red grapes
a pink-frosted donut

Strategy Session:
Yes, it happened to be at a bar, but we had to go somewhere with just our internal group to talk.
1 glass of chardonnay
a handfull of peanut/party mix

Dinner:
I had to pick up something quick at Penn Station that could be eaten on the train. My colleague wanted to go to this deli, Zaro's, so I went with and just got whatever sounded best.
A delicious curried chicken salad sandwich with cranberries and a honey-mustard spread on pumpernickel
A bag of salt and vinegar kettle chips
A banana (my conscious decision to eat something remotely healthy)
A Coke Zero (hey, at least it's no calories!)

Snack:
When I got home, I still had to have something to settle my stomach and wind down...
1 cup of Jello sugar free creamy caramel pudding

Yikes, this was a lot of food. And I didn't feel very good after eating it all. Although that chicken salad sandwich was amazing! Today I want to go back to eating light, tasty good stuff!

Another Night Meeting

Harrumph. Sometimes I hate that my job includes so many off-hours commitments. I've got another meeting tonight that starts at 6:30. I sure as heck hope I can get out of there by 8. I'm going to be offline and traveling all day tomorrow, catching an 8 am train to NYC for meetings and then catching the 6 pm train back. So that means 3 whole meals out of my control... either a bagel or some kind of cereal or something on the train for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch at the meeting, and then a train dinner. I just can't even consider those points. Being offline is definitely having an effect on my diligence in tracking...

But, back to tonight. I am being good and heating up a Lean Cuisine right now before I go to the meeting, so that should stave off the hunger pains that often lead me to make bad decisions. I should still be able to do a salad when I get home and then call it a night.

I'll be back on the blog on Friday!

By Popular Request

Whatever Asian Mistress asks, I do.... well, maybe. ;-) When it comes to giving good at-work snacking advice, though, I can happily oblige!

I tend to work best with pre-packaged snack items, but I'll include some suggestions for snacks that might have a little more assembly required. My best options for at-work snacking:

- Granola bars. I keep a box of South Beach bars (3 points each) and/or Quaker Chewy Granola bars (2-3 points each depending on flavor) in my desk drawer.

- 100 Calorie Packs. These come in assorted varieties. My favorites are the Chips Ahoy, Oreo, and Nutter Butter varieties. Another coworker of mine tends to have the gummy fruit snack kinds. But it's a lightweight box with about 6 days' worth of snacking inside. They're all 2 points each.

- Fruit cups. I do buy those Dole Fruit Naturals things and usually keep 1-2 on hand in the work refrigerator. When you really want something sweet, it's nice to have a little cup of pineapple chunks to steer you away from getting real cookies or ice cream. These are usually 2-3 points.

- Yogurt cups. Ditto. Non-fat yogurt is 2 points.

- Clementines. When I remember to bring my big tote bag to the store, I try to pick up a box of Clementines. So tasty! And I give 'em just 1 point each.

- Yogurt-covered raisins. A pack of these things will last me forever, but it is nice to have them around for the occasional sweet tooth craving. They're 3 points per 1/4 cup serving. I sometimes also go for yogurt-covered peanuts.

Now, I did learn an important lesson this week. It's a *BAD IDEA* for me to keep a bag of sugar free mini chocolate candy in my desk. I bought a bag of the sugar-free Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - available in the diabetic section in the drugstore - and I should not have. It's WAY too easy to pop a few of those into your mouth without even thinking about it. It's 4 points for 5 pieces, which does translate into about 1 point apiece. That sounds ideal, but trust me, it's VERY hard to stop at just 1 or 2 of those! Buyer beware. :-)

For a few more labor-intensive, but maybe more interesting, snack ideas (though I haven't figured out the points). Note, these will probably require Tupperware:

- Reduced fat wheat thins and hummus, or a little peanut butter.
- Veggie sticks with fat free ranch dip.
- Celery sticks with a little peanut butter and raisins. (Yay for bugs on a log!)
- Fresh fruit salad.

And, when all else fails, if you've got a microwave at work... you can bring in a box of the 94% fat-free microwave popcorn and have at it. A whole bag is only 4 points. And they even make those little snack size mini-bags, too! (Who are they kidding? A WHOLE bag is snack size for me!)

Denial of Responsibility

I cannot be held responsible for what I eat when I drink. Particularly if I drink four raspberry martinis. If there's a $1.95 cheeseburger and fries special, then it's practically a moral imperative to order it, right?!?

Snack Attack

Uh oh. One of the definite side effects of not having a home computer is that I get bored while watching tv, and need something to do with my hands. Usually, that is when I'm trolling online and blogging or shopping or something. But last night, I used those hands and that boredom to consume a whole lot more snacks than normal. The fact that I went home from work early to get a bunch of laundry done meant I had even more hours in front of el boob tube. So, after getting home from work, I ate:

- hummus and reduced fat wheat thins
- a pepperoni pizza lean pocket (officially dinner)
- an entire bag of 94% fat free popcorn
- a sugar-free chocolate pudding cup

Now, none of these things were that bad for me at all....it was just the quantity, combined with the fact that I had a bigger Au Bon Pain lunch. So, just out of bored snacking, I ended up using SIX flex points yesterday. Ah!!!

This is why I need a home computer. Or some other diversion.... my friends keep telling me I need to take up knitting, but I don't see that happening. Maybe I need to do my nails. Wet nail polish is a real deterrant to snacking.

Hooray!

I lost another pound this week! Phew, that's the first loss in a while and it feels good. It's nice to see actual validation on the scale for all of my efforts in trying to control what I'm eating. Even better, that was an actual weigh-in *today* and not just yesterday. I did a precautionary weigh-in Sunday morning, cuz I knew I was going to a foodie feast (check in on the other blog and Scotte's site later today for details) and wanted to just log my Sunday weight and not worry about what I ate. I did that, but then I also stepped on the scale this morning just to see. Still down one pound! Hooray!

This was my first weekend of no computer access at home, while my laptop is away at the service center being fixed. I did notice a difference in how well I was able to stay on plan. I didn't have the ability to log in and record my points during the days, and I'm sure that meant I forgot a few little things along the way and probably ate more than I should have. But it worked out okay, because I was very good during the week and even my little splurges on the weekened weren't horrible.

Onward!

It's Been a Good Week

I have stayed on plan all week, and I actually did bring my lunch for several days! I treated myself to a takeout dinner last night, but it was still all good stuff, sushi and tom yum soup. I've been feeling more hungry this week, but that's a good sign that I'm actually cutting back.

This weekend will be a bit of a challenge, with 3 nights of plans that could have a lot of points (Scotte, I'm saving the rest of my Flexies for you on Sunday!). And this will be my first weekend of no home computer, so I won't be able to log anything into the Points Tracker and I'll just be keeping score in my head.

But I feel pretty confident that I'll stay on track for the weekend. Then it will be the test to see how it all shakes out on the scale Monday morning!

Temptation Resisted

Well, mostly. :-)

I survived the happy hour at Buffalo Billiards with only 2 lite beers. My friends and I then decided to move on to Cafe Luna for what turned into a long, laugh-filled dinner. (And we happened to run into AS and her gang! I hadn't seen her in ages, so it was great to see her!)

I allowed myself to dip into the Flex Points tonight so I did actually have a good tasty pasta dinner. I was good, though, and didn't go for my favorite tomato and cream sauce, and got the plain tomato basil instead. I love the spinach fettucine, and I get it with spinach and mushrooms on top. Basically the same thing I make it home, but so good!

I just tallied up the points, including the 1 slice of garlic bread, and I ended up being 9.5 over for the day. But with the Activity Points I earned by walking home from Dupont, I only used 7 Flexies. Hooray!

Temptation Tonight...

Uh oh.... a happy hour at Buffalo Billiard's coming up! And I won't have time to eat a little Lean Cuisine beforehand. I'm doing really well this week, so it's no problem to tap into some Flex Points. I just have to stick to a light beer or two and avoid the wings/cheese fries/mozzarella sticks/etc. Wish me luck!

I Have a New Addiction!

I want to kiss whoever it was on the WW message boards who told me that Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding Cups are only 1 point. The Fat-free kind are 2 points, which is still good, but you certainly can't beat 1 point for a great snack.

And I am now totally addicted, nay, obsessed! with a new flavor I just tried. Oh, sweet heavens, I am in love with Creamy Caramel. I want to mainline the stuff! Since it *is* only 1 point, I've been known to go for the double-header... ;-)

I hope it's still on sale at Safeway the next time I go. I've got a Creamy Caramel monkey on my back!

Have You Seen This Thing?

Lane Bryant has just announced its brand new, "patent pending" BRA6 - with an invisible back?!? Check this thing out. It's convertible, as in can be worn 6 different ways. But that invisible back thing is weird. Are you supposed to wear it that way with backless tops? Are they suggesting that people won't SEE that you're wearing some weird see-through plasticy bra thing? I for one think I'm gonna hold off on this for a while.

Panini Taste-Test

I did it, I brought my lunch today! Well, at least 6 points of it. I may still head out for some soup or fruit or something light.

But with my lunch today, I believe I have now sampled all 4 flavors of the new Lean Cuisine panini sandwich line. My thoughts:

Chicken Club - this was the first one I tried and it's still my favorite. Those little bacon bits are tasty!

Southwest-Style Chicken - today's lunch. It was pretty tasty, I liked the combo of cheese and southwest spices. I'm not a fan of peppers, and it did have green peppers on it but they are not very strong in taste so it didn't bother me. I'm saying this is my 2nd place flavor.

Steak, Cheddar and Mushroom - this is a pretty decent sandwich. The "steak" is very processed though, in sort of rubbery-looking grayish cube form. Tastes good but not all that attractive. The cheese is tasty, and there's a hint of onion in there. This one gets the bronze.

Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom - this is the one that sounds the best, but I actually didn't like it that much. As I've mentioned before, I *hate* roasted red peppers. And this one is covered with them. The pepper taste was way too overpowering, so this is not the sandwich for me.

Hmmmmmm

I just weighed in, and I stayed exactly the same. 12 pounds down. That's good news, of course, but I was expecting something different. In fact, I was kinda hoping that I would have gained a pound or two as a kick in the pants that I really need to get me motivated again. But I was right on the money at -12, when even last week the scale wavered a little bit. I haven't been great this past week, but maybe I wasn't as bad as I thought, either.

Another Sunday Morning at Safeway

I decided on a strategy for today's grocery trip before going. I think one of my bigger problems lately - among the many - has been getting back into the swing of portion control. Even when I'm making tasty homemade stuff that's healthy and low-fat, I have a hard time stopping myself at a reasonable-sized portion. So, I went into the store with the plan of buying more of the prepackaged, small portion light entrees than normal. Of course, the kinds I like weren't on sale, but I bought a bagged salad kit and a bunch of Lean Cuisine pizzas and paninis anyway.

The challenge for me this week will be to actually eat a couple of these for lunch, rather than going out and buying my lunch every day. I've been making fairly good choices at lunch, but it doesn't hurt to save some money and cut back on the amount of food a bit by eating maybe 2 or 3 meals from home.

So, on to the Safeway deals for today:
- Classico spaghetti sauce (don't yell at me, Scotte!) - $2.00, reg $2.99
- South Beach peanut butter cereal bars - $3.79, reg $3.99
- Healthy Choice canned soup - $1.75, reg $2.39
- Barilla pasta, all cuts - $1.00, reg $1.50
- Weight Watchers Smart Ones, assorted - $2.00, reg $2.79 - $3.49
- Jell-O Sugar-Free Pudding Cup 6-packs - $2.50, reg $3.49
- Yoplait Nouriche Smoothies - $1.66, reg $1.99
- Lean Pockets - $2.00, reg $2.75
- Lucerne Non-Fat Yogurt - 50 cents, reg 60 cents
- BEANO! 30 count - $3.99, reg $5.99

Stay Away from Rich Yellow Food

That's my lesson of this week. After yesterday's corn muffin shocker, today I was beaten down by temptation at the movies.

I had been doing really well, a good breakfast and lots of walking around the neighborhood running errands. Then I went out for lunch at a sushi place and did well, too. It's amazing how much food you can get for relatively low points! I got a combo meal, of miso soup, salad, and 13 pieces of sushi. Good stuff.

But, dammit, then we got to the movie theater. I don't know why I didn't stop myself, but I went ahead and got a small popcorn with butter. Now, at least it was at a Landmark theater which still has decent, human-size portions. But still.... I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what the points value is, cuz the WW boards are showing all kinds of crazy answers. But it looks like at the very least the killer butter concoction put me somewhere in the 11 - 17 points range. And that's for a small! Some people were saying as high as 42, but I find that really hard to believe. That's like 2 steaks.

Anyway, lesson learned. Avoid the popcorn, which is another buttery yellow food. If I really needed a snack today, heck, I could've gone for a candy bar and it would've been a lot less!

Where Have You Been All My Life?

In the category of TMI:

I just this week, at the ripe old age of 31, learned of the magic of Beano. It's a miracle!!!!! Bring on the high-fiber diet food!

Such Sweet Pain

I finally made the commitment to get back on track today, including logging everything into the Points Tracker. Hooray! Recommitted!

But, of course, there was a slight hiccup at lunch.... I was really good with a low, 4-point breakfast, and I went to good old standby Au Bon Pain for lunch. I had a really hard time deciding what to get, cuz I wanted soup but I didn't feel like the usual small side salad. So I decided to get the medium, 8 oz size of beef stew, which is delicious and which I approximate at 6 points based on WW online info. Not bad! But the stew wasn't enough on its own, so I thought I'd get some sort of bread item to go with it. I passed over the usual breadstick choices, cuz something caught my eye and I just had to have it. In fact, I'd been craving it for a while, and I felt like it would be a great companion to the beef stew. Which it was. And I just came back and checked the nutritional info in order to tally the points and I was SHOCKED. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the TEN POINT corn muffin!!!!! TEN POINTS! Oh my, it was delicious, but I guess that's what 16 grams of fat tastes like.

So lunch was a bit heavier than I expected. That's okay, though, cuz I'm just going home tonight (no St. Paddy's day fun for me, which is just fine) and will eat something small on my own. But now I've definitely learned my corn muffin lesson!

Tough Love

I haven't been very good lately. I wouldn't say I've been *bad* - it's not like I'm chain-eating pizza and ice cream. I just haven't been as motivated and this week, for the first time, I've fallen out of the habit of journaling everything I eat. Part of it is that my home computer is being difficult, part of it is lower motivation. Sigh.

But, I had a great conversation with a coworker this morning. She herself just decided she wants to get serious about losing weight, and this is a take-charge woman who does what she says. She's a mother herself and is very good at lecturing people the way a Mom does, and she gave me a little figurative kick in the pants to try and be better myself. She's being very hard core about this, meeting with a dietician and making the real changes needed to eat healthier. It was pretty inspiring, actually.

So today I'm trying to use her as my example. When I woke up this morning, I was really craving Indian food and thought "Maybe I'll just order take-out tonight." That would mean a really huge order of fatty, super carb-loaded food. After I had this conversation, though, I decided to feed my craving for curry by getting the Spinach Curry at Teaism for lunch. Sure, it was a big portion and wasn't exactly a fruit salad, but it means now I have no desire to order Indian tonight. I still haven't decided what I want for dinner -- but maybe I'll compromise and order sushi instead. Still the fun of takeout, but so much better for me!

Well, to be Expected

As I said, last week was a bad week. So I'm not surprised that I just kinda maintained. I say "kinda" because the scale bounced around a little bit between last week's weight and a little higher, but when I squinted really hard and stood very still, it did settle on the same as last week. So I'm calling it that, but I know I've got to be better this week to make sure I don't gain.

With this weather today, I can not imagine what I'll possibly want to eat at lunch. I'm so not ready for 84 degrees and storms.... maybe Teaism will be in order?

Guess What???

I went to the gym! That's an NSV all on its own. :-)

Seriously, after 2 straight days where all I did was watch DVDs (see my other blog for details), I had to get up and do something. So I dug out the sneakers and headed downstairs. I did about 25 minutes on the recumbant (sp?) bike, which equates to only 1 Activity Point. Aargh, but I still feel great.

This was the first time I've been to the gym with my iPod, and it's amazing the difference it makes. I was riding harder and faster than I ever have on that bike before, and I know it's cuz the music is motivating. Much more so than watching tv or reading a book while on the bike, which is what I had done before. Remember how I said "Billie Jean" is my ultimate walking song? Well, I think Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty" is my favorite bike song. How can you resist?

Seriously, though, it's amazing how psychological going to the gym can be. You all know that I've been avoiding it for the last 2+ months that I've been doing this. There's something about a gym that is very intimidating to the out of shape. Yes, it's totally counterintuitive, but there's this socialization thing that (I project) makes us all feel that gyms are for skinny, athletic people. How do you get that way without a gym? You don't, which is why the logic doesn't make sense. But there it is.

So I really did have to psyche myself up to get down there. Once I was in the gym, of course, it seems utterly ridiculous to have let that intimidation factor stand in the way. When I first joined my gym (conveniently located in my basement) I was really disciplined. In the fall of 2004, I went something like 5-7 times a week, and I really saw results. I wasn't officially dieting at the time, but the exercise was taking the weight off and reshaping my legs and hips. I'd love to have that happen again. I don't want to create any false expectations, cuz I know that 5-7X a week time period was fueled by a totally different psychological situation (can you guess?), but I do really want to start going at least semi-regularly. I know that the diet will be much more effective if I'm doing this to boost my metabolism. So I've taken my first step.

A Good Day for a Salad

It's so warm today, both outside and in my apartment (where I can't control the heat), that I'm craving all kinds of cold food. I've always found it's much easier to diet in the spring/summer, when you usually want lighter, healthier things. So in that way, this little heat wave is helping me get back on track with the diet. It's been a bad week so far, so here's hoping I can recoup a bit on the weekend.

I just had a great big salad for lunch. I bought one of those Fresh Express bagged salad kits - the Caesar Lite version. It's tasty, crisp and refreshing on a day like this. I just calculated the points based on its official nutritional info, and the entire salad, with dressing and croutons, comes to 7 points. Excellent!

I also learned an exciting tip from the WW boards recently. I have waxed poetic here before about my love for Jello Fat-Free Pudding Cups, a delightful 2 point snack. Well, it turns out that Jello's Sugar-Free Pudding Cups are only ONE POINT EACH! So I've made the switch.

Today's Safeway Fun

Going to the grocery store on a day off is great - it's totally empty!

Today's WW-friendly deals:

- South Beach granola bars - $2.00, reg price $3.99
- Lean Cuisine pizza - $2.20, reg price $3.29
- Kraft reduced fat shredded cheese - $2.50, reg price $3.29
- Yoplait Nouriche yogurt smoothies - $1.66, reg price $1.99
- Fresh Express bag salads - $3.00, reg price $3.59
- Bagged Micro-ready Spinach - $2.50, reg price $3.99
- Lucerne Non-fat Yogurt - 50 cents, reg price 60 cents
- Safeway light pink lemonade drink mix - BOGO! 2 for $3.99

Lean Pockets were also on sale but I didn't see my favorite kind, so I skipped it. I'm looking forward to a good weekend of friendly food!

Remember

how I said that I'm a stress eater? Yeah, this week has not been so good. I tripped and stumbled and landed on my ass as I fell off the wagon.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow....

If Anything is a Motivator...

for losing weight.... it's pantyhose! Goddamn I hate wearing them! No matter what size I am, I feel like a tube of sausage.

But I'm in total stress mode at work over the next 3 days, so I anticipate using all of my Flexies. I have a beyond-my-control Board dinner tonight and a beyond-my-control Board breakfast tomorrow. Plus we're anticipating a major, major bit of news tomorrow about a $5 million proposal. So if we get it, there will be drinking and celebrating. If we don't get it, there will be drinking and crying.

Yeah, it's a week of minefields. But all I can think about is how much I hate pantyhose!

Slow but Steady

I lost another pound! Sure, I wish it would've been more cuz this was the first week that I was really back on plan for a while, but I'll take it where I can get it. I did use most of my Flex Points this week, and I think I'm gonna stay with this strategy. I know some people who never, ever use their Flex Points, but I know they are what give me the flexibility (natch) to be able to stick with this plan.

So, I'm 12 pounds down overall. It feels good!

I Exercised!

Yeah, yeah, I should've been doing it all along. And I actually haven't even been walking as much as I should be, cuz it's been cold enough that the darn bus right in front of my door is way too tempting.

But today I sucked it up and decided to get in some actual exercise. I still couldn't bring myself to go down to the gym (I didn't want to shower beforehand, cuz... why?) so I dusted off one of the many exercise videos that I have laying on the shelf.

I spent 30 minutes with Neena and Veena, the Belly Twins, doing a beginning "Bellydance for Fitness" tape. This is an oldy-but-goody that's actually kinda fun. I'm so glad no one can see me shimmying around my apartment. I'm sure it's a sight to see, but one I'm not ready to show anybody! This is a good low-impact workout that really focuses on the mid-section, and it always stretches some hip and ab muscles that I never knew I had. So, while I won't be ready for an evening at Marrakesh anytime....ever... it is a good workout.

I'll try to dust off another exercise tape again soon. Or one of these days I'll find my feet taking me into the gym for real!

Mmmmmm..... Tasty!

So I ended up going for broccoli, stirring in about 1/2 bag of frozen florets into the package of risotto. Oh my God, it was so tasty. I absolutely ate the whole entire thing. But, guess what? I just calcuated the points, figuring it would be around 12 or so, and the entire thing was only 8 points!!! I think it's cuz it's fairly low-fat, with just a little bit of olive oil in there. This dinner will be making a repeat appearance for sure.

Stir-In Ideas?

I've been scanning the pantry trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight. I don't want to make a grocery run, partly because I'm having a lazy Oscar Sunday and partly because I've got to use up stuff from the freezer and pantry.

I have 2 options as I see it for dinner tonight: my big bean & corn Spanish rice dish, or something risotto-related. I love my Spanish rice, but since I did eat that turkey chili for several meals last week I kinda think I need to give my tummy a break. And all of those ingredients keep forever, so there's no rush.

Which leaves me with the risotto idea. I have a box (don't scream, you homemade risotto people!) of creamy parmesan style Lundberg risotto mix. What I'm wondering is if I can make it a little healthier and make it stretch further by mixing in some veggies. I have tons of frozen broccoli and I also have some frozen spinach. I'd be willing to use either to mix in, and I'm not sure yet which sounds better with a Creamy Parmesan flavor. Maybe the spinach?

Actually, I also have a box of garlic couscous mix, which could be used in much the same way. The same veggies could be stirred in there, as well.

Ideas? Thoughts? Suggestions?

One of My Food Quirks

Here's a silly little secret I've decided to share with you...

On weekend mornings, when I'm feeling lazy and all snuggly in my pj's, one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is.... spaghetti! I just love hot, warm pasta on a comfy morning.

I think it's because my usual weekday breakfast routine is fast and low-point, so I really only have yogurt, egg beaters, and oatmeal around in the house as breakfast food. So on weekends, when I normally would love something big and filling like pancakes, I don't have any of those ingredients in the house. (And, really, I don't want them - WW is much easier with no maple syrup in the kitchen.) But I still crave a hot, starchy meal. So, voila! Spaghetti for breakfast. I've been doing it for years.

My Next Reward!

Thanks to Lady B's good suggestion, I have decided on what my next reward will be. When I hit the 15-pound mark, I'm gonna splurge and buy myself some cooking supplies! I want a good chef's knife and a new skillet. Depending on prices, I could go for a knife set. Scotte and Dancer in DC were giving me some good tips on what to look for in a knife, so I feel a little more confident as I'm trolling around looking at the options on Amazon. I may make it a whole-day reward, and plan to take a day off, hop in a ZipCar, and head to the big Cherry Hill Road Target for my cookware shopping. I'm not promising that having better equipment will suddenly, magically turn me into a chef - or even someone who truly enjoys cooking - but I do think it'll help give me more options. Just being able to chop vegetables and cube a chicken breast would be an improvement!

My Diet-iversary!

Today marks two months of being back on WW!

As you all know, the 2nd month was much harder than the 1st, but I maintained all of my progress and I now feel like I'm back on track after all of the diet challenges in February. As they say, "it's a lifestyle, not a diet" - so it's all about learning to live this way over time and not trying to do any crash, quick changes.

Now it's time to start planning my next reward. I think I'll consider myself having "earned" it when I hit 15 pounds lost total. I'm not sure what I want this reward to be, though. Any suggestions???

Home Court Advantage

I had a whole combo of "not feeling great" things going on when I woke up this morning, so I decided to use some of my mountains of accrued time for a day off. I'm sorry it means I had to cancel on dinner/movie plans for tonight, but that actually helps with both my points and my wallet for the day. (Yikes, a March 1 rent increase.)

Anyway - I'm amazed today as I often am on weekends how much easier it is to stick to the points when I'm eating all of my food at home. Since I bought a lot of groceries this week, my kitchen is still really well stocked and I've had all kinds of choices at my disposal.

I had a yogurt smoothie for breakfast, leftover turkey chili for lunch (is it possible that it tasted better now than it did on Sunday? the flavors were so rick!), and some hummus and reduced fat wheat thins for a snack. I think I will probably drink an entire pitcher of Crystal Light pink lemonade, as well. I am so much better about drinking water/crystal light at home than at work.

For dinner, I really want some protein. I may crack open the Butterball turkey kielbasa (Lady B, you know how good those are!) and have that. Or I've got a bunch of LC/SO options in the freezer. With a low point dinner like that, I could still have some popcorn later....

I could never stand to stay at home all the time, but it is nice to have a break and suhc a guilt-free day. And the fact that I've been watching Food Network all afternoon hasn't even affected me. But, I do already have lunch plans with friends tomorrow.... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

Exciting Dinner Plans

I'm going out for dinner tonight, and luckily my gal pals are fellow fans of the best possible WW-friendly dining out fare: SUSHI! I'm excited! I plan to have some tom yum soup and a couple of orders of rolls, plus a glass of wine. It's a lot of food for relatively low points.

I did have a big lunch today, but it was reallly tasty. I went for that Au Bon Pain steak salad and a cup of blueberry yogurt. ABP changed their salad dressings! It's not in the little tubs anymore. Now it's Marzetti brand dressing in the little foil packets. Oh well, it was still tasty. I did decide to treat myself a bit today with a 5-point ABP cookie. But, I counted it and plan to use my Flexies wisely to cover that plus a little of the dinner. Good times.