Back on Track

Woohoo! I've lost 1.2 pounds this week, which has mostly erased the vacation damage. Proof yet again that vacation food is not the same as at home food, even when you are trying to be good. Hopefully this next week will erase the rest of the damage, and then I can get back to actual losing!

A Good Substitute

I love crunchy snacks. Potato chips and I have had a life-long love-hate relationship.... and it's very hard for me to resist the temptation of getting a little bag of chips to go with my lunch. I've become a Baked Lays fan, but sometimes, when my deli doesn't have Baked Lays in stock... I face a real dilemma. I crave a crunchy, satisfying snack, but I should not eat real chips with all their grease, fat, sodium, and cholesterol.

Luckily, this week, I took a risk on something new and found a great alternative to potato chips: Crispy Delites fruit chips! Hooray!

This little bag of goodness contains an entire pound of fat-free fruity goodness - packing lots of fiber and Vitamin C but no added sugar or crazy processed ingredients. I chose the cinnamon apple variety, and these dried fruit chips were tasty, filling, and - most importantly - they had a really satisfying CRUNCH.

Plus, unlike with regular chips, I found I could eat a few and be happy putting the bag down until later, so I actually snacked on these for a whole afternoon. With Utz or Doritos or something, that whole bag would've been polished off in about 3 minutes or less...

I'm so glad I have a new, much healthier weapon in my arsenal in the ongoing battle for healthy but satisfying lunches during the week. Thank you, Crispy Delites!

Back to Reality

Hell Month is over... I've survived 2 out-of-town weddings, a Gala, a board meeting, 2 other big events, and a short vacay with my family.

Now I'm back, and life finally gets back to normal. I did fairly well in all the stress, only gaining 1.7 pounds. (Not bad compared to 2 years ago, when I gained TWELVE pounds in all the stress.) I hope to erase that damage by Monday's weigh-in.

So I'm starting back in full force again today, journaling and eating better stuff. And I HAVE to make myself exercise, cuz I know that's the magic solution to making the weight come off faster. Stay tuned...

Tough Time....But Doin' Okay

This is the hardest time of year for me for dieting, other than Christmas week. It's Gala time! So I'm working very long hours and am not really able to run out for long to get good, healthy lunches.... in past years, I've actually gained 12 pounds in the month leading up to the event. Yikes! Not this year, though. Even though I'm taking the week off of journaling my points, cuz I barely have time to breathe yet alone track everything, I'm still losing. Hooray! Slowly but surely, the pounds are coming off - at a rate of about 1/2 pound a week. I can live with that.

Better yet - I had good results at my dr's appointment yesterday. Hooray! I love not being scolded....

NW vs. the Gym

When I woke up early this morning, I planned to go down to the gym. But, in a happy turn of events, I decided to head out to the mailbox with my Netflix before going down to the treadmill. And that's how I learned that it was a gorgeous sunny September morn in DC, with a chill in the air and a lovely breeze. So, I skipped the gym and went for a walk in the neighborhood instead.

I really enjoy walking outside so much more than the boring machines. The city was sleepy and quiet this morning, and I decided to explore a bit of the 'hood north of my place that I don't usually visit. There are some stunningly beautiful quiet little streets along Connecticut, and the early morning is the perfect time to discover these quiet little nooks.

I tried to MapQuest my route to show you all, but turns out MQ doesn't like it when you walk the wrong way down one-way streets. They can't map a walking route if a car couldn't do the same. Ah well, I still clocked in 2.27 miles, which is more than I would have done in the gym. Not only do I prefer walking outside, I usually pick longer routes that keep me walking for more time than if I was just trudging on the treadmill.

Clearly, we have a winner! As we ease into fall, thank goodness, I'll be heading back out on the streets more often!

You're Not Worth It!

Ah, Au Bon Pain Southwest Tuna Wrap, I hate to say it. But we have to break up.

With your 900 calories and your 51 grams of fat, you just no longer fit into my life. It's a toxic relationship for me, and I know you're not going to change who you are. So, I have to cut you off. Sorry.

In fact, I don't think we should even be friends. I will probably still hang out with some of our mutual friends, like the low-fat soups and salad varieties, but I promise I won't make them choose between us.

Hope you have a good rest of your life. But, for my own health, I don't ever want to see you again.


Dangit! I hate when I don't look up the nutritional value until AFTER I eat something!