The Big Weigh-in followed by Memorial Day Eats

I shuffled to the bathroom half asleep after another rotten night of sleep.  We are in this in-between AC and open window weather right now.  For some reason our second floor gets a little stuffy so I find myself needing the AC a bit earlier than normal.  The house gets so much sun I think it gets trapped on the second floor.  However, I love the fresh air so have been resisting the AC and I do think that is contributing to my poor sleeping.  I once again had a night time snack attack...luckily this one far less damaging that the previous night.  I had a 100 calorie pack in my nightstand (I know, strange, but I brought it up a few weeks ago for a snack but never ate it). Hopefully that is the last of the midnight munchies!  OK, clearly I derailed.  Back to the bathroom.  As I was sitting on the toilet peeing I remembered it was weigh-in Monday (this whole long weekend has really thrown me off!).  After emptying my bladder (a must for weigh-in...seriously, every little bit counts!) I moved to the scales.  It was almost like my first week weighing in after I started my diet....oh the anticipation...did my hard work actually pay off?  Oh it did!  For the first time since my diet began I posted "big" numbers!  I lost 4 whole pounds.  Something I think is sort of crazy considering that is 20% of my estimated goal of 20 lbs total.  I am officially down to 154.  I'm so close to my goal weight I can almost taste it.

Which leads my to the second half of my post, Memorial Day BBQ eats.  Similar to a handful of previous festivities I did not pig out to my old standard.  But I didn't count.  I think I was sort of celebrating my 4 lb weight loss with food, I know, how ironic!  I would guess I exceeded my daily intake of points on my pre-meals snacks alone.  I sat in front of the nut bowl hoovering an exceptional amount of salt and pepper flavored pistachios.  Once I broke the seal, I couldn't stop.  Great snack too, as I know nuts are high in calories.  Oh well, I couldn't help it...my body was temporarily taken over by the Planter's Nut mascot.  He made me eat them, really he did!  At least I also filled up on lots of fresh veggies, and on a not so good note some cheese.  The only bonus to all this snacking is that by the time dinner rolled around I didn't have the appetite for the pounds of pasta and steak tips I'd have wanted to eat.  And I only had a small piece of angel food cake with way more fresh berries for dessert.  As I said, not my greatest diet moment, but not the worst either.

The moral of the story is that I am fairly confident that even with today's pseudo pig out, I'm still fine so long as I stick to the plan this week.  And right now I'm stuff from eating way more than I normally do that I am not feeling like eating much at all.  Although I'm sure that will clear by tomorrow!

Hope you all had good Memorial Day weekends.  Even if you didn't, you can at least take comfort in the fact that the official kick off to summer is over.  You don't have to worry about serious holiday partying until July 4th.  A month to shave off the extra lbs so you can enjoy food and fireworks!  Until tomorrow, happy healthy eating.

Sunday Night Ramblings

I almost feel like I should save my Sunday Night Rambling post for tomorrow since it's a holiday weekend.  I'm sure my mindset will be the same.  However, I have little to say, little energy to write, and tomorrow at the very least I can report my weight.  So that in itself is a topic!

1.  I am coming to a close on the end of this week, my first full week back without cheating.  I felt like I had a great start but struggled over the weekend with food cravings.  I am hoping with this week under my belt and my husband heading out of town mid week my focus will be back and I'll again see weight loss results.  I'm nervous about tomorrow's weigh in but am just hoping this week was successful.

2.  I had one major goof up last night.  However, I believe I am still within my flex points so I am hoping that didn't hurt the weight loss for the week.  Let me preface this short tale by telling you I am NOT a night time eater (by night time I mean in the middle of the night).  When I went to bed I was not quite satisfied (my meal was sub par to put it nicely).  I wanted a sweet but fought the urge to over indulge in desserts.  Once in bed I lay there listening to my husband snore...he's almost like a buzz saw.  After an hour of watching TV and trying to sleep I was still thinking about food.  I thought if I continued fighting my urge I would never get to sleep.  So I tip toed downstairs (why I don't know b/c my husband has been know to sleep through hotel fire alarms so I highly doubt he'd hear me on the stairs) to the kitchen.  First I had a few bites of my husband's version of the Chicken Dumplings we had for dinner (yes, we had his and hers versions as usual).  The I moved onto one of my Weight Watcher's Peanut Butter Cup Sundae Desserts.  I was like some sort of starving vagabond eating by the light of the fridge afraid at any moment that my husband would catch me in the act.  It's not like I was doing something illegal but closet eating seems almost embarrassing.  There is a 50/50 chance I'll get caught via this blog...but he is not an everyday reader so my moment of night time weakness may go unnoticed.  If not I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it!

3.  I mentioned his and hers chicken dumplings.  I have to say I'm sort of fed up with the same old same old and more than anything wanted some good old comfort food.  Southern style chicken and dumplings is among my favorite.  It's a pain in the ass dish to prepare and one that my husband does better than I.  So in essence I win on both fronts...a meal I love and one I don't have to cook!  However, I don't even have to look at the recipe to know the entire dish is a big fat no no for a dieter.  A whole chicken, flour, bacon grease, butter...yum yum, but no fun on the belt.  While online my man found a Weight Watcher's recipe for Chicken Dumplings.  Upon reading through the recipe, it didn't seem like it would be too bad.  Let me assure you it was not great.  I thank my husband for trying.  At the same time I want to yell at him because he made a separate "safe" version in case the somewhat doubtful recipe failed.  Fail it did and he has his more fattening version available.  Also available for me in the wee hours of the night.  In the end I did what I could to eat the dinner and improved upon it for leftovers tonight.  This is one recipe I will not be repeating or sharing with you all.

4.  Tomorrow we are having a few friends come for a visit.  Having real food eating friends over we will need real food for them to eat.  I would very much like to enjoy the feast but will try to keep myself away from the angel food cake, the burgers, potato salad, and most of all the pasta salad.  A self admitted carb junkie, anything pasta is my Kryptonite.  Oh, and we also bought one of those 100 piece hor d'oeuvres boxes from Costco.  Yeah, that should be fun to serve and watch other's eat.  While I love that I can fit into old clothes, feel better physically and mentally, I have to say I'm getting rather irritable watching everyone else around me eat things I know taste way better than what I'm eating.  Sigh.  Goal weight - please come soon!!!

5.  I will be making a trip down south to Mississippi shortly.  I am already having anxiety about how I am going to escape all the pitfalls that not only accompany anyone traveling outside of the home, but I'm going into the belly of the beast.  The motherland of all things caloric.  I don't know what I'm going to do.  I think I may need to not only stay on point the next two weeks, but I may actually need to go on a complete and total food strike in preparation for this trip.  At the very least I'm sure it will provide lots of humorous content rich stories for you all.

OK, I'm going to say good night to you all.  I hope anyone who is still in the midst of Memorial Day Weekend festivities that you are staying strong and finding your way to the standard vegetable tray at everyone's BBQ.  Until tomorrow, happy and healthy eating.

The good and the bad of sizing down

A few days I posted about my closet fashion show.  I referenced a pair of white J Crew pants/capris that have been off limits for years.  Still having failed to bring up the basement laundry and running low on clean clothes, I figured it was time to wear my old pants and let them stretch out a bit.  After all, they've gone unused for so many years.  As I said before, they slide on relatively easily and are tight without being obscene.  The desire for stretching is more for personal comfort than look.

First I have to say, it's been a long time since I wore something that was more fitted.  There was a nice give in the fabric so that my thighs have some room.  However I underestimated a few items.  While I am thrilled to be in a size 8 (at least for these pants...and really I am none too hung up on size because one store's 8 is another's 12...honestly, they are just silly representative numbers) I am not sure my body is.  Some parts are working better than others.  When I'm standing all is relatively comfortable and well distributed.  However, upon sitting my thighs flatten like pancakes spreading through the extra room in my pant leg.  On a chair in these pants I look fatter than in my baggy version of these pants.  The other annoying part is that when you sit down all you stomach fat gets shoved up.  My current waistband doesn't have a lot of give, so there is only one place for that excess fat to go...up and out.  The dreaded muffin top.  Since these pants purchased in pre-baby years they are a bit more low rise.  Most of my current pants are a bit higher so when I sit I can pull the waist area up to hold in the pushed up fat (mind you I do NOT own mom jeans/mom pants, but these are a step above the teeny bopper low rise).

So here I sit on the one hand feeling proud to be in my "skinny" pants.  Yet on the other hand they make me feel more fat.  Even as I write I'm looking down at my body and I'm reminded of an ant.  My chest is the first part equivalent to the ant's head.  then it dents in.  Next my stomach pops out forming the ant's body.  The waistband of my pants cuts in again.  And then my legs bulge out at the thighs to complete me...as an ant.  I wonder if we women (And I'm sure there are those out there more well adjusted than I) will ever be content in the physical appearance department.

Anyway - that is my "new old" pants story of the day.  My husband is thrilled I'm shopping for clothes in my closet verses at actual stores.  He was blessed in the fact that I am really not a big shopper to begin with and have been less so since the chub days.  And while these pants are wearable, even outside the house, I have to recognize that I am still in-between sizes and that my body is never going to fit into clothes the way they did prior to maternity.  I am afraid my muffin top, while shrinking (we've gone from the kind you see at Costco to the mini muffin 12 pack size) will always be a part of my body.  On a positive note the muffin top makes a nice cushion for a child to sit on...like a ledge with a pillow and for mom's it's an excellent place to rest a coffee mug in the morning.

Before I sign off I wanted to say thanks to anyone who sent site suggestions or ideas.  Love to hear from more of you so feel free to comment or send me email (see blog entry http://20lbstogo.blogspot.com/2010/05/request-for-help.html).  Love the input and will only help me make this new site more user friendly!

Until tomorrow, happy and healthy eating to all.

Request for Help!

Part of the reason I have been a bit remiss in writing is that I am trying to transition this blog into an actual website (I know, I know....a blog is a website).  What I mean is that I am trying to take what I've started and expand it to become more of a community dieting support site that will contain useful tools, expanded recipes, and most of all a sense of humor!  My daily complaining and weight stats will be one section of this whole project.  I am in the very early stages of brainstorming and design exploration.  So...I am asking all you readers out there (especially the ones dieting) the following:

1.  Are there diet websites/blogs out there that you go to or think are good?
2.  What would be most useful in a diet website...what would make you use it (I'm not trying to be a sign up and become a member but a place people go for general support/encouragement)?
3.  I am looking for different sites to inspire an overall design.  I realize how light an internet user I am as I can barely think of sites to visit.  So what are some cool sites out there that you all visit....both from an overall design standpoint (clean/pretty/unique) and functionality (sites that are easy to navigate/user-friendly).  These don't have to be food/diet related...just good sites.

I really would value any and ALL input from you my dear loyal readership.  You can either leave comments in the section below or at the following email: twentylbstogo@gmail.com

I wish I had more time to write (not that I have any more to say than I did 2 days ago....damn writer's block continues!!).  It's been a busy couple days, but looks like I'll have some good writing time coming up.  Hope everyone is happily staying on their diets.  Until tomorrow, happy/healthy eating.

Readers Beware...Train Wreck of an Entry Forthcoming!

I have a list 10 million items long spanning multiple life categories and zero motivation to get anything done.  I have been sitting here starring at this dirty laptop screen ("Clean laptop screen" has been on my to do list for about 4 years now) for close to 45 minutes.  I have refreshed my email about every 30 seconds.  I have trolled a handful of my regular internet sites (although I have placed myself in a media free bubble as I have not watched the LOST series finale yet so am avoiding most mainstream news/internet sources).  I made sure I was up to date on all things Facebook.  I have made a phone call.  I chatted with my sister, who I saw less than three hours ago, online at work.  I am feeling unproductive and unmotivated on a colossal scale today and I have no idea why.  I am sitting on my back deck, inches from my kitchen, wondering if it may be time for a snack.  I think not.  More coffee perhaps?  No, that will only further disperse my already shattered focus.

I suppose this is what they call writers block, something I'm all too familiar with and probably the reason why none of my ideas make it to the conclusion.  I just got up again and fetched a piece of gum...the snack of dieting champions!  I often wonder what long term damage I'm doing to my body via the surge of chemicals (Splenda for example) in the pursuit of a smaller waistline.  I think that is a blog entry in itself.  And that is a topic much too large for today's scattered brain!

I am debating going for a swim around lunch time.  That seems like a monumental effort at the moment.  I know I will feel better after but it's been two weeks so the swim rhythm has been broken and it's always hard to restart.  Plus I'm tired (not like that is different than any other day of the week) and my back is sore from gardening so if I went I might drown.  I sort of feel like going for a bike ride, but my hands are still recovering from the battle wounds I sustained from Sunday's lawn mowing incident.  I can barely hold a brush, so I'm thinking gripping handle bars for an hour is not going to expedite the healing process.  I know the old saying goes "No pain, no gain" but quite frankly I'm happy to talk myself out of just about anything at the current moment.  I may settle on taking my dog for a walk.  But it's hot, and she's a cripple so that may just be too mean!!!  Its's her I'm thinking about, right?  It's really too bad that napping isn't a form of exercise because I could go for one of those right now.  Perhaps on a lawn chair in my backyard.  Since it's hot out I would likely sweat...that could lead to weight loss right?

Break number 45.  Wandered through kitchen looking at food items.  Settled on a Diet Coke.  That is unofficially on my "no" list simply because it's not very healthy.  However, I looked at some packing peanuts lying on the counter that arrived with a package yesterday and I wondered "What would happen if I ate one of those....would they blow up in my stomach and I'd never want to snack again??  They probably have the consistency of Pirate's Booty."  If that thought isn't proof enough that this morning is NOT the morning to be trying to kick my Diet Coke habit I don't know what is.

OK, this blog entry is going no where good.  I wonder on days like today if it's better not to write anything at all.  I made a promise to myself to write everyday, as if it were a "real" job in hopes that someday it will in fact become a real job that pays me actual money.  No one has a good day everyday at work, so I'm entitled to my occasional bad day.  I can't imagine that every word that came from Shakespeare's pen was a masterpiece.  For those of you who stuck with me to the end of this dreadful post, I am sorry.  Maybe something made you chuckle.  At the very least I hope my desire to ingest packing peanuts made you feel a little better about your own daily cravings!!

Until tomorrow...what I hope will be a more fruitful day in terms of writing and productivity...happy and healthy eating!

Death and Taxes are as certain as Weight Loss and Clothes

I think the dieting gods have thrown a little luck my way.  Despite another week of what I would call "destructive snacking" (is there any other kind....don't answer that!), Thai Fest Friday, and my lack of physical exercise I remained at my current weight of 158.  Furthermore, I was suppose to drop down to 23 points/day (I had been at 24) once I hit 157, but forgot to check and have been eating at 24 for two weeks now.  Phew.  Not "happy" about that but certainly glad I did not tick up another pound.  I'd be annoyed to be that close to 160 again.  So thank you powers that be for allowing my food consumption and blatant disregard for the points system go unnoticed!  I promise to pay homage to you this week and once again start the numbers trending downward!

On a happy side note, I decided to play "fashion show" this morning.  It seems like a lot to cram into Monday, what with weigh-in and school drop off.  I assure you it was not intentional.  My clean clothes were sitting in a hamper in the laundry room (and have been for a week now...for some reason it's SO hard to get those clean clothes upstairs and folded) and it was just two much effort to trek down two flights and back up again.  So I decided to work within my closet.  My first test was a super cute pair of Lilly Pulitzer capri pants I was given at Christmas time.  I loved them and didn't have the heart to tell the giver that I'd be lucky to squeeze my calf into the thigh area much less my ass!  But as I do with many articles of clothing, I put them in the "when I lose weight" section of my closet.  Some may have been eaten by moths now...who knows!  At any rate, I take these out now and again as a "check" to see how the actual weight loss numbers translate to my actual body.  The last time I tried these was about 3 weeks ago.  I managed to pull them over my sausage thighs and just barely zipped them.  However, one wrong breath and they'd have blown.  Today, while still tight on the thighs, they pulled on with considerably less effort.  The zipper went up And while not comfortable or suitable for public viewing, I can see light at the end of the tunnel.  That prompted me to grab an old pair of white cargo capri pants from J Crew...a size 8 that I have not dared to go near.  Low and behold, those slid on and probably could have been worn if I'd given myself 30 minutes of stretch out time.  I was in SHOCK.  Those have been sitting in my "I can't get rid of pile because I love them too much and there is no reason why I can't wear them again" pile since the pre-baby days.  In the end I went with an old standby sun dress I picked up at the Gap for $5 bucks.  In my chub days it made me look pregnant unless I sucked in.  It was worn mostly around the house.  Today I wore it out and it actually looked like I assume it was imagined to look on a non-maternity body.

I have been holding onto one item of clothes from 8 years ago.  They are a fabulous pair of capri jeans from J Crew that I had worn just enough times to be soft but not to the point of tearing.  I have NEVER been able to get rid of these as they were what I wore the night I met my husband (well, I guess it was technically the second time we met, but it was the time we decided we liked each other....OK, collective "Awwwww, how sweet").  For one, they are one of those sentimental pieces of clothing (why we women do this I have no idea....I can't imagine my husband holding onto any piece of clothing for an emotional reason).  Secondarily, I looked HOT in those damn pants.  Even before the pregnancy these were not a part of my wardrobe anymore (once you get to that "I'm going to be with this person for the rest of my life" stage you sort of let yourself go a little bit).  I kept them in my dresser for years, even after the arrival of our little girl.  I have not tried them on in a long long long time.  I know better than that.  I finally put them in a box of clothes that will never fit again but I cannot bear to part with and moved that box to the basement (Don't worry, it's a small box).  Like the last time I decided to play fashion show in my closet (http://20lbstogo.blogspot.com/2010/04/walking-through-time.html) I feel I may be getting cocky.  I think I might just go down and open the box and take out that beloved article of clothing.  Even while the wheels are turning in my head, I know this is a colossal mistake.  I once called these "standing pants"...you know, the kind that you look great in from a vertical perspective, but if you transitioned to a sitting position no matter how skinny you'd still have a muffin top spilling over the waistline and your ass crack would be hanging out on the other side.  They are the super low rise kind that I could wear back in the day.  And let's face it, most of the time when I wear them I'd be going out where you are standing at a bar trying to attract attention, not sitting down trying to pull your shirt down over the stomach spill and protruding thong.  I know I will never wear these again, but that is not to say I won't try them on just as a means of torture.  Luckily my day is pretty busy and I don't think I'll have time to hit the basement in search of my former self.

I hope you all have good weigh ins this week.  Just think, with the warmer weather, lighter meals are the thing to do.  Stay strong weight loss warriors.  Until next time, happy healthy eating!

Sunday night Ramblings

Tonight should be a good set of ramblings...my brain feels like a jigsaw puzzle.  Lots of things going on and this is the first moment I've sat stopped going all day.  Phew, am tired.  It's been a weekend of good, bad and ugly!

1.  I will start off with the bad.  I had take out on Friday night.  I have not had take out since beginning the diet many weeks ago (I've actually lost count but think I'm on week 7 or 8).  I'm sure you can order healthy take out, but really...if you are ordering take out it's probably because you are too tired to cook which means you are even less likely to care that what you are eating is most likely not on the diet plan.  I decided if I was going to cheat I might as well really live it up and I ordered Thai food.  A giant helping of Massaman Chicken Curry dribbled over a large helping of Thai Sticky Rice (I have NO clue what they do to make this rice stick like glue, but I'm sure there is some additive that contains calories/points).  The creamy mix of coconut milk, curry spices, chicken, veggies and peanuts was like Heaven.  I was riddled with guilt with each bite, but once I started I couldn't stop.  I ate it all....the rice the entire helping of curry.  I felt positively ill afterward...like I was in some sort of drunken food coma.  I have no idea how many points I ingested and I don't care.  It was probably just what I needed to satisfy an itch and to remember what it's like to feel gross after a total pig out session.

2.  The good...I am back on track after Thai Fest Friday.  I stayed on point both Sat and again today (even though it's not over I'm projecting I'm good for the night).  I don't know if my last two days of diet re-dedication are going to be enough to save me from additional weight gain.  I hope at the very least I'll stay the same as last week.  I feel like a bit of a broken record the past two weeks saying I have been fighting snack urges.  This seems to be what happens to me, I fall off my program, start snacking and then have blown all that work.  I simply give up.  I'm fighting that like crazy this time...mostly because I've never had this much success before and I can actually see a result.  So I'm going to fight like crazy to get back to my eating in moderation.  I'm hoping for a kind weigh in tomorrow to keep my spirits up!

3.  The ugly.  My hands look like they were dipped in boiling water....many blisters all over.  Why you might ask?  All because I moved my lawn.  What you ask??  Yes, I moved my lawn and now my hands are a shredded mess.  This is not the first time I've handled a lawn mover people.  With a perpetually absent husband most of the man chores fall on my shoulders.  My mother-in-law can even testify to my operating the snow blower at 10pm at night when she was up for a rare winter visit (my Southern family tends to steer clear of the Northeast during those brutal winter months).  I don't mind mowing the lawn.  We moved to our current house late last summer so I believe I only got in a mow or two before the season.  My husband has done the first two mows this season.  To say I was ill prepared for the task at hand was an understatement.  My yard (I am currently renting so this is NOT my doing) is as lumpy as a Polo field post Polo match.  You wouldn't know it looking at it but as soon as you start walking on it you wonder if there is a group of gophers living underground or an overactive squirrel burying population.  Bocce is made WAY more interesting by our lawn dents.  At any rate, while the yard is small it took me almost an hour to push my old sad mower through the bumps and ditches.  At the conclusion my hands were gnarled sad little appendages.  Hopefully those will heal soon.

4.  I did not swim at all this week.  Very bad.  I did a lot of yard work/gardening today...doubt that made up for the lack of pool time but it's something.

5.  My man is back in two days.  Good and bad on that front.  It's been fabulous not having to make 20 course meals that contain 5 meat products.  I do miss him so am genuinely looking forward to his return.  I just wish he was coming home with a lobotomy ready to eat any calorie free morsel I prepare.  To dream.  I'm once again going to have to deal with him restocking the house with chips and fatty foods.

6.  My husband found an interesting site called Stumbled Upon (http://www.stumbleupon.com/).  It makes personalized recommendations for websites based on what you say you do and don't like.  If only I'd known about this eternal time suck when I was working a desk job.  I was a late adopter of Facebook too.  Perhaps that is why going back to "real" work is so unappealing.  But with websites like this, work might be manageable if I had to.  At any rate, once at stumbledupon, my husband stumbled upon the following site: http://www.tastespotting.com/.  This is my virtual version of cheating.  I go to this food site a few times a day just to look at all the pretty pictures of food.  If I'm feeling particularly punishing I will read the actual recipe and imagine how good it must taste.  Anyway, I had to share in case anyone else felt looking at food may keep them from eating actual food!

With that, I think it's time I signed off and found a diet dessert.  Fingers crossed everyone had good diet conscious weekends.  Until weight in Monday, happy and healthy eating.

An addendum to "Condiment Do's and Don'ts"

I have found two noteworthy items to post as follow up to my condiment piece.

First, my sister found a Facebook group for "People Who have Emotional and/or Psychological Issues with Condiments"...(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2232735595).  There are only 26 members (I am holding off on joining because I am not ready to publicly register my freakishness) so at least I know I am not alone in the world!

Second, my husband found a silly "Table of Condiments" noting the lifespan of each condiment.  I didn't realize just how many condiments I'd overlooked and how many more there are out there to hate!  At least I know now when to throw the offenders away that are required to be in my household be other normal family members.  See  link if you too want to protect yourself from rotting condiments: http://backtable.org/~blade/fnord/condiments.html.

I am just trying to do my job as a public service agent of food by informing all my readers!!  Enjoy.

Condiment Do's and Don't's

I feel like I've been a bit content light of late.  Not as funny as I can be.  Time has been an issues.  All which in my opinion have compromised my blogging.  Perhaps I am too hard on myself, but I do take my "job" to entertain you all seriously!  I don't have much in the way of wisdom to provide seeing as the past two weeks have been a battle for me to remain dedicated to the diet.  I keep trying but have fallen back into some old habits.  If I figure out the secret to stopping those, believe me I'll let you all know.  So I figure at most I can provide a light Friday entry about something I feel passionately about, and not in a good way,....condiments.

You have probably heard me reference my distaste, perhaps that is too light a word...my abhorrence, of condiments.  I find ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressing, vinegar, relish/pickles, and gravy to be among the most vile and offensive substances ever created.  Yes folks, I am a self admitted freak show.  I know some people may have one of these items on their own dislike list, but the whole list....probably not.  I have to say I have NO clue where this little tick came from.  My family members are all normal, and I am the only one who has taken up issues with these common garnishes.  There is no one traumatic incident I can point to that kicked off this aversion.  I am not sure what that really says about me.

However, this goes back as long as I can remember.  I was the kid who had to special order at the MacDonald's Drive thought....Quarter Pounder with Cheese but no ketchup, mustard, or pickles (Luckily I don't eat fast food anymore so this isn't really an issues at present).  Twenty minutes later while waiting in the parking lot (sort of defeats both the purpose of "fast food" and drive-through) my father would be fuming that we were still waiting for my special order.  At least half the time my special order was just too complicated for the workers within and my meal would come out with some offending substance.  I knew better than to ask for a re-do and was smart enough to carry a stash of extra napkins with me for this reason alone.  Away we'd go, late to whatever event because of me, and I'd be in the backseat performing the equivalent of a surgical procedure to remove any trace of condiments from my bun and burger.  It was not a pretty sight.  I was happier eating napkin bits then any red, yellow, or green substance.

Salad dressing is particularly difficult for me.  One of my best friends who was a virtual live in at my house growing up, loved Italian dressing.  I want to vomit even thinking about this as I write.  I would try to be normal and deal with the awful smell emanating from the leafy greens.  For me, the smell of Italian dressing might as well be the same as a pile of steaming dog shit.  It really is that bad.  So I'd start to inch further and further away from the offending plate as well as breathing through my mouth.  I'd try not to draw attention to it because I didn't want to make anyone feel badly that they were eating something so normal, but it's hard to miss a kid inching away from the table breathing like they had asthma or something.  It's a wonder I had any friends or parents that didn't send me away under reason of pallet defect.

Mayo is about the most vile substance.  The texture alone sends shivers up my spine.  I worked in a bagel shop in high school and when I had to fill the mayo dispensers I seriously contemplated quitting.  Many times I was able to trade jobs with my other coworkers.  I'd rather clean the bathroom than deal with the condiment refills, especially the mayo.  But if duty called I would DREAD pulling down the monstrous vat of chunky white goo.  Inevitably when I had to refill the containers the vat was always almost empty.  So I'd have to reach in with a spatula and scrape the bottom to get the last bits of mayo to transfer to the individual containers.  It was impossible not to get the junk on my hand and arm no matter how careful I was.  I literally would run to the sink and wash it off and then go right back to it.  Luckily I was able to conceal this odd behavior from the owners as I'm sure this was not the most effective work style.

I think the crux of my aversion lies in vinegar (although not always as some of these items are vinegar free).  I would rather eat dry bread, dry meat, dry lettuce than let any offending agent cross my lips.  I do have several exceptions to the rule (which my husband loves to point out as totally illogical...which I fully concede).  I make no excuse that I am in any way shape or form normal about this.  First of all, I will eat tuna (not so much anymore because I'm terrified of mercury poisoning..but that is a story for another day) or chicken salad made with mayo.  Beware, I must carefully inspect the mixture to ensure it's not too heavy on the mayo or I will have to order a dry turkey sandwich instead.  (Side note, all this is order out as I never make any of these things at home).  The same rule applies to potato salad.  If desperate enough I will eat potato salad that has too much mayo so long as I scrape each potato piece on the side of my plate to remove excess mayo.  After the end of this process my plate looks more like that from a 5 years old than a mature 30-something!

I will eat Mexican and many Asian condiments.  Guacamole, sour cream, and salsa (well, there is a rule within the rule as I only really like the liquid not the chunks of salsa...I know...FREAK)...bring it on.  Most soy based Asian dipping sauces are a go in my book.  I know many have rice wine vinegar in them, but I chose to not think about that or I can make myself ill.  If I make any of these at home I will have to substitute something for the vinegar.  It's one thing to accidentally eat something you don't like but it's another think to proactively add something you are convinced you hate!  As well, I like many cheese sauces that are sometimes used on sandwiches.

I don't always like being this way, but at 30 something I think I'm over trying to change and force myself to eat things that really do not add nutritional value to food.  I periodically try to taste or smell some of the items on the "no no" list but find it's just not worth it.  From a diet perspective I know my aversion (Mexican ones aside of course...damn) to condiments is actually saving me on the calorie front.  Perhaps anyone else out there looking to shave some calories should try my anti-condiment campaign!

The ultimate irony here is that my husband is not only a condiment embracer, but he probably considers condiments (especially ketchup, mayo and pickles) a fifth food group.  I am barely able to be in the same room with him as he constructs a sandwich or burger that is more condiment than meat and bread!  To make matters worse, ketchup goes on anything and everything.  I'm waiting for the day he decides the red stuff would compliment something like pancakes.  How could I have been so blind in my marital choice?  I wasn't hopeful of finding another condiment hater who would happily join in the cause to raise condiment free children, but a condiment over-indulger....really??  I guess this is one more thing to put in the pile of our stark differences.

I will leave you with one last condiment related story for your amusement.  I simply cannot write about my issues with these substances without telling this story (thankfully time has healed all wounds).  My senior year of college I lived with a large pack of my friends.  It was a fun time filled with pranks of all sorts...you know, the good old days.  We all had dining rooms in our dorms and that is where you had your meals at set  hours (I know, not the norm by any means).  I had been late, mostly likely I was at the barn doing something with horses, and missed dinner.  Well, my friends saw this as a golden opportunity to pull a prank on me.  My room was open, as everyone else's was.  In my absence, they had taken hundreds of packets of ketchup, mustard, and mayo from the dining room.  You can only imagine where this story is going.  I came home to a room filled with condiment packs.  Thank God my friends had the foresight to know not to open them otherwise it may have required me to check into the mental health facility for a nervous breakdown.  Even closed the packets gave me the creeps.  All I could hear were the giggles in the hall as I gasped at each new discovery.  In my drawers, my desk area, my closet, my bookshelf, taped to the walls.  Throughout the course of the evening I thought I had discovered the bulk of them which I piled in a stack outside my room door.  Finally it was bedtime.  I pulled back my comforter and much to my horror my so called friends had sewed packets to the edge of my fitted sheet.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.  My bed, my sanctuary was now dotted with contaminants of the worse kind.  If I weren't broke I would have thrown the sheets away.  That was not an option.  I managed to pull it together, detach the packets, wash the sheets, and reclaim my room again.  Sigh....I can look back now and laugh hard, but I do remember feeling a sense of panic and "ick" at the time.  You guys know who you are....you got me and you got me good!!!

At any rate, that is my story for the day.  I hope after you have all read this that I still have some friends who will not consider me too strange and neurotic to run with.  Aren't we all abnormal in our own ways??  Until later, happy, healthy, condiment free eating days!

The Girls are Back in Town

The male invasion has departed...at least temporarily.  I have four nights without men (OK, my 22 year old cousin is staying tomorrow night but that is just one night and he's super easy going), without meat, without making multiple dinners.  I don't have to watch Sports Center or five different programs at the same time.  I can go to sleep to the peaceful sound of my own breathing verses the thunderous snores of my husband.  My sister and I can return to a brief stint of co-dieting, co-parenting, co-dependency if you will.  Bliss, pure bliss.  I do miss my husband but am thankful for a few days of "me" time.  I am realizing just how big an adjustment it is to go from being on your own for so long to having a house full of people!

I feel like a tire that is slowly leaking air.  I'm quite tired, and was even too tired to make a trip to the grocery store.  Like all other routines, my shopping habits have been completely shattered.  My daughter is surviving on bread, bacon, and cream cheese.  To be honest, even with a house full of food that set of items wouldn't be too different.  My sister and I padded around the kitchen tonight trying to figure out what to make that would not require a trip to the store.  Sadly, I didn't even have a tomato in the house!  After a day of mishaps beginning with accidentally taking my husband to the airport to catch a bus (with him on the car I am on autopilot and before I knew it I was driving threw Terminal A before he said he needed to go to the bus station....sad that he didn't catch that mistake en route either!), followed by toddler peeing her bed during nap time, followed by toddler peeing her pants prior to dinner (after a year of being potty trained she seems to be going through some sort of regression...perhaps the male invasion was too much for her too :-)) it was obvious that this was NOT the day to try anything new in the kitchen.  At the end of our ingredient tour it was decided...."Let's slop it (http://20lbstogo.blogspot.com/2010/03/bean-slop-recipe-yum-yum-can-i-have-sum.html) tonight."

I haven't had slop in weeks.  I forgot how much good diet comfort food tasted.  My sister was a rock star and cooked.  After multiple loads of pee pee laundry and the bedtime chase routine (that is still going on...I have been upstairs at least 4 times for various requests), it was so nice coming downstairs to the old stand by.  My belly that was previous telling me I needed to eat the leftover chips and cookies is now quieted.  I feel the snack demon subsiding inside and I hope the next four days of female stability will get me back on track before I have to go back into battle with boys, meat, and beer.

Well, that's all for tonight folks.  Too tired to write more.  Too burnt to write anything funny, inspirational. or useful.  So all you dieting dieters, keep on chugging (we played Thomas the Train today) and until tomorrow, happy and healthy eating!

A Gift from Across the Pond

I received my first blogging gift...from across the pond no less!!!  I spent an amazing year abroad some time ago and walked away with some amazing friends I know will be a part of my life forever.  Much to my delight when I opened my mailbox the other day I found the following:

This was the nicest and most thoughtful treat from one dieter to another!!  So thank you AH...you rock!!!

I'm pretty sure the Royal Mail service of Britain does not understand the meaning of "urgent" in relation to emergency snack food.  I recall my dear friend saying she had dropped a package in the mail back when I began this blog...good thing it was only until recently I fell off the wagon or I could have been in trouble.  And if anyone working for the Royal Mail is reading this....pass on to the appropriate supervisors that anything labeled "Urgent Emergency Snack Food" is no small matter!

The best part about this little package (aside from the moral support of my little pet project and my waistline) was seeing someone else's favorite low cal snack fixes...and even more interesting because they are from another country.  Included in the package were the following:

Caxton Pink 'n' Whites, Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons, Jacob's Iced Gems, and Light Alpen Chocolate Fudge Bars.  My pal was even so kind as to include the UK Weight Watchers (at one point I believe she dubbed Weight Watchers as Chub Busters which I absolutely LOVE!) point values.  1/2 point for the P&W, 4 points for the buttons (Yikes...a lot for a snack but they are oh so good), 3 for the iced gems, and 1 for the Alpen.  I checked with my US point finder and it seemed these values translated equally in the US...so now I know if I get called away to England on a moment's notice that I can pack my trusty point finder and be able to tackle the British supermarkets in diet style!!

I recall lots of favorite British foods from my days past (most notably the Cadbury Crunchie candy bar,  Onken Biopot Wholegrain Peach Yogurt, Digestive Semi Sweet Biscuits, and well....BEER of course!).  As well, the humus over there is WAY better than the humus here....I swear it really is...I'm not crazy!  For the most part I wasn't terribly concerned with point values and calorie counting while abroad....just absorbing the local culture...most notably pub culture!  However, now that I am older, wiser, and sadly fatter, I can no longer consume foods without wondering "What's in that?"  And of course like a good citizen I just HAD to sample the arrangement of emergency snack food.  I should have stopped with a taste of each...that would have been actual sampling.  But no, I was so intrigued by the new items that I ate a pack of iced gems, a Pink and White cookie, and Alpen bar, and 1/2 of the individual button bag.  Whoops.  I think I dipped into some flex points with this afternoon's incident.  I found the gems quite good...the most interesting for me by far.

Anyway, the remainder of my foreign stash is tucked away in my pantry for those desperate occasions when I feel like mixing up the diet program with some cultural flare!

This afternoon's sampling also got me to thinking...what is everyone else out there (both foreign and domestic) eating for their favorite "go to" diet snack?  I'd love to hear any comments below - your favorite two standby snacks.  I'm always looking for new things to try, and hopefully upon further suggestions from you dear readers, I can control myself a bit better than I did today when trying new treats!!

Until next time, happy, healthy eating!

Shrimp Tacos Hooray!

Two weeks ago during another lobster fest at my parents house, my sister and I opted for a less glutenous route.  Plus I just can't rip those poor suckers apart.  Even cooked, don't they look too cute to eat??

For whatever reason, I have never been able to eat these much sought after crustaceans.  It is only recently I will eat lobster pieces in certain dishes.  I am thankful I have this obviously hypocritical moral dilemma (clearly I eat other once living items) which keeps me away from butter drenched seafood.  Shrimp on the other hand, bring it on.  I think because their heads are gone, and they are dead upon arriving in your kitchen I am able to move forward ingesting sans problem!  That said, my sister and I stuck within the Oceanic theme of the meal but crafted a nice, refreshing meal perfect for the approaching summer season.

Assigning Weight Watcher points to this meal is a bit tricky as a lot is based on estimation.  For BEST accuracy use a food scale to measure your items.  You will have an overall mixture with a total point value you have to divide based on how many people you are serving.  Then you will have some "sides" that are easy to calculate.

Shrimp Tacos: Serves 3 to 4 people (3 if everyone is super hungry)
Points (based on 1/4 of the total mix below, 2 tortillas, and 2 oz of cheese): 8 points
*From the kitchen of MEG (LER's sister)

Ingredients
-16 oz Shrimp (measure when cooked and shelled): 8 points
-2 to 3 tomatoes (seeded and diced...save some of the tomato seeds): 0 points
-1/3 red onion finely chopped: 0 points
-Juice of 1 to 2 limes: 0 points
-Juice 1/2 lemon: 0 points
-1 large Avocado diced: 8 points roughly (2 oz is 2 points so you will have to use food scale for accuracy)
-2 TSP Olive Oil: 2 points
-1 TBSN chopped cilantro: 0 points
-Salt and Pepper to taste: 0 points
-Shredded Iceberg Lettuce (you can use cabbage as well): 0 points
-Shredded Carrots (2 large): 0 points (as long as you don't cook there are no points)
-Queso Fresco Cheese (It's a spongy white Mexican cheese...may be hard to find in traditional grocery store.  Sold at Whole Foods.  A mild Feta is an OK substitute): 1 oz is 2 points
-Small Soft White Corn Tortillas (I used the Mission Brand): 1 point/tortilla

1.  If you are feeling lazy simply buy a pound of cooked shrimp from the store.  If you are ambitious get the raw and shell and devein.  I like the medium to large sized guys!  Boil shrimp for 5-7 minutes.  Drain and cool.  When cool cut into pieces...not finely chopped but little chunks.

2.  Combine in a bowl: shrimp, lime juice, lemon juice, diced red onion, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well coating all ingredients with the juices.  Depending on taste you may need to adjust the level of juices.  Start out with less and add more if needed.  As with many of these recipes, much is based on personal taste.  If looking a little dry add a few of the tomato guts removed to moisten.  However, once you let this sit for a bit you'll see juice in the bottom so don't over kill with liquid in the preparation stage.

3.  Add the avocado once you are satisfied with the flavor.  Gently stir avocado chunks into mixture coating with the juices.  I do this at the end because all that mixing can make the avocado get all mushy and you want to maintain the chunks.

4.  You can make this a few hours ahead of time and set in the fridge to marinate.  It is served cold.  Right before serving, give it a stir to make sure that all the liquid that has settled at the bottom coats the mixture.

5.  Shred lettuce and carrots to make a slaw.

6.  Cut Queso Fresco into small cubes.

7.  Just prior to assembly/eating microwave the corn tortillas.  They are a slightly tougher and a bit more grainy than a flour tortilla.  Warming them enables you to fold/roll them without breaking them into pieces.

8.  Place desired amount of lettuce/carrot slaw on tortilla.  Spoon a helping of shrimp mixture on top of slaw.  Top with Queso Fresco.  Fold into a taco shape and eat!!  You will need some extra napkins!!

Volia - a close up of your shrimp mixture before serving.  I'm salivating as I write.

Ready to become one with the belly.  Picture below does not show cheese as this ingredient was added the second time this meal was made.  But just picture a few chunks of yummy white cheese on top - what could be better??

The prep work on this isn't too bad.  It's a great meal because you can make ahead of time, say during a toddler nap. Then it's ready to go when you come down post toddler bedtime ravenous and ready to inhale just about anything.  Obviously you can fiddle with the ingredients...my sister likes to add a small amount of sour cream (2 TBSN of light sour cream is 1 point).  If you are like my husband and need additional sides, corn is a nice compliment (although corn has points!).  I find this meal more filling than I thought and a nice change of pace.  If you have leftover shrimp mixture (I am normally funny about eating ANY seafood leftover but this seems to go against my general aversion to old fish) it's nice to throw on a bed of lettuce for a salad the next day!  You will notice the more you read that I have a rule for just about everything, and every rule has some ridiculous exception.  Case in point - eating leftover products of the sea.

Hope you all enjoy.  Until tomorrow, happy healthy eating!

The long road back.

So I fell long and I fell hard last week.  I thought I could hold the damage to a day or two but as the week progressed it became obvious to me that my self control was slipping away.  By the end of Thursday I told myself this week would be a wash.  With a BBQ approaching, a missing sister, and snack food at an all time high in the house I gave up, ate, and proceeded to feel guilty.  I kept this pattern up until last night.  The good news is that I still had not returned to my prior days where if desperate enough I would actually find myself in the pantry with a spoon eating brown sugar...yes, I know, disgusting, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  I was dreading my weigh in this morning, convinced that I'd be back to my days in the 160's...all that hard torturous work undone.  Much to my delight I only gain 1 pound.  I'm back up to 158.  It's sad I'm happy with a 1 pound gain, but it could have been much worse.

So I am starting this week again fresh.  I am fighting the urge to go take down some food I know is lurking around the corner in the kitchen.  The difference today is that my sister is back (sadly not around a ton this week but just knowing she is mentally back and dieting) and our white board use has resumed.  Big mistake not using it last week!!  Secondarily the boys seem to be a bit "meated" out if that is possible.  They both had salads for lunch and are happy to have me make a "diet" dinner tonight.  Either they have no energy to cook and are happy to eat up what the ole ball and chain is serving or they have read a blog entry or two and figure they'd throw me a bone (or lack there of one!).

So with this entry I assure you I am in fact human and fell off the wagon...for a whole week.  I hope I have gotten the sweet tooth under control again.  It is also reassuring to know you can screw up and not have it be detrimental to the overall process.  It is amazingly easy to see how one week can turn into a month and then two and then a year.  Each day I messed up I felt more discouraged and less inclined to stay the course.  I know that is why I kept up my expansion plan to date!  What hit home, both in a good and bad way, is that this "dieting" is really a lifelong commitment.  That sounds terribly ominous, but it is more or less true.  On the good side, once you do all the hard work and reach the goal, you can go to a place where you can free up your eating a bit as long as you continue to monitor/check in on your weight to be sure you aren't stringing too many "bad" weeks together.  The bad side is thinking you'll be on a diet for the rest of your life!  However, I think the more positive way to view the diet is a healthier approach to eating verses a diet.  After my recent glimpse into less rigid eating, I am more eager now than ever to get to that blasted goal!!!

With a resumed commitment to my diet, I am also making a commitment to get back on track writing.  I know I have been remiss in my posting...life has been incredibly erratic of late.  However, no excuses to my dear loyal readers.  And tomorrow I will be posting a fabulous, fresh recipe perfect for summer nights!  Until then, happy healthy eating to all!

Oh the pressure

I have noticed a slight spike in "readership" since checking my Google Analytics account (this was my husband's - Mr. Metrics - idea).  I have to say it's pretty cool to track those reports.  I've even managed to make 60 whole cents (I don't think I'll get a check cut for that any time soon...but it's the first 60 cents I've earned for myself in a long time....outside of being a mom and all)!!  So a HUGE thank you to anyone who is reading, laughing, struggling out there with me.  And feel free to pass on to anyone who needs a chuckle here and there.  It's so funny because I am a pretty shy person, my sister has always been the outgoing one, but I have usually been able to entertain people with my writing.  I remember my one of my best friends and I used to write notes in high school and there was one note I wrote that had us laugh so hard that we'd take it out every summer we were home from college to re-read.  Every available space of the paper was used and it was even complete with drawings of a Chuckles candy running off the page with an Ebola virus (don't ask, because I have no clue what my brain was doing but that is the part of the note I still remember).  The note has since been lost but I still have hope one day my friend and I will kick back on our rocking chairs as 60 year old ladies and she'll whip it out and we'll keel over with laughter.

Anyway, that was a nice walk down memory lane.  With this increase in readers I feel an even greater sense of pressure to write interesting things.  I am trying to look at this a little bit like a job...I know that sounds very serious, but I hope maybe one day this will turn into something more, like a book.  Although I've been saying that I'm going to write a book for 10 years now....still waiting!!  The pressure is building on all fronts, not just the desire to write quality entries.  But the pressure to work out more, to eat better.  Pressure = stress = snacking.  Help oh help I need to break this vicious cycle.  I am having a horrible snack heavy week where I feel many of those old habits rear their ugly heads.  One reader so rightly pointed out that one key to success is to avoid having the junk in the house in the first place.  I had done a pretty good job of that prior to the testosterone invasion I mentioned in my previous post.  Clearly there is little I can do about my dinner menus, and for the most part I can hold my own for meal time.  But it's the snacking that is killing me.

I've also learned that boys cannot have a sandwich without chips.  Normally more of a sweet person, I have an affinity for BBQ chips.  Well guess what needs to accompany lunch....you've got it...BBQ chips.  My brother-in-law shares my propensity for sweets, so in some ways I think we are co-enabling each other.  He and my husband picked up an industrial sized container of Madeline cookies at Costco yesterday.  Really....I just finished off those blasted Black and White cookies (yes that's right...the whole package gone in a few short days) and now I have to combat those.  I bought two jumbo sized zucchini muffins with cream cheese frosting because I knew he'd eat some and I could have a bite (oh yeah, and my daughter too!!).  The plan worked perfectly, except I had more than a bite!  Thankfully my BIL ate one whole one on his own otherwise I'd have been in serious trouble.  I have decided it's time to get rid of the ice cream in the freezer.  After this post I am going to the freezer and I'm going to douse it with a cleaning agent and then dump down the disposal.  Believe me, the cleaning agent is necessary or I may find myself scraping ice cream off my sink for one last taste (it's funny how my germaphobia can be put aside in the name of ice cream).  The more time that ticks by this week and the more snacking I do the more I fear I may be writing to you on Monday for the first time with extra poundage!!

I did exercise my own sweet revenge on the boys the other day (not really).  The other night we were all drooling over the TV as we watched the KFC Double Down commercial for the 101 time.  The next day I decided the boys who are working so hard in the basement needed a little pick me up.  I stopped at the KFC next to my gym (yes, for real, there is a KFC/Taco Smell RIGHT next to my gym....lovely!) and ordered a DD at the drive through.  I was actually embarrassed ordering this ridiculous sandwich and was thankful I could hide in my car.  I pulled in at 10:35 and quickly became a hero.  We all rushed to the kitchen to unveil the holy grail of sandwiches.  Upon opening, we three were quite disappointed.  Does this look anything like the pictures on TV?

And now the Advertising Version:

Despite looking a little less crispy the taste test was deemed a success.  My brother-in-law said it was "disgusting" in a way that really means good.  I had one small bite and I have to admit it was good.  Salty and tangy and the kind of caloric bliss that makes you eat more and more of that sort of food.  After eating only half the boys decided even that was too much gluttony and threw the remainder away.  But hey, at least they were equally temped as I have been over the past few days with their junk food in the house.  Sweet revenge.  I'm pretty sure it's suppose to work in reverse, that we are all suppose to support each other's efforts to live a healthier existence.  Anyway, all I know is that the junk has to go, my sister needs to come back, and I need to find my will power that has been a fair weather friend this week.

Until tomorrow, happy healthy eating to you all!

A whole new world

As some of you know, there has been some lifestyle shake up of late in our household.  My husband recently left his job to start a business with his brother.  Right now they are working on launching several iPhone/iPad applications...if you ask me for a longer definition I'd have to say, "Um...not sure."  There is a more long term plan if they can get off the ground, so I'll have a better one liner down the road.  Suffice it to say, having my husband home full time is a MAJOR lifestyle change.  Furthermore his brother has been here working with him.  The house has shifted from girl power to male dominance (my sister has been away so it's me and the boys).  It's now more obvious then ever that men eat differently than women.  I am the lone dieter floundering in a sea of meats and rich sides.  I'd like to give you a sampling of the menus I've had to endure over the past two weeks.

Night one of male invasion began with Chicken Spaghetti (creamy casserole made with chicken, stewed tomatoes, cheese, cream based soups, etc....good old fashioned comfort food).  Other meals to follow were Steaks (I should have taken a picture because these were not tiny, but large Costco sized steaks), baked potato, butter drenched over cooked green beans and probably some other items.  Rib fest (Raspberry BBQ ribs, homemade mac and cheese, corn on the cob).  Teriyaki pork tenderloin.  Tonight we had Red Beans and Rice (made with many links of Andouille sausage).  Leftovers of these meals have been sprinkled intermittently throughout the week.

Today we ran out of meat which required a trip to Costco.  Already my husband and my differences are becoming more and more apparent and our tolerance for each other's respective eating styles is wearing thin.  We nearly had a meltdown in the meat aisle trying to menu plan on the fly for the next eight days.  My view...I've been a pretty good sport about eating (or working around his menus to maintain my diet as best as possible) and it's his turn to eat my meals.  Now, I know this will NEVER happen, but I feel that way none the less.  His suggestions: meatloaf, BBQ chicken, Lamb Chops, and a roasted chicken.  He felt that would tide us over and provide adequate leftovers.  Seriously??  I mean, how much meat can you eat in a week???  And you know all of these items will require unique sides or casseroles and veggies to compliment the animal parts.  I'm about ready to have a nervous breakdown not only with the extra meal preparation, but with the will power it's taking me to keep eating my own food.  Luckily I have never been a huge meat eater which is probably the only thing getting me through this phase.

Here is a snapshot of Rib Fest just to give you an example of meal time around here.

Even as I write the boys are discussing doing a crawfish boil (they found a local place that does them) for the weekend.  I may just have to move out.  I thought living together was going to be fun, but on second thought, I don't know if I can take the pressure of the new menu.  I'm waiting for the balance of power to shift in the coming weeks.  If not, I'm going to crack under the pressure or end up institutionalized in the process.

Hopefully you are all having happier and healthier eating experiences than I!

A side or two with that meat

First of all I need to report that yesterday was a DISASTER.  Despite my efforts to curb my cravings, I failed.  I went for a bike ride to put some distance between myself and those blasted black and white cookies.  Alas, after returning from my grueling ride (it's been two years since I was on a bike) I popped another two cookies, some chips, my daughter's uneaten Goldfish Crackers, a bite or two of ice cream.  Like I said, it was NOT a good day.  The kind of day you don't even bother to point out but just say you'll get back on the diet tomorrow.  Since this is the first time I've had this sort of day since the diet began (this was much more regular behavior a few months back....minus the biking of course!) I'm going to cut myself some slack and know that a bad day will come now and again.  Hopefully that was it for a while!

Next I realized I have been remiss in providing new recipes.  As I have previously indicated my husband is a meat and side dish kind of guy.  When we cook a joint meal I try to make at least one side that I can eat to cut down on the number of dishes  we are using!  So, here are two that go with just about anything...chicken, ribs, pork, steak, or burgers.  I hope you enjoy these and they provide some new things for your dinner tables.

Broccoli Mash: 0-1 point
*From the kitchen of LER (my grandfather used to make this in full fat version)

Ingredients:
-1 bag of frozen broccoli (you can use florets, spears, or cuts) or a few crowns of fresh broccoli: 0 points
-2 TBSN to 1/4 cup Fat Free Half & Half: 1/4 cup is 1 point
-2 to 3 TBSN "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Spray: 0 points
-Salt and Pepper to taste: 0 points

1.  Steam broccoli until soft.
2.  Transfer to a food processor (if you do not have a processor you'll have to mash in a pot by hand but the processor gives it a nice consistency).  Puree until chopped (I like mine finely done but with some bits for texture).
3.  Add in desired amount of Half & Half and Butter Spray...amounts vary depending on your taste.  I use about 3 TBSN H&H and 2 TBSN Butter Spray
4.  Stir in Salt and Pepper to taste

It's nothing fancy but a nice alternative to ordinary steamed broccoli.  Plus you can eat a ton and you are virtually eating 0 points.

Israeli Cous Cous with Cranberries and Pepitas: 8 points (meant to serve 2)/serving
*From the kitchen of LER

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup Israeli Cous Cous (once cooked it yield a little more than a cup): 1/4 cup dry is 4 points
-1/4 cup dried cranberries: 2 points
-1 oz Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds): 4 points
-1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese: 2 points
-Salt & Pepper to taste: 0 points

1.  Bring 1 cup of water to a boil (if you are making more cous cous the ratio is double water to amount cous cous).  Lightly salt water.  When boiling add cous cous and cook on low for about 5 minutes, letting some of the water boil off.  Then cover and keep on low until water absorbed and cous cous tender.  You may need to add a bit of water if the cous cous is sticking to pot.
2.  While cous cous is cooking coarsely chop the cranberries.
3.  When cous cous done add cranberries, pepitas, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix together.

This is a slightly higher point side dish.  You can lower the amount of the pepitas if you want to shave some points.  If you don't really care about points, a bit of olive oil gives a nice added flavor and smooth texture (1 tsp = 1 point).  If you are having less points with chicken and some steamed veggies, this is a nice hearty and filling side.

Last night I paired this with 3 oz of grilled pork tenderloin (3 points) and some steamed broccoli (0 points).  It was a perfect meat and two sides dinner!

Hope these liven up your dinner tables.  I know I'm always happy to find a new simple recipe to try.  Until tomorrow, happy and healthy eating!

New Weight and Pesky Monday Cravings

Starting the week down another pound...current weight is 157.  So I've hit the big 15 for total weight loss.  I never gained the freshman 15 when I was in college but I guess I did later in life.  I have to say it was way more fun putting it on than taking it off.  I was hoping for a slightly bigger number but a loss is a loss and that is good especially after a pig-out mother's day.  I have to say that after my blog last night I felt obligated to eat a small portion of the Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup Ice cream.  So all things considered, it could have been much worse!

Furthermore, I am super PMS so I am going to tell myself there is some extra water weight hanging around.  Therefore, if I have a good week I'm projecting HUGE numbers next week - ha ha ha.  The challenge will be how to make it through the next few critical snack craving days without eating myself through house and home.  Whenever I go to my dad's house he sends me home with lots of cookies.  So after this weekend visit I now have three containers of bakery fresh cookies: Black and White Cookies (my ultimate favorite...when I lived in NYC years ago I'd get one with my lunch just about everyday....ah, those were the days), a package of regular Madeline's, and a package of chocolate flavored Madeline's.  And you all know there is that PB Cup Ice Cream gently calling me to the freezer.  I have already folded and had a B&W post lunch.  That is annoying as I'll have to back into my dinner plan based on what is too many points on a snack!!

Additionally I am sitting in my living room as I write which is just a hop skip and a jump to the kitchen.  Not good.  Since my husband starting working from home (recent development) he has stolen my office chair and I have not replaced it.  It's amazing how much logistics play in dieting.  Simply having a safe distance between myself and the kitchen makes snack control so much easier.  I think I have some BBQ Kettle Cooked chips in my pantry too.  Yeah, this is going to be a long few days.  I think my continued drifting to thoughts of food even as I type is my cue to get myself either outside to garden, off to the gym to swim, or out for a short bike ride.  Anything to occupy my "nap" time with something constructive verses finding reason I need to visit the kitchen.  Otherwise next week I'll be writing with a number going the wrong way!!

Until tomorrow, happy healthy eating and hope you are all having better luck with your cravings than I am at present!!!

Sunday Night Ramblings Mother's Day Edition

First of all, I'm so sorry to my small but dedicated readership for abandoning you for a few days.  Between entertaining and Mother's Day events I have not found a lot of time to write.  I have had much material given my glutenous surroundings of the past few days.  We'll see what I can work into this Sunday night!

1.  Prior to my Mother's Day feast which I will get into in a minute, I put on a pair of "new" old jeans.  Last fall my beloved jeans that I wore everyday, fit perfectly, tore while I was watching the kitchen floor.  It was the classic bend over and rip scenario.  The only option I had was to suck it up and go jeans shopping - a dreaded activity for most of us.  I have learned in my later years to spend a little more on a good quality pair of jeans that will fit better and last longer.  A trip to Nordstrum with the help of their personal shoppers I walked away a little poorer but two pairs of jeans richer!  One I wear everyday.  The other I was convinced to buy (and they did look good and feel OK in the store - I was actually anticipating losing some weight when I bought them) but never fit comfortably upon bringing home.  So I more or less gave up on them.  Until tonight.  I have been feeling a bit lighter in step and thought, why not give those lovely designer blues a chance to see life outside the closet.  Much to my delight, they fit very nicely and even after some time in them were a bit lose in places.  Woo hoo for dieting!!!

2.  Up next, the big fat cheat...I think.  I have done so much cooking the past few days, most of which I have not been able to eat, that I wanted nothing to do with a pot or a pan this Mother's Day evening.  We came up with the idea to hit a Japanese Steak House for the good food, and the entertainment factor for a three year old.  She was mildly amused and snacked on a dinner of rice while I inhaled more calories then I think I was alloted for the day.  Fried rice, veggies cooked in oil and lard (it's so nice to see what is actually going into your food as it is cooked in front of your eyes..so that is what makes it taste so good!), shrimp, filet.  Yum yum yum.  Since it was an occasion to celebrate Mother's Day the chef guy kept giving me all the excess.  It was too hard to explain my diet so I just went with it.  I guess the only saving grace is that I only consume a cookie today in preparation for what I knew would be a full blown eat fest.  It was good, it was the perfect fix.  I hope this has not affected my numbers too much.  We shall see in a few short hours.

3.  I came home after a night at my mom's to a clean house, folded laundry, mowed lawn, and vacuumed floors.  In all our years of marriage this has never occurred.  It was a wonderful surprise...the best Mother's Day present...kudos to my husband.  Your work was noticed and appreciated.  Now, onto the other portion of my gift.  A joke if you will.  I got lots of silly little gift cards to Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, and Papa John's.  There was also a pint of ice cream in the freezer.  He had originally planned to make me a carrot cake (a favorite of both of us) but luckily for me he ran out of time.  Perhaps he likes the extra meat on my bones?  The BK card is all him...he knew I'd pass that one over!  Luckily I can frequent my two coffee establishments without actually inhaling calories, although I'd like to (I have to say I have tried the new Starbucks Cherry Mocha Latte - skinny style of course - and it is fab-u-lous!).  But I do have the confidence with the new sweets, that I knew were bought with love, in the house based on my restraint among the Easter candy.

4.  I did not make my goal to get to the gym for two (or was it three??) swims this week.  Only one for me.  But I have to think I made up for it with back breaking gardening - hence the aversion to further exercise.  I did start to get the bikes tuned so perhaps in addition to my normal goal of 2 swims this week I'll set a goal of 1 bike ride (I think this is pretty aggressive given my week but here's hoping!).

5.  I have a wonderful new recipe, courtesy of my sister, that I am eager to share with you all this week.  It may replace the veggie roll up on my go to meal as that may finally have run its course for a while.  As well I have a few yummy side dishes I've made that I need to share as well.  Why is it that I'm always 10 steps behind in just about every area of my life?

6.  I am sure there is more to babble on about but I have some steak in my teeth and I must go floss it out before it drives me crazy.  See, there is a reason not to eat red meat (yeah right!).

Until tomorrow, oh happy weigh in day, happy healthy eating to all!

The Perfect Sandwich

I must say, it's not only difficult to keep to a regular food and exercise routine while family is visiting, but it's hard to find time to write.  The past three days have been a blur.  Preparatory cleaning, yard work, gardening, thousands of pounds of laundry, cooking food I can't eat while watching others inhale it, as well as entertaining.  It's been great fun seeing brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws to be, mother in-laws.  I've been so busy I've barely had time to think about snacking, and I've been on my feet non stop.  So that must be a good thing for weight loss, no?

The added bonus to this visit is that my sis in law to be is on the pre-wedding diet so she and I teamed up together and ate healthy while our men did not!  We were able to commiserate about why it's so hard to lose weight when the men in our lives just want big piles of meat for dinner every night.  So thank you L2 for being my substitute sister this week...I don't know what I'm going to do without you tomorrow night when it's BBQ rib night...I'm sure that is a post in itself.

I did what to let everyone out there know that I am in fact human and have fallen victim to cheating.  I finally disregarded the diet yesterday.  My sister-in-law and I took my daughter out into Boston yesterday to wander around, hit a park, and to do as much shopping as a toddler will allow!  Of course we had to do a ladies lunch.  There is an amazing sandwich place called Parish Cafe (http://02a7d0b.netsolhost.com/index2.html) that has enlisted the help of a plethora of local chefs to create a unique sandwich for the menu.  The result is an interesting, diverse, and eclectic combination of ingredients.  For any local Bostonians who have not tried this long standing establishment you must and for any visiting out of towners, it's a great treat!  There are a few items on the menu that are more diet friendly but let's just say it isn't the kind of place you go to for a pile of greens.  So I finally allowed myself to loosen up for a special treat and I ordered a perfect combination of sweet and salty.

The Schlesinger
Created by: Chris Schlesinger,Chef / Owner- East Coast Grille, CambridgeMonterey jack cheese on warm banana nut bread topped with smoked ham and mango chutney. Served with pickled ginger red cabbage.

I substituted potato salad for the cabbage - why not go all out?  It was bliss.  Caloric bliss.  I thought every possible way to assign this a point value and I couldn't so I just said I'm going to enjoy it and swim a little harder, snack a little less, and keep myself in line the remainder of the day.  I actually surprised myself and could not finish the whole thing.  Normally finishing my entire plate, and whatever my husband fails to eat, is as easy at 1-2-3 for me.  But I think the past few weeks have conditioned my stomach to be used to smaller portions and less filling food.  My daughter ate my second half of banana bread.  I only ate half the ham.  I did polish off the potato salad, it would be abusive to leave any behind.  I was stuffed.  Yet I have NOT stopped thinking about that sandwich all day and am trying to find an excuse to work that into my meal plan every week!!!  I wish I had taken a picture so I could pull it up on my iPhone whenever I feel like I need a fix.  Actually, that's the angle I can take...I simply need to go back eat it again and take a picture for posterity.

Anyway - I hope everyone out there in diet land has had a good week of healthy eating and is ready to go into Mother's Day weekend with some points/calories saved up in the reserve tank.  I may blow mine tomorrow on rib night....we shall see.  Until the next time, happy healthy eating.

Hamburgers....His and Hers

Last weekend I was craving a hamburger.  It's been quite some time since I've had red meat.  I love steak and burgers and I have missed them so.  A tiny little portion of steak just won't cut it for me so it's easier to avoid the temptation altogether while in active weight loss mode!  I'll celebrate with a proper steak house steak (Capital Grill is one of my favorites) upon reaching my goal.  But for whatever reason, I really needed some hard core red meat last Friday.  Perhaps it was the unseasonably summer-like weather we've been blessed with in the Northeast. Perhaps due to the numerous BBQ smells wafting through the air as everyone fires up their grills.  Perhaps because after a long day on Friday both my husband and I needed a simple (as you know from former posts, simple for my husband is a relative term) meal.

I have noted several times that it is very hard to diet in conjunction with a man in the house.  Making hamburgers seemed a good way for both of us to enjoy a meal and work within our food needs.  I quickly looked up in my Weight Watcher's book the point value for ground beef.  According to my book 2 oz of 95% lean ground sirloin is 2 points and 2 oz of 90% ground sirloin is 3 points.  I have never seen 95% but always buy 93% lean.  So we are in a grey area of estimation.  At the end of the day I used the 3 points for 90% just to be safe.  The book also says that 2 oz is roughly 1/2 cup.  I am so glad I used my food scale to see what 2 oz was because there is NO way 2 oz is 1/2 cup.  To give you a visual see below:

That's right everyone, 2 oz of ground meat is slightly larger than a golf ball.  Upon seeing this, I realized that 2 oz was a ridiculous serving size and there was no way a meatball was going to cut it for dinner!  I therefore readjusted the sides I was initially thinking so I could double the portion size to 4 oz at a value of 6 points.  It's funny to realize how warped our perspective on portion size is in this country given the all you can eat buffets and Cheesecake Factories of the world.  But when made a 4 oz burger patty looks like this:

While it's not a monstrous burger by any means, it is a decent size.  I added lettuce, tomato, avocado (2 points), and a slice of 2% American Cheese (1 point).  I used an Arnold Deli Flat for a bun (1 point).  So the total value for my burger was 10 points.  I had some broccoli on the side and it was a satisfying meal that scratched an itch!

Now, that was the "hers" version of an American classic.  I never venture to make my husband's hamburgers because there are way too many components to it.  I simply like the ground beef salted and peppered (on my non diet days a blob of cream cheese in the center makes a lovely treat!).  This would be far too simple for my man.  I don't know if it's a Southern thing or a "him" thing, but this is what his burger mix looks like:

Seriously???  I'm suppose to diet around this guy?  If memory serves me correctly you are looking at 1 lb of ground sirloin (minus my 4 puny ounces!), an egg, bread pieces, worchestire sauce, and the shinny stuff on the meat is a good squeeze of honey.  Is this a burger or a meatloaf for goodness sake?  Once mixed, these turn into the following:

That's right - you are looking at two ginormous man patties.  That is in fact a dinner plate in case there was any confusion about that.  Each patty is roughly 1/2 pound plus all those special additives.  This would not be my first choice of ingredient combinations if calories were not an object, but I have tasted this concoction and it isn't that bad.  

But now you all see what I'm up against.  This meal was "garnished" with a baked potato, baked beans, and a small serving of broccoli.  I think there may have been something else but I just can't recall.  I'm still overwhelmed by the frisbee sized burgers.  I will let you all know that my husband only ate one of these for dinner and saved the other for lunch.  

The moral of the story for those of you reading is that you can in fact eat the same, yet different meal with your unsupportive non diet conscious spouse!  The trick is to avoid temptation and stick to your own food plan within the menu.  And seriously, who wants all that extra stuff anyway, yuk (just keep telling yourself that over and over!).  Until tomorrow, happy and healthy eating for all!

Did she do it folks??

That is the 10 million dollar question.  Did the neurotic crazy dieting fiend crack the illusive 150's?  Why yes, I can finally put a 5 after the 1.  I weighed in at 158 this morning, down another 2 lbs from last week, 14 in total.  I am actually in the vicinity of my pre-child days...not too far from my wedding day weight.  Mind you even if I got to that weight, I do not think my current body would resemble the one from my formative years unless I go for the tummy tuck.  But I have to say I am pretty happy to feel like I've sunk below 160.  Three years of haphazard trying and I guess all it really took was some motivation and actual follow through - not generally my strong suit!

This whole weight loss thing is fairly contagious.  For the first time ever I am addicted to losing weight (don't any of you worry, I think a transition to anorexia is far from eminent....I like food too much and prefer to exert my control freakish ways in other areas).  Now if I could only translate some of that enthusiasm to the sit up and weight lifting department.  I think with even a moderate amount of effort focused on my abs, arms, and legs, I could get some definition back.  I would be nice to weight my goal weight and not be lumpy.  Unfortunately I think that is where I'm heading.  I think I can reach that goal but am going to have my stomach pooch and my tree trunk legs remain unless I get serious about a little weight training.  Sigh...it's always something isn't it?

Wow...I don't know where the day went.  I started this at 2pm and it's now 7:45.  We have family visiting so the latter part of the day involved passenger pick up, a bit of entertaining and cooking.  It takes 10 times as long to cook ANYTHING when you have to boil your damn water for contamination purposes.  I have to say my hands are raw and sticky from soap residue and antibacterial gel.  I am seriously hoping we have water usage back tomorrow but I'm thinking it most likely won't be until Wednesday.  What can you do?  I guess the plus side to this crazy busy day is that I have literally been on my feet all day long cleaning and cooking.  I had not a second to snack and I have a nice 18 points left for dinner and dessert!!  Well deserved in my opinion.

Anyway, I have a few funny stories to tell but I will have to wait until tomorrow to begin those.  This entry is already reading like a Sunday Night Ramble!  It's becoming evident that Mondays are likely going to be rushed entries.

Until tomorrow, happy and healthy eating...and just for fun drink lots of poison water (hey, if we all get a tape worm that should really aid in the weight loss process).