Saturday, October 30, 2010

Meow!

Catwoman

Even though I adore my Loki-dog and all animals, I am still very much a cat person. In fact, I could easily become the Crazy Cat Lady, just ask my kids! So, when my fellow Jenny Craig blogger, Andrea, posted this new miracle diet and I just had to share!

Cat Miracle Diet

Most diets fail because we stubbornly continue to think and eat like humans. For those us who have never had any success dieting there is the new Miracle Cat Diet! Except for cats that eat like people -- such as getting lots of table scraps -- most cats are long and lean (or tiny and petite). The Cat Miracle Diet will help you achieve the same lean, svelte figure as a cat. Just follow this diet for one week and you'll find that you not only look and feel better, but you will have a whole new outlook on what constitutes food. Good Luck!

DAY ONE
Breakfast: Open can of expensive gourmet cat food. Any flavour as long as it cost more than seventy-five cents per can. Eat one bite of food then look around room disdainfully. Knock the rest on the floor. Stare at the wall for awhile before stalking off into the other room.

Lunch: Four blades of grass and one lizard tail. Throw it back up on the most expensive carpet in your house.

Dinner: Catch a moth and play with it until it is almost dead. Eat one wing. Leave the rest to die.

Bedtime snack: Steal one green bean from your spouse's or partner's plate. Bat it around the floor until it goes under the refrigerator. Steal one small piece of chicken and eat half of it. Leave the other half on the sofa. Throw out the remaining gourmet cat food from the can you opened this morning.

DAY TWO
Breakfast: Pick up the leftover chicken from the sofa. Knock it onto the carpet and bat it under the television set. Chew on the corner of the newspaper as your spouse/partner tries to read it.

Lunch: Break into the fresh French bread that you bought as your part of the dinner party on Saturday. Lick the top of it all over. Take one bite out of the middle of the loaf.

Afternoon snack: Catch a large beetle and bring it into the house. Play toss and catch with it until it is mushy and half dead. Allow it to escape under the bed.

Dinner: Open a fresh can of dark-coloured gourmet cat food -- tuna or beef works well. Eat it voraciously. Walk from your kitchen to the edge of the living room rug. Promptly throw up on the rug. Step into it as you leave. Track footprints across the entire room.

DAY THREE:
Breakfast: Drink part of the milk from your spouse's or partner's cereal bowl when no one is looking. Splatter part of it on the nearest polished aluminum appliance you can find.

Lunch: Catch a small bird and bring it into the house. Play with on top of your down filled comforter. Make sure the bird is seriously injured but not dead before you abandon it for someone else to have to deal with.

Dinner: Beg and cry until you are given some ice cream or milk in a bowl of your own. Take three licks/laps and then turn the bowl over on the floor.

FINAL DAY:
Breakfast: Eat six bugs, assorted varieties, being sure to leave a collection of legs, wings, and antennae on the bathroom floor. Drink lots of water. Throw the bugs and all of the water up on your spouse's or partner's pillow.

Lunch: Remove the chicken skin from last night's chicken-to-go leftovers your spouse or partner placed in the trash can. Drag the skin across the floor several times. Chew it in a corner and then abandon.

Dinner: Open another can of expensive gourmet cat food. Select a flavour that is especially runny, like Chicken and Giblets in Gravy. Lick off all the gravy and leave the actual meat to dry and get hard.



xoxoxooxxo

Friday, October 29, 2010

Just Rewards



Jenny Craig talks a lot of rewarding oneself, non-foodwise, of course. The Counselor will often ask, "How will you reward yourself for _______." Well, being a Leo, I'm pretty good about pampering myself..grin..so I need little encouragement in this area.

Each week that I lose weight, I treat myself to a little something, usually under $10.00, just to honor my accomplishment and make me feel special.

Last week I bought this long-awaited book by Mad Men's Costume Designer, Janie Bryant.

“It’s about becoming your own leading lady and developing your own fabulous personal style,” Bryant said. ”It really is about having a little crush on yourself.”



This really was a lovely gift to myself, I've spent several evenings this past week curled up on the couch with a cup of tea, planning my post-weight-loss Mad Men-inspired wardrobe. Fortunately I already have a couple of appropriate outfits in my closet, just waiting for me to fit into them!

For this week's reward, I walked over to Fresh Market and bought myself a gorgeous bouquet of long-stemmed roses to put on my nightstand. ($8.99, can't beat the price!)



And now, my Victory List for the past couple of days:

*Put on my favorite black sheath dress yesterday, discovered that not only is it loose on me, but I had to take the belt in one notch!

*Went to Kali's to help her move yesterday, ordered take-out Cuban food for dinner. While she ate black beans with white rice and yuca and Beren gobbled up ham croquettes, I ate my Jenny Craig meal which I had to prepare in the oven since K doesn't have a microwave yet. She and Beren celebrated the move with cocktails..I had a can of Fresca.

I'm building up strength, it's becoming easier to resist aforementioned temptations. My motivation is strong, am feeling really good. I joined a JC message board Thanksgiving challenge - my goal is to get down to 159 by Thanksgiving. That's 7 weeks away, surely I can lose a pound a week between now & then.

Off to run errands and then hit the treadmill, have a beauty-full day!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Weekly Weigh-In (a little late)


Busy day yesterday, started with my JC weigh-in, am happy to report that despite it being my "moontime" I still lost .60 pound and 2.5 inches. Just goes to show you that if you do the diet and exercise your butt off, even monthly miseries won't affect the damned scale too much.

After work I met my friend Susan who is also kicking ass on her diet and fitness routine, OMG the woman looks fantastic! She's lost 30 pounds so far, I'm so proud of her! I keep nagging her to update her blog..ahem..and chronicle this journey...hint..hint..nudge..nudge...

From there I met Kali at her new apartment, she got the keys and signed the lease. I'm so excited for her but it's bittersweet for me. She's been living back home for over a year now, it's going to be strange not to have her here. However, her leaving frees up a bedroom, am empty space to do..what with?

Hmm..I'm already pondering, imagining paint colors and window treatments, am most likely going to move my treadmill and a tv in there and make it a little room of my own, an escape..what do you think?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Plugging Along



Still plugging along here, eating my Jenny Cuisine along with tons of fresh fruit & veggies, walking & logging my steps. Yesterday I walked the neighborhood in the morning, did 30 minutes on the treadmill in the afternoon followed by 20 minutes of Valerie's workout dvd...




It was just enough to stretch my muscles and cause that delicious ache in my legs this morning. I think I'm going to pick up some hand weights this weekend and work my way up to the 30-minute Bikini Body portion of the dvd.

Tomorrow is weigh-in and I'm not feeling great about it. I mean, I've been working really hard but my bathroom scale isn't showing a loss yet, and "Moontime" is approaching so..who knows. If nothing else, I know that I've tightened up and my waist is becoming visible again so I know I've lost inches. We shall see. For now, I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing knowing that results will follow.

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Sunday, October 24, 2010

It's Hard to be Good



Each & every morning we roll out of bed and as soon as our feet hit the floor the battle of good & evil begins. Each moment provides us with the opportunity to be good..or "bad"...naughty..or nice. There are constant temptations, opportunities to throw caution to the wind and just do what feels good right that very minute.

Yesterday was no different for me, and frankly by mid-morning I was sick of it. Sick of watching Beren and my kids eat "normal" breakfasts, of the treadmill looming in the background, taunting me and making me feel guilty for not working out, tired of the limited food choices, of the measuring and thinking and planning..UGH! I remembered the free-for-all weekends when I'd eat what I wanted, mindlessly, then gone out to the bar and tossed down a few cocktails with wild abandon. (well, ok, not so-very-wild, but you get my point) I was angry, overwhelmed, and as Beren stated: just plain grouchy!

So, instead of turning to the kitchen and quieting my mood with a cupcake (or three), I sat down and talked it out with Beren. I explained to him that part of the reason I put off doing a "serious" weight loss program for so long was because I knew it would be hard to fit into our lifestyle. We go out quite a bit, we drink socially, etc..habits that are not conducive to a regimented diet/fitness program. I explained to him my frustration & annoyance and yet maintained my determination. I didn't want to give up, I just wanted him to understand just how f-ing hard this is! I wanted reassurance, not advice, because over the course of the conversation I was able to give myself advice..I told myself the very things I would tell one of my fellow bloggers should he or she be feeling this way:

"You have been doing this for 3 1/2 weeks, this is the point where the novelty is starting to wear off..it's 'normal' that you should feel this way!"

"You have a lot going on in your life right now, this is just one more stressor, but turning to food or abandoning your program isn't going to make you feel better."

"You are doing this for YOURSELF, because you DESERVE it!"

"What can you change right now? What can you do that would make you feel better that doesn't involve food?"


At that point I got up off the couch and went into the kitchen..to clean. I started packing up some of Kali's kitchen goods for her, helping her prepare for her move next week as well as clearing clutter which always makes me feel better. I then made a batch of veggie chili for the kids, had that simmering in the crockpot so that they could eat whenever they got home from work. I cleaned the refrigerator, packed up several containers of my Zero soup and put it into the freezer for the future. Wiped the counters, did the dishes, etc. And then I had my Jenny lunch along with some of that soup, sat on the couch with Beren and decompressed for a bit, made a plan for the rest of the day. Suddenly the grumpies were gone and I didn't have to feel guilty for the way I'd handled them. Instead of shoving the emotions down with food, I talked it out and then fixed the problems I could control! What a novel idea!

And now, for other Victories:

*first acknowledgment/notice of my weight loss, yay!
*turned down dinner by our friend who is an amazing cook yet as I sat in his kitchen watching him pour molasses into his baked beans, we both knew there was no way I could eat there, lol!
*knowing that this couple definitely enjoy their beer, we stopped on the way to pick up a 12-pack for them. I grabbed a 4-pack of miniature chardonnay bottles, allowed myself two (portion-controlled) glasses. The rest came home with me.
*Also grabbed a fresh vegetable platter which I nibbled on while others eat pretzels, etc. but after a few minutes everyone was gobbling up my carrots & celery as well! So I might have been a good influence for once. *wink*

Last night we were supposed to go to a wine & cheese party at another friend's house. I thought long & hard about it..and called to decline. As much as I wanted to visit and would certainly have enjoyed the socialization, I knew that it would be very difficult for me to spend time around my two of my favorite things, and I had already consumed my two-glass maximum for the day. I just didn't trust myself to be that "good," why torture myself?

So, Beren and I ate dinner at home - vegetarian chili, mac & cheese for him, Jenny's cheese ravioli with a bowl of Zero-Point soup for me. We put in a dvd, Letters to Juliet, I ate my Jenny cheesecake, and we went to bed early. Nice.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Hot Dish: "Free" Veggie Soup


As part of the Jenny Craig diet, you are able to purchase something called Soupitizers which are 7 oz containers of a light broth/vegetable soup. They are optional and go toward two of the three "Limited Foods" you get daily. I enjoy them and find that if I add a bunch of steamed veggies, they are filling and help curb my appetite when it's not quite dinnertime. However, they are about $3.00 each and are seriously not worth that cost!



So, I did a bit of research yesterday, perused the Jenny message board and discovered that I can make better-tasting soup of my own that serves the same purpose, costs less and is considered a "Free" food. Since I kinda miss the amount of cooking I used to do before starting the program, this is a perfect solution for me!

It didn't take long for me to find this old Weight Watchers stand-by, the Zero Point Soup. My favorite veggie blogger, Veggieventure, posted it recently. (You can zip on over to her blog for pics and more fabulous recipes!)

WEIGHT WATCHERS ZERO POINTS GARDEN VEGETABLE SOUP RECIPE
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 1 1/4 hour
Makes 9 cups

6 cups broth (today I used Light Vegetable Stock)

Cooking spray
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 teaspoons garlic (from a jar or substitute four cloves minced garlic)
1/2 cabbage, chopped (or use a bag of slaw, the biggest chunks you can find vs the fine, don't skip the cabbage for it somehow makes the soup)
1/2 pound frozen green beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large zucchini, diced

Bring the broth to a boil in the microwave. (This is a time-saving tip that can be skipped if there's no hurry.)

Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the zucchini and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to MEDIUM and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini are tender. Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Cup: 61 Cal (3% from Fat, 24% from Protein, 73% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 13 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb10; NetCarb10; 52 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 701 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers ... hmmm ... 1 point

NUTRITION NOTES This soup is low-cal, low-carb, high-fiber and no-fat. But hmmm. What about the claim that it has no points in the Weight Watchers world? I suppose so, since all the ingredients are "free". But honestly, a calorie's a calorie and so I count every one of them whether from chocolate cake or fresh vegetables. In my book, this Garden Vegetable Soup counts as 1 point but is a definite one-point winner.

KITCHEN NOTES
Zero point soups are easy to make without a recipe. Just cook a pile of non-starchy vegetables in 6 cups of a non-fat broth. It's even easy to convert one-point soups to zero-point soups.


So last night's dinner for the family was pasta & meatballs, garlic bread and this soup. I had a big bowl of soup before my Jenny meal, completely satisfied that I was eating something healthy and got my cooking fix!

Victory List:

*Despite bread being one of my favorite things on the planet, I did not eat a single crumb of the aforementioned garlic bread
*Ditto with the pasta
*Ditto with the fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies my daughter Lily made last night
*Ditto with the apple & cherry turnovers I bought (on sale) for the family yesterday
*Though I didn't do any formal exercise, turning away from all of that decadence was a work-out in itself!

Have a Beauty-Full Day, TGIF!




Thursday, October 21, 2010

Long-Range Promise


October 21, 2010
Long-Range Promise
Leo Daily Horoscope

You could find yourself pondering long-range plans today, or trips to faraway places. A feeling of longing may accompany these thoughts, as well as a sense that the future is filled with promise. You may have the vision of your future firmly in mind with no doubt of your reaching it, but you could feel longing because you may not be sure what steps to take to get there. Such a desire is what will keep you moving toward your dreams, like a carrot dangling in front of a horse. These are three important elements of making your dreams reality, and you are certainly on the right track with feelings such as these. Today by making long-range plans, and infusing them with your desire and hope, you have all the pieces of the puzzle in your hands.

Even if you are not sure what the next step may be, it will come to you. Follow the best ideas you can come up and watch the universe meet you halfway. Even the idea in your mind gives the universe direction. Every step you take along your path, whether it’s research on the internet or talking to friends, brings your vision into sharper focus. Your antenna is up, ready to receive the information you need. You may notice that television shows seem to depict the things you’ve envisioned for yourself, or you’ll notice books and articles that give you more information. Today by pursuing the source of your longing, you can bring it into your life.


Love this message today! You know, at the moment my focus, my visions & dreams are 99% related to this weight loss. Sure, there are other things I'd love to do..a vacation in Italy, cruise to Greece, etc. etc., but in all of those dreams I am thinner & healthier. I don't want to trudge around the Pantheon or gasp through the Greek Ruins - I want to walk & climb effortlessly, or at least in the normal capacity for a healthy 40-something woman. Carrying around 40 less pounds should make that much easier, no?

Anyway, my point is that while I am, of course, taking care of the usual business of life - feeding my family, working, paying bills, taking care of my home, nurturing relationships, etc., the main focus is getting healthier. The diet and exercise consumes most of my thinking, and not in a bad way. I'm just making every single daily choice based upon what's good, what's healthy, what's right, for me..what steps will take me closer to my goal and which will take me further away. It's foreign to me, this self-involvement, having spent the last 26 years putting myself after kids, husbands, even pets. Now I'm at the front of the line and it feels odd but empowering and strangely guilt-free!

Because, you know, it's my turn now..time to do something for myself, which will of course benefit my loved ones. They all want a healthier, happier partner/mother/friend, one who can feel good about herself and one day, someday, climb the Eiffel Tower without passing out. I'll get there, I promise!





P.S. Here's a really cool website geared for women travelers, and a blog post detailing just how many stairs you can climb in Europe. Yikes! I'd better get in seriously good shape before we make that trip!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Victory!


I've been reading a bit about Victory Logs and think starting might be quite beneficial to my weight loss efforts. Similar to the non-scale-victories (NSV's)we talk about, a Victory Log can help us acknowledge and celebrate the daily victories that aren't directly related to the numbers on the scale.

So, looking back to yesterday, here are a few of my victorious moments:

*30-minute walk in the morning before work, followed by another
*30-minute treadmill workout in the afternoon, followed by
*about 15 minutes of a Pilates dvd, something I've never tried before!
*resisting the take-out pizza my family enjoyed
*saying no to Beren's offer of beer or wine while we soaked in the hot tub under the moonlight..the company and atmosphere was quite enough


So, how about you? What are some of your recent Victorious Moments?

And..oh..by the way, I weighed in at Jenny Craig this morning...I've lost 3 more pounds!!! That's almost 7 so far and I am psyched!!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,





Shifting the Mood


ROBERT MCGINNIS
Originally uploaded by ondiraiduveau
This morning Beren and I were discussing various aspects of our current situations, namely some difficult parts of them. We weren't complaining necessarily, just matter-of-factly naming some areas of our lives that were challenging at the moment. Since we don't have any major dramas going on right now (thank you, Goddess) most of these things were trivial and fairly easy to manage. I did, however, mention my weight loss efforts and how this new "diet" has changed my lifestyle dramatically. Some of the changes are subtle, some more obvious, but all requiring a shift in thinking and behavior. I'll elaborate more at a later date but for now I'd like to share today's Daily Om with you as it's rather applicable.

I'm off to Jenny Craig for my weekly consultation and weigh-in, wish me luck!

October 20, 2010
Shifting the Mood
Attitude Follows Perspective

When we feel supported, it is easier to open our heart and minds when needing to look at a situation differently.
We all have days when we are faced with chores, errands, or responsibilities that we don't want to do. At times like these, it's easy to get into a bad mood and stay in one as we tackle these tasks. However, given the fact that our bad mood will not change the fact that we have to do these things, and will most likely make things worse, we could also try to shift our attitude. Many wise people have pointed out that it is not so much what we do as it is how we do it that makes the difference in our lives.

It's important when we're facing something that's really hard for us, whether it's doing taxes, paying bills, or visiting a challenging relative,[or trying to lose weight] that we lovingly support ourselves through the process. The more supported we feel, the easier it is to open our minds to the idea that we could change our way of looking at the situation. In truth, most of the chores we don't like doing are intimately intertwined with our blessings. When we remember this, we feel gratitude, which makes it hard to stay in a dark mood.

We can shift our attitude by considering how much we love our home as we clean it and how lucky we are to have a roof over our head. Any task can be transformed from a burden to a necessary aspect of caring for something we love. All we have to do is shift our perspective, and our attitude follows shortly behind.


Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Bewitched

For your Halloween-time viewing pleasure...



Sunday, October 17, 2010

Rockin' the Beer Gut...Not!


Lest you guys think I've got this whole resisting temptation thing figured out, I'm here to confess my faux pas of last evening. Beren and I bought VIP tickets to an all-day country music event, included free food and beer..all day long. Gulp. Knowing that hours of drinking & eating would not be good for me, we opted to spend the afternoon elsewhere, enjoying some Biketoberfest sights & sounds in Daytona Beach.




(How's that for eye candy?)

I had dinner at home and then headed to the concert around 6:30 pm. By this time there was very little left to eat, poor planning on the part of the event promoters and bad for Beren who hadn't eaten yet, but good for me. I nibbled on some grapes and celery, had just a taste of chicken salad, no problem. However, the beer got me into trouble. It was just too easy to grab one..then two..then three..of those free beers while I was rockin' out to Gretchen Wilson! Granted, they were light beers but still..totally unnecessary and unplanned-for calories. I do not want to be rockin' any beer gut, ok?



So, what am I gonna do about it? I already started drinking my water, ate my Jenny breakfast, plan on a long walk with Loki, stay 100% on program today...just get right back on track and let last night's indulgences be a thing of the past.

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Self-Love


Yesterday seemed to be a "tough love" day in Blogland, several weight-loss bloggers laying down the truth, doing the math, telling us to just put down the fork, already! I was right there with you all and feel that I'm better for it.

Today, though, I'd like to focus on self-love. Remember when we were kids and our parents had to discipline us for something? We were naughty, we got out of line so they set us straight. Whether it be time out, removal of privileges, whatever, we got "spanked." (Hopefully not literally, but that's another story). Afterward, though, that discipline was followed up with love. They'd hug us, explain what we did wrong, and we'd move on.

Well, that's what I'm doing today. We got "spanked" yesterday, reminded of how we're supposed to be doing this dieting thing, and encouraged to get our s**t together and get back on track. Now comes the love, from ourselves, not just each other. Because, really, no matter what our cyber-friends say, we have to live with ourselves, with our choices, 24/7.

Perusing some of my favorite blogs this morning, I found this quote from Lisa:

"Again, I am too important to fuel myself up with crap."

And then there's this one from my darling Valerie Bertinelli:

“I’ve realized I’m more important than food is. Being thin is about changing the way you think about yourself. It’s about saying you deserve to be healthy."

So, here's what I'm thinking. How about instead of considering every day of dieting one of self-denial, how about thinking of it as an act of love? Saying no to the bacon/french fries/pizza isn't punishment, it's self-love. Sweating it out on the treadmill or around the park with my dog isn't torture, it's self-love. Choosing salad over a Big Mac isn't deprivation, it's self-love. See what I mean here? Doesn't that tiny little shift in perspective change the whole diet mentality? It sure does for me!

So, I'm going to spend today working on that shift. Every time I feel tempted to eat something not good for me, I'm going to whisper to myself, "You're worth more!" "You deserve so much better!" "Don't settle for less!"

I challenge you to do the same, to spend just one day in a total self-love, doing what is best for you, as much as you can, then check back and let me know how it goes.

Because you know what? We deserve it!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Reality Bites!


Gosh, I know that you seriously don't need to hear from me yet again today, but I'm on a rant and I can't help it...I was reading Allan's blog this morning and came across a couple of (lighthearted?) complaints about him posting pics of delicious, decadent food..which he resists on a daily basis. Food porn, they call it. Some readers are apparently annoyed or bothered by him doing this, apparently they feel tempted by what they see on their computer screens. Well, hello, people, this is reality! This is Allan-who-works-in-the-food-business' reality. It's Rapunzel-who-lives-with-a-houseful-of-skinny-people-who-can-eat-whatever-they-want's reality! Unless we are to reside in the produce section of our local grocery store, we're gonna be tempted by food on a daily basis, folks!

You all have seen the pics I post of what Beren eats - french fries, fried shrimp, massive hash brown/egg/bacon breakfasts, seemingly endless glasses of beer alongside an occasional shot of Jack Daniels. And yet the man maintains a steady weight of about 185. He used to be 175, about where I was a week ago, yet he is six feet tall. Personally, I think he looks better at this weight and since he now has a woman who cooks for him (ahem) I don't think he'll drop any lower. But I digress..the point is, I have to watch him eat every day and still fit into some of the clothes he wore in college. How does he do it? Well, despite his Weekend Warrior calorie consumption, during the workweek he eats very little. No breakfast, light lunch, whatever I cook him for dinner, no snacks, maybe one beer over the course of 5 days. Is this healthy? Probably not, but it's the way he's been eating his whole life and far be it for me to mess with his "program."

Then there are my girls who are very healthy eaters thanks to their mama who pushed fruits & veggies since the time they could eat solids. They love the green stuff, are mostly-vegetarian, and are teeny tiny perfectly sized young women. Yet, they can eat some crap when they want to. Chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven, huge deli bagels with veggie cream cheese, tacos, pizza, etc. They all live with me, and I am exposed to this stuff constantly.

I leave my home and head to my office where donuts and cookies are offered, co-workers snack on chips all day long and lunch is take-out whatever-they-want. I am probably the heaviest woman in the office.

After work I stop at the grocery store, bakery, Italian market, meat market, etc., buying food for my family which I choose not to eat right now. Do I drool whenever I pass by the salami at the deli counter? Salivate over the loaves of bread I'm serving alongside their (whole-wheat) pasta for dinner? Am I dying to take just a bite of the (albeit-healhty) meal I've prepared for them? Hell, yeah! Yet I have made a commitment to myself to do this right now, to follow Jenny Craig, eating those meals, using portion control, following the program. Is it tough? Some days, yes! But then I think about what got me here, 40+ pounds overweight, and all it takes is one step on the scale or one glance in the mirror to remind me even further of why I'm doing this!

Yes, I went on vacation last weekend and I indulged in non-Jenny food. I ate pizza, and drank wine, and shared a cannoli with my boyfriend. But I also walked my ass off, watched my portion size and was aware of what I was doing. I was not mindlessly shoving food in my mouth and, believe me, if I ate half of what I was tempted by I'd be 10 pounds heavier today! (Ask Allan who used the expression, "eating your way through Manhattan!")

So, seriously, bring on the "food porn," show me what you resisted each day, and also show me what you ate instead! I love seeing your challenges, applaud your successes and know that each time you walk away from the bread basket or the donut cart you're building your strength and it will become easier to resist these things. I know because it's happening to me already! Right now I'm sitting in our living room in Ormond with the smell of bacon wafting around me, Beren sitting at the dining room table scarfing down a plate of greasy deliciousness, and I'm mostly-oblivious. Yeah, it smells good, bet it would taste fantastic. But..it's simply not worth it!

Down off my soapbox now..have a beauty-full day!

Weekend in NYC: Day Four

Monday morning we slept in a bit, got up and decided to explore my brother's Long Island neighborhood. Being the skinny, never having to diet guy that he is, he suggested a walk to the local Italian bakery.
Seriously? As if last night's cannoli wasn't enough temptation? Not wanting to be a party pooper, I donned my sneakers and off we went.



While Beren and my bro scanned the rows of pastries, cookies, cakes, etc, I had my eye on the bread. Swooon...my weakness. I was salivating thinking about a hunk of that doughy goodness topped with a dollop of butter or a swish of good olive oil..droool...





And yet, when it came down to it, I walked home with a box of cookies to bring back to my kids and while my menfolk had this for breakfast..



I ate this..



along with a Jenny Craig breakfast bar. Can I have a HUGE round of applause for willpower, please?

Once their sugar coma wore off, we jumped in the car and headed to Fire Island. Ooh, spending some time in the "country" was just what I needed after several jam-packed city days!





We then visited this charming little town, Cold Spring Harbor..





where I had the best chicken curry salad (1/2 a sandwich, saved the other for dinner on the plane) at the Gourmet Whaler and did a bit of window shopping. Such cute things, if I didn't have to pay to check more luggage I'd be maxing out my credit card on these goodies!





We got back to the house and enjoyed a glass of wine on the front porch, soaking up the beautiful sunshine before heading for the airport. Arrived back home around 9 pm where I opened up that box of cookies for my (skinny) children, watched them ooh and ahh in pure pleasure. Sigh...

Total steps logged: 13,137 which is about 6.2 miles.

Now, what I know you're all waiting for...after all of those yummy (yet moderate) meals, all of the wine & beer, combined with miles & miles of walking..how was my weigh-in on Wednesday?

Well, I stayed the same. No gain, no loss, which is exactly what I expected. My Jenny Craig consultant wasn't surprised, either, and we both agreed that while I could have done better(less wine, more salad), I was comfortable with my choices and enjoyed my vacation to the fullest! No deprivation, no over-indulgences, no gain. No worries! Also, even though the scale doesn't show it, my clothes do feel looser and my legs look tighter so perhaps I lost some inches as well.

I'm back on track and can already see a tiny loss on my bathroom scale, am looking forward to a good weigh-in next week! But first, it's Biketoberfest in Daytona and guess where we are?

Stand by for more tales of our adventures! *wink*

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Weekend in NYC: Day Three



I'm so glad you're all enjoying my little NYC recap!

Sunday morning Beren and I got up early, took advantage of the free breakfast at the hotel (I had a banana and my Jenny Craig cereal bar) and took a leisurely stroll down Lexington Ave. This part of town houses an abundance of Indian restaurants and even at that time of day the air was heavy with the scent of curry. Yummy!

Since Beren loves the Hard Rock Cafe and collects glasses from each location we visit, we decided to zip on over to Times Square and get that task out of the way. Unfortunately, since we arrived before noon he was not able to enjoy a beer inside his glass before purchasing it. Damn! We forget that some cities have that silly no-booze-for-breakfast-on-Sunday rule, never thought NYC would be one of them! Oh, well, we packed up our empty glass and away we went.



By this time we were getting kinda hungry and I heard pizza calling my name. So, off to Little Italy we went! There was a 30 minute wait for Lombardi's so we explored the area a bit until our name was called. Oh. My. God. The pizza was just as good as I remembered from our last visit!



My brother arrived just in time to help finish off the pie, perfect timing and no leftovers to carry around the city! Two slices of this deliciousness, worth every bit of walking needed to work it off!

Since it was now after noon and Beren was hankering for a beer, we took a nice long walk to McSorley's, a pub he'd read about. Apparently we hit the after-church crowd because this place was packed already! We each had two small pints and off we went.



We arrived back in Long Island with just enough time to change clothes and freshen up before the highlight of the day - dinner with the infamous Allan of Almost Gastric Bypass! We met Allan and his lovely wife Sue at his favorite Italian restaurant, Mio Posto. Joining us was another lovely blogger friend, Jacquie from Can't Wait to Lose It with the Band and her husband Steve. Allan had promised us a "real" Italian feast and he delivered! I am amazed at the willpower I exhibited by turning down the bread basket and the pasta, and we won't even discuss the dessert! Take a peek at his blog if you want to see pics but suffice it to say it was a heavenly meal! The company was great, food to die for, an all-around perfect evening. Thanks, Allan!







One quick nightcap at the local Ale House before climbing into bed, tired and content. Steps logged: 15,033 which is equivalent to about 7.11 miles.

One more day in NYC to share! Have a Beauty-Full Day,