Wake-Up Call

I've been struggling a bit, dear readers, seemingly unable to put my fork down and pick myself up off the couch. Other than regular daily activity, I've done very little in the way of exercise. I've been eating everything in sight, consuming too many empty (white) calories and too few fruits & veggies. I could give a list of reasons (stress, worry, life changes) but really, there's no excuse. Starting today, I decided to finish off what JC I have on hand and go back to WW online. I know, I know, you've heard it all before and I don't blame you for the eye-rolling. But honestly, after a lot of soul-searching (and a good hard look at my financial budget) it's the smartest decision, the best path for me to take for the rest of my journey.

The scale this morning read 157.8, about a 4 pound gain from my lowest point a few months ago. I'm still (barely) under 160 and that's the magic number, my wake-up call. My jeans are a little snug and I'm not as comfortable in my skin, time to to wake up and smell the coffee.

Because I tend to overindulge on the weekends, I changed my official weigh-in day to Monday. I'm hoping that this a) keep me accountable and b) allow me to save those extra POINTS+ for the times when I really need them.

Today has been fairly easy so far but I do have to remind myself to bulk up on the (free) veggies & fruit and to avoid the higher POINTS+ snacky food. Beren took me out to lunch, a rare occurrence on a weekday, and watching him devour a Ruben sandwich & french fries was not easy, but I made myself stick with the turkey burger and steamed broccoli. It was still higher POINTS+ meal than I would've eaten at home but I did the best I could and am pleased with it. I'll make a lower POINTS+ dinner tonight to compensate.

Hope you're all doing well, thank you for hanging in there with me.

Hugs,

The Horrors!

Well, all good things must come to an end. Days of snacking on junk food to appease the PMS monster along with 4th of July feasting finally took their toll. I stepped on the scale this morning and shrieked in horror at the number displayed. I don't even want to reveal it here because I even though I "earned" it, I know that a couple pounds are due to *TOM* and water weight and won't be here for long. Irregardless, I'm definitely up a few pounds and need to take care of that, pronto.

So, yesterday I went back to Jenny Craig and purchased a week's worth of meals, made an appointment to meet with my counselor next Thursday. My budget couldn't really afford the full week of JC but it's the quickest way to get back on track; I'll figure it out somehow. Fortunately I have a full freezer and pantry so no one's going to starve if I don't do a big grocery trip this week.

It's interesting, after being away from Jenny for a little while, I actually appreciate "her" more. The food tastes fresh & tasty, and I'm enjoying the new meals they've introduced. I already had my "dessert" for today, Key Lime Pie. Heavenly, and guilt-free. Along with a cheese omelet for breakfast and mac & cheese for lunch, it was just what I needed today.

Tomorrow: back on the treadmill. Wish me luck!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Pasta Ole!

In planning tonight's dinner, I knew I wanted to use up some of the 4th of July leftovers, in a healthy way. Plugging some ingredients into Allrecipes.com, I came up with this unique pasta recipe, Mexican Pasta. I tweaked the ingredients a bit, using the raw veggies and grilled corn that I had on hand and using Ro*tel tomatoes for flavor. I also eliminated the oil (and a bunch of calories) by using olive oil cooking spray. Knowing that my family isn't really fond of onions, I also cut the quantity down to just one.

Pasta Ole!

1/2 pound seashell pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes (Ro*tel preferred)
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste




Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

While pasta is cooking, cook onions and pepper in non-stick pan sprayed with cooking oil until lightly browned, 10 minutes. Stir in corn and heat through. Stir in black beans, tomatoes, salsa, olives, taco seasoning and salt and pepper and cook until thoroughly heated, 5 minutes.

Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve.

Note: I topped my serving with a scant teaspoon of this delicious Mexican cheese..



The result? Exquisito!

Post-Holiday Red, White & Blues

After a day of white carby, sugary indulgences..






Today I re-fueled with reds, blues, and lots of greens!




Dinner tonight is a Sparkpeople recipe using a Flat-Out wrap. I can't wait to dig in!

Sailing into the 4th!

Beren and I are super-busy preparing for the festivities happening at the Castle tomorrow, still have cleaning & decorating and cooking to do. Here's another yummy berry-filled recipe for you, a tasty addition to our 4th of July menu!




Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend so far!

Countdown to the 4th

Today's recipe is not quite as low-calorie as the previous I've posted but I can't imagine a cook-out without my mother's potato salad! Since I haven't been able to dig up her exact recipe, I did a Google search in hopes of finding something similar. This one from Betty Crocker looks just about right. You can substitute light mayo to cut the fat & calories a bit but I think I'll just have a small portion of the real thing. *smile*




Favorite Potato Salad

A must for picnics! This classic potato salad takes only 10 minutes of hands-on prep time.

Prep Time
10 Minutes

Total Time 4:50 Hrs:Mins

Makes 10 servings

6 medium boiling potatoes (2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium celery stalks, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped

Scrub potatoes. Leaves skins on if desired, or peel thinly and remove eyes.
Heat 1 inch water (salted if desired) to boiling; add potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cook 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain. Cool slightly; cut into cubes (about 6 cups).
Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in 4-quart glass or plastic bowl. Add potatoes, celery and onion; toss. Stir in eggs. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Makes 10 servings (about 3/4 cup each)

To keep this and other mayonnaise-based salads cold while at a picnic, place the serving container in a bowl filled with ice.

Time Saver:
You can buy hard-cooked eggs in the deli section or next to the meat case of most grocery stores.

Nutrition Information:

Calories 340
(Calories from Fat 260 ),
Total Fat 29 g
(Saturated Fat 5 g,
Cholesterol 105 mg;
Sodium 480 mg;
Total Carbohydrate 17 g
(Dietary Fiber 2 g,
Protein 4 g;

Have a Beauty-Full Day,