Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 198.4 lbs

Weekly Gain: .8 lbs     Total Loss: -23.6 lbs

Look at me being all fancy!

I expected to gain more, quite honestly.  I usually gain after a large loss, plus I spent the entire day Sunday drinking wine and eating french toast, bacon, bread, cheese and ice cream to celebrate my awesome friend's Bachelorette-ness.  I didn't make it to the gym as much as I should have, either.  So, I'll take the .8 lbs, and aim for a loss next week.

Note to Self: Don't Eat This Before Working Out...

I was my own worst enemy yesterday.


I had a class during the day, then went home for a few hours before heading to the gym then to teach a voice lesson afterwards.  An hour or so before I was going to leave, I realized I was super hungry, and wanted a light meal to hold me through until dinner after everything.  So, I made myself this delicious, small meal.


Fast forward about an hour.  I'm at the gym, getting on the elliptical.  All of a sudden, the red onion strikes!!!  I'm oozing onion odor, and I can't do anything about it!  I tried to just breathe out of my nose the entire time to try and contain what must have smelled like horrid BO to those around me.  The nose thing worked for about 5 minutes, but I was working up a sweat and mouth breathing was necessary.  Acid reflux also kicked in, making the whole thing just horrible!!!  I made it through my workout, and then chewed about 5 pieces of gum on my way to my students house.  I apologized to her in advance for any onion essence that might make it's way out of my mouth (but she was so polite and said she didn't smell anything!).


The moral of this story:  Don't eat red onions at any point in the day before going to the gym.

Bagels and Lox

When I was younger, many Sunday morning would begin with a dozen bagels, cream cheese and lox.  I would eat 2 bagels, loaded with cream cheese.  Delicious!!!!  This would be about 27 Points+, about an entire days worth of an adults food intake.


Obviously, that was one of the habits that landed me where I am today, but I'm learning I can still enjoy my bagel with cream cheese and lox in a more responsible way.  It's not really a recipe, just a controlled ingredient list.  This breakfast will put you back 5 Points+.

I couldn't wait to take a bite!!!

1 Pepperidge Farm Mini Bagel
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Cream Cheese
1 ounce lox
2 slices tomato, salted
2 slices red onion


Toast bagel if desired.  Top with cream cheese, onion, salted tomato and lox.  Eat.  I also ate the remaining tomato slices and had a few strawberries on the side.


This filled me up, I expected to still be hungry.  Small but satisfying!

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 197.6 lbs

Weekly Loss: -3.2lbs    Total Loss: -24.4 lbs
I enjoyed being back on track this week!
Remember that salad from Monday?
I've eaten a variation of it EVERY DAY, sometimes twice!  
It's really yummy, and it's so easy to just swap out a few ingredients.  
Mango and avocado slices add good texture and taste.  
Swap out the scallops for some shrimp or chicken.

I love going to the store about every other day to stock up on fresh produce.

I also make it a point to stop at any farm stand I pass to see what looks good that I can pick up.  I discovered the greatest strawberries I've ever tasted on my way home from the gym!  I WILL KEEP THINGS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!!

Beets...2 Dishes in One!

So, a while back I took on beets, and ended up loving them!

I knew I was limited in my beet knowledge, because all I ever did was boil them and put them on salads.

The other day, while at a local farm stand, I saw bunches of golden beets, and knew they had to be mine!  I bought one bunch, greens and all, and headed home.  I always knew you could eat beet greens, but this was something I never experimented with.

Behold...Roasted Beets AND Sauteed Beet Greens.  You can get 2 side dishes out of one vegetable, and it won't cost much!  I paid $1.50 for one bunch of golden beets.  That gave me one large serving of roasted beets and about 3 servings of the greens.  If you can't find golden beets, red beets would taste good as well.

Roasted Beets- 2 Points+ for whole recipe
1 bunch beets, greens removed (set aside)
2 tsp Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash beets well and chop into large chunks.  Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place in a baking dish and bake until soft (depends on the size of your beets).  Every 10 minutes or so, toss beets around so all sides get nice and caramelized.

Sauteed Beet Greens- Makes 3 servings, 1 Point+ each
1 bunch beet greens
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
Salt and Pepper

Wash greens thoroughly (they are full of sand, much like spinach) and dry well.  Chop into inch long pieces.

Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Add onions.  Once they turn translucent, add garlic and continue to sauté.  Just as the garlic starts to brown, add the greens and continue to cook, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Greens should be tender in about 5 minutes, you want them wilted but not mushy.

Seared Scallops over Greens with an Orange Muscat Champagne Vinaigrette

Long name, lots of ingredients, but easy to make and DELICIOUS!!!  

Much like Elaine from Seinfeld, I love BIG salads.  If I'm eating veggies, 

I want lots of them!  I also had this delicious vinegar from Trader Joe's 

lying around, and it made a perfect dressing.

The whole recipe makes one BIG salad and is 6 Points+.  

This salad is a meal, not a starter! If you want to serve this at the beginning 

of the meal, consider the recipe to serve at least 2. 

Don't let scallops scare you, despite what you hear from Gordon Ramsey, I find them easy to cook.  If you don't enjoy scallops, shrimp would taste great as well.

Ingredients

1/2 lb scallops (I use dry sea scallops, but they are pricey.  There are 6 in a 1/2 lb)

2 cups spring mix (baby spinach would be delicious as well)

1 beefsteak tomato, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/2 cup sugar snap peas, vein removed

1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts

2 scallions, thinly sliced

3 tbsp orange muscat champagne vinegar (I use one from Trader Joe's, you can substitute another flavored vinegar if you can't find this one)

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp ginger paste

salt

black pepper

cayenne pepper

Spray a pan with non-stick spray and set over medium-high heat.  Pat the scallops dry and season with salt, black pepper and a touch of cayenne pepper.  Once the pan is nice and hot, add the scallops.  Make sure to use a pan large enough so the scallops are not crowded or else they will just steam, not sear.  After about 2 minutes, turn scallops over and cook for another two minutes.  Scallops should NOT be cooked until they are firm, that means they are overcooked and will taste like rubber.  You want them to have a lot of give when you touch them.  As soon as they are done and have nice color on each side, remove onto a plate and put on the side.

Combine spring mix, tomato, onion, snap peas and alfalfa sprouts in a large bowl, toss to mix.

In a smaller bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, scallions and ginger paste.  Whisk, add salt and black pepper to taste.  

Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat.  Place on a plate and serve the scallops over top.

Enjoy!

Weekly Weigh In

This whole weight loss thing is hard!!!  The spring ended up being extremely difficult for me, my schedule was insanely busy.  That didn't help me get back on track, in fact I did the opposite.  I didn't track, didn't work out, didn't make good choices, but it's in the past.  Now that school's out for the summer, I'm taking advantage of the time I have to REALLY get myself back in the swing of things.  It's only been a week, but I've been to the gym every day and have been tracking everything that goes into my mouth.  


My goal is to go to the gym at least every day during the week.  Once I get used to it again, I ultimately want to go in the morning to do my elliptical and weight training and then go back in the evenings for some of the classes.  


I am fortunate enough to have a grocery store with great produce on the way home, as well as a great seafood market, so I end up going there almost daily to get whatever I feel like cooking and knowing it's fresh.  


When I'm not working out or cooking, I need to keep busy!  I volunteer with a local animal welfare and rescue group (RSVP- find us on Facebook!) and plan to be as active as I can with that while I have the time.   Hopefully that will be enough to get my butt going again!!!


Alright, it's truth time.  I'm back up to 200.8 lbs.  VERY unhappy about that.  I have never had such the urge to strip naked in public to get rid of those .81 pounds just to get that nasty 2 away from the front, but it is what it is, and at least I'm mentally ready to do something about it!

This is my "I got this!" face

It's on like Donkey Kong, yo!

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 192 lbs

Weekly Gain: 2.2 lbs        Total Loss: -30 lbs

I have successfully increased my daily water intake immensely!  And I laugh every time one of my students sees my clear Starbucks cup filled with water and exclaims "I love coffee!!!"  

I knew it was going to be up, and that's okay.  
Something clicked again in my brain, 
and it's game on from here on out.  

I CAN do this, and I WILL do this.  

One of my favorite lyrics from "For Me This is Heaven" by 

Jimmy Eat World goes like this:

"If I don't let myself be happy now then when?  

If not now, when?"

It's going to happen starting NOW!!!

Today is day #1, for the 3rd time!

I have been off my routine, as you can probably tell by my lack of posting.  I haven't been completely off, but I haven't been exercising as much as I usually do and I've only been tracking my food half of the time.  I'm sure that tonight when I weigh in I will be back over 190.  It is what it is.  My brain hasn't been in the game lately, and I'm not sure why.  


Today, it's all going to change.  I'm back in the mind-frame of putting myself first, and taking the time and steps necessary to continue on this journey.  I'm not going to let any more time go by wasted.  So far- all food tracked, meals prepared ahead of time, gym scheduled into my day even though it's going to be later than I like, it's still going to happen because it's important.  


Here's a great video shared by Mike B., a fellow WW member (who recently became a lifetime member- congrats!!!).  Simple message, important point!  Take the time to watch it, it's worth it!  And so are you!!!

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 189.8 lbs

Weekly Loss: -1.6 lbs     Total Loss: -32.2 lbs

Back under 190, hopefully for good!!!

Weeky Weigh In

Current Weight:  191.4 lbs

As you can see, February didn't go so well for me.  I apologize for my lack of posting, but I wasn't motivated.  That's what happens to me, I get out of my routine and totally lose it.  I got strep throat, and was out of the gym for a week.  I also didn't drink water (it hurt!) and ate all salty things.  This resulted in me gaining almost 6 pounds that week!  INSANE!!!  That was all it took for me to not post and be half "off the wagon" for the remaining week of the month.  

The following week was our winter break.  I spent the first few days in a cabin with a dear friend on a horse farm in Pennsylvania.  The weather was beautiful, and we went on hikes 2 of the days we were there.  The rest of the time we spent eating, drinking, reading and watching tv.  Much needed relaxation, but not helping me on the health front!  The next 2 days Chris and I spent in NYC as a belated Valentine's celebration.  We did a million things, and most of them involved eating or drinking.  Again, great fun, but not so great for the waistline.  I didn't care though, I needed to enjoy myself, so I did.  I wasn't in town to weigh in, so I skipped that week.

Since I've been back I've gotten back on track.  I'm focusing on getting back into my exercise and eating routine.  I'm also concentrating on drinking boatloads of water every day and cutting back on caffeine, artificial sweeteners and salt.  I'm not cutting them out drastically, but reducing my intake can't hurt.

As far as my earnings from February, I'm calling it a wash.  Anything I "earned" in the first half was negated by the second half.  So, it's a new month, and a fresh start.  I'm down .8 from my strep throat gain of misery, a start in the right direction.  I'm keeping positive...

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 186.8 lbs

Weekly Loss:  -2.2 lbs      Total Loss: -35.2 lbs

I'm almost back down to my lowest weight (185.6 in July, before we went on vacation) since I've started.  
I'll tell you, it feels really good to have a few weeks with a loss again.  

I'm not sure how the next few weeks are going to go.  This week I've been sick, so I haven't been to the gym since Monday due to exhaustion and then strep throat.  I'm hoping to get back there tomorrow.  The week after that I have off from work, and I have a bunch of things planned that could go either way as far as weight loss is concerned.  We shall see!!

Creamy Parmesan Polenta with Turkey Sausage Sauce

I love spicy Italian turkey sausage, until I figured out that one link has 4 Points+.  And that's the lean turkey sausage!  In order to make the sausage stretch, I decided to add it to a vegetable filled sauce and serve it over polenta.  The recipe below makes 3 servings with 8 Points+ each.  It was so fulfilling!

Ingredients:
1 cup corn meal
3 cups water, divided
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 link lean spicy italian turkey sausage (I like the kind by Shady Brook Farms)
1 onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1/2 large eggplant or 1 small eggplant, cubed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 link lean spicy italian turkey sausage (I like the kind by Shady Brook Farms), casing removed
1 28 ounce can peeled tomatoes in sauce
Dried Oregano, salt and black pepper to taste


Directions:
Whisk together corn meal, 1 cup cold water and salt in a bowl.  Bring remaining 2 cups of water to a boil.  Whisk in corn meal mixture.  Reduce heat to low and stir frequently.  After a few minutes, add Parmesan cheese and continue to stir until it reaches desired texture.  Remove from heat, cover and set aside.


Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add eggplant, onions and mushrooms.  After a few minutes, add the turkey meat, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.  Add in chopped garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.  Once veggies are nice and soft and just beginning to brown, add in the tomatoes and sauce.  Cut up tomatoes if desired (I cut mine into large chunks).  Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for at least 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.  Continue to season to taste with oregano, salt and pepper.


When sauce it almost done, place polenta back over medium heat and stir to heat it through.  Divide heated polenta among 3 plates and smooth out, almost like a pizza crust.  Serve sauce evenly over polenta on each plate.  

French Toast with Mixed Berry Compote

I have breakfast issues.  I usually stick to my greek yogurt or oatmeal.  Sometimes I'll change it up with some eggs and center cut bacon, but that's about it.  Over the weekend, I had a huge craving for french toast after working my butt off at the gym.  I really just wanted to head to the diner, but knew that I would be in for a mega-point breakfast that wouldn't help me out at all.


Luckily, I came up with a delicious recipe for french toast with a mixed berry compote.  I was HUNGRY, so 4 pieces of french toast with all of the compote and 1/4 cup of sugar-free syrup came to a total of 7 Points+ (8 if you count the compote as a point).  And, boy, was it tasty!

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 packets Splenda


4 slices light wheat bread
1 egg 
2 egg whites
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of vanilla extract
Dash of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze


1/4 cup sugar-free syrup (I used Vermont Maid- it's not bad!)


Directions:
Combine berries, vinegar, lemon juice and Splenda in a small sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until it is simmering.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer and reduce, stirring frequently so that it doesn't burn.


While that is cooking, whisk together eggs and egg whites, cinnamon, vanilla and the almond breeze.  Heat a non-stick pan (use cooking spray if you wish) over medium-high heat.  Dip each slice of bread into the liquid until it's completely covered.  Shake off excess liquid and place in pan, flipping after a few minutes.  I prefer to cook my french toast one slice at a time so that I can get it nice and crispy without burning it, but that's up to you.  Continue to dip and cook all slices.  


Serve french toast with the compote and syrup.  I originally was going to not use the syrup, but the compote wasn't enough to moisten the french toast.  Enjoy!

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 189 lbs

Weekly Loss:  -1.4 lbs        Total Loss: -33 lbs

Go Giants!!!!!!!

I did it!  

I reached my goal of being back in the 180's by February!!!
And, I earned $72 for myself in my part-time job!!!

I was a bit nervous that I wasn't going to be able to do it.  I have eliminated most of my alcohol consumption the past few weeks, but this week I had a few glasses of wine and splurged on 2 margaritas over the weekend!  I included it all in my points, though, and I'm glad it didn't cause me to gain.  I'm still going to stick to limiting my intake.

My next goal is to be in the 170's by April.  I don't think I've been in the 170's since maybe junior high school, if not before that.  I honestly don't remember.

2 months to lose 9 lbs, I can do this!!!!

Vegetarian Chili over Spaghetti Squash

Here in good old New York we just like our chili with chili, nothing else, but I know that it's traditional in places like Cincinnati to serve it over pasta.  Based on what I had in the house and my new found obsession with spaghetti squash, I decided to create a low-point chili to serve over some "spaghetti".  One cup of the chili has 4 Points+.  Since spaghetti squash is watery, I upped the spices and salt in the chili.  If you are not planning on serving this over spaghetti squash, I would cut the spices and salt in half and then add from there if needed.   

This might be great to cook up for the Super Bowl if you want that comfort food feeling without eating all of that fat filled food we are accustomed to.  For directions on how to prepare the spaghetti squash, click here.

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes and chiles (like the kind by Rotel)

1 cup frozed corn kernels

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

Shredded cheese to top (if desired)

If you don't already own a Vidalia Chopper, you should get one!  Look how beautiful my diced onions and peppers are!  And it takes seconds to get uniform pieces! 

Heat oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat.  Add onions and peppers and saute until softened.  Add remaining ingredients except the cheese.  Once simmering, reduce heat to low and stir every few minutes until thickened up.  If you taste it, it will taste too salty and like there are too many spices.  Trust me, it will all be okay.

Serve 1 cup of chili over 1 1/2 cups warm spaghetti squash.  Top with shredded cheese if desired (adds extra points).  The spaghetti squash's watery nature will affect the saltiness of the chili and it will end up being one big happy meal for your tummy.  

Spaghetti Squash

I've heard of spaghetti squash, but I've never really played with it until now!  This week and next I'll be posting a few new recipes using this lovely fruit (yes, it's a fruit!).

The easiest way to prepare a spaghetti squash is to microwave it for about 6 minutes to soften it up a bit.  Then, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and place each half cut side down in a baking dish filled with about an inch of water.  Bake at 375 until it's nice and tender.  Remove from oven and allow it to cool.


Once you can handle it without burning yourself, use a fork to scrape away the insides.  You'll see that the flesh comes out like strands of spaghetti, thus the name.  Make sure to strain your squash, it's very watery and will dilute anything you may add to it.  I cooked up 2 this weekend since the baking of it is the most time-consuming part.  


You could use this as a straight swap for spaghetti and top with your favorite low-fat tomato sauce.  It's a different texture, but very enjoyable!  On Wednesday, I'll be posting a delicious recipe for a vegetarian-chili to serve on top of spaghetti squash, it's delicious!

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight:  190.4 lbs

Weekly Loss: -4 lbs      Total Loss:  -31.6 lbs

I was so relieved.  I had another good week of eating well and exercising.  I also refrained from drinking anything alcoholic and cut out coffee for the week just incase!  I'm going to enjoy these things again, but just limit them more closely, even if I have the extra points.

I might actually meet my goal of getting into the 180's by February!  We shall see next week!

We'll also see how much I've earned for myself!  

Thanks all for your words of encouragement!!!

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 194.8 lbs

Weekly Gain: +3 lbs        Total Loss: -27.2 lbs

There really isn't a word for the emotion this stirred in me.

I started crying right after I weighed in and just couldn't stop!

I had to sit in a back hallway during my meeting because I just couldn't calm down.  

I know there will be weeks when I go up.  It's happened to me before.

It just really sucks when the week was so good!  I went to the gym every day, I tracked all of my food and ate well all week.  The other night I gave in to an oatmeal craving.

WHO CRAVES OATMEAL?!?!?!?!

I had a whopping 6 Points+ of reduced sugar apple and cinnamon oatmeal.  

That's what I binge on nowadays kiddos. 

Forget ice cream.  Oatmeal.  It's my comfort food.

I'm really pissed that I gained 3 frikkin pounds this week.

I wouldn't care if it happened on a week where I skipped working out and ate garbage.

I'm not pissed off at myself or the program, I'm just pissed off at the scale I suppose!

So, I'm taking a deep breath (or 20), and I'm going to keep doing what I need to do.

I heard this song for the first time tonight while driving home, and the chorus really connected with me.  I'm shaking it out...

Football Food

GO GIANTS!!!

Sorry, I couldn't help myself!

It's that time of year where many of us spend weekends in front of a television watching the post-season football games and end up grazing upon many high-calorie foods, including dips.

I came across this buffalo chicken dip recipe from Hungry Girl and it's delicious!  

Buffalo Chicken Dip

A 1/4 cup serving has only 2 Points+, and I served it with celery and carrots for some 0 Point+ dippers (although pita chips taste delicious with this as well).  If you are a fan of buffalo wings and dip, you should definitely check this out.  It was very quick and easy to prepare, I'm making more today just because it's that good!

Do you have any go-to healthy football foods?  Share in the comments below!

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 191.8 lbs

Weekly Loss: -2.8 lbs           Total Loss: -30.2 lbs

WOOHOO!!!!

I'm telling you, this is my year.  I just have a feeling.  

By the end of the month I want to be out of the 190's for good this time!

So far, my "part-time job" has earned me $34 this month.  Not too shabby!

Gym Pet Peeve of the Week

Before I even start, let me just say that I LOVE my gym and everyone who works there.  Honestly, it's a great place to be.  


That being said, I have an issue with one of the fitness instructors of a class I take every week.  The class is great, always leaving me feeling accomplished afterwards (and sore the next day).  The instructor is nice and really pays attention to the participants to make sure everyone is doing the right thing.


My issue?  The instructor does not go with the music.  Now, I know I'm a music teacher, but I can't be the only one who has this need to move with the beat of the music, especially in a class where you are moving together.  I think part of the problem is that the music isn't loud enough.  You can hear it fine, but it's not as loud as other classes.  The instructor will be counting the moves totally off of the beat, and every once in a while they will notice it's not matching up, have the class freeze, and try to get back on the beat.   Try listening to a song and NOT clapping on the beat (or opposite of the beat).  I double-dog-dare you!


I have to force myself to try and tune out the music and just rely on the verbal cues and watch what is going on.  It's so hard!  There are times where the music only has 8 beats but somehow the instructor adds in a 9th!  I don't even know how that happens!


Has anyone else had this sort of trouble with a fitness class?

Part-Time Employment

I have a new part-time job.  It's called taking care of myself.  It requires planning out my food, cooking meals in advance, and exercising every day (I'm allowed one day off from this part a week, but I make more if I don't take it off!).


Since this is a job, after all, I need to get paid.  I make $2 every time I go to the gym, and $5 each pound I lose.  Who knows, maybe I'll save up enough to treat myself to something special, like a spa-day, or some new clothes.  


Let's see if I can make this job work for me...

Weekly Weigh In

Current Weight: 194.6 lbs

Total Loss: 27.4 lbs

Alright, it's a new year, and now I know where I'm starting.  I didn't gain or lose since last week, so I'm glad I survived the food and drinks around New Years.  

So far, 2012 is going well.  I'm overwhelmingly optimistic about this year.

I'm eating well, exercising every day, and keeping my goals in mind.

When it comes down to it, I'm done wasting my own time.  When I look back at the last 6 months where I haven't really lost, I don't remember the food I ate that I really shouldn't have, or the days where I skipped the gym.  

I feel like it is lost time that I just wasted.

I'm not wasting any time now.  Not one single day.

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination"- Tommy Lasorda

I'm determined.

Let's Get Physical

If you've been going to the gym for a while and have been sticking to the same routine, I suggest shaking things up a bit!  Not only is it better for your body, but it will keep you from getting bored and dreading doing the same thing for the millionth time!

I'm a creature of habit.  I would go to work, and then go to the gym after.  40 minutes on the elliptical while watching something on Netflix, then at least 20 minutes of weight machines, mainly arms and abs.  BORING!!!!!!

I've made it a goal to try more of the classes offered at my gym, and I'm so glad I did!  There's a great class called Basic Training that is an all over barbell workout.  It works your whole body in 45 minutes and it's a lot of fun!  I'm doing that on Tuesday nights and Sunday mornings.  Wednesday nights there's a Punch-Kick Weight Camp that's a dumbell workout with kickboxing intervals.  This also gets my whole body working while adding in the cardio element.  It's awesome!  I also plan on going back to that great yoga class on Monday nights and Saturday mornings.

So, just in classes, that's 5 days of different workouts.  On the other days and before yoga, I'm either going to rest or go to my elliptical followed by some kettle bell exercises instead of the machines(never used a kettle bell?  You should check them out!).  

I hope that this will kickstart my body into losing weight again.  If you've been shy about trying classes at your gym, give one a chance.  I think you'll find that it's worth the risk of walking in for that first time!

Happy New Year!

Alright, it's day 3 of 2012, and I've kept to my goals!  So far, so good.  I made it through the Giants game on Sunday and only drank one beer.  And lots of water.  And a delicious turkey burger!


I often forget what I used to do in the past that was successful, but I have to say that keeping this blog has allowed me to go back and look at the past.  If something was good, I posted it here.  Yesterday I needed a breakfast to go, but wanted something more than a fig bar.  So, I came back here, searched for my breakfast tags, and rediscovered a delicious pumpkin smoothie I made last year.  I had everything in my pantry to whip it up, and it was so good!  I even had it again today.


One of my strategies to help me along has always been to cook up multiple meals on Sunday to have for lunches and dinners throughout the week.  This week, I made Split Pea Soup (6 servings, 4 Points+ each) and Meatball and Spaghetti Soup (6 servings, 5 Points+ each) from Skinnytaste.com.  They are both so delicious and perfect for this time of year when it's chilly outside.  I'm slowly cooking my way through that website, and so far most of her recipes are really good.  I highly recommend checking it out.


Here's to 2012!