Weekly Weigh-In

Nope, I'm not seeing stars today.  That's okay, because that would have required a five-pound loss this week.  It wasn't great - a loss of 0.8 lb, for a total of 15.8 pounds lost.  I did some experimenting with my Points this week.  The last few weeks, I was eating under my daily allowance of Points (bad girl!), and having zero weekly points and zero activity points.  Then this week I decided to try having all of my daily points (duh), and I had zero activity points, and a total of less than 10 weekly points (for the party at the Chocolate Lounge).  I'm going to try it this week too, and just see what happens.  If I gain or don't have a better loss, I might need to adjust it again.  We'll see.

There was some excitement and inspiration at my Weight Watchers meeting today.  First off, our sweet leader Debby just received a Diamond Leader award.  There are tons of criteria to meet in order to get this award, and it's a big deal.  Yay!  Then one member reached her goal with a loss of 45 pounds, and another woman reached Lifetime status with a loss of about 30 pounds.  It kind of pumped me up and made me imagine myself up there at goal/lifetime, with everyone clapping to my success.

The meeting topic was about going to the grocery store (or supermarket, as some of you probably say).  Perspiration vs. Inspiration - What stresses you about shopping for food and what makes you feel excited about shopping for food?

The usual stresses were things like kids/spouse, temptations, cost, and time.

The inspiration was a discussion on how to overcome those issues.  There were tips on shopping for groceries too:

- Shop the perimeter of the store.  This is where the fresh items are kept, like milk and yogurt, meat and seafood, fresh vegetables and fruits, etc.  Fewer of the processed foods are located in this area around along the walls.

- Don't shop hungry or thirsty.  This is one we've all probably heard before.  If it's not possible to eat before heading to the store, chew a piece of gum while there to help avoid food cravings that might lead to purchases (and binges) you'll regret later.

- Make a list, take it with you, and stick to it.  This will help you get through the store faster and will also prevent impulse buys.  Remember to take the list with you!

- Plan menus in advance so you will know what to buy.  Then put the ingredients on the list.

- Shop alone if possible.  This way anyone with you won't be able to toss unhealthy items in the cart or whine mercilessly until you give in on the junk food.

- Arrange your shopping list by category.  Our leader gave us a web address for a site where you can do this (www.grocerylistmaker.com).  You click items from your list, which are arranged by areas of the store where each item should be located.  This will save time so you don't have to double back for an item buried in the bottom of the list that you missed while you were on the other side of the store.

Happy shopping!

Hot 100 Challenge Update

Here is my weekly update on my progress for the Hot 100.

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  Today was a small loss, but a loss anyway.  I'm heading in the right direction with at least 14.2 pounds to lose by the end of the year.

2.  Get more sleep.  Failing miserably.  This is one I really want to accomlish.  Probably because I really need more sleep!

3.  Start taking vitamins.  Been doing well with this one.  Haven't yet researched whether they actually do anything for you, but at the very least I'm getting a placebo effect from them and thinking I feel better.  I just bought my new vitamins Sunday, and as I was shopping, I saw this.  For some reason I thought it was an interesting product.

Don't know what it does, but it sounds interesting!

4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.  This one is still several weeks off, but I'm already hearing people talk about Thanksgiving and am thinking about some recipes I can try out.

Tough Love

People often tout the virtues of tough love.  We say how great it is to have someone to tell it to us straight, someone who won't give up on us.  But really, when I don't want to do something, I'd much rather avoid it and live in denial than face it head-on.  But today I got a dose of tough love.

Here's what started it.

My friend Denise and I used to get up and do the P90X workout at 5:30 every morning at her house, which is conveniently located across the street from mine.  It is described this way:

See that? It says "Our Most Extreme Home Fitness Training System Ever!" And they're not kidding. We did this workout for the 90 days in the plan. I got stronger and in better shape, but I didn't really lose any weight.  Maybe 5 pounds. Why? I continued to eat junk, and lots of it. In fact, I think I ate even more while doing P90X because I thought I was somehow burning off everything I crammed into my mouth.

I finally mentioned this blog to her today, and she checked it out.  Then she realized my foot was no longer injured like it was before (which was my excuse at the time not to continue with another round of the workout program).  And guess what she wants to do?  P90X, Round 2.

I tried and tried to get out of it. It went something like this:

Me: I don't wanna.
Denise: We're gonna.
Me: I'm too out of shape.
Denise: I saw on your blog you're walking 45 minutes at a time.
Me: My foot will hurt.
Denise: You don't have to jump around.
Me: 5:30 is too early.
Denise: We'll do it after you drop your kiddo off at school.
Me: Crap.
Denise: We'll start on Friday.
Me: I don't wanna!
Denise: Okay, good.  See you then!

I'm so lucky to have someone who will give me a kick in the pants when I need it.  And I did need it.  Lucky for me, I have a few friends who aren't afraid to set me straight from time to time.

We've all been there.  There is fear of discomfort or pain or failure, so rather than tackling the obstacle, we run from it.  That's the safe thing to do, but it's not always the best thing to do.  And once in awhile, someone will be brave enough to slap us with a little tough love, and we'll be better for it.

S

Se

Epiphany at the Chocolate Lounge

Saturday night I celebrated a friend's 40th birthday at Coco Chocolate Lounge in San Antonio.  It was a lovely little bistro with a chocolate-themed menu.

Because there were several of us in the party, we had a predetermined menu.  We shared appetizers and desserts, had a salad and a choice of entree.

(Our Menu)

I had one piece of toast with goat cheese for an appetizer and passed on the other two options (fried calamari and some kind of salmon and cream cheese number). 

Salads were next.  They had a very light drizzle of raspberry dressing and were topped with a shaving of white chocolate.

Next was the entree.  They all looked fabulous, but I decided the shrimp might be the lightest option, and I just had a couple of small bites of the risotto.

Then came dessert.  The party planners were so smart to offer shared desserts.  It really was nice to sample them all and also not feel like a complete glutton.  I didn't get a photo of the Nutella Tart, but did get pics of the signature dessert called "The Kiss" and the fondue.  I had a little taste of each and was happy and satisfied.  Enjoyed it completely and left with no feelings of guilt or deprivation.

When I first realized the party would be at the Chocolate Lounge, I figured my whole post would be about how I either resisted chocolate temptations or how I gave into them.  And the truth is, I did a little of both.  I had a copy of the menu in advance, so I planned for what I would eat, had small portions, and arranged for a little indulgence.  But I did not lose control.

Now for the epiphany.   Here I was in this group of 20 or so women, and once again I was the biggest girl there.  As we were all chatting, I started to notice a theme in several conversations around me.  At one point, several women started talking about various races they were planning to run.  At another point, someone mentioned a vacation where they would hike and try surfing.  Several mentioned their exercise classes.  I started to realize that these women looked thin and healthy because they worked at it. Their bodies look like they do because they're responding to the very simple principles of calories-in-calories-out.  They make activity part of their daily lives, and they've found activities they enjoy.

And here's the second part of the epiphany.  I was seated between two thin and fit ladies.  One mentioned that she had been on the South Beach Diet for a few weeks.  This shocked me, because she is one of the tiniest friends I have.  I'm not sure what size she is, but I would guess maybe a 2.  I had to find out more about why she would feel the need to diet.  She said, "I noticed my clothes were getting too tight and I didn't feel good."  I had just assumed she was naturally thin, which she might be, but she also has to work to keep it that way.

What it all comes down to is this:  It does not matter if you have 5 pounds or 305 pounds to lose.  I've often looked at someone and said, "It's easy for her, because she doesn't have much weight to lose."  By the same token, someone might have had 200 pounds to lose and said the same thing about me.  And how many times have women said that about how easy it is for men to lose weight?  But here's the thing:  If you have any weight to lose, it all boils down to the same thing.  Why?  Because you don't get to lose the weight and then go back to your old habits.  You have to keep on eating smaller portions of healthy food and you have to keep on moving your ass.  If you don't, you'll wind up right back where you were before.  So eventually anyone can lose the weight, given the right efforts and time.  And then it continues.  Forever.  Unless you want to gain the weight back.  And you don't.  Neither do I.

All in all, I'd say my Saturday night was fun, delicious, and had an indefinable quality that left me feeling I'd been let in on a secret that could change my future.  Simple but true.

Viernes

(That's Spanish for Friday.)

Some friends called this evening and asked our family to meet them at Mamacita's, which is a fun Mexican food restaurant here in town.  I immediately had images of enchiladas and refried beans dancing through my thoughts.  But instead of ordering that, I ordered this:

It's a chicken fajita salad - lettuce, cabbage, tomato, onion, a little avocado, and grilled chicken.  That little crispy fried tortilla cup is filled with tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.  I dumped the whole thing on top of the salad and tossed the cup aside.  I ordered light Italian dressing but didn't use it.  Instead, I poured spicy salsa all over it.  It was so yummy (though I realize from my low-quality phone picture here, it doesn't look all that wonderful) and so opposite of what I normally order there.  I was really guessing on the calories/Points.  I wonder how many Points others would give it.  I guessed 9, but I honestly have no idea.  

And instead of a margarita or pina colada or Corona, I drank this:

That's iced tea sweetened with Splenda.  It's not quite the sugary delight we call Sweet Tea here in Texas, but it was quite refreshing anyway.

And though I know I am "allowed" to have chips and salsa (or the green concoction based on avocado and sour cream Mamacita's includes with chips and salsa), I decided not to have it this time.  I am just starting out trying to develop good habits, and I knew I wasn't ready yet.  I would have made it one crazy food fiesta and gone overboard with that.

It was nice to go out to dinner to enjoy the company and the conversation -- what little I could enjoy over the wild antics of my crazy kids, that is.  Next time, I vote we call a babysitter!

Adios!

Weekly Weigh-In and New Challenge

The weekly weigh-in was good.  I lost 2.6 pounds for a total of exactly 15 lost.  It's good, but I was sooo careful all week and had hoped for a little more.  But no complaints, because I got another star!  Check it out:

So pretty!

I walked last night for 35 minutes, and tonight I did about 45 minutes, thanks in great part to my WW friend who is really into walking and puts up with my slow stride as I'm building up my speed.  I didn't sling too much sweat on her, I guess, because she mentioned walking with me again in the future.

And today, just by chance, I came across this little item:

What is the Hot 100, you ask?  Well, as of today there are 100 days left in 2010.  Hard to believe, right? I didn't count them up, but I'm just going to take this guy's word for it.  South Beach Steve at logmyloss.com has set up this challenge.  There are some prizes, if that motivates you to participate.  And it's not too late!  He's extended the deadline to start to October 1, so get moving!  Also, you don't even have to have a blog to take part in this.  You can post your goals in his comment section.  The rules are all there if you click here.

One of the requirements is that you post some goals.  I'd participate in this even if there were no prizes, because I like this idea.  So here are my goals for this challenge:

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  I will modify this number if I reach it before the end of this time period.
2.  Get more sleep.  This will make exercise more appealing, because I won't be so sleepy all the time.
3.  Start taking vitamins.  Yes, I know I should have already been doing this, but I have never been good about it and haven't been doing it yet.  Know of any good ones out there?  I could use a suggestion for a multi-vitamin.
4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.  This might mean I plan for a splurge, or it might mean I take a veggie tray to a party.  Whatever it is, I don't want to lose control over the holidays.  This challenge should help me to stay mindful of that as I celebrate.

I really hope you'll consider doing this challenge with me.  I'm excited about this.  It's my very first challenge of this type, and I am determined to see it through.

External Motivation

External motivation is motivation that comes from desiring some kind of reward - money, trophies, praise, etc.  Supposedly this motivation is not ideal, because once you get the reward (or fail to get it), the motivation is gone.  Then the behaviors that you were engaging in to reach the reward have no reason to continue.

I often have thought of myself as being easily motivated by outside forces.  Now I'm not so sure.  I was thinking about an incident last winter when my husband (in an effort to motivate me) offered me $1500 to lose 50 pounds by July 4, 2010.  Of course it's silly, because if I wanted $1500, I could just get it out of our joint account, right?  But it was going to be money I could just take guilt-free, no strings attached, to do with as I please.  It sounded good.  It sounded really, really good.  So I thought about it for a couple of weeks, and then I cut back on portion sizes for a few days, and I walked a little one morning.

Then I didn't.

And I didn't again.  And again.

July 4 came and went, and not only did I not lose that 50 pounds, but I had actually gained a little weight during that time.

External motivation didn't work that time.  So I'm now looking for my own internal motivation, but it's tricky.  It's hard to be motivated to lose weight and get healthy for its own sake, and not because I want to fit into smaller pants or have someone comment on the weight loss.  It's hard to exercise just because it feels good and makes my organs work better when the truth is that I'm trying to burn off calories to lose weight.  Where do we draw the line?  When does a little non-food reward cross the line into external motivation?

So I'm going to make an effort to switch my thinking and look for motivation from within.  However, I'm still going to do nice things for myself, and I will still look forward to those shiny little 5-pound stars at Weight Watchers too.

This is New!

I hit the gym both Saturday and Sunday for some fun on the elliptical machines.  I managed to go 35 minutes both days (30 minutes, plus 5 minutes of cool-down).  It was hard, but I really am glad I went.  My foot didn't bother me at all, which was an added bonus.

I took my iPod and was really getting into the music.  I found myself applying weight loss ideas to all my songs, even songs that are most certainly not about weight loss.  For example, one song was Colin Hay's "Waiting For My Real Life to Begin," and there's a line that goes, "Just be here now. Forget about the past. The mask is wearing thin."  I started thinking about how often I've doubted myself because of my setbacks in the past.  How often I want to push past now to get to the future.  But I need to just be here now.  I found strength in just being in the moment and focusing on the process.  Also I started thinking about how often I felt like I was just waiting for my "real life" to begin, the whole time overlooking the fact that my real life is the one I'm living right now.

There were other songs, of course, that I managed to apply to weight loss, but really they were probably about sex or relationships or whatever..."I Melt With You" (Bad English) - "You've seen the difference, and it's getting better all the time."  "The future is open wide."  Oh, or what about "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba?  "I get knocked down, but I get up again."  See what I mean?  If you try, you can do that with just about any song.

So that was it, folks, my first foray back to the gym in a long time.  It wasn't bad.  Not bad at all!

Weekly Weigh-In

Today I went back to my Weight Watchers group.  I hadn't been to a meeting since June, but I'm going to use my weight from then because I left off not far from where my weight is now.  It will just be easier for me to keep track of it that way.

So from last week, I lost another 3.8 pounds.  For my Weight Watchers log, I am down a total of 12.4 pounds from when I started in May at my all-time highest weight.  Today I got a 5-pound sticker and my first 5% star.

I'm feeling pretty good about that!  

Today's meeting topic was about appreciating the smaller losses.  If you lose less than a pound, there's the temptation to say, "I ONLY lost 0.4 pounds," (or 0.2 or 0.8, whatever).  

But really, think about this:  

If you lose 0.2 lbs. every week for a year, that equals 10.4 lbs. in a year;

If you lose 0.4 lbs. every week for a year, you've lost 20.8 lbs. in a year; 

If you lose 0.6 lbs. every week for a year, you've lost 31.2 lbs. in a year;

If you lose 0.9 lbs. every week for a year, you've lost 41.6 lbs. in a year;

If you lose 1.0 lb. every week, you have lost a whopping 52 pounds in a year!

A loss is a loss!  They add up.  On the flip side, I should remind myself that those add up in the gaining column as well.  Sometimes I gain a pound or two, and I think, "Oh, no big deal.  Just two pounds."  But then I do it repeatedly, and what do ya' know, I've got a weight problem.  

I'm aware of the problem, and I can and will manage it.  I really feel excited about this commitment to lose weight this time.  I don't always enjoy it, like when I'm craving something I know will trigger a binge, for example, but I am excited about the possibility and the power that are within me.

I'm also excited about the discovery of using a blog as a weight-loss tool.  I am amazed by the support I've already been getting from the blogging community, and most notably a couple of veteran bloggers who are successfully losing and maintaining weight losses of their own.  I am so grateful for that!  And for anyone reading this who would like to comment on my posts, I welcome and encourage that.  

Another little bonus at today's meeting is that I had a friend join me.  It's nice to have someone you can trust and just talk about some of your struggles.  Here's a snippet of our conversation in the parking lot after the meeting:

Me: "You know, if you've never had a weight problem, you might say things like, 'I could have eaten that whole box of cookies.'  But you don't really mean it."

Her: "Yeah, like they just mean it would be tempting to eat the whole box."

Me: "But I'll bet a lot of them haven't actually tested the theory like I have, and PROVEN that I can do it."

Her: "Right on, sista!"

So here's to celebrating the small victories, whatever they might be, because they truly do add up!

Growling Gut

I didn't mean to skip lunch today, but it just kind of happened.  I don't like to miss a meal, and I don't recommend it when trying to lose weight.  But there I was without lunch today, the result of poor (or lack of) planning on my part.  I had a light breakfast, then got super busy and went too long without food.

Around 3:00 I was REALLY hungry.  But the good thing about my little mishap today was a reminder of physical hunger versus mental/emotional hunger.  My stomach was rumbling and I felt an actual emptiness that signaled hunger.  I also realized how long it's been since I've felt that.  It really made me think about all the times I've said, "I'm starving," without really thinking about it and then eating when I certainly wasn't physically starving but rather just wanted to eat because I was bored or stressed or because it was simply time to eat.

This was also a good opportunity for me to think about how I could prevent this from happening to me again in the future.  If nothing else, I can tuck a protein bar or a bag of almonds in my purse for emergency use.  Now if only I can remember that "emergency use" does not mean "it's there = eat it now," I'll be just fine!

Subjectivity

I've been increasing my time in my evening walks.  So far I'm up to 28 minutes.  I thought I was going a pretty good pace...until last night when my neighbor saw me walking and joined me for the second half of the walk.  She was talking about interval training and how you could do a minute really fast and then a minute really slow "like this."  Yep, she thought we were crawling along, but I was sweating and panting.

This means more room for improvement!  It's a good thing.  It gives me something to shoot for.

Meanwhile, I've been keeping up with my food consumption quite well.  I'm "biting it and writing it," as they say.  I'll go to my Weight Watchers meeting on Thursday.  I haven't been in a few months, and I think I'll just use that as my official weight, since I can easily access it.

And now I'm going to stretch some more.  Because I know I rock at stretching.

Teen Idols

My husband, bless his heart, has agreed to take our 9-year-old daughter and her friend to see The Jonas Brothers in concert.

The Jo Bros

By the way, this is his third time to take her to a "kid concert."  He's also proud to say (I'm sure) that he's seen Hannah Montana a.k.a. Miley Cyrus...

Miley Cyrus (the artist formerly known as Hannah Montana)

...and also the lesser-known Cheetah Girls.

The Cheetah Girls

So what does this have to do with my own personal weight loss issues, you might wonder.  Here's one of my dirty little secrets -- My usual routine is this: Husband out of town = me pigging out with abandon, then hiding the evidence before he gets home.  

I'll be staying home tonight while the Jonas Brothers concert is rockin' the night away, and my 3-year-old Little Dude has already requested getting a "burger sandwich," as he calls it, for dinner.  My first thought was that I, too, should have a burger sandwich with cheese and why not a shake and fries too.  But my second thought was that Little Dude could have the burger and I could get a salad.  The treat for me will be that I don't have to make it and that I don't have to choke down two Pepcid Completes before waddling off to bed in a bloated haze.

So take that, teen singing sensations!  You won't make me any fatter this time!

It Counts!

So I've added a whole minute to my walking routine.  I don't want to make any marathon runners jealous, but I did go a full 13 minutes walking tonight!

I'm taking it as progress from my 12-minute walks.  It does count!

I went for months and months with extremely low levels of activity.  First it was due to an injured foot that left me barely able to walk, and then it was due to my complete lack of motivation.  So now, due to my 104 resting heart rate, the doc says to start slow.  Yeah, even if I wanted to do more, at this point 13 minutes is good for me.

Oh, and I took a couple of pics with my iPhone, because the sunset was so pretty tonight after yesterday's hurricane rains.  I also saw a deer (oh, dear!) standing near me, just watching me huff my way down the street.  I took a picture of her too, but it came out too dark to see.  A nice walk.  I'm feeling pretty good about these changes so far.

Onward I go!

Weekly Weigh-In

This morning I stepped on the scale for the official at-home weigh-in.  

The verdict: -3.8 pounds

The mindset: "That's terrible for the first week!  I should have lost 6 or 7 pounds the first week!  This isn't working.  Time for a donut."

The reality check:  It's a decent and healthy loss for the first week.  I'm making changes that are good for me and will pay off in the long run.  It's good.  Put the donut down and have some Fiber 1 with skim milk.

And in other news -- I managed to resist dessert at my book club last night -- TWO kinds of pie!  Mmmm...pie.  And, yes, I could have chosen to have a little slice, but I knew I wouldn't stop with that.  One day I will have better habits and a better grip on my food intake, and then I'll be able to do that.  Not last night.  I'm proud of myself for realizing that would have been a trigger for me to overindulge.

Walkin' the Walk

Last night I decided to go for a walk.  I was shocked at how out of shape I am!  I went 12 minutes around my neighborhood.  And, yes, I was out of breath just from that little walk.  My legs weren't hurting or anything.  I could have gone longer if my lungs were in better shape.  Clearly I've let my health issues slide a little more than I realized.

Two positives:

1.  My foot didn't hurt.  This means that my hours and hours of physical therapy and being in a soft cast and medications must have really helped my foot (plantar fasciitis, stress fracture, bone spur, AND ruptured medial band -- When I have an issue, I go all in, baby!)

2.  There is lots of room for improvement.  I like to keep track, so I'm looking forward to being able to do more and more.

And a third positive, just for good measure:

3.  I'm doing something new (moving around, versus being a sloth creature on the couch).  It was peaceful and gave me a sense of accomplishment, no matter how small.  I'll take every victory I can get!

Full Disclosure

This was a first.

I was telling my husband about my plan to use a blog as a weight loss tool.  As usual when I'm starting a new diet (how many times have I done that?), he asks me how much I weigh.  I never tell him.  Never.

I asked him to guess and told him I'd tell him if he guessed exactly right.  Well, he was off by one pound.  One!  So I told him.  I mean, the man has eyes and has already pretty much figured it out anyway, right?    On a much smaller scale he has a little weight issue himself, so I figure he gets it.

But, damn, it was still hard to admit.

I have gained approximately 75-85 pounds since our wedding, depending upon which recent weigh-in I go by.

Back then, when I was a size 6, I still didn't tell him how much I weighed.  Why do so many of us do that?  What's with all the shame over a number?

In some ways I feel better having told him.  I've acknowledged the fact and taken some of the secrecy and shame out of it.  Some.  Not all.

But I'm working on it.

Fried Shoes

I am so freakin' hungry right now!  I know I'm probably not getting in nearly enough healthy foods, which is probably why I'm feeling like I could fry up my shoe right now and gobble it up whole.  But I'll not do that.  Not tonight.

Instead, I think I will go for a tried-and-true recipe for a casserole (one of the few things I can usually manage).  It's Enchilada Lovers Casserole from halfmysize.com.  It's good, and my kids will eat it too.

Here's what you do in the kitchen:

Enchilada Lovers Casserole

Created by Halfmysize.com,
Average user rating  / 4

Ingredients

Serves - 8
Points - 5

1 cup salsa

10 oz. bag Light Tostitos tortilla chips

5 oz. can evaporated milk

4 oz. can chopped green chilies

10 1/2 oz. can reduced fat cream of chicken soup

10 oz. pkg. Lite Velveeta cheese

12 1/2 oz. can cooked chicken breast

Methods/steps

Combine salsa, milk, chilies, soup, cheese and chicken in saucepan. Heat until cheese is melted. Fill a 9x13 casserole with tortilla chips. Pour sauce over chips and bake in 350 degree oven until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Information:
255 cal., 5.4 g. fat, 1.5 g. fiber

Banquet

Tonight my husband and I attended the Chamber Banquet.  We tend to go to several events like this each year.

I did okay with dinner (I think).  It was all plated in advance, so it was take-what-you-get.  They served a small house salad with a drizzle of ranch dressing.  I ate up the whole thing, ranch dressing and all.  Then came steak, steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, and bread.  I ate about half the steak, all the veggies, no potatoes, no bread.  And for my greatest feat yet, I did NOT have any of the desserts that were on the table, tempting me the whole evening!  Oh, yeah, and I also didn't have cocktails.

Not sure how healthy this was, but remember I'm just now getting back in the swing of eating right.  Could have been much, much worse.

Bad Timing

A few weeks ago a teenage girl rang my doorbell, asking me to buy frozen cookie dough to support the local high school volleyball team.  No hesitation, I whipped out my checkbook and ordered this expensive cookie dough in "candy" (like M&M cookies), and "peanut butter cup" flavors.  A few weeks go by, and I kind of forget about it.  Until today.  I should have known eventually those cookies would come knockin'.  Of course my kids are begging me to cook them up, and I know this is not the day for it.

Just by chance, I found a recipe for what looks like a pretty amazing and tempting substitute on another blog -- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Oatmeal!

I don't normally get too excited about oatmeal, but seriously, take a look at the photos for this.  Looks so good!

The Sleepies

Day 1 of the diet is always strange for me.  I'm usually excited and gung-ho, but I'm also resistant because I'm remembering how good yesterday's nachos were.  I've been keeping track of consumption today, no sugary tea (the sacred "sweet tea" of the southern states), and getting in my plants (a.k.a. today's salad).  


I've got that thing going that happens almost every time I change up the eating plan...Serious fatigue in the first week!  And really, I'm not starving myself.  I think I've relied on a sustained sugar rush throughout the day for so long that my body is freaking out at being deprived.