I'm Really Trying

Last night, while talking to The Perfect Child, I was lamenting my lack of motivation toward my exercise program. She told me that she, too, was lacking motivation in regard to her new gym membership usage. We started this health journey together in March, and we've tried to keep at it. I need to lose weight and regain my energy and agility. :) She just wants to stay in shape and be healthier. So I think that after whining for days on end, I'm gonna get it in gear. I began today!!

I've had a morning routine ever since we moved here almost two years ago. For one of those years, Mon., Wed., Fri., I was at the gym with my trainer. After I quit going to the trainer and decided there was nothing I couldn't do at home, my routine changed. It became very comfortable. It is now time to alter that routine. I'm going to pretend to go to the gym!! I'm going to go at the same time Mon., Wed., Fri., every week, and do all of the exercises and stretches, weights, cardio, etc. that I did when I was working with the trainer. Only difference will be is that I'll be in our home gym, in comfortable clothes. On the "off" days, I always did an extra 30-45 minutes of cardio, so I'm going to do that on Tues., & Thurs. My "Healthy Woman Challenge" begins May 10, so I'd better be ready to go by then. So now, I've put this plan out into the blogosphere and I'm depending on everyone to keep me honest. I can't quite commit to actually posting my exercise accomplishments just yet, but I suppose that would keep me going.

In the spirit of being an honest blogger, I have to admit that yesterday, after bragging about my weight loss, I was less than careful in my food choices. I started out strong, but finished pitifully. My only high point was that I did take time for some exercise as I watched TV last night. Big Whoop!! Not enough to counteract the damage I'd already done, I'm sure. I didn't have anything sweet, just little bits and pieces of too much "stuff". Like that one extra bag of popcorn, or that one extra Quaker Oats bar, or that extra 1/2 English Muffin....you get the picture. Nothing really bad for me, just too much of it.

So, today begins my new morning!! I've already done my workout!! 30 min. for today. I'm hoping to get a walk in this afternoon, weather permitting. I know it's Thurs., and I'm supposed to be doing cardio, but I thought a little bit of stretching on the physio ball and a few weights wouldn't hurt. It's the walk I'm really looking forward to, as the rain is supposed to hold off until this afternoon. I'd best get moving.

Last, but certainly not least, thank you to all of you who have given me encouraging messages. I haven't been very supportive of myself, and I now intend to support all of you AND myself, as well. We CAN do it all, and we will......myself included. Thanks again.

Questions I Ask Myself

It's weigh in Wednesday again!! And, after weighing in this morning, I began to question which weight should I record? Usually, my scale, which is a very good one, needs a jump start. By that I mean, I need to get on then off to reset it. When I got on the first time I got one reading, when I got on for the "real" weigh in it registered another weight. The two weights generally are only a tenth or two of an ounce different, today they were .8 different. Now my question is.....do I take the lower weight (-2#) which would force me to behave and exercise this week, or the higher (-1.2#) which would allow me to "coast" a bit? A dilemma, to be sure. Having not faced a life altering decision like this in quite a while, I pondered all through my shower. The answer became clear to me....take the -2# and work to make it stick. Then get my big, fat arse in gear to make the numbers better. After all, the minus sign means if I would have increased my exercise minimally. my numbers might possibly have been even better.

Now my next question. How can I vary my exercise routines to make them more appealing and be as effective as possible? I've had a trainer and know what I can/should do. I have all the equipment at home that I need. Which means I can watch any TV show I want while I work out and read anything I want while I walk/ride. (NO elliptical yet.) So why am I still so darned un-motivated? I watched the BL last night and thought surely that would push me to get the job done. Not so. This morning brought no inspiration, whatsoever. Oh, I did a few weights, but only a half hearted attempt. I am, by nature, a lazy person, so this lack of enthusiasm comes as no great shock to me, but it is starting to annoy the heck out of me. I'm being successful in my attempt to regain my health in almost every other area. It's just the exercise portion of the journey that makes me stumble. I also know I feel better and am more energetic when I'm able to play golf more often, but the weather has curtailed that for now. I miss golf, but I can, and should get something more into my routine.

My last question. Does anyone have a sure fire way to get motivated? Any great new tricks? Any wonderful new exercises that are fun and interesting? I'm listening!!!

I See Sunshine!!!

I'm being told by my local forecaster that even if I'm seeing sunshine right now, it might not last. For now it is making the day a little brighter (get it, brighter?).  :)  Oh well, so much for sunshine humor, or lack thereof.  I think today I might try to squeeze a walk in before the shadows of gloom (also known as rain) reappear. Guess I'll set the trees out for whatever time period I can today.

As for my exercise.....well, I'm trying to force myself back into my previous routine.  I did some weights this morning, but I still need to get my big, fat arse back on either the treadmill or recumbent bike.  I'm not ready for our elliptical yet.  I have named that contraption "The Butt Buster".  It is not at all like the lovely elliptical I used at the gym.  Mine is a real implement of torture.  Hubby Dearest uses it just to make me feel bad.....sorry, it isn't working, dear.  I'll work back up to that....someday. 

I'm doing quite nicely on my food these days.  I've moved on from my obsession with the "200 under 200" cookbook, although I still like it.  I'm on to the "Canyon Ranch Cookbook" that arrived at the same time.  Gotta keep the variety comin' or I'll lose interest, I fear.   My breakfast experiment has kinda become a way of life now, and I'm happy about that.  I have varied the morning's options and have found that not all breakfast foods need to be "breakfasty".   This morning I had a breakfast frittata with my Biggest Loser Breakfast Sausage and sauteed red peppers.  Very tasty.   Hubby Dearest left this morning to go out of town until Thurs., so I'm on my own for meals for a bit.  I kinda like that, as I take these moments to eat things he'd never dream of ingesting.  :)  Mushrooms being high on my list, but certainly not on his.  So after my walk, I'll hop over to the grocery store for a nice big, juicy portabella mushroom that I can grill for a 'shroom burger this evening.   Yummy.  I've found some wonderful whole wheat, low cal hamburger buns that are only 80 cal per bun, so that will make a lovely dinner.  

Think I am finally going to have to call the computer repair person.  The first one I called never returned my call, so that company is out.  I still have issues logging on every morning, so I think it might be time to give up my "Jiggle the Handle" approach and get down to business with a real fixer upper guy/gal.   Hopefully we won't need an entire new computer, but if we do, I'll be gettin' that done a.s.a.p.  I'd miss my 'puter way too much to be totally without for very long. 

Something Has Got To Change....QUICK!!

Ok, so I have the 100 calorie packs under control, I have the Skinny Cow thing under control, the food and breakfast experiment is going very well....so why have I decided that I just cannot seem to commit to my previous exercise routine? I was doing 30-45 min. per day for what seems like forever, and now, I can hardly force myself to do 10 min. twice a week? What is wrong with me? I'm calling it "melancholy" for now. I realize it is probably really laziness rearing its ugly head yet again, but "melancholy" sounds much more substantial. :)

I think part of the problem this weekend stemmed from the Monsoon season that hit this part of the Midwest. On Sat., we'd planned our golf game and were ready to go when the temps dropped into the 40's and our playing partners bailed. Shortly thereafter, so did we. However, we had an alternate plan. We'd buy the 3 trees we'd been thinking about, then plant them. Exercise enough, huh? Well, just as I was paying for the 3 trees, the skies opened and the "Weekend of Endless Wetness" began. Gloomy, wet, and cold, my three favorites. Winds came soon thereafter, so we moved the trees into the garage, where they are awaiting a dry day for planting. From all reports that one and only day may be on Thurs. So in the interim, since Hubby Dearest will be out of town, I can haul the trees in and out of the garage for those few days. Can that count as weight work?

With the endless rain this week comes the fear of flooding. We, luckily, are not in an area prone to flooding, but everywhere around us is susceptible to flooding. You may have seen on TV last year the floods called "The 500 year floods", that's Iowa!! The year before they called the floods "The 100 year floods". Hopefully, we are not gearing up for "The 1000 year floods". I do worry about those areas not yet fully protected yet. Work is progressing on most of the levees, but they are certainly not all completed. So my whining and complaining about the rain ruining my golf and my walking, seem very insignificant, don't they?

As insignificant as my problems are, they are still troubling. I just cannot seem to get my act totally together. One thing always seems to gnaw at me. I'm losing weight, cuz I can feel it in my waistbands, but I know that exercise is vital to actually improving my overall health. Even tho' I really need to lose weight, the purpose of this new journey was (and is) to improve all aspects of my health. I'm hopeful that writing about this, and putting this out in the blogosphere will prompt me to action. This method worked for my other problems, i.e. 100 cal packs, Skinny Cow, and breakfast, so I really hope this will be the push I need to get back on track with my exercise, too. Fingers crossed. X

No Complaints!!!

Normally, I wouldn't be posting on a weekend, but today is rainy and cold, so our outdoor activities were cancelled. Drats! That, and I couldn't wait to tell everyone about the Chicken Lo Mein with Tofu noodles. I did, in fact, cook the dish for dinner last night. I had it all ready to go with all tell-tale signs of Tofu noodles in the garbage. The noodles themselves were draining in the kitchen sink, but Hubby Dearest wouldn't think anything was odd about that. Veggies were all chopped, and I thought I was totally set to go. Hubby Dearest detests mushrooms, so I even took those out of the recipe all together. (I thought at least doing ONE nice thing would be good.) Then as I emptied the bag of stir fry veggies into the pan, YIKES! mushrooms appeared. Luckily the pieces were large enough he could pick them out easily, which he always does.

NOW....the verdict. He had two, count them two, helpings. After he finished the first helping, I fessed up and told him what he had just consumed. Virtually no reaction at all, he simply piled another helping onto his plate and said it tasted just fine. Actually, he said it was good. High praise indeed. I added some Sriracha hot sauce to give it a bit of a kick, and he really liked that, but said next time (Yes!! Next Time!!!!) add a bit more hot sauce. Of course after eating this new meal, he wanted me to be sure and congratulate him on being such a cooperative eater. :) I happily did so, cuz I wasn't at all sure this meal was gonna work out so well. I honestly thought he might make himself a PB & J. :)

After this successful adventure in eating, I am going to say that I am really happy with the "200 under 200" cookbook. It was well worth the price, and I have already had 4 successes out of 4 tries. I'd call that a pretty good batting average. I'll admit I was slightly skeptical at first, given some of the ingredients recommended, but I'm a convert now. I'll be experimenting more with the new "stuff" in the book. It's fun!!

I'm Gearin' Up

Yep, I'm gettin' ready to spring the noodles on the old man!! Tonight is the night....unless he happens to read this blog first and find out what I'm about to do. :) I'm going to add 2 oz. of chicken more than the recipe calls for, just so he won't be too disappointed in the quantity of meat in the dish.

Golly, gee whiz, I was so good yesterday, I'm almost throwing my arm out of the socket patting myself on the back. Lovely breakfast, light lunch before golf, nice dinner of left over pork tenderloin, squash & mixed veggies. Then ONE, count that, ONE Skinny Cow treat at 7:30....just before my cut off time for consuming food. If I hadn't been so tired from being out in the sun and playing golf, I'd probably done the "happy dance". (P.S. Patty, the diet coke for the tenderloin is discarded after it marinates for a while, so you really don't get much of it. But, yes, it is kinda important to the recipe.)

Today, my big activity will be getting all the food prepped for dinner tonight in advance of Hubby Dearest's arrival home. I'm sure if he saw the packaging of some of the items he'd turn tail and run!! And yes, he is snoopy and will look in every pot, look at every wrapper left out, and sniff and smell til he can guess what he's about to have for dinner. We all call him "Noopy", which is our way of saying he's way, way to nosey.

Finally broke down and called a computer repair company. I'm sick and tired of dealing with my "Jiggle the Handle" remedy. My frustration limit has been reached. Right now, every 5 min. my computer tells me it is trying to shut down so that my updates can be put into effect. I've not added any updates, so that is baffling to me. One of the many little "niggles" that have led me to the yellow pages. Hopefully, by next post, I'll be happily online without hassles.

Have a wonderful weekend.

The Noodles Are Coming! The Noodles Are Coming!

Not tonight, however. Hubby Dearest has a business dinner and a baseball game, so I'm on my own tonight. BUT, I am going to the grocery store after golf today to get the additional supplies necessary for the Chicken Lo Mein recipe I have picked out in the "200 under 200" cookbook. By the by, along with the Diet Coke & Rum soaked pork tenderloin last night (yummy), I made the Fuji Apple Slaw from that cookbook. Very tasty, but this morning when I looked at it thru the clear container I put the leftovers in, the apples were not as gorgeous as they were last night. I am, however, quite sure they taste just fine. I also had 1/2 a pear left in the fridge, so I diced that up and added it to the slaw. Thus far, the recipes I've tried from the cookbook have met with positive responses. And as I may have mentioned before, Hubby Dearest is NOT what one would call an "adventurous" eater. I will admit some of the recipes don't interest me, but there are enough good ones to make the purchase worthwhile for me. I'm gonna have to look for the Vita Tops mentioned in the book. Apparently, they can be made into a number of lovely desserts and sweet treats. They are cookies and muffins, from the sound of things.

Speaking of golf, (as I did much earlier in this ramble) I was doing the caloric math regarding what I actually spent in calories while enjoying my favorite pastime. I was slightly shocked... in a good way. I have a hard time believing I actually used that many calories, but I'm going to take it anyway. I guess 4 hrs. of whacking away at that little white pellet is more physical than I imagined. :) Well, yay!! for me. Off to the links again today, so there goes a few more calories!! Now the trick will be not to feel so cocky that I let that Skinny Cow mow me down again. Just as I had mastered the "100 Calorie packs of the Devil", I begin "using" again... that damned cow!! I'll get it all under control. I think the preliminary plan will be to only have "The Cow" after I've played golf. On days I only do my regular exercises, NO COW for me!! That ought to teach me.

Positive Numbers....

Are not always good, ya know.  Today's weigh in proved that!  I'm up .6#, and that's after that awful case of food poisoning. So see, positive numbers suck!!  I can pin point the very second those pounds started adhering to my butt, too.  It was when I snuck an extra wrap from the tailgate leftovers.  Then just one more for the road.  Damn me!!  Those nasty snacks, plus a total lack of commitment to exercise after the food poisoning brought me to this point.

However, today is another chance to recommit, so I am.  I did my nifty breakfast thing this morning, using some of the Biggest Winner Breakfast Sausage I made yesterday.  Had a mini sausage pizza made on a whole grain English muffin.  Quite tasty.  So the day's off to a good start.  Better yet, I'm playing golf today, so there is part of the exercise I've been missing.  Still good stuff.  Dinner is going to be a pork tenderloin on the grill.  Style and flavor still to be determined. 

Ok, so now that I read some of the recipes for the Tofu noodles, I'm going to have to pick up a few more ingredients, one being another pack of noodles.  I WILL be cooking them for a dinner item one of these nights very soon.  You all will be the first to know if I have been successful in pulling one over on Mr. Picky Eater, a.k.a. Hubby Dearest.  I think I'm going to do the Lo Mein, so I need a few more of the fresh Asian veggies first.  Stay tuned for the verdict.....I hope I don't get kicked off the island!!! :)

Last night, using the "200 under 200" cookbook, I made a butternut squash "souffle".  It was delicious.  Even Hubby Dearest, not a huge squash fan, commented that we could do this again anytime.  He really liked it, AND it was only 103 calories for 1/4 of the recipe.  It was a wonderful change from my usual butternut squash w/olive oil misted on it and salt & pepper.

Just getting ready to try a few new recipes this week has me ready to go.  I think it will be just the push I need to get back into the "spring" of things. 

Breakfast Challenge

After a slight (3 +day) detour last week, I am back on my breakfast challenge. Now, my detour wasn't awful, it just wasn't the wonderful, new and different experience I was imagining. With our 5 yr. old granddaughter visiting, I has my usual "stuff" instead of taking the time to experiment with all the new recipes I had discovered. Sooooo, this morning I began by making the Biggest Loser (Winner) breakfast sausage. With that I made myself a breakfast sandwich on an English Muffin (whole grain) and Laughing Cow cheese. Added a side of cantaloupe and voilà! A new breakfast treat. The sausage is actually pretty good. I added a bit of red pepper flakes to get a bit of "zing" to it.

I did have an accident last night. I ran into a Skinny Cow.......twice!! It seems she left me some ice cream bars, dared me to try one, then tempted me yet again. I was weak and I bit...twice. She remains at large today, but is slightly dented. :) I hope to capture her and tame her very soon.

I ended up fixing my own computer problem without help from the useless technician that wouldn't come out to the house (altho' he was only 8 blocks away) until he had me jump thru hoops on the phone. (Now picture me jumping through phone hoops....hilarious.) After a long discussion he informed me my computer was probably corrupted and had multi viruses and could not be saved. AND YET!! Look here, I'm typing away on my blog. I found a simple solution to my problem. No virus, no nothing. Just reset the computer to an earlier date when it was working fine. All systems are now just dandy. I'm thinking of launching an at home business called "Just Jiggle The Handle". That's my solution to everything. And pushing "reset" in my monthly maintenance folder is kinda that same thing.

In response to a question. The new stuff I'm anxious to trick Hubby Dearest into eating are the soy noodles Hungry Girl suggests. They are packed in liquid like tofu, and look just like noodles. I'm anxious to see if he can tell the difference. He noticed the difference when I used soba noodles for a salad, so it will be an interesting experiment. I also got some of the Boca "meat" crumbles to give a whirl. Figured it couldn't hurt, and it might be very tasty. At the worst, I'll only make him eat the stuff once if he really balks.

Thanks, too, for the link to the "Brown Fat" info. Now that my computer works, I plan on reading it. I suppose it will be like everything else I only read a few lines of, it won't be nearly as interesting as I imagined. We'll see.

Still Fighting!!

Still fighting the cable company, the phone company, and my weight....all at the same time. :)  I think maybe the weight battle might just be the one I have a chance of winning!!  However, my conscience won't allow me to bypass the fact that we tailgated this weekend for the Huskers' Spring Game.  Yes, that meant fattening foods, adults beverages and some rowdy behavior.  I participated in ALL!!  Especially the rowdy behavior.  BUT, come Sunday morning, I was back at the "job".  I ate sensibly the rest of the time.  

Just before we left town for the game, I got three new cookbooks in the mail.  I ordered one thru Barnes & Noble's used book seller's.  Mistake!!!  It was the new Weight Watchers binder cookbook with two chapters missing!!  Darn!  Oh well, when one only pays $10, one gets what one pays for....right?  The other two I've been reading and enjoying very much.  The one from Canyon Ranch in Tucson has some amazing recipes.  I'm doing an Orange Basil Salmon tonight.  The other book is the 200 for under 200 by Hungry Girl.  It has some unusual ingredients that I am actually anxious to try.  Hiding some of the stuff from Hubby Dearest might be a challenge, but if I keep my mouth shut until after he eats, I will probably be golden.  Shhhhhh. Don't anyone spoil the surprise.  :)

Over the weekend, I also read an article in our hotel room that talked about "Brown Fat" and "White Fat".  I wish I'd cut the article out and saved it.  "Brown Fat" is apparently really good to have, as it keeps "White Fat" in check.  It is also the fat we have as children, where we can eat almost anything and not get fat as children.  As we grow older, we seemingly magically lose most of our "Brown Fat" and that's why we have more weight issues as adults.  I'm going to go online (as soon as the Internet gets fixed today) and find out more about this.  I'm positive I read the first part of the article correctly, but I wasn't able to finish the whole thing.  Wish I could say the same for the extra wraps I ate over the weekend!!  If anyone else read this article, please help me with a website, newspaper, anything that identifies this info.  I'm very curious about this.  Probably not one darned thing I can do about it, but I find the concept interesting. 

After my bout with food poisoning, I haven't gotten back on the scales again.  I'm relishing the loss I saw immediately following my "episode".  So for now, I'm feeling quite light on my feet. :)

Wed. will be weigh in day, so we'll see what I've been able to maintain....especially after my Saturday of debauchery.  Good Luck to ME!!!

ARRGGGHHHHH!!! That About Covers It!!!

Before I regale you all with my progress, I need to rant for just one moment.  NEVER, and I mean NEVER subscribe to Mediacom Phone, TV or Cable services.  I have spent the better part of two weeks trying to get things to work.  Phone was completely out for 3 days after they "fixed" it.  Cable never did record on our DVR's and now the Internet connection is off.  I'm using a default browser to at least post a quick blog.  RRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr!!!  That is me growling. :)

As for my Wed. weigh in....inhale....exhale.....I lost 1#.  Total is now at 11# and climbing.  Considering I was hosting our 5 yr old granddaughter, I thought I did a pretty darned good job of keeping at it.  We were busy, and needless to say, I wasn't given an opportunity to blog for those three days.  Then again, who knows if my Internet connection would have been working.  :(  She and I were good eaters and behaved admirably.  She even helps remind me that I shouldn't be "tasting" cupcake frosting.  So I let her do the sampling.  What a good "G" I am. :)

Wed. evening I returned the little darling to her parents.  I came home at about 7:00, so Hubby Dearest and I decided to catch a bite to eat at a local eatery.  I was semi-responsible....meaning I had only one martini.  BOY!! Did I pay for that.  At about 12:30 a.m. I was awakened by the worst case of food poisoning ever.  I don't think I've ever been so sick in my life.  No details, but the "Total Cleanse" diet has nothing on me.   Finally got back to sleep around 4:00. UGH!!!  

Now everyone knows that when you've been really, really sick, the first thing you want to do is see how much weight you've lost.  Right? Right!!  Well, I'm no different.  As soon as I had the strength, I hopped right up on those scales and took a look-see.  YAY!!  Another 4.8#.  Lest you think I believe that amount will stay off, I realize that once I take on water and some food, the number will go back to a more realistic place, but for this one, delightful moment, I am a happy old woman.  :)

So for now, I'm just happy to be back online, back on the program and back to some semblance of health. 

Off To A Rousing Start!!

Yep, I really am....off to a rousing start, that is. I did breakfast this morning. Day 1 is in the books! I made a veggie breakfast burrito. (Thank you Patty for the idea.) Since this is Good Friday, I have certain dietary restrictions, but the end result was quite pleasing. I'm going to make the Biggest Loser breakfast sausage mix for my next burrito and probably use it on my English Muffin pizza, too. Thanks to all of you for your ideas and encouragement. THAT is exactly why I began blogging. The support and wonderful ideas are a real bonus. I appreciate everyone bolstering my resolve. Thanks again. The Primary Child told me blogging would be a helpful tool....I hate to tell him he was right.

Weekend's a comin' and I am planning carefully. Not just breakfast, but everything. We'll be going away for Easter Sunday, so I have to be prepared. Then, the following week, we'll have our granddaughter here for a few days. That will be my exercise, for sure. She is 5, and a real pistol. Lots of fun, tho'. Lucky for me, she loves veggies and fruits so we'll make lots of yummy dishes together. I am certain I'll be able to stay on course throughout the week, even with her around. She almost eats healthier than I do. :)

At least one day this weekend is supposed to be nice, so we are planning a golf outing. Hurray!! That will be a wonderful day of exercise, and I am really looking forward to it. Today, although it will be nice, I have repair people coming for both our phones and a light post in our back yard which has fallen over. Hopefully, they will be done in time for an afternoon stroll thru the "hood". I hate to waste nice days sitting on my big, fat a**!! That didn't used to bother me, but luckily, it does now. Just one more benefit of blogging, I'm encouraged to move more. Thanks, yet again!!

Ya'll have a wonderful, healthy weekend!!

Breakfast, It Does A Body Good

I am having difficulty today. I am not a breakfast person, never have been. I realize the importance of a good breakfast, I know it's the fuel for the day, I know I'll do better staying within my caloric allotment, yah dah, yah dah, yah dah. The problem is I find breakfast kinda boring. I don't really like cereal, can't stand milk, am lukewarm on eggs, but will eat lots of bacon :), don't want to bother with pancakes, will eat mountains of fruit, but pay for that later, well, you get the idea. (Run on sentences be damned!) I really thought I'd found the solution in the Special K waffles w/sugar & calorie free syrup. That infatuation was short lived. I keep reading about breakfast being the most important meal of the day, especially when one is trying to lose weight and maintain a healthy balance in life. I have also been told that eating oatmeal will lower my cholesterol levels, which at the moment are perfect. (Aided and abetted by Lipitor) Why then, can I not wrap my head around a healthy breakfast? I'm turning to the Biggest Loser Cookbooks for hints and helps. Smoothies? Maybe. Breakfast Burritos? A distinct possibility. I am also aware that I could conceivably eat a lunch or dinner item for breakfast, but somehow that doesn't seem right. Even tho' in college cold pizza and oreos were a staple for breakfasts.

This dilemma brings me to a new project. I am going to try to eat a healthy breakfast every day for two weeks. I am going to try and find ways to bring variety and fun to the beginning of my day. I'm imagining a breakfast pizza on a whole wheat English muffin right now. I am convinced, after reading many articles on the subject, that if I were to adopt a morning routine that included a good breakfast, I'd probably not have those 3:00 "nibbles" that so often creep up on me. So to that end, I began today with a moderately tolerable breakfast. I had the last of my Special K waffles and some blueberries. I'll procure the necessary items today for my future breakfasts, and I'll be off and running. I'm even willing to add yogurt to my repertoire. Generally, I only use yogurt if a recipe calls for it. Just eating it, has not, in the past, appealed to me.

At the end of this two week period, I'm going to re-visit the issue of my afternoon cravings and see if I have improved at all. Now that this is out in the blogosphere, I must really buckle down and stick to it. I'd hate to have to admit failure....that would make me even crankier. :(

Much Ado About Very Little!

Ok, I kinda paraphrased my buddy Willie Shakespeare, but that was the crux of the matter. I whined a great deal about something that turned into not very darned much. Well, guess that is where the "I'm cranky" part of my profile rings true. This morning I had, in fact, lost that .8# I gained the week before. However, that extra .5# I was bragging about is but a distant memory. It came back to haunt me. The up side is that I am back to having lost an even 10 pounds. I consider that to be a good start to what will be a long journey. As JogaJogger said in a comment yesterday, "It's ok to look back at your mistakes, just don't stare." So, I've looked back, whined and complained, but now I'm looking forward and attempting to put a positive "spin" on this whole thing.

I have to say, I'm rather proud of the way we've managed our eating these past few weeks. With the exception of a couple of "oops" we are really staying with the healthy options for almost all of our meals. I'm working on variety now. I'm finding that fruit salsas are a wonderful way to dress up fish and chicken. I kinda make salsas up as I go, but so far so good. I also "fiddled" with a recipe for a chipotle marmalade. It's a copy of a sauce in one of our favorite restaurants. I'm also excited that grilling season is now in full swing. We've been enjoying things on the grill lately, and that certainly adds to the variety of flavors.

Moving forward, I'm now focusing on the golf season!! I'm thinking it is going to get warm enough to get out more frequently. That, in and of itself, should give me more exercise and brighten my spirits. Today is just a walking day, but I'm looking forward to the fresh air. I'm hoping that the wind will be a bit calmer than my last al fresco walk. It was way to brisk to be enjoyable.

Many pre-Easter Bunny errands to run today. I really do not like shopping, so I'm going to try and make this trip as fast and painless as possible. I'm hoping that after my walk and a nice shower, I'll be all "amped" up to go shopping. Probably not, but hope springs eternal.

Ah!! Crud!!

Ever notice that just after you brag about something, you turn around and do something incredibly stupid? Yep, that's me yesterday. After announcing to everyone (and luckily not very many people read my blog) that I had a wonderfully successful weekend, I did the dumbest things possible to thwart my progress. For no reason whatsoever, too. I nibbled, nibbled and nibbled most of the late afternoon on cereal, then after dinner I treated myself to any extra piece of left over cornbread. Just plain DUMB!!! I was too chicken to jump on the scales this morning to check myself. I think I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to be seeing. My resolve is now strengthened, but I'm still pretty pissed off at myself. Tomorrow's weigh in might not be all that I'd bragged about. Damn!!

Today I'm joining friends for lunch, so after yesterday's debacle I'm really going to try and behave myself. I had told myself (and Hubby Dearest) that if ,this past week, was successful I was going to treat myself to an indulgence of Mexican food. A new place just opened up near us and I am dying to try it out. Now, I'm going to have to wait, I'm quite sure. I can't see treating myself after I showed no self restraint yesterday. I feel like I'm back disciplining the kids..."no dessert 'til you finish your peas." Never thought I'd have to use Tough Love on myself. :)

Happy thoughts now. I have to get over myself and move on. So, to that end, I'm going to plan tonight's menu. It will be happy and healthy, and I'll be back on track. Yippee Damed Skippy!!

Sneakin' A Peek

Have you ever wanted to just "sneak a peek" at the scales on a day that isn't your weekly weigh in? You know, just to see how really, really good (or bad) you've been? Well, that was me this morning. I just knew that I had been so exceptionally good that I'd lost tons of weight since my last .8# gain. I purposely set Wed. as my "official" weigh in day because I started this new adventure on a Wed. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? So, with that in mind, I promised myself I would only weigh in one time per week...meaning Wed. mornings. That said, I couldn't stand it today. I was anxious to see what the weekend had wrought, weight-wise. (Pause for effect here.) I DID lose a bit of weight. I got rid of the .8# from last week plus .5# more. Now I have two whole days to improve upon that number. I'm feeling particularly perky this morning. :) Being successful has that effect, doesn't it?

In addition to being quite good over the weekend, I was also productive. Hubby Dearest and I got our garage cleaned out and organized. "Big Deal!" you say. Well, it was. We moved in here about 1 1/2 yrs. ago, bringing with us 4 large boxes of legal papers associated with an estate Hubby Dearest administered. That and 4 boxes of various office supplies. (And no, they were not pilfered from his employer.) Since the legal papers could be destroyed now, we took them to a local bank which was sponsoring a "free shredding" truck in the parking lot. What a relief. I figured we'd move those darned boxes into the retirement home with us and have to use them as end tables. If anyone tells you having a 3 car garage is space enough...laugh, they couldn't be more wrong. You simply fill up more of the extra space with more crap. (Kinda like George Carlin's "stuff" monologue.) Along with this, we prepared for our neighborhood Spring cleanup. The garbage haulers will take anything you put on the curb, so we got out the old refrigerator our son took to college (it worked until about 3 wks ago) and a huge cabinet we used to store junk. Replaced the cabinet with shelving and organized the whole darned shootin' match. See.....productive. And a little bit of extra exercise to boot.

After searching all last week for new and different recipes, I found one for Southwestern Pork Stew. All of the ingredients were acceptable to Hubby Dearest, so that was what I whipped up for dinner last night. That, and a little cornbread made our snowy, bleak evening really light up. It was really tasty. AND, enough left overs for another meal. Tonight is a new recipe, as well. I'm doing an Arroz con Pollo. Still haven't given up the possibility that I need more cookbooks, tho'. :) I have a long haul in front of me and I want to be armed with all the "ammo" I can find.

Low On Imagination

Ok, I have to admit that I have kinda run out of imagination and inspiration today. I've been reading other blogs trying to get my "blog on", but I'm still wandering aimlessly around my keyboard hoping something interesting and amusing will pop into my head. I'll keep typing for a few more minutes and see what hits me. :0

Yesterday was a good day, not great, but good. Even tho' the weather was decent, I did not go out for a walk. No excuses, I just didn't. That, of course, eventually made me sorta mad at myself for being such a lazy butt. Now the weather is cooling off again, and I'll be back at the 'mill and recumbent bike complaining about having to stay indoors. There is just no pleasing me. Don't you all pity Hubby Dearest??

My lack of imagination is still plaguing me in the culinary department, too. I'm looking, reading, and researching recipes that are new and different in an effort to make our dining experiences more diverse. Hubby Dearest being a meat and potatoes man is having difficulty embracing my new ideas, but he's trying, so I'll give him credit for that. I know that if I want to succeed in this effort I have to have more interesting food to enjoy. My usual solution to a food problem is to go buy a few new cookbooks, but clearly, that hasn't helped so far.

I have to take a spin around the grocery store today cuz we're out of fresh veggies. That's an easy in and out, so I shouldn't be tempted by those pesky "inside aisles". I've been doing much better with my perimeter shopping, so that has made me happy. (And that ain't easy.) I'm anxious for the growing season to begin around here so we can have some truly tomato-y tasting tomatoes to slice. I belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and get a basket of fresh produce weekly. I'm hoping they have an early season crop of something or another. Last year the floods reduced the amount of early season produce, so I was disappointed in that. So far this year, the rains and the snow melt has been under control. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this spring.

For not being inspired, I certainly have managed to ramble on quite a bit, haven't I? I really shouldn't be allowed to type when under NO influence whatsoever.

"Dialing In"

Ahhhh! Back to normal again. I was such a good dieter yesterday, I frightened myself. I began planning early in the day and by the time the day ended, I had done just exactly what I had planned on doing. Usually, there is a short "detour" somewhere during the day. And for the most part the detour isn't so awful that it ruins the whole day, but it frustrates me because I can't keep to my daily plan. Now this is funny because I am so NOT a planner by nature. I prefer to "fly by the seat of my pants" so to speak. That philosophy has probably caused me more trouble than necessary, but it has also brought me some wonderful surprises. However, it occurs to me that in order to make this new commitment really work, I need to "dial in" a bit more and focus on the proper way to manage my calories. My food diary is becoming obsessively neat lately. I was just filling in as I go, but for some reason I now want it to be as neat AND complete as possible. ADHD??? Or just busy work?

After all of my whining about the weather, yesterday turned out to be a nice day after all. At about 2:30 I went out for a walk. It was 55º so I thought a spin thru the 'hood would be a great idea. At 55º I also decided that a jacket would not be necessary. I was sooooo wrong. The wind was quite a bit stronger than I anticipated, so I cut my walk short and came inside. But, as planned, I did walk from the outer reaches of the parking lots where I was running my errands. I'm counting that in the total paces walked. "My blog, my rules" as the "Primary Child" always says in his blog. And before you say it, YES, I do realize that I could have come inside, gotten a jacket and resumed my walk, but I didn't!!! I said in my profile I'm lazy, so now you know for that's not a joke. :) Forecast for the rest of the week is bleak, so I'm glad I was out and about, if only for a short while. I guess the one day of nice weather will have to last me for a while.

I Told Me So!!

Yep, just as I suspected. My "March Madness" did me no favors for my weigh in today. I was up .8 this morning. Now, given my indulgences, that isn't awful, but still I had expected more from myself. Generally, I'm not given to high expectations, but in this personal quest I am holding myself more accountable. So, I guess it is now on to better things. I'm not going to let one little stumble on my path lead me to disaster. That was my previous M.O., but not now. I'm back on track this morning. Still "witching" about my vitamins having calories, but ready to start my new week.

Hubby Dearest and I had a discussion last night about the eating "rut" we've gotten into recently. Given that I have more cookbooks and recipe cards than one family could use in two lifetimes, I cannot for the life of me figure out why this has become a problem. Might be that Hubby Dearest has several foods that he refuses to even try, limiting my ability to "mix it up". However, I am going to try and include one large main course salad once a week. Usually, Hubby Dearest only likes Greek Chicken Salad w/feta, and Taco Salad. We are going to move into some other choices starting this week. I am hoping that with a little imagination and a willing husband, we can find some interesting alternatives to fish, chicken, fish, chicken, turkey, fish, pork tenderloin, fish.....you get the idea. I'd love to incorporate artichokes into the routine, but I may have to limit that to just the dishes I eat. We'll see.

I must also admit that I am officially jealous of all the people writing in their blogs about these lovely outdoor walks. I've had a few, but not nearly enough to be satisfying. It's still rainy off and on, cold, and windy. This week doesn't look like there will be many opportunities, either. Not being outdoors also means no golf. And THAT is what is really getting me down. The course is open, but the weather keeps everyone at home. Getting to play once so far has just whetted my appetite for more.

Today will be errand day. In order to make use of all this running around, I'll do the "Park at the furthest point and walk fast" routine. Makes me feel as tho' I'm actually doing something proactive in the exercise department. At least part of my walks will be outside. :)