Wednesday Food Journal

Just food and points. Nothing fun to see here today...

Breakfast: 1 cup MultiGrain Cheerios: 1 point
1/2 vanilla soy milk: 1 point
banana: 2 points

Mid-morning snack: 5 saltines: 1 point
4 cheese cubes: 1 point

Lunch: sandwich: 6 points
chips and salsa: 2 points
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: peanut butter and crackers: 3 points

Dinner: pork chops: 4 points
apple: 1 point
parmesan: 1 point

TOTAL: 24 points. Not good. And I need to get more veggies in. I don't think the salsa really counts. I see a trip to Whole Foods in my future.

Little Orphan Annie Would Be Proud

I didn't weigh this weekend. We had a neighborhood safety meeting and I'm still fighting the cedar. I know I could have gone to another meeting, but I just wasn't feeling it.

And here's my problem so far this week: I am loving tomorrow. Looking toward tomorrow. Knowing that tomorrow will be good. But in the process, I'm not doing very well today. I keep letting myself have one more cookie or one more piece of pizza today, giving myself permission to do better tomorrow.

I do that too often. I'll slip and have an extra treat after lunch, so I'll let myself just forget how to count points for the rest of the day. I let a whole day go down the drain instead of just a single meal. I need to quit that. I need to make an effort to fix that thinking. A little treat after lunch doesn't mean the whole day is ruined. It simply means lunch is over and I need to look forward to a healthy dinner.

Tomorrow will be better. I'll get back on track and count points. Seriously. Tomorrow.

Couch-to-5K: Week Four

We started week four of our little running program tonight. And I'm really beginning to enjoy it. So much so that on the days we don't run, I find myself wanting to. Am I slowly losing my mind?!?! Luckily, Thunder is up for a quick jog around the block every evening. Bugsy and T.J. are more the strolling types...

Things feel better too. Ankles, hips, lungs. I'm recovering and breathing easier faster after each running segment. My thighs feel stronger.

I'm a little worried about my food plan tomorrow though. The first half of the day will be fine, normal. But tomorrow afternoon I've got jury duty. What's a girl to wear?!?!

Today's points:

Breakfast: oatmeal: 3 points

Mid-morning snack: banana: 2 points

Lunch: English muffin pizzas: 4 points
apple: 1 point
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: apple parfait: 2 point

Dinner: chicken fajita salad: 4 points
chips: 2 points
snack cakes: 1 point

TOTAL: 20 points

Obeying Traffic Signs

My husband is so sweet. We ran yesterday evening after work like we have been doing for about four weeks now.

We always run against traffic in our neighborhood, near the curb, just like anyone on foot is supposed to do. We look both ways before crossing any streets, and we always wear at least one piece of clothing that is reflective. Cole always runs on the inside of the street and keeps me closest to the curb.

Well, we were about 3/4 of the way through our run, doing what we were supposed to be doing and running in the mist, when a car tried to come through a stop sign and turn right from a side street. We did NOT have a stop sign by the way. The driver was just going to slow down to round the corner without looking or coming to a complete stop. Cole will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the guy got within six feet of me. Cole stopped running, called that guy an a$$hole and reminded him of where the stop sign stands. Isn't he sweet?!?!

I don't think I've ever been that close to being hit by a car while on foot, but I'm so glad Cole was there to beat the guy and then sue him if it did happen... We'll run again tomorrow!!!

Being Sick Is No Fun

It all started when the cold front blew in last week and I woke up Thursday morning with a scratchy throat. No big deal, it got a little better as they day wore on. Mind over matter.

Then I woke up Friday morning feeling like I'd lost a boxing match. Stuffed up head, clogged ears, runny nose, sinus pressure. Cedar fever had struck, and struck me hard. Don't tell anyone, but I worked part of Friday in my pajamas, and as soon as 5 p.m. rolled around, I moved myself to the couch and slept until almost 8. Then I snacked on some cheese and crackers and went to bed.

Saturday morning I woke up feeling much better, but still didn't let my box of kleenex get too far out of sight. I weighed in and went to my meeting (2.2 pounds gone, by the way), and then Cole and I got out to see a movie. (Juno, very fun.) I'm finally making a dent in my holiday weight, and can get back to the business of losing without backtracking within about two weeks probably. I even felt good enough to run Saturday evening, though my nose really didn't appreciate the cold air.

Sunday was the "Fourth Annual Huggins-Fowler-Bailey-Saucedo After-Christmas Birthday Bash," and I was very glad to feel good enough to enjoy the day. But Ron and Erin had to miss out because Ron has been sick. We missed them. I truly consider it a blessing that our families get along so well that we actually all look forward to spending time together.

Today, I woke up again feeling a bit better. I think all the cedar has settled in my nose now, and hopefully it will make its complete exit in the next couple of days.

My day in points:

Breakfast: oatmeal: 3 points

Mid-morning snack: yogurt and granola: 4 points

Lunch: stew: 4 points
saltines: 1 point
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: apple: 1 point
cheese: 1 point

Dinner: grilled chicken: 4 points
crinkle fries: 4 points
(Terrible, I know, but the thought of green beans just wasn't doing it for me.)

TOTAL: 23 points

My Dream Day

If there were no calories or fat. If my thighs wouldn't jiggle and I wouldn't vomit at the end of the day. If my heart would be happy and healthy no matter what... I started thinking about what I would eat in the course of a single dream day.

Breakfast would be warm, gooey cinnamon rolls, full-fat super-cold milk and bacon. It might even be French toast from Pancake Pantry in Nashville on a day when I would be able to finish the whole plate.

For lunch I'd have hot dogs straight from the grill in the backyard, a whole can of Pringle's, and some fresh fruit salad just to stave off guilt. Oh, and a fully-loaded, non-diet Dr Pepper.

For dinner I'd indulge in a charred fillet from Fleming's Steakhouse. I'd have some of Gran's fried okra on the side, a wedge salad with the creamiest of fresh ranch dressings and a slice of chocolate cake still warm from the oven. Throw in another large Dr Pepper just to wash it all down.

As a bedtime snack, I'd have half a dozen of Mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies and another glass of ice-cold milk.

Can you imagine???

I love good food, and now that I look over that dream day, I'm wondering how I can fit in some pizza, Mom's red-velvet cake and some fried polenta. And spaghetti. And garlic bread.

I love good food. Nevermind, I said that already. But I'm learning that I love my health more. I love the thought of being able to jog three whole miles with a tired and happy dog by my side. I love the thought of spending the next 40 years healthy and mindful enough to enjoy every day picking on Cole. I love the thought of turning heads, of being accused of being 29 instead of (gasp) 36 and of inspiring just one other person to eat healthier and move more too.

So instead, my actual, real-life, happy-heart, ready-to-run-again dream day looks like this:

Breakfast: oatmeal: 3 points

Mid-morning snack: banana: 2 points

Lunch: tomato-basil panini: 6 points
apple: 1 point

Afternoon snack: yogurt and granola: 4 points

Dinner: grilled chicken: 3 points
roasted asparagus: 1 point
cheese crisps: 2 points

TOTAL: 22 points. I'll take it.

Missing Fullness

Yesterday was terrible, food wise. I just couldn't get full or satisfied. I snacked all day long. All day. And I realize this about about myself: I'm doing that every couple of months. I wasn't even hungry, but for some reason, I was just craving the feeling of fullness. I didn't want to get to the point of misery, that's not what I'm longing for when this happens. I just want the physical feeling of "I can't eat another bite." Contentment in the tummy region.

So I got to that point last night. Let myself go there so that it didn't drag on for four days. And I'm ready to be back on track today.

Oh, and I started week 3 in my news shoes this evening. And I must say, I'm quite proud. I ran farther without resting than I have since probably high school. Nice.

Breakfast: oatmeal: 2 points

Mid-morning snack: banana: 2 points

Lunch: soup: 2 points
1/2 grilled cheese sandwich: 4 points

Afternoon snack: 100-calorie popcorn: 2 points

Dinner: BBQ phyllo cups: 5 points
roasted green beans: 1 point
snack cakes: 1 point

TOTAL: 19 points

A New Way to Buy Shoes

Here's how I normally buy shoes: I walk into the store, fall in love with a color or a fabric or a little bow that wraps around the ankle or a wedge heel. I request them in my size. I pay and walk out the door happy. But it was a different experience this evening...

Cole and I went to RunTex this evening and talked to a friendly, very helpful and laid-back Justin about the fact that we've started jogging on shoes that weren't cooperating. He got us to remove our shoes, roll up our pants, and jog back and forth across the store. I'm sure it was funny looking to anyone driving slowly by the windows, but we were in a running-shoe store afterall.

But I didn't get to pick the pretty pink and gray shoes from the wall and ask Justin to bring them from the back in my size. Instead, he brought me (and Cole) the shoes that he thought would give us the best support and cushion during our runs, half a size bigger than we usually wear. Three shoes, three different brands, three different feels and fits. Turns out I really jab my heels into the ground when I'm jogging (he told us that Cole was an "efficient runner"), and I need to work on that. Hopefully a cute pair of silvery and purple Brooks will help do the trick for me.

A Year Ago Today...

We hit the highway in Nashville heading home with the newest addition to our little family. What an entertaining and sweet blessing Thunder has been...

So I guess today is his unofficial birthday, or at least his "welcome home to Texas" day. I owe him a trip to PetsMart this week...

Or is tomorrow the day to celebrate??? We left Nashville with him on the 13th, but didn't technically get home with him until the wee hours of the 14th... Maybe we should just celebrate for two days straight!!!

I Love/Hate the Scale

First thing almost every morning (at least four times a week), I step on the scale to see what's going on. It tells me when I'm making progress or when I need to buckle down. I love the scale for helping me to keep on track. Like Shannon, I'm addicted to it. Not so much to it, but to the feedback. I love it for talking to me, but I hate it for lying.

I had a great week, ate well, got in some exercise, drank plenty of water. But still, I was up 1.6 at my official weigh in this morning. How in the world does that happen??? I knew it before I even got there because I weighed on my scale here at home before I left. I love my scale for giving me a heads-up before I got to my meeting this morning, but did it have to be so mean??? Does it really have to count my pajamas and the salad I had for dinner last night.

We tried to head to RunTex this evening before dinner. We left the house at 5:45, just before looking online to see that they close at 6 p.m. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

I hate the scale. But I'll be back on it first thing in the morning, without fail...

Friday Food Journal

Nothing to see here. Just me trying to count to 20 and stop. We'll see how it all adds up on the scale in the morning...

Breakfast: oatmeal: 3 points

Mid-morning snack: Slim Fast peanut butter bites: 2 points

Lunch: soup: 2 points
5 saltines: 1 point

Afternoon snack: brownie: 3 points

Dinner: salad: 6 points

TOTAL: 17 points. How in the world did that happen???

Couch-to-5K, Week Two

Well, I jogged/walked the first day of week two of the Couch-to-5K program this evening, and I think Robert Ullrey is trying to kill me... HA!!! Actually, it feels great to be doing some intentional, regular exercise. My toes are still pretty crampy and feel like they've been bound under my feet, so RunTex can expect a visit from me this weekend for sure. (Thanks for everyone's great suggestions on shoes, by the way.) But I'm not letting anything -- not even a tiny, little pinkie toe -- give me an excuse to slack off. I want to see a change in my body at the end of these nine weeks. I want to feel good and healthy (or should I say "better" and "healthier"?).

Eating better for the past year has me feeling better, and I know there have been changes in my appearance. Every once in a while my reflection surprises me in a window or mirror. But I'm ready to see it. Really see it. Patience, grasshopper...

Breakfast: oatmeal: 3 points

Mid-morning snack: banana: 2 points

Lunch: English muffin pizzas: 4 points
apple: 1 point

Afternoon snack: yogurt and granola: 4 points

Dinner: spinach wrap: 6 points
two WW chocolate caramels minis: 2 points

TOTAL: 22 points.

I Need New Shoes

Not a fun pair of boots or stilettos. I need new running shoes. I finished up the first week of walking/jogging in the Couch-to-5K podcasts that I downloaded. And it feels great to be doing some regular exercise. But my toes are killing me. It feels like I'm running with my toes curled up under the balls of my feet. Not fun. I'm hoping the folks at RunTex will have a solution.

Anyone have a great pair/brand that they recommend???

Breakfast: oatmeal: 3 points

Mid-morning snack: banana: 2 points

Lunch: nuggets: 6 points
snack cake: 1 point

Afternoon snack: kettle corn: 2 points

Dinner: grilled mahi-mahi: 4 points
potato souffle': 3 points
spinach and feta: 1 point
snack cake: 1 point

TOTAL: 23 points. Not horrible.

Finally, a Loss

I weighed this morning. My first weigh in of the new year. And there was a loss. After six weeks of gains and standing still, I lost 1.2 pounds. Funny how something as little as a single pound can re-energize a girl.

And boy, was our meeting room full this morning of folks and their weight-loss resolutions. That's great. I just hope they stick with it. Even if there are gains or slips or whatever you want to call our little misses along the way, I hope they learn the lessons they came to learn and really get on the path to health. That's what it's ultimately all about. Screw the number on the scale.

Wait, I take that back. I'm obsessed with the number on the scale. Addicted to it. I can't wait until it actually shows me the number I wanna see.

Recipe Friday: Mango and Avocado Chicken Salad

I found a garnish version of this recipe in a book that Mom got me for Christmas, but with a few tweaks, it made a great lunch salad yesterday.

Mango and Avocado Chicken Salad
lettuce or spinach bed
grilled chicken, cubed
mango, cubed
avocado, cubed
pepper jack cheese, cubed
mandarin orange slices
red bell pepper, diced (for color)

I made an easy dressing from a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the juice from half an orange and one lime, and some kosher salt and course-ground black pepper. Pretty yummy if I do say so myself!!!

Ahh, the Sweet Smell of Routine

Well, it's back to the grind, but in a good way!!! Back to a schedule that allows me to sleep and eat and drink (water) as I should. Back to a routine that keeps us walking regularly with the dogs. Back to a routine that allows me to cook more and eat out less.

I've not made any resolutions as I get into the swing of a new year, but I am reaching toward a couple of old goals: more fitness and my goal weight. The magic number that I've skirted around but never hit. I was thinking about it this weekend and realized that all the times I've lost weight, I've never gotten to the goal that I set in my mind or written down on paper. Never. I've gotten within five pounds and for whatever reason, just stopped. And gained. And started again. But I'm all done with that. I will hit 140. And I'm hoping it will happen in the first half of this year, so that by June I am rockin' a bikini out on the boat... HA!!!

Yesterday, I did day one of week one of the Couch to 5K program. I'm not even sore!!! I had read about the program many times, but the thought of printing out the program and keeping an eye on my watch every 60 seconds just sounded like too much trouble to me. But Robert Ullrey has made it super easy with a series of podcasts available (free) through iTunes. His soothing voice over upbeat music tells you when to walk, when to jog and when to cool down and call it a day. After just one go round, I think I can stick to this one...

Today in points:

Breakfast: oatmeal: 3 points

Mid-morning snack: applesauce: 2 points

Lunch: Smart Ones "mystery meat" as Cole called it and mac-n-cheese: 5 points
Brussels sprouts: 0 points

Afternoon snack: rice cake and peanut butter: 4 points

Dinner: chicken Caesar salad: 5 points
WW mini chocolate caramel bar: 1 point

TOTAL points: 20 on the nose.

Feeling Crafty???

You've probably seen it out there, folks who have decided to "pay it forward" with some handmade love in the form of something crafty. I dove in today after an open invite from Amy, and now I'm doing the same...

Here's the scoop:

If you've been lurking and have a blog and feel crafty, give me a quick comment. The first three people who comment will receive a handmade gift from me. I'm going to shoot for having them in the mail within a month. By participating, I hope that you'll then do the same from your blog...