My Healthy Appetite

I feel confident about making good healthy choices for all my nibbles today! The fruit of the season certainly helps. I have a notion for some juicy melon.. I have a ‘healthy’ appetite anyway

I’ve changed my blog header name, I think it’s apropriate to my goals. Having a healthy appetite not just about what I eat but even more importantly on the attitude I have concearning food. I’ve noticed a few things lately that have helped define to me the importance of my attitude along with attempts to ‘lose weight’, maybe I should first ‘lose some of my negative attitude’..!? I’d never thought very much before about the psychology of eating, and its given me quite a surprize.

I was thinking while I was working today, about my  dieting- healthy eating weight watchin (whatever you want to call it!) Thinking of my reasons for wanting to lose some.. I know that it is going to be easier for me to do my work if I have less weight on me.. (I have a cleaning job, very convenient as I don’t speak the language here yet) I know if I lose some weight I will have more energy. I do also verrry much like the idea of the ease of throwing on any clothes without having to assess how I feel/look in them! Of course for my husband, I want to give him my best self. I’ve also been thinking about the benifits to our future children and maybe their children.. but I wouldn’t say that how big (or small) the size of my hips are determines my security and feelings of self worth as an individual- the thought of people feeling that way makes me sick (and we know there are too many sporting that weight loss method already)

My new goal already- to have a more healthy attitude and relationship where food is concearned. I love food, I’m not ashamed to admit that- its yum! I know that it is important to my well-being to eat healthy.. it effects my life so dramatically yet my early seeded habits, and lack of knowledge/ self discipine… is like an addiction that only I can for my self overcome. I think that ‘healthy eating’ and overcoming unhealthy eating habits may be becoming the nations most widely practised religion today.

I just need to be more aware and (remember to) make better choices on the type of properties foods contain that I fuel my body with on a regular basis! I lost a lot of weight before and I wasn’t what I’d call healthy, either was the reason I decided to gain it again.

happy living.. and untill next time- eat plenty of fruit and veg x

;D

Its no biiigy tho I did go off track last night after I realised that I would never be able to make my goal to lose over 1lb by Monday. I’m certain I would be able to under normal circumstances but I had another sneaky weigh in the morning after I’d showered and I was on 11.6.1 I was like- woo!! If I lose that little .1 I’ve gone done to 11.5 in one day, so later after having gone to the bathroom (c’mon, I’m not the ONLY one that does it!) I had gone up to 11.6.8! And then I realised I was due my TOM garr. Needless to say I spent the rest of the day very pms’d… and fiished the day off with a big fat ice cream.. which is why I want need these babies! (If I could only get them here)

Way off! And caugh thats not it all *hides face in shame* I didn’t even bother adding in the sauce on the hot dog and some other crazy pudding thing I ate- I went to the shop pms’y for frozen yogurt/lite ice cream and there wasn’t ANY… and I saw other calorie ladden desserts that took my fancy and STILL had my ice cream! ARGH! Ok, so I will plan better for next month and get some frozen yogurt ready in my freezer.

Earlier this week (I didn’t track the day here oops) I was experimenting for dinner and came up with a really nice meal that reminds me of one my favorite weight watchers frozen meals that I’d buy in the uk, I can’t wait to make it again, even the hubby liked! Primarily consisting of sliced potatoes baked in a slightly cheesy white sauce with some onion, bacon and chicken - I’m sure I could add mushrooms to it too.. hmm hmm!!

Making two servings filled the casserole dish to near overflowing! I will give it a go with bacon bits for less points next time but I think it will take away some of the greatness.. and rather than making a flour and butter rue thicken it up with cornflour for 1 point less. I will be having it again soon. I’ll let you know how that goes and post up the recipe that works best and of course lowest.

I was sooo good yesterday!

Things would probably speed up a bit if I were always as good as that! I didn’t do much any munching at night (thats a challenge for me) I had a lazy yummy hot dog dinner… oh boy was it good!! haha and after that I felt a little wanting something… I controlled myself and sipped on a mug of lite hot chocolate which i resisted adding any no cal. sweetener to, (I think its nasty chemical stuff.. so I don’t want to have it too much) and I resisted adding sugar too. I would never have done that before, i find it tempting but I know its just not smart to have a sugar loaded drink near bed time. I feel good about making decisions that I know are doing me well on several levels. I think it made a difference too not adding the sugar to my drink, when I went to bed I was out like a light! It was funny when I woke up this morning, i felt like I’d just blinked! and it was morning again.

I’m cooking prawns for dinner tonight, they are my favorite ‘meat’ I’m SO glad that they are so lite in points! I can get a heap of them for just a couple of points. Sometimes it seems that all the tastiest foods are calorie loaded, I am sooo glad prawns aren’t!!! I love these cute prints too of ‘lite’ prawns and more

Who says salad’s aren’t yum!?

I’m experimenting with making my own vinaigrette style dressings. A very inexpensive and easy calorie controlled alternative to store bought dressings! Yesterday for lunch I made an egg & apple salad with a wine vinegar base adding a teaspoon of honey and a dash of lemon. Today I had a simple pasta cooked, drained with a tsp. lemon juice, sprinkle of parmesan, fresh chopped basil, ground sea salt and pepper with a salad topped with a lemon and mustard vinaigrette dressing and some seeds. Tasty.. and.. good dish for at the BBQ…

I just can’t get BBQ out my head! I even saved my empty dish washing up soap bottle today to fill with cold water and take the husby by surprise when he’s lying out in the garden hee. He’ll probably kill me- give me as good as he gets (he doesn’t really get how to be gentle) uh.. hopefully I will be back to reach my goal weight!

I’m taking a little time to prepare to lose that weight! I’ve been pretty good with things but I’ve just learned that dipping into my weekly allowance does not work for me. Sigh, no loss this week, I’m a bit disappointed. Its that time again when the fridge and cupboards are looking bare.. I’m brainstorming on here my purchases before hand that I know exactly what I’m needing for the week.. and I think its safe to say its Summer! So I want to freshen up my usual shopping list and try some new things like this green strawberry salad. I’m going to (shock) make a meal plan before I shop, so that I don’t over do it and have half the fruit and veg go to waste (I’m pretty good at that!) I’m thinking of freezing some fruit tho anyway for cold snacks instead of sugary freeze pops and creamy ones, so I wont have to worry too much about all my fruit going bad in the heat. What sort of meals and ideas are you thinking of this week? Do share!

Milk 1% (I always get 1% even though I prefer 5% and theres little difference if any in points, my hubby ONLY drinks 1%..)

Chicken Its BBQ time. What could be better than skewers of tasty marinaded lean meat!

King prawns following in the bbq theme! Also great for a tasty curry.. or sandwich

Potatoes easy baked potatoes.. again bbq friendly Seasoned wedges and potato salads, the list goes on

Eggs for breakfast, salads, baking..

Spring onions.. or chives I love added in (potato, egg /tuna) salads and great smelling and looking garnish.

Mixed salad leaves Trying out some new flavor combinations with vinaigrette dressings and adding fruit to salads.

Sweet peppers add color and sweetness to almost anything and at this time of year they are a good priced low point munch on their own.

White wine vinegar to mix (honey, rose water, lemon juice..) and make flavorful and lowest cal. salad dressings.

Fruit- Apple, Melon, Organic Strawberries. I want to try freezing portions of melon to snack on rather than sugary artificial freeze pops and ice cream.

Natural Yogurt mixes for salad dressings, curry’s, fruit and SMOOTHIES

Low fat Frozen yogurt a cooling creamy guilt free treat to top fruity treats

BBQ coals cant forget those now can I?

I had a sneaky mid week weigh-in on my bathroom scales that showed what I hoped, that surely enough I am continuing in my desired direction.. Come Monday you are going to see that little tracker move a notch or two.

The hardest part of getting on track with weight loss for me is the very start when I am changing my food habits and figuring out the better alternatives.. and breaking off my sugar addiction.. After that It’s a matter of if I can keep it going for more than a month.. It look’s like (i hope) I’ve got it on a roll now, thanks to my blogability (blogging myself responsible) It just makes it easier too, to remember what I’m doing and when I’m eating to think that at the end of the day I am going to make one of those little graphs and that I want it to total near 22 units!

After thinking about Roni’s question of the week- ‘What’s causing you to (over) eat?‘ And then reading her toddler size cereal bowl tip for moms it got me thinking about how some foods just don’t give the size of portion we might wish them to in their healthy measures..

After my being ill and finding that there are some downright good for us foods, that are quite basic and often overlooked I decided to treat myself again to one of them and was pleased with the taste, quantity and quality of this simple food. I’m not always a huge fan of fruits on their own- I get bored of them and I am not particuarly fond of natural yogurt, its too bitter for my taste and on its own boring and not very filling, tho when combined with banana mashed I get a very full bowl of satisfying low point, sweet tasting texturey goodness! So that is what I had for breakfast this morning, and if you’re like me and would eat dessert everyday if you could (for breakfast!) then this is a treat you can enjoy often and guilt free!

Do you ever get one of those meals that you adjust to be more healthy and they turn out just as full in flavor? I was overjoyed Saturday night when my husband suggested lasagna for dinner and I compromised and made it a chicken lasagna, which I have never had before let alone made. Oh my gosh was it good! I couldn’t believe how good it was, so I will definitely be making it again. The mushrooms and courgette give it moisture and flavor, give you flavor worth your points as well as nutrition. If you wanted to cut back on points I think a vegetable lasagna could be very satisfying.

Should have put first on list to plan and do a good shop! I skewed up a bit again today.. but not badly, things just didn’t take off at all like I had planned.. I slept in for starts (its Saturday… say no more) woke up near lunch time, and couldn’t find tuna lol so grabbed a couple of shortbread biscuits I was sent from my parents at easter, I had one- tasted soo fine and reminded me exactly of memories of Scotland, and I had a second hoping that it wouldn’t be too dangerous.. HOLY MOLLY! I then learned that each biscuit is 3points!! Yikes!! ah well.. I hadn’t had breakfast anyway and I will have a lite lunch.. taking the reins now and going for a ‘good’ shop so I don’t do the same thing again :S

In Britain I could buy these, each portion (2biscuits) is worth 1.5p! what a comparison to 2bisc for 6p! You can but them online too.