I need some new ideas. I love Oatmeal-To-Go squares. I like oatmeal with blueberries. I like Trader Joe’s frozen blueberry waffles with a hint of powdered sugar. I LOVE healthy muffins. But I need some fresh ideas for this month for breakfast food between 4 and 6 points that is portable, filling, and QUICK QUICK QUICK! Anyone have ideas for me?

Italian Sausage Soup
Cooking Light mag., 2004

This soup has that simmered-all-day flavor but takes just minutes to prepare. Serve it with hot crusty bread.

8 oz. hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/basil, garlic and oregano
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
2 T. fresh grated Parm. or Romano cheese
2 T. chopped fresh basil

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook for about 5 minutes or until brown, stirring to crumble. Drain, return to pan.
2. Add broth, tomatoes and pasta to the pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until pasta is done. Remove from heat, stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

Serves 4. Serving size, 1 1/3 cups soup, 1 1/2 t. cheese and 1 1/2 t. basil

5 WW pts
Calories: 216 (30% from fat); Fat 7.1 g; Protein 17.4 g; Carb. 20 g; Fiber 1.6 g; Chol 52 mg; Iron 3.2 mg; Sodium, 1,020 mg; Calc 153 mg.

Man, I have been eating just whatever floats my boat these past few days! With my birthday this weekend, I had cake, pizza, steak dinner, etc. etc. etc. It’s just been crazy! But that needs to stop, and it stops RIGHT NOW. I had lost a little weight this week with the couple of walks in between the VERY rainy days we’ve had, but I think that’s all a distant memory to my butt and thighs and waist now!

On another fun side note, I have a wedding that I’m in next weekend for my former maid of honor! The bridesmaid dress isn’t my cup of tea, but it was custom made, so it theoretically fits me perfectly (aka after 4 dress fittings and a re-make by my mom this weekend, but that’s another story… haha). I think I’ll take a picture in it next weekend, and then follow my progress photos along wearing it! It’ll be funny, and actually put that dress to use! How’s that for “re-wearing a bridesmaid dress”?!

My husband is once again out of town (but this is the last time for as long as the horizon stretches), so it’s my chance to do well or to do poorly. It’s up to me! And I choose to do well. Additionally, it’s a brand new start for me. I just finished my rotation on Family Medicine, and I am starting OB-GYN for the next month. That means a new place, new responsibilities, and a new schedule… the new place is great (back home at the big state hospital which I love), the responsibilities will be fun (Delivering babies!!! What could be more fun that being the first person to touch a brand new baby?!), but the schedule… the schedule will be horrendous. My hours will be about 4:30am until 9:00pm from what I’ve heard in addition to overnight call in the hospital (aka: no sleep for 36+ hours) and a week of nights (aka: 6pm til 9am… yuck!). Nevertheless, sometimes all that time in the hospital can do wonders for my waistline I have a strategy that is in the works:

1) A good breakfast with about 6 points rather than my usual 3-4 points.
– Will fuel me for a long day
– Will keep me from overeating at night to use up my “extra points allotment for the day”
– Will mean more fruits/veggies since that’s an easy way to get more points in me in the morning

2) Exercise
– Being back at the main hospital means being on campus which means having access to the student gyms which are REALLY nice. I can either do classes (if I get out in time) or head over for some time on the treadmill.
– I also do not have the excuse of having 3 hours in the car a day like I did last month to cause me to blow of 30 min - 1 hr of exercise time.
– I will be on my feet, running around, ALL DAY LONG… that in and of itself is exercise. I’ll take the long way to and from my locker, patient’s rooms, the OR, the ER, etc. in order to use some extra calories up as long as my pager isn’t calling me!

3) Better planned meals.
– I rediscovered the beauty and the joy of that which is called… THE CROCK POT. This is such a wonderful invention! I don’t have a huge repertoire of recipes for it yet, but there are a few… and I have a Crock Pot cookbook! It’s so nice to pop some food in in the morning and the come home to a delicious meal later in the day
– This will also be very loving toward my husband if I can make meals ahead of time… it’s a way of us connecting when I’m gone so much (which I hate )
– If I plan ahead, I can take the meals with me to work for that night or the next day’s lunch.
– No more temptations of drug rep meals since I’ll be in the hospital… yay! No extra calorie treats!

4) Water, water, water
– Now this really is a silly one. I am SO able to drink water at the hospital because there are these FABULOUS ice/water machines at every nurses station with “pellet ice” and cold water. Do you know what pellet ice is? It’s the kind of ice that comes in little pill shapes that is almost soft, and when you crunch it, it turns into water instantly… like the kind you get with a really good fountain drink I love it. It helps me drink water
– However, more water + more responsibility/busy-ness = no time for bathroom breaks. This will be a challenge.

Just a few thoughts on how I will WW-survive this month… of course there are loads of other things that will come up: sleep, Bible study time, time with my husband, time with friends, cleaning the house when so busy, etc. etc. I’m looking forward to strategizing today on what my days should look like for this month (and the two to come after it since I’ll be on my surgery rotations then with much the same horrible hours!)

Anyone else have ideas of how to stay OP when life is so hectic around you? As far as eating or fitting in exercie?