Belly be gone!

went to dermatologist this morning for what they call “full body scan”. just checking to make sure nothing looks suspicious…i’m probably a prime candidate for skin cancer - light skin, freckles…and other attributes that say “burn, skin, burn!!!” anyhow - they said that everything looks a-ok! which is what i expected!!! not that i ever worshipped the sun (oh, ok…maybe there was that summer after high school)…and even for someone w/my coloring, i can get a decent tan (again, for my coloring - thanks dad!) with time and sunscreen. anyhow…i’m just rambling…

so, i told myself to start tracking food. i think knowing i have to write it down will prevent me from eating too many kissables at work!

no fancy chart - as nice as they are, i got lazy about trying to fill it out. oh, and i’m trying to do core.

oh…and i may not be consistent until next week, as i go out of town this weekend for a couple of days…and as of now, my parents only have dial-up! hello, 1995!

B - 1/2 banana (the other 1/2 was bruised and i don’t like eating bruised fruit! )
B - fiber one bar — 2 pts
B - some nibbles of “roasted” hominy (still working on this one)
S - coffee w/splenda & skim milk

so far, so good…

L - tack soup w/ff sour cream & soy cheese

L - flan - guessing 2 pts

Exercise - 30 minutes of running on treadmill = 3 AP pts.

more later…

 the rest of the day

S - 100 cal popcorn (w/some splenda on it - yum, my own kettle corn!)

S - 2 hershey’s dark chocolate kisses - 1 point

D - sauteed peppers, onion, garlic, & tomato over shiritaki noodles - 0 points for noodles

D - apple

work out with trainer - has to be good for 1 AP

and i’m still hungry!!!  :(  and i don’t know what i want to eat!!!  i know i should be good and find something that is core, but nothing sounds good…or rather, i don’t necessarily have the energy to prepare it.

summary…

4 points earned through exercise

5 points eaten

i think i need to detox from chocolate!!!  seriously - it’s a weakness of mine!!!  even if the chocolate isn’t that great, i will still eat it!!!  in terms of chocolate, today i had 4 hershey’s dark chocolate kisses, a chocolate pumpkin muffin (i made the cake mix w/a can of pumpkin - the muffins are in the freezer), and the remainder of the bag of dark chocolate kissables (about 20-30 kissables).  AND, i didn’t exercise this morning…i was too tired and needed to give my body a break!!!  so i seriously need to give up a lot of the chocolate.  i realize that i cannot give up chocolate completely!!!  but i do need to cut down…uh, never mind that i just bought another bag of dark kissables!!!

meanwhile…i also think i need to start tracking again.  for starters, it may help cut down on the chocolate fests i sometimes have!  secondly…i still want to lose another 5-10 pounds.  yes, i know i’m at lifetime.   yes, i am happy with where i am and what i’ve accomplished.  but i still have those last few pounds to go.  and i am not doing a good job in trying to lose them.    i’m doing more maintaining, than trying to lose.  and i want to commit more to core.  i like the idea of core - i just need to be better about prepping in advance, and not eat as many points.

ok…so that’s my wednesday confession!  uh…tracking will start tomorrow!!! 

and if you’re still reading…i’m hiding this at the bottom of the post…i am thinking of trying a triathlon!!!  i realize it’s several months from triathlon season, but i’m letting the idea sit in my head & grow!!!  luckily my gym has an indoor pool.  so…for now, the thought is just in my head…

off to make dinner…i think i’m making the garlic lemon rosemary chicken (i think it’s the bottom recipe on my recipe page!)

i made this a couple of weeks ago.  it was pretty good.  i think it’s better / thicker the 2nd day (and 3rd & 4th…sorry, there’s only 2 of us to eat this!)

i got this from the ww boards on line - i think from the core board….

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Core Recipe

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
The key to thickening this soup without flour? Pureeing some of the beans before cooking it. You’ll love the stick-to-your-ribs texture that results.

Ingredients
1 sprays cooking spray
1 medium onion(s), finely chopped
4 medium garlic clove(s), minced
45 oz canned black beans, undrained, divided (three 15 oz cans)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
14 1/2 oz fat-free chicken broth, or vegetable broth
10 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel Tomatoes
11 oz canned yellow corn, drained

Instructions
Coat bottom of a large stockpot with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.

Place one can of beans in blender; add sautéed onion mixture, red pepper flakes and cumin. Cover and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour mixture back into stockpot.

Place second can of beans and broth in blender and puree until smooth; add to stockpot.

Stir third can of beans (do not puree first), tomatoes and green chilies, and corn into stockpot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
 
Yields about 1 1/2 cups of soup per serving.

i’m looking forward to getting back to eating my normal way of eating!!!  didn’t do such a good job on the “one spoon of everything front”.  ok…that i think i did…it was the brie before dinner and the dessert afterwards that did me in(hello chocolate mousse!!!)  and i didn’t quite listen to my stomach - because even though it was full, i kept putting more food in my mouth!  :(  but it’s done, over with, and i can get back to my normal eating!!!

now…i’m facing the dreaded scale!!!  i think i’m going to the first meeting this morning, since we might go shopping.  i’m up (thanks to puppy!) and DH has said he might want to go to the outlets (not sure why…he isn’t much of a shopper and it’s one of the craziest shopping weekends!), so i figured get the meeting out of the way.  and try to get to the stores early…although that might be a challenge b/c DH isn’t the best morning person…

anyhow…hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!!!

that is my dilemma today for tomorrow!!!  i can’t decide if i want to go to the mall tomorrow or not…if i were at my parent’s home, i’m sure i would.  my mom, only in the past few years, has discovered black friday shopping.  and there is one mall that she likes to go to - it’s one of the discover malls - and no one else will go w/her.  so i let her wake me up, and off we go in the pitch black to the mall.  it’s gotten a little better now that she has a cell phone - i can actually find her when i want.

but this year, i stayed at my home.  and i can’t decide if i want to hit the stores tomorrow or not.  i am not planning on setting an alarm, but i’m up by 6:30 usually…on my own (this sucks!).  or rather, because of the puppy!  (she’s on my schedule and since i usually work out at 6am, i let her out…and when i dont’ work out, she starts barking anywhere from 5:30-6:30).  so, since i’m up, why not hit the stores?!?!?!  now…here’s the other part of the dilemma….what would i shop for?  there’s always my favorite store - ann taylor loft.  and while tomorrow’s deal is pretty good, i think i like the deal for saturday & sunday!  i may want to hit some of the other stores, too…i can’t decide if i want to buy a dress or not for our vegas vacation.  DH says i should go get an LBD - which i may want a new one…or a dress that has some color to it…or even a sexy dress!!!  speaking of sexy dresses…years ago my MIL found a tahari dress for like $20, so she bought it, thinking either my SIL or i might wear it.  it didn’t work for SIL, and it’s been sitting in my closet for years.  the other morning i was on a “let’s try on all my clothes” kick, and i tried on the dress.  it’s way too big on top, and definitely needs to be hemmed.  but i just might have it taken it!!!  it’s low cut - like what you see the stars wear!!!  and i LOVE the back - it’s totally open!!!  so i might actually get it taken in…just not sure i have the guts to wear it, given how low cut it is.  then again, it is vegas…and when else would i wear a dress like this?!?!!  (my little sister would have no problem…)

anyhow…i’m just rambling…waiting for the gym to open, watching a show from this week…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!  i hope you enjoy your days!!!

i have so many random things i want to blog about.  but for now…i’ll just keep it short.  i got a new ‘puter!!!  i’m so excited!!!  i’ve had a desktop since grad school and it’s upstairs and we spend all our time downstairs and if i want to do anything on the computer, then i have to go upstairs…not anymore!  yeah!!1

and…i’ve got the best hubby!!!!  he picked up dinner while i was at the gym.  which was very nice…i would’ve made something, but i’m having a tired week…and i was definitely cranky last night in trying to decide what to eat.  tonights dinner was a salad and rotisserie from costco - and it was YUMMY!!!  and it hit the spot.  so thanks, dear, for picking up dinner - i really appreciate it.

i think i have an obsession.  and it may not be a healthy thing…well, it’s a good thing, but my obsession over it may not be a good thing.

it’s…exercise.  yes….exercise.  why am i obsessed?  why is this a bad thing?  because it’s getting mental. 

so, here’s the deal…exercise is what has been the biggest factor in my weight loss.  it’s what really helped me 6 years ago, and it’s what has really helped me this time around.  and last week, i upped the intensity of my workouts.  and i saw a(n unofficial) loss!!!  the home scale is down again, but i skipped WI on saturday  (a whole other issue that i posted about a couple of posts ago).  so i’m not sure what the ‘official’ weight is, but the home scale is down.  and i’m not counting points.  nor am i following core to a T (because i know i’ve eaten a lot of crap these past few weeks…on top of eating good…so it’s not that i just ate crap.  i ate well, and then added the crap!).  so it’s got to be the exercise, right?

well…i’m starting to feel blah.  like i don’t know if i’m getting sick or not.  now, i’m not sick yet, but i feel like i’m starting to get some symptoms.  and i’m tired.  and i think my body is tired.  so - did i sleep in this morning???  NO!!!  i got up and went to the gym.  and will i sleep in tomorrow?  i doubt it.  and tomorrow is the high(er) cardio day - it’s the day i run on the treadmill for 30 minutes.  should i take a break tomorrow and try to sleep in (even though it’s probably impossible b/c the puppy is on my normal schedule and will be up by 6:30!)???  YES!!!  will i?  probably not…

why?!  because, i want to lose some more and right now, in my mind, the way to do it is to exercise!!!!

i need to get over this because i don’t want to burn out!!!

If you haven’t seen Heather’s collection of (CORE) recipes, I recommend checking it out.

She has this HUGE collection of core recipes… http://www.freewebs.com/hwc1973/index.htm

 I made these last night, w/some modifications… YUMMY! And DH liked them, too!

Barley pilaf:

½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 c pearlized barley
3 c FF chicken broth
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sprinkle of fresh or dried rosemary and thyme
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Spread barley into 1.5 qt baking dish. Add the cooked onion and garlic. Bring broth to a boil, then immediately stir in seasonings and pour liquid over barley. Cover baking dish tightly with doubled layers of foil. Bake barley 1 to 1.25 hours, until tender. Remove dish from oven and uncover. Fluff barley with a dinner fork, and serve.

– From WW core board

Note on the pilaf — it seemed to take forever for the broth to get absorbed. I think the pilaf was in the oven for about 1.5 hours - then again, I was still waiting for DH to come home, so it was fine…

Honey dijon chicken with brown rice (core)

Honey is not core, but per serving, 1 TBS = 0 points.

3 cups cooked brown rice
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
3 cups chopped fresh broccoli
2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring 3 - 5 minutes or until chicken is brown and partially cooked. Add broccoli, mushrooms, onion and garlic; cook 4 - 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in rice, mustard, honey, vinegar, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring 3 - 5 minutes or until well blended. Serves 6

-Uncle Ben’s brand recipe (posted by DoraLisa2005)

Note on the chicken - since I was making the pilaf, I didn’t use the brown rice. And I didn’t have tarragon, so I threw in a little rosemary & marjoram. And…I only had canned mushrooms. One thing I noticed last night - not sure if this is always the case or not…but since the veggies were mixed in w/the chicken, it seemed like we both didn’t eat as much. Granted…we also had the barley pilaf, which can be filling. We get our chicken (breasts) from Costco & freeze it…and I take out 2 at a time…and we’ll normally have the chicken breast whole, with a veggie. And we’ll both eat our chicken + some veggie — usually no leftovers. But when I cut it up and added lots of veggies (this also happens when I stir fry), there are always leftovers!

so…i was good and maintained my weight for 6 weeks, making lifetime.  now…there’s a few things going through my head - not sure which to start with…

so, since i made lifetime, i don’t necessarily have to go to meetings.  i just go once a month and weigh in.  now, i may not go this week and get some errands done.  (i go to a saturday morning meeting)  but i don’t know if i’m ready to give up going to meetings all together.  i guess i’m afraid that if i don’t go to meetings, then i’ll gain the weight back. 

but…i’ve been in a rut with following the program.  i’ve been exercising pretty consistenly, and i guess i figure that makes up for any bad eating i’ve been doing.  and i know i’ve been doing some not so well eating…and i definitely have not been counting points.  and i like the idea of core, but i haven’t been following that so well, either.  although…i had a YUMMY core dinner!  and lunch!  and breakfast for that matter.  the problem is the little snacks or add ons i’ve been having (uh…hello dark hershey kisses!)  i’m trying to stop with the afternoon snacks - since it’s usually chocolate.  i really am…but i haven’t yet…

AND…even though i’m at a good weight - i still want to lose more.  but i’m not that motivated…just another couple of pounds…

so…maybe one day i’ll really work hard for those last few pounds.  but for now…i don’t know what to do about my meetings…i think since this is all new, i might feel a little guilty about not going every week…maybe i’ll try it for a few weeks - going that is - and seeing what it’s like not to have to weigh in. 

ok…i’m tired.  i don’t know that my ramblings make any sense…since i don’t know what my complete thoughts are…

ok…i’ve been tagged!  :)  i was gonna post my 7 regardless…this makes me think of my favorite “ice breaker” — 2 truths & a lie.  i have my favorite 2 truths that i use - but they’re so outdated!!!  :)  they were from when i was a teenager / in college.

ok…my 7 facts…

1.  i once went repelling down a cave…and at the bottom of the cave was a bunch of goat, uh, excrement.  i was so scared to do it, that i was either the last or next to last person to do it.  and when i got to the bottom, i realized it went too fast & i wanted to do it again!

2.  i danced drill team in HS and i loved it.  i quit my senior year because i couldn’t stand the girl who was captain, which sux because i really enjoyed dancing.

3.  in HS i tried to be different…somewhat alternative…but i was never really hard core alternative.  i tried to go against the norm and what all the “popular” kids were doing b/c i was never quite in the popular crowd…although secretly i probably wanted to be.

4.  i love still trying to impress my husband.  i’m full of random facts and useless information…but when i know something that’s kind of technical or related to tools or building something - stuff he’s into, i’ll tell him in context of what we’re talking about…and ask him if he’s impressed that i knew that fact. 

5.  i feel very fortunate to still have a grandfather alive (he’s in his 90s).  my grandmother passed away this summer, and she was 86.  i’m sad that my other grandparents passed away when i was younger and i didn’t know them as an adult, and they didn’t know me as an adult.  i am also very fortunate to have met both of DH’s grandmothers - who’ve unfortunately passed since i’ve been w/DH.

6.  i love to snorkel.  i wish i liked to dive, as DH LOVES diving.  i took a lesson in the pool at the hotel during our honeymoon, but i had a hard time clearing my ears.  i would love to be able to go diving w/DH (even though it does kinda freak me out), b/c he has pix of some really neat things he’s seen.

7.  DH & i have different stories of how we first met.  we’re only off by about 6 weeks…but he should realize that i’m right, as i remember EVERYTHING!!!  :)  i kinda stalked him til he asked me out!!!  i’d email him, IM him, and he had no choice to ask me out!  apparently i impressed him during our first date when i tried octopus (sushi)…and i haven’t eaten it since! 

now…if you haven’t written your 7…well, what are you waiting for?!  i’m tagging you….