I love watching The Biggest Loser. Do you?
It is so motivating to me, and I love how life changing it is for the contestants.
Well, tonight I had a make up tutoring session, so by the time I got home from tutoring, bathed Ada and put her to bed, I was starving. Scott was at Bible Study, and he and Ada had already eaten leftovers for dinner, so I decided to stick a Stouffer's french bread pizza in the oven (BOGO at Publix this past week).
And I was quite enjoying this meal, until the contestants on the Biggest Loser started talking about what Bob and Jillian make them eat. Oh man, I started feeling very guilty about eating that pizza. I am not sure there is one good thing in that meal except for the taste. I had planned to eat a snack size Reeses for dessert (also BOGO), but I quickly decided on a pear instead.
And, I did drink water with dinner instead of diet coke--so between the pear and the water, I did put some beneficial things in my body tonight.
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Homemade Yogurt
As you know, we eat a lot of yogurt around here, usually Dannon Activia. Recently, my friend, Tutti, began to talk about making her own yogurt, and she has explained to me all the benefits. Though it did sound interesting and definitely healthy, I haven't found the time or money to get started, but now is my chance. And I have no doubt that it would be great for Ada's little digestive system as well as mine!!
Tutti is doing a give away on her blog for free Milk Kefer Grains and a Yogurt Starter, a 30.00 value!! Here is where you can learn more about it and sign up for a chance to win.
Tutti is doing a give away on her blog for free Milk Kefer Grains and a Yogurt Starter, a 30.00 value!! Here is where you can learn more about it and sign up for a chance to win.
Monday, April 6, 2009
More Diet Talk
So...there is more I want to say about dieting.
One is that I have fallen off the wagon over the past week. I think I was just so stinkin' exhausted from all of the tutoring, that I didn't have time to think about it, and it was hard for me to get my tale off the couch during Ada's nap time to do Tae Bo. I am three weeks away from the beach (I can't believe that we are actually going. It's going to be amazing.), and I have to get it together fast, so I am gathering my thoughts and getting my game plan together.
Earlier I mentioned different overall dieting strategies or philosophies, if you will, but now I want to talk about little tricks that I have for surviving the diet game.
I love that Jello commercial that talks about how, "every diet needs a little wiggle room." I totally get that commercial. It speaks my language. So, here are the ways I find a little wiggle room in my diet.
Night time is my worst dieting time of all. Whether I am tutoring online late at night or sitting and watching television with Scott, I love to have something to munch on. There is the feeling that I deserve a treat at the end of the day, and I have realized that I need to plan for that treat in order to prevent blowing my calorie count at the end of the day. Some of my favorite treats are a cup of hot green or white tea with a little bit of cream and splenda, a snack size pack of M & M's, a 100 calorie pack of popcorn with diet coke, one cookie or brownie or whatever else we might have in the house (remember that portion size is key). My point is that you need to figure out when during the day you are your "weakest," and come up with a game plan for getting through that time. Mine happens to be night time, and morning is my best time. The more tired I am, the less will power I have, and by 8 or 9 at night, my will power level is in the negative range.
I also like to keep healthy snacks in sight at all time. Let me give you an example. Right now I have pretty orange tangelos sitting in my fruit bowl on the counter. So today I walked into the kitchen fully intending to get a handful of chex mix from the pantry, and then I spotted the tangelos, looking much more "attractive" than chex mix, and I changed my mind. If that fruit had been out of sight, I would have ended up eating many more calories and putting a lot more junk in my body. Keep the healthier stuff in sight, and you will more likely grab it instead of the junk. Even better, if there is some sort of "junk" that you just can't resist, don't keep it in the house. For example, I have a huge weakness for chips and french fries. Obviously I can't keep McDonald's french fries in the house, but I can buy chips. If I don't buy chips, and instead tell myself that I can get fries the next time I am at a fast food restaurant, I end up eating a lot fewer calories. I don't like to cut foods out entirely, but I do like to be smart about what I eat.
Finally, because this is once again getting long, I want to close with a work out tip that I read in Runner's World a few years back. If you don't feel like exercising, tell yourself that you only have to do it for ten minutes. I mean, what is ten minutes of exercise? Nothing, right? But once you get started, you most likely aren't going to stop after only 10 minutes. However, ten minutes of exercise is a lot easier to deal with than 45 minutes. It's the same thing I tell my students--tell yourself you are going to study hard for 10 minutes and then take a break. It's the overwhelming feeling that you have to study an entire chapter or four pages of notes that keeps you from studying, and it's the same with exercise. Most days 45 minutes of Tae Bo doesn't seem doable, but ten minutes is always possible. I have never actually stopped after ten minutes. Try it. It gets the exercise done, I promise.
I still much more to write about this subject, but for now I will close. As always, if you have any tips to pass along, please do.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Winning the Diet Game
I have had several people ask me about what I am eating while trying to lose weight, and I have been gathering my thoughts on this for the past few days.
It is certainly true that couponing doesn't exactly lend itself towards healthy eating if we are talking about fresh, clean food, but it is entirely possible to count calories while couponing.
Here's the deal. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in, simple as that. I have tried diet after diet after diet, and the only thing that works is to burn more calories than you take in. I have however, taken a little bit of dieting strategy from each diet that I have done, so I am going to try to break that down.
First of all, I am big believer in recording what you eat for the first few weeks of a diet. Let's say you are dieting for the long haul--and I highly recommend dieting for the long haul, but I will get to that in a minute--I think that for the first three weeks or so, you need to be meticulous about writing down what you eat. And I mean every. single. bite. Why? Because if you don't, it is very easy to have a bite here and there, and without even realizing it, the calories start to pile up. I also think that after three weeks, you can slack off a bit when it comes to recording everything because you have established the habit of not taking a bite here and there. You see? And I am not saying that you should never take a bite. If there is cake or cookies at work, for example, and you are dying to have one, then by all means have one, just be sure to write it down and adjust your calories accordingly. This leads me to my next bit of dieting advice--
Don't cut out any one food. I have tried this before--no potato chips or french fries or chocolate or whatever, and for me it always back fires. I love potato chips and french fries. Love them, and I think they can easily fit into a diet. Again, our focus is on how many calories you eat in the day, so if I choose to eat fries at Chick-fil-a on Monday, then I just eat a low calorie dinner and breakfast. In the past when I have totally cut something out, it back fires because I end up ordering the fries anyway, feeling like I blew it, throwing in the towel, and calling it quits on the diet. However, if I never tell myself that I can't have fries, then if I eat them, I just adjust the day's food schedule. Do you see? This applies to whatever your "weakness" is; mine just happens to be french fries (dipped in ranch dressing, in case you were wondering).
Okay, while I don't believe in cutting out particular foods, I do believe in being smart about your food choices. I tend to get hungry often. Like, I may eat breakfast at 8 am, and by 10 am, I am famished. So, over the years I have learned that it is much smarter for me to eat eggs and whole grain toast than a cereal bar for breakfast. Protein and whole grains (complex carbs) are going to stick with you much longer than simple carbs (cereal bar). An easy mistake to make is to think that all calories are equal, and they are not. In fact, I would rather initially eat more calories at breakfast (omelet vs. bagel), but have the breakfast last until lunch. At the end of the day, I will have actually eaten less calories by being smart about what calories I choose. Does that make sense?
Now, this leads me to dieting on a budget. As you all know, my main priority right now is saving money in every way that I can. This means that my food choices most often reflect price rather than health or calorie count. There have been times, like when I was still teaching, when I could make health or diet my priority over price. So, alter your decisions accordingly. When teaching, convenience also played a huge role. For example, I might only have thirty minutes (or less) for lunch, so I often bought frozen, microwaveable meals such as Kashi or Lean Cuisine. These usually filled me up for the most part without packing on the calories. Now that I am staying at home, those things rarely work their way into the weekly budget. I do like Lean Cuisine pizzas a lot, so I try to stock up when they are on sale and I have coupons, but for the most part it is much cheaper for me to buy a loaf of bread (on sale) and peanut butter and call it lunch. Peanut butter is a cheap protein, and it is especially good for you if you buy Natural Peanut butter, so you aren't getting any added sugar or other ingredients. I use this to make peanut butter toast (on whole grain bread) or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (on whole grain, using "all fruit" type jellies). Again, the diet secret is no big secret, I just figure out how many calories I can have each day, and I stick to those calories no matter what.
This is getting long, so let me throw in two other things, and I will wrap this up. I suggest aiming for 1/2 lb to 1 lb a week. In college, I gained about ten lbs during my freshman year (which is a lot of weight gain when you are only 5 feet tall), and I tried my hardest to lose that weight over the course of three years. I tried everything, but finally, the summer before my senior year of college I did weight watchers, and I lost maybe 1/2 lb a week, and some weeks passed with no weight loss. It probably took me six months to lose the ten pounds, but I have never gained it back (not counting pregnancy, of course). Even now, I don't carry around that extra 10 lbs. Slow weight loss is the best kind. Don't try to drastically reduce calories. IT WON'T WORK. You will only become obsessive and it will back fire, I promise. (I speak from experience.) Be realistic and stick to a healthy amount of calories, and take it slow. The weight will come off and stay off, but you have to be patient and consistent. Any questions? I love talking about this stuff, so feel free to ask away.
And remember, here is my favorite place for dieting information. At the Daily Plate you will find out how many calories you need to eat each day, and you can record your daily meals and exercise. It is a great tool for staying on track!!
It is certainly true that couponing doesn't exactly lend itself towards healthy eating if we are talking about fresh, clean food, but it is entirely possible to count calories while couponing.
Here's the deal. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in, simple as that. I have tried diet after diet after diet, and the only thing that works is to burn more calories than you take in. I have however, taken a little bit of dieting strategy from each diet that I have done, so I am going to try to break that down.
First of all, I am big believer in recording what you eat for the first few weeks of a diet. Let's say you are dieting for the long haul--and I highly recommend dieting for the long haul, but I will get to that in a minute--I think that for the first three weeks or so, you need to be meticulous about writing down what you eat. And I mean every. single. bite. Why? Because if you don't, it is very easy to have a bite here and there, and without even realizing it, the calories start to pile up. I also think that after three weeks, you can slack off a bit when it comes to recording everything because you have established the habit of not taking a bite here and there. You see? And I am not saying that you should never take a bite. If there is cake or cookies at work, for example, and you are dying to have one, then by all means have one, just be sure to write it down and adjust your calories accordingly. This leads me to my next bit of dieting advice--
Don't cut out any one food. I have tried this before--no potato chips or french fries or chocolate or whatever, and for me it always back fires. I love potato chips and french fries. Love them, and I think they can easily fit into a diet. Again, our focus is on how many calories you eat in the day, so if I choose to eat fries at Chick-fil-a on Monday, then I just eat a low calorie dinner and breakfast. In the past when I have totally cut something out, it back fires because I end up ordering the fries anyway, feeling like I blew it, throwing in the towel, and calling it quits on the diet. However, if I never tell myself that I can't have fries, then if I eat them, I just adjust the day's food schedule. Do you see? This applies to whatever your "weakness" is; mine just happens to be french fries (dipped in ranch dressing, in case you were wondering).
Okay, while I don't believe in cutting out particular foods, I do believe in being smart about your food choices. I tend to get hungry often. Like, I may eat breakfast at 8 am, and by 10 am, I am famished. So, over the years I have learned that it is much smarter for me to eat eggs and whole grain toast than a cereal bar for breakfast. Protein and whole grains (complex carbs) are going to stick with you much longer than simple carbs (cereal bar). An easy mistake to make is to think that all calories are equal, and they are not. In fact, I would rather initially eat more calories at breakfast (omelet vs. bagel), but have the breakfast last until lunch. At the end of the day, I will have actually eaten less calories by being smart about what calories I choose. Does that make sense?
Now, this leads me to dieting on a budget. As you all know, my main priority right now is saving money in every way that I can. This means that my food choices most often reflect price rather than health or calorie count. There have been times, like when I was still teaching, when I could make health or diet my priority over price. So, alter your decisions accordingly. When teaching, convenience also played a huge role. For example, I might only have thirty minutes (or less) for lunch, so I often bought frozen, microwaveable meals such as Kashi or Lean Cuisine. These usually filled me up for the most part without packing on the calories. Now that I am staying at home, those things rarely work their way into the weekly budget. I do like Lean Cuisine pizzas a lot, so I try to stock up when they are on sale and I have coupons, but for the most part it is much cheaper for me to buy a loaf of bread (on sale) and peanut butter and call it lunch. Peanut butter is a cheap protein, and it is especially good for you if you buy Natural Peanut butter, so you aren't getting any added sugar or other ingredients. I use this to make peanut butter toast (on whole grain bread) or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (on whole grain, using "all fruit" type jellies). Again, the diet secret is no big secret, I just figure out how many calories I can have each day, and I stick to those calories no matter what.
This is getting long, so let me throw in two other things, and I will wrap this up. I suggest aiming for 1/2 lb to 1 lb a week. In college, I gained about ten lbs during my freshman year (which is a lot of weight gain when you are only 5 feet tall), and I tried my hardest to lose that weight over the course of three years. I tried everything, but finally, the summer before my senior year of college I did weight watchers, and I lost maybe 1/2 lb a week, and some weeks passed with no weight loss. It probably took me six months to lose the ten pounds, but I have never gained it back (not counting pregnancy, of course). Even now, I don't carry around that extra 10 lbs. Slow weight loss is the best kind. Don't try to drastically reduce calories. IT WON'T WORK. You will only become obsessive and it will back fire, I promise. (I speak from experience.) Be realistic and stick to a healthy amount of calories, and take it slow. The weight will come off and stay off, but you have to be patient and consistent. Any questions? I love talking about this stuff, so feel free to ask away.
And remember, here is my favorite place for dieting information. At the Daily Plate you will find out how many calories you need to eat each day, and you can record your daily meals and exercise. It is a great tool for staying on track!!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saturday's Grocery Plan
It's 4 am. I can't sleep. Who knows why, really. I don't even have anything on my mind. I just woke up, and I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to get out of bed and be productive. I have loaded and started the dishwasher, and I have completely prepared for today's grocery shop. Plus, I have realized that I have a lot of coupon organizing that needs to be done. I have been going through coupon burn out, so I slacked off for a while. Now, as a result, I am drowning in coupon paraphernalia. So...this week I am getting things back in order.
The grocery trip is looking good. I am doing Publix and Kroger, and I am hoping to stay under 40.00.
Last night, Tutti and I went to the Dekalb Farmer's Market. It was my first time there, and it was amazing. I was a bit in awe, just taking it all in. I didn't plan to make any big purchases since it was my first time. I mainly wanted to see what options I had there. I did walk away with three bags of organic mixed greens for less than I could buy a bag of Fresh Express at Publix. (each was less, not all three together less) I also bought a pound of fresh asparagus, and Tutti shared some of her fresh dill with me. We are hoping to make the Farmer's Market a regular thing. Tutti is a serious health nut, and we both realize that couponing doesn't allow for a lot of "clean" eating, so we are hoping to supplement all of our money saving with trips to the Farmer's Market. Scott, and I are going to have a big salad for Sunday lunch, using my mixed greens with chicken on top (.79 lb for a whole chicken at Publix!!). I can't wait, and I am hoping for enough left over chicken that I can have more salad for lunch during the week. Perfect for my bathing suit diet, right?
Here is tomorrow's grocery plan. I'll let you know how it goes.
Publix
2 boxes of Raisin Bran
2 Boxes of Oatmeal to Go
2 boxes of Lipton tea bags (hoping for organic green tea)
2 4-packs of yoplait yogurt
2 containers of Lysol wipes
2 bottles of Spray n' wash stain remover
2 containers of grape tomatoes
1 pack of Keebler cookies
2 kashi frozen meals
1 whole chicken
1 snuggle fabric softener
1 pack of Angel Soft (no more free toilet paper at Kroger. I am in mourning)
1 pack of Sparkle paper towels
Kroger
1/2 gallon of milk
10 stouffer's paninis (part of the buy 10, get 5.00 off promotion, and I have coupons)
8 scotch brite sponges (also part of the promotion)
2 sargento shredded cheeses
2 packs of Huggies (on sale for 9.99, 2 5.00 coupons, 4.99 EACH!!!!)
The grocery trip is looking good. I am doing Publix and Kroger, and I am hoping to stay under 40.00.
Last night, Tutti and I went to the Dekalb Farmer's Market. It was my first time there, and it was amazing. I was a bit in awe, just taking it all in. I didn't plan to make any big purchases since it was my first time. I mainly wanted to see what options I had there. I did walk away with three bags of organic mixed greens for less than I could buy a bag of Fresh Express at Publix. (each was less, not all three together less) I also bought a pound of fresh asparagus, and Tutti shared some of her fresh dill with me. We are hoping to make the Farmer's Market a regular thing. Tutti is a serious health nut, and we both realize that couponing doesn't allow for a lot of "clean" eating, so we are hoping to supplement all of our money saving with trips to the Farmer's Market. Scott, and I are going to have a big salad for Sunday lunch, using my mixed greens with chicken on top (.79 lb for a whole chicken at Publix!!). I can't wait, and I am hoping for enough left over chicken that I can have more salad for lunch during the week. Perfect for my bathing suit diet, right?
Here is tomorrow's grocery plan. I'll let you know how it goes.
Publix
2 boxes of Raisin Bran
2 Boxes of Oatmeal to Go
2 boxes of Lipton tea bags (hoping for organic green tea)
2 4-packs of yoplait yogurt
2 containers of Lysol wipes
2 bottles of Spray n' wash stain remover
2 containers of grape tomatoes
1 pack of Keebler cookies
2 kashi frozen meals
1 whole chicken
1 snuggle fabric softener
1 pack of Angel Soft (no more free toilet paper at Kroger. I am in mourning)
1 pack of Sparkle paper towels
Kroger
1/2 gallon of milk
10 stouffer's paninis (part of the buy 10, get 5.00 off promotion, and I have coupons)
8 scotch brite sponges (also part of the promotion)
2 sargento shredded cheeses
2 packs of Huggies (on sale for 9.99, 2 5.00 coupons, 4.99 EACH!!!!)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Fun, low-cal, meal on the go
Okay, I am back, and I am done with Tae-bo. Woo-hoo!!! One day down. And the most shocking thing of all, Ada is still asleep. I can't believe it. So...I am quickly going to give you a diet meal idea.
Warning--I have millions of diet facts floating around inside my brain. I have been storing them up there for many years now. Because I haven't officially dieted since my wedding, I have never shared these tips on here. They might show up a lot over the next six weeks. If you thought I was obsessed with coupons, you "ain't seen nothing yet." I will try to contain myself.
Anyway...I have tried every diet under the sun, really, I have. And my favorite, most successful one is Weight Watchers. It is healthy, safe, and sort of fun. The same thing in me that likes the game of couponing, likes the game of dieting. With weight watchers, you get a certain amount of points for the day, and I love seeing how far I can stretch those points. Much like I stretch our grocery money each week. Well, weight watchers costs money, and though I have memorized a lot of point values, I haven't memorized them all, so I am going to do a modified version of weight watchers and count calories. I am using the site, The Daily Plate, to do this. It's a great way to record what you have eaten each day. You can enter your height and weight, choose a certain amount of weight to lose each week, and it will tell you how many calories you can have each day. Then if you work out for a certain amount of time, you enter that into your "plate," and you earn calories for the day. You see?
So...today is day one of counting the calories, and we had nothing to eat for lunch since we just got back into town yesterday, so I headed to Taco Bell for my favorite, low calorie meal. Tutti, who is a walking encyclopedia of healthy eating facts (I talk diet, she talks health), introduced me to the concept of Taco Bell as healthy. Here is what I ordered today--2 chicken soft tacos, fresco style, and an order of pinto beans--no cheese and no red sauce. The tacos have 170 calories each, and the beans have 100 calories. Not bad, right? And it is a very fresh tasting meal. Some people might be able to get away with eating only one taco for even fewer calories. I require a suprisingly large amount of food in order to prevent starvation;), so I ordered two tacos, but I am still coming in way under my day's allowance, thanks to tae bo!!!
Please, please, please, pass on any meal or dieting ideas. Really, that bathing suit is staring me in the face, and it's not pretty.
Warning--I have millions of diet facts floating around inside my brain. I have been storing them up there for many years now. Because I haven't officially dieted since my wedding, I have never shared these tips on here. They might show up a lot over the next six weeks. If you thought I was obsessed with coupons, you "ain't seen nothing yet." I will try to contain myself.
Anyway...I have tried every diet under the sun, really, I have. And my favorite, most successful one is Weight Watchers. It is healthy, safe, and sort of fun. The same thing in me that likes the game of couponing, likes the game of dieting. With weight watchers, you get a certain amount of points for the day, and I love seeing how far I can stretch those points. Much like I stretch our grocery money each week. Well, weight watchers costs money, and though I have memorized a lot of point values, I haven't memorized them all, so I am going to do a modified version of weight watchers and count calories. I am using the site, The Daily Plate, to do this. It's a great way to record what you have eaten each day. You can enter your height and weight, choose a certain amount of weight to lose each week, and it will tell you how many calories you can have each day. Then if you work out for a certain amount of time, you enter that into your "plate," and you earn calories for the day. You see?
So...today is day one of counting the calories, and we had nothing to eat for lunch since we just got back into town yesterday, so I headed to Taco Bell for my favorite, low calorie meal. Tutti, who is a walking encyclopedia of healthy eating facts (I talk diet, she talks health), introduced me to the concept of Taco Bell as healthy. Here is what I ordered today--2 chicken soft tacos, fresco style, and an order of pinto beans--no cheese and no red sauce. The tacos have 170 calories each, and the beans have 100 calories. Not bad, right? And it is a very fresh tasting meal. Some people might be able to get away with eating only one taco for even fewer calories. I require a suprisingly large amount of food in order to prevent starvation;), so I ordered two tacos, but I am still coming in way under my day's allowance, thanks to tae bo!!!
Please, please, please, pass on any meal or dieting ideas. Really, that bathing suit is staring me in the face, and it's not pretty.
Still no time for blogging
I have so much I want to blog about, yet I don't have the time to do it. So, I am stopping by for a quick hello.
The beach is six weeks away, and I could not be more excited than I am. Really, Scott and I thinking we are looking more forward to this trip than we were honeymoon. We didn't know what we had that week of our honeymoon. We thought all of marriage would be like that--ha;) However, I am not looking forward to putting on a swim suit, or anything that shows my arms or legs for that matter because I am quite out of shape. Like, maybe the worst shape of my life? So...I am counting calories and committing to Tae Bo every. single. day. And then, maybe the bathing suit part of the beach trip won't be quite as painful. We'll see. Bathing suit season always catches me by surprise. I am all covered up in winter clothes, and then, boom, it's 70 degrees outside, and I am scrambling to get myself into some kind of shape.
So...on today's schedule, cleaning for bible study tonight, tae bo (which takes almost an hour!!!!!!), keeping up with Ada, tutoring, and the list could go on and on. I will be back in the next couple of days to talk about the grocery plan for the rest of the month.
Preview--Kashi frozen meals are B1G1 at Publix this week, just in time for operation I have to wear a bathing suit in six weeks. Those will make a nice treat at lunch time next week.
The beach is six weeks away, and I could not be more excited than I am. Really, Scott and I thinking we are looking more forward to this trip than we were honeymoon. We didn't know what we had that week of our honeymoon. We thought all of marriage would be like that--ha;) However, I am not looking forward to putting on a swim suit, or anything that shows my arms or legs for that matter because I am quite out of shape. Like, maybe the worst shape of my life? So...I am counting calories and committing to Tae Bo every. single. day. And then, maybe the bathing suit part of the beach trip won't be quite as painful. We'll see. Bathing suit season always catches me by surprise. I am all covered up in winter clothes, and then, boom, it's 70 degrees outside, and I am scrambling to get myself into some kind of shape.
So...on today's schedule, cleaning for bible study tonight, tae bo (which takes almost an hour!!!!!!), keeping up with Ada, tutoring, and the list could go on and on. I will be back in the next couple of days to talk about the grocery plan for the rest of the month.
Preview--Kashi frozen meals are B1G1 at Publix this week, just in time for operation I have to wear a bathing suit in six weeks. Those will make a nice treat at lunch time next week.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Back to Menu Planning
Life is back to normal, folks, with meal planning and clipping coupons and the general daily stuff. And it sort of feels good to be back.
This week we are in detox mode because for two weeks straight I have basically had an IV stuck to my arm pumping straight sugar into my veins, so we are voluntarily cutting the carbs and upping the protein this week. You might notice a lack of variety in the week's menu, but I think we will feel better as a result. I will start the menu with Sunday...
Sunday: Ham and bean soup (recipe to come). We will eat this for lunch, and I think I will make chicken salad for dinner.
Monday: Pork tenderloin (from the freezer), veggies (from the freezer) I did not have to buy one thing for this meal, thanks to stockpiling
Tuesday: 15 bean soup
Wednesday: Black bean soup
Thursday: grilled pork chops (manager's special at Kroger), veggies
I know, I know, the soup is getting a bit repetitive, but I tried to vary the flavor of soups:) I love soup--all kinds. And it's so easy to throw everything into the crock pot and let it simmer. Dinner hour is our fussiest hour, so anything I can do to simplify, well I am willing to do it.
As for breakfast--Ada and I will be eating eggs, and Scott will too if I wake up in time to fix them for him (it's doubtful).
Lunch--leftovers mainly, chicken salad and triscuits (Scott is off work Wed-Fri. for New Year's, so we may do omelets for brunch those days and forgo lunch all together)
Ada may be eating whole grain mac and cheese, or PB & J, since she has no need for a low-carb diet:)
By Friday we will most likely be souped out, and I will return to normal meals. We just need to lighten things up this week after the heaviness of Holiday Food. Can we say prime rib, mashed potatoes, and candy cane cake? Not to mention the pounds of homemade candy and apple pie I ate. Oh my, if you cut me I would bleed carbs.
Anyone have a great low-carb recipe? If so, please post it in the comment section. It would be greatly appreciated:) And remember, go to Organizing Junkie every Monday for more menu ideas.
This week we are in detox mode because for two weeks straight I have basically had an IV stuck to my arm pumping straight sugar into my veins, so we are voluntarily cutting the carbs and upping the protein this week. You might notice a lack of variety in the week's menu, but I think we will feel better as a result. I will start the menu with Sunday...
Sunday: Ham and bean soup (recipe to come). We will eat this for lunch, and I think I will make chicken salad for dinner.
Monday: Pork tenderloin (from the freezer), veggies (from the freezer) I did not have to buy one thing for this meal, thanks to stockpiling
Tuesday: 15 bean soup
Wednesday: Black bean soup
Thursday: grilled pork chops (manager's special at Kroger), veggies
I know, I know, the soup is getting a bit repetitive, but I tried to vary the flavor of soups:) I love soup--all kinds. And it's so easy to throw everything into the crock pot and let it simmer. Dinner hour is our fussiest hour, so anything I can do to simplify, well I am willing to do it.
As for breakfast--Ada and I will be eating eggs, and Scott will too if I wake up in time to fix them for him (it's doubtful).
Lunch--leftovers mainly, chicken salad and triscuits (Scott is off work Wed-Fri. for New Year's, so we may do omelets for brunch those days and forgo lunch all together)
Ada may be eating whole grain mac and cheese, or PB & J, since she has no need for a low-carb diet:)
By Friday we will most likely be souped out, and I will return to normal meals. We just need to lighten things up this week after the heaviness of Holiday Food. Can we say prime rib, mashed potatoes, and candy cane cake? Not to mention the pounds of homemade candy and apple pie I ate. Oh my, if you cut me I would bleed carbs.
Anyone have a great low-carb recipe? If so, please post it in the comment section. It would be greatly appreciated:) And remember, go to Organizing Junkie every Monday for more menu ideas.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
A protein emergency and other Wednesday happenings
I have a slight blood sugar problem. I have had it for as long as I can remember. If I have too many carbs and not enough protein, I get very shakey, my energy hits rock bottom, I begin to sweat, I become nauseous, and I feel as if I am going to pass out, at which point I have to eat lots and lots of more carbs to get things under control. This doesn't happen too often because I know that my body needs protein, but today was one of those days when I wasn't paying attention, and around 6:30 pm, I realized my energy was getting VERY low, and I needed protein. This resulted in my eating a large chili from Wendy's on a very hot summer day. I couldn't think of any other very quick options to balance the situation out before I hit the shaky, feeling as if I was going to pass out point. So here is my question. Does anyone have any good breakfast and lunch ideas that involve a nice balance of carbs and protein? I don't really like sandwiches. This is the lunch problem. Today, I had a fiber one bar for breakfast and pasta salad for lunch, which all tasted great, but provided no protein. I try to eat eggs for breakfast, but it is so much easier to eat a fiber one bar. Cleaning my kitchen is not very easy with Ada underfoot, and opening a bar takes a lot less clean up than scrambling an egg. So there I was, 100 degrees outside, eating piping hot chili.
On to other news, though. Ada news. She slept all night the past two nights!! I am so excited, and today was the first day in a long time that I did not nap when she napped. Yea. I have no idea why she is sleeping through the night because technically we have only had to let her cry it out twice since we first resolved to let her cry it out. Still, I don't trust it yet, and I plan to go to bed tonight prepared for her to wake up and cry for a while. She has also taken two naps the past two days. I can not figure her out. Her first five months of sleeping were fairly predictable, but since then there is no rhyme or reason to why she sleeps the way she does. For this mom who likes to be in control, it is quite the test. I don't like it when I don't have an answer for things. And most things have been a guessing game since the day I saw the positive sign on the pregnancy test:)
As for other fun facts about Ada, she has become quite the little monkey. She climbs on everything. She can't walk yet, but she sure can climb. Today we had been playing in the family room, and she crawled into the dining room, and I didn't follow her immediately. After a few seconds passed, I realized it was quiet, and I went to check on her. I found her sitting snugly in her walker "walking" around the dining room. I am not sure of the logistics of the situation, but Ada somehow got herself inside of her walker with no help from me. And with no noise for that matter. I just hope she doesn't figure out how to climb out of her bed. She keeps me on my toes, that's for sure.
I wish so much that I could post pictures. I have taken so many good ones of her lately, but that stupid, stupid virus on our computer is keeping me from posting. I am so scared that we will lose all of our pictures in the process of getting it fixed.
So that's our Wednesday. We are rested, finally, and Ada is fun and unpredictable as always.
On to other news, though. Ada news. She slept all night the past two nights!! I am so excited, and today was the first day in a long time that I did not nap when she napped. Yea. I have no idea why she is sleeping through the night because technically we have only had to let her cry it out twice since we first resolved to let her cry it out. Still, I don't trust it yet, and I plan to go to bed tonight prepared for her to wake up and cry for a while. She has also taken two naps the past two days. I can not figure her out. Her first five months of sleeping were fairly predictable, but since then there is no rhyme or reason to why she sleeps the way she does. For this mom who likes to be in control, it is quite the test. I don't like it when I don't have an answer for things. And most things have been a guessing game since the day I saw the positive sign on the pregnancy test:)
As for other fun facts about Ada, she has become quite the little monkey. She climbs on everything. She can't walk yet, but she sure can climb. Today we had been playing in the family room, and she crawled into the dining room, and I didn't follow her immediately. After a few seconds passed, I realized it was quiet, and I went to check on her. I found her sitting snugly in her walker "walking" around the dining room. I am not sure of the logistics of the situation, but Ada somehow got herself inside of her walker with no help from me. And with no noise for that matter. I just hope she doesn't figure out how to climb out of her bed. She keeps me on my toes, that's for sure.
I wish so much that I could post pictures. I have taken so many good ones of her lately, but that stupid, stupid virus on our computer is keeping me from posting. I am so scared that we will lose all of our pictures in the process of getting it fixed.
So that's our Wednesday. We are rested, finally, and Ada is fun and unpredictable as always.
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