Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Stressed with a capital S!

I am so stressed. It's not even food related but food becomes a factor. Part of this post may be TMI so read at your own discretion.

It's that "time" of the month. So I am already in an irritable mood because of this. And I'm also eating because of this. I ate like half a loaf of bread yesterday! Ok, maybe not 1/2 of the loaf but it was a lot! And I knew I shouldn't eat it. Every time I got up to eat it, I knew I should stay seated. I even tried to keep busy (cleaning). So because of that "time", I'm eating more, which causes me more stress.

Today, I'm stressed and frustrated with work! And because of that, I'm stress eating mini tootsie rolls!! I'm so frustrated with some of the office politics here that I'm ready to give my notice when I get back from vacation. Seriously! I was thinking I will work at CVS or something part time and get a new legal job! So, I'm stressed because of that.

The only saving grace is that I'm going to work out tonight. That always gets my mind off of other things. It helps relieve my stress. I love to work out when I'm feeling this way!

Do you work out when you are stressed? Does it help you?

What are some options you use when you are stress-eating or emotionally eating?

Monday, June 28, 2010

Weekend Recap

Can you believe it's Monday already? I can't! The weekends always go by way to quickly for me!

Saturday

I had the written exam for the job in the morning. I was taking it for two separate positions: "Senior Legal Assistant" and "Legal Assistant". I qualified to take both and I wasn't going to pass it up! I would take either position if I was offered it. I think I did pretty well. I won't have the results for 5-6 weeks though.

Afterward, I ate a quick lunch, picked up my city sticker (said goodbye to $25), then went clothes shopping with my cousin. I don't like shopping. Maybe it stems from not being able to find clothes that fit me before. I'm not sure. I just know that I don't like spending money and I also get really cranky after about 1/2 hour! My poor cousin!

She is the shopper so I bring her along and she forces me to try on things I may not have otherwise. And she loves to spend my money!! :)

I bought some cute stuff! A t-shirt, a cute printed shirt, a purple shirt with rouging down the front for work (so cute!), a pair of shorts, and a strapless dress. A what!?! Yes, a strapless dress! I don't usually wear dresses but I wanted something to wear of vacation. When my cousin wanted me to try on strapless, I told her "no-way!" My boobs are too big and saggy (I know, too much info), but she insisted.

I actually thought it flattered my shape very well! I thought it was too dressy but she said it could go either way. I could wear it with flip flops or dressy shoes. So I bought it! Then we had to go shopping for a strapless bra! Grrrr, I hate bra-shopping. But I got measured and I was about the size I thought I was! And I found a bra that fit! Yay!

My mom was so excited on Sunday when she saw the dress that she made me put it on and pose for pictures! Yes, she made me do it! See, told you, she never sees me in dresses! lol

So here is that "before" picture again (although it was after I lost about 25 lbs, so not a true before). And here is the red dress pictures. Sorry for the tan lines and for the horrible hair. I hadn't done my hair after taking a shower after the gym!



What do you think? I'm kind of self conscious but I need to break out of my shell so I'm determined to wear it at some point on vacation.

When we got home, we were exhausted. We didn't want to go buy food to cook for dinner so we were ordering out. I'd never been where they were ordering from, so I checked out the menu online. I decided on a "Chicken Breast Plate." It continued charbroiled chicken breast (you could get it marinated, BBQ, or Cajun). I chose BBQ'd. It came with a choice of potato (I chose baked), a side of grilled veggies and a french roll.

I ate the whole chicken breast (about 4 oz.), 1/2 the potato with with 1 oz. sour cream, all the veggies, 1/2 the roll with 1/2 of the little square of butter. So delicious! And so much healthier than what the others ordered! I was so happy with my decision!

My cousin is not happy with her weight. She just had a baby but she has struggled with her weight prior as well. Since she was venting to me about it, I decided to ask her if she wanted to go for a short walk after dinner. We were only supposed to go for about 15-20 mins but we ended up going for 50 minutes! Whoohoo! I think she was very happy. We made a pact that we would go walking once a week and decided on Thursdays.

Sunday

Sunday started off with a different gym routine than normal. Our step instructor wasn't going to be there. I convinced my mom to try the spin class that's an hour earlier than the step class. It's always nice to do something different. I don't burn as many calories on the bike though. I burned about 300. After that, we went to the step class being taught by someone else. I really didn't like him at all! He is so boring and doesn't have a good flow. My mom doesn't like to leave in the middle of the class because she feels bad so we stayed. I burned another 300 calories.

I snacked too much during the day. I was pretty discouraged about that but I vowed to track EVERYTHING! And I did. That made me feel so much better!

At night my nephew Tony called me and said an old friend was coming to my parent's restaurant. This person is my nephew's godfather. I haven't seen him since probably 2001 (at my grandfather's funeral). I've known him (we will call him V.) since I was about 3 years old! He used to be my brother's best friend! They had a falling out and that was that! But my nephew recently contacted him and that's how he decided to come to the restaurant.

It was so good to see him! I always like him! Really nice guy to me and my family. His wife and 2 children came with him. It was a good way to end the evening.

Today, I'm thinking I might skip the gym and clean my house after work! I mean, deep clean my messy messy house! Let's see if I can get it done!

Friday, June 25, 2010

A Polar Bear! And Weigh In Results

Really! There was a polar bear in the southwest suburbs of Chicago! I never would have thought I would see the day. A picture was snapped of the polar bear! The polar bear's name is Gertie. Say hi to Gertie...

Well, first I know what you are thinking! It looks like a teddy bear and not a polar bear! But it really is a polar bear! Second, you must be thinking that it's not real! Well, if it walks like a bear, and talks like a bear...oh, wait, it doesn't walk and talk like a bear!

So who is this mysterious Gertie the Polar Bear? It's my dad's mascot for his restaurant. For those Chicagoans...it's Lindy's and Gerties in Bridgeview and their mascot is a polar bear. My dad got this costume on E-bay! Way to go Dad!

And the person inside the costume at this particular time? Well, it's none other than my nephew Tony!

I decided to try to see him since he came in to town a few days ago. He has mostly been at the restaurant. I wanted to see him but I wanted to work out! What am I to do! So after work, I drove to a mall about 2 miles from the restaurant and parked. Then I ran 2 miles to the restaurant. Actually some of my cousin's and their family where eating there. So I had my dad make me a turkey on wheat, lettuce, tomato & mustard. I needed to eat dinner but didn't want something too heavy since I had to run back to my car in about 1/2 to 1 hour. It hit the spot. But yes, I had 1 cheese stick that was leftover from someone's food! And a few fries! But I stopped quickly before it became a disaster. Everyone else had fried foods, beef sandwiches smothered in cheese, the biggest sundaes you ever could eat!

Here is a photo of me and Tony at the restaurant.


Wow! Hard to believe he is only 15 years old! He towers over my almost 5'7" frame. But it was nice to see him and the rest of the family. At 8:20 pm, I jogged myself back to my car!

Now, I decided to weigh in today instead of tomorrow because I have a written test for a possible new job (fingers crossed). I weighed in with one eye shut! Yay! I lost 1.4 lbs. I'm back within my goal range! I actually want to lose a few more pounds before vacation hits mid-July!

What are your exciting weekend plans? Me? That test tomorrow morning, then I'm supposed to go shopping with my cousin. I desperately need new clothes but I hate shopping! I'm not good at it and after 1/2 hour, I get really cranky! So, I'm bringing along my shop-a-holic cousin Jessie!

**Lastly Danica at Danica's Daily is having an XAgave & Cookbook Giveaway! Sounds amazing so stop on over at her blog and enter for a chance to win!

**Also, Lindsey at Healthy Stride is having a Ryders Giveaway giving a pair of riding sunglasses away! So cool, I really want these! Visit her blog and enter to win!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Ramblings

Wet, hot, cool, heavy, light, tired, energetic, scattered. What do these words all have in common? Me! This is the way I've felt lately. I'm all over the place. I can't contain my thoughts or actions! I've thought about posting on my blog the last two days but never gathered my thoughts!

And today's post is just about some general ramblings. What's going on with me...food wise, exercise wise, family wise, and job wise.

Food

Uh, well, what can I say. I have to eat, right!?! No, I haven't been tracking. The week started out with some random binges on stupid stuff. I'm trying to curb that these last few end days of the week. I need to gain control!

I did make a bean salad. I just threw together rinsed black beans, navy beans, chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, quartered grape tomatoes, 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP rice wine vinegar. Yummy! I should do that more often!

I also made another batch of fruit salad. Cantaloupe, strawberries, pineapple, green grapes, raspberries, blackberries. Delicious! I should do THIS more often too!

Exercise

I've been doing ok with the exercise.
Sunday, I ran in the city for 5.5 miles.

Monday, um...my Alzheimer's is kicking in, I can't remember...Oh yeah, I rode my stationary bike for 40 mins at home.

Tuesday, I ran another 5.5 miles (the heat was horrible, about 90 that day!) And I walked to and from the train which is at least a mile each way (for a total of about 32 mins)

Wednesday, walked to and from train again, 32 mins. Did about 15 mins of hand weights and abs at home (I'm getting lazy and don't want to go to the gym!)

Thursday, today, planning this out. May opt for a 4 mile run. I'm going to park about 2 miles away from my parents restaurant, run there, see my nephew who got in town a couple days ago, then run back to my car! Sounds like a plan. (And 32 mins with "train walking")

Friday, tomorrow, will be my normal Friday routine. 1 hour kickboxing class followed by 1 hour weights, legs, abs class. I love Friday's!

**Note, one of my June goals was to get at least 15 mins of exercise in every day. So far, that has been working out wonderfully! Now, the rest of my June goals? Never mind.

Family

I already mentioned that my 15 year old nephew came in from Ohio a few days ago. We have had plans to get together but they have not panned out. I'm anxious to see him and he is anxious to see me! He grew up with me around and two years ago, he moved to Ohio. It was hard on both of us and I have always offered for him to come live with me (my brother is not the most stable person around) but he doesn't want to leave my brother. I understand.

And Tony (my nephew) and I are going on vacation in July. We are going to Los Angeles. We are going to see a Cubs game at the Dodgers Stadium and also going to Six Flags. Other than that, we are just site-seeing, hiking, swimming, etc. I'm trying to figure out where to stay but I'm not familiar with the area at all. Anyone been there that can help me out? Trying not to pay a fortune and would like to keep it to mid-$100's.

Work

A girl at work is quitting. We are already super busy and she gave 5 days notice. She leaves right before another girl goes on vacation and after her, it's my vacation! Not good timing. Our office is very small and this is going to be tough. I would actually like to get a new job...I'm a legal assistant/paralegal.

But I do have a written test for a job this Saturday. It's for the County for legal positions. This would be so sweeeeeet!!!!

Well, that's all for my ramblings for today. Oh, wait! No it's not!

I'm thinking I might just do a drop-in weigh in tomorrow before work as opposed to my normal Saturday weigh in. I'd have to go to the 7:30 meeting on Saturday before that test if I wanted to go. I don't want to skip because I find that weighing in really helps me stay on track. And I may skip a week around vacation too. So wish me luck! Please lose 0.4 lbs and get back within my goal range! lol. I'm not so sure though. I haven't been the "angel" weight watcher I know I should be!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Houston, we have a problem!

I had my weigh in on Saturday. It was not a good number! It was my fault. I didn't track ALL WEEK! But I'm sure it's not all a gain either. Bodies are funny things! Probably holding on to some sodium among other things. So I will take it all in stride and move on. I gained...wait for it...4.2 big ones!! Whoa!

The weekend was so great! I had the cousin's party with some of my cousins. We went to the beach north of the city and it was a perfect day! About 90 degrees but little humidity! Sunny! We had a torrential downpour the night before but Saturday was perfect! We had lots of good healthy food and some non-healthy snacks. I indulged in both!

Sunday was Father's Day! Happy Father's Day! After waking up at my cousin's house, I decided to take advantage of being near the Lake and decided to go running along the lake. It was so nice! Passing beaches and people playing volleyball. I decided to run for 1/2 hour one way and 1/2 back. I was unsure of the distance but when I drove the one way afterwards, I found that I probably ran about 5.6 miles total. Not too shabby and worked off some of the cookies from the day before.

Then it was dinner at the parent's house with my grandparents (mom's parents). It was also my Grandfather's b-day on June 14th so we were celebrating that too. We had a delicious and very healthy meal of shish-ka-bob's, grilled corn and grilled pineapple! Yummy!

Upon returning home that night, I found my gazebo in the backyard had fallen over due to the storms Friday night and a chair was overturned. It was also moved about 1.5 feet over! It looked like a hurricane went through my yard! I guess I should have checked before I left for the weekend on Saturday morning! I did my best to get the gazebo back up right but it's heavy and really hard for one female! I got 3 out of the 4 legs straight. I'll need help to get it back the correct way.

So what's my plan for this week since I gained a premature newborn last week? I'm really only 0.4 lbs over my goal "range". You are allowed 2 pounds above and 2 pounds below your goal weight. What I'm going to do it go into losing mode for these last 5 days of the week. I'm shifting my points back down to my daily "losing" points of 22. In maintenance, you get 4 more points, which would normally be 26 points. I will track all my points this week and try to come in as close to 22 points as possible. If I work out, I have no problem eating those workout points. You can't starve yourself and need to fuel yourself for workouts.

My nephew is flying in tomorrow. I'm so excited to see him! He is very excited to come in. He lived here his whole life except the last 2 years. He can see his friends and family here.

And did you see my new blog colors? I needed a change. It's necessary sometimes!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Foto Friday!

Happy Friday fellow bloggers! I thought in honor of having nothing much to say today, I would post some pictures! I know Foto should start with a "Ph" but Friday starts with an F so I wanted to be uniform.

I won't be blogging tomorrow as I'm having a fun day with my cousin's! We will be spending the day at the beach with a nice park picnic and BBQ at my cousin Cathy's house! Should be a fun day! Hope to catch up with you on Sunday (Father's Day). What are you doing for Dear Daddy??

I'm going to try to weigh in at WW tomorrow but I have to leave right away to get to the beach nice and early. I hate waking up early on Saturdays but sometimes you just have to do it! Fun in the Sun tomorrow! Is supposed to be 90 degrees! I'm not expecting a great weigh in. I haven't been tracking all week and there was a little unnecessary snacking, but you never know. Maybe by cutting several inches off my hair, it will help me lose a few tenths of a pound! :)

My beautiful white rose bush! It's dying now though :(


My tomato plants. I have a teeny tiny garden but at least I'll be getting some tomatoes!

The deer I saw on my run yesterday. This forest preserve is right next to a busy street! It amazes me when I see deer!


One of my cats, Isabelle, hiding in a plastic bag. She loves to play Hide & Seek, really, she does! She will hide on the one side of the bed and peek underneath it. I'll bend down and peek under the other side. Kind of like Peek-A-Boo with a little baby. She loves it! lol

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Time to Change!

I did it. Chopped all my hair off! Sometimes you just need a change. I'm not particularly attached to my hair. I've had it shoulder length to mid-back. But with the weight loss and slightly more confidence (ever so slightly!), it was time for a change! As in the words of the Brady Bunch Song "Time to Change":

"Well its time to change
then its time to change

move by the time come along for the ride, don't you see
when its time to change you've got to rearrange
move your heart to w
hat your gonnabe.
sha na na na na na na sha na na na na na


day by day its hard to see the changes you've been through
a little bit of living a little bit of growing all ad
ds up to you
every boys a man inside

a girls a women too
and if you wanna reach your destiny its what you've got to do
"

I love the Brady Bunch!

Before and Afters of the New 'Do!





An older lady at work (she's about 35 years older than me) told me that she liked my new hair cut. She said "It's nice because your getting to be 'that age' now." Uh, what? I think you just called me old! She is the queen of inappropriate comments though so no offense taken really.

I like it. It will be great for summer. It's going to take a little getting used to but it will be great!

One last important thing for the post. I tried the Blueberry Ice Tea that Marisa at Loser for Life made and it was delicious! I highly recommend it! I'm making it for Father's Day this weekend too. I mention Marisa's blog a lot, well, frankly, because I love it! I've tried a lot of her recipes and I think they are great! So I show the "blog love" to Marisa a lot. But I love all my Blogging Friends!

"...sha na na na na na na sha na na na na na..."

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Wet, Soggy Mess

I realize that I have been slacking on my tracking this week and also doing a little too much snacking. I need to re-focus! I also want to start taking pictures of my food and I hope that it will make my blog more interesting.

Oh sure, you may tell me it's interesting. You may lie through your teeth! But I know the truth! It actually doesn't help that we are swamped at work. Every time I think we are getting less swamped, we get more swamped again!

But the only thing I really have to tell you all today is that yesterday I was a wet, soggy mess!

I noticed when I was leaving work that it was drizzling. I borrowed an umbrella from a co-worker. I got outside and it didn't work. It wouldn't go up and stay up.

Well, no biggie, it was only drizzling! Well, when I got off the train, it was pouring! A torrential downpour! Like a hurricane! And I walked to the train that day. It's over a mile! Are you kidding me? I had no one at home to call since I live alone. I thought about calling my cousin but didn't want to bother them (they have a relatively new baby). I sucked it up and decided to grin and bear it!

The roads were flooded. There aren't any sidewalks in my neighborhood. I was DRENCHED! About 3/4 of the way home, a nice man asked if I wanted a ride home. I thanked him for the offer but declined. I was almost home, already soaked, and don't like getting into strange people's cars! Although, if someone offered while I was still at the train station, I probably would have accepted!

It's so hard to look good when you are a soggy mess! There was no dry spot on me!

**Tonight I should be chopping all my hair off. Chin length is what I'm going to get. At least, that's what I'm shooting for right now. We will see if I chicken out later. I have a picture that I'm bringing with me. I'll take before and after pictures of my hair if I decide to do it!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Grilling

Please excuse me while I start with a topic not about grilling!

I bought a house last November. Prior to that, I lived in an apartment for 3 years. Prior to that, I lived with my parents. I moved out kind of late in life (they couldn't get rid of me)! I stayed as long as I did because of my nephew. He was born when I was 15 years old and I did a lot of stuff for him. As he got older, I felt responsible to make sure he was doing his homework and taking him to his guitar lessons or baseball/hockey practices, as well as his games. It was a lot. He was like my son, but without actually being my son! I loved it though. We were really close and had special things like our Saturday Subway lunches! lol.

But at the ripe old age of 27 (!), I decided I couldn't live with my brother at my parent's house any longer! It was time to go! A huge feeling of guilt came over me. I wanted to move close to still be there for my nephew. When I moved to the apartment, it was about a 15 minute drive from my parent's house. I still took him to his lessons and tried to call and make sure he was doing his homework. I felt it was my responsibility. If he didn't do his homework, I felt like I failed him! I felt that, if he didn't succeed, it was my fault.

Whoa! Where did this post come from! I meant to talk about grilling at my new house!! I'll wrap that prior topic up. A few years ago, my brother and nephew moved away from Chicago to Ohio. Well, that was the end of my feeling guilty! There was only so much I could do now! But my nephew is a smart and good kid. He is 15 now and has his drivers permit (AHHHHHHH!!). I'm very proud of him. He seems to make good choices for a 15 year old. We never really had any major problems with him thus far! I did good raising him!! lol.

So I moved to a house last year (thanks to the $8,000 first time home buyers tax credit)! This is my first summer there. I live alone with two cats. The previous owners were super nice and left a lot of stuff there (patio set, grill, top of the line stainless steel appliances!).

This is my first year with a grill all to myself. I'm starting to try grilling new things, not just meat and chicken. Last week it was corn on the cob! Can we just say...YUM!

Yesterday, I decided to try grilled pineapple. I've heard about this a lot. I thought it sounded interesting but never tried it. Well, when I cut up my pineapple over the weekend, I left 4 rings whole. Yesterday, I threw them on the grill! It was so good! I'm in love with grilled pineapple!

Have you grilled pineapple before? If not, I highly recommend it!

What is your favorite "non-conventional" (unconventional) thing to grill?

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Everyone is entitled...

Everyone is entitled to an "off" day. And yesterday was mine. It wasn't intentional. And I kept trying to correct the "off" and continue making it "on". But it never quite happened.

I started out with my ww meeting (see yesterday's post). That went well and gave me new energy! I tracked my breakfast and ran father's day errands. Then snacked at my parents house. Seriously, I ate a little of this and a little of that. I think it was because I was really hungry at this point.

I went straight home instead of stopping at another store so I could eat dinner! I wanted to correct this "off" behavior! And I did. I had a wonderful dinner of turkey bratwurst, with grilled corn. Then I had some more snacking behavior!

I tried to correct THIS "off" behavior by going for a short run (granted it was 7:15 pm, but it's never too late!). I was jogging and after 10 mins, I got a huge cramp in my stomach. It was a different cramp than just a running cramp. I didn't know if it had to do with dinner but I ate over an hour ago! I walked a few minutes hoping the cramping would subside. I started running again and the cramping came right back. So I walked a lot of my run. I probably ran for 18 mins and walked for 10.

But it wasn't a normal workout day and I had already run twice that week which is a lot for me. I don't run much, usually 1 time a week. Anyway, I went home and tried out the Wii Personal Trainer game for my abs for 15 mins. It was just o.k. I got this free and never tried it before. At least I didn't spend money for it.

Then I was snacking again so I thought I would vacuum. Trying to correct this "off" behavior again! Well, my vacuum is a piece of s**t and after taking the whole thing apart, I didn't want to put it together. In the garbage it went and at 8:45 pm, I went off to Walmart for a new one! At 10:00 pm, I put together my new vacuum and vacuumed away! Now, my mistake was buying some ice cream at Walmart. Because for the rest of the night, I snacked on ice cream. Ugh!

Sometimes I wonder why I do the things I do. I stopped writing down my food, chalked it up to an "off" day. I guess the good this was constantly trying to correct the "off" behavior. That's a good sign. But I kept giving up.

I guess everyone is entitled to an OFF day, the key is not to let the "off" day be an "off" week! Today is fairing much better!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

WI Results

Well, it was my first week on maintenance. One "plus" about being on maintenance is getting 4 extra daily points! ;) But eating more is a hard concept to rationalize! I don't want to eat more! What if I gain my weight back?

I think what happened with me is, even though my daily points were more, I probably ate around the same amount because I just didn't eat as many weekly points or exercise points. That wasn't my intention but it worked nicely.

I actually lost 1.8 lbs this week!

My dilemma now is whether I want to maintain at 160 (I'm 158.2 now) or try to get down to 155! I've never been 155 as long as I can remember! Or course, I've never been 158.2 as long as I can remember either!

I think what I might do is see how it goes. I do have a vacation planned in July, which is near the tail end of my 6 weeks of maintenance so I guess if I do lose a little now and gain a little back because of vacation, it will balance out and I'll make Lifetime! I would really like to stop paying for weight watchers after 3 years! Of course, don't get me wrong, it was worth EVERY PENNY! So, I'll try for maintenance and later if I want to lose 5 more lbs, I will.

Today was a day of Father's Day shopping! My dad's a follower of this blog so I can't tell you what he got! Have a great weekend.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Short but Sweet!

This will be a short post. I don't really have too much to say today. We have been super busy at work but I guess that's good!

This will also be a sweet post! Why? (Don't worry, you will never have to hear about this again!). Because the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup the other night! The parade and rally is today. It starts at about 10:30 a.m. I work very close to the parade route (they will pass us at one point) and all I can hear from my office is cheering and horns honking! It will make for a very distracting work day! I would love to be out there but I'm an adult with responsibilities! Sigh! I could take an early lunch and see part of it, I'm sure but I don't think I will go.

Here is a photo from 2001 on a family vacation at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. It's my father and nephew posing with the Stanley Cup!

Now I'm trying to figure out this maintenance thing. It's kind of hard when you have a "losing" mode in your head and now you are able to eat more! You start out with giving yourself 4 extra points for two weeks and see how that goes with your weight. Then adjust as necessary.

I actually wouldn't be opposed to losing about 5 more pounds. But I'm trying maintenance to see how that goes and hopefully I can stop paying for weight watchers! I need to work on the toning aspect more now. My tummy has flab galore!

One last note, I grilled corn on the cob yesterday. Do any of you grill corn on the cob? It was so good! I read an article that said you can do it two ways. 1 way is if you want the corn steamed, soak it in the husks for about 1 hour then grill it in the husks. #2 way, which is my method was, if you just want the grill taste but not have it steamed, remove the husks (do not soak the corn) and just grill about 10 mins each side.

Now the corn is round so I was unsure what 10 mins each side was! I did leave it 10 mins on the first side but after that I kind of flipped it every so often for a total of 25 mins. Delicious! I didn't put anything on it while grilling it, but I would be interested to hear if you have some sort butter or mix that you put on the corn prior to grilling it.

I hope you all have a great weekend. I hope I have a great weigh in!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Running in Chicago

I'm going to be a sporadic blogger the next week or so. We are extremely busy at work! I did manage a run on Monday evening after work. I decided to run downtown, along Lake Michigan, since I'm already down there for work. My neighborhood gets boring sometimes at home so I thought this might be a nice change of pace.

The run went good! I snapped some pictures along the way. I felt like a tourist going for a jog!
I'm almost to my final destination on the run, Navy Pier. You can see the big Ferris Wheel in the distance. Hello Lake Michigan!

Almost at the end of Navy Pier, my final destination before turning around and going back. I did not mean to take a picture of the garbage can. What I see in the distance are some interesting flags...here's a closer look.

Why...those are flags with the Chicago Blackhawks on them! Supporting the home team! Go Hawks, game 6 tonight! Just need 1 more win!

Chicago Skyline in the background. My run started around those buildings!

My running path. Sorry, another picture of a garbage can! There are so many bicyclists out now, you have to make sure you don't get run over!

Me in the bathroom at work afterward. I felt really good. I felt like I could have been out there all night long! But I needed to get back because I had to catch my train. The next one wouldn't have been for an hour!

So I guess if you have lost your running mojo...ahem...find a different place to run. Sometimes new scenery is the only thing you need to change!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

I made 3 new recipes this past weekend. One of them I really liked. It was the Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice. It's so good, but a little tiny spicy! These 3 recipes all came from a Weight Watchers Best Eats Cookbook.

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 crisp-cooked reduced-fat bacon slices, crumbled
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can tomato puree (I used 1/2 diced tomatoes & 1/2 tomato sauce)
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
2 TBSP minced chipotles en adobo
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. each of salt & pepper
1 TBSP chopped cilantro
1 TBSP chopped scallion

Directions: Spray medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray & place over medium-high heat. Add onion & garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 2-3 mins).
Add onion mixture to slow cooker.

Add bacon, broth, beans, tomato puree, rice, chipotle en adobo, oregano, salt & pepper; cover and cook on low until the rice is tender, about 3 1/2 hours. Stir in cilantro and scallion just before serving.

Per serving (1 cup): 219 Calories; 2 g. Fat; 6 g. Fiber; 11 g. Protein...Points Value: 4 (depending on your ingredients).

Book Note: This slow cooker recipe has a shorter than usual cooking time. Cooking it longer than the specified time will make the dish too thick.

My Note: I cooked this recipe for about 4 hours and it was perfect. Use your best judgment.

I'll possibly post the other recipes tomorrow but they were just...eh...ok. One was a mango sorbet and one was Cauliflower Poppers.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Go Hawks!!

Sorry, I have to do it! A post only cheering on my home hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks! Game 5 tonight. Tied 2 games a piece! Apparently there are some Flyers fans on the blogs here! I don't think I can be friends with you anymore!! lol. I'm kidding! I just don't want you to get mad when the Hawks win tonight (and when they win the WHOLE thing!)!!

GO HAWKS! GO HAWKS!! GO HAWKS!!!

There, that should do it!

And a special thank you to the lovely words from you all on me making goal! I was so surprised! I am trying to be careful this week and do what I'm supposed to, within reason!

Everyone have a great weekend!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

GOAL!! GOAL!! GOAL!!

No, I'm not talking about my favorite Hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks! I'm talking about me! I lost 4.8 lbs this week. I think my 3 lb gain last week wasn't entirely all a gain. My body must have been doing funny things last week.

But this week? 160! My goal weight! My mouth just dropped open when I stepped on that scale (I don't own a scale at home).

I would like to thank all the little people! Just kidding. Seriously, the blogs I started reading before starting my own and all the people that comment on my blog now! You guys are a huge part in this accomplishment and I see such inspiration from all of you. So thank you!!

Now I have to wrap my head around maintenance. How do you do that when you have been in "losing mode" for the last 3 years? I need to switch my thinking.

So I'm definitely not at the end of my journey! Now the hard part starts!

And I would like to send a little shout out to my home Hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks that are in the finals of the playoffs. It's tied 2 games each against the Philly's. I've been a Blackhawks fan since I was born! I would love for them to win the Stanley Cup! Now that I've blogged it, it has to come true!

GO HAWKS!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Quick Post - Happy Friday!

It's official. It's Friday! Now, what to do over the weekend?

I've been doing great with no over-eating since I found that new droid phone app. I know you might be sick of hearing about it. So sorry, but I figure, whatever works!

Stats from phone yesterday (*Results not 100% accurate)

Calorie Intake: 1,384
Calorie Output: 2,195
Calorie Deficit: 811

WI is tomorrow. I'm hoping 4 days of doing really well in the food and exercise department is going to help me. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Smoke Alarm Buzzes = Dinner's Done!

I am definitely not a natural cook. DEFINITELY...NOT!

But in honor of my June Goals, I need to make a new recipe every week. I decided yesterday was the day! And I had bought stuff to make new recipes over the weekend. I have a weight watchers cookbook from a few years ago that they were selling 50% off back then. It's one of the best WW cookbooks I have. I'm leery when making weight watchers food sometimes because either the portion is too small or there isn't enough seasoning or something.

Anyway, this cookbook is titled "Best Eats". It's recipes that people doing weight watchers had sent in saying it was their favorite. The recipe I wanted to make was Eggplant Rollatini. It's kind of like Stuffed Shells but with Eggplant. I don't have the recipe with me but in a nut shell...this is what you do:

1. Slice medium eggplant lengthwise into 8 slices (about 1/4") Spray baking sheet with cooking spray, lay eggplant down and spray eggplant Bake for about 10 mins each side or until browned

2. While Eggplant is cooking, take 2 cups crushed tomatoes, some basil and 2 cloves of chopped garlic and throw in a sauce pan, simmer about 10 mins or until thickened


3. While both the eggplant and sauce are cooking, p
ut 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan and 1 chopped garlic clove After the garlic infuses, about 30 seconds, add 1 small chopped zucchini and 1/4 cup chopped onion and cook about 5 mins on medium heat until softened
Put in bowl and let cool a little bit. Then add 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese and a little parm cheese (I forgot the amount). Add some parsley and mix together

4. Take a baking d
ish (2 quart dish) and add a little sauce to the bottom. Take 1 eggplant slice and put 2 TBSP of ricotta mixture on one end. Start from that end and roll up. Put fold side down in baking dish. Repeat with all 8 slices of eggplant. Then top with the rest of the sauce and a little more parm cheese

The weight watchers stats were about 2 rolls of eggplant for 3 WW points. I have the full nutritional in
fo in the book.

Note #1, don't burn the eggplant and make your smoke alarm go off! lol. But it still tasted ok in the recipe.

I also have the worst knife skills! Next time I may use my food processor to chop up the veggies!

I made this with a boring side salad with Kraft Light Toasted Sesame dressing.

Sorry for the poor pictures. When I moved, I packed my camera and have yet to find it! lol

And my stats per my phone are as follows:
Calorie Intake: 1,101
Calorie Output: 1,984
Calorie Deficit: 883

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

June Goals & Droid Fun!

June is among us! Wow, this year is flying by! In honor of the month of June and in honor me not getting to goal...yet, I've decided to make some June Goals. I will try my best to follow these goals and report back at the end of the month. These are not perfect goals but whose perfect!

June Goals
1. Max of 12 oz. of diet soda in one day
2. Workout in some form every day (even if for only 15 mins)
3. No splenda in morning tea
4. No candy
5. Try one new recipe a week

Next order of business: My Droid phone. I got this phone around January/February. I never had internet on my phone or a cool phone or anything like that. Since I don't have internet at home, I decided to get it on my new phone. This Droid phone is the Android by HTC (Verizon). I downloaded an app a few months back and never did anything with it. I decided to play around with it yesterday. This was a free app, so it didn't cost me a dime!

The app I played with is "Calorie Counter." I don't count calories, fat, carbs, sugar, etc. I don't. I follow my WW points and try to follow the good health guidelines from that but that's it. This app is super cool though with minimal effort!

You add food for the day and it will track the calories, fat, fiber, carbs, sugar, protein! You can search for the food item (i.e. banana). Or you can scan the bar code! Yes, that's right! My phone will scan a bar code! I just want to scan everything!

So you can scan the bar code and if it recognizes it, it will pull up the item with all the nutritional information. Then you just change the serving size to what you ate. It's as easy and counting to 2! I've scanned several things so far (milk, strawberries, tea, etc) and the only thing it didn't find was an old marinade! They probably don't carry that marinade anymore. It recognizes so much stuff!

Can you tell I was excited! It also tracks the calories you burn for the day. Now I know this is not completely accurate. I know there are other factors involved besides your height and weight. But it still is a good tool to be able to use and to keep you accountable. It will tell you how many calories it thinks you burn for the hours you are asleep, for the "resting" hours (your normal day stuff) and for your exercise.

Then you can see how many calories it says you burned vs. how many calories you consumed! You can look at your weekly totals too. So much fun!

So for yesterday, my phone says I consumed 1,289 calories and burned 2,215 for the day with a total calorie deficit of 926! Whoohoo!

I did do pretty good yesterday with food and exercise. I didn't do any mindless snacking. I'm hoping to continue through the rest of the week!

Do any of you use any cool features or apps on your phones?

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Feeling Blah!

I've just been feeling "blah" lately. I know that I don't have to describe that feeling to some of you, you already have known that feeling in the past. I really think it has a lot to do with the food I'm eating. The mindless snacking. The lack of control. It really does reek havoc on your internal system. (Oh, well, not to mention TOM...my monthly friend...sorry TMI!).

If you haven't yet, stop in on Marisa's post from today on her blog at Loser for Life. She talks about her "no sugar" experiment. She has a lot of insight into her own personal experiences the last two weeks. I was intrigued. I loved the way she says she is feeling now. I'm not following her experiment right now or anything, but it's definitely food for thought.

So today is another day. Trying to follow my own "good" food plan. I did bring my stuff for the gym later even though I really didn't want to. I just forced myself, saying that if I don't bring it, I won't go. But if I DO bring it, at least I have the option to go if I choose too.