Wednesday 5-9-12

Happy hump day folks!  Today was a lovely, slow-paced day.  I ran a couple errands (alone!) and then went to the farmers' market with the kidlets.  I didn't make it to the gym.  My intention was to go to the gym after dinner but I did not anticipate feeling so buzzed off of a 4 fl oz glass of pinot grigio!  My tolerance is going down.  Crazy.  If my buzz wears off any time soon then I may head out to the gym, but more than likely I will just be doing some at-home exercises, maybe some dancing to my phone's video playlist via HDMI connection.  We shall see!  The night is young!  I ended up snacking a tiny bit at the farmers' market (free samples) so I had to guesstimate the points values.  I think I guessed accurately considering how tiny my bites were.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (11 pts)
Egg white omelet with 1 slice of uncured, nitrate/ite free center cut applewood bacon, 1 oz reduced fat cheddar, 2 oz of sliced avocado, homemade 100% organic salsa, light organic sour cream and two lattes each made with coffee, 1/2 c. raw, organic skim milk, 1 Tbsp fat free hazelnut creamer and a few drops of liquid stevia.

Snack (0 pts)
3 small organic strawberries (my daughter's leftovers, hehe.)

Lunch (6 pts)
Big salad with 3 c. organic mixed baby greens, 1/4 c. organic shredded carrots, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette,  1 oz organic chicken breast, 1/2 oz crumbled goat cheese, 7 g dry roasted/salted pistachio nuts and 10 g of dried cranberries. So yummy!

Snacks/free samples at the farmers' market (approx. 3 pts)
A slice of an organic spring flame peach, 3 tiny pieces of a baked pita chip, 1 dipped in cilantro/jalapeño hummus, 1 dipped in pesto/sundried tomato/feta 3 layer dip and 1 dipped in chiptole hummus. Everything was SO delicious!

Snack (0 pts)
An organic spring flame peach.  Probably the best peach I have ever tasted. EVER.

Dinner (14 pts)
My own organic chicken piccata experiment (divine), 1 serving Trader Joe's brown rice medley (cooked in fat free organic chicken broth with a little salt) and organic baby arugula dressed with a homemade organic Meyer lemon vinaigrette and a sprinkle of freshly grated pecorino romano. Oh yes, and a 4 fl oz glass of pinot grigio which caught me off guard and gave me a lovely buzz!

I ate 34 points(ish) of 33.  I'm still going to exercise, even if it's just a jog around the block or a dance session in the living room.  If I get hungry later (doubtful) I will have some organic raspberries topped with a dollop of homemade, organic crème fraîche because I just made a "fresh" batch and am dying to have some.  If I do decide to indulge later I'll only have 1 pt worth, which is about 1 Tbsp.  We shall see.  Good night and thanks for reading!

Tuesday 5-8-12

Well my goodness. It's past midnight so I'd definitely say this qualifies as a late post.  Today was great though.  I was on such a high after my workout and it lasted all day.  I went to the mall this afternoon and bought a very cute, flattering dress.  I still have a little bit to go until I reach my goal size but I can definitely see my body changing for the better.  I got so many compliments today from random strangers at the mall and that felt a-mazing!  I feel like I'm on a roll.  But enough about that.  This is what I ate today.

Breakfast (8 pts)
Egg white omelet with Herbs de Provence and fresh goat cheese, 2 links of turkey sausage and two organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Lunch (7 pts)
The last of the leftover chile verde pork with cilantro, onions, lime and two corn tortillas.

Snack (0 pts)
A banana

Dinner (11 pts)
Pastrami, provolone & organic arugula sandwich grilled in herb infused olive oil with a side of organic baby arugula, balsamic & red wine vinaigrette, reduced fat feta and 4 g toasted pine nuts.

Dessert (6 pts)
An angel food dessert cup topped with sliced organic strawberries and fat free vanilla frozen yogurt with a cup of raw, organic skim milk.

I used 32 of 33 points today.  Good night...er...morning everyone!  Have a great day!

Monday 5-7-12

I never got a chance to sit down and blog last night, so here I am!  Weigh in went well yesterday, despite the splurge-y Cinco de Mayo weekend.  I was down 3 lbs!  I guess all the exercise paid off.  It felt great to see such a good loss and I was so motivated that I went and did an extra 15 minutes at the gym.  17 days til our getaway anniversary weekend!  I am so excited!  This is what I ate yesterday, Monday May 7th, 2012.

Breakfast (7 pts)
Egg white omelet with organic peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, baby spinach, reduced fat pepper jack cheese, homemade organic salsa, 2 slices of center cut bacon and two organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes with liquid stevia.

Lunch (8 pts)
4 oz shredded chile verde pork with onions and cilantro, 2 corn tortillas and 1/2 c. black beans.

Bad pic, delicious meal! 

Dinner (16 pts)
4 oz skinny coconut shrimp with my own mock piña colada dipping sauce, 3 oz baked Alexia chipotle seasoned sweet potato fries, a side of raw, organic sun-sweet baby broccoli and a can of Blue Sky Free lemon-lime stevia sweetened soda.

"Dessert" (4 pts)
Some of the leftover coconut shrimp. Oh my goodness, they are highly addictive! If you make these be very careful to have extra people around to help you eat them!

I used 2 weekly points yesterday to have some extra shrimp for "dessert."  I ate 35 of 33 points but I earned a lot of activity points at the gym, so no guilt.  Thanks for reading!  Be back later.

Sunday 5-6-12

I was so busy today I forgot to eat lunch.  It was a day of Cinco de Mayo leftovers and lots of shopping.  Well, window shopping since I didn't find what I was looking for.  Boo.  Shopping will be a lot more fun when I am back at my goal size.  I need to focus on toning up and then I'll feel better in certain kinds of clothes.  Our anniversary weekend is in 19 more days!  I am so excited!  I am going to post reminders allover the house so I can stay focused.  I have some events to attend this coming weekend that could easily derail me if I let them.  I need to come up with a plan of attack, but enough about that.  This is what I ate today.

Breakfast (10 pts)

Homemade machaca and egg white burrito (in a low carb flour tortilla) and two lattes with organic skim milk and fat free hazelnut creamer

Snack (0 pts)

A few organic strawberries

Dinner (14 pts)

California burrito with 3 1/4 oz leftover carne asada, 87 g frozen potatoes O'brien (potatoes/peppers/onions), 1 tsp canola oil, 1/2 oz reduced fat Mexican blend cheese, 1 Tbsp light sour cream, homemade salsa and a low carb tortilla.  And 1/2 c. of black beans.

I only ate 24 of 33 pts today.  Not great but dinner was so filling that I am not hungry for anything else.  Besides, I got a little (ok, a lot) carried away on Cinco de Mayo and probably ate enough points for yesterday and today.  I'm wondering if that's why I'm not hungry at all.  I am upset that I went into the red yesterday (points-wise) but I don't even know by how much because I stopped tracking after a while.  Weigh in is in the morning and I am pretty nervous about that.  Ugh.  Well, whatever happens happens.  I will update tomorrow. 

Friday 5-4-12

Sorry for the day late, picture-free post!  I didn't get on my computer for anything yesterday and it was kinda nice.  When I woke up I was instructed to have a day to myself---mani/pedi/massage---and that hubby would take care of the kids.  So after breakfast I was off!  I got pampered, relaxed and did some shopping.  When I got home I had a late lunch/early dinner and then got ready for a friend's birthday get together.  My parents took the kids in the evening and hubby and I joined friends at a local brewery.  It was a lot of fun, but I had to do some guessing on points values, and I definitely didn't exercise.  Looking back. I made some bad food choices and didn't eat enough fruits/veggies at all.  Today is Cinco de Mayo and I only have 4 weeklies left and all of my activity points.  I'm nervous but I'll do what I can!  This is what I ate yesterday, May the 4th.

Breakfast (9 pts)
Egg whites, 2 slices center cut bacon, an Everything Bagel Thin with neufchatel and two organic/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Lunch (13 pts)
Baked tostitos scoops tortilla chips piled with leftover turkey/black bean taco meat, an oz of 2% Mexican blend cheese, 1 Tbsp light sour cream and lots of jalapenos.

Snack (2 pts)
A no-bake peanut butter/oatmeal fudge bite

"Dinner" at Prohibition Brewery (29 pts-ish)
2 glasses of pinot grigio and half an order of artichoke spinach dip with chips.

Snack at my parents' (5 pts)
1 small slice of pizza with pepperoni and veggies

Late night snack at home (8 pts)
Light pb&j on Sara Lee Delightful whole wheat bread

Yikes, I had about 61 pts yesterday, nearly double my daily points allowance!  But at least it was within my weekly points allowance.  I'm going to do my best to behave today and tomorrow so I can still have a decent weigh in Monday.  Thanks for reading!

Thursday 5-3-12

Hola.  Today was a trying day.  I spent the entire day running errands with the kids in tow (because hubby had other errands and Dr appts) and they made things rather difficult for me.  When my husband got home from his errands in the early evening I took the opportunity to work out my frustrations at the gym.  Felt good!  I did decide to break into the Patron reserved for Cinco de Mayo though, but I only had 1 shot glass worth so it's ok.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (9 pts)
Breakfast sandwich with egg whites, smoked deli ham and light cheese in a Sara Lee white wheat bun, a side of organic strawberries with a little fat free Reddi-Wip and two organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes with a few drops of liquid stevia.

Lunch (11 pts)
Leftover skinny chicken tikka masala and 3/4 c. jeera (cumin) rice

Dinner (16 pts)
2 turkey and black bean tostadas with organic romaine & tomatoes, 1 oz reduced fat Mexican blend cheese, light sour cream, Tapatio and an organic strawberry margarita.

I had 36 of 33 points today.  No regrets.

Wednesday 5-2-12

Hi guys, happy hump day.  Today was quite a depressing day in San Diego.  When I got home from the gym I was hit with the news that Junior Seau (former San Diego Charger) was killed by an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.  I grew up in Oceanside, Ca, the same town Seau was from, and he was our hometown hero.  I did not know him personally but the news weighed heavily on me all day long.  I feel sad for the family he left behind.  It was just a weird day, and the dreary weather did not help.  Anyway, this is what I ate today.

Breakfast (7 pts)

Egg white omelet with organic veggies (peppers, onions, tomatoes, baby spinach, mushrooms) sauteed in 1 tsp EVOO, reduced fat pepper jack cheese, homemade salsa, 2 slices of center cut bacon and two organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes sweetened with 4 drops of liquid Stevia.

Lunch (6 pts)
Grilled pastrami & provolone sandwich with organic baby arugula on Sara Lee Delightful whole wheat bread grilled with 1 tsp EVOO, dried Italian herbs and a touch of garlic salt.

Snack (3 pts)
Tall Skinny Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, no whip.

Dinner (14 pts)
Skinny chicken tikka masala served on top of 3/4 c. jeera (cumin) rice and a big, skinny mango lassi. Fantastic dinner. Much better than it looks.

Dessert (3 pts)
1 serving of 3-2-1 yellow cake ("recipe" found on Pinterest) topped with organic strawberries and a dollop of fat free Reddi-Wip.

I ate 33 of 33 points today.

Tuesday 5-1-12

Hi guys.  Quick post and no pics tonight.  I have a pounding headache and need sleep.  I didn't have the healthiest day.  We took the kids to Chuck E Cheese for some fun and lunch today and I let my week-long pizza craving get the best of me.  I still managed to stay within my daily points by eating an apple for a late afternoon snack and having a pint of organic strawberries for "dinner."  Not the healthiest habit but it got me through the day.  I felt so bad about the pizza that I went for a run when I got home with my 3 year old and our new jogger.  It's probably why my head is pounding; I haven't gone on a run in so long and it took a lot out of me.  So, I'm not thrilled with how the day went (health-wise) but it is what it is!  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (7 pts)
Egg white omelet with organic onions/pepper/tomatoes/spinach/mushrooms sauteed in a tsp of EVOO and topped with reduced fat pepper jack cheese and homemade salsa, 2 slices center cut bacon, and 2 organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Lunch at Chuck E Cheese (26 pts!!!)
Big salad with greens, cheese, ranch dressing, broccoli, carrots, peppers, mushrooms etc and 4 slices of pepperoni pizza.

Snack (0 pts)
Organic Aztec Fuji apple

"Dinner" (0 pts)
1 pint of organic strawberries

I plan to make tomorrow a lot better. I had 33 points today of 33 points, but I feel like crap because I don't feel like it was super balanced.  Ick.  Ok, thanks for reading.  Good night!

Monday 4-30-12

Hi friends.  Sorry for the silence over the weekend.  I totally blew it.  Everything was going so well up until Saturday night.  We took an impromptu trip to Stone Brewery to meet up with friends (after bbqing with my family all day) and I felt like a WW rock star when I exercised self-control and only had one drink.  After we picked up the kids, went home and put them to bed I messed things up by drinking wine and one thing led to another.  Yeah, I totally raided the stash of leftover Easter chocolate.  Doh!  I blame the cramps and the hormones, and the lowered inhibitions.

I was so exhausted yesterday.  We took the kids to the park for some soccer and a long walk and when we got home I was too tired to cook.  I sent hubby to the store for a rotisserie chicken and he came home with fried chicken, deli sides (macaroni salad and a fatty potato salad) and Hawaiian sweet rolls.  And guess who had more wine.  Double doh!  Weigh in this morning wasn't pleasant.  I was so mad at myself for my indiscretions, but hubby wouldn't let me dwell on it.  Baby girl had her 18 month check-up today (and shots, poor thing) and when we got home from that I went straight to the gym.  I pushed myself really hard today.  I am still hormonal, crampy, and kinda moody this evening.  The gloomy weather didn't help things.  I indulged again today, but at least it was with a new set of weekly points, and at least I'm steering clear of the evil chocolate that I so desperately want.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (11 pts)
1/2 serving soy chorizo with 1/2 serving hash browns, 1/2 c. egg whites, 1 oz shredded reduced fat cheddar, homemade salsa and a low carb flour tortilla, plus two organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Snack (1 pt)
Light string cheese and a banana

Lunch (14 pts)
Huge salad of greens, grape tomatoes, red onions, cucumber slices, cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, grilled chicken breast, shredded carrots and 25 grams of bacon ranch dressing.

Dinner (17 pts)
100% organic grass fed New York strip steak, 1/2 c. roasted garlic mashed potatoes, garlic-roasted asparagus and a 5 fl oz glass of cab. Not a great pic but dang it was delicious.

I ate 43 pts+ today, so I big time dipped into weeklies.  I am going to try to spread them around this week so I'm not eating a bunch of them over the weekend.  I need to be more careful on Sundays if I want to keep weighing in on Mondays.  Ok folks, I need to go lay down.  Thanks for reading. Good night!

ETA...Dessert: I caved and had some chocolate, but not Easter chocolate; I made a single serving of Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt brownie and topped it with 1/2 a Tbsp of Nutella. Yum, and only an additional 4 points.

Friday 4-27-12

Hi friends, TGIF!  I am feeling refreshed this evening.  I went to the gym before lunch today, and because I didn't do a formal workout yesterday I pushed myself to my limits today.  At times I had to slow down because my heart rate got a bit too high.  I am feeling really motivated to get in shape right now because hubby and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage next month and we just booked a getaway weekend at a winery yesterday.  I have a drawer filled with nothing but bikinis and I would love to comfortably wear one on our mini vacation!  Anyway, I felt fabulous for a few hours after today's workout, but when I sat on my couch to make a quick phone call to a customer sheer exhaustion swept over me and I couldn't fathom cooking dinner or doing anything for that matter.  The kids were running around like wild little things and so I asked my husband to keep an eye on them so that I could take a short nap before dinner.  I ended up sleeping for an hour and a half!  It was glorious!  Thank you dear husband, if you're reading this.  Smiley face. This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (9 pts)
Smoked ham, egg whites and light cheese in a Sara Lee white wheat hamburger bun, a cup of sliced organic strawberries topped with a squirt of fat free Reddi-Wip, and two organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Snack (0 pts)
A banana

Lunch (8 pts)
A "pizza" made with an Alternative whole wheat pita, 1/2 c. leftover crockpot Italian sausage pasta sauce and 1 oz of shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese.

Dinner (16 pts)
Baked parmesan & panko crusted chicken breast with lemon & thyme, 1/2 c. long grain and wild rice pilaf and a cup or so of organic baby kales dressed with a simple, homemade lemon-herb vinaigrette and a good sprinkle of shredded pecorino romano.  Oh yes, and a 6 fl oz glass of moscato.

I used exactly 33 points of 33 points today and still have a bunch of weeklies left for the rest of the weekend. That's all folks, have a great weekend!

Thursday 4-26-12

I have to make this a quick post.  My daughter is having a major meltdown right now.  Good times.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (8 pts)
Egg white omelet with Herbes de Provence and 1 oz fresh goat cheese, 2 turkey sausage links and 2 organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes

Snack (4 pts)
Small slice of sugar free angel food cake topped with 1 c. organic raspberries and 1 Tbsp homemade organic crème fraîche and 1 c. organic skim milk

Lunch (7 pts)
Half a serving of leftover four-cheese baked crab macaroni and 1 1/2 c. steamed broccoli

Dinner (14 pts)
2 oz whole wheat capellini topped with 1/2 c. crock pot pasta sauce with lean hot Italian turkey sausage and 1 Tbsp low fat ricotta cheese, 1 piece of garlic bread and 5 fl oz of moscato.

If I eat anything else tonight (doubtful) it'll be one of the fabulously delicious organic Aztec Fuji apples from the farmers' market. Those are bomb.  Anywho, I ate exactly 33 points today! Thanks for reading.  Until next time...

Wednesday 4-25-12

Today was such a gloomy, dreary day.  Were it not for the farmers' market I would not have gone anywhere today.  My husband had a doctor's appointment in the morning and physical therapy in the afternoon so I knew chances were slim of me going to the gym at a desirable time.  While he was at physical therapy and my daughter napped I went ahead and did an at home workout.  I have an awesome video playlist on my Droid that I like to watch while I'm on the elliptical, but I decided to connect my Droid to our tv via HDMI cable and use it to dance my butt off instead.  My son was preoccupied with his educational KPBS games so I had the living room all to myself.  I just copied the dance moves on the videos (as best as I could, haha) or did my own moves when there was no fun choreography to follow, and I wore my heart rate monitor the entire time so I knew how long my workout was.  It was fun!  I miss dancing and my video playlist is perfect for this kind of workout.  (It's got stuff like Katy Perry's "California Gurls", Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get It Started", Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie", No Doubt's "Bathwater" and a whole bunch more.)  After hubby got home and I showered we made a family trip to the farmers' market.  It was a quick trip because the rain started to move in.  Dinner was the perfect comfort food and came out better than expected.  It was divine.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (8 pts)
Egg white omelet with Herbes de Provence and 1 oz fresh goat cheese, 2 links turkey sausage and 2 organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Lunch (5 pts)
3 c. organic baby spinach, homemade balsalmic viniagrette, 1 c. sliced organic strawberries, a handful of organic blueberries, 2 Tbsp reduced fat crumbled feta and 15 grams glazed walnuts.

Snack (0 pts)
A banana on the way to the farmer's market.

Dinner (18 pts)
Four cheese baked crab macaroni and cheese (with 2 oz high fiber penne), lightly steamed organic broccoli and a 6 fl oz glass of pinot grigio.

Dessert (2 pts)
Sugar free angel food cake topped with organic raspberries and a dollop of homemade organic crème fraîche.

I used exactly 33 points today! Thanks for reading guys.  Be back tomorrow.

Taco Tuesday 4-24-12

Good evening friends.  It was a good night.  Tonight we celebrated my late father-in-law's birthday with a fun dinner and we showed our son pictures of him and reminisced.  He would have been 57 today.  Then we watched Tuesday night tv (Whitney Houston Glee and New Girl.)  I went to the gym earlier today and made myself do an extra 10 minutes on the elliptical because I felt a little guilty about the random pb&j I decided to eat in the middle of the night last night, a couple hours after I wrote my blog...which reminds me I should go update yesterday's entry.  I meant to stick to my 33 points today but I ended up going over by one point.  No biggie, that's what weekly points are for.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (7 pts)
Egg white omelet with onions, red/yellow/green peppers, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, reduced fat pepper jack cheese, homemade salsa, 2 slices of center cut bacon and 2 organic skim milk/hazlenut lattes.

Lunch (10 pts)
Leftover chicken burger with an Indian twist with curried mayo in an Alternative pita, 1/2 serving of Alexia sweet potato fries and half of a fresh red pepper cut into strips.

Snack (0 pts)
Organic Aztec Fuji apple

Dinner (17 pts)
2 tilapia tacos with shredded cabbage and crema, 1/4 c. homemade guacamole, 1/2 c. black beans with homemade pico de gallo, 1/2 oz baked Tostitos scoops, and a big strawberry mango margarita.  I know how ginormous it looks but it's mostly  organic frozen fruit and just one shot of tequila. ;)

I ate 34 of 33 points today.  Thanks for reading.  Good night!

Monday 4-23-12

Hi guys!  I need to make this quick because I can hear my three year old in his room banging drums even though he's supposed to be sleeping.  Ay yay yay.  Our neighbors must love us.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (8 pts)
Tomato-basil egg white omelet with neufchatel and reduced fat feta and two organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Snack (6 pts)
Oikos 0% vanilla Greek yogurt with organic sliced strawberries and 1/2 oz chopped walnuts

Lunch (6 pts)
Leftover chicken with asparagus and mushrooms in a garlic white wine sauce served over 1 oz whole grain penne.

Snack (3 pts)
A big bite of homemade macaroni and cheese I made for the kids. Probably less than 3 pts but I'm playing it safe. A small banana.

Dinner (11 pts) 
Chicken burger with an Indian twist served in a whole wheat Alternative pita with low fat curried mayo, cucumbers, red onions and cilantro with a side of 15 Alexia sweet potato fries, more curried mayo and sliced cucumber. I usually use ground turkey for this but all I had was ground chicken and it worked SO well. Delicious! This is one of my favorite meals ever.

Snack (0 pts)
Zucchini "chips."  So delicious and reminiscent of roasted pumpkin seeds. You MUST try this asap! I didn't get a chance to snap a pic. I made 2 zucchinis worth and they disappeared quickly.

I should also mention I went to the gym today and earned a lot of activity points, and my weigh in this morning was great!  I lost 4 lbs, woo-hoo!  Ok well, my three year old stopped drumming but I can hear him laughing like he's up to something/  I better go.  Thanks for reading!  Good night.

4-24-12 ETA: I ended up so flustered last night after dealing with my three year old that I gave into a killer pb&j craving and ate a reduced fat crunchy peanut butter and strawberry preserve sandwich on Delightful wheat bread for 8 points. Meh. It is what it is.

Sunday 4-22-12

Good morning!  Yesterday was pretty great.  My husband and I decided to go on a family outing despite the icky gray weather.  It ended up working out nicely because we went on a nature walk for a little over an hour that included very steep inclines.  One incline took us over 10 minutes to get up!  My arms and glutes are feeling it today!  (I pushed the double stroller since the hubby is still recovering from shoulder surgery.)  Eating-wise I feel I did pretty well, not because I ate a small amount but because I was still within my weekly points and did not eat a single activity point. I exercised 6 days last week and that's pretty darn good for my first week back on WW.  I am happy to report that weigh in went well this morning; I am down 4 lbs!  Woo-hoo!  Anyway, this is what I ate yesterday, Sunday April 22nd.

Breakfast (12 pts)
Avocado-bacon-cheddar egg white omelet with homemade salsa and light sour cream and 2 organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes with Splenda.

Snack (0 pts)
Banana

Lunch (10 pts)
Leftover Hawaiian turkey burger patty with 1 slice reduced fat pepper jack, 3 slices of grilled pineapple, broccoli slaw and 1/2 a serving of Alexia sweet potato fries.

Snack (3 pts)
1 oz sharp cheddar cheese. I couldn't resist! I was grating a whole bunch of it for my kids' homemade mac 'n cheese and the small drove me too crazy not to have a piece.

Dinner (12 pts) 
Chicken, mushrooms and asparagus in a garlic white wine sauce served over 1 oz of whole wheat cappelini and topped with 1 Tbps shredded parmesan.  Oh, and a 5 fl oz glass of pinot grigio.

Dessert (5 pts)
1 oz sugar free angel food cake topped with organic sliced strawberries, 15 g melted chocolate and 2 Tbsp fat free Reddi-Wip. And to drink, 1/2 c. organic skim milk.

I ate 42 points of 33 yesterday and still had 11 uneaten weekly points plus all of my activity points intact.

Saturday 4-21-12

Here we go again with the day late post!  Yesterday was interesting.  My daughter had another rough night Friday and as a result I ended up sleeping in til past 11:30 a.m. yesterday.  It threw me off.  We ended up having brunch instead of breakfast.  My parents babysat for us.  We were excited to go do something active in the sunshine instead of our usual dinner/hot tub date, but the weather ended up being bad (by our spoiled SoCal standards) and a we got a late start.  I won't even go into all of the little issues we encountered yesterday;  Murphy's Law was definitely in play. Long story short, we ended up at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and some alcohol, and then we went home and hot tubbed afterward. It was well deserved.  I was nervous about the Mexican restaurant but I handled it better than expected by keeping count of my chips, having only one drink (wine instead of my usual sugary margarita) and by ordering a healthy appetizer for my meal with just a side of beans.  It was still a lot of points but not as much as usual.  I still have weekly points leftover for today if I want them and I haven't even touched my activity points.

I had intended to blog last night but I didn't anticipate the night our 3 year old put us through.  After we picked the kids up from my parents our 3 year old son said he wanted to go to Disneyland, and when we told him we couldn't he quickly became an inconsolable, hysterical mess.  He carried on like this for over an hour leaving hubby and I exhausted. I have created a Disney loving monster.  Ay yay yay.  After that I just wanted to eat something and go to bed, and that's what I did.  This is what I ate yesterday:

Brunch (9 pts)
1 1/2 servings individual (aka, muffin tin) asparagus, mushroom and parmesan frittata, 2 slices of center cut bacon, a delicious medley of sliced organic strawberries and organic blueberries and my usual organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Snack (2 pts)
1 tsp natural peanut butter, a light string cheese and a small banana

Linner at Anita's Mexican Restaurant (25 pts-ish...I think it's an overestimation but better to be safe than sorry!)
16 tortilla chips with salsa, approx 1 1/2 c. ceviche with 4 small slices of avocado, 1/2 c. refried beans with a touch of cheese, 3 corn tortillas and one glass of white zinfandel.  I had trouble guessing how much wine was in the glass because of its odd shape, so to be safe I called it 9 fl oz in my WW tracker. Who knows?!

Late night snack (11 pts...yikes)
Burrito made with a low carb flour tortilla, 1/3 c. leftover refried beans, shredded Tequila-Lime chicken, reduced fat pepper jack cheese and homemade salsa

I'm sure it's an overestimation (restaurant eating can be tricky) but if it's anywhere close I ate about 46 points yesterday, 13 of them being weekly points! Pretty crazy.  I plan to behave myself today since my first back-on-track weigh in is first thing tomorrow morning.  Well, thanks for reading.  I will be back tonight with an update on today. Until then...

Friday 4-20-12

Happy Friday everyone!  Today was a pretty relaxing day. I ran some errands and went to the gym but didn't feel rushed at all.  It was a pretty good day.  Sorry to make this short but here is what I ate today:

Breakfast (6 pts)

Egg white omelet with onions, red/yellow/green peppers, spinach, tomatoes and baby bella mushrooms in 1 tsp EVOO with reduced fat pepper jack cheese and homemade salsa and my usual 2 organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes. I stayed full from breakfast for a pretty long time!

Snack (0 pts)

Small banana before the gym

Lunch (13 pts)

Ginormous salad comprised of of 3 c. organic baby kales, cilantro, organic grape tomatoes, sliced red onions, 1/4 c. black beans, homemade pico de gallo, mushrooms, shredded carrots, cucumbers, 2 oz avocado, 2 Tbsp organic sweet corn, 2 Tbsp spicy ranch dressing and leftover tequila-lime chicken breast from last night. 

Dinner (14 pts)

Hawaiian turkey burger (99 % lean turkey) with grilled red onions & pineapple, Sara Lee whole wheat white bun, 1.5 oz Alexia chipotle sweet potato fries with homemade pina colada dipping sauce and a lightly dressed broccoli slaw. 

It's 8:17 and I have eaten exactly 33 points of 33 points.  However there is a very good chance I will be having 1 or 2 weekly points worth of angel food cake with fresh organic strawberries and a dollop of fat free Reddi-Wip.  I can't get it out of my head and after 5 days in a row of hard workouts I think I deserve it.  Well, that's all folks. Have a great weekend and thank you for reading!

Thursday 4-19-12

Hello friends!  Today was another successful day.  It was also the first day I stayed within my daily points target without reaching into my weekly points, so yay me!  I didn't go to the gym today.  Normally my husband watches the kids so I can go to the gym but today I went to a couple stores instead. It was mostly just for window shopping but was fun just the same.  Seeing cute clothes I will soon fit into was motivating for me.  Later on hubby took our son to play in the backyard while our daughter napped so that I could still exercise at home.  I did aerobics and weight training in our living room while dinner was marinating in the fridge.  It feels good to say that I have exercised every day this week (so far.)  Anywho, this is what I ate today:

Breakfast (9 pts)

Tomato-basil egg white omelet with white onions, neufchatel and reduced fat feta, 1 link of turkey sausage and 2 skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes with Splenda. 

Lunch (6 pts)

Protein-style (no bun) 96/4 burger wrapped in large leaves of organic romaine lettuce with organic tomatoes, red onions, 1/2 oz sharp cheddar, pickles and 1 Tbsp homemade "animal style" sauce. (An In-N-Out thing, and very close if I do say so myself.)

Snack (3 pts)

Homemade guacamole rolled in a yellow corn tortilla

Dinner (15 pts)

Tequila-lime chicken (with boneless skinless chicken), a medley of 1/2 c. organic black beans, garlic, onions, 1/4 c. organic sweet corn and homemade pico de gallo, and a small salad of organic greens with 1 Tbsp spicy ranch. It's not pictured but I ended up adding pico de gallo to the salad as well, right before eating.  Oh, and a  homemade frozen strawberry margarita as a nice treat. Perfect dinner!

I ate 33 points of 33 points today and it feels like I ate a lot more than that because I don't have even a hint of night time munchies.  Hooray for being back on track!  Goodnight everyone and thanks for reading!

Wednesday 4-18-12

Wow, what a busy day I had!  That's why it's 12:40 a.m. and I'm just now getting to write my blog entry for the day.  I am so ready for bed.  I went to the gym today (third day in a row, yay), the farmers' market, the grocery store and did a whole lot of cleaning and food prep.  Anyway, this is what I ate today:

Breakfast (8 pts)

Light egg salad sandwich with Delightful whole wheat bread and 2 skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Snack (6 pts)

1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwich on regular wheat bread and with full fat peanut natural peanut butter

Lunch (9 pts)

Leftover turkey sausage spaghetti over whole grain skinny spaghetti

Snack (2 pts)

1 serving mesquite shaved deli turkey, 1 slice reduced fat pepper jack cheese and an organic Aztec fuji apple (so delicious!) 

Dinner (12 pts)

96/4 burger on the Foreman grill with 1/2 oz sharp cheddar cheese with organic red leaf lettuce, red onions, pickles, tomatoes, light mayo, mustard, ketchup and a Sara Lee thin white wheat bun. I also had celery sticks with light sour cream ranch dip and 1 1/2 oz of Alexia baked sweet potato fries. (3 oz of fries are pictured but I only ate half of them having filled up on my burger and celery!) Oh, and a Diet Shasta Root Beer to wash it down. 

I ate 35 pts of 33 today, so 2 weeklies. Not too bad, especially considering I earned a lot of activity points today. Ok, I better get to bed.  Goodnight and thanks for reading!

Tuesday 4-18-12

Hello there.  Sorry for the day-late post.  Yesterday was an off day for me.  I barely slept the night before because my 18 month old was waking up frequently like she was a newborn.  I felt like a zombie all day yesterday.  I still went to the gym but struggled through the entire workout.  I was physically and mentally exhausted.  I still didn't make the grocery store.  And dinner came from the sub-zero freezer, chicken tortilla soup I made a couple weeks ago and froze for such an occasion.  I listened to my body and relaxed the rest of the day.  We watched "The Hunger Games" and then later watched some Tuesday night tv.  Here is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast (9 pts)

Breakfast sandwich with egg whites, 2% American cheese, Sara Lee Delightful whole wheat toast and 2 oz of ham, and 2 skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes with Splenda. 

Snack (5 pts)

Big organic fuji apple with 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter

Lunch (15 pts)

Huge chicken club salad with 3 c. lettuces, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, red onions, shredded carrots, grilled chicken breast, crumbled bacon, 1/2 oz bacon ranch dressing and croutons. 

Dinner (10 pts)

Large bowl of chicken tortilla soup loaded with veggies, 2 oz avocado slices, reduced fat pepper jack cheese, cilantro, lime  and 1 oz of regular tortilla chips broken on top.

Snack (2 pts)

Celery sticks with ranch dip made with 2 Tbsp light sour cream

I dipped into weekly points, unfortunately, so I need to try to behave the rest of the week so I have some left for the weekend.  Weekends are usually a challenge for me.  I ate 40 pts of 33 yesterday.  I'm trying not to dwell. I felt hungry fir those extra points and that's what they're there for.  Thanks for reading!

Here we go again! Monday 4-16-12

Hi guys!  Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since my last post.  January, I think.  Ouch.  Well, I have definitely slacked off and it definitely shows.  The scale wasn't too happy with me this morning, that's for sure.  A friend of mine (shout out to Matoula Martin) started a health and fitness integrity group for us on Facebook and it inspired me to get back on track.  Many of us got back on track starting today so it's been pretty great having friends in the same boat as me.

"Back on track" for me means sticking to my Weight Watchers points target, drinking a gallon of water a day, meeting fruit/veggie quotas and working out regularly.  I had a pretty strong start today, if I do say so myself.  I went to the gym before lunch and did some intense cardio on the elliptical machine.  I never made it to the grocery store but I was able to stay within my points using food I already had in the house, thank goodness.  This is what I ate today:


Breakfast (12 pts)
Avocado-bacon-cheddar egg white omelet (1/2 c. egg whites, 2 slices crumbled center cut bacon, 2 oz avocado slices, homemade salsa, 1/2 Tbsp light sour cream) and 2 lattes each made with 1/2 c. skim milk, 1 Tbsp fat free hazelnut creamer, hot coffee and Splenda.

Lunch (7 pts)
Deli chicken wrapped up with organic romaine lettuce, 1 Tbsp caesar dressing and 1 Tbsp shredded parmesan in a La Tortilla Factory gourmet soft wrap.

Snack (2 pts)
3 slices Gallo light Italian dry salame and a light string cheese

Dinner (9 pts)
2 oz whole grain spaghetti topped with a sweet Italian lean turkey sausage and veggie "sauce" and a sprinkly of parmesan.

Dessert (2 pts)
Organic strawberries drizzled with 15 g of melted chocolate (about a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips)

I'm still nursing my 18 month old daughter so I still get extra WW points for nursing, yay.  I ate exactly 33 out of my 33 points today.  Cheers to getting healthy again!

Thursday 1-12-12

Hi guys!  The kids had another fun day with friends (shout out to my March Mama Shannon!)  I took them to Kidsville and we were there for over 3 1/2 hours.  Then we came home and the 2 year old did not nap.  I don't know where his energy comes from.  I'm exhausted.  No nap also meant no formal exercise for me, though I'm sure I burned a ton of calories today.  I have been dragging hardcore since about 3 o'clock, and this low energy state has me craving very bad things.  I have been fighting urges all day, ugh.  I gave in and ended up using some weeklies after dinner, but it could have been worse.  I used 36 pts today, which was actually my points target before the Points Plus 2012 version of WW came out.  Not too bad I guess.  Now I am chugging water so I'm way too full to even think about consuming more carbs, my weakness.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (7 pts) 

Egg white omelet with onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, reduced fat pepper jack cheese, homemade salsa, 2 slices of Oscar Mayer center cut bacon and two organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes with Splenda. 

Snack (1 pt)

1 light string cheese and 2 clementine cuties

Lunch (10 pts)

Leftover slow cooker turmeric braised chicken in yogurt sauce over brown basmati rice

Dinner (13 pts)

Crispy baked chicken (made with hubby's grandma's delicious "fire crackers" as coating), 1/2 c. Stove Top reduced sodium chicken stuffing and steamed broccoli with 2% shredded cheddar.

Dessert (5 pts)

A Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt brownie topped with 3 Hershey's Candy Cane kisses (melted) and a tiny sprinkle of crushed candy cane. I was feeling nostalgic for Christmas. ;) 

I had 36 of 33 pts today.  3 weeklies. I need some sleep. Good night all! 

Wednesday 1-11-12

Oh goodness, I should be asleep right now. I was about to go to bed until I realized I hadn't blogged yet. Today was pretty good. I took the kiddos to our favorite park so they could play with a couple friends, we ran some errands, we cam home to a delicious smelling house (yay crockpots), I cleaned and then I went to the gym and came home to a hot dinner. (Again, yay for crockpots!) This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (7 pts)
Big egg white omelet with white onions, red/green/yellow peppers, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, reduced fat pepper jack, homemade salsa, two slices of Oscar Mayer center cut bacon and my organic skim milk/fat free hazelnut lattes.

Snack at the park (1 pt)
Light string cheese and 2 clementines

Lunch (12 pts)
Huge salad with organic baby greens, cilantro, red onions, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, 2% Mexican blend cheese, 2 oz avocado slices, leftover crockpot taco chicken, 2 Tbsp Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch dressing and  a 1/4 oz of broken up Doritos for some crunch.

Dinner (10 pts)
Slow cooker turmeric braised chicken breast in yogurt sauce served over brown basmati rice. Doesn't look like much in the picture but it is soooo delicious! I used boneless/skinless and cooked it for over 8 hours so it just fell apart on the rice. Seriously, make this!

Dessert (4 pts)
28 g Multi grain Peanut Butter Cheerios with 1/2 c. organic skim milk.

I used 1 weekly point, so 34 of 33 points, but I don't mind using weeklies on days I work out hard. Ok friends, I'm off to bed. Good night and thanks for reading!

Tostada Tuesday 1-10-12

Today was busy busy. I spent many, many hours in the kitchen today but it was worth it since I got a lot of prep work done for future meals. Dinner was amazing. I love when an experiment goes right. This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (10 pts)
Egg white omelet with 2 oz avocado, reduced fat pepper jack, center cut bacon, homemade salsa and light sour cream plus two organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes.

Snack (0 pts)
2 clementine cuties

Lunch (8 pts)
Chili rubbed grilled tilapia with lime, 1/2 c. wild rice pilaf and a huge salad with 1 Tbsp spicy ranch dressing.

Snack (1 pts)
A lick of Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt brownie batter

Snack (0 pts)
1/2 banana

Dinner (12 pts) 
2 chicken tostadas made with crispy corn tortillas I baked myself (this is the experimental part that went better than expected), homemade refried beans, crock pot taco seasoned shredded chicken breast (tender and YUM), lettuce, tomatoes, an oz of 2% Mexican blend cheese, light sour cream and Tapatio. I also had a slushy drink made with a whole bag of organic frozen strawberries and a can of Diet Shasta Lime-Lemon soda in the blender. Fantastic dinner.

Dessert (7 pts)
A reduced guilt brownie topped with 12 g melted caramel and 1/4 oz of peanuts and a glass of organic skim milk to wash it down. Yummy! Tasted sort of like a Snickers.

And that is all. I used 38 pts of 33, so 5 weekly points. No guilt. I love to have dessert while I watch Glee so it was worth it. Oh, show's back on. Gotta go! Thanks for reading!

Monday 1-9-12

Today was a fun filled day with my babies.  It started out great because weigh in went just as I had hoped it would; I lost 3.3 lbs from last week and am .8 of a lb from pre-kid weight!  Later in the morning I took the kids to see Hullabaloo play a concert in Encinitas where they got to see some friends and then we followed that with some more fun at the botanical gardens with some of the same friends.  I did a lot of walking up steep hills pushing a super heavy double stroller, so while I never got around to a formal workout today I am confident that I burned a good amount of calories. Plus when we reached our destination I held my almost 15-month old almost the entire time while following my curious 2 year old around.  It was a great day, but I'm worn out.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (11 pts)
Avocado-bacon-pepper jack egg white omelet with homemade salsa and light sour cream, 1 piece of dry light toast and 2 organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes

Snack (0 pts)
banana

Lunch (11 pts)
The last bit of leftover hot Italian turkey sausage sauce smothered in Trader Joe's lite mozzarella and a piece of garlic bread

Dinner (10 pts)
Chicken and veggie stir fry with soba noodles and a diet root beer

Snack (1 pt)
Diet Swiss Miss cocoa made with water, cinnamon and vanilla

I used 33/33 pts today.  Good night and thanks for reading!

Sunday 1-8-12

Today was a very productive day and an excellent day food-wise.  Since I was so splurgey Friday and Saturday I decided to stay within my 33 points today and not use the rest of my weeklies or any of my activity points. Tomorrow is my first OP weigh in of the year and I am curious to see if dropping my daily target to 33 did anything for me.  I am super tired.  I have been nonstop since 4-something this morning when dear son woke up crying.  I couldn't go back to sleep and I laid there for an hour before I gave up and decided to get up for the day.  I did some more closet-purging so we could go make a Goodwill donation today and then later we made trips to Costco and Stater Bros.  I spent the rest of my day cleaning and doing laundry.  I'm so ready for bed.  Anyway, this is what I ate today:

Breakfast (9 pts)
Egg whites, 2 slices Oscar Meyer center cut bacon, 1 Thomas' Everything Bagel Thin + 1 Tbsp neufchatel and 2 organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes

Snack (0 pts)
Banana

Non scale victory: I got through Costco without eating a single sample even though I was hungry! Woo-hoo for me!

Lunch (11 pts)
A cup of leftover chunky veggie and hot Italian turkey sauce sandwiched between a toasted French steak roll. It was like a sloppy joe with an Italian twist and it was great.

Dinner (13 pts)
Baked garlicky lemon chicken breast, 1/2 c. wild rice pilaf and organic baby greens drizzled with Trader Joe's low fat parmesan ranch dressing. Oh, and 5 fl oz of moscato to use up my last 4 pts.

That's 33/33 pts used today. I'm feeling good! We'll see what the scale says in the morning.

Saturday 1-7-12

Yup, this is post number two today, reflecting yesterday's menu.  Yesterday was pretty fun.  We took the kids to the park then got a sitter after to have a date and get stuff done.  The night ended with the hot tub and it was great and very relaxing.  This is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast (9 pts)
Egg whites, 2 slices center cut bacon, 2 slices Sara Lee Delightful wheat toast with Smart Balance Light and 1 tsp Smuckers strawberry preserves and 2 organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes.

Lunch (0 pts)
We intended to do lunch while we had a sitter but got side-tracked by a realty office and spent hours there. We had an early dinner instead.

Dinner at El Ranchero Mexican restaurant in Vista (41 pts-ish? Yikes I have no idea!)
Chips and salsa, 1 strawberry margarita, birria with lime/onions/cilantro, 2 corn tortillas, rice, beans and a glass of white zinfandel.

Late Night Snack (9 pts)
5 fire crackers, 1 slice light havarti and 5 slices of Italian dry salame

I used a whopping 59 points yesterday, if my estimations at the Mexican restaurant are anywhere near accurate. I got some exercise in though, chasing the kids at the park and having a night swim with hubby under the stars.  I stayed totally within my weekly points and even had a couple left for today (which I did not use.)

Friday 1-6-12

Hi there! I realize Friday was two days ago but my Internet connection has been wonky ever since I got a new computer and I gave up on trying to blog Friday opting instead to play board games and Wii with the hubby.  But I'd like to share what I ate that day now that my connection is ok again!  This is what I ate Friday:

Breakfast (9 pts)

Breakfast sandwich with 2 oz Buddig original ham, egg whites, 2% American cheese and Sara Lee Delightful whole wheat toast plus two organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes

Snack (0 pts)

A navel orange

Lunch (12 pts)

Turkey torta with turkey, light mayo, tomato slices, arugula, reduced fat pepper jack cheese, mashed avocado, red onions and a frozen drink made with Diet Shasta Lime-Lemon soda and organic frozen strawberries.

Dinner (15 pts) 

2 oz whole wheat penne with a chunky hot Italian turkey sausage and veggie sauce, grated parmesan, garlic bread and 4 oz of moscato.

Snack (0 pts)

Small organic apple

Snack (8 pts)

2 small Slim Jims, 5 "fire crackers" (wheat crackers that have been seasoned with dry Ranch mix, oil, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper) and a slice of light havarti cheese. 

I used 44 pts of 33 Friday, so 11 "weekly points." 

Thursday 1-5-12

Sadly I need to make this super quick; baby girl just woke up crying. She has a cold and is not happy.  I should have posted earlier but I was playing catch up with Dexter.  Ok, here's what I ate today:

Breakfast (10 pts)
Egg whites, 2 links of turkey sausage, a Thomas' Everything Bagel Thin with 1 tbsp neufchatel and 2 organic skim milk/hazelnut lattes

Lunch (9 pts)
Turkey and avocado wrap in a low carb tortilla with light pepper jack cheese, organic mixed greens and 1 Tbsp spicy Ranch

Dinner (18 pts) 
A cheese steak on a French steak roll with steak, caramelized onions, red/green/yellow peppers, baby bella mushrooms and Trader Joe's Lite provolone snd homemade steak fries (baked not fried.) And a diet root beer. I'm on a sandwich kick right now. :)

I used 37/33 pts today. Ok, gotta go! Good night all!

Wednesday 1-4-12

Today was an extremely productive day.  I felt like I had to make up for yesterday when I didn't get anything done due to my neck/back/shoulder pain.  It still hurts but it's not unbearable like it was yesterday.  I called the Vietnam Veterans of America first thing this morning and set up an appointment for them to pick up a donation tomorrow morning, so I spent my entire day picking through all of our closets gathering stuff to donate.  One of my resolutions was to try to streamline our closets and stop hanging on to so much clutter, so I finally let go of some teeny tiny size 0 clothes I never intend to fit into again plus bigger clothes which I also never intend to wear again.  6 giant boxes later I'm still not done gathering stuff to donate so I'll be calling Amvets or the DAV tomorrow for another pick up later on this week.  It feels good to finally let go of some stuff.  I did take a small break to hit Target and Trader Joe's today, and of course to cook meals for me and the kids, but I have yet to exercise.  It's 10:35 right now and even though I should be winding down for bed I've decided to exercise after I post this blog.  No more excuses in 2012!  (Or at least that's the goal, hehe.)  I used one weekly point today because my dinner was spendy.  I should have looked up the points value of my ciabatta bread before committing to the whole roll, but oh well.  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (8 pts)
Tomato & basil egg white omelet with onions, neufchatel and reduced fat feta and two organic skim milk hazelnut lattes.

Lunch (8 pts)
HUGE salad with 4 c. organic mixed baby greens, 2 Tbsp Hidden Valley spicy ranch dressing, organic grape tomatoes, 1 oz diced grilled chicken breast, reduced fat pepper jack cheese, cilantro, red onions and 2 oz of sliced avocado.  It was so delicious and kept me full for several hours.

Dinner (18 pts)
Chicken panini with provolone, wild arugula and light chipotle mayo and 1 oz of Trader Joe's reduced guilt kettle cooked potato chips. I used my Foreman grill to make it. This recipe came from the Skinny Taste blog, except that my ciabatta bread was 9 pts all by itself! I neglected to scoop out some of the bread guts and it wasn't the fat free kind.  You live and learn. It was kinda worth it.

I used 34 of my 33 points today, using one weekly point and I am about to do some interval training in the living room before bed.  Good night folks!

Tuesday 1-3-12

Hi friends!  I am going to make this quick.  I tweaked my neck last night and my whole neck/back/shoulder area hurts terribly.  Even sitting at the computer is painful.  I have no idea what I did but I woke up like this.  Needless to say I did not work out today.  I was bummed because I had hoped to exercise every week day this week.  In case you were wondering after last night's post, I did end up going to the gym.  Since I didn't exercise today I made sure to stay within my daily points target.  Yay me!  This is what I ate today:

Breakfast (7 pts)
1 packet of Quaker reduced sugar cinnamon & spice oatmeal with 2/3 c. organic skim milk and two skinny white chocolate mochas.

Lunch (13 pts) 
Breakfast burrito made with shredded potatoes, canola oil, an egg, 2 oz crumbled bacon, reduced fat cheddar cheese, salsa and a low carb flour tortilla.

Snack (0 pts)
A banana

Dinner (12 pts)
2 oz Barila Plus angel hair pasta cooked al dente and tossed with 1 tsp garlic infused oil topped with grilled bruschetta chicken with fresh mozzarella and a Diet Shasta Root Beer.

Snack (1 pt)
A packet of Diet Swiss Miss hot chocolate made with water

I used 33/33 points plus today and now I am going to go veg out.  Good night all!

Happy New Year, a day late! Monday 1-2-12

Hi and welcome to my first blog post of 2012.  If this is your first time reading check out my introduction post here.  I apologize for not photographing any of my meals today;  I was much busier than I anticipated.  I finally took down all of the Christmas decorations (except for the ones outside. That's hubby's job.)  I never got to the grocery store, unfortunately, so that's on the to-do list for tomorrow.  I also did not exercise but it's not too late. It's only 7 o'clock so I can still squeeze in some exercise after the kids go to sleep.

I had a good weigh in this morning, surprisingly.  I braced myself for weight gain since I don't believe I've weighed in since December 12th or 13th and I was a bad girl over the holidays.  I guess I wasn't as bad as I thought since I was 128.1 lbs this morning (.1 over my lifetime membership weight goal.)  I always think things are worse than they are when I neglect my tracking.  Anyway, I was happy to see that I am still in good standing with my WW lifetime membership.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that my body composition seems to have changed for the worse with lack of exercise and excessive consumption refined carbs.  I was a cookie baking, candy making fool this December, and don't get me started on the wine.  Ugh. Since my weight stayed the same and my arms and waistline thickened I know I must have lost some of my precious muscle mass and replaced it with fat.  That just means I need to be more diligent about exercise again.

I tracked all of my food for the first time in a long time today and it felt great to be accountable again.  My personal goal weight is only 4 lbs away, but my goal size will require a lot of work on my part.  Hubby and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage this May and I'd like to feel good in a bikini by then since we have been talking about taking a trip somewhere to celebrate.  Also, my 29th birthday is in March and I'd love to start the last year of my twenties in awesome shape and optimal health.  But that's enough about that.  Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast (8 pts)
Very light egg salad sandwich made with 1 boiled egg, salt, pepper, 1 Tbsp light mayo and 2 slices of Sara Lee Delightful whole wheat toast plus 2 homemade skinny white chocolate peppermint mochas with organic skim milk.

Snack (0 pts)
2 clementines

Lunch (7 pts)
Ham, light pepper jack, organic salad and 1 Tbsp spicy ranch dressing wrapped in a low carb flour tortilla.

Snack (1 pt)
Light string cheese and a small banana

Dinner from Jack-In-The-Box (21 pts)
Grilled chicken club salad with the whole packet of bacon Ranch and all of the seasoned croutons.

I used 37 points plus today, so not a perfect first day back, but it's a good start.  I am still nursing baby girl but with the roll-out of Points Plus 2012 my points target was dropped to 33 instead of 36.  I've decided to stick with it and see what happens, so that means I used 4 of my weekly points on dinner.  I may try to cancel  that out with exercise later but we'll see.  Good night folks.  Thanks for reading and happy new year!