Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Just poking in...

to say I stll have my head up my rear. Buying peanut butter cups hasn't helped. :-P Any advice on beating the sugar craving would be greatly appreciated.

In more pertinent to other people news, I have found an interesting place to put the things I've bought that I need to learn to ration (or not buy). In trying to hide the peanut butter cups from my kids (they'd eat the whole stash--no self control and I don't know where they get it of course), I found that if I put them in the back of the veggie drawer, not only are they safe from my kids but I have to look at the choices I should be making in lieu of the peanut butter cups when I reach for them. This does not always work but sometimes it does and I'll take sometimes right now.

And finally, since Jen wanted to hear more about my weekly menus, here are some of the things I've had recently that were quite tasty:

Spiced Chicken with Chickpea and Cucumber Salad I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this one because I am all about easy and peeling skin off the thighs didn't appeal.

Lemon Thyme Chicken with Sauteed Vegetables

Chicken and Prosciutto Salad with Arugula and Asiago I used whatever salad greens I had on hand for this one and skipped the chicken because the leftover rotisserie chicken I was going to use was yucky. But it was tasty anyway.

Tonight's dinner is going to be Lemon Basil Pasta and lunch tomorrow is a Grilled Strawberry Basil Cheese Sandwich. Beyond that I'll be at my daughter's dance Nationals so food will be catch as catch can. I'll have to get back to planning well next week.

Friday, June 8, 2012

The return of the prodigal

I haven't been around for about a month now and as you can see from the newly updated progress list in the sidebar, there really hasn't been much to report. I have been playing with the same numbers give or take a couple of pounds for 10 weeks now. I'd love to say that this plateau is one that I don't understand because I am doing everything right but it's not. Frankly, I have buried my head up my rear again as far as making good choices and getting enough exercise is concerned and that would explain the plateau. The good news is that I haven't really gone up again but I need to re-focus and get back to the right spot mentally to start sliding down the scale again.

(Image from www.hapari.com) I ordered a really cute bathing suit that (sort of) fits but would look ten times better if I was ten or twenty pounds lighter and I'm thinking of tying it to the fridge door to remind myself of that fact daily. The rest of my family will think I've gone stark raving crazy but then I figure it might also just be a confirmation of what they already knew and were afraid to admit. I would, however, love to wear the suit *well* before the summer ends. I plan to wear it on the lumpy, bumpy body I currently have regardless so it's not like I'm spending money frivolously on stuff I won't wear any time soon like the size 8 shorts I bought last month or anything. (See how well that motivator worked? ::sigh::)

On other weight loss news, I had to have a cyst removed from my scalp and I now have an enormous divot in my hair where they had to cut and shave hair before slicing me open. Turns out my hair, long as it might be, does not weigh enough to influence the scale number at all. So I'll no longer fantasize about quickly being 5 pounds lighter if I got a pixie cut. Another dream dead. ;-(

And finally, I do still have people commenting on the weight loss up to this point so that's a nice feeling. I prefer tucking shirts in now to show off what I've lost and yet fashion seems to be heading back towards the oversize, blousy tops that were in the last time I was thin(ish) in high school and college. Blousy stuff over a newly thinner midsection highlights all that hard work not at all; drat the fashion industry anyway! Some day I am going to get the timing right on this.

This weekend is going to be a food challenge for me as I'm spending the majority of it trapped at another set of dance recitals and so won't be cooking much at all. I'm considering throwing a salad together to take with me since the options available down at the auditorium are not likely to be weight-loss friendly and I have a real Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde problem with food. Don't feed me and see how fast I can turn evil and nasty. So skipping meals entirely is not an option. (And yes, I know it's also not smart but we all know we do dumb things from time to time and some of us like me live in dumbo land a lot.)

If you had to pack for two meals a day (I can likely eat breakfast on the way) for two consecutive days and have no access to either a cooler or a microwave, what would you be taking with you?