Back on the Wagon... Miss Me?

Not that I ever technically left the wagon. I just didn't pay as much attention as I usually do to how much I ate. So, I didn't lose any weight but more importantly I didn't really gain any either -- a couple ounces. I'm not worried about it.

I had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I ate what I wanted, how much I wanted, and whenever I wanted. I had some of everything. But I have to tattle on myself and confess it just wasn't Thursday. I also ate what I wanted, how much I wanted, whenever I wanted of leftovers til Sunday.

With the holiday, 3ft out of school, and my husband having nearly a week off of work my routine got all sorts of jacked up. So instead of stressing, I just let it go. I'm living. Life does that. So now it's Monday and the world is running the way it should: 3ft went to school and husband went to work. I was able to jog this morning, which was awesome. And tonight after I get the kids in bed I plan on playing some Wii, either Just Dance 2 or The Michael Jackson Experience (which is like Just Dance just with MJ songs -- old school, oh yeah).

I also returned to my normal eating habits and feel better for having done so. I ate a lot of chips and other things not quite fabulous for me and it's amazing the difference it makes in the way I feel. No chips today, no baked treats today, just lots of veggies, fruits, and a Turkey Pot Pie creation for dinner.

I took about 2 cups of chopped leftover turkey, with 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/4 chopped onion, and about 3 cloves of chopped garlic. Sauteed them in a pan and then added a cup of leftover turkey gravy. Cooked it until simmering and then put it in a square baking dish. Topped it with about a cup of leftover mashed potatoes mixed with 1/2 cup 2% cheddar cheese and then tossed it in the oven at 350 until it was all bubbly and the potatoes were crusty. Turned out so good. Serves about 4 and around 300 calories a serving. It was a great and healthy use of leftovers. Tomorrow I'm making Turkey Noodle Soup and then the turkey will be all used up.

What are some of your favorite ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers?

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 173

Total Pounds Lost - 58.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Leftover Challah Roast Beef Sandwich, cucumbers, carrots, and grapes
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 a banana
Dinner - Turkey Pot Pie creation

I Know It's Late.

Ack! I'm running late tonight. I have a good excuse. I had to go last minute shopping. I ran out of eggs and needed whole nutmeg so I had to run out and get some. Of course I had to go to two stores because the first store didn't have the nutmeg. Then of course I found a bunch of things I couldn't live without so it took that much longer.

I took another stab at Eggnog. It was bothering me that it wasn't the right color. So I got whole vanilla beans, whole nutmeg, and cinnamon extract which is clear. I used a little less condensed milk and less flour (bring the calories down) and was able to use less egg yolks too. So I'm hoping this batch is good. It looks right which is important.

I also baked gingerbread people today (yes I'm getting ready to do my Christmas baking) because gingerbread is an awesome cookie, lasts forever in airtight containers, and freezes really well. So what the heck, I had my gingerbread out to make gingerbread bears to take to a play date and figured it wouldn't hurt to bust out some people while I was rolling and cutting dough. So I baked 3 dozen people.

I also baked my Pecan Tart w/ chocolate drizzle for Thanksgiving. It turned out so pretty and smelled so good (and I got some on the spatula when I moved it to a cake container so naturally I had to eat it and it tasted amazing). I'm really hoping it makes it to Thanksgiving (cuz you know I might eat it before hand -- but that's okay I have all the ingredients to make another one).

I exercised. Did Wii Fit Free Step for a half hour. I hit over 3000 steps but I don't remember the exact number. Then 3ft and I went on a walk, not too mention all the housework, laundry, baking, cooking, and chasing the ever busy Grumpybutt around the house. I'd say I got enough exercise.

Before I forget, I had a fabulous moment today. It was pouring down rain when 3ft and I took the Grumpybutt over to my friend, Riana's, house for a play date. I was able to fit comfortably in my husband's size L jacket. Oh yeah. I'm loving it. :)

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 167

Total Pounds Lost - 58.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - (early lunch)
Lunch - spaghetti sandwich
Mid-Afternoon Snack - (still full from lunch)
Dinner - roasted pork and cheese quesadillas

Whole Lotta Bakin' Going On...

So the Spiced Eggnog that I invented yesterday turned out pretty amazing. It was super thick (too much flour I think) so I thinned it out with a little more almond milk and now it's the perfect consistency and perfectly delicious. 3ft likes it too. He calls it "Cinnamon Milk" and he didn't like store bought eggnog. So I don't know if that means mine is super great or it doesn't taste anything like eggnog. But that's what I'm calling it, it has eggs in it so that makes it eggnoggy enough for me. (It's brown instead of white because I put cinnamon and vanilla in it -- next time I'm going to use cinnamon extract which is clear and that might make it more the right color.)

I made Parmesan Herb Challah Bread today. It was totally fun to make. After it rises twice you cut it into six equal pieces and then braid it. It looks so fancy. I'm very proud of it. I haven't eaten any yet because I'm saving it to make small finger sandwiches for Thanksgiving appetizers. The one on the left is going to be black forest ham and provolone and the one on the right is going to be roast beef and provolone. Mmm mmm good.

I also knocked out the 1 dozen hard boiled eggs that I'm making 2 dozen deviled eggs out of. I peeled, cut, and made the guts and then stuck them separately in the fridge to assemble the morning of. I have to do a lot of what I'd normally do on Wednesday early because my husband signed me up to make Pumpkin Pizzas for his work party on Wednesday. So I'll be baking those that day and then running off to a party.

Let's see, what else? I worked out today. I jogged for 45 minutes then did 250 crunches and 50 push ups. I don't expect to lose any weight this week but I'd really like to not gain any either. Mostly, though, I'm not worried about it. I'm going to ENJOY Thanksgiving and all the food I'm making.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 166

Total Pounds Lost - 58.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - (early lunch)
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich, grapes, and carrots
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter sandwich and tried my homemade eggnog
Dinner - Spaghetti

Weekend Report #4

WAHOOOO!! I lost two pounds this week. Oh yeah. My one pound streak has been broken. Bring on the extra pound lost, baby! Oh yeah!! (I'm doing the cabbage patch and squealing -- just so you all know) So that makes it 58.3 pounds lost since the end of May. And I'm 7 lbs away from hitting my Christmas goal! Oh yeah! I think I'm going to make it -- lose 65 total pounds by Christmas.

I've been busy in the kitchen. I don't have any pictures but I will come Thanksgiving of all the stuff I've been baking and putting together.

I've made 4 mini loaves of marbled chocolate banana bread (which you've all seen), 4 mini loaves of regular banana bread, a pumpkin roll filled with marshmallow cheesecake frosting (picture a ginormous pumpkin ho ho filled with marshmallow cheesecake and you'll know what I'm talking about), gingerbread cookies, and I just got done throwing together a Spiced Eggnog (nonalcoholic, of course but that could easily be changed). I'm waiting for the eggnog to set up and get cold, but it tasted pretty amazing when I licked the saucepan I made it in. The best part is it's half the calories and fat of the store bough variety. I'm thinking it tastes better too.

I licked the bowl I made the marshmallow cheesecake frosting in last night as well as dipped an Oreo in it. So because of that, I jogged last night for 30 minutes to make up for the extra calories. Other than that little taste of heaven (I didn't even eat the whole cookie, 3ft came along and ganked half of it), I did pretty good food wise this weekend.

3 days til Thanksgiving. Next up on my baking list is Herb and Cheese Challah bread.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 165

Total Pounds Lost - 58.3

Too Cold for Salad.

The day started out alright enough. I got my 30 minutes of jogging, 50 push ups, and like 250 crunches. I also started some baking. I love baking. Then the Grumpybutt woke up in a foul mood, which is always fun, and we shared a granola bar -- meaning I ate the granola and he ate the chocolate chips out of it. Then to get him to his "happy place" I bundled him up and we went for a walk.

The weather was overcast, cold, and windy. It hasn't rained yet but it really looks like it wants to. So we went for a walk and then picked up 3ft. We had a playdate scheduled for today which included lunch so I didn't have to make lunch which is ALWAYS fabulous. There were even homemade mint chip and nut cookies. I had two. I'm so ashamed (not really). The best part, the Grumpybutt showed off a new skill. He can sit up all by himself from laying down. It's super cute to watch.

When we got home, 3ft pretty much posted up on the couch and that was fine by me because I had to get the Grumpybutt down for his nap. Then I looked at him and noticed how peaked he looked, took his temp, and he has a low grade fever. Can't this kid ever stay healthy? So far no coughing, just a stuffy nose. So here's hoping we avoid pneumonia this time around.

Well, because 3ft is under the weather he got to pick what he wanted for dinner. He wanted eggs and jelly toast. So even though I usually only let him have one breakfast for dinner, I acquiesced and let him have it. With the weather being so cold and ick I didn't feel like a cold salad. I wanted something warm. So I had a leftover hamburger, an egg, some hashbrowns, and a pickle spear. So, hopefully I'll eat the salad tomorrow.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 163

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Hotdog, cucumbers, grapes, and 2 cookies
Mid-Afternoon Snack - (still full from lunch)
Dinner - Hamburger w/ egg, pickle spear, and small portion of hashbrowns

Thanksgiving Insanity

I'm on a roll.

This morning I did over 3000 steps on Wii Fit Free Step while watching Rachel Rae impress and amaze me with Shnitzle. (I have no idea if that's spelled right) and I also had no idea what it was. She made a beef broth and mushroom soup over egg omelet crepe noodle thingies. She called them something but I don't remember what. While the shnitzel doesn't seem to be anything but breaded and fried meat with anchovies on top (shudders over the anchovies) the soup looked pretty amazing. I also went for a walk with Grumpybutt (taking advantage of the nice weather while we have it) and then took 3ft to the park for a playdate. Not too mention all the trips lugging things up and down my stairs -- so all and all a busy day activity wise.

I did breakfast for dinner tonight for 3ft. Once a week I make him whatever breakfast food he wants for dinner. He opted for Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes. Now before anyone gets all excited about how fancy that sounds -- it's not. It's Krusteaux's Pancake Mix with a little water, cinnamon, and vanilla mixed in before cooking it. Super easy but super delicious. He smothered those bad boys in syrup and went to town. I didn't even look longingly at his plate (I love pancakes) because I had my Asian Chicken Salad again for dinner. I've got one more serving of it after tonight which will be for dinner tomorrow then I'll have to move on to something else.

I've been watching shows on Food Network about Thanksgiving -- something I really shouldn't do because now I'm adding a Brussel Sprout dish that looked absolutely divine to my list of things I'm cooking on Thanksgiving as well as being reminded about the pumpkin roll I make that I'm going to serve as an appetizer along with marbled banana chocolate bread, finger sandwiches, fancy olives, fancy pickles, layer dip, veggie tray w/ ranch, and chips.

I have mentioned I'm going to be eating all freaking day, right? I can't wait! I figure I can't undo the months of progress I've made in one day. Besides, all my dishes are healthier versions so while I'm saying right now I know I'm going to eat WAY TOO MANY CALORIES (look at my "I don't care" face) it could be worse! So since I've clearly gone insane over this Thanksgiving and can't seem to make enough food to graze on all day, what are your go to Thanksgiving dishes that I can't live without?

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 162

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, dill pickle, and Chicken and Stars Soup
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Dinner - Asian Chicken salad with toasted almonds on Napa cabbage.

Feels Used.

My legs are a little sore today. I guess the 4.5 miles wasn't quite the cake walk I thought it was. Or it could've been all the trips up and down the stairs or the Wii Free Step. Regardless, my legs feel like they've been used.

That didn't stop me from working out today, though. I jogged for 30 minutes while I watched Chopped. I would never make anything from the baskets, probably, but I like watching how creative real chefs get with sometimes gross ingredients. Then the Grumpybutt and I took a half hour walk before picking up 3ft. Oh yeah, and I also did 50 push ups and 180 crunches incorporating leg lifts so I can really feel them in my abdomen which is cool.

I had Asian Chicken Salad w/ toasted almonds again for dinner. I've been on a kick for it so I'll probably be eating it for the rest of the week or until I run out of the ingredients. Do you guys ever do that -- get a craving for something and then just eat it for four days to a week straight? Or am I the only weird one?

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. I'm already planning the food I'm going to make. I'm going a little overboard this year, I know. I'm making a homemade healthier eggnog, 3ft's pumpkin pizza, a healthier pecan tart instead of a pie, then some homemade cheese and herb challah bread to do roast beef and ham finger sandwiches for an appetizer along with the standard turkey, stuffing, candied yams, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, and good lord I don't know what else. I can't wait. A whole day dedicated to eating. Luckily, all my dishes are going to be healthier versions so I can eat a little more guilt free.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 161

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich and carrots w/ranch
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Dinner - Asian Chicken salad with toasted almonds on Napa cabbage.

Holy Hot Dogs, Batman!

I definitely think I got my exercise in today.

I did Wii Free Step for half an hour -- 3000 steps, oh yeah! Then I went on a 30 minute walk when I went to pick up 3ft from school this afternoon. The Grumpybutt was being fussy and the easiest way to get him to "happy up" is to take him outside. Then this afternoon I went on a 4.4 mile walk with 3ft and the Grumpybutt.

3ft's new glasses came in today. 3ft had the choice of going on a VERY LONG walk or waiting until tomorrow when Daddy could take us. He was so excited and couldn't wait so he insisted he could handle the walk. I asked him multiple times and told him it was super far. He wouldn't change his mind so we went. (Talk about really wanting his glasses!)

He rode his scooter and I pushed the Grumpybutt in his stroller. It took us about 45 minutes to get there. 3ft would switch on and off from riding the scooter and walking (he walks slow). It took us about an hour to get home because 3ft was so excited about having the glasses and new case for them he had to carry it which meant walking. I finally convinced him to ride and we finally made it home.

For dinner, I made an Asian chicken salad with toasted sesame Asian dressing (light), chicken cooked in teriyaki sauce, and sliced almonds on Napa cabbage. It turned out super delicious. But because I missed my snack because we were somewhere between home and the optometrist I ended up having a hot dog with 3ft too. It's totally okay, I buy Chicken Franks so they only have about 100 calories, granted most of them are fat, but I figured after the long walk on top of everything else meant I could handle it.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 160

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich and carrots w/ranch
Mid-Afternoon Snack - (walking)
Dinner - hot dog on a bun, and Asian Chicken salad with toasted almonds on Napa cabbage.

Too Tired, Completely Forgot.

Darn it. I was so tired last night I completely forgot to blog.

Had a pretty good day yesterday. I jogged for a half an hour while I watched cooking shows. Is it wrong that I watch Tyler's Ultimate just to watch Tyler Florence? His food looks yummy too, though, so it's not JUST for him. I was able to jog the whole time and it really flew by. I love being in better shape.

I also did 180 crunches yesterday that incorporated the lower abs by doing leg lifts at the same time and 50 push ups. I was going to do another couple reps of both after having put the kids to bed last night but I was too tired. It was a long day and I'm still recouping from being sick. I can't quite seem to shake this cold completely. It's annoying.

I also did the standard chase the baby and baby lifts. Now that's he's about 20lbs and 10 months old it's actually quite a workout. And let's not forget the torturing of 3ft although yesterday I think it was him torturing me.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 159

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich, carrots w/ranch, and cucumbers w/ Italian dressing
Mid-Afternoon Snack - chocolate banana bread and crackers w/ tuna salad
Dinner - (not hungry)

Weekend Report #3

It has been a hectic weekend. Can I get a weekend from my weekend please?

First things first. I'm happy to report that I've lost another 1.4 pounds last week bringing up the grand total to: 56.3lbs lost. Which is pretty good considering I've been sick and haven't been doing much exercise. So, I'm doing a happy dance right now even though I'm exhausted from the weekend.

On Saturday, we had "Italian Thanksgiving". We're not going to make it to my husband's family's Thanksgiving gathering for three reasons. I love cooking so I want to cook the Thanksgiving feast (I know I'm sick, right?),I'm cooking it for my family's gathering this year, and it's too far to drive to just stop in when we have Mr. Grumpybutt. So I thought we'd have my husband's family over and do an early Thanksgiving type deal and so we did an Italian theme (hey, we're Italian, I thought it sounded like a good idea).

So I made lasagna bowls again... and again I forgot to get a picture of them. They seemed to be a big hit. Everyone ate it, no one horked it up, and no one keeled over and died. So that's a win for me. Then I made delicious garlic bread which I practically burnt. I'm really good at keeping so close an eye on it it doesn't seem to cook and then forgetting about it completely until I smell burnt coming from my oven. I also did a giant garden salad.

For dessert, I made 3ft's creation The Pumpkin Pizza again and I perfected it (carries along the Italian theme well, yes?). Instead of throwing chips on to the "sauce" I made a chocolate ganache and drizzled it over the top. Yes, I made the ganache with almond milk instead of milk or heavy cream and it turned out super delicious. You couldn't tell it was healthier for you. The crowd was a little apprehensive about trying it but did so because 3ft was so proud of his creation. It was a big hit and everyone loved it, telling 3ft he was a genius. He naturally ate up the attention.

Today, I threw together a new invention then Enchilasagna or Enchizagna. My husband likes the second name better -- I think I like the first. What do you guys think? It turned out super delicious and it only has about 175 calories and 8 grams of fat per piece. It was really filling and didn't taste like it was remotely healthier for you. I used 1/2lb lean ground beef and 1/2lb lean ground turkey.

If anyone wants to be a guinea cook and try out this recipe, just let me know. It was super easy to make, tastes super delicious, and it even has hidden veggies that pack it full of nutrition that you can't even taste!

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 157

Total Pounds Lost - 56.3

Cinnamon Frosting and Apple Gravy

I tried out a new recipe tonight. I made Roasted Pork with Apple Gravy. The roast pork wasn't anything fancy just rubbed with some olive oil, chopped garlic, and salt and pepper. I'm pretty proud of the apple gravy. It's apple cider, chicken stock, apple sauce, Chinese 5 spice blend, and sauteed onions. It was super delicious. If anyone's interested, shoot me an e-mail, and I'll send it to you.

I'm proud to say that even though 3ft and I played in frosting and gingerbread all day long I barely had any. Sure, I had some frosting. It's homemade cinnamon frosting. How can you avoid it completely? But I didn't eat it straight from the tubs like I wanted so that's something. It wasn't any issue to avoid the gingerbread. I burnt it. 3ft and the husband are hovering like vultures but I'm totally fine with NOT eating it. Now when I bake it again and do NOT burn it, then I might have a problem.

I didn't do any extra exercising. I just did the normal everyday chasing after kids and housecleaning. I'm starting to feel normal again. I should be back at it by Monday for sure. Have a great weekend!

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 157

Total Pounds Lost - 54.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - banana w/ peanut butter
Lunch - mini pizzas, cucumbers w/ Italian dressing, and a slice of chocolate marbled banana bread
Mid-Afternoon Snack - (not hungry)
Dinner - Roast Pork w/ apple gravy, herb pasta, and green beans

Baked Goods and Cinderella

I felt better today, but not completely back to normal so I took it easy again.

Well, kind of.

I mopped my kitchen floor, the bathroom floor, wrestled with children, baked...twice, and did 3 loads of laundry. No wonder I'm so tired. I was a busy girl.

I had bananas that were practically dead and begging to be put out of their misery on my counter, so this morning I made Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread. It turned out so delicious. The best bananas for baking are the ones that are practically disintegrated they're so ripe (which would be the state of the bananas I used today). So I made 4 mini loaves (I love mini loaves, they're so cute and you can trick your mind that you're having a lot by having multiple slices for the same calories as one full sized loaf slice). I had to take a picture because I love the way the marbled looks and I'm still all proud of the epiphany about how to do it that I had.

I'm also working on a Gingerbread Sleigh Project. I made gingerbread dough after the kids went to bed and did a single sleigh cutout to see how well it'll put together before I do an assembly line sort of thing. So I made a ka-ton (it's a word, I just made it up) of gingerbread dough, rolled out some and shoved the rest in the fridge for another night. I already designed and cut out the sleigh pieces (I geeked out on that yesterday). I set my shapes on the dough, got a sharp knife, and cut them out. In retrospect, I'm going to bake the dough about halfway next time and cut it out then. The cookies had some expansion, which I didn't even think about (I did mention I was tired) so I can negate that from the final shape by cutting it out after it's expanded but not fully cooked yet.

As you can see, I got distracted and let the cookies get a little more "done" than I had wanted. My husband keeps telling me he'll eat them (he's weird and likes his cookies a little on the burnt side anyway). Normally I'd fret, but this was just an experiment which makes me extra glad I did it as such, because I'd already do things different in the baking process. I'm assured the dough is delicious and tastes like gingerbread (I haven't had any since I don't eat after 8pm). So tomorrow I'll make the "glue" and frost that bad boy together and see how it turns out.

Naturally, my mixer went nuts and spewed dough all over my freshly mopped floor. I didn't have a clean floor for even a freaking hour so after I got all the dishes washed (I cannot stand having dirty dishes in my sink) I got on my hands and knees with a washrag and cleaned my floor again. I felt like Cinderella. Except I already have my "prince". Do you suppose she ever mopped the floors after she "lived happily ever after"?

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 156

Total Pounds Lost - 54.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - (early lunch)
Lunch - Chicken Salad w/ ranch
Mid-Afternoon Snack - Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread
Dinner - Mc Donalds Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/out mayo

Getting Better... Hopefully.

I think I'm starting to feel a little better. My throat isn't hurting quite so bad and my nose quit running. Here's hoping I feel normal again tomorrow so I can do some exercising. I wasn't completely without any today. I walked to pick 3ft up from school pushing the Grumpy's heavy butt in his stroller. Then, after lunch we walked over to the park to play with our friends and then back home.

Then Mr. Grumpybutt thought he'd help in the weigh lifting department and insisted on getting into the electronics constantly. No sooner would I pick him up, tell him no, and then try to distract him with his toys, he'd roll back over and get right back into it. There was absolutely no distracting him. So after doing that "game" for about an hour I did the unthinkable. I set up the playpen and popped his ornery butt in it just to give me a little break. He hates it. Maybe he'll have learned his lesson (not bloody likely).

I tried out a new recipe invention tonight: Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. I chopped up a couple cloves of garlic and threw it in a 1/4 cup hot sauce with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I mixed it all up and marinated chicken tenders in it for 24 hours (I was originally going to cook it yesterday -- I don't ever marinate for 24 hours intentionally, I never think that far in advance) and then threw it on a grill pan and popped it in the broiler for 5 minutes. After it was done cooking, I slapped it on a whole wheat orowheat sandwich thin with a slice of provolone and then threw it back in the broiler to melt the cheese. Topped it with a couple tomatoes and ranch sauce (a packet of ranch mix and a tub of fat free sour cream) then ate it. Super delicious. A spicy sweet chicken that is a lot better for you than bar food hot wings. I served it with 3ft's favorite veggie, broccoli, and homemade french fries. It's definitely a keeper and super easy to make.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 155

Total Pounds Lost - 54.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich with provolone and cucumber chips with Italian Dressing
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 5 Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers with a teaspoon of tuna salad on each and a dill pickle
Dinner - Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with provolone and ranch sauce, broccoli, and french fries

Sick...

...and wishing I was dead.

Grumpybutt woke me up at 4 am (I believe I've mentioned how much I HATE switching the clocks) yesterday morning and by mid morning/early afternoon I had a sore throat and a runny nose. I was going to workout after I got the kids to bed -- actually go to the gym. That was the plan anyway but by 7:30 last night I felt even worse, if that's possible, and was asleep by 8.

Today was better because at least the kids slept til 6:30, which is normal for them.

However, we were crazy busy and I've practically lost my voice.

I had to get over to Costco for bananas and formula (I know, what a combination, right?). 3ft had his very first parent/teacher conference ever. The biggest problem he has is too much talking and my husband was really very quick to point out that 3ft came by it naturally while pointing at me! As if. (It's true.) Then right after, 3ft had an optometrist appointment because during school eye screening they thought he might have astigmatism. Which he does. He's very excited to be getting glasses (weird kid).

We had Carl's Jr. for lunch today and I'm proud to say that even though I really wanted to try their new Philly Burger I saw they had a Hawaiian Chicken Salad that looked pretty good and opted for that instead. We pretty much avoid fast food except for Mc Donald's once a week for 3ft where I get a chicken sandwich or a salad or something. So I was super proud that I stuck to salad even though there were a ton of greasy burgers I wanted instead. I was hoping the salad would be kind of like the drowned Asian salad I got from Applebees (minus the drowned part of course) but it wasn't. Still pretty good but I don't know if it was worth the nearly 6 bucks for it.

So, I'm still sick. Have a wicked cough and no voice -- which my kids and husband love of course. Not the cough but the no voice part. I'm giving my body a break to recoup -- so other than the running around I did trying to get everywhere I needed to be when I needed to be there I didn't do any exercise. I'm hoping to feel better tomorrow.

On a side note. I'm changing up how the blog works again. The Grumpybutt has all but given up his morning naps (sad face) and it's hard to get on the computer when he's rolling around the house getting into things. So instead of blogging for the previous day the next morning. I'm just going to blog after bedtime for the actual day of. I don't do anything interesting after then anyway. So I played catch up today and did Monday (uneventful cuz I was sick) and Tuesday (pretty much the same) so tomorrow night will be for Wednesday.

We'll see how that goes.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 154

Total Pounds Lost - 54.9

Weekend Report #2

Sorry about missing Sunday but holy moly I was busy this weekend. I left the house early yesterday morning and didn't get home til late and man was I beat.

On Saturday, I had 2 sick kids. 3ft had pneumonia and Grumpbutt had a cold. So that pretty much sucked up my day except for doing laundry and baking Cinnamon Mini Coffee Cakes for my brother-in-law's birthday.

Saturday was also my sister's birthday which we celebrated on Sunday with a family get together. I made her Triple Chocolate Brownies which she assures me she loves as well as got her a hand mixer -- she's getting into cooking. I like having something in common with her again.

We went to Applebees for her birthday dinner so our mom could buy her a drink. She just turned 12 (although she keeps trying to say it's 21 but I refuse to believe I'm that old). I got the Oriental Chicken Salad with Grilled chicken and I ordered it with the dressing on the side. Well. I got dressing on the side alright along with it swimming in dressing. When I asked what happened with the dressing being on the side the waitress looked at me like I was stupid and said it's right there. So, apparently I was specific enough that I didn't want ANY dressing on my salad, I wanted to do it myself. I was too hungry and tired of fighting with the misunderstanding waitress that I just ate it. WAY. TOO. MUCH. DRESSING. C'est la vie. Next time I'll be more explicit I guess. Although I'm not sure how.

I also had a few bites of birthday cake. It was pretty delicious with butter cream frosting -- my favorite. So, aside from the salad dressing incident the day went pretty good. And it was nice to hang out with my sister and her boyfriend. I don't get to see them very often.

*drum roll* As to how much weight I lost last week. Well, I lost 1 pound. With Halloween candy around, the extra baking, the horrible weather, birthdays, and sick kids I'll take 1 pound. Could've been worse. Could've been no pounds or gained pounds -- so I'm a happy camper. I've lost nearly 55 lbs total.

The highlight of the weekend: my sister told me my jeans made my butt look great. And that I was getting so skinny. Have I mentioned how much I love my sister?

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 152

Total Pounds Lost - 54.9

Cake Invention and Castle Defense

What are these you ask? These are Mini Cinnamon Coffee Cakes and another creation of yours truly. It's a cinnamon infused cupcake with a brown sugar, cinnamon, and oat crumble topping. I filled the cupcake wrappers too full so the crumble isn't solid like I'd wanted it. Next time I'll only fill them half as much and that way it'll "look" more like a coffee cake than just taste like one.

I haven't tasted one yet, but I'm assured they're fabulous by the husband. I made them last night after the boys went to bed and it was too late to eat one. But you can bet your bahooka that I'm going to have one today for a snack. Is it 10 am yet. Cuz that's snack time! Wahooo. I actually made them for my friend, Riana's, birthday. It's on Sunday and she's coming over with her munchkins for a playdate today so since I'm going to be out of town on her birthday she's getting her baked goods today. I gave her a chance to put in an order and she said, "Whatever. Surprise me."

So, that naturally means that I threw caution to the wind, saw the cinnamon oil extract in the cupboard which started calling me. I thought a cinnamon cake would be delicious and then it sort of morphed into the mini coffee cakes. They're a little higher in calories than I usually do, but I blame that entirely on my over filling the cupcake wrappers. I'd have gotten 2 dozen cupcakes if I hadn't been so heavy with the scooper and then they'd have been around 100 calories per cake instead of the 200 these are. Oh well. I'm still having one.

Took the boys to the playground yesterday and met up with Riana and her boys. While her baby girl slept in her stroller she played with the Grumpybutt and I chased around 3 active boys (one of which was 3ft). I got up on the playground structure and defended my castle from the boys' onslaught. I owned them, guarded my castle, and I got a lot of running around in. It was fun and naturally the kids thought it was hilarious and an awesome game to play. I still love, Love, LOVE, that I have the energy to do that with the kids, especially my own. 3ft absolutely adores when I play tag, chase, and rough house with him and I love having the energy and the flexibility to do so. When it comes down to it, I'm doing it for him, the Grumpybutt, and the husband so I can be around a LONG time to torment and torture...er.. I mean love and nurture them.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, chasing three active boys around a playground, 400 crunches, and 90 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 150

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Lunch - Tuna Sandwich, pickle spear, and organic yellow corn tortilla chips
Mid-Afternoon Snack - apple chips and a triple chocolate brownie
Dinner - Spaghetti and eggs (it's a family tradition thing)

Uneventful.

Unless you call a mountain of laundry eventful.

A sick baby pretty much leads to an uneventful day. I got my crunches, push ups, and laundry done (the highlight of my day, really) and not much else. But really with 4 loads of laundry to wash, dry, fold, and put away all while toting around 20lbs of baby who absolutely did NOT want to be set down yesterday is quite a workout. I did get some walking in as we had to go pick up 3ft from school.

I didn't cook anything spectacular yesterday. I didn't have time. Mr. Grumpybutt would not let me out of his sight or out of my touch. So I did breakfast for dinner for 3ft (which he loves) -- eggs and jelly toast. Grumpybutt tried some eggs, he didn't hate them but he didn't suck them down like he does pasta shapes. I threw together a quick spaghetti sandwich -- bread, spaghetti, eat. Super simple.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, 400 crunches, and 90 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 149

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich and hot tea
Lunch - Tuna Sandwich, pickle spear, and one fun sized Snickers
Mid-Afternoon Snack - sliced cucumbers w/ fat free Italian Dressing, ham and crackers, and carrots w/ hummus.
Dinner - Spaghetti sandwich

Chocolate Victory.

I did it. No sweat. Not even a blip on my radar.

I'm, of course, talking about the ginormous candy bowl filled with Halloween treats -- more importantly all the chocolate (I'm a sucker for chocolate). I had no desire whatsoever to have any candy yesterday even though 3ft had it right in front of me. I even had to open some of them for him and even the delicious smell of the chocolate didn't tempt me. Letting myself have it on Monday seems to have worked quell the chocolate allure. I don't want any today either.

We had another playdate yesterday with 3ft's best friend from school. This one included lunch as well. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it is to have someone else make lunch for me but better still how great it feels to not tweak on what it is they're going to make because of "dieting". I had a delicious roast beef sandwich made even more so because I didn't have to make it and apple slices. Now my friend (because it's not just 3ft's best friend), she knows about my healthy lifestyle (how can she not, I talk about it cuz I'm passionate and she sees me daily) so it could be she caters to that a bit -- I don't know -- but it wouldn't matter what she made, I'd eat it and just balance out the rest of the day with healthier eating guilt-free.

I also made Shepherds Pie last night for dinner. Underneath that delicious layer of cheesy mashed potatoes is ground turkey and lean ground beef, a rich gravy made with low fat beef broth and tomato paste, onions, garlic, lots of mushrooms -- cremini and baby portabella, carrots, and seasoned with fresh parsley and thyme.

It serves 6 and 1 serving has approximately 288 calories and about 6 grams of fat.

It was a huge hit. 3ft absolutely loved it and cleaned his plate. I mean it's basically meat and potatoes with gravy, what's not to love? It's also a great recipe for leftover mashed potatoes with the holidays coming up. I made the mashed potatoes specifically for the dish but I know when I have leftovers this is definitely going to be a go to recipe. I'm already thinking of making one with a turkey twist -- like a pot pie but made in the style of Shepherds pie. It'll be a nice change to the turkey noodle soup that's usually made. Who am I kidding -- I'll end up making both.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, chased after multiple kids at the playground, 400 crunches, and 90 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 148

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich and hot tea
Lunch - Roast beef sandwich and apple slices
Mid-Afternoon Snack - craisins
Dinner - Shepherd's Pie

Siren's Call.

I know I said the candy wasn't calling me in yesterday's blog, but the siren's call was loud and clear yesterday and...well, I might have done a small overkill on it. But the upside -- because I let myself have it, all I that wanted of it with no guilt, I don't want any today. So while I might have eaten more than I should've, I think it balances out because I'm done with it. The bowl is sitting not a foot away from me and I couldn't care less. By making it something not forbidden I took away the allure. And the best part I don't feel guilty. I enjoyed my candy day yesterday and now I'm over it.

I took 3ft to the playground to have a play date with one of his friends yesterday afternoon. I ended up chasing him, his friend, and his friends little brother all over the park/field next to the play structure. I'd catch them, toss them up, tickle them, and then release them. And then do it all over again. They had fun and I was totally enjoying the fact that I was chasing after some pretty fast runners and catching them -- loving that I had the energy to do it and had the stamina to keep it up.

I upped my push ups and crunches again yesterday. I'm up to 400 crunches and 90 push ups. Now I'm trying to figure how high do I go before it's ridiculous? I figure I might stop at the 400 crunches for awhile and stop raising the push ups when I hit 100. I'll cruise with that a bit and see what happens. They seem like nice round numbers.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, chased after multiple kids at the playground, 400 crunches, and 90 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 147

Only Water - Day 141

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - candy (couldn't resist the siren's call)
Lunch - Tuna sandwich, a pickle, and homemade french fries
Mid-Afternoon Snack - more candy and 1/2 peanut butter and banana sandwich
Dinner - wasn't hungry

They're Heeeeeeeere...

The holiday season is officially here. The fattest time of the year with four holidays that focus on parties, eating, food, eating, family, and...eating. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve. Am I the only one that thinks that it was poor planning on our forefathers to put them bam, bam, bam instead of spacing them out better over the year?

Normally I'd be worried, but so far I've survived Halloween unscathed. I spent the evening carting around 20 extra pounds, Mr. Grumpybutt the Skeleton, as we walked around the neighborhood trick or treating. I had one Payday fun sized candy bar the whole night. The bowl of candy isn't really beckoning to me too much -- not like it is for 3ft who stands over it, stroking the bowl, and murmuring, "We wants candy, my precious. Yes we wants it. Lots of it, don't we my precious?" Apparently we have the one "bowl" that rules them all. 3ft started off as a ninja but morphed into Gollum once his bucket was filled with candy.

I'm just going to hold on to my key word this holiday season: Moderation. I can have the candy, if I want it, in MODERATION. I can have the cakes, the pies, the food, the treats, all the deliciousness, if I want them, in MODERATION. Plus, I'll make sure that I have a lot of healthy snacks and better for you food around so that I can enjoy it in MODERATION and not have to worry about my waistline as much.

Now that I've achieved my goal of getting down to my prepregnancy weight (GO ME, I even surpassed it). I want to lose another 15 pounds by Christmas. Seems like a reasonable goal -- I have a little over 10 pounds to go (10.1 lbs to be exact). I'm making sure I have a goal so I don't get complacent over the holidays and just promise myself I'll start back up diligently after my birthday (January 1st). A lot of damage can be done with complacency so I'm doing my best to ignore it. Besides if I start thinking, "I can start back up after my birthday" well then that becomes a diet and not a lifestyle, doesn't it? Which goes against everything I believe in. So, I shall put up the good fight this holiday season, I shall lose another 15 pounds, and I shall do it while LIVING!

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - walking, carrying the Grumpybutt around while Trick or Treating, 350 crunches, and 80 push ups

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 146

Only Water - Day 140

Total Pounds Lost - 53.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - Slice of Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread
Lunch - Soup and Salad at Olive Garden
Mid-Afternoon Snack - didn't need
Dinner -Tuna sandwich, pickle, and a fun sized Payday