It's a Beautiful, Brand New Year

What are you going to do to make 2012 your best year ever?

For me, it's making myself a priorty. Stay tuned.

30 Day Double Challenge

I know my lasso & bracelets
are somewhere under this mess!
Time to de-clutter! 

Clutter. Chubster. Curses to both of you!

I am challenging myself to 30 days of action. Each day, I will de-hoard by removing at least one item from home and I will exercise. As I prepare to battle this dubious duo, I feel like I should don some Wonder Woman Underoos. Although they would be quite snug since I was 9 the last time I wore them (along with my awesome high-top roller skates, of course). That was back when I had normal-sized feet. And normal-sized thighs. But I'm getting side-tracked again. Please check back for updates. And if you could use a little less clutter and/or a little less jiggle, then won't you join me?

Clutter Buster update days 1-23:  Woot! 12 bulging bags of evil clutter have been deposited into the trash or donated to Goodwill. Wall art, gardening stuff (we don't have a garden), a helium tank, hairdryer, clothes/shoes/purses, blankets, a tent, books/magazines. So much more room to breathe! But I know there's still more I can do. Clutter lurks. Oh, it lurks! Just threw out 2 big bags of kitchen stuff this weekend. Gotta hit that garage soon.
Chubster Buster update days 1-23: Exercising more than I was but still not good enough. There's been 4 days of Zumba, 3 days of 30-Day Shred, 9 days of walking or weights. Missed 7 days. Ouch. Gotta move it to lose it, sister! Definitely need to do more.

Weight Watchers Update - Week 5



Matching mom & munchkin manis.
We'll do it again for my 10-pound reward.



As of this morning, my total weight loss after 5 weeks is:

7.5 pounds!

I got on and off the scale about a dozen times this morning just to be sure. Sooooo close to my mini-goal of 10 pounds. So close! 

I'm happy to report that BFF Blondie has joined me in a back-to-better quest. She's using a free iPhone app called "Lose it". You enter your starting weight, goal weight, how many pounds each week you want to lose (from 1/2 pound to 2 pounds). It then gives you a daily calorie allowance. Enter your food choices just like you do with the Weight Watchers app. She's been using the app for 1 week and has lost 3 pounds. Congrats! So proud of you!

Weight Watchers Update - Week 3

 

Spotted these vibrant tulips while
grocery shopping recently.


Has it been another week already? Let's get right to it:

I lost 1 pound!

For a total of 6 since I started 3 weeks ago. Slow and steady wins the race, right? This week was better than week 2. I left about half my extra weekly points unused. I was trying to avoid carbs (especially at night) and found that I wasn't able to resist nighttime snacking. Adding a serving of whole grains to dinner definitely helped to abate my craving for late night munchies.

4 more pounds to go until I reach my first mini goal of 10 pounds. For week 4, I am going to make it a priority to go to bed a little earlier so that I can get up for some morning exercise. I have a couple of exercise DVDs ready & waiting: Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred and P90x (which my husband and I have dubbed 'PFChangs').

Weight Watchers Update - Week 2

Greek yogurt (100 calorie size), hard-boiled egg, & an apple.
My weekday go-to breakfast. Keeps me full until lunch.

Week 2 kicked my double-digit-teetering-on-the-edge-of-having-to-shop-in-plus-sized butt. In Week 1, most of my weekly 'extra' points went unused. But this week each one of those suckers was obliterated! Poor points - they never saw it coming.

When I stepped on the scale this morning:

I lost 1 pound!

Phew! Not bad considering that I happened upon some yummy Filipino-style empanadas this weekend & didn't stop at just one... or two... or...

I'm halfway to my first mini-goal of 10 pounds. I have a lot to lose so this 5 pound weight loss isn't reflected in my mirror just yet. I wish I could say that my clothes are fitting looser. But I know that will come. And I can't wait to finally go shopping for new clothes when I go down a size... or two... or...

Weight Watchers Update - Week 1

Hmm.. probably not ideal  for a
weight loss update but this was so
dang delish that I just had to share!

I survived my first week on Weight Watchers! I stayed within my daily point allowance without snatching food out of other people's hands & I kept the crying to a minimum. Fairly easy & guess what?
  

I lost 4 pounds!!!
(4.2 but I don't want to brag or anything)

I'm using the Weight Watchers iPhone app to enter food selections and calculate points. A little Zumba action, a couple of walks, & resisting late night snacks... now there's a little less chub in my world. Hooray!

By Saturday, I hadn't used any of my extra weekly points, so off we went on a foodie adventure to Umami Burger. Pictured here is the Umami Burger with parmesan crisp and shitake mushrooms... burgasmic! Totally worth the 45 minute wait to get a table. Thank goodness the burgers are normal sized (not like the massive monsters at some places). Check out their website & try not to drool on your keyboard.

Blondie (that's the BFF), will you join me now?! Let's see how much closer I can get to my first mini-goal of 10 pounds. Please check back next Tuesday for my second week's results.

Weight Watchers - Day 1

The lemon tart that pushed me over the edge.

After various birthday celebrations this past week, I've had more than my share of Hello Kitty banana-filled cake, parisian chocolate cake, & a lemon tart (or two). That'll be enough sugar, fat, and carbs to last me 'til Winter!

Yesterday, a friend told me that she's been using Weight Watchers online for a few weeks with good results. I've been going at this Back To Better goal on my own and while I have lost a couple of pounds, I know that I need more structure in order to be truly successful.

So here I go... I just signed up for Weight Watchers online - the 3 month plan. I can then continue month to month as needed. Day 1 is underway. I'm one hour into it and, so far, doing great! Haha! I like the online tools offered by Weight Watchers - there's a point tracker for the food you're eating, it also calculates your exercise for the day, and keeps track of your water intake, etc.

I've set my first goal at 10 pounds. My BFF is thinking about joining but has challenged me to have a perfect first week on the program so that I can give her a good sense of what following the program can do.

Challenge accepted!

The 4 o'clock Battle Plan



Cupcake-sized turkey meatloaf for Tuesday's dinner



My new plan to avoid the what's-for-dinner panic is to cook at night for the following day's dinner. I'm only 2 days into it & love it already. While watching the Oscars on Sunday evening, I made pasta con tonno e spinaci (pasta with tuna & spinach) - an easy, flavorful recipe I learned to make while in Italy. With Monday's dinner ready to go, there was no dinner planning panic. Hooray!

When we got home Monday, I made a quick side of asparagus. Reheated the pasta & dinner was ready. Later that night, I made Tuesday's dinner. I've never made "real" meatloaf but since we occasionally make meatloaf-style burgers, I felt confident that I could wing it. I don't have a loaf pan so I used a cupcake pan. I meant to add a couple of tablespoons of ground flax seeds (great source of soluble fiber & omega 3 fatty acids) but forgot to include it. Next time for sure.

Mini turkey meatloaf:

1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded carrots (I used bagged shredded carrots then diced them)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
3/4-1 cup bread crumbs
parmesan cheese (a generous palm-full)
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes (a generous pinch if you like a little heat)
1 small can tomato paste (for topping)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together all ingredients (except for tomato paste) until combined. Fill each opening about 3/4 full with meatloaf mixture. Spread a tablespoon or so of tomato paste on top of each mini-meatloaf. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through (I used a meat thermometer to check for doneness). A quick taste test proved these are yummy. Instant portion control too. I'll simply add a side of veggies and a dinner roll tonight.

Take that, 4 o'clock! 

Back to Better

As I make the climb to the big 4-0, I'm determined to get back to better. "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." Mark Twain's words couldn't be more true. I don't want to complain anymore. I don't want to claim that I'll try. I just want to do.

I wrote in my first blog entry that pretty paper can instantly lift my mood. I don't know about pretty, but this journal's happy organs sure are cute! Come on, kidneys playing badminton? Gotta love it.

By committing to eat healthier, move more, and take time for myself, soon my own organs will be just as happy as these little guys. The first entry in my "back to better" journal reads:

I am in good health.
I am at a healthy weight.
My blood pressure is at a normal level.
I have great energy.
I am rested and get enough sleep.
I enjoy exercise and being active.
I take time for myself.
I am living a long, healthy, happy life filled with love and peace.

Stay tuned for updates...