Back in the Saddle Again

After a month that included a complete change in job (new location, totally new duties and a promotion to boot) and a move across state lines to close down the  "crash pad" residence I had in the city I was working in when I married two years ago- I have time to breathe again.

I hadn't weighed myself in the last month though I knew I hadn't lost anymore. Then I put on this satin black bathrobe the other night. I looked for the black sash for it and found it on the ironing board. I could barely get it tired around my waist.  Holy Cow! Did I gain that much around the middle? (resist the urge to moo)

My husband walks in holding the bathrobe black sash which was on the closet floor. Apparently, I was wearing a black formal bowtie of his around my waist.

I did get on the scale.  I'd not gained any weight with all the stress of the changes in my life, but I hadn't lost another pound.

So I'm back on it, buying and eating healthier and less processed food.  And of course, ditching the fried for the grilled.

I'll try and post daily unless I'm on the road and without my good camera (I don't have a point and shoot and I'm not going to risk my good camera getting damaged or stolen).

This won't be a traditional  DIET, in that I count calories constantly, but making healthier choices - trying more things to get more fruit and veggies in my diet (a serious downfall of mine) AND getting rid of the chemicals and artificial stuff that's in so much food.

Some posts will be examples of food selections that worked for me and others will be healthier recipes I've created and tried out on my own family.

So welcome back.  Today I made a trip to grocers at lunch this week while I teleworked.  I avoided the center aisles where the junk food is at AND made sure I ate lunch first.  Shopping when you are hungry is DANGEROUS.

The basic goals:

No High Fructose Corn Syrup - it's in EVERYTHING
Cut back or eliminate meat as outlined in the  Engine 2 Diet book.
No plant oils such as corn or canola (use olive oil or coconut oil)
White flour and sugar items as a weekend treat only
7-8 servings a day of fruits and veggies
At least one serving of beans every day.
Replace whole milk cow's milk in cereal and baking with almond milk
Replace  glass of wine with dinner with a flavored mineral water  I'll still have the occasional dram of scotch though

This isn't going to happen overnight, but if I can just add one of these habits every week, by the end of the year I'll be eating MUCH healthier than I do right now and with that, those last pounds hopefully will drop off.

So this is what the day looked like.

Breakfast was a smoothie. ;A cup and a quarter of red grapes, half of a large banana and a cup of baby spinach.  I used one cup of ice, a cup of water, then the fruits and the veggies (they blend better layered that way. The blender pictured has a ice crusher and liquefy feature so it's pretty heavy duty.

Yes, it was green and it was surprisingly tasty and refreshing, tasting more of grape than veggie.

Lunch was a grilled cheese on Dave's Killer Bread (along with Ezekiel bread, my go-to for a non GMO healthy bread)

Two slices of low fat soy  "cheese" and just a tiny bit of non dairy spread on the bread to toast it up.

An apple and two VISI brand protein chews (less than 1 gram sugar and tastes like a Starburst) was dessert.

Although I eat meat-free much of the time, to avoid too much animal fat and help the environment, I do cook lean cuts of meat 2-3 times a week for my husband, and I'll have salmon or chicken once a week IF I've done my workout.

Splurge - I ate 3 Newman's sandwich cookies (no HFCS) with a small glass of almond milk.

Tonight, skinless chicken quarters ( cooked four - for leftovers) spread with a little Kraft Olive Oil mayo (NO HFCS).and then rolled in  1/2 cup bread crumbs seasoned with  1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 cloves garlic, and a pinch of sage. Bake at 350 F for 40-50  minutes (depending on size of pieces, use a thermometer to check for done). I served it with two cups total of peas and raw carrots and a two inch square of freshly made cornbread.

The chicken was REALLY  crispy and tasty, and my husband didn't even know it was "oven baked".  He asked if I would make it again, which is always a good sign of recipe success.

It feels good to be back on track again, life, finally assuming some resemblance to normal.