Category: The Blog

Posted on by — 8 Comments

Emergency Meals

When the kids have after school activities, with barely time in between to eat before rushing off to basketball practice, while That Man’s working late…  It’s “Emergency Meals” to the rescue.  I need to expand my list of quick, easy, and healthy things to make and I’m hoping you have some ideas.

For the family, one of our go-to meals is jarred spaghetti sauce (I like Bertoli’s), with a little lean browned hamburger and whole wheat pasta.  A quick salad or some frozen veggies and dinner’s ready in about 30 minutes, if I have the hamburger thawed.

Another dish the monsters love but isn’t so healthy:  leftover ham (usually the last of the deli ham before it goes bad), browned a little in a pan, with a jar of Bertoli’s alfredo sauce, a can of peas, a can of sliced mushrooms, and whole wheat pasta.  Like I said, not the healthiest with that creamy sauce, but man it’s pretty good and FAST.

One of the monsters’ favorite dishes is “Sloppy Joes” – only made with BBQ sauce instead of Manwich sauce (it’s too “spicy” for them).  I don’t like all that meat and I sure don’t need the buns, but this is a good option if I have something easy to throw together for myself.

And of course, the monsters loooove tacos, if I remember to keep tortillas on hand (they prefer soft instead of crunchy).  I typically have a taco salad that night or toast some corn tortillas in the oven.  If I have chicken breasts in the fridge, I just throw them in the crock pot at lunch (still frozen) with taco seasoning and salsa.  They’ll be ready to shred by dinner and I’ll have enough leftovers for lunch for several days.

Now the real go-to ER meal — when people are SICK — isn’t quick but I always make it as soon as feasible.  Homemade chicken soup with homemade egg noodles.  That Man and Middle have been sick all weekend, so tonight I brought out the big guns.  Three jars of delicious rich chicken broth made with the bones of chickens I roasted in the oven with lemons and rosemary, super nutritious with all those bone nutrients and gelatin.  I wasn’t planning on a big batch of chicken soup, so I didn’t have celery or potatoes on hand, so I had to punt a little.  I had 3 scrawny little potatoes that I diced real small, plus lots of carrots, a whole onion sauteed in olive oil, and chicken breast.  I was out of fresh garlic, unfortunately – we could have really used its powerful healing ability.  Princess made quad batch of egg noodles for me.

The five of us cleaned up the entire batch.  Middle had 4 bowls.  Considering she hadn’t eaten anything else all day, I hope that’s a good sign.  The broth was sooooo good.

This weekend I’ll be roasting more chickens to restock my broth!

Can you recommend any quick and easy and HEALTHY emergency meals?

Posted on by — 8 Comments

Fighting Blue Monday with Good News

The next two weeks are supposedly some of the bluest times of the year for people.  So let’s fight that with some good news!  I’ll start.

  • I’ve finished two full weeks of Power 90 and started week 3 last night.  There are still certain moves I can’t do exactly right, but I’m definitely getting stronger.  Last night was tough – I was *dripping* sweat.  Man was my fat crying!  But I made it all the way through the cardio portion despite my…
  • I’m pretty sure I’ve got plantar fasciitis in my right foot.  I had issues before Power 90 – I actually think the exercise, especially the regular stretching, is helping.  It’s only bad in the morning when I first get up and if I forget to stretch after sitting for awhile at the computer.  I’m wearing my Sketchers *constantly* which have helped tremendously.  (That’s how I injured it in the first place – wearing nothing but slippers on the tile floor while doing the holiday baking.)  It’s not so bad where I feel the need to see a doctor.  Yet.
  • I’ve been tracking my daily word counts, averaging 531 words a day for about 6,400 words so far this month.  Definitely not NaNoWriMo pace, but I’ve made words day except on Saturdays.  That’s also my “rest” day for Power 90 and the monsters have basketball, so we’re busy that day.
  • Speaking of which, the two youngest monsters are playing Upward Basketball this year, and each have won a game.  Middle had a particularly great game Saturday, even though she was feeling under the weather.
  • I found a new shop where I can get local and organic meats and other goodies.  I got a nice-sized baggie of bay leaves for only $1.  Last night we had home-grown brats.  I cut mine up with peppers and zucchini so I could enjoy the taste without the high carbs of the bun and it was delish.
  • I read an excellent fantasy romance this weekend – Master of Crows by Grace Draven.  I really enjoyed it.  The slow development of romance between Silhara and Martise is very well done, and while I wished for even more magic and fantasy elements, it was NOT fantasy lite.  A nice balance.
  • I splurged on a very expensive kitchen appliance this weekend, too.  A Vitamix.  However, I can’t wait to make shakes, soups, fruit “ice cream” etc. and I especially want to try grinding my own wheat for flour.  I looked at a NutriMill a few weeks ago and couldn’t make myself bite the bullet to spend that much on something that *only* grinds grains.  I’m hoping the VitaMix will become an essential part of our more healthy kitchen.

What’s your good news today?

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Incentives

Do you play mental games with yourself in order to meet your goals?  I do, but sometimes my mental dialogue gets a bit hilarious.

I’ve made a bargain with myself in the Dark & Early hours that I can’t read my blog feeds until I get my first writing stint done.  That means I can’t read Suzanne’s Chickens in the Road, which is my MUST READ every single day.  Or Paperback Writer.  That’s incentive!

I’ve decided that I can’t eat lunch until I’ve completed my workout.  If I’m really really hungry, then I can have a snack, but that’s it.  I know myself too well.  If I make my lunch, then I’ll decide I need to wait awhile before working out…and pretty soon the day will be gone.  My chances of getting anything done at night once the monsters are home are slim to none.

Yesterday, I had a long (about 30 min) argument – I mean discussion – with myself about whether or not I was going to do the Ab Ripper at the end of the cardio workout.  I really didn’t wanna.  Oh, I soooo did not wanna.  I was super hungry.  I didn’t want to use my whole lunch working out.  I wanted some time to veg before getting back to work.  Back and forth.  But I decided I would feel GUILTY [OMG why didn’t someone tell me I had “quilty” not “guilty”?  I don’t even quilt!]  if I didn’t do the full workout routine that I’d committed to doing.

It’s *only* 3 minutes or so of additional activity.  It’s not like 3 mins is going to make me late.  Or I’m going to starve to death.  Even though my fat was really crying and protesting that I *would* starve to death.

So I did it.  But man was it tough.

Do you bargain with yourself – or make deals with your inner demons?

Posted on by — 11 Comments

Simple Substitutions

I was talking to a friend today about Weight Watchers and health in general, and I got the idea for this blog post.  Years ago, my dear friend Wanda let me borrow her American Heart Association Diet/Recipe book and one of their recommendations was to simply make small changes.  e.g. cut about 20% of your calories.  Over time, those simple reductions would help lose weight without any noticeable deprivations.

I admit, I sort of scoffed.  I wasn’t patient enough for those little changes.  Geez.  I want to lose weight NOW!  Of course I went on some crazy fad diet, lost 40 pounds quickly, but ultimately fell off the wagon and gained the weight back.

Although I’ve been doing Weight Watchers for over a year now, that little idea of small substitutions has stuck with me.  In the beginning, I didn’t need to “give up” too many things because I had the points for the normal foods.  But now I’m dropping slowly downward, and I need all the help I can get to stay in my range.  (I lost another point today!  Gulp!!  I mean, Yay!)

Substitutions to the rescue!  But first a few caveats.  READ YOUR LABELS.  “Fat-free” is not necessarily better than the full-fat versions.  Watch for fillers, especially corn syrup.  That’s one reason I’ve stuck with my regular half and half instead of fat-free.  I don’t want corn syrup in my coffee, thank you very much!

Also, watch your chemicals, especially sugar substitutes.  If I’m going to have alcohol in my food, I want it to be of the wine or beer variety, not sugar alcohols.  I’ve cut out almost all sweeteners other than the half Splenda/sugar mix, and I’m trying to get off it too.  I just hate to use the points for real honey — but it’s so much better for me.

Here are a few substitutions that I make every single day.

  • 93% or 95% lean ground beef instead of ground chuck.
  • I really love 99% ground turkey – and even the monsters will eat it in Sloppy Joes, etc. after we got over the weird “white” color.  However, it’s typically pretty expense here.  I occasionally make a really yummy turkey & feta burger.
  • I almost always have a whole egg each day, but to bulk out my meal and increase protein, I use 2-3 egg whites too for very little point impact.
  • nonfat Greek (Fage) yogurt is probably my #1 staple.  (For instance, I sent home Thanksgiving leftovers with people in Fage containers.)  I eat it every single day for breakfast.  I also use it as a sour cream replacement.  2 T for basically free.  It also makes a great dip for veggies with some dried herbs like thyme or dill, celery salt or Bay seasoning, etc.  Or even yogurt + salsa.
  • Unsweetened almond milk in place of skim milk.  Half the points, and I love the taste.  However, it doesn’t officially count as a WW dairy (I do usually count it, though).  Plus it’s expensive!  So it’s a treat, but I really do like it.
  • Instead of tortilla chips or even baked Scoops, I take corn tortillas, lightly brush with olive oil (getting in those healthy oils!), season, and then bake until crispy.  They taste like corn to me, unlike those fake baked Scoops.
  • Instead of flour tortillas, I do either:  flat outs or corn tortillas.  Huge difference in points.  I’ve tried whole wheat tortillas but they just don’t taste right to me.  I’d rather have corn.  Someday, I’m going to try making my own.
  • I’ve always eaten wheat bread.  I do eat Nature’s Own light wheat bread for sandwiches (so I get 2 pieces for the same point value!) – but I also like the double fiber kind.  I’ve tried various sandwich rounds, etc. but in the end, I came back to Nature’s Own.  I just like their ingredients and taste the best.
  • Pita breads make GREAT personal pizzas!  I use whole wheat, top with turkey pepperoni and mozzarella, or…
  • Laughing Cow cheese wedges.  They’re a highly processed food, which I’m not real thrilled about, but sometimes I really crave that rich “cream cheese” taste.  I’ve tried several flavors but always come back to the simple Light Swiss.
  • Babybel cheeses.  Perfect snack size, great with clementines or an apple for a snack.  They pack in 5 grams of protein but don’t count as a whole dairy.  (You need 1 1/2 oz cheese to count as a dairy serving.)
  • I have raw, fresh veggies or fruit at every meal.  Even if I’m out of lettuce, I slice up a cucumber, tomato, or pepper.  The monsters will eat quite a bit of these, although we’re still working on peppers especially.
  • Natural peanut butter instead of regular.  Half the points, and I feel good about limiting the salt and sugar.  Even Middle takes it for lunch everyday – she actually prefers natural pb now instead of Jif.
  • When you’ve spent years blindly cutting fats – even healthy ones – out of your diet, real cheese seems like an indulgence.  I admit, I looooove a good sharp cheddar.  Such a delicious treat!  However, I keep the reduced fat Mexican shredded cheeses on hand and can’t really taste a difference compared to the other shredded cheeses.  (P.S. you know cheese you shred yourself tastes way better right?  It’s not coated in cellulose – wood! – to prevent clumping!)  With three monsters, the full-time Evil Day Job, etc. sometimes I need the convenience of bagged cheese.

These substitutions don’t really have a “point” impact, but they do have a health impact and they’re important to me.

  • I substitute dried beans for canned beans as often as possible.  I’m cutting the sodium – which can definitely impact my weight results – and avoiding any can chemicals that might leak into the food.
  • I don’t use canola oil or margarine.  EVER.  (I do keep it for That Man because that’s what he prefers.)  Everything I’ve read about it makes me question its real health benefits, especially when it’s cooked at high temperatures.  I use olive oil (only at medium heat), real butter, or coconut oil.  I do consider coconut oil to count toward my healthy oils – but WW doesn’t.  Yes, it’s high in saturated fat, but it’s a good, natural fat, it tastes great, and it’s not processed.
  • I cook often in my iron skilllets, even though that means I sometimes have to use more oil compared to a non-stick skillet.
  • If I’m going to indulge in white bread, I’ll make my own.  The problem is not eating the whole loaf in one setting.
  • I make my own broth whenever possible.  I keep chicken and turkey broth in the freezer.  I do NOT strain off the chicken fat – it’s a fairly healthy fat and real bone broth is loaded with nutrients.  I’ve made beef broth (from the prime rib bones at Christmas) and I definitely strained off the fat from it.  It was a huge thick 1/4″ layer on top, at least.

Substitutions that do NOT work for me.

  • fat-free half and half as I said above
  • fat-free dressings (ditto).  I make my own dressing every day with olive or sesame oil plus vinegar, honey, etc.
  • Egg Beaters.  I don’t like the artifical colors and fake taste.  I’ll “waste” my own eggs to get egg whites.
  • fat-free cream cheese.  Why bother?  I get the same taste and texture with Laughing Cow.
  • fat-free cheese in general.  Ick.  They taste horrible and don’t melt.  I’ll splurge on the real thing as long as I can.

Are there any healthy substitutions that you recommend?  I’d love to hear it!

Posted on by — 7 Comments

Building Good Habits

Why is it soooo easy to fall back into bad habits…but so hard to establish GOOD ones?  I guess maybe I’m inherently lazy.

But so far in 2012, I’ve been working really hard on establishing some daily routines.

  • Before I go to bed, I prep the coffee pot for 5 AM.
  • The monsters got me an iPhone dock to replace my alarm clock for Christmas.  I decided to quit doing my “backup” alarm — which almost always is like a 30-min snooze instead of really there to make sure we get up.  One alarm at 5 AM.  Get up.  No questions.  It’s been really really hard.  I’ve been struggling to stay functional, but I’m hoping to settle into the regular routine and increase my productivity.
  • I’m writing by 5:30 AM.  I only have about 30 mins before I have to get Princess up, but I’ve been getting between 300-500 words.  Not NaNoWriMo pace, but steady.
  • I’m continuing to track my food per Weight Watchers.
  • I’ve completed one week of Power 90, and started the second week today.

Between Dark & Early and exercise, I’m starving!  So I’ve been eating 2 small breakfasts plus a later small lunch, shifting some of my points earlier in the day so I eat less at night.  I’ve also been eating all my points and then some – when last year I was almost always 3-7 points under.  I’m really hungry though, not just bored, tired, etc. so I’m eating within reason, tracking, and counting it toward my exercise points.

So far I’m staying steady at my low weight.  I haven’t lost, but I know it’s going to take a week or two for my body to adjust to regular exercise.  Plus Power 90 isn’t like taking a little walk.  This is hard stuff, including weights, and my muscles might retain water initially.  I need to eat enough to ensure I’m recovering and fueling for the next day.

I’m concentrating on quality protein.  Chicken, egg whites, wild salmon, lean beef.  I also bought some miso, dashi, and soba noodles so I can make my own Japanese-inspired soups for a small, low-point, hot lunch (vs. salads) for these cold winter days.  I’m still a little worried that I might not be getting enough protein, so this week I’m going to pick a day to double track my points into Spark People and see points vs. protein/carb breakdown.  I might need to start drinking a protein shake, but I’m very picky.  I want something with all-natural ingredients – especially no artificial sweeteners.  I’ve found one that looks excellent (Beach Body’s Shakeology) but holy smokes, I’m not paying $118 for a 30-day supply!  If anyone has any recs, I’d love to hear them!

Now my next most important habit to start… getting to bed at a decent time so I’m not so tired!

Posted on by — 7 Comments

Thank You, Weight Watchers

One year ago today I made a commitment to myself.  I decided I was done playing around.  Done feeling miserable.  Done trying every crazy restricted diet.  I signed up for Weight Watchers Online – again.

Yes, it wasn’t the first time.  My first exposure to WW was as a kid.  I remember Granny (my mom) gagging down the weekly requirement of liver and fish.  *shudders*  After Princess Monster was born (today’s her bday, by the way!  Our first teenager!), I did an At-Work stint and lost my 10%.

We moved to MO shortly after.  I had two more kids.  And yeah, this time I had to lose quite a bit more to get the 10% award.

That’s how it is with “diets.”  Any diet will work.  For awhile.  But then I get tired of eating all meat and eggs but no bread or fruit.  Or all grains and fruit and no meat and eggs.  Or no salt. No sugar.  Or no fat…  And inevitably, I fall off the plan.  No matter how much I’ve lost, it sure is easy to gain it all back again.  And then some.

No more.  I decided I was going to choose a plan I could live with.  If we go out to eat, I won’t have a panic attack that someone put salt on my veggies and I’ll be up ten pounds tomorrow.  I won’t have to eat salad only.  If I want a steak, fine.  If I want dessert, great.

Within reason, anything is possible on Weight Watchers.

I wanted to be a good role model for the monsters.  Instead of being OCD about what I can and can’t eat, I just try to make the healthiest choices I can.  We’ve talked a lot about “points” and healthy guidelines.  For fun, they’ve all taken turns figuring out how many points they’ve eaten.  It’s eye opening, and has helped us cut back on seconds and poor-choice snacks more than once.

I can live on this plan.  Really live.  I’m already doing things I never thought possible.

  • Lost 61.4 pounds and still counting.
  • Stuck with a plan for an entire year.
  • Jogged at the track – a whole quarter mile! – and didn’t die.
  • Did an exercise tape I’d never even cracked open before – and it wasn’t impossible.
  • Started wearing JEANS!  And I’ve gone down three times in sizes!
  • Bought some high-heeled boots to wear with those jeans.
  • Shopped a lot – something I used to dread.  Nothing worse than going into a store and realizing that absolutely nothing will even come close to fitting.
  • Bought my first XL – non plus size! – shirt.
  • Had my picture taken with the family for Christmas – something I’ve avoided for YEARS.  I hate to have my picture taken!  But I’m so glad we did it this year.

In 2012, I’m continuing my healthy eating habits, and I’m also working harder at exercise.  So far, I’ve made it every day this month/year.  Granted, we’re not even a week in yet but that’s an incredible start with my track record.

I’m feeling so good right now, not just physically, but about myself as a person.  I’m taking care of myself, something that can be remarkably hard to do.

Thank you, Weight Watchers, for helping me LIVE.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

RBW – Last Weekly Weigh In

Our Romance Biggest Winner challenge officially ends on 1/5 — which is also my one year anniversary on Weight Watchers — and today’s our last weekly weigh in.

So far, I’ve lost 22 pounds in 6 months.  Definitely not earth shatteringly fast, but 22 pounds are gone forever.  I lost again this week, just a small amount (.17), but considering it was a holiday and we had Christmas dinner at my mom’s this past weekend, I’m very pleased.

Even more exciting, I finally got myself on an exercise routine.  I’m doing Tony Horton’s Power 90 again and I’ve made it two days in a row.  If I get bored with the Sweat portion, I reserve the right to switch things up and do some other cardio instead, but I love the Sculpt exercise.  It’ll be a challenge to figure out how to plan the exercise during my work days, especially around writing.  It’s always tempting to write over lunch instead of work out, for instance, but I’ve *got* to increase my activity if I want to keep losing at a reasonable speed.

To make sure I still get words each day, I’m going to have to get up Dark & Early.  I made it today, although mannnnn, I’m tired.  I slept horribly (which I almost always do after a long weekend or when starting a new D&E stint).  Hopefully I can get through this week and keep to the schedule.  We’ll see.

I also recorded my measurements this weekend.  I did Power 90 about 2 years ago (in March) and made it about 45 days before quitting.  I’d only lost 3 pounds and was soooo discouraged after working out so hard.  I could feel myself tightening up and getting smaller though, but I didn’t have any evidence since I didn’t take my measurements.

At the time, I wasn’t “dieting”.  I increased my protein and calories according to Beach Body’s recommended plan, but I wasn’t following the plan exactly.  I’ve never really been able to stick to both exercise AND diet, so I’m a bit nervous.  I’m hoping that a full year on Weight Watchers (as of 1/5) will give me the diet foundation I need, and that adding exercise on top will only increase my metabolism and get me losing bigger amounts each week.  *crossing fingers*

I’m 61.4 pounds lighter than the last time I tried Power 90, so I’m hoping for great things.  Who knows, I might even be able to do that one swing-the-leg-through move after the downward dog that I never could manage before!  Okay, one can hope.  ;-)

Posted on by — 1 Comment

2012 Begins With…

I finished formatting Return to Shanhasson and loaded it to Smashwords.  I’ve also submitted the file to Amazon, so it should be up shortly.  Once everything’s up, I’ll create a post so everyone knows and I’ll beg for some new reviews or ratings.  *sheepish puppy dog eyes*

I went through Lady Wyre’s Reget and added a few hundred words to the end.  I’m still not sure that it’s *right* but I don’t know how much further to go.  I’ll let it sit awhile and see.  I’ll probably post it here so you guys can tell me what you think.  I need a satisfying ending — but it should also make you want to go buy Lady Doctor Wyre if you haven’t already read the main story.  A tough balance.

I really want this prequel to hook and entice.  I plan to create a chapbook via CreateSpace, so I’ll have something to sign…  at the RT Conference in Chicago!  Yep, I’m going, and I absolutely couldn’t be more excited!!!

So I’ve already crossed a bunch of busywork off my list.  Now I’m switching gears to a short project to decide if I have enough to whip it out in the next month or two for a submission call.  More details to come once I figure out what I’m doing.

Still not a lot of words…but definite progress!

Posted on by — 2 Comments

My Best Achievement in 2011

Is definitely my weight loss.

I’ve never been able to sustain any weight loss efforts this long before!  I’ll hit one year with Weight Watchers Online on 1/5/2012.  So far, I’ve lost 61 pounds, and yes, I still have quite a ways to go.  It’s taken me the last 6 months to lose 20 pounds, but that’s okay.  Slow and steady gives my body time to shrink even if the scale doesn’t budge.

You might think I’m joking, but my SIL keeps calling me the Disappearing SIL — even when I swear the scale didn’t budge at all.  I need to lose quite a bit more, so even when I maintain or don’t lose that much, I tell myself that gives everything time to shrink a little into place. :lol:

I went from never wearing jeans — because I refused to buy them so large and be devastated by the size — to wearing almost all jeans all the time.  Last night, I went to Kohl’s to spend a gift certificate from my Dad (exactly what I asked for – thank you, Papa!!), and was absolutely tickled to FINALLY get into the next lower size of jeans.  It seems like I’ve been stuck for months, but I just about bawled with joy when those new smaller Lee’s fit!  I still have a pair of Gap jeans in the same size that are too small, but I know I’m very very close.

The key for me was deciding that I don’t care how long it takes.  I don’t care if I have a small gain.  I don’t care if I temporarily slip off plan.  I WILL get back on and I WILL do it.  Again and again and again, even if it takes me the rest of my life.  I will eventually get to goal.  I’ll start over every single day, every single meal, if that’s what it takes.

Of course joining Romance Biggest Winner was also a great idea.  Having a weekly accountability above and beyone WW has kept me on track.  I wanted to lose 25 pounds I think – which I won’t quite make, but I’ll be very close.  I hope we run another round in 2012!

My number one goal for 2012 is to implement a consistent exercise routine, something that I’ve dabbled with this year but haven’t successfully committed to on a regular basis.  My plan is to customize Power 90 where I can switch up the “sweat” portion when I get too bored or feel too much hatred for those downward/upward dogs.  I have several other cardio-type exercises I can swap in as needed, but I love the strength portion of Tony’s workout.