Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride

Last year, I discovered a new love; Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea from Celestial Seasonings. A packet of splenda added, and it is comfort and happiness in a mug!!!

Today was a long day. Lots of errands after work; but now I'm home, and I stayed on plan!!

Breakfast: NS Maple oatmeal with 1/2 banana whipped in and a serving of Soy Nog
Lunch: NS Chocolate caramel bar, carrots, cucumber, and greek yogurt
snack: jalapeno string cheese and an apple
dinner: NS Meatloaf and mashed potatoes (this was actually an alright dish!) with a side salad and 2 small sauteed zucchini
dessert: NS Chocolate mint bar and a mug of tea

Time for my beauty sleep!!!

Ho Ho Ho!!!!

Yes, I understand it is only mid-November - but I simply could not help myself.

Gossip Girl, Christmas lights, a sugar cookie candle, chocolate cake, and blogging. This evening is simply divine!

Breakfast: a NS banana nut muffin, an apple, and chocolate mousse yogurt
Lunch: NS Creamy Broccoli Pasta with steamed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower
Snack: jalapeno string cheese and an apple
Dinner: NS black bean soup with a dollop of greek yogurt mixed in, along with mixed veggies and a tossed salad topped with a drizzle of EVOO and a shake of salt and pepper
dessert: NS chocolate cake (mmmm!!!!)

I'm honestly loving this nutrisystem food so far. On it's own, some of it is pretty nasty. But doctored up, it's downright delicious, and is really teaching me portion control!

Weight: 196.5 lbs

Ham Loaf

Has anyone ever had ham loaf? It's salty... it's smushy.. it's simply wonderful. And I'm sure it's absolutely horrid diet-wise.

Yesterday I ventured out to my grandma's house to help her get her Christmas decorations up before leaves on a vacation until the end of the month. As payment, she made a wonderul, big, fattening family dinner.

And since I know my grandma, and her delicate feelings, I ate and enjoyed every morsel!!!

Here is what I ate yesterday. I know dinner was a bit of a fail, but it wasn't horrible and I'm fine with it.

Breakfast: NS pancakes (with a tiny bit of sugar free syrup), a fried egg, and an apple
lunch: NS cheesy mashed potatoes with a heaping side of steamed broccoli topped with melted laughing cow cheese
snack: string cheese and a handful of frozen grapes
dinner: ham loaf, baked potato, corn, brussels sprouts, a mini croissant
dessert: A pumpkin bar

I also put up my Christmas decorations at home with Husband last night. Don't hate. We are Christmas fanatics... we just can't stop ourselves!!!

Do you have a certain Christmas record/tape/CD that you consider THE Christmas CD? My husband was sad to say that because of my influence over the last 8 or so years, he now views "N'Sync Christmas" As his ultimate Christmas cheer music. Whoops.

Yet another fad?

I follow fad diets like a BELIEVER. I've tried paleo, Slimfast, Atkins, South Beach, the Cabbage Soup Diet...and I never stick with anything long enough to see real results.

Is this post about how I'm going to stop that and just follow the food pyramid, or eat whole foods, or something of that sort?

Nope... I've started Nutrisystem. I did it about 5 years ago and lost about 20 lbs, but it got old. The food was horrid.

I started three days ago at 201 lbs, and this morning I weighed in at 196! I'm not sure how much of it was water weight, but we shall see.

The diet is pricy. It was $233.00 for a months worth of food.. but you also add to that.

Breakfast:
-1 nutrisystem entree
-1 dairy or protein
-1 fruit

Lunch:
-1 nutrisystem entree
-1 dairy or protein
-2 vegetable servings

Snack:
-1 dairy or protein
-1 fruit

Dinner:
-1 nutrisystem entree
-1 fruit or vegetable
-2 vegetable servings (so a possibility of 3 altogether, if you wish)
-1 serving healthy fat

Dessert:
-1 nutrisystem dessert entree

So far I've been enjoying the food! Here a couple examples of the meals I've had:
Breakfast: nutrisystem granola, greek yogurt, and an apple. OR a chocolate muffin, a fried egg, and 1/2 a banana
snack: grapes and string cheese
lunch: nutrisystem tortilla soup with frozen veggies and 1/2 serving greek yogurt +half a serving of low fat cheese stirred in at the end
dinner: Nutrisystem mac & cheese (which I loved!) with a heaping side of sauteed bok choy and onions, and an apple
desserts: The BEST part. The mint cookie patty was amazing. The chocolate crunch bar was yummo.

I'm excited about this. I have a meal planner that has a check list - I just go down it for each meal to make sure I've fulfilled each requirement. No calorie counting, no counting points. They say to expect 1-2 lb loss a week. If that's right, then I should be 180 in time for my trip to Thailand. WHEEEEE!!!!

Worst Nightmare

This morning, I had the worst nightmare of my life. I dreamed that I showed up to my 6:00 am cardio kickboxing class, and the normal instructor was absent. In her place was a murderous woman who screamed and kicked and made me do lunges and squats until I died. And the worst part? I was the only one who showed up, and she still put on her headset and yelled into the mic at me for an hour straight.

Oh, wait. It wasn't a dream. That really happened this morning.

Argghhh I can't walk....

Getting Beach-ready!

I have been asked to be a bridemaid in a good friend's wedding in *gasp* Thailand!! I'm geeked beyond belief. The friends were our closest friends while in China, and are now traveling to the beach to get married in the sand and celebrate with BBQ and drinks with umbrellas in them. Heaven, no?
Besides the obvious upsides to this invitation (a trip to Koh Lanta and Ko Phi Phi, the beach where.. "The Beach" was filmed, and the fact that I am so honored and flattered to be asked) there is another perk. A goal!!
I have 3 months to get my body in beach-ready shape. This morning, I was 199. I hope to be 185 by the trip. Definitely doable!
This morning began with a trip to the gym at 6:00am for a 30 minute workout on the eliptical and then a 1/2 mile walk/run on the track (I'm going to try to work up to 2 miles). Now I'm off to the office for 9 hours, and then Zumba if I feel up to it.
I also have dishes to wash, pumpkins to carve, dinner to cook, and laundry to do. So we'll see what falls by the wayside. But you know what? I woke up and worked out, so it won't be exercise :)
Have a fantastic fall day, folks. The trees are turning and the wind smells like bonfires and wet leaves. Man, I love fall.

Shredder

That's what they call me. That's right; I bowled today. And I brought my A game. Score of 77, what what!!!
I suppose I just need more practice.
This week I've done zumba, spinning, and cardio kickboxing (and bowling, of course!). I feel... sore. But great.
When fall arrives in Michigan, people start to slow down. It starts to get dark sooner, so people don't go out as much. It gets cold, so people huddle inside. It's the season for crock pot meals, the beginnings of the carb-heavy eating that winter brings. Hubby and I retire to the couch and watch lots of Star Trek in the winter (his pick). We are also slowly working through Mad Men (love!).
I have two cats. Two wonderful, troublesome, lovely cats. Do you know what they do in the fall? They wake up. All summer long they lay around and nap. But when fall comes, they get downright spunky. They pounce on hangers. They nip at my toes in the morning to get me to feed them. They chase each other up and down the hallway for hours.
I've decided that this fall/winter, I'm gonna pretend to be a cat.