Life sucks, so change it up !

So what do you do when the going gets tough and you don't like the scenery ? Change it up ! Switch things around and add some new elements. And that is exactly what I am doing. I figure that if by some freakish chance that I have become a target for all of the lost weight floating around in the universe, then if I move and act differently it will no longer be able to find me.

One change I made is dropping coffee. (cue chorus of violins playing very sad songs). I have dropped it a couple of times in the past and it did make the scale move in the right direction, but I chose not to believe it to be the real problem and went back to it within a month. I blame Dunkin Donuts for this one. When I was 18 I worked the graveyard shift as a baker for Mister Donut ( a small donut shop in competition). There I learned how to handle yeast dough and an appreciation of serious coffee. When Dunkin Donuts started selling theirs to the public, it was more than I could resist. I have quit that cold turkey ( from drinking a whole pot every day) to embracing green tea. Why green tea ? If I am going to give up something bad for me I must replace it with something very good. Green tea is loaded with antioxidents and other good things. Plus, it seems to keep me from getting coffee withdrawl.

Second move is no diet sodas. These have not proven to be a factor in my weight loss stalls in the past, but you never know. I tend to drink 2 a day, but those two add up in the terms of cost, waste and exposure to strange chemicals. Instead we have switched to water with lemon or sparkling water with pommegranate juice. I read about another blogger doing this , and I waited to try this till I could find some of my own.
Next change is comitting to exercise in the morning and exercise 3 -4 times a week in the evenings with my husband. Nothing gigantic here, but instead a simple walk together outside, without the boy in tow. Serves two purposes- one is the physical exercise and the other is a definate window of opportunity to have an adult conversation without interuptions. Because our son is autistic we do not do babysitters or much without him in tow. This is a window of opportunity that we both feel we can safely do.

In the meanwhile, I finally got the chance to try some new to me foods that others have blogged about recently.

First is Smartfood Popcorn Clusters. I spotted them and decided to give them a try. They come to one point for a very small pack. I tried the almond cranberry flavor, and I found it WAY too sweet for my taste. It reminded me of carmel corn, which is something I have an odd relationship with. It is the first food I learned portion control with, and since then anything that tastes like carmel corn does interesting things to my head ( two bites and have to stop). The guys liked it a lot. I think if you are a carmel corn fan, this would be a good way to enjoy in a managed way.
Second thing was Vitatop muffins. I have heard so many rave about these, but I never found them in any of our markets to give them a try. I found them at our Supertarget and eagerly bought them. I chose the oatbran cranberry ones, as we all love oatmeal cranberry type muffins. Sadly, I disliked these. I found them to be too dry and too flat tastewise for me. Perhaps I would have felt different if it was the chocolate ones. Then a gain, truth be told I have never been one who craves baked goods for some reason. I can walk away from birthday cake or ice cream and cookies, but show me chicken satay or a thick steak and I have real trouble ! That is unless it is next to a Hostess Snowball or Suzi Q- and then i would be hard pressed to make a choice . Or stop at eating simply one choice !