Has time gotten sped up ?

Is it just me or do the hours in the day seem shorter lately ? I don't know if it is back to school, fall coming or just plain aging, but it seems almost like every second of the day is a busy rush that does not allow for any time to do anything fun. Yesterday hubby had to sing at 3 services ( after singing at the Saturday Night one) , I still had a mountain of things to prep for school, a freezer session of breakfast burritos and assorted house stuff. The plan was to eat a late lunch, head to the library and then to the woods for a walk. He ran a little late, the library took a little longer than expected and I realized there would not be enough time for the woods between getting dinner on the table, school for the next day in their workboxes, lunch packed, dishes done and so forth and get to bed at a decent hour. So we came home, and I am beginning to feel like an appliance that is chained to the house. And that house keeps coming up with sneak attacks of things that must be done RIGHT NOW, such as shampooing a spilled soda out of the rug or dealing with a backed up toilet. Heavy Sigh.

Breakfast was plain oatmeal with olive oil, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 T flax, coconut, crasins and goji berries with coffee and water. I was a little worried that plain oatmeal would taste flat after so much pumpkin oats, but not the case. It was yummy !

Son and I grabbed our afternoon snack around our normal lunchtime so we could wait for daddy . Fruit and nuts really help to send the growlies packing !

Lunch was a pizza on an Aldi's original wrap spread with a tablespoon red pepper hummus, 1/4 cup mozzerella cheese , 2 sliced black olives, 1 sliced mushroom and 1 tsp bacon bits. Really good ! On the side was carrot stickas, celery sticks and cucumber wedges with diet soda

Dinner was comfort food done lite. Take a pound of ground turkey and mix it with 2 T oat bran, 1 tsp garlic powder and dried onions, and a pinch of salt and pepper. From into patties and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Meanwhile melt 1 T margarine in a pan and add 1 T flour, and make a roux. Then add 2 cups non fat beef broth ( Bouillon is fine), and a sprinkle or two of onion powder. Serve wih mashed turnips , steamed green beans and a green salad. A perfect comfort Sunday Dinner.
After dinner we played a game as a family and then settled in to finsh up our own personal things. I grabbed a cup of the plain greek yogert , a cup of fresh blueberries and a bar. I have to say eating the greek y0gert with berries felt kins of like eating ice cream because of the mouth feel. If this goes on sale again, I will definitely be buying more !

Cost cutting

One thing is certain- eating according to this plan is allowing us to save money on groceries. By focusing on what is on sale, exchanges and calories instead of points , health goals and "clean eating", our grocery bill has dropped by almost 100 dollars. Think about it- would having an extra hundred dollars reduce your stress level as well as your environmental impact ( needing to commute to work less and not having to chase to as many stores to find those products) ? You bet !

Breakfast was pumpkin oats topped with flax oil, crasins, coconut and sunflower seeds. This will be the end of the pumpkin oats for a few weeks. We buy our solid packed pumpkin at Aldis and they finally ran out of their supply for the year. Last year was not very good for pumpkins, and they got a smaller supply for the year. Pumpkins will be coming back in season in a few weeks, and the supplies will be replenished. It's interesting to note that we live not far from the pumpkin growing capitol of the world, and the main processing plant for the majority of the canned pumpkins on the shelves is processed about two hours drive from here.

Lunch was grabbed during our grocery run part 2. The produce store has a great deli/hot foods bar and it is both affordable and sensible to grab food from them. I had a roast beef and cheddar sub- I did not feel like a salad or soup, and all of the hot entrees looked too heavy. This was the one thing that seemed to appeal. I only wish there were more veggies on this !


They had a special purchase of something different - greek yogert made from a small local company in large 4 cup containers at 2/5.00. We had already bought the yogert needs for the week, but I could not resist buying one tub to give the guys a taste. We had some later in the afternoon topped with blueberries. Do you know how hard it is to photograph white food in a white bowl ??? I wish I would have known about this sale earlier- I would have bought all greek yogert for the week !

Daddy had to sing at the Saturday evening Mass, mom had a ton of paper cutting and son decided to tag along with dad, so dinner was kind of quick- open faced Rubens ( turkey pastrami, smoked swiss and saurkraut) minus the thousand island dressing on pretzel hoagie rolls with carrots, celery, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. This may have been a mistake because I could not find a calorie count on the rolls, and some of these are as high as 400 calories per roll. We have tried them in the past and LOVED them, so when they wen on sale and I was planning the rubens, they sounded like they would be great together. They were not- rubens are much better on dark rye bread, and probably less calories.

Dessert was our new favorite- berry parfait. Take a tub of pudding, add a cup of assorted fresh berries and top with whipped cream . It is sweet like ice cream, creamy like ice cream and is just right for satisfaction.

Today will be more cutting, doing a freezer session of breakfast burritos, library run and hopefully a walk in the woods this afternoon. Hubby's singing commitments on Saturday combined with only one car make it very difficult to get in anything more than shopping on Saturdays any more , but it's what has to be done.

Hmmm

Saturday morning , so it must be weigh in here.Not completely sure what to make of it

I gained 0.5 lbs. It could be rebound from the big loss last week, could be PMS, could be because of adding muscle

Son gained 1.2 lbs. I am gthinking that he may not be getting enough calories and his body has hit that metabolic slow down. Plan is to give him a couple extra fruits and milks this week and see if that helps.

Hubby, who has been following a different plan and managed to have a week with no company lunches and so forth, lost 2.2 lbs Yay him ! This week he moves into the same plan we are following. Now on to yesterdays meals.

Breakfast was an arnolds Thin with 2 oz turkey ham and 1/4 cup mozzerella cheese, microwaved for 2 minutes. Sliced tomatoes and coffee to accompany. For me, this one had no staying power, and I was starving by 10 am. Celery stick to the rescue !

Lunch was egg salad on an Aldi's Original Wrap. For 2 people boil 3 eggs, peel and chop and then add 1 tsp mayonaise, 1 tablespoon plain nonfat yogurt and 1/2 tsp of dill and a pinch of salt. Serve with celery, carrots, cucumbers and red pepper slices. We both agreed this one should happen again.

Snack time ! School was done, and time to move onto next weeks prep. That and round one of shopping. for the week. With hubby's singing schedule and everything else, it is just too pressed to do all 3-4 stores in one day so we split it up.
Dinner was do ahead crockpot fair- Blackbean turkey chilli, whole grain cornbread and salad. The chili is a no brainer- take 2 cups of black beans, a pound of ground turkey and a large jar of salsa. Dump them in a crocopot and mix. Cook on low for 4 hours. The cornbread involved 1/2 c stone ground cornmeal, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1tsp baking powder. 1/4 t salt, 1 T honey , 1/2 cup egg beaters and 1 cup plain nonfat yogert. Bake 350 for 25 minutes. I think the yogurt made it come out super moist, and there was no need for butter. A green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and red peppers accompanied.

I spent the evening watching fun but silly TV and cutting out things for next week's school. My son has become somewhat of a hands on visual learner again, and we use a lot of home made manipulative s in school. Fun for him and affective, but gads I spend a lot of time in prep ! I finally quit around 9 pm and grabbed my snack. I was actually growly by that time.

Thus begins another week in the quest to shrink !

Rooting for roots !

Yesterday was one of those miracle days where everything fell into perfection, and I was able to get a LOT accomplished. We did school, I managed to create a realisting chore chart system thing AND I got some much needed housework done. May seem like nothing to some, but for me it is a lot. The act of juggling everything that needs juggling is a real trick sometimes. I even managed to start some new exercise, working on my ab muscles. One of my big problem areas is my lower stomach, and it is not just a cosmetic issue. It pulls my back muscles and spine out of alignment, and as I age it is pulling my bladder and female organs out of alignment. Simple ab exercises can help greatly and are something I should have been doing for a long time now, but there is never enough time and any time I do get to exercise gets devoted to things that burn calories. Dumb, but there you have it.

Breakfast was a new thing for us- polenta with cheese topped with a scrambled egg and sliced tomatoes. Per person you take 1 cup of water, 3 T cornmeal and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil, stir constantly till thick and pour in a dish or wide bowl. Then sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Scramble 1/4 c egg beaters and season as you desire, and place ontop the cornmeal . Serve with a sliced tomato. I think we will be having this one again !

Lunch was 2 oz turkey ham and 1 oz mozzerella rolled up on an Aldi's Original Wrap and baked at 350 for 20 min. carrots, celery,cucumbers and broccoli on the side with a probiotic yogert and diet soda

Afternoon snack was plums, almonds and another swirl pop, just because this time.


Dinner was a salad with romaine, cucumbers, radishes and orange peppers ollowed by turley meatloaf with roast beets and mashed tater turnips. Turnips make a very good, low starch alternative to potatoes that are also a lot lower in calories. Per person take a turnip, peel and pare it, then boil it in water and 1/3 pack stevia. When tender, drain , mash and add 1 tsp margarine, 1 tsp plain nonfat yogert and salt and pepper. Really good ! For beets I take them with their skins on, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 375 for about an hour- till they are fork tender. Cool , peel and slice.


Evening found me a little hungrier than usual, so I added a pudding to my fruit, nut and bar snack. I was also really craving chocolate - I suspect I am going to be getting a visit in a couple of days. Yes ladies, it was THAT kind of chocolate craving.

Tomorrow morning is weigh in again- I think it has been a good week !

Fall is whispering

I was noticing the activity of the birds yesterday. The pretty song birds have left the area now, and what remains is the tough year round birds, who seem to be in a flurry of activity lately. The squirrels are more active and we are starting to see a lot more yellowjackets swarming around as the flowers die. Fall is in the air with these signs, and it made me realize that I am going to have to start looking for some fall clothes for the boy. Most of his cool weather wardrobe is falling off of him now, so it's a must do thing. Most of my cool weather gear is pretty stained and beat up, but I am a little nervous about purchasing many new items at the moment with following this new plan.I have complete confidence that is is and will continue to work, and I don't want to spend a lot of money on clothes just to have them be too big in a couple of weeks time. Perhaps the Goodwill would be the best option for now. I am going to have to move soon on this.

Breakfast was Banana Bread oatmeal, to make use of the one lonely and very over ripe banana in the house. Yes, bananas do freeze, but our freezer is a bit jumbled at the moment and I was afraid I would lose he banana in there. For two people take 1 banana and mash it, then add 1 cup rolled oats, 2 2/3 cu water, a tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Cook as normal, and then in the bowls put 1 tsp olive oil and 1 T almond butter. ( putting it in first helps it to melt better) .Divide the oatmeal between the two bowls and top with 1 T crushed walnuts, 1 T coconut flakes, 1 T raw sunflower seeds( a little more protein) 1 T% chocolate yogert covered rasind( still trying to use them up) and 2 T ground flax meal. I had coffee , water and supplements with this.

Lunch was a kid pleaser- open faced sloppy joes with celery, carrots and cucmbers and a carton of pro-biotic yogert. I am begining to think sloppy joes may be a miracle food. I have never known an occasion when they were served and there was not enough to go around. Weird ! Thes were made with ground turkey, a half of an onion and orange pepper diced. Brown the meat, add the veggies, cover and cook. Then toss in some katsup and BBQ sauce till it looks moist enough,cover and let simmer about 5 minutes. I used a pound of turkey, divided it int 4 portions and froze 2 for later. The remaining two were divided over 4 halves of Arnold's thins. Yes, a real life fraction exercise there ! My son, like most kids, loves these. I think they are just okay- perhaps because as a kid this was about the only thing served at every birthday party !

Our afterschool snack. Throat is still irritated, but getting better. Now it is only icky when I get a coughing fit.

A crockpot chicken dish was planned , but plans were changed and there was no need for crock pot fare. I really do not like chicken in the crock pot, as it gets dried out, so I opted to make grilled terriaki chicken. In a zip lock bag combine 2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar with 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp ginger and 1 T olive oil. Squish it together and then add 3 chicken breasts. roll the meat around in the bag to coat and then place the bag in a 9x13 pan and refrigerate for at least an hour ( or freeze at this point if using fresh raw chicken). At dinner time I grilled it on the George Forman grill and served it with whole wheat couscous and steamed broccoli seasoned with garlic powder. We are big garlic fans here. Wonder if that is the reason no one here is into Twilight ??


Evening consisted of printing next weeks materials, Ghost Hunters and his new favorite evening snack. It was a good day.

Bu-zzz-y !

Week four of our school year is halfway done, and I may finally be eased in enough with the rhythm to be able to start juggling other balls, such as housekeeping and exercise beyond walking the halls while my son is working on school tasks.I was reminded of the need for housework yesterday when I went to retrieve an item from behind the TV and discovered a layer of velvet on the unit. Then later in the day those Swiffer mop commercials started feeling like taunts. It normally takes me a little while to get back into the school rhythm- has been true for all 12 years of homeschooling. This year it seems my age is catching up with me and I am not adapting as fast as usual !

Breakfast was 1/4 cup egg beaters with onion, mushroom and red pepper, a slice of turkey ham and a carton of red raspberries. While berries have been so cheap the last few weeks here, the guys have a ravenous appetite for them and I often opt for other fruits to let them have at em. Hubby loved the portability of them and son just loves them. Good thing , as they are some of the lower sugar fruits, and filled with good things.


Lunch as a pizza on an Aldi's original wrap spread with a heaping tablespoon of homemade hummus, a quarter cup mozzarella and a teaspoon of bacon bits. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Cucumber slices, celery and carrots plus a strawberry probiotic yogurt and diet soda on the side.Cucumbers, carrots , celery, broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes are available year round, tend to be cheap and for the most part keep very well in the fridge for a week or two, so they are popular choices in this house.

I got a jump on my planning after school was finished, but felt my throat kind of twinging again around snack time, so I added a Swirl Pop to my almond and fruit snack. Sore throats were the bane of my existence as a kid, and I suffered with nonstop bouts of tonsillitis till I had them removed ( and then suffered from non stop ear aches). Since then, my rare bouts with sore throats kind of turn me into little me, and I want my mommy, a popsicle and a chance to sleep on the couch and watch TV. I push away the rest, but indulge in the Popsicle because I can do so and still have the appearance of being a responsible adult !

Dinner was Garlic Pepper Chicken with 2 oz (uncooked) Heartland high fiber omega 3 pasta, green beans and sliced cucumber. While it looks anemic on the white plate, it was actually pretty tasty ! Take a 4 oz chicken breast, sprinkle it with garlic powder to your liking. Then in a pan put in a serving of olive oil for each person and hot sauce to your heat liking. My son and I have a real problem with cayane spicy heat things, so for us it is a drop per person. Brown the chicken on both sides and then add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and the lid, increase the heat and cook till liquid is reduced in half. Serve sauce over the chicken.


An evening of TV, discussing various schedule things and helping my husband mentally run through an upcoming marriage ceremony he is preforming in a couple of weeks, and a snack of a Braeburn apple, 17 almonds and a Fiber One Bar. I really like the way fruit and nut combos make me feel afterwords ! I think it is the mix of carbs and protein that satisfies, and then the water and the fiber bar kind of swells and keeps me full till morning. Evenings lately have turned into a kind of Command Central time of late because of the easing into the school year, upturn in the amount of funerals he is singing at, juggling two congregations, extended family events and a need to tighten the financial belt because of the lower summer income.This too will perhaps ease soon and we can get back to exercising as a family, or at least we will adapt into the buisiness well enough to spin that plate again soon !

More satisfaction, less crabby woman

I am noticing that eating higher protein and less carbs gives a longer time of satisfaction. I do not know if this is true for all body types, but it seems to be for mine. I believe it has something to do with the PCOS metabolic syndrome factor. I feel more satiated and a lot more calm, especially in the mornings.

Breakfast was 1/2 cup cottage cheese with a cup of frozen mixed berries, a slice of rye bread toasted and buttered , coffee , water and supplements on the side. While fresh berries are still pretty plentiful, I wanted to see how this one worked with frozen for the winter months to come. This one wound up almost as fun s oatmeal to swirl around in the bowl - watch the purples, blues and reds blend together !

Lunch was 2 oz roast turkey breast on and Arnolds thin with mustard. Celery, carrots, broccoli , tomatoes on the side and a carton of Strawberry Probiotic Yogert to tag along and a Diet Cola. I think I am not such a fan of cold sandwiches any more. Heat seems to make food come alive- at least in the term of the entree.

I spent the afternoon chatting with a friend about some homeschool options as well as doing my own paperwork and trying to rember what it was I was supposed to be doing in the weekly rotation at this time. Ever have that happen ? You get so busy with so many details and things that you cannot see the forest through the trees. I think I need more post it notes in my life. We both got munch, and had this for a snack

Dinner included something new to us all- Califlower rice. You take a head of cauliflower and run it through the food processor to make shreds. Then in a pan you melt 1 tsp butter, 1 cup of water and 1 tsp chicken soup base, 2 t parsley, 1/2 t onion powder 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp tumeric and 1 tsp sweetner of your choice. Bring to a boil, add the califlower, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes- most of the liquid will cook off.

I served this with Chicken Caccitore and broccoli. To make the chicken, take a 4 oz boneless skinless breast per person, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 1 onion and 1 green peeper chopped, 1 T minced garlic, a can of tomatoes, a can of tomato juice( I used lo sodium V8) , 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 t pepper, 1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano and a tablespoon of olive oil. In a large skillet with a lid put in the oil and brown the chicken. Remove from the pan andf add the vegetables, cooking till wilted.Add the tomato products, the spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and the chicken, cover and simmer for 45 minutes- keep checking to see that liquid does not reduce to much and add water if nessisary. Remove the chicken, turn heat to high and cook without a lid till the liquid is redued in half. Place sauce over the chicken. This one because of the reduction winds up with a really rich taste.

We spent a lazy sort of night watching episodes of The Real Housewives of Atlanta on On Demand. During the shows I grabbed an apple, 17 almomnds and a Fiber One Bar. My husband was observing that the lower carb approach seems to be working well for my son and I, and he wants to get on bard with it as well. So later today after school and between planning next weeks menu, I need to come up with some low carb options for his breakfasts and lunches that are lo carb, portable, affordable and fitting with his tastes. Happily he does not have a fish/shellfish allergy , and so I see a couple of sardine lunches in the future for him.

Sunday

I spent yesterday catching up on personal studies and sifting through my collection of over 50,000 recipes combining a list of those that are 300 calories or less. Objective ? To have a list to draw from when planning our menus that will be quick, painless and healthy. They have to fit the calorie requirements, include items carried at the 4 stores we go to in our regular rotation, three of those days must be crock pot and none can contain fish or seafood ( allergy). If they can be done with freezer cooking( advanced preparation) , a definate plus because I want to move back into that style of food prep. Next step will be to create a master list ( chicken, beef, crockpot, vegetarian, soup and sandwich, casserole, Sunday fare) with 5 alternatives for each catagory, and through changing the combos I should have about a years worth of potential menus at a glance. Sweet timesaver !


Breakfast was something I call Bananna Nut bread oatmeal. for 2 people take 1 bananna, 1 cup rolled oats, 3 cups water, 1 tsp cinnamon, a sprinkle of nutmeg and 1 T brown sugar. Cook it, and then put 1 tsp of olive oil in the bowl and 1 T almond butter, then the oats and then 1 T walnuts, 1 T rasins( chocolate yogert covered ones in this case) and 2 T ground flax. As always, coffee , water and supplements on the side.
Daddy was late getting home for lunch, so son and I had a snack of 7 almonds. We are an odd family in that we eat all of our meals together on the weekends and dinner together every night. Son and eat breakfast and lunch together every day. He eats the same things as I do and some addiional snacks because teen boys have a greater caloric need than middle aged women.


Lunch was a real thumbs up- an open faced "ruben" with an apple, cauliflower, carrots and radishes on the side. To make the ruben take 1 slice dark rye, sprits with butter spray, top with 2 oz turkey pastrami, 1 slice swiss and 1/3 cup saurkraut. Cover in foil ande bake 30 min at 350. Very flavorful and satisfying !


Dinner was a new thing for us , and next time I make it I will cut the liquid in half. It was Brazillian Coconut Chicken with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. For 3 people take 12 oz chicken breast and slice thin. In a ziploc place 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tespoon each tumeric and cumin and a dash of cayanne pepper, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder and ginger. Toss the chicken in the bag, shake to coat and let marinate in the fridge for a few wours. Then cut up a red, yellow, orange and gypsy pepper( or green pepper) into strips. In a large pan place 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook till the chicken is no longer pink. Add the peppers and steam/saute about 5 minutes. Add 1 can lite coconut milk qn 2 teaspoons of honey. If yu wish a thick sauce, thiken with a slurry of cornstarch and water. Serve over 1/3 cup brown rice and top with 2 Tbs plain nonfat yogert.

In the evening I grabbed a Fiber One bar and a probiotic vanilla yogert and some water. After hemming and hawing about these I have decided they will stay in the house. I honestly need the fiber, and none of the other bars supply this level. Some things become more of an issue as you age I think.

Shop chop day

Kind of an off day as far as exchanges go, but there will be days like this. One perfect or imperfect day does not classify a life, nor does it define a lifestyle.

Today was shop and chop day- hit our local produce store , bring it home to prep and then finish up the paper whatnot prep for the week ahead. Sounds simple enough but it has to get juggled in between laundry , some other errands and my husbands need to have the car to travel a half hour away to sing at a 4 pm service. 4 pm is nice for the elderly, but for a not so old family it cuts right in the middle of any Saturday possibilities. So it's a kind of weird juggling day timewise.

For breakfast the guys requested pumpkin oats. It has been kind of decided that we should have pumpkin oats every weekend morning for now. Per person you take 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup solid packed pumpkin, 2 tsp brown sugar . Bring it to a boil and let it cook for a minute or two while stirring. Then in the bowl 2 t olive oil, 1T almond butter , 1 T coconut, 1 T sunflower seeds, 1 T crasins, 2 T ground flax and 1 T mix dried pineapple and dried blueberries. Coffee with cream on the side as well as water and supplements.

We grabbed lunch at the deli of the produce store- something that just works out really well for us. I decided to try something different this time, with the intention of perhaps inspiring a new option in the future. I got a half of a spanish roast chicken with mushrooms and roast peppers on the side. I did not eat the whole thing, but shared some with the guys and ate till I was comfortable. My though is perhaps next week I can talk them into building green salads, and then ordering one of these and shredding it to put on top of the salads. They thought this might be a good option, but we shall see if it holds out.

I wound up snacking on some celery, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower while chopping, so no pics of these.

Dinner was one of my favorites- stuffed portabellos and a tossed salad. I take portabello mushrooms, snap off the stems and fill the cavity with raw italian sausage- for two small caps it winds up one sausage link to fill the both. I cover these in foil and bake at 375 for a half hour, then put a slice of cheese on top. The cheese today was smoked swiss, and it added a really rich flavor to these. Salad was Romaine, cucumbers and more Campamari tomatoes. Our market has them dirt cheap right now, and they are really good !

Desert ( we have a desert on Saturdays) was part of a transition from a long standing habit. Throughout this whole weight loss thing we have saved our 35 extra points through the week for gelatto. According to the Weight Watchers plan with points, this is okay- and was for about six months. Nick is Autistic, and patterns and habits are about as easy to break as emptying the ocean one thimble at a time. He has come a long, long way with dietary intervention( most results we have seen have been through supplements and that allowed enough of a grip to increase the variety offood, and from there more improvements have come). After the first week of HELL with getting him to eat things in balance I mentioned that we could have one treat on Saturday night to use our bonus points. It worked to stop a meltdown, get him on board fully, and since then it has been a custom. I have worked hard to convince him the gelatto is nice but not the best option, and finally 3 weeks ago he came on board, so deserts have become things to supply the mouth feel of the old but transitioning into the new. For the record, last weekend for our anniversary we got Blizzards , and saw a weight loss this week, so it's not off track. This week was a carton of pre made pudding ( those things you toss in lunch boxes) with a cup of fresh raspberries and an explosion of whipped cream from a can. Yeah , too much whipped cream, but as I said it is a move to transition from one thing that is much higher in calories to something healthier. It is a journey and learning a new balance.

It's an Aldi's kind of day and weigh in

Fridays are always a day of great optimism around here. Last day of school for the week for my son ( though for mom weekends mean prep work for school and food) and it is the day before weigh in. I always look forward to seeing if the scale Gods will smile at me or wag a scolding finger come Saturday morning.

Breakfast was a breakfast burrito that I should have cut in half for the picture ! It contained half a small onion chopped, 3 mushrooms chopped 1 oz of turkey ham chopped ( I choose this because they sell it at Aldi's and I can slice it myself), 1 oz of Montery Jack cheese( regular stuff) and a 1/4 cup egg substitute seasoned with a little garlic powder, dill, parsley , dried mustard and salt. Rol it up in an Aldi's Fit and Active original wrap , and serve it with a large can of Low Sodium V8 and coffee. Both son and I really enjoyed this breakfast.

The school morning was very productive, and so we were feeling really accomplished when we broke for lunch, for something that is one of my son's current favorites- hummus pizza. I take one of the Aldi's wraps, spread it with a 1/3 of a cup of home made hummus ( can of garbanzos drained pureed with a clove of garlic, 2 T tahini and 2 T lemon juice), and 1 oz of montery jack cheese( or any other kind you have). Bake at 375 for 15 minutes - yummy ! I served this with a container of Aldi's Probiotic yogert, a bartlett pear, broccolli and carrot sticks and an Aldi's Diet Soda.

We finished school and I instantly had to begin assembling next weeks educational materials. We grabbed a late snack, and I remebered the cherries in the fridge. New house rule for my husband- unless you intend to eat the cherries, do not buy the cherries ! I sorted through and came up with a cups worth of edible ones and tossed the rest. I also grabbed 17 almonds( salted and cocoa dusted) and a sugar free swirl pop. You get these at Sam's club and they are 10 calories each ! It is the most satisfying little frozen treat I have come across.

We had to make a grocery run to Aldi's in the afternoon so dinner was in the crock pot- chicken sweet potato stew. For 3 people it involved 3 bomeless skinless chicken breasts, 2 sweet potaotes cut into peices, 2 large carrots sliced, a can of diced tomatoes, 1 cup chicken broth and a sprinkling of cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika and a couple of grinds of pepper. I served it with a salad of romaine, cauliflower and tomatoes and a cibatta roll on the side. Aldis is now selling take and bake cibattas, and they are very good. Again, diet soda accompanied. I have no problem drinking this with meals as I am drinking tons of water throughout the day.

After dinner I busied myself with the reem of cardstock that had to be cut, laminates, hole punched and what noted for next week. Hubby helped and about 8 pm we quit for a snack while watching an episode of The Biggest Loser on some channel. I had 17 almonds and a Cascadian Farm bar because Aldi's was carrying them this week as a special purchase. Sweet, crunch, and very tasty ! Less sugar than in the Fiber Plus bars.

So this morning the scale gods spoke and told me how this new eating plan was affecting my frame. Verdict is very positive- I lost 5.2 pounds. For 3 days of eating this way, I say it is a thumbs up. I will be curious to see what a full week on this plan does !

Day three and light bulbs

I had one of those lightbulb moments yesterday, or rather one of those returning lightbulb moments. Weight loss is about being healthy, and being healthy is about living in balance. Did you know that ? Disease is simply a state of imbalance. Balance is required in mind, body and spirit in order to bring about a healthy life. That balance means living not only a life that involves food choices from many groups and movement, but doing so in a way that is SUSTAINABLE. Meaning in a fashion that can become a normal life state.

So how does racing to speciality stores for "honest" foodstuffs and gym memberships fit in here ? Or for that matter, how does an increase in grocery bills of almost 200 percent fit in with this ? It doesn't. And furthermore,it does not have to. I speak from experience. I lost 110 pounds eating no special, organic or odd foods,no exercise beyond walking and at the same time I defeated infertility and had medical lab numbers that were perfection. I have seen the most dramatic reversal of autisim to date through the inclusion of a simple supplement found in very common grocery stores and a simple diet that includes a balance of all food groups. Weight loss happened with eating standard fare but in controlled portions. Weight loss stopped when I began concentrating on "purity". Hmmmm....

Not only did weight loss stop, but grocery shopping involved 300 percent more time, increased milage and the cost on average rose from 100 dollars a week to 275 per week. Sustainable ? No way. So now meal options are balanced with calories, exchanges and tempered by sustainability and affordability. Has to be so. So what you see on my plate is nothing fancy- just balanced, affordable food that is gotten at a sustainable level.


Breakfast- an eggbeater with 2 mushrooms and 1/2 an onion, 1oz turkey ham, 2 clementines and coffee
Lunch - 2 slices provalone cheese on an Arnolds Thin, 1 probiotic yogert, a cup of homemade tomato basil soup and romaine lettuce with Wishbone salad spritzers and an Aldi's Diet Soda.


Afternoon snack- a bartlett pear ( pears are great , but they do not keep very long) , 17 almonds and a Sugar Free Swirl Pop. I am still kicking out the affects of this cold thing and I get fits of coughing that can be rather violeent and productive, and as a result my throat has been tender. These popsicles help to soothe it.


Dinner was Open Turkey burger sloppy joes on Arnolds. Ground turkey, onions, red peppers, litha squash , canned tomatoes and BBQ sauce. lower sugar than the standard recipe. On the side raw carrots, cucumbers and broccoli with Aldi's Diet Soda

Evening snack was more because of a sore throat than anything, combined with the realization that we have 2 bags of bing cherries in the fridge that need to get used. Cherries are like pears- yummy but they do not keep long ! The pits also make them the kind of fruit you have to slow down and eat, which can be a good thing. This snack was way too high in sweet factor, and I will not be repeating it.