One Pot Spaghetti; Running, Again; What Goes Up Must Come Down

Zach sent me a picture of me and Austin with him and Devon's perfect little nugget - my nephew Dane!!

He is SUCH a little sweetie and a little cutie - i'm so proud of his awesome parents for raising such a sweet, smart little boy! Love you D&Z!

On another note - I still haven't downloaded all of my pics. UGH. The party was fabulous though - my sis really went all out and it was adorbs! What else has been up?

• I'm reading my book club book and loving it - it's called These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf. Book review coming soon!!
• I'm also wrapping up Stephen M. R. Covey's The Speed of Trust - excellent tips, for work and for life really.
• Yesterday I got in my first run in a while. It was short. I ran for 1 1/4 miles, walked a 1/4 mile then did abs before work - then work, work, worked before coming home to make a new recipe!
• I made this:

One Pot Spaghetti
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures
Nutritional Information: 455 calories, 8 fat grams, 55 carbs and 38 protein grams.

So easy and so good! It was hearty, reheated well, easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes! Check out the recipe here.

That's really all that's been up. Well, that and my weight. It's not out of control or anything but I would DEFINITELY be more comfortable a few lbs down before things DO get out of control. I'm on it!!

Q: Are you at your happy weight, trying to lose or trying to gain?


Q: Do you have a favorite one-pot meal?

Weight & Goal Update

Happy Saturday! I hope you're all having lovely weekends! I wanted to thank you guys for your support with my weight updates. I feel like I used to post about weight all. the. time. when I was losing. Then when I was maintaining I stopped because it just seemed redundant. But now that I've told you all about my struggles with my maintenance I appreciate your support as I continue to update you on my progress. So at this point my goal is to be at 120 by the end of the month. I think I can do it and I think it's very realistic. Thursday a.m. I was at 123, and Friday at 123.5 so i'm almost at my pre-travel weight of 122, then just a few pounds from the month's goals!

hehe

Speaking of goals, I never mentioned my May progress or June goals. May was tough. Not going to lie - did too much vacationing and not enough progressing on goals! We did manage to accomplish the following goals: blocked puppy escape route, went swimsuit shopping, read 5 books, made 5+ recipes, did well on May workout plan, and did a few things around the house. We didn't do several things though - but they've been moved to June so all is good. Check out my goal page to see what I'm striving for in June!

And quick update: Thursday was spent doing tons of work as I knew I'd be out Friday for leadership program. So I worked, worked through lunch, took a break to pack around 6, then worked until 9. Ugh. Then I just loaded the car and workout stuff - time to sleep! Friday I got up early and headed to my parent company office for a Social Style Workshop. I hit up the gym there first (forgot how amazingly convenient towel service is along with meetings in the same building as the gym - sweet!). I walked 1/4 mile, ran 1.5 miles, then walked 1/4 mile - so 2 miles total. I wanted to do more but had no time - boo. Then I just went to my workshop, met up with Austin afterwards and headed down to Enterprise, Alabama for a chill weekend with my family!

Q: How are you doing with your goals this month?

Q: What are you up to this weekend? Austin had a bachelor party (in Destin again LOL) so he dropped me off in my hometown on the way down. So i'm here with the poodles visiting my mom, and my sister and nephew are in town too so we're just chilling!

Travel Learnings, Weight Update

OMG I'm back. It's been a crazy last few weeks with the back-to-back trips (19 days - 5 days in town/not traveling):

May 19-23 - Gulf Shores for 3-day music fest!

May 23 - 25 - Birmingham for E's graduation!

May 27 - 29 - Lake Trip for Memorial Day!

June 2 - 6 - Destin for Mary & Jimmy's 5th anniversary!

OY. On top of that we had the holiday (memorial day) and I had some full-day activities as part of that leadership program I got in, etc. And NO i'm not complaining at all! I had a blast. So, where am I going with this? I feel VERY behind and a bit overwhelmed. I'm going to try to stay in town this weekend and do very, very little - wish me luck! As far as the trips and looking back here's what seems to work for me:

• Bringing my own food. It was just too easy. I never had to go out and pick up something when I was hungry, I didn't spend these mini vacations cooking or going to the grocery store. I just drove in with a cooler, unloaded it, and each time I was hungry there was a portion-controlled breakfast, lunch and dinner at my disposal. I also brought a bag of dry snacks (tried to not bogart the entire fridge). Dry snacks included nature valley bars, mini luna bars, goldfish, crackers, etc. I also brought chips and salsa (fridge item!) and a circle of laughing cow wedges (to spread on the crackers) - awesomeness. Did I cheat a bit? Well, sure! It was hard to get food into a music festival so one night I split a panera plain turkey sandwich with Scott then ate late at night when I got home. Another time I had a few munchies at Ruje's before we got back late. (hard to go from 3 p.m. to midnight without a meal! LOL) But it still worked out, especially on the other two trips that didn't involve being without a fridge all. day.long.
• Working out beforehand. Yes, I packed my workout stuff on each trip. I got in 1 workout at Gulf Shores, 1 in B'ham, and none on the other 2 trips. I'm definitely going to bring my stuff 'just in case' - but I found that it was best for me to plan 2-a-days between trips and get in great, well-rounded workouts before I leave, so if I do them on the trip it's just gravy; not necessary.
• Not worrying about it too much. I just felt I didn't have to. I felt i'd prepared as much as I could so I just had to go with it. Nothing worse then spending your whole vacation going 'can't eat that,' 'can't go - have to work out,' etc. I did what I wanted to do and tried to not go crazy and I didn't go too crazy. Yes, I had an extra sweet or two (or three!) and lots of a few extra adult beverages, but it wasn't too bad or out of control!

So where did this leave me as far as weight?As you may remember, late last month I kind of freaked out about my weight. I had hit 125 and I knew why. SO, I set out to try to get that number down. I identified my weight gain culprits, which included beer, my work breakroom, events and not getting enough sleep. I also determined that I needed to start tracking again. Well, my weight never hit 125 again, and even got to 120. Before I left for my trips I was at 122 which I was happy with. I weighed before the lake trip and was at 123. I weighed before the beach trip and was at 124. Yesterday, when I got home from the beach I weighed 124. And this a.m. I was at 124. So... not awful, but I have no more trips so fewer excuses - onward with the tracking to hopefully be at 120 by July 1. This is totally doable, right? Yes!

Quick backtrack - Sunday was simply spent in the car. We share driving time, spent time working on the aircard to get caught up, then got home, got our baby puppers, gave them baths, ran laundry and got ready for a long Tuesday. The ONLY thing worse than a Monday is a Tuesday after vacation!

Q:What do you have going on this week?! I hope to just get the house back in order (which is almost done!) and get in a bunch of workouts - woo! I love that I actually miss spinning - awesome. And it's time to get the new workout clothes in gear! (pics coming soon!)

Q: What works for you when you travel? Any tips that keep you from coming home with extra weight?

Off to read your blogs! Sorely behind and sad about it! Tomorrow I plan to post a new Asian-inspired recipe and a book review of Mini Shopaholic!! So cute.

I'm on a Boat, Weight Update

Thanks you guys! I knew if anyone understood my pre-cooking and desire to bring my own food to Hangout Fest it would be you!! So... sailing. Long story short, I applied for a new/pilot leadership program at my company and found out about a week ago that I got in! It's all about building the next generation of leaders at our company, and prides itself on basically putting you in unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations - basically forcing you out of your comfort zone so you adapt (or freak out and fail of course - just kidding). It seems pretty cool, well thought out and intense - lots of workshops, training, travel and adventures between now and December. So I just found out I got in the program and we get an email saying to report to duty at Lake Lanier, instead of work, to sail. In keeping with keeping it short - we met out there, were divided into teams, quizzed on boat terms provided before trip, brought aboard 4 sailboats in teams of 4 to take turns in different positions (Helmsman, Captain, Navigator, Communicator, trimmer(s)) working together as a team to sail the boat. We. had. a. blast. And of course, there was a competitive edge to it in that we would have to sail out to meet the 'coastguard' who would long-pole clipboards over to us with envelopes for missions. It was just really cool, challenging and fun! Here's some pics of our day (note: I didn't include any of my co-workers in these; I also was responsible for our team's video - they gave us all Flips - but again, I won't share those on here since my co-workers are in them!).

our team's sacred vessel

I loved steering (note our team didn't have a wheel - oh the challenges keep coming)

Yes, I hated working with the ropes for fear of messing up and breaking the boat or hitting someone with the boom but it all worked out

So pretty

Working on our sail plan

Captured from the video I made - me on the ropes!

Two other teams sailing by!

Headquarters for the day - sailing school!

I loved it - perfect, cool weather, a day out on the lake, i'm in!

Sailing is hard. It's not relaxing, you're always moving and working as a team and there is really very little downtime. I enjoyed it though and would do it again in a heartbeat! Special thanks to my sister for loaning me her sperrys, Austin for loaning me his notre dame hat, and my company for such a great, probably once-in-a-lifetime experience!

So after getting home from sailing we just got to work on packing, I made the video of our sail trip and uploaded it to our shared site for the program, had a couple of beers with Austin and called it a night! And now for a quick weight update. As you may remember, late last month I kind of freaked out about my weight. I had hit 125 and I knew why. SO, I set out to try to get that number down. I identified my weight gain culprits, which included beer, my work breakroom, events and not getting enough sleep. I also determined that I needed to start tracking again. Well, my weight never hit 125 again, and even got to 120. Today I was at 122 which i'm happy with - I just need to stick to my plan. I will say that while I feel I conquered the work breakroom and the sleep, I would give myself a C on tracking, beer and events. Those are definitely my areas of weakness, so here's to the next couple of weeks where, despite vacations, I hope to stick with it because it really does make me feel better, whether or not the number goes down.

Q: Are you happy with your weight right now? I am about 5-7 pounds out from my favorite weight - but overall, am happy with my weight and am glad my efforts are paying off!

Q: What's the coolest 'team-building' you've ever been on? I loved this one! We also did a cool scavenger hunt with San Fran's The Go Game a few years ago that I loved - really interactive with video/photos and actors and stuff - kinda crazy. And the orange jumpsuits were too much. LOL And cool that it was in midtown... although awkward when our team thought a person was an actor but they were really homeless... oopsie...

P.S. I'm behind on reading your blogs - eek - plan to catch up in the car tonight when we roll over to Alabama!

My Top 4 Weight Gain Culprits: What's Yours?

K - time to announce something unpleasant. My weight is up and i'm not thrilled about it. While my favorite weight is 115 (when I go lower I feel I look gaunt; when I weigh above 120 I feel "puffy"), I had been teetering around 117 - 120. No biggie. It's all good. Well, on Monday, April 11, I hopped on the scale and it said 125. Yes, ONE TWENTY FIVE. Why? Oh, I know why. I can work out, eat healthified food, wear my HRM, etc., but it will only prolong the inevitable weight gain if I keep giving into the culprits. Everyone has theirs, here are my top 4:

1. Beer. And not just any beer, gourmet beer, which has twice as many calories as my stand by Miller Lite. Must go back to vodka and a couple of beers, instead of beer.... and more beer.2. My work break room. I mean really, Monday it's filled with Mellow Mushroom pizza, Tuesday cakes from vendors, Wednesday candy and cookies and so on and so forth. And no, i'm not even exaggerating. My glass cube faces this glass fat factory. It's not going away so I MUST change my reaction to it. (My reaction being a free for all, it doesn't count, etc. LOL).
3. Events. Now I love a get together, baby shower, wedding, bachelorette party, bridal shower, engagement party, birthday, etc. as much as the next one, but I don't make good choices when I'm at these. I've tried "the tricks," eating beforehand, bringing your own healthy dish, having a bit in moderation, etc. but have been giving in. a. lot.

4. Not getting in my 8 hours of sleep. It bugs me that my body requires this much sleep. I've actually cried before at how frustrating it is to lose what could otherwise be time spent with my family, reading, cooking, working, working out, chilling, etc. But alas, my not giving myself the 8 hours just leads to carb town and makes it easier for me to succumb to my aforementioned work break room/fat factory. Also - i'm LOVING the early workouts - but think I need to adjust my sleep schedule for the whole week, not just the days I get up early. :)

Now there are others, including late night snacking/eating when I'm really just tired, not bringing healthy snacks when I travel and having treats instead, etc. Mostly, i'm just like OMG, I've GOT to start tracking again. I used to track every day and the weight came off. I stopped for various reasons, one being that maintenance was going well! Well, it's time to switch it up. I know it's not the meals (those are still weighed and i'm having 3/day) and I know it's not the workouts (those are going well - cardio and ST - and the HRM is helping me ensure I'm getting a lot out of my workouts). SO, it's definitely the mindless snacking, the extra calories at work and at events, the extra calories in alcohol and the lack of required sleep. Time to nip this in the bud!

My Plan: I started tracking weight again on Monday, April 11, after the scale read 125. Since then, I've had readings ranging from 122 - 124 (no more 125's yet). Today it was 122.5. I'm also going to track calories - still working out how many. I used to do 1,200-1,550 calories, but I think this needs to be upped some, at least to 1,400 - 1,650. Again, still working on this number! Mostly, I'm just going to really zero in on those four things above. They say awareness is the first step - well my eyes are open and I'm going to watch it!

Q: What's your weight gain culprit?

Q: Do you track calories? If so, do you find that it helps you stay on target and/or make better choices?

Q: What's your #1 weight loss/maintenance tip?

Please note: I do not think i'm fat. I also don't think 125 is a "bad" or high weight, nor do I live and die by the number on the scale. I just know my body and frame, I know my 5'2-5'3" self, and I know how my clothes fit and how they should fit. I just know that I haven't seen this weight since around fall 2008, and i'd rather get back into my comfort zone (below 120) and keep it in check, rather than teeter toward my start weight, get discouraged and not fit in to my clothes again!

And P.S. Thank you for your sweet comments on our easter pictures, and on the new deviled eggs recipe! :) So funny how many of you are freaked out about deviled eggs! I always was too - but my first one was YUMMY!

Weight Challenge, New Quinoa Recipe, 3 Miles, Reuben & Remy = Little Tigers

Thanks you guys! The pitzas really were fantastic - i'm a HUGE fan! :) Before recapping yesterday and sharing a new recipe, I have to share a picture of Reuben & Remy in their Auburn gear. They're SO ready for Iron Bowl Friday - woo!

hehe I love taking pics of those pups! So yesterday was an okay day. Why not good? Well, I started working at a new office. It's exciting - great location, covered parking, 10th floor with view (i'm in a cube of course but against a window - NICE and private), etc. The gym isn't ready yet but I still have access to gyms in 3 other buildings so no complaints here. However, I had to unpack. Blah. And I had connectivity issues so no email. Sigh. Needless to say it was frustrating to not be able to do work but have work to do, especially since I had an offsite meeting from 2:30 - 4:30. Grrrr. Regardless, I did join a challenge at my parent company's gym (they have a great facility - I'm talking 4-person staff, daily classes, etc.). The challenge: Maintain Don't Gain. They weighed me in today on those 'scary doctor scales' and they'll weigh me again on January 4. Prizes will be given to those who maintain or lose weight, and all who maintain or lose are also entered into a raffle for an HRM.

So what did I weigh? 123. Meh. I've been between 120 - 122 the last few weeks (first thing in the a.m.; no clothes). Today I weighed at 12:30 after breakfast and lunch, and had on my workout clothes + shoes. Whatevs - like I told Melissa (who weighed me) it doesn't matter because i'll be wearing the same thing next time! So i'll be able to tell if I maintain, gain or lose! Wish me luck. :)

Other than that - I just worked, walked 3 miles during lunch, worked more and then headed home to work more on my recipe project. I also have a new recipe to share:

Greek Style Shrimp with Christmas Quinoa
Inspired by an April 2010 Fitness Magazine recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound shrimp, raw and defrosted
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lemon
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
3 oz. fat-free feta
4 servings quinoa, cooked per package instructions with chicken broth
2 cups chicken broth (for quinoa)

Place shrimp, 1 tablespoon of oil, half of lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper in a large ziplock bag. Let it sit. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, parsley, feta and remaining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add cooked quinoa and mix well. Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Place shrimp in pan in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve with quinoa.

Nutritional Information: 392 calories, 36 carbs, 12 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

Review: Awesome! I really liked the flavors and it blended well (and quickly). I liked how the warm quinoa softened the tomatoes and parsley and almost melted the feta. I'm not sure how well this would reheat (i'm not a huge fan of reheating shrimp), but I think you could easily cook the shrimp for 2 and then reheat the quinoa the next day and cook shrimp for 2 again. It's just heating it up since the shrimp are already cooked. Just a thought - it's a great one though!

Q: Have you ever joined any kind of weight loss challenge? This is my first one - I like the idea of it being over the holidays and (hopefully!) keeping me in check!

Q: Do you like quinoa? I REALLY like it - every recipe that uses it makes me happy. I've never made it with water but LOVE it with chicken stock.

So You Think You Can Dance Concert, 8 miles, New Recipe and SICK

Hi, friends! So I tried to post last night but my Internet connection wasn’t cooperating! Hate that! As usual, let me back up a bit…

Tuesday was a pretty good day! I worked (work has been BUSY), walked 4 miles during lunch, and ate one of my new recipes: Cheesy Stuffed Shells from Eat Well America. I adapted it a bit – here is my recipe for FOUR servings:

Before...

After

Nom nom nom

20 jumbo pasta shells
8 ounces lean beef
½ box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 oz. shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp minced garlic
Kosher salt and pepper; cooking spray
2 cups spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Prepare shells. Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 8 minutes; drain. Brown meat. Mix meat, spinach, ricotta, parmesan, 1/3 of mozzarella, egg and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mist a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of sauce in dish. Stuff cheese mixture into shells and place in baking dish, open side up. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes. Nutritional information for 5 shells (1/4 of recipe): 477 calories, 55 carbs, 11 fat grams and 34 protein grams.

It was REALLY good, we’re definite fans!! Even though it had similar ingredients to the Manicotti, we liked this one better! And I thought it was easier to prepare (spooning into a shell vs. stuffing in a tube.) Anywho – fabulous stuff!

I raced home after work, where my sister and mom were waiting. It was time to go to the Gwinett Arena for So You Think You Can Dance tour! Loved it – this was one of my favorite seasons so it was super fun to see my favorite dances performed live. I went to the show 2 years back, but thought this was one better! I met Monica/Lauren there, and even got to see my childhood friend Courtney and her fiancé Blake in town for the show from Birmingham!! I got home EXHAUSTED. Like, a total wreck. I fell asleep at midnight, ending up at 1,875 calories, 222 carbs, 55 fat grams and 116 protein grams (including a scoop of ice cream I procured during the show!). Here’s what I ate. P.S. I took LOTS of pics but they’re trapped on my camera. I’ve misplaced the cord… again. Sigh.

Wednesday I woke up feeling crummy, and concerned that I was getting Austin’s cold. But I powered through, worked, walked 4 miles during lunch, worked some more and then headed straight home. I was definitely getting sick (sore throat; burning eyes; runny nose, etc.). I got home, got in PJ’s, heated up some easy red curry and got in bed. And never left bed. I worked for about 2 more hours then finally passed out around 9:30 p.m. I ended up at 1,794 calories, 205 carbs, 60 fat grams and 101 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

Today I feel even worse. Austin was up all night coughing so I didn't sleep, my throat was on fire and I’d had so much water I was up every hour. I feel like death. And I was SO excited for tonight – we’re supposed to be going to Turner Field at 6:30 p.m. for dinner at the 755 club, then a viewing of The Sandlot on the big screens from center field. I thought it was going to be neat – but now I can’t even fathom going downstairs for more agua. GRRRR. Are any of you sick/getting sick? Hate it. My mom had tons of medicine so I’m on a bunch. Hope to feel better soon! Off to read bloggies now, bye friends!

Note about weight: I’ve been slowly going down coming off last weekend. Today I was at 119 – yay! I’m thinking this weekend, being in town all weekend, will help out! Then again, I’m worried I won’t be able to work out. Do you work out when you’re sick? (i.e. have a head cold)

5.5 Miles, Chest/Triceps/Shoulders Work Out and Weight Chat

Monday was a Monday. Blah. My alarm didn’t go off (meaning user error; I set it but didn’t turn it on) so, needless to say, I was late getting to work and arrived with less-than-clean hair. Grrr. That’s okay though, because I worked, walked 4 miles during lunch (4 mph; incline between 2 and 0; burned 290 calories), worked, then after work walked .25 miles (4 mph; incline 0), ran .75 miles (6.3 mph – 7.3 mph; incline 0), then walked another .25 miles taking me to 5.5 miles for the day. Then I did this chest, triceps, shoulders workout:

The afternoon workout burned 341 calories, taking my total calories burned to 631 calories. Not too shabby! I left the gym and went STRAIGHT to the grocery store as my lazy bum never went yesterday. I got a few items for this week’s meal plans and two 12-packs (diet pepsi for me; diet mountain dew for Austin). I got home, had pesto...

and realized… dun dun dun.. I left the 12-packs in the cart – DANG! There goes $10. Although my mom was like whatevs, go up to Kroger and tell them you left them there. So I may try that after the gym today. Have you ever left items paid for at the store? Grrr.

Anywho, after dinner I got my gym clothes/lunchbox together, showered (finally washed that nappy hair), and got in bed with enough time to watch Gossip Girl and part of Castle (passed out!). Not too bad! Only kind of blah thing – my weight was at 119.5. BLAH. And today it was at 120 – DOUBLE blah. I’ve got to get this under control. I really feel best in my clothes at 115. 110 was too low (didn’t fill out my pants; skirts hung; blah), but at 120 I feel a little bloated if you will?? I dunno. I’m going to be diligent this month about wearing my HRM and really seeing what’s going on with calories in/calories out and if/when it affects my weight. I’d love to figure this out – quickly! (i.e. before Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas come rolling around with their yummy treats, gravy-laden mashed potatoes and cheesy casseroles!). This chart makes me nervous….

Do you see where it’s heading??! Help Me! So there’s my weight-related rant of the month. I ended the day at 1,804 calories, 230 carbs, 51 fat grams and 103 protein grams. Here’s what I ate.

This may be a broad, slightly ridiculous, very each-to-their-own question (yes, I’m a hedger) but what do you do when you find your weight higher than desired? Any help would be mucho appreciated!

I'm off to bed - will post today's dealio tomorrow - kinda slow day though!!

Day 288 – 292: 2 New Products, 2 New Recipes, Movie Review, Doobie Brothers/Bad Company Concert, Pool Time, AC Disaster and More – sigh!

Wow… it’s been too long… here goes catch up!

Wednesday: I worked, walked 3.5 miles during lunch, worked and then headed home to change clothes, get Reuben together and head over to Andy and Monica’s for dinner! We had such a good time catching up with them, seeing their new place, and enjoying the fabulous dinner Mon made. I also had a new product: Quinoa!! I’ve been wanting to try it and was so glad she cooked it! She mixed it with roasted veggies and fat-free feta – SO good. We had it with chicken and fresh basil from her balcony. YUM. Can’t wait to cook it on my own – going to start tapering away from the white rice. I know. Shocker. I always get lots of great ideas from Mon – she sent me away with a cookbook and a Fiberone Chocolate & Oatmeal bar – said I’d love it! We headed home around 10:30 and went to bed upon arrival! Great night – good to get together with good friends. I ended up at 2,057 calories, 259 carbs and 47 fat grams. Here’s what I ate.

Thursday: I woke up tired, worked all day, skipped my lunch and after-work work outs. Blah I know – I just wasn’t feeling it and didn’t want to push myself. At all! Haha I DID try the Fiberone Chocolate & Oatmeal bar though and LOVED it! Can’t wait to go get some of my own – thanks for the REC, Mon! I also wanted to go see my sister that evening – she had undergone surgery and was finally feeling better – so I wanted to go over and watch SYTYCD with her and my mom! Before I left to visit, I made a new recipe for me and Austin, Cooking Light’s Chicken Picatta with garlic-basil pasta. It was from a book that Mon loaned me and I love it. I tweaked it a little and here’s how it ended up going:

Chicken Piccata

8 oz. chicken, cut in bitesize pieces
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
¼ cup fat-free chicken broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp pepper
Dried parsley to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt on chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until brown. Remove chicken from pan. Add broth and lemon juice to pan and stir.. Cook, uncovered, over high heat 30 seconds until slightly reduced. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with pepper and parsley. Serve over garlic basil pasta:

4 oz. angel hair pasta
1 ½ tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tbsp fresh basil, diced

Cook pasta according to package direction; drain, reserving 1 tbsp pasta water. Combine pasta water, olive oil and next 4 ingredients; toss with pasta and basil.

We LOVED IT! I’ll definitely be making it again – woo! So after dinner I headed over to sister’s for the show and we were disappointed. Really? Send the wrong guy home? Total BS. Whatever. I headed home at 10:30, went through the cookbook and found LOTS of new recipes – woo! - and passed out! I had 1,776 calories, 252 carbs and 49 fat grams. Here’s what I ate.

Friday: I woke up early - Austin had a 8:15 a.m. flight to NY to visit our friend Tyson! After getting back to sleep and waking up at a normal time, I worked, had a working lunch so no work-out, then had to race home after work (no work-out again) to get mom so we could hit up the concert! Yes- time for Doobie Brothers & Bad Company at Chastain Park!! We were excited but had a few bad hiccups… (1) the AC wasn’t working… the roofers said the AC tripped the breaker so they turned the breaker and said they would work until 9:30 p.m. and by the time we got home it would be cold…. In the meantime HOT. (2) We couldn’t find parking. At all. We finally overpaid. (3) We were late to the concert – Doobie Brothers was almost done. Total crap. BOO. (4) It was HOT – like REALLY hot and we didn’t know you could bring your own alcohol/drinks. At the end of the night though, all hiccups aside we had a GREAT TIME at the concert – so fun to hang out with mom. We got home ready for a cool house but no… the breaker had tripped again and the house was 90 degrees. It was midnight. Sigh. We turned on the fans, got the air going again and I slept AWFUL – worried about the breaker tripping again, hot, etc. I ended up at 1,946 calories, 197 carbs and 57 fat grams. Here’s what I ate.

Saturday: Got up exhausted… but not hot. The AC was running – never tripped off again. Long story short, the AC guy came, said the roofer’s equipment was tripping it and we’re good to go – no problems. Still charged us almost $100 though. Sigh. I made breakfast and headed to the gym for a 3.5-mile walk. I got back home and me and mom went across the street to the pool – my first time using it – woo!! It was nice and private and we enjoyed it! My sister came to join us and we had a great time laying out and relaxing. Around 4 we headed in and I made sausage pizzas – yum! And then mom headed out to babysit and me and my sister hung out, then we got ready and I packed up me and Reuben for a night over at her house! We also went to see The Proposal – OMG – I loved it! I thought it was hilarious – I laughed almost the entire movie. I love Sandra Bullock, loved that ‘Coach’ was the dad, I thought the story was awesome and far less predictable than I feared it would be, I cried – it was just adorable! After the movie (got out at midnight!) I was SO tired but Reuben didn’t let me sleep. He was up ALL night up and down at every single noise. I finally got to sleep around 4 a.m. but it was constantly interrupted. Dang Reuben. At the end of the day I had 2,062 calories, 268 carbs, and 64 fat grams. Here’s what I ate. I was glad I got in the workout and great movie/family/relaxation time, but probably should have avoided having so many treats!



Today: I woke up for good at 10 a.m. feeling like a zombie ANNOYED with Reuben. Grrrr. I had a breakfast sandwich at Devie’s and headed home for another day at the pool! Mom met us over at my house and we headed out for a full day of laying out, chatting, reading and having fun! They headed out at 4 p.m. and I cooked up some pasta without a recipe! It was pretty yummy!! I call it Chicken & Mushroom Macaroni!

5 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts, bitesize pieces
2 oz. barilla macaroni
1 oz. feta cheese
½ cup mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
½ tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup naturally preferred
2 tbsp fat-free chicken broth
Dried basil, salt and pepper to taste

Set pot of water to boil and set a pan sprayed with fat-free olive oil spray over medium-high heat. Add noodles to boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Add ½ tsp olive oil to pan and chicken sprinkled with basil, salt and pepper. Cook chicken until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to bowl. Using the same pan, add garlic, mushrooms and broth. Cook for 2 minutes until mushrooms soften, then add chicken, tomato sauce and another ½ tsp olive oil. Drain noodles and add to pan, stir for 2-3 minutes until it thickens. Remove from heat, add cheese, stir and serve. Loved it!

After lunch/dinner I passed out on the couch with Reuben… then watched more Law & Orders! I ended up at 1,665 calories, 229 carbs and 38 fat grams. Here’s what I ate. I’m SO tired but I’m excited to get back in the gym tomorrow and I’m SO GLAD I had such a fun, relaxing weekend with family, and I’m glad Austin is back from NY and the AC is okay and the roof is on and I’m PUMPED to try new recipe this week – WOO! A note about weight: been 116 or 116.5… I can see that the weight is up a little, as are the calories. I’m going to shoot for a maximum of 1,700 calories this week and FAR fewer sweets (I ate lots of sweets every day last week). I hope you all had great weekends – I’m OUT!!

Day 287: Book Review, Another 6.5 miles and True Blood Deep Thoughts

Yesterday was another pleasant but uneventful Tuesday. I walked another 6.5 miles (3.5 miles during lunch at 4.0 mph 2, 1 and 0 incline and 3 miles after work at 4.0 mph and 0 incline). I also had a great abs and legs workout afterwards – woo! I got home to Austin cooking the yummy chicken sausage rotini (with rigatoni and feta instead of rotini and mozzarella – even better) and we settled in for the new True Blood. O. M. G. I just love that show. It never slows down – they just keep me on my toes. SPOILER. I’m SO GLAD it wasn’t Lafayette dead in that car… but the rando fake lady, really? And what is Sam’s deal with the statutory rapist? And what is the deal with the rando good-looking, pot-smoking dude the rapist is trying to hook Tara up with? And whoa – didn’t expect Anna Panquin to put it all out there like she did last night – geez. Love that she’s less white this season though – she was like REALLY pale last season. And what was that thing they were pushing around in the vampire dungeon/basement? Weird… was LaFayette’s crime against vampires? Selling V? Guess they don’t know about Stackhouse + his psycho now-dead ex-girlfriend killing that man. Hmmm. Okay – the end of my deep thoughts. LOVE it!

After the show I read the last 10 pages of Speak Softly, She Can Hear. It was good you guys. It really was. There was a while there when I was like O.M.G. just tell somebody your damn secret so you can live a normal life or do something to move on and when she finally did against her will it just kept me guessing. Good stuff – try to get to page 50 before deciding whether or not to keep reading!

After my book I got in bed at 9 p.m. and passed out. I think I made it through one episode of How I Met Your Mother but then I was GONE! I ended up at 1,795 calories, 283 carbs (eek!) and 39 fat grams. Here’s what I ate. My weight was still 116. Sigh. I’m sure the mountain o’carbs didn’t help but I’ll be honest – I was SO hungry all day. I really need to just bring a small sandwich to stay full instead of all these little snacks that add up to high carbs. I’m going to do that tomorrow. DEFINITELY! K – off to a friend’s for a homemade dinner then home for SYTYCD! Woo! Hope you all are having happy Wednesdays!

Days 274 + 275: New Product + SYTYCD + Book Review + Whole/Filling/Yummy Snacks Needed!

So... I wrote on Friday at the airport planning to post it that night at the hotel but I didn't have Internet. So... it's kind of in present then switches to past. Sorrrry! :)

Thursday was a pretty uneventful day – not gonna lie! I basically worked (at home), did laundry and hung out with Austin during lunch, worked more, then after work I SO meant to lift weights but instead I cleaned the house and packed up for Virginia! I’m now at the airport in Atlanta (sigh) and Internet here isn’t free (skanky). I only have 30 minutes so I’m typing now and hoping to post during my layover in D.C. where I feel certain the Internet is free. (think it was during my last visit?) This weekend we’re going to Charlottesville for Austin’s grandfather’s 90th birthday! Friday we’re staying out towards the party (about 45 past downtown) – then Saturday after the party (around 7 or 8) we’re heading to downtown (different hotel) to meet up with one of my besties (Emily – was my maid of honor/college roommate/danceline buddy in high school/partner in crime in middle school/etc.) and her boyfriend Tim. I’m SUPER excited to go out in a new city – apparently it’s fun there so I’m ready to check it out! Back to yesterday – I tried a new product during lunch – Trader Joe’s mushroom ravioli. We served it with 4 oz. of chicken again and ½ cup red sauce (naturally preferred). It was yum! We ranked it comparable with the artichoke ravioli! Aside from trying the new product, I enjoyed So You Think You Can Dance, I watched more Veronica Mars (HUGE fan… ) I ended up at 1,678 calories, 241 carbs and 31 fat grams. Here’s what I ate.

I thought A LOT about you guys’ great comments and decided to really consider changing the way I eat. I think I’m going to leave the meals as they are (pretty low calorie; pretty low fat; kinda high in carbs) but really look at the snacks. Honestly, it will be hard to cut the ‘sweet treats’ as these are, in all honestly, cigarette replacements. :( I know – BAD news. But I definitely want to look at replacing at least one with fruit, and replacing the ‘salty snacks’ (i.e. goldfish, cheez-its, etc.) with veggies or carrots/hummus. Lastly – I REALLY liked Sarah W’s idea about oatmeal. I’ve seen you crazy kids out there with your oatmeal and super fun mix-ins so I think I’m going to do some research and give it a whirl. I think I will try this new stuff for a week or so and see how it goes. If it goes well…. I think I want to try a CFW – or at least a CF Sunday through Thursday! (assuming beer and vodka count as crap!) Any advice you lovelies can pass my way I appreciate. What’s your favorite whole/filling/yummy snack?! Anyone have a CFW menu I can mine ideas from? Thanks, friends!!

So I never got Internet…. Now it’s Monday… eek! Here’s Friday’s update… Friday was a busy one! Starting with us finding out it would be an extra $100 round trip for us to check two bags. What? The first bag charges? What? So… we really didn’t NEED to check, but we were for toiletries. Enter TSA regulations and a trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond where we stocked up on all of these adorable containers and products and 3-oz. bottles – WOO! I spent $30 (but really nothing because I’m still using gift cards from the wedding – sweet!) and now we have this for the rest of our trips. Somebody’s pumped and it’s ME! We got all of our stuff in a small carry-on suitcase and a backpack (including snacks, books, my laptop, etc.) Yesss. Other than that (probably-not-that-exciting) news, I worked until 12, walked 2.5 miles, did a circuit of legs, chest, triceps and biceps, went to the bank, and met my mom and stepdad – they stayed at our place this weekend for an Earth, Wind & Fire/Chicago concert!! Yay! They also brought Reuben’s uncles, Momo and Buster – so I’m sure he was in HEAVEN with all of the company!! We would have been late…. But traffic was a breeze, the lovely marta didn’t fail us (as it always seems to when we utilize its services for concerts) and we got Terminal T (my favorite) so security involved us walking up to the guy… no line. Long story short: we flew to DC, chilled for an hour and flew to Charlottesville. I bumped into someone that was like 3 degrees of separation (knew lots of the same people; went to the same college; etc.) and we chatted with him on the flight to Charlottesville. Got there, got our rental car, went to the hotel and passed out! Quick note: I finished reading Over Her Dead Body. I know, finally. I really enjoyed it once I got further in and was surprised at the twist ending. In all honesty, it was the hardest of her books for me to get into – I just wasn’t feeling it – but once I got further along it was awesome! I started a new book that night, Karin Slaugher’s Triptych. I read 50 pages and was really into it! I ended up at 1,806 calories, 279 carbs and 35 fat grams. Here’s what I ate. Yes, a lot of crap (frozen yogurt, pizza and sour patch kids? What?)

I’m going to finish up Saturday and Sunday later today AND do a book review of Triptych. Yes…. It was so good that I’m done with it already even though I started it Friday. I pretty much read by plane, train and automobile Sunday and finished it up. AMAZING!! I will also FINALLY assess May and get pumped for June. I think my biggest goal for June is going to be figuring out this CFW thing and finding treats that will satisfy me in crap’s absence… again – help Kel! I hope you all had fab weekends. And thank you AGAIN for your great advice and thoughts on my maintenance situation/calorie stuff. I appreciate the help and advice and am SERIOUSLY considering changing how I eat… starting with snacks!

Days 261 – 265: Wedding Weekend, Weight Maintenance and our Dining Room!

Hi Friends! Long time no chat! I hope you all had great Memorial Day weekends! Me and Austin were in our friends’ wedding and therefore were SUPER busy all weekend long! It was a good weekend though and I have lots of great pics to share which I will weave throughout this post even when they don’t make sense in their location! Haha

Thursday was super busy! Had lots of work to do, used my lunch to clean the house, and had some of our best friends from Birmingham in town for the kick off of the wedding weekend! Mary & Jimmy drove in and visited with us, I cooked dinner and had a few glasses of wine. We tried to stay up and visit, but Mary is pregnant/tired – me just tired! So I passed out pretty early. I know – I’m a loser! Haha I had 1,685 calories, 234 carbs and 32 fat grams – no exercise. Here’s what I ate.

Friday I had every intention of going to the gym. Had my bag ready and everything. But the day got by me with the luncheon and errands and everything so I did not get in exercise. I did have a great day visiting with Mary and getting to see Mon for her weekend! That night me and Austin (who was SICK… boys are so hard to deal with when they’re sick!) went to the rehearsal dinner and had a great time!! Such a great group, Mon showed a wonderful slideshow, we all got to give toasts – great time! Afterward we went to the hotel bar for a drink, then headed back home. Good night! I ended up at 2,319 calories, 233 carbs and 66 fat grams – eek! Ate way too much – not good!! Here’s what I ate.

Saturday I had no intention of going to the gym! I was up by 8:30 getting ready for a full day! Needed to be at Monica’s parents’ house by 10 a.m.; knew I wouldn’t be home until 2 a.m. So yes, Reuben was back at Unleashed and I was off for a day to see two of our best friends get married! It ended up being a wonderful day – full of fun, friends, yummy food and good times. Andy and Monica were a happy bride/groom and have such good friends and family. We really enjoyed being a part of it (we were both in the wedding party) and are so happy for them. The night ran long but we had a blast – GREAT band, lots of dancing, lots of drinking! I ended up at 2,411 calories, 188 carbs and 61 fat grams. Not awful but not fabulous! Here’s what I ate.

Sunday I felt like poo. I was beat. I was sore. Wearing heels for 14 hours had caught up with my feet and calves. My allergies/sinuses were on fire and I was just DOWN. My TOM was in full swing (day 2 AKA worst day ever always… well 12 times per year) and I was doubled over in cramps. Not cool peeps. I ended up having one of the most sedentary days ever. I tried to get out. We went and got pupper (another successful visit!), and decided to run a few errands. We even ate out for lunch and got TCBY! But then we CRASHED. Napped for a couple of hours and then I never really got up. haha VERY lazy day – ate crap too. Watched crap TV too (movies including Another Cinderella Story and Penelope. Oh My). Only did one productive thing: worked for hours on a dining room inspiration board! I ended up at 2,045 calories, 236 carbs and 72 fat grams. VERY high fat grams!! Here’s what I ate.

Monday I was like OMG really – how many high days without exercise can I have and not gain weight? For the record – I’ve been holding steady at 115 the last few weigh-ins. I woke up not hungry – and ended up eating late all day (breakfast at 11, lunch at 4, dinner at 9 – weird!). I ate relatively healthy all day, and even got out of the house (to house shop!). I got lots of stuff for our dining room (so much that it didn’t fit in the car and my amazing sister met me to help out!). I got lots done at the house but have TONS more to do. Blah. I finally shut down work at 9:30 and we ate dinner and watched Law & Orders. Ah yes- a ritual. I ended up at 1,628 calories, 206 carbs and 38 fat grams. That’s more like it! Here’s what I ate. Yes, I ate the same thing for breakfast and dinner. Do you ever do that? Sometimes I just crave meals back to back – so weird!

This week will be weird. And short. But I hope to be able to blog more! I know – I always say that – but I mean it. And I can’t wait to catch up with your blogs. I hope all is well!!