Banking on Gold

I had my first (that I can remember) Ginger Gold apple yesterday.  It was crisp and tart, and the price was right.  I may "bank" on these frequently this fall!  I'd put these apples right up there with Braeburns (another favorite of mine).

I also bought a seedless watermelon. We haven't had a bad or mediocre melon all summer.

Fruit was a large part of my food intake yesterday.

Says eHow:  Apples are a great source of dietary fiber - at least 15% of daily requirement.  They also have 13% of the recommended allowance of vitamin C in addition to a number of antioxidants.  Apple skins contain flavinoids that help prevent blood clots and help regulate blood pressure and cholesterol.  A medium apple contains 81 calories.  No need to feel even a little guilty for enjoying one as a snack or lunch with peanut butter spread on its slices!


What I did right:   Vitamin, posted, walked 30 minutes, made healthy choices in food, successfully controlled portions.

Just DO It!

I walked yesterday.  Thirty minutes.  I'll do it again today.  And tomorrow.  Trying to get a pattern going here!  Telling myself, "Just DO it!"


What I did right:    Walked!
                                Worked through an evening of cravings.
                                 Stayed within a sensible calorie limit.
                                 Ate healthy foods.
                                 Vitamin.
                                 Posted.

What I Ate Sunday

Strange as it may sound, here it is:

Small dinner salad with blue cheese dressing (at Harlan Cafe in the company of friends)
About 1 cup of leftover mac/cheese (at home)
A small spoonful of peanut butter (at home)
About 8 ounces of an orange juice slush (also at home)

I went to bed satisfied. 

Today I walk!

What I did right: Let the record speak...

Tickled Pink

I was tickled pink!

(Sorry if you're tired of seeing this picture 

on my other blogs.)

I weighed in last night

and did a happy dance.

Counting the Hours

It has been very hard to stay off the scale.

So I haven't!

I'm very excited but can't report until after this evening.

You know.  Weigh the same time of the day.  Blah, blah, blah.

So I'm counting the hours.  I know it's going to be good.

I couldn't have asked for better choices at our Bible study luncheon yesterday!

I had a BIG bowl of mixed fruit

and another of mixed, raw vegetables tossed with a little dressing.

The only way the week could have been better

is if I had begun walking.

Welcome, New Friends!  I've noticed you.  
I wish you encouragement and success in your determination to be healthy!

What I did right:  Ate healthy foods; vitamin; water; posted.

Rewards

My main meal of the day yesterday was eaten at a Community Meal at a local church.  We enjoy this Thursday Table once a month.  Friends and community folk gather to enjoy each other's company and the food, graciously served.

I passed up the main dish (which looked wonderful) and filled my plate with fresh green beans, garden tomatoes and a tossed salad with a little Italian dressing.  I substituted watermelon and blueberries for the tempting ice cream, too!

My unexpected "reward" was this beautiful flower arrangement that sat in the center of our table.  As I went to leave, its arranger offered it to me! Tomorrow evening, I'll reward MYSELF with a Weigh In.  I can't wait to see the results of my improved eating habits.  (I don't remember when I was EVER this excited about a Weigh In!)

What I did right:  Made healthy food choices; portion control; planned ahead to accommodate eating out; vitamin; water; posted.

This One's For Me

Nothing huge to report about yesterday.  Mostly I'm keeping the commitment I made to myself to post daily. 

I COULD say that there are leftovers from yesterday's main meal!  That's progress.

What I did right:  Portion control, vitamin, tried to drink more water, didn't eat close to bedtime.

One Fourth, Please

I went to visit my parents yesterday.  My father wanted to go pick up Subs for lunch.  "You may not like the kind we get.  What kind do you want?"  (I wouldn't have chosen the kind they like, but neither did I want to eat a HALF of my own.  I guess I could have saved a half of it....).  Anyway,  I ended up with just short of 1/4 of their 12" sub.  With a piece of watermelon, I had plenty to eat.

Portion control and choices continue to be my strengths through the past four days.  Today I absolutely need to add some walking (and to be sure to drink more water).

I'm looking forward to Weigh In on Saturday night.  

What I did right:  Portion control.  Stayed within a reasonable calorie limit.  Vitamin.

Fresh and Good

 I made brownies for my husband to take to share at an evening meeting last night...

I didn't lick the bowl!  Or the spoon.  Or my fingers.
He called before he came home and asked me if I wanted one.
I said, "No."  He sent those not eaten home with one of the attendees.

Yesterday morning, I helped a friend make some salsa.

I chopped a lot!

It felt wonderful to work with such fresh and healthy food.

We took a break and enjoyed some fresh tomato juice.
I returned home with bags containing tomatoes, onions, beets, and cantaloupe.

What I did right:   Didn't give in to temptation to lick the bowl or my fingers, or the spoon; took multivitamin; ate within a wise calorie range; ate fresh food and veggies; drank 5-6 glasses of water.

Beets to Meatballs

Last night we hosted our "Home Connection" (a group of 10-13 people who meet in homes every two weeks).  Sometimes we have a meal.  Last night I said "bring a favorite snack."  Knowing there would be GOOD STUFF in the evening, we ate leftovers at noon.  I had a few red beets.

Evening brought many tempting snacks.  I  made some cantaloupe balls and a new crock-pot meatball recipe (Sauce:  1/3 c. apple jelly, 1/3 c. lemon juice, 1 c. ketchup).  The meatballs were delicious.   I know!   I had 10 or 11!  And some cantaloupe.  And some cherries.

What I did right:  Left myself some wiggle room by eating only beets at noon.  Passed up chips and  cheese/taco/bean dip.  Passed up rice krispy squares with peanut butter.  Passed up zucchini bread.  Laughed with and enjoyed my friends.  Took a mufti-vitamin. Posted here.

Climb Every Mountain

"Imagine your goal at the top of a mountain. You’ll never reach it if you don’t start climbing."
(from Motivation to Live Well in my sidebar)

• Hmm.  I wonder if there's a spy system operating in my sidebar!?!
• Yesterday was The Day my mountain climbing began.  
• I started the ascent last night when we went out to eat with friends at a lovely restaurant.
• I ordered the salmon salad.  It was delicious.
• AND I was not talked into dessert.
• I stepped on the scale last night and recorded my start-up weight under my "Progress" tab.
• Gotta tell you that my picture-taking routine in the "early days" involved a full-length mirror that could be tilted to achieve a very slimming effect. However ...I still have those clothes and remember how great it felt and is GOING to feel when I can fit in them again!  That's my "goal at the top of the mountain."

What I did right:  Passed up the bread and dessert when eating out, weighed in, posted on blog, took multi-vitamin, drank just about enough water (I have trouble remembering this!) 

Getting Down to Business

1/25/10

"Getting Down to Business was the title of a post I did in January of 2010.  I can hardly believe that is me!  By January 25, 2012 I want to look like I did then.  This will mean I need to be Getting Down to Business!    I have begun.  Again.  I have a ways to go, but I am committed to doing what I need to. 

When once again I "look" like I did, I believe I will "feel" as well as I did..   As much as possible I want to reduce the toll that the pounds I've gained have taken.  I'm tired of being sick and tired!

I know I've had a lot of "plans" throughout the past year and a half.  But the major part of THIS plan - at least the part that I want to go PUBLIC with - is to post on this blog daily - well at least 5 days a week. Some day (maybe a few weeks into this journey) I'll try to explain what is different about about my "head" and "heart" this time.  

Portion Control

Almost every day, I read the Motivation to Live Well in my sidebar.  Today's summed up my feelings from yesterday's experience at my favorite place to eat.
  

One of the most satisfying feelings--more satisfying than the temptation itself is when one can say, ’I could have, but I didn’t!’

For me, portion control is a MAJOR part of the self-control part of this blog's title.

Our personal favorite - Pan. Taco.