Sistah Pat

Lunch:
Salad with Light Dressing (75)
Hoppin John Soup (70)

7:00 pm - I need some serious food! I’m starving!

Dinner:
2 slices lite bread (70)
sliced deli ham (70)

7:30 - small baked potato with Brummel and Brown (160)

8:00 - 1/8 small angel food cake (140)
Better check out the calories…

Only 585 so far…I can eat some MORE!

Baked Potato (160)
Angel Food Cake (140)
Red Seedless Grapes (100)

Total 985

This is a South Beach Diet recipe with a few minor alterations. We love the fresh lemony taste and smell of fresh ginger so we always enjoy this recipe. It didn’t have pasta in the South Beach version but I’ve got a lot of men here and they need a few carbs now and then.

1 pound snow peas, strings remove
1 Tbsp. plus two teaspoons Canola oil, divided
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 green onions, sliced
2 tsp. dark sesame oil

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a medium mixing bowl with ice water. Boil snow peas for 2 minutes, drain, and place in ice water for 2 minutes to chill. Drain and pat dry.

Prepare 4 ounces whole wheat spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse, drain, and set aside.

Combine 2 teaspoons canola oil, 1 Tbsp. of the soy sauce, and ginger in a shallow bowl. Add chicken and toss or dredge to coat.

Heat remaining canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden and no longer pink inside, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice.

Combine peas, scallions, cooked spaghetti, sesame oil, and remaining soy sauce in a mixing bowl: toss together. Top individual servings with sliced chicken breasts.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 400 calories

Breakfast:
Fiber One Bar (140)

Lunch:
Hoppin John Soup (150)
Salad (75)

Slept in a little bit this morning so I don’t have much time to blog. Gotta hit the shower here in a minute. Just need a little coffee to get me from here to there.

Yesterday went well. I had a perfect day. The only thing missing was a weigh in because I was already dressed in a some pretty heavy stuff by the time I decided to go for it yesterday and I didn’t want to weigh myself fully dressed. It might have sent me over the edge. I’ll do it this morning. Going for the gold again today. A weigh in, healthy eating, and at least 30 minutes of exercise. One more day. I don’t want to think any further ahead than that.

6:00 am - Weighing in at 174 this morning. Can’t decide what to wear. I usually dress pretty nice but I went out to get the paper and it’s cold and rainy. Supposed to change over to snow later on. Think I’ll be a slob today. Heels are definitely out. Thinking about jeans and boots. I have my own students to work with but I’m not scheduled in any other classes today. I’ll just be sitting in my office fixing laptops.

3:45 - Home a little bit early today. Only stayed over 30 minutes. I’m going to throw some chicken in cold water to thaw and then exercise. Hopefully, I can do better than yesterday but, I have to admit, I’m pretty worn out. Maybe I’ll go ahead a sit here for a few minutes and write up the recipe for tonight’s dinner.

5:10 - Well, damn!  Am I skinny yet?  I feel like I should be.  That damn near did me in.  Managed to do 40 minutes today and burn 350 calories.  Looks like I’m going to have to work at building my endurance and strength back up.  Right now, all I can think about is getting dinner done and making a date with the spa.

Note: Hoppin John is a southern dish with a lot of variations.  It’s basically a mix of diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and black-eyed peas.  I’ve seen it with rice, ham, and sausage added.  Margaret Holmes canned Hoppin John consists of a mixture of diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and black-eyed peas.  My family is a big fan of soup so I decided to try to use this as a base for soup one day and they loved the result.  I’ve made it with rice in the mixture and I’ve also made it with ham but this is the version I make when I’m watching calories.  Can’t find canned Hoppin John (usually in the canned vegetable section)?  No problem.  Just use canned tomatoes, a diced onion sauteed in Pam, a diced jalapeno sauteed along with it and some black eyed peas.  I never make it the same way twice but I wrote down everything I used this time and this is the result.  I ran out of ham flavored soup base or I would have used more.  I usually add an extra can of black-eyed peas but they’re pretty high in calories (and protein!) so I left them out but the result is a lot lower in calories than I would have thought so I may add a can.

1/2 pound round steak trimmed of all fat (464)
3 cans (14.5 oz.) Margaret Holmes Hopping John (840)
2 cans diced petite tomatoes (175)
1 can (7 oz.) chopped green chiles (35)
5 cans (14.5 oz) water
1 Tsp. Ham flavored soup base (15)
1 Tsp. Beef flavored soup base (10)

Simmer the beef until so tender it’s falling apart.  Dice and use the broth the beef was cooked in as the base for the soup.  Add the beef, Hoppin John, tomatoes, and green chiles.  Add jalapenos if you like it HOT!  Add water and soup bases to taste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors.
Total calories for the entire pot came to 1579.  I measured it out and had 22 cups which comes to 70 calories per cup.

Sitting here watching crazy cat. He’s attacking my coat. DH hung it over the doorknob in the hall and the cat keeps jumping on it and trying to get inside the sleeve. Gee, the house is beginning to look a lot cleaner! I’m looking around and seeing stuff shine!

I’ve been thinking about having a slumber party. Really! Have all my fav friends and little sister over. We could soak in the spa and have wine and appetizers. We could watch girlie movies or a marathon session of What Not to Wear while everyone contributes their own particular “girlie” talent. Me? I give a great massage. I have a friend who’s a hairdresser. She could cut hair. Someone else could do manicures or pedicures or facials. Wouldn’t that be fun? Middle of winter…gotta try something to liven things up!

On the other hand…I’m still faltering in the “healthy living” area. Okay, for today, just one perfect day. Starting now.

5:00 - Just got home from work. It would be real easy to call it a day but I’m going for a perfect day so I still have to workout. Sounded out a couple of friends at work about the slumber party and one of them says she gives a great foot massage and another says she’ll do facials. Hmmm….there might be something to this.

Okay–I’ve got my HRM on and I’m heading upstairs!

5:45 - OMG! How quickly the body forgets! I only did 30 minutes and felt like I was dying! Still, I hung in there for 30 minutes and burned 270 calories on the treadmill and doing step aerobics. I’m not back yet, Chickies, but I’m getting there. The only thing I have to do today is stay on track with diet the rest of the day and I’ll have ONE perfect day behind me. Yah Hooo!

I’m going to make Hoppin John soup for dinner. My version of Hoppin John anyway. We really enjoy this hot and spicy soup on a cold winter night but I have no idea how many calories so I think I’ll write down the recipe this time and see if I can figure it out. I know it’s a healthy soup but it has black eyed peas and they can really add some calories so I’m going to see what I come up with.

7:30 - Okay, I’m gonna make it!  Got me a bowl of Hoppin John Soup and a nice warm English Muffin spread with some Brummel and Brown Yogurt spread.  I was a little stingy with the black eyed peas in the Hoppin John because I thought it would have a lot of calories.  Black eyed peas are an excellent source of fiber and iron and the calories are well spent but I still wanted to be careful.  Turns out the soup only has 70 calories per cup so another can of peas wouldn’t have hurt anything.  Oh well…it’s tasty as is.  In fact, this warm and soft English muffin and I could seriously get it on!  Good stuff and I still have quite a few calories to play with this evening.

Breakfast:
Lite Yogurt (80)

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine Turkey and Vegetables (150)
Salad with Lite Dressing (100)

Dinner:
Hoppin John Soup (300)
English Muffin with Brummel and Brown (150)
Ham sandwich with lite bread (150)

Snack:
Weight Watchers Frozen Mocha Bar (90)

Total (1,020)

My china cabinet shines. So does everything in it. And the hall, and the bathroom, and the back wall in the kitchen. Spent all day yesterday cleaning and buffing and polishing. If I could just stand here in front of the china cabinet, I’d think my house was clean. (sigh)

I’m from that “stuck in the middle” generation of the late sixties and early seventies. We were raised and trained by women who stayed at home scrubbing, cooking, and taking care of kids all day. As young women, we burned bras and took jobs and felt independent. They even had a name for us. We were the Superwomen. Women who worked our butts off outside the home but still took care of the house and kids. I’ve spent most of my life feeling torn in both directions. I used to handle everything pretty good but I’m tired now and don’t have the energy to be a superwoman. There aren’t enough hours in the day and all that scrubbing and polishing takes so much time. I worked from the time I got up until I went to bed. The most difficult thing was the four ton china cabinet. I moved it away from the wall and chased away all the dust bunnies. Took all the pictures and stuff off the wall and scrubbed it from ceiling to floor. Took everything out of all the drawers and shelves in the china cabinet and washed the cabinet with Murphy Oil Soap. Used a soft cloth to polish and buff the wood and then washed every single item that was in it. Now it shines. No, it sparkles. Like it should.

I used to straighten the house every day and thoroughly clean at least one room every Saturday. Scrubbing walls, washing and polishing furniture, waxing floors. I’d make DH and the kids help. When the kids got married and left home, it became so easy. DH and I didn’t mess things up so it was a piece of cake to keep things clean. Over the empty nest years, I was able to have an immaculate house without really putting forth a lot of effort. Now, the boys live here and DS is here and there are three (four times?) as many loads of laundry, dishes, and messes to clean up and I never feel like I can get on top of things. That’s one of my New Year’s Resolutions. To make everyone help more with getting and keeping the house clean. Everyone is going to pick a room that they’re responsible for cleaning as well as their bedroom. Cleaning, not straightening. White glove stuff. Don’t know how it’s going to work but I’m going to give it a try. Problem is, I’m stubborn (egocentric? guilty?) enough to have a deep seated conviction that no one can clean it like I do. If the entire room is clean except for the walls and windows, I have a habit of saying, “Hey! You did great!” and then sneaking in later and washing the walls and windows. It’s really difficult for me to say, “What you’ve done looks good but you still have to do the walls and windows.” Guess it comes from that upbringing where I was raised to consider all the cleaning to be my job.

Okay, enough…I’ve got to get to work. I took on the kitchen as my room and I still have a lot of cabinets to clean, windows to wash, and walls to scrub.

4:00 - Went to Meijer’s and stocked up on eye of round roasts. At $1.99 a pound, who wouldn’t? They also had a bunch of stuff that was 10 for $10.00 with an eleventh item free. So I got 33 of the assorted 10 for 10s. Ought to make for some creative dining this week. Got an eye of round roast in the crock pot with Onion Soup Mix. Big bags of carrot nuggets were 10 for 10 and so were Dole Salad Mixes so I guess I’ll throw a few potatoes and carrots in with the roast and fix a salad. I also got some beautiful red peppers. Maybe I’ll roast them with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and throw some mozzarella on them.

Didn’t get much done on the kitchen today. After I got home from shopping and put everything away, I started teaching the boys how to clean their assigned rooms. It was a lot more difficult for me to let them do it than it was to do it myself and I’m proud that I was able to back off and let them do it. Andrew chose the downstairs bathroom and Steven chose the living room. Because I thoroughly cleaned the downstairs bathroom yesterday, Andrew didn’t have much to do so I put him to work helping Steven get the living room in shape. It took them soooo long to do everything that I just wanted to take over and get it done. They did a pretty good job and I kept telling myself that they’d be able work faster next time and, with a bit of practice, they’ll eventually be able to do it just as well and just as fast as I do.

“Here, Andrew, let me show you. Take the pictures off the wall, lay them flat, and then spray the Windex so it won’t run under the edge of the frame and ruin the picture. No, not in circles…wipe around the edges and then go from side to side to make sure you get the whole thing and don’t miss an area. Okay…now put the picture back up and step back to see if it’s straight. No, a little to the left. Too much. Back to the right. More…to the left…No, move it to the right…”

“Whoa, Steven! Always wash the window frame and window sill before you clean the glass so you won’t slop cleaning stuff on the glass after you’ve already cleaned it. Look, see how it looks in the light? See how you missed all the corners? Do it like this. That’s better. Keep going.”

“No, Andrew! Stop! Don’t use the Lysol on the furniture. Use Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean it and then polish it with a soft towel. See how clean and shiny it is?”

I have to give them credit. They worked hard and were pretty proud of themselves when they were done. Andrew showed Steven how to fold the towels on the towel rack and told him that he wasn’t going to go behind him and refold them all the time so he’d better do it right. Steven said he never realized how much work it was just to clean the living room and he could see why I get upset when they mess it up. Now…while I still have a teeny bit of energy left, I’m going to try to work on my room: the kitchen. I changed the water in the spa Friday afternoon and I have a bottle of St. James white wine chilling in the refrigerator as my incentive to keep going another two hours. Then…I’m taking a little time for me.

7:00 - Whoa! Hold the boat! Sistah Pat is waaaayy tipsy. Didn’t realize it until I drank a fairly large (ahem…) glass of wine in the spa and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Then I realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day. Whoo Hooo! DH to the rescue! It’s taken me ten minutes to type this paragraph (hee, hee!) DH says he’s got dinner under control and wants me to go lie down on the couch and watch TV!

I was swamped yesterday and didn’t get to blog much. Feeling blah and disgusted this morning. Staring at this place and everything needs a good scrubbing. Hamster on a wheel… Maybe I’ll feel better when I can look around the house and see that it’s clean. Gonna get my cleaning bucket and get to it.

12:00 - I’m already worn out and all I’ve gotten done is the bathroom, 2 loads of laundry, and the hall. Of course, it was all “on my hands and knees, scrub every square inch” cleaning but still…I took all the pictures off the walls in the hall and cleaned them and the walls look a lot better but it’s rapidly getting to the point where we have to repaint. I need to eat something…getting weak………can’t clean……..anymore…….

Brunch?
Lite Yogurt (80)

Took a couple of Tylenol PM last night and it was tough hauling my butt out of bed this morning. No time to blog. Gotta hit the shower and shake off the drowsies. Weight is at 173 this morning.

Breakfast:
low fat yogurt (80)

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine Chicken and Penne Pasta (310)

Dinner:
Pastrami Sandwich (200)
Potato Chips (150)
Sliced tomato (45)

Snack:
Protein Bar (220)

Total (1005)

Is it too early? Seems like I’ve had enough winter. Oughta be seeing some sunshine instead of this grey, drizzly rain.

My goal for today is to stick to healthy eating and WORK OUT. Yes, time to get back to the old treadmill and steps. I don’t think I have anything going on after school so I should be able to get home fairly early. Right now, I’ve gotta hit the shower. Weight is at 172.5 this morning.

4:15 - Just got home. It’s been snowing off and on all day but no accumulation. The temperature has been around 36 and everything is just melting and making everything sloppy. The wind is blowing and it’s nasty outside. I decided it’s a perfect day for soup so I stopped by Kroger and got the makings for onion soup. I’m going to saute the onions using Pam and top it with thin slices of french bread and fake parmesan or grated asiago since I have some from the other day. I also got turkey pastrami (low fat and low cal) and reduced fat swiss and lite wheat bread so I’m going to make some nice hot sandwiches to go with it. Although it’s all pretty healthy, I’m headed upstairs to workout. No sense in accumulating any more calories than I have to. Oughta be fun getting back into the workout routine. I see your comment about trying to get more walking in during the day, Heather, but that’s hard to do. I spend most of my day sitting at a desk or standing in front of a classroom. Not much time to walk. Even lunch is at my desk while I try to fix computers. Wish I could figure out a way to get more exercise at work.

Btw, I gave the Biggest Loser thing at work a lot of thought and came to the following conclusions: (you’ll notice a bit of the mathematician coming out in me)

I suggest all participants go to http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm and enter their weight, age, and gender and click on “calculate”. The group can decide which of the standardized formulas to use although I’d suggest the People Choice Ideal Weight simply because it gives a specific weight as opposed to a range. It really doesn’t matter if anyone agrees or disagrees with the number but it provides a way to get a standardized number for every participant. Having found the ideal weight, they should subtract it from their present weight. This will be a specific number of pounds they’re trying to lose. Having found a set number for weight loss for each individual, it will be simple to divide the amount of weight they actually lose by the amount of weight they should lose to come up with a standardized percentage that takes age, gender, and current weight into consideration. The individual who comes up with the highest percentage takes the pot. Any comments? (guess I should stop rambling and start exercising).

5:30 - Did 15 minutes of warm up on the treadmill and then 30 minutes of step aerobics. Forgot all about my heart rate monitor until I’d been on the treadmill for ten minutes and went to check my pulse rate. Didn’t want to stop to come downstairs and get it but I think I did pretty good. Worked up a sweat and drank a bunch of water. It actually felt good to be moving again. Now…gotta get to that soup.

8:00 - Damn! Fighting that battle.

Do NOT go gentle into that good night. Oh, Dylan, how right you are.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Fought the battle all day long. Still…I need to get some success behind me and time invested. It’s got to become a habit again. It seems like temptation is everywhere. I fixed a healthy dinner but DH wanted me to put mozzarella on his onion soup and melt it under the broiler. All hot and bubbly. Looking at his soup and looking at mine, a paltry immitation with a thin little sliver of toast and fat-free parm instead of mozzarella. He wanted his sandwich grilled in butter and I told him he could do it himself. His was all toasted and grilled with generous slices of melted swiss on rye. Mine was cold and plain with fat-free fake swiss. I made it though. I stuck to my guns.

Didn’t expect an old friend of DS’s to come by with a late Christmas gift for DH and I since we were away over the holidays. His wife sent a tin full of assorted homemade bourbon balls, fudge, and candy and a platter of homemade cookies. Beautiful delicate things gently dipped in melted chocolate or lovingly decorated with colored icing. Lovely little mice with Hershey Kiss heads, almond slice ears, and bodies and tails composed of chocolate covered cherries and their stems. Flaky date pecan balls rich with butter and pecans and dusted with powdered sugar. Shit! DH is diabetic and can’t have them and I’m trying to get back on track. There’s a wicked little voice whispering, “What difference does it make? Really? You would have eaten them three days ago. You can start back on the diet tomorrow. What’s another day?”

I can’t throw them out and I can’t eat them. Oh, Dylan…help me rage. The night is calling…

Breakfast:
Lite Yogurt (80)

Lunch
Marie Callendars Turkey Dinner (350)

Dinner:
Onion Soup (400)
2 slices lite bread (70)
turkey pastrami (50)
Fat free swiss cheese (25)

1 bowl Quaker Lite Oatmeal with skim milk (200)

Total 1175

A group of teachers here at the school are starting a “Biggest Loser” thing where we pay $10.00 a week and it goes on for ten weeks. Winner take all! I’m not interested because I’m not about to dish out my money so it can be grabbed by a 27 year old Male teacher who has 150 pounds to lose. We’re talking big bucks here because the winner will wind up with a BIG chunk of money (16 people have already signed up). I’m being told that it’s fair because it will be based on percentages and I’m telling them it’s not fair because a 57 year old woman who needs to lose 40 pounds doesn’t stand a chance against a 27 year old man who needs to lose 150 pounds. So…everyone’s asking how we figure out what’s fair. I don’t know….I looked on the internet to see if I could find any way of calculating weight loss that takes gender, body fat, and age into consideration and I’m not finding anything. Anyone got any ideas?

4:30 - Home again. Thanks for all the advice. I don’t think I’m going to participate at the school. I’m not sure exactly what would be fair and I really don’t think I’d stand much of a chance of winning so I feel like I’d be throwing my money away. It would be worth it, even if I didn’t win, if it kept me motivated but I don’t think it’s going to motivate me because I have a pretty strong feeling that I couldn’t possibly win so I don’t think it would work to my advantage. If they were going to work out together or form a support group or something, it would be worth it but they’re not doing anything but paying and weighing. Don’t think that’s going to get me motivated.

I want to spend some time rethinking and making new goals but I’m being run ragged again. I have an hour or so and then I have to go back to school. Tomorrow, I’m going to exercise! At least I’ve kept to my diet today!

Have to leave in a few minutes but I took a look at Anngirl’s blog and it made me start thinking:

Ann:  “It’s so hard to wish you weren’t as big as you are now. It’s hard to look in the mirror and NOT be repulsed by your own reflection. The worst thing about it is that it’s no one’s fault but your own. So every time you pass by something you would normally eat - it eats at you a little because you CAN’T have it.

Because all of those shouldn’ts end up distorting your body and ultimately wreaking havoc on your self esteem.”

I got to thinking about that and it came to me that we’re all a bunch of winners!  We’re winners because we deal with this all the time.  We don’t give up.  We keep fighting the good fight even though we’re sick to death of it.  If we didn’t try, then we could wreak havoc on the self esteem.  We do, though.  We try.  We keep fighting.

All the women in my family are obese.  That’s the way it is.  That’s the way I’m genetically engineered.  Still…I’ve dieted and exercised my entire adult life and that’s the only reason that I was able to keep my weight fairly controlled.  Even now, I suppose I should be much heavier than I am but I keep trying to get rid of another forty pounds.  I’m 57 years old and I have bad ankles but I keep trying.  That’s something to feel good about.  We fight a good fight, chickies.

Wasn’t I soaking up the sun on a warm, tropical beach a few days ago? Now I’m freezing my butt off!

Thanks, Chickies, for all the comments and welcome backs! I tried to catch up on a few blogs but it’s been almost three weeks so I may never get there but I do appreciate each and every one of you. It makes it easier to get back into the routine.

Speaking of the routine…I gave Holly a homework break and went to the store yesterday afternoon. Got the makings for Italian Vegetable Soup, 15 Lean Cuisines, and some fruit. Now I’ve got something I can eat. I got back from the store and made soup while visiting with youngest DS and all the grandkids. They got a Wii for Christmas and were anxious to have me play. I finally got everyone out of here around 9:00, helped Holly finish her homework and hit the bed at 10:30. If it were up to me, I think I’d spend the next couple of months snuggled up in my bed wearing fleece pajamas. I did pretty good with diet yesterday but I didn’t get any exercise (unless you call Wii boxing a workout).

Today’s going to be a long one. I have a faculty meeting after school, won’t get home until around 4:30 and then have to leave at 5:30 to go back for an ROTC Booster Club meeting.

Weighed in at 174 this morning.  Did I lose a pound?  Or did I gain 9?

Breakfast:
Lite Yogurt (80)

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine Lemongrass Chicken (210)
Orange (60)

Snack:
Protein Bar (220)

Dinner:
Lean Cuisine Turkey and Vegetables (150)
Lean Cuisine Turkey, dressing, and apples (280)

Total 1,000

Uggg!  I forgot how early I get up for work.  I’ve been up for 15 or 20 minutes and it’s just now 5:00 am.

Did a lot of thinking on the drive home yesterday.  Wondering why DH and I spend so much time traveling.  Some of that’s gotta be figured into New Year’s resolutions.  I think a big part of it has to do with the feeling of having lost all control over what’s going on in our lives and our home.  Everything is so chaotic and demanding.  We’re going to have to take control again.  Came home to find the house pretty well empty of food, detergent, dishwashing detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, etc. etc.  Oldest DH still doesn’t have a job and we’re feeling pretty used these days.  Holly was here when we got home and the house, although halfway straight, was dirty.  DH immediately went to sleep and I fixed dinner for Holly and took care of her until we went to bed.  Before we’d been home an hour, the youngest DH was calling to make sure we got home okay and asking if he could come over tonight to talk to us.  What about?  He’s in a financial bind.  (sigh)

DH and I went to the store to stock up and were actually feeling guilty for having been gone for 2 1/2 weeks and spending so much money.  Something’s very wrong here when we’re feeling guilty about taking time and money for ourselves.  I could see it if the kids were in their twenties but they’re not.  They’re both pushing forty!  I can feel a huge family meeting looming…

Other issues…the reason I’m here…gotta get on those scales!  I’m okay.  I know that whatever they show is what I deserve for having been off the wagon for six weeks.  I’m ready to face it and deal with it.  Of course that’s probably because I haven’t weighed for a month.  I may be freaking out in another half hour but I’ve got to get back on the wagon.  I’ll weigh myself after my shower and then it’s back to more healthy eating and exercise.  I can feel all the extra weight.  I bought some Lean Cuisines and yogurt at the grocery last night so I’ve got food for today.  It’s strange how all that rich and fattening food gets boring after a while.  We bought Bojangle’s fried chicken for dinner Saturday evening and it didn’t even taste good.  If, on the other hand, I’d been dieting for a couple of months, I’d be in 7th heaven to have some fried chicken.  The taste buds have been over indulged and are ready for moderation.

Yeah…it’s time for some changes.

6:00 am - Okay, so the number is….175!  I expected it.  It’s actually kind of a relief to have faced it.  Now I can begin to deal with it.  One good thing…I’m not stuck in the 160s anymore…

1:00 - Easy day.  I’m actually taking a lunch break.  I know things will get crazy again soon enough but, for today, it’s relatively calm and relaxed.  It’s kind of nice to be back in a “Lean Cuisine” mode.

4:15 - I’m home now and struggling.  Trying to help Holly with her homework and what I really need to do is go to the store and get some stuff to make vegetable soup.  I’m hungry and there’s nothing here to eat!  I should have stopped

Breakfast:
Fat Free Yogurt (80)

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine Rosemary Chicken (210)
Sliced tomato (25)

Dinner:
Italian Vegetable Soup (400)
2 slices lite bread (70)
sliced ham (100)

Total 885

10:15 - Well, Pooh!  I logged on this morning and checked out the Prime Outlet site here in Calhoun and found out they don’t open till 11:00.  So….I crept around real quiet and sneaky and tried not to wake anyone up.  DH got up at 8:45 and then he got Andrew up to take his shower.  As soon as Andrew finished, he was rousing Steven.  I was still hopeful that I might be able to delay leaving until 11:00 but it’s not going to happen.  It’s 10:15 and they’re loading the car.  We’ve got to get home.  All these hotels exist because of the outlet mall and I never seem to get to it.  We always arrive late in the evening and then head out before it opens.  Next time….