Munch, crunch

Yep, still here, still eating. :-) In fact, I've got a couple of new recipe ideas to share, once I find them. The question of today, though, is: crunch without calories? Celery. Nope, not ready to go there. We'll see how hungry (desperate) I get before dinner. I'm back to trying to count weight watcher points or government food group servings or whatever works to undo the disaster that was September and October. How do you recover from less-than-healthy vacations (or months, as the case may be)?

Checking in

We all need to do that occasionally, check in with whatever accountability system we have in place to help us meet our health goals, in healthy eating and/or fitness. Sometimes life gets too busy and we don't check in for awhile. If coming and going counts as exercise, I should be in great shape! It's been a revolving door since I last posted: a trip to the beach, a trip to see family, a writing conference, get togethers with friends... All those happy occasions involved food, too. :-) Good food. Exercise, too, although not as much of that as I'd like. My new challenge this week is to increase resistance on the elliptical to change up my exercise program. I'm liking it. :-) What types of challenges do you set for yourself when you need to get back on track?

Still eating!

You can rest assured that even if I'm not posting here, I'm still eating. :-) And, through it all, trying to eat healthy. August has been a month of coming and going around here. I think I already posted about the challenges of trying to eat healthy and maintain some exercise while at a conference. Last week I visited my parents. I chose to put my time into visiting instead of following all of my exercise routine. We did walk the dog, and took a walk in the park (on one of the cooler days), and went swimming (only once). But we made choices to spread out the treats and at the end of the week, I was able to maintain. Next challenge: the beach. Hubby has all sorts of ideas for messing with my healthy (and inexpensive) menu ideas. At least we'll have numerous walks on the beach (and sand counts as resistance, right?) to compensate! What are your tips for navigating summer challenges?

Veggies everywhere

The last two days I've been stir frying lots of vegetables - just a little oil, lots of water. Almost steaming them, using the cast iron skillet, but it seems to work well. Last night half the plate was this pile of veggies and the other half the plate was fried rice, with more veggies. Both sides had a bit of bbq pork chunked up in it. Today I'll switch to lots of fruit: grapes and strawberries. :-)
I've been trying to think of a way to organize/display the salad recipes I've been collecting so I can remember to try them and then keep them in the rotation. Any suggestions?

Summer days

Summer brings vacations, breaks in normal routines, and other excuses to take time away from the computer and blogging. I've discovered, though, that summer does not necessarily equal breaks from healthy routines. On vacation in July, at a conference last week, and in the other things I've been doing, I find I'm still mindful of eating healthy and maintaining exercise routines as best I can. At this year's writing conference, I was able to walk more consistently - and more - than ever before. They served us salads two meals a day, which I made a focus of the meal, and then made the large portions of meat and carbs a lower focus. (except dessert -- still working on that one!) We celebrated birthdays the last two weekends, complete with cake and ice cream, as the three children we have between us were all born in August. After a day of celebrating with kids, though, the following day I tried to get right back to healthy eating. More trades today: a salad for lunch because I'm going out with friends this afternoon.
I've also been collecting new salad recipes to share, although I haven't managed to try any of them yet! I did try something new a day or so ago, though. I had leftover alfredo sauce. I wanted a lighter lunch, not the pasta, so put the sauce over a big bowl of stir fry veggies. Very tasty! My goal for this week: to highlight fruit and vegetables more in my meals. So far, success :-)

The good and the bad

Sugar is not always a good thing. Exercise is almost always a good thing. This week I'm counting on the good outweighing the not so good. We're out of lettuce, so today's lunch "salad" will be whatever veggies we have in the refrigerator chopped and tossed together, raw. I think it will work fine! And it might be time to try that peach yogurt -- or maybe I'll make it pomegranate. Planning delicious healthy summer meals is one way to help meet my goals.

Today's epiphany

I can make progress, albeit slowly, if my less-than-healthy foods are measured and planned instead of snacking. I'll try to hold that thought for the month of August, which is a prime family month for us, with all 3 of our children having birthdays and with a trip to visit extended family, along with at least one (birthday) family dinner and another small family gathering on the calendar already, and the month hasn't started yet. This probably will not be the month I'm very successful at a drastic sugar reduction. But if I can keep it planned and measured, I'll be in a better position to continue towards healthy goals in September. Exercise will go without saying. :-)

Slow steps to back on track

Not quite there yet.
The good news:
I've researched new salad ideas. As I try the ideas and incorporate them, I'll post any winners.
The bad news:
We enjoyed other foods the last couple of days that didn't much resemble salads. :-)
I did make a summer salad a few days ago, what I call "Slovak salad" because I first had this particular combination in Slovakia. I think I mentioned it when we went to farmer's market.
We did go on a hike - a walk in the woods around Lost Lake in the Mt. Hood area.
And we trekked all over downtown Seattle. On hubby's business trips to Seattle those hills are the only exercise we get in a long day of driving! So I'm glad for the hills -- but much better when beautiful weather (as we had) than when raining!
Today's steps to back on track:
I've already walked 2 miles and done 2 miles on the elliptical.
In an hour or so I'll pack a picnic dinner (chicken salad and fruit) to meet son and daughter-in-law at the park. We may walk while there - that has yet to be determined.

A new day

And it's a good thing. I don't know what happened yesterday, I thought I'd done really well with healthy eating and not snacking. Maybe it was the missed walk and not enough water and salt at dinner that set me back... I did make it to the elliptical and will again today, although it will be tricky to fit it all in. And I'll go for a walk later this morning, even if it is gray. Planning healthy meals as well. In fact, I made a list of dinners for the next week. :-) That will make shopping much easier this weekend! Always looking for new ideas, though. What are some of your favorite dinner ideas?

Two steps forward, one step back

Yesterday wasn't quite the stellar day I'd hoped for.  Three or four cookies and no elliptical.  Our evenings have been crazy. The elliptical is much higher on my list today! Zucchini with the pasta was great! So far, today not too bad. A big bowl of fruit when going out with friends instead of some other option. Fewer calories might have been a cup of hot tea (and that would have been good, as cold as it's been today), but my body feels a need to eat something with tea, thus negating the zero calories.

Christmas in July

That's what I heard yesterday when I met friends for an afternoon break. The coffee shop was celebrating with seasonal music and decorations. Right now out my front window it certainly *looks* like winter in July, with a bit of wind blowing tree branches and rain. Fortunately, it's not quite that cold. Healthy living isn't confined to one season. However, I'm not thinking I'm going out in that again today - already took a morning walk, did my exercises, paced while talking on the phone, and will hit the elliptical tonight after dinner. That should suffice for enough exercise for today - as long as I get up from the chair now and then (which the laundry tending will ensure). As to eating... well, we do keep eating no matter what the weather is doing. I've been using up bits and pieces of produce this week. That is resulting in: stir fry chicken and veggies one day for lunch, zucchini mixed with pasta tonight, berries on waffles, and other delicious combinations. Tomorrow I think I'll have to break down and make the next produce run. My challenge will be to find fresh fruit in season -- not too ripe, but just right!

Summer fun

I've spent the last week exercising instead of writing about it. :-) We went on a hiking vacation - destination: Mt. Rainier. The main attraction / activity is hiking. And more hiking. And taking pictures of beautiful scenery. In truth, we didn't do quite as much hiking as we had planned, only about 3 miles a day. We did go on 2 or more hikes per day, but they were short and easy. I think the only way to train for Rainier (elevation gain hikes at high altitude) is to hike the area. So perhaps a longer time? Or hiking in the gorge before going? Even so, we had a great time! Now, home and back to normal exercise routine, since the other thing we did on vacation was eat. I didn't count points, just ate healthy when possible and ate something when hungry (which seemed to be often). Through it all, I managed to maintain but will continue to work on my goals of eating healthy now that I'm back in normal routine. Perhaps some of my summer reading will be browsing for new healthy eating ideas... what are your new healthy eating ideas for summer and beyond?

Changing Focus

Time to think about exercise for a change, after so many posts about eating. :-) Let's face it, I spend more time eating than exercising. Wait, that's not really true. Between walking and elliptical, and the occasional light weight routine, I spend anywhere from an hour to two hours a day exercising. I certainly hope I don't spend that much time eating! That would be a lot of food... :-)  Maybe to say I spend more time *thinking* about eating than exercising is closer to the truth.

My original intent was to exercise in a variety of ways -- walking, elliptical, the light weights, a hike or two -- in preparation for a vacation that is planned to have hiking as a focus. Yikes. Am I in shape? Probably not. Will I still enjoy it? Yes. We'll take it a little slower, take a few more pictures, what's not to like about that? Hoping to enjoy good weather as well. As it is, I'm just trying to maintain whatever semblance of exercise routine I can. No excuses, except life. Once again, routines save the day.

One day

This menu is from awhile ago, but I post it here as a reminder for myself, a reference point the next time I'm trying to come up with healthy menus. And, I may have posted it earlier, in which case the re-post shows I lose my scraps of paper easily, both online and in person.
Breakfast:
"my" hot chocolate (1 cup 1% milk, 1 T. Ghiradelli powdered hot chocolate - you don't need as much of the good stuff!)
1 T. whipped cream (courtesy of Prince C.)
banana

Lunch:
tuna salad (this made 3-4 servings):
1 can tuna
2 tsp. mayo
celery
green pepper
cranberries

steamed broccoli
almond roll

snack: homemade granola bar

Dinner:
beef barley soup
apple slices

snack: Tablespoon of whipped cream with a few chocolate chips

More yummy summer food

I posted earlier about making an Italian salad. I had bits and pieces leftover from the pizza making last week so threw it all into a salad today for lunch. A slice of cheese and a peach made a perfect summer lunch. Tonight, we revisit the lemon shrimp, broccoli, and strawberry idea. I experimented with making a bit of chocolate sauce (the remains of a box of unsweetened chocolate, an adjusted frosting recipe, and granulated sugar - we're out of powdered) to have with a banana tonight.

My next thought might be to experiment with an Asian salad. Not sure such a concept is "authentic," but I've enjoyed it other places. If I make my own, I know exactly what goes in it, specifically the dressing. And, I can make a small amount. In Theory. I'm not sure about the cabbage - more to follow after a bit of research.

What's your next food experiment?

Good summer eating

That's what we've enjoyed over the holiday weekend: fresh cherries, strawberries, watermelon; my son brought fresh raspberries for our 4th of July dinner. Last week I was making veggie pizzas for lunch. After a few days of different routines (quick lunches on the go), today I'm back in the kitchen and can prowl around using leftovers. I think they're headed for a veggie scramble (dad's creation - scrambled eggs with bits of veggies) today. Lemon shrimp and broccoli tonight. Taco salad tomorrow. By tomorrow night I'll have to start over with new ingredients but I'm hoping by then to have new inspiration for the new week.
Hope you had a fun and healthy 4th!

Balance

Today I'm trying to fit it all in: exercise, work, play. In theory this means less time to eat, which may make it easier to focus on healthy eating? We'll see. :-) The veggie pizza yesterday was good - and only 4 or 5 weight watchers points (depends on how much cheese) so will do that again today. Hubby has requested waffles for dinner, so will have some of the vegetable tray before and fruit with the waffles. The challenge will be to eat healthy when we're on the road, but hubby suggested a picnic for our first day which sounds like a great way to keep it healthy and enjoy the summer weather, too! (that is, provided our travel day is one of the northwest's designated days of summer)

Busy days

*sigh* do not always equal healthy days. Today we have sun! That's good news for getting caught up on exercising. Also good news for getting back on track eating healthy. Lots of fruits and veggies left over from ACFW's writer's night out. I see salad and other delicious summer food in my future. The trick will be balancing the healthy food with the fun party food, going into a holiday weekend. How do you keep the 4th of July healthy?

Summer? Not...

We've had record (?) amounts of rainfall this week. It's not terribly cold (although cooler than summer), but it is very gray and wet. Leading to... meals that are not quite as summery. We've revisited chili, made by hubby. Last night I roasted some chicken and carrots. I always forget how much I love roasted carrots - should have them more often! The gloomy weather also led me to make chocolate cake. Now to freeze part of it so we don't eat it all...! I think today's chicken salad lunch may turn into chicken and veggie stir fry, which will be equally delicious. In what ways does weather affect what you eat?

Food associations

Yesterday I wrote about how chili requires cornbread. There are other foods we may naturally pair together for various reasons. Sometimes our friends can give us new ideas of foods to combine. Today I'll be trying an experiment of sorts: making an Italian salad. No, it's not salad weather, given the inches of rain that have been dumped in less than 24 hours. But I have odds and ends I want to use, and I'm trying to think of a healthy lunch that has some protein.
Here's what I'll include:
romaine lettuce
tomatoes
green pepper
red pepper
olives
salami
parmesan cheese
and I'll make a little Italian dressing to drizzle over top.
I could defrost a bit of the bread I made yesterday and turn it into garlic bread. Hmm... this is sounding better and better!
What's your latest food experiement?

Chili = cornbread!

It's interesting to observe the routines, rituals, and associations we make with different foods. Tonight we are having chili that hubby cooked last night. He likes to make it the night before to allow plenty of time for him to not be rushed. That's fine with me. As far as I'm concerned, the only reason to have chili is to make and enjoy fresh cornbread!! So tonight I'll bake the cornbread. I'm the only one at home now who eats it, but I've found if I cut the pieces (portion control, you know) and wrap them in plastic then put them in a sealed container, I can freeze and enjoy one piece at a time for future meals. We do have an excellent toaster oven that will reheat the *thawed cornbread just like fresh from the oven. What routines and/or associations do you have with specific foods?

Summer salad

Looking forward to it even if the weather is rather gray today.
I may have already posted this salad, but here it is, just in case I didn't.

grilled chicken
romaine lettuce
diced celery
diced green pepper
minced cashews
a few dried cranberries
a bit of mayonnaise (1 tsp.) mixed with a dash of dry mustard and a few drops of honey.

It's a shame I won't have time to make some flat bread/pockets to go with it. But I have an appointment in the middle of the time frame I would have to be messing with the bread. And I probably won't make cornbread until tomorrow. I guess this is one way to reduce grains -- schedule things so there's not time before meals to mess with it.

Welcome to summer!

Hiking, photo ops, bbq, garage sales, fresh strawberries and raspberries. As my parents agree, when the sun shines it's beautiful! Yesterday was another one of those days. :-) We took advantage of the sun and went for our second hike of the season. If we're not careful, this could get to be a habit! A nice hike up to Triple Falls in the gorge. Finished with a homemade granola bar. Hubby decided a hike needed an ice cream cone -- that was later, after dinner. Not to worry, he mowed the lawn to work it off. :-) I'll trim ivy tonight to work mine off. We also enjoyed meals on the grill this weekend. Perhaps I can think about salads and fruit again this week -- as long as the weather holds. :-)

Enjoying sun!

People are funny creatures. We thrive on consistency and routine. We allow many things to distract us. Example: in earlier posts I've talked about how sun can motivate me to healthier eating - more salads and fruit. Today I enjoyed sun and lunch with hubby, step-daughter, and granddaughter. Healthy eating went out the window. Got home too late to even care about that afternoon walk. (although I'll probably do something this evening). Sometimes the sun puts me in a party mood. One of my keys is planning. I need to come up with some healthy plans for the weekend. Yard work being part of that plan, if the sun cooperates.

Sun makes all the difference

Instead of hot tea this morning and wondering how to have it without food, I went to pick strawberries and raspberries. Now I will have fresh fruit and will also freeze some, and will have some points to spare for lunch and dinner today. What's not to like about sun?!! I was also able to take my midday walk outside yesterday and will again today. :-) How do you celebrate the sun?

Grazing

The topic at weight watchers this week was "bites, licks, and tastes," known in our family as grazing. Although we do enjoy bites, licks, and tastes too! I'm not likely to avoid altogether -- one of the options. I'm not very likely to "replace" -- another option presented. I may or may not track my grazing -- the third option. So I thought I'd share some things that work for me. Last week I heard a discussion on satisfying cravings. For me, the two are related. If I want a cookie, for example, but I'm trying to stay out of the cookies, I'll eat my way all around it (see yesterday's post on reasons to eat, especially comfort*). Hence, the grazing. If I allow myself one cookie, i.e., defrost one from the freezer stash (see earlier posts on my friend the freezer and how I won't eat frozen cookies), then I can have the cookie, know the points value, and reduce grazing to almost non-existent. In this scenario, eating a cookie saves points! Who knew?! :-)

Another similar trick that works for me is to pre-measure whatever I'm likely to graze on. For example, people in our family like to graze on chocolate chips. Just a few, satisfies wanting a little something after a spicy dinner or in the evening. However, the number of trips to the chocolate chip tin can affect the total intake. When I'm really trying to stay on track, I measure 2 T. chocolate chips into a different dish (I can look up the points value for 2 T.) and that's my allotment for the day. When I want to graze on chocolate chips, I go to the pre-measured dish instead of the tin. This works for chips or crackers, too, by pre-measuring a serving. I even pre-measured the cookie dough last weekend by forming all the cookies into balls so when hubby came through looking for his cookie dough, instead of a random spoonful (and then another), he took one cookie ball, which has an established points value. I don't know that he completely buys into my plan, but it works for me.

Having a bite of grated cheese while cooking? Haven't addressed that one yet!
What are your tips for keeping "bites, licks, and tastes" under control?

Hunger? Not always

I wanted to title this post Hunger games but someone else already used that title. It's true there are many reasons we eat besides hunger, though. Perhaps the game - or trick - is to find ways to accomplish the same thing without necessarily always turning to food. Here's my brainstorming checklist of reasons I eat:

• hunger
• family & friends - social / celebration
• boredom
• comfort * (this can be a big one)
• variety - many good foods I like

What are your reasons? And what can we turn to instead of food? No great answers here.

A key item on my list is comfort. Another way I find comfort is through reading a good book. Let's face it, eating a cookie takes a lot less time than reading a book. :-) 
For variety, I tell myself there are 365 days in a year and try to space out the good food. For example, last night we had tacos. I love just a plain fried tortilla. But I had a tortilla with my taco, so I told myself one day this week for lunch I can have that plain fried tortilla. I still get the food, but I space it out over time.
To counter boredom, I try to keep enough going on to keep my mind occupied, even if that means multi-tasking or not using computer time as well as I might. Moving around helps break up tasks, too, and keeps my mind active. So there's a load of laundry started and another load to wash. That means every 30 minutes this morning I'll be getting up to keep the laundry going.
Some things there's just no getting around, for example, family birthday celebrations or other social occasions. The last two weekends, though, hubby and I have found ways to do some fun things that don't involve quite as many calories. Weekend before last, we went for a hike, mid-afternoon. That means, after lunch and before dinner. So our food was planned at home, with no snacks along the way. We just enjoyed the hike and took some pictures (we did take plenty of water, having learned the hard way in Kauai!). This past weekend, we did go out for dinner Saturday night: a deli sandwich, then a walk uptown, and I got dessert to take home for later. We like to combine activity with eating out whenever possible, and have smaller meals or split a meal.
I've found I can maximize enjoyment as well as health by planning ahead. That reminds me, I need to set out ingredients for today's lunch and dinner so I can follow my plan!

weather and health

A direct correlation? I'm not sure there's any scientific research, evidence, or proof. I can tell you that this weekend was a quiet, gray weekend at our house, and we compensated with chocolate. I also know that whenever the sun does return, I'll be thinking about doing active things, instead of tea and crumpets, which is what's on my mind this very cool, gray Monday morning. So I submit there is indeed a correlation between the weather and healthy eating. Open to discussion / challenges to the contrary!

Salads

Last night I mixed up one of my favorite "salad dressing for one" combinations to have with dinner. As I was putting it away, another small jar caught my eye and it occurred to me I need to get back into the habit of having more salads. I think I've been distracted with summer fruit. :-)  What's your favorite summer salad?
Maybe we need more meals in a day to fit it all in? ?? Sounds good to me. :-) But then I'd also have to find more time for exercise to balance out the eating. Hmmm. Somewhere in there, there is a life to be lived. Off to get started living today!

Question of the day

Any thoughts or ideas to make strength training (i.e., light weights) fun?
Last night I read tips on fitness blogs: music, fitness buddy, gym class. None of those are really options. The most realistic post I read was one that said to just do it, and stay motivated by envisioning the end results. Fine, except end results take a long time to realize. And I can find many interruptions and excuses to slow that process. :-)  Meanwhile, my excuse this week is letting muscles rest after the hiking and home repair work!

Summer workouts

They count, I'm sure of it. Hiking in the gorge, climbing up and down ladders to do home repairs, house work, yard work. These things certainly use different muscles! Therefore, I made chocolate chip cookies last night to offset the hard work. These cookies really should be my next claim to fame. One cookie is only 3 weight watcher points, and they're attractive, too. One of these days I'll have to take a picture, but for now the imagination will have to suffice. Yes, I'm offsetting the cookies with broccoli salad at lunch and a relish plate at dinner. :-)

Practice

In my efforts to get back on track after being in "vacation mode" (even though at home), I'm reminding myself of weight watcher tips that have helped in the past. These are things I need to continue to practice to maintain my goals of overall health.
1. Slow down and enjoy what I eat. In theory, this enables me to be satisfied with less food.
2. Keep healthy foods handy and limit access to not-so-healthy foods (i.e. sugar).
3. Continue to work towards consistent exercise goals and routines.

Those three alone will keep me busy for the foreseeable future!
What tips help you maintain your health goals?

Good summer eating

Even though it's cool and gray this morning, I have a great summer lunch planned. A couple of times during the last few months I've had occasion to enjoy a "veggie" sandwich at a local deli. Today I'm going to try it at home:
avocado slices
cucumber slices
tomato
lettuce
with cream cheese on homemade bread
I might add a slice of swiss cheese? not sure about that yet. I think the deli sandwich did have lettuce, although my mom reminded me that some veggie sandwiches have alfalfa sprouts instead of lettuce. Lettuce is what I have. There's still a few grapes to have on the side.
We'll continue the summer theme of fresh food with shrimp and veggie stir fry tonight. My shrimp will have lemon. Hubby's will have cajun seasoning. Each to his own in our house! What's one of your healthy summer favorites?

Freezer friend

The freezer is my friend. It enables me to make muffins or other things for breakfast and have one each morning, fresh. I set it out the night before and then heat if I want. I do the same thing with a batch of cinnamon or almond rolls or other quick breads. Scones will even taste fresh if wrapped singly and then frozen in a larger container. :-) Of course, this is also a good way to maintain portion control - I can have my treats and eat them too, since I'm only eating one (cookie or piece) at a time. I don't like to eat them frozen, so I'm limited to what I choose to defrost at any given time. The same principle applies to main dishes, and of course, fruits and vegetables. Blueberries - I can use what I want, when I want, and they are always fresh. We make our spaghetti sauce (which also works for lasagne or any pasta dish) in batches in the crockpot, then ladle out portions for 2 people in individual jars or containers. I take out a jar, and I have pre-measured (nearly) instant dinner. Works for taco meat, meat balls, soup stock, you name it. Side bonus: I get to practice planning and discipline to think ahead 12-24 hours to defrost what I need. :-)

Long weekends

As in, we've had two. Memorial Day weekend consisted of much cleaning (that counts as exercise, right?) and rain (which slowed down walking plans a bit). This past weekend we spent with family and it consisted of much eating and some walking Saturday to enjoy Portland's rose gardens. Yard work yesterday gave us more exercise. Today, it's time to ease back into exercise routines and start to think about healthy meals. We enjoyed healthy eating over the weekend, along with treats. :-)

Food is Fun

Ah, that's the problem, isn't it? :-) A friend commented I must like to be creative and innovative in the kitchen. I must admit, there's some truth in that. My experiment for today isn't quite as healthy, although I'm cutting down the portion sizes a bit. Yesterday I made some chocolate cookie dough. Pressed half of it into a pie pan to make something resembling a chocolate cookie crust (for today's experiment) and made the rest into delicious chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips. They're small cookies, so I think only 3 or 4 weight watchers points each. At least, that's what the recipe card says from when I made the cookies at Christmas. Today I'll make 1/2 batch cheesecake for the chocolate cookie crust. I plan to bypass the chocolate glaze the recipe calls for and just put the raspberries on top, thinking the chocolate cookie crust will be enough chocolate. We'll see. That may change! I figure this will be fewer points than store bought cheesecake?? Not sure on that one. :-) Yes, I did my exercises today and will do elliptical tonight to offset this chocolate. :-)

Step by step

That's what it takes these days. Lots of challenges always. I did make that mark on the calendar Saturday for doing exercises. But have bailed on that this week. I'm continuing to work on other challenges: reduce sugar and drink enough water. Will try to keep exercise of some sort going on a regular basis as I go into a long weekend/vacation. I did bring plenty of healthy food into the house, so have been making salads and stir frys and enjoying fruit. :-) Strawberries and cream, yum! What's one of your favorite summer fruit treats?

Choices

I promised an update on the option I investigated for becoming more motivated with my weights. That particular gym isn't the answer for me. But considering the possibility, plus investigating another program, plus reading about the benefits, motivated me to do my exercise/weight routine yesterday. I got to make another mark on the calendar. Whatever it takes, one day at a time. :-) Today I'm resting - at least from that part of the routine. I'll be doing my regular walks and elliptical. But my goal is to make that mark on the calendar tomorrow! Meanwhile, I'm on my way out the door to weight watchers to stay accountable - since *someone* keeps bringing chocolate into my space! :-)

Challenges

We don't reach fitness all at once -- it's step by step, day by day. Not sure I'll ever feel as if I've "arrived," with no challenges to face. This week I'm fighting the exercise (light weights) routine for strength training. I want to know just how necessary it is. And are there other ways to accomplish the same thing? They say we have better motivation and consistency if we find types of exercise we enjoy. Not sure I *enjoy* the elliptical, but I like it --and the end results -- enough to keep doing it. Walking is just something I do. I don't really think about the enjoyment factor. If I can talk to someone or read a book while walking, so much the better. Or I walk in a different place for a change of scenery. On the elliptical I can change the radio stations or even watch a video, if I can wrestle the DVD player from dear hubby for a few days in a row. But the weights are just there. A trainer said I could change up the routine. But it would still be weights, by myself. I haven't yet found a way to make it more enjoyable, although I'm going to investigate an option later today. If I discover anything of interest, I'll post an update tomorrow.

Fitness: a lifestyle

I'm pretty sold on the elliptical as a tool to help me reach my goals. That said, not everyone likes the same type of exercise or has access to these new machines. :-) I read once that at the Biggest Loser ranch participants have 2 hours of exercise per day. Whatever I read didn't specify the type of exercise, but in my experience, I'm not sure it matters. Yes, 2 hours per day is a lot. And I rarely reach it. But a 35 minute walk in the morning first thing, a 30 minute walk during lunch break, and 30 minutes in the evening after dinner adds up to an hour and a half without any trouble at all. I've found it takes that much to reach and maintain my personal overall fitness goals. If I can throw in some exercises (light weights, stretching) for 20-25 minutes, so much the better. The elliptical gives me the intensity to allow a little wiggle room in what I eat. (I'm just not ready to give up jam squares and chocolate chip cookies!) However, walking in the neighborhood seems to count, as long as I get the minutes in. Or making one walk during the day a treadmill walk, with a book. :-) When we're away from home (and machines), walking on the beach (sand provides resistance) works well for accomplishing the same thing. When I visit my parents, we just move and walk around more in daily activities, and that seems to work okay too, for a few days at a time. So this is not as rigid as it sounds -- just doing the best I can each day with what my life allows that day to meet long-term fitness goals.

Back on track

Oops! Not quite yet. I'm back at the computer... with a bit of snacking today. But so far back on track with exercise routine for this week. My main goal for this week is to at least *taste* what I'm eating - to practice again the weight watchers tip to be in the moment and savor each bite. Lots to savor in our food, that's for sure!

Waffles, part 2

Some friends saw my post on facebook yesterday about perfect waffle batter, baked in a perfect waffle iron. The good news is the batter keeps for 24 hours, so I had some this morning for breakfast, with strawberries again. Thought I'd share the recipe (originally from Betty Crocker, I think) with you. When we have these at home, we usually get at least 5 waffles from the mix. In that case, 1 waffle = 5 weight watchers points, which isn't bad. The tricky part comes in what we put on them. Hubby likes sticky syrup. I much prefer strawberries, or butter, or butter and jam, or ice cream! But it doesn't take much of any of those to keep me happy, as I like my waffles to remain crispy. :-)

Waffles
Stir together:
1 egg
2 T. oil
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
Add and stir in:
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat waffle iron to steaming. Bake waffle 3 min.
No waffle iron? No problem! This recipe also makes great pancakes, cooked traditionally in a fry pan in a little hot oil if needed.
Store leftover batter in container with lid in the refrigerator. If you're having them the 2nd day, let the batter come back up to room temperature and stir well before baking.

A walk is good for what ails you...

That will be my practice this afternoon. My afternoon walk will miraculously cure all minor aches and pains from too much sitting and too much quilting and... That is my positive thinking for the day.

Summer? Sun!

Given the norm for this corner of the Earth, I'm not going to say it's summer yet, although we're promised summer-like weather this week. That's great for exercising and healthy eating! Good thing, too, after a family celebration yesterday. But I'm ready to put it all away a little faster this time and get back to my healthy habits. :-) Granted, I had cake for breakfast, but the rest is on its way to the freezer. And I'll have fruit and salad later today. And another walk and the elliptical -- right back on track. Speaking of, hubby has promised to take me to a track some time (after he recovers from oral surgery and we find a time to go) so I can see what new abilities a year on the elliptical might have given me. I'm thinking also that hiking (outside) season is almost here. What's not to love about summer?!

Progress = success

So far I'm accomplishing what I wanted with my plan to reduce sugar. Not that I've reduced sugar as much as I could, but combined with an increase in speed on the elliptical and some attention to exercise routines, I'm making progress. I did try a couple of healthy alternatives at recent "social events" (a fellow weight watcher's term for those gatherings with friends that always seem to involve food). Twice this week I was to go out for ice cream with friends. Both times I tried having frozen yogurt. Not perfect, as it's not exactly the season so it's not as fresh as I would like, but workable. Another meeting with a friend involved a milkshake, but I had the small size and balanced it with some healthy foods. Next week's goal: to continue with healthy food choices. Once I get the new speed/routine down on the elliptical, I'll try to add a resistance level--something I've never tried.

Balance

I've probably typed this word before, but for me, it seems to be the key to success. I don't always eat 100% healthy, and I don't always have time to do my full exercise routine. But as long as I get some of each in, it all works out in the end. For the most part. Today, if I can get some walking in around the work project/deadlines, I'll consider that good. I'll balance that with my continued efforts to reduce sugar. I'll let you know end of the week how the approach worked! How do you find balance?

Challenge

My challenge for this week: to reduce sugar! I have a date with a friend for a milkshake today. Then after that, I should be able to go sugar free for a few days. (except Bible study Thursday morning?? I can try!) Therefore, my pledge is to have tea and nothing else at Friday morning's coffee shop meeting....
What helps you stick to your healthy goals?

Argh...

Sometimes eating healthy goes out the window! Homemade pizza, apples, bananas and jam that needed to be used, and a Great Harvest sample. Fortunately, there's walking to balance it out! I have already calculated the points for lunch out with a friend tomorrow and hope to plan the rest of the day accordingly. I could up the activity by crawling around on the floor basting a quilt... we'll see how time goes this evening.

Busy week

It's been a few days... I've been enjoying the sunshine! One thing I like about warm weather is it can be easier to eat healthy. This week I've enjoyed some healthy lunches using leftovers from our grand Chinese meal last weekend. Good simple food. :-)

Chow Mein
Heat 1 tsp. oil in fry pan. Add a little black pepper and ginger. Stir fry vegetables (I used what I had: bean sprouts, celery, red and green pepper) for a few minutes. Stir 1 tsp. cornstarch into 1/4 cup water or chicken broth to dissolve. Add 1 tsp. soy sauce. Stir all this into vegetables and heat until thickened. I've been having it over Chinese noodles but I'm sure there are good variations.

Broccoli salad (have I posted this before?)
chopped broccoli
1-2 pieces cooked bacon
chopped celery
minced cashew pieces
Stir ingredients together. Mix dressing ingredients separately. Toss with salad.
Dressing:
1 tsp. mayonnaise
dash mustard
dash black pepper
drizzle of honey

Computers and Food

are not friends. That cookie just disappeared. Rats.

Start overs

One philosophy from Weight Watchers I really appreciate is the concept of starting over each new day. It doesn't matter if I had a weekend that wasn't as healthy as I would like (not as much time to exercise and family dinner party), I can get right back on track today. There's much more hope in looking forward to what I can do this week than in looking back. Healthy plan for today: do the elliptical in the late afternoon because I have a meeting tonight and won't be able to do it at my regular time. What's your healthy plan for the day?

It's all about the food...

Right? Some people in my family have this philosophy, but we're also interested in overall health. Simple healthy food I enjoyed one day this week for lunch:
I drained some liquid from leftover homemade chicken tortilla soup and heated it in a pan with 1/3 c. brown rice.
I took some applesauce I froze last summer from the freezer - I like to buy cooking apples and make them into applesauce, freeze with no sugar. Then I just sprinkle enough cinnamon sugar over to offset the tartness when I get ready to eat. I freeze the applesauce in small portions.
This lunch described here is 4 or 5 weight watchers points and very filling!
Dinner last night:
shrimp cooked with a little (1/2 tsp.) butter and lemon juice
stir fry vegetables
homemade crusty bread (very easy recipe!)
I think this dinner was 9 or 10 weight watchers points and also satisfying.
Tomorrow, our Chinese fun!

Great reading

While doing a bit of research for the novel I'm writing, I stumbled on this great link for foodies.

http://www.foodtimeline.org/

Family dinners

They're as much fun to plan as to have. There is the enjoyment of looking forward to having everyone come. And, having people--anyone in addition to the two of us who live here--means I get to cook! My first step is to decide menu, with input from the others. We took a vote last night and the birthday girl was the tie breaker, so we're having Chinese. What fun! Today I'm thinking about which dishes we'll have and making grocery lists on scraps of paper. This is all healthy, trust me. Long lists of vegetables. :-)

Tentative menu:
P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps
General Tsao chicken
fried rice
chow mein
stir fry vegetables
Haven't decided yet if I want to experiment with fried shrimp.
Dessert will not be Chinese, since we're celebrating a birthday and Easter. We'll have lemon cake with strawberry filling (the birthday request) for the gluten-free/dairy-free people, and apple pie for the guys.
I'd better start saving my weight watcher points now!

Another salad creation

Some time ago, I may have mentioned a favorite salad I make based on a salad I enjoyed at a restaurant. Last night I made another such salad, loosely based on something I tried a few years ago. I wasn't sure I remembered correctly, so I did look up some ideas on the Internet. But I think my end result still doesn't really follow a specific recipe. I'm using combinations I like, and I'm keeping it simple.

Pear Slaw
pears, sliced thin or diced
raw carrot, grated
dried cranberries
cabbage or lettuce

Arrange the first three ingredients on a bed of cabbage (preferred) or lettuce. Drizzle with dressing.
Dressing:
1 T. orange juice
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
caraway or dill to taste

I used one pear last night, a couple of T. of carrot, 1 T. cranberries, and about 1 tsp. of dressing with caraway instead of dill. For me, it made about 1 1/2 servings of salad. Individual tastes will vary.

Recreating favorite dishes

One of the things I started to do last fall was reduce grains. An all-things-in-moderation approach. And I've experimented with more whole grains -- in small doses! Recently, I've had some brown rice I cooked earlier and froze. To make spanish-style rice (think paella) at lunch, I'm using only 1/3 cup rice and an equal amount of vegetables (peppers, mushroom, olives, celery--since I shouldn't have green onion) with seasonings and just 1 T. cheese sprinkled over top at the end. Yum. Still filling, but lighter than versions with more rice. I didn't have any bacon or ham for it today, but used a bit of bacon grease for flavor. Last week I had some bacon. Today's version, only 3 weight watchers points! With a banana, a filling enough lunch.

Spring traditions

We're still a week away from our spring family dinner, but as I mentioned in the last post, I've got a pretty good idea of the menu, provided everyone wants our traditional dinner again. We'll have ham and potatoes and vegetables and salad. My favorite parts of the dinner are not so healthy: the rolls and dessert. Our traditional desserts are apple pie (for the hubbys) and apple cranberry crisp for the gluten-free folks. This year, the crisp will be replaced by gluten-free birthday cake. :-) Tonight I'll ask the birthday girl for her request. In the meantime, I thought I'd share our family recipe for crescent rolls. I first had these rolls at my sister's bridal shower over 25 years ago. They take a bit of planning ahead for the rising, but they don't take much effort. This recipe makes about 32 rolls, but I've found I can set half of the dough aside to use another day. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and/or a plate, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and shape before baking.

Crescent Rolls

Dissolve 2 pkg. yeast in 3/4 c. warm water.
Stir in:
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. butter
2 c. flour
Stir together. Stir in another 2 c. flour.
Scrape dough from sides of bowl. Cover with damp cloth. Let rise until double (1 1/2 hours). Divide in half. Roll each half to 12" circle. Cut into 16 pie shaped pieces. Roll, starting at wide end. Put on pan poin down. Cover, let rise 1 hour. Brush with melted butter (optional). Bake at 400 for 12-15 min.

Enjoy!

Shopping

I watched a humorous video today about a woman who sent her husband to the grocery store. It wouldn't be so funny if it didn't hit close to home for many. For the most part, hubby and I shop together. I guess we both have a vested interest in our food. Often, we eat different food, so we want to make sure we get it right. I heard the video not too long after I had texted my son with a question about his plans this weekend. We're not having a big Easter dinner to my knowledge, but our text reminded me I wanted to get a ham for our family dinner next weekend. The video reminded me I'm out of shortening, referred to as "lard" by the speaker. This time, I plan to actually get lard. It keeps fine in the refrigerator and I don't have to use as much in recipes, which may result in low-fat baking? Worth a try, anyway. So now I have a grocery list for this week started. Thinking of the non-Easter dinner reminds me that we'll need to shop on Saturday instead of Sunday, our normal routine. These posts just show that routines are made to be broken. That said, I think our family dinner, when we do have it, will be pretty traditional. With a few tweaks. Healthy, for those of us who want to eat healthy. With some gluten-free dairy-free dishes for those in the family who have allergies. We've found combinations that keep everyone happy.

Maintaining

The numbers say I've reached my goal. But a goal is about more than numbers. What happens once a person reaches a goal? (a number on a scale, a number of reps, a level of resistance, an amount of time spent in cardio, etc.) In some cases, we set new goals, perhaps to reach the next level of fitness. For example, I've reached my goal in minutes on the elliptical. Now I'm working on speed. The last week or so I see my average speed gradually increasing. That tells me I'm getting in better shape. Eventually I'll probably add some resistance. (months down the road!)

In the case of eating, numbers on a scale are not static -- have you noticed? They move around so that a person has to shoot for average, or look at trends over time to really make sense of it. One thing I do know, maintaining a desired goal requires maintaining new habits. So far this week, I haven't started any new baking. We've run out of chocolate chips and I don't plan to bring any more chocolate in until next weekend. Not sure I'd want to keep it out forever! :-)  Again, if I look at it as a line graph, there are times with less chocolate in the house and times with more chocolate, but overall there should be an upward trend in healthy eating.

The weather is even cooperating today -- stir fry vegetables for lunch actually sound good on such a gray day!

The unexpected

I knew my exercise routine would be a little different over the weekend. I had expectations of how it might look. Weather changed the reality. Yes, we walked outside - and on the beach.

Day 1 we walked in 30 mph winds. I asked dear Shoe how that might correspond to resistance on an elliptical. He thought maybe 4. Correct or not, I felt that workout all weekend.

Day 2 we took an evening walk on the neighborhood streets since the wind was still blowing. My walking partner insisted we find - and climb to the top of - every hill in the neighborhood!

Day 3 we had less wind. :-) I got in an afternoon stroll of about 30 minutes and then a walk on a different beach of about 45 minutes. Each morning we walked 45 minutes, wind or no wind.

All that walking helped offset my "vacation" treats!

Changing it up

Yesterday I got back to my light weights/workout routine. To treat myself, I took last night off from the elliptical. Not such a bad trade off. Does quilting count as exercise? That's what I did in the evening instead. A few days of beach walking is in my future... with my husband, which will be a nice change of pace from walking around the neighborhood by myself. Even my midday walks have changed this week, as I mentioned earlier, in that we have Sun! so I've been walking outside instead of on the treadmill. We seem to thrive on variety--even those of us who dearly love our routines. I can keep the routine of walking, but add a little variety within the routine. What are your favorite tricks for adding variety while keeping a routine?

Eating Healthy and Enjoying It

Yes, I do like my food. :-) Here's a sample of great healthy food (yesterday's menus).
Breakfast
"my" hot chocolate (1 cup 1% milk, 1 T. Ghiradelli hot chocolate -- doesn't take as much of the good stuff!)
1 T. whipped cream (courtesy of Prince C.) (total 5 weight watchers points)
banana
Lunch
tuna salad (made with 2 tsp. mayonnaise, celery, green pepper, and dried cranberries, used for 3-4 servings)
lettuce
broccoli
almond roll (homemade - delicious!) (I think these are 3 or 4 weight watchers points)
Snack
granola bar (homemade, 5 weight watchers points)
Dinner
one of those healthy taco things with a bit of beef and 1 flour tortilla, a bit of cheese, vegetables
I was going to put apple slices with that but never quite got around to it.
Before dinner I had a few sweet potato chips

I'll change it up today a bit by having yogurt instead of tuna, salad of some sort, and we're going to try fried chicken in the cast iron skillet tonight with reduced fat.

Sun, glorious sun!

In honor of, I dug deep for a yellow shirt today. I walked in the neighborhood yesterday afternoon and will walk outside again today, depending on when the clouds roll in. My midday walk is a win-win situation: if I'm on the treadmill I can read. Outside I can enjoy spring flowers. Either way, I can often talk to Mom as I walk. Evenings on the elliptical is my time to listen to music. I haven't figured out yet how to put the fun in a light weights workout routine. What are some ways you make exercise fun?

Coming and Going

That's what I've been busy doing. I did manage to walk at least 30 minutes a day, much to my surprise. And I was able to balance treats with salads and fruit. It's encouraging to learn how to manage vacations or other times away from our routines.

On a different note, I read some labels at the store in the last couple of days. Sigh. I need to get busy baking. While some of my homemade items have sugar in them, at least I can identify all of the ingredients! One brand of yogurt had one or more ingredients I couldn't pronounce. I found another brand. Another product lists preservatives right on the ingredient label. I have to admit, I guess it's good they identify the items we can't pronounce: they tell us they are preservatives. But I'm not dead so I don't need preserving - quite yet. In truth, I like to think with a healthy lifestyle I have many years left!

Time for exercise

Sometimes all the "stuff" of the day crowds out exercise. I probably *have* time for most of my regular routine today, but I have other things I'd rather be doing. So much of the healthy life is about balance -- when to exercise, when to enjoy the breaks in routine with the good stuff that comes our way, when to eat healthy, when to take a break and enjoy a treat with a family member or friend. The next few days I'll be practicing balance -- a little more on the enjoyment side, most likely, and a little less on the routine side. Here's to good times!  :-)

Healthy? Tasty!

Some of you may have seen my post on facebook yesterday as I was getting ready to take homemade cinnamon rolls and almond rolls out of the oven. The almond roll experiment was a success! All the taste of those I had tried at a bakery in Lincoln City, and probably almost half the calories and fat. I realize many people don't always have time to make homemade, but there are tricks to make it easier. A basic homemade bread dough is pretty forgiving -- it can be stirred together while making dinner, allowed to rise for 30 minutes or so while eating dinner, then covered with plastic and put in the refrigerator until needed. For breakfast, as an example, break off some dough and set it on the counter to rise/warm to room temperature as you shower. Quickly assemble into something resembling a roll shape (one needn't roll out nice and smooth to roll up as a cinnamon roll, sprinkle with cinnamon / sugar to taste and knead lightly to mix in) and put in oven to bake while you get ready for the day. (I use the toaster oven when baking small amounts like this) 15 minutes later, fresh hot breakfast on your way out the door!

For those desiring more detail:
Basic Bread Dough
Stir together:
1 c. warm water
2 1/4 tsp. (1 pkg.) dry yeast
1-3 tsp. sugar (depending on what you'll use the dough for)
Let sit 5 min.
Add and stir to blend:
1 T. oil (canola or olive)
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
Stir in:
1 1/2 c. flour, kneading toward the end as necessary.
Let rise 15 min. for pizza dough; an hour for lighter breads and rolls.
Shape into desired end result. Let rise 30 min. (skip this rising for pizza dough)
Bake 15 min. at 420. Check depending on oven and desired degree of doneness.

For the almond rolls, I melted 1 T. butter and added 1/4 tsp. almond flavoring and some brown sugar to make a paste. Roll dough out to rectangle and spread with almond butter paste. Roll up and slice
to make rolls. Top with sliced almonds and bake.

Not so bad

Today I started in again with my light weights/workout. It takes a lot of positive self-talk to do it, but once I get started, it's not so bad and doesn't take as long as I imagine. While walking (for warm up) I can think of many reasons to skip the workout. There are also reasons to do it, strong compelling reasons, just not as many in number as excuses! Today, anyway, might was greater than number. What makes the decision for you: compelling reasons or number of reasons to exercise?

Not quite war

Some might declare war on sugar.  I doubt I'll ever be one of those people. I won't even go cold turkey.  I'm thinking the approach that might work best is to decrease my sugar intake gradually.  Any who want to march with me?

Health in Community

Yesterday our ladies Bible study group(s) enjoyed special speakers at our spring event: a personal trainer, a dietician, and a counselor. I especially appreciated the practical tips they gave us for incorporating nutrition, fitness, and emotional and spiritual health into our daily lives. The pieces I'll be focusing on in the next week or so will be making sure I have an element of fun in the things I choose to do -- that makes it easier to stay with the routine. I've got this down pretty well, except for the light weights/workout routine. Hard to make myself do that, especially if I'm tired, busy, and it's Gray outside. Any ideas for making it fun?

A new salad idea

Well, new to me anyway. Yesterday I had lunch with a friend and she served a delicious salad. Easy, too. I'll call it Sherry's salad in my files:

Sherry's Salad

pink lady apple, diced
raisins
celery, minced
miniature marshmallows
mayonnaise for dressing

 I thought if I didn't have marshmallows I might put a few drops of honey in with the mayonnaise for the sweetness in the dressing. Often these salads use common ingredients, but they're put together in a way I haven't thought of before. In this case, less is more: just a a few ingredients allow each one to be a star.

Routines

Some times it's all I can do to just keep doing what I've been doing. That's where routines come in handy. I know what to do and how to do it -- for eating as well as exercise. When I don't want to take the time to figure out ways to change things up, I can fall back on things I know work. This week, I'll focus on keeping meals within the Weight Watchers suggested point range and follow my exercise routine. This will carry me through the days ahead when eating and exercise routines will due to other (fun!) planned activities.

Trying new foods

I'm not sure how healthy it was, but the salad I tried last night when we went out was tasty! It had a base of watercress, smoked trout, shaved fennel, and hazelnuts with a vinaigrette. My favorite part of the meal. We also tried oat groats -- will have to read more about that. For dessert we had lemon semifreddo--I had to look that up--with huckleberries. Bob enjoyed the huckleberries and I enjoyed the mousse-like lemon. Delicious! New ideas for me to research and try here at home.

Lightening up old-fashioned favorites

It's not a new tip. I've heard it before, most recently just before the holidays at a Weight Watchers meeting. Last night I tried a new-to-us recipe from my cast iron cookbook for Macaroni and Cheese. With bacon! First, I was trying to reduce the number of servings from several to no more than 4. I think I managed that. I don't know how many pieces of bacon the recipe called for originally, because it gave the measurement in weight, but I used only 3 pieces and we had plenty of flavor. Let's say I was cutting the recipe in half. I used less than half of the cheese called for in the recipe. I also reduced the flour for the sauce and the amount of bread crumb/cheese topping suggested. My notes for next time: use sharper flavor cheese to get more flavor with reduced fat, and leave out the bread crumbs altogether. In the cast iron skillet we had plenty of crunchy topping without the bread and I felt it detracted, rather than added, to the overall flavor of the dish. Looking forward to our leftovers tonight! It would be great if others could share tips for lightening their favorite recipes!

Rest assured

That's what I'm having a hard time doing right now: figuring out when to take a break from exercise without losing the consistency of routine. Hubby has heard it's good to take one day a week off from the intense exercise. Haven't done quite that, although I think the routine changed a bit on the weekend. I did keep up with the elliptical, though. All of that to say, I'm tired! But sometimes it seems if I quit exercising I would have to quit eating, and I know I'm not ready to do that. :-) And I know I have some time coming during which I won't be able to maintain the treadmill and elliptical routine for a few days, but I will be able to walk. For now, I'll balance the exercise times with rest times. After the elliptical tonight, I'll be on the couch. :-) How do you balance rest and exercise?

Keeping on

Sometimes that's what we do each day: keep on eating healthy, following an exercise routine, try to get enough sleep. Last night we had one of my new favorite healthy recipes using a cast iron skillet, roast chicken and vegetables. So good, so easy! This time we had carrots and asparagus. The asparagus would have to be added much later in the cooking time to not get overdone. Next time maybe I'll try broccoli with the carrots. (The recipe calls for onion as one of the main vegetables, which I can't eat in large quantities like that.) I saved the seasoned broth to use for roast vegetables at lunch. What's not to like about good food?

Good for what ails you

Exercise, that is. Especially walking. No matter what I think isn't quite right, walking doesn't hurt and usually helps. And, whenever possible, I also try to maintain the more intense parts (elliptical, treadmill, light weights) of my routine. This adds up to a chunk out of the day, you say. True. But if I'm more efficient during those remaining hours, I consider it worth it. What's your healthy cure-all for the ailing moments?

Planning for health

Sometimes that's what it takes to stay on course, as they say at Weight Watchers. Last night I planned what I might eat today that would be healthy but give just a bit of "treat" to keep going. Just finished banana and on my way to roasted vegetables. Doesn't that sound exciting. But I also planned in a 3 point cookie for this afternoon. :-) How do you balance treats and healthy food? That's part of what makes healthy eating fun -- hearing new ideas!

Monday morning

and I feel like I've been run over by a truck. Not too much exercise--maybe not enough? :-) This week I'll be able to maintain my regular exercise routine, I think, even with the forecast of consistent rain. What do we think? Is it easier to maintain routines when it's raining, when it's sunny, or when the weather changes from day to day?

Headed for the Weekend

I'm thinking about stir fry for lunch today... hubby's delicious hashbrowns for dinner... workout clothes have been moved to a pile in the office which means I'll trip over them for days to come, making it easy to grab whatever I need for the workout at hand... thinking about making soup and homemade bread for the boys tomorrow... and maybe toward roast chicken and vegetables Sunday... And I want to try making a different kind of muffin this morning. Overall a healthy weekend: some healthy food and activities with a few treats thrown into the mix! Do I do anything besides eat and exercise? Yes! Lots of writing today, some quilting in the evenings, a Blazer game with hubby Saturday night. I might even clean -- that's good for some activity points, yes?

This old tip...

No, I'm not going to link to some weird commercial. But I'm sure this tip has been around awhile. It's so much easier for me to remember to eat healthy food if I have it in the house. :-) This should be obvious... This week I've had salads, because the ingredients are handy (see "On a Scale of 1-10") and veggies. Fresh asparagus tonight, new crop I think. Tasty. Stir fry in the plans for sometime tomorrow.

A favorite tip

I've seen this tip in more than one place, Weight Watchers being one of them. Slow down, enjoy each bite and taste it, enjoy the food. I remind myself often to do this - If I'm only having 1 cookie I want to enjoy it! Or breakfast muffin, piece of cheese, whatever.

Life happens...

and while it's been happening, I've kept on eating. Let's say 2/3 healthy, 1/3 not so healthy. And I've gotten in *some* exercise each day, in spite of it all. Looking forward to getting back to regular exercise routine for the rest of this week, though. Last night I met with friends for potluck before a writers meeting. We always have lots of good, healthy food to try! I enjoy the opportunity to try new foods this way before trying to cook them at home. One new food I tried was butternut squash. Roasted. I think that would be my favorite way to have it, with a bit of seasoning. Also tried a great salad-in-a-bag from Costco. How do you stay on track when life happens?