Saturday, November 10, 2012

El Adobe....Part 2

My sister and I thought we would both go to dinner tonight with Mom. Of course my husband always likes to take advantage of the proximity of my Mom's house with Lucy's El Adobe. If you read last Saturday's post, you know that it presents a problem for me. But rather than avoid the restaurant, I have decided to tackle the problem head on. I should follow my "skinny" sister's example and eat what she eats. I know she will stay away from the chips. I will try to also. Wish me luck. To be continued...........

Friday, November 9, 2012

Roasted Chicken

There are so many types of food to choose from when I go out to eat. I could easily go out for pizza, tacos, enchiladas, spaghetti, or even just a plain old hamburger and French fries. I tell you this to try and get you on my side before I tell you what I ate. I know I am not going to wake up any thinner than I did today. But.......there is a slight chance I won't wake up any heavier either. I've had a pretty good day. I had high fiber cereal, blueberries, and non fat milk for breakfast; a honey crisp apple for lunch; and a cup of homemade chicken soup as a snack when I  got home from work. For dinner, I went to a restaurant that had a roasted chicken Friday night special on their menu. I ate a chicken breast, green beans and baked potato for dinner.  Should I tell you what I didn't eat? No, I didn't have wine with dinner. I did not have sour cream with my baked potato. And, I definitely did not have dessert! Not at the restaurant, and not when I got home where I still have left over Halloween candy. Do I deserve to wake up thinner? I think so. Will I be satisfied if I wake up the same weight? Yup. It was a nice night and I didn't have to cook.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Mrs. Renfro

I know I often talk about my crock pot, but I guess I just can't say enough about it. Today I was craving a steak. Since beginning my Nutritarian diet a couple of months ago, I have had red meat only once. I actually was going to post about it a couple of weeks ago, but I got distracted. Anyhow, I went to the store today to buy a steak for dinner tonight and I just could not get myself to buy it. The price was almost $20.00 a pound! Granted, I was shopping at Gelson's but even Costco is $12.99/lb. and you have to buy almost $60.00 worth! So, I came home with a package of chicken breasts. ....again. Just how many ways can you make chicken? One of my all time favorites is chicken breast fillets in the slow cooker. I rinse them and put them in the pot on low. A couple of hours later I add Mrs. Renfros green chili sauce. The ingredients are all natural, (no preservatives)  and there are only 5 calories per tablespoon. The chicken falls apart, and most of my family make tacos out of it. I took out a few pieces, added a half of a sweet potato and an arugala salad. Delicious!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Pasilla Peppers

I bought 2 Pasilla peppers at Gelson's the last time that I shopped. For those of you who don't know what they are, let me describe them. They are large, dark green, shiny peppers with a mildly hot taste. I have had them at Mexican restaurants stuffed with cheese and melted to a gooey goodness that is delightful. I'm sure that was my attraction when I purchased them at the grocery store. I looked at them and imagined them stuffed with cheese and I bagged them before I could even think. Tonight, before they went bad, I decided to cook them. I broiled them in the oven until they turned black and placed them in a paper bag to steam. Then, I easily peeled the charred skin away and diced the softened flesh. I added it to my vegetable chicken soup and it gave it a spicy flavor that added another dimension to my low calorie dinner. The best thing about watching my weight, is the satisfaction I get from cooking more creatively.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Election Day!

I love Election Day! In an election year, I try to watch all of the debates and I try to read as much as I can about all of the propositions. Unfortunately,  I have grown more and more cynical the older I get, but I still try to be optimistic about the future of our country. Back to Patti's plate.......I usually order pizza. The second I get home on election night, I turn the TV on and I watch the results all night long. Someone orders pizza delivery, and I mindlessly eat, usually caring more about if I get a corner piece than who actually wins. (That's a little exaggeration; but you are correct, Vanessa, not much.) Anyhow, tonight was different. I started a new tradition. I defrosted White Roughy fish fillets from Trader Joe's and decorated them with blueberries and red peppers. I added a green salad and though I could definitely eat more, I am happy with the portion that I received. Hmmmmm. I wonder if that is what our entire country is thinking right now.

 

 

Monday, November 5, 2012

Another boring salad


As I was taking a picture of my dinner tonight, I came to the conslusion that I may be getting a little boring with my "good" dinners. I scrolled through my blog a bit and I concluded that if I wasn't cheating, the food didn't look very exciting. The salads look monotonously similar. So this blog is helping me in more ways than just serving as a food journal and making me accountable. It also is helping me see that I need to get more creative in my cooking to keep me interested in healthy eating for the long run. I don't know what I'll be eating tomorrow, but I know I need a change.

Monday Morning

When trying to lose weight, there are so many variables that enter into the equation.
1) Which diet is best?
2) Will you have the help of family and friends?
3) Will you be able to eat like this forever?
4) Will you be able to combat emotional eating?
 These are just a few thoughts that come to mind. I think one of the biggest hurdles to overcome, is learning to tune out those people who may unknowingly sabotage your effort. These are the well meaning people who tell you the "right" way to lose weight.
Let's face it. All overweight people know how to lose weight. We've lost hundreds of pounds before. The problem is that we always gain back more than we lose. The vicious cycle never seems to end. However, for some people it finally does. Eventually, for those who are lucky enough, they finally figure it out. And the light bulb moment usually comes on through no help of anybody else. It is their own personal realization. It won't happen if you give up. It only happens if you keep trying.
So often the "fat mind" is stubborn. It hates to be told what to do. When a skinny ___________(insert spouse, parent, relative, friend, co-worker, stranger) tells a fat person what to eat and how to eat, the fat person often does just the opposite. They are already out of control with their eating, so instinctively they try to muster a little control by not listening to the other person. It's counterproductive but understandable. I can think of plenty of times that I have acted in that way. I know for sure that my Dad did.
Anyhow, I think I have possibly gotten to the point that I will continue losing weight. I don't intend to be perfect every single day. I will try to recognize which days I need to really watch it and which days I can take a break. I need to learn the best way to do it for me. It may mean being selfish or acting like a hermit now and then, but I need to remember that self preservation and care is ultimately a gift that we give to those who really love us.