Carrots

I have been doing so well the last four days. I made a new snack that was not only good for me, but more satisfying than a potato chip. Granted, maybe it didn't have quite the crunchiness of a chip, but it tasted great and didn't leave me with that feeling that I had to have a lot more.
(Bet you can eat just one!) Actually, it really was good.
I thinly sliced a few carrots with my mandoline. In a bowl, I put about 1/2 tsp each of sea salt, chili powder, paprika, and cinnamon. I put them together  in a large plastic bag. After a good shake I placed them on a large parchment lined baking pan. Then, they went into a 350• oven for 20 minutes. They don't require a bit of oil. It's a great snack to eat right before dinner. It curbs your appetite while adding more fiber.

Cabbage Soup

Remember the old cabbage soup diet? There were a few reasons people used to use it to lose weight. Cabbage is low in calories, full of fiber, and high in nutrients. It's easy to get full eating it. Well the best part about cabbage soup to me, is that it's delicious. I made it tonight for dinner. It was so easy, and so good, I will share the recipe. I was hoping to have it for the week to use as a snack, but Tony liked it so much, there's not much left. Thinly slice 1/2 of a sweet white onion. Sauté it on medium heat in a little bit of olive oil. When it starts to brown add one grated carrot, and one chopped garlic clove. Season with coarse black pepper.  While it is cooking, shred an entire head of green cabbage. (I do it with the slicer blade of my food processor.) Add the cabbage to the pot. Then, I add a box of chicken broth. (I use the green Kirkland organic.) Add a little kosher salt and one tablespoon of brown sugar.  Bring it to a boil and then simmer for at least an hour. Add about 1/2 box more chicken broth as it cooks down.  You can eat an almost limitless amount of this soup and still lose weight.

Detox Water

Today is detox day. I actually feel remarkably good after eating as much as I did this weekend. I think sometimes the body needs to be jolted to a point where it is ready to start losing again. Let's face it I've been maintaining my initial weight loss for a while now. I really haven't lost much since I stopped eating my strict Nutritarian diet. I am starting my day with a metabolism boosting water. I made it with thinly sliced apples and cinnamon. I have a large pitcher of the ice water and intend to drink it throughout the day. Bottoms up! (haha)

Super Bowl!

This weekend I went on a planned diet vacation. I decided a few days ago that I would eat on Super Bowl Sunday. It's too much fun to watch the game while drinking beer and eating delicious fattening food. I know I could have just eaten the fresh vegetables and hummus, but I also know that indulging on all of the other food would only set me back a couple of days. Big deal.  It was worth it. As long as I go back to strict eating tomorrow, I think I should be ok. What was on Patti's plate? The easier question to answer is what wasn't? My favorite were the chicken wings.  (The tacos were pretty good too) Congratulations Ravens!

Tea

One of my favorite weight reducing tips is drinking tons of herbal tea. When I am eating to excess, and not thinking about eating healthy, I seldom pick up a cup of tea. But, when I am concentrating on eating good whole foods, and managing my portion control, tea becomes my new friend. There is something peaceful and comforting to it. When I sit down to read, or work at my computer, I love to pour a cup of hot tea to join me. When I was younger i would have a glass of wine at night after work. As I have gotten older, I find that the wine not only makes me too tired, but it makes me too complacent to make good food choices. Drinking a hot cup of herbal tea instead is a suitable replacement because it is not only relaxing, but it adds zero extra calories. I've even been able to get my husband to join me!

Breakfast

Back to the business of weight loss:

For me, the most important meal when trying to get back to losing weight is breakfast. Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. Even though there are some "experts" that advise making breakfast your biggest meal of the day, they obviously are  not people with a "fat" brain. Sure, I can see the logic of having a large meal in the morning, and a small snack for dinner. You have all day to burn off the calories. But, unfortunately, that is not how we fat people roll. Eat a big breakfast and that means you've "ruined" it for the rest of the day. You might as well eat everything in sight and start again tomorrow. For me, if I eat a healthy low calorie breakfast, I am much more inclined to eat a healthier lunch. Then,  if I am 2 for 2, dinner can go either way. If I am prepared, dinner usually turns out to be a success also.

Cotton Candy

This is a picture of a plate of cotton candy served at Sammy's Wood Fire Grill. Is it possible that dessert options like this is what helps to create our obesity problem in the United States? Granted, the pretty pink mound of sugar sitting atop the plate like a billowing cloud of sweetness did attract me for a half a second; but really?! Who could possibly eat that much sugar and feel good afterwards? Evidently, the people at the next table! I'm just glad I had the sense to stay away.