Gazpacho Soup

Tonight I was only slightly prepared. I had chicken breasts in the refrigerator waiting to be cooked.

I came home from work tired, but with good intentions. I sat and chatted a while with Tony, and then we discussed dinner. He was very hungry, but agreeable to eating whatever we had on hand. I offered to boil chicken breasts, and you could tell he was less than excited. Still, he kept saying in a very sad voice that he would just eat whatever I was having.  I ended up feeling bad for him and suggested we walk to the Valley Inn. I knew I could find something acceptable on the menu for me. I ordered the gazpacho soup which I have never eaten there. It was fresh, tasty, and the vegetables were crisp and delicious.

I also ordered a shrimp appetizer as my entree. I ate differently than usual there, but enjoyed it as much as always!

And Tony was happy.

Steak and yams

I am delighted with my dinner tonight. I've stayed within my calorie allotment for the day, and I thankfully didn't have another salad for dinner. As much as I enjoy my salads, I need a little more variety during the week. I weighed my steak on a scale, and measured out 4 ounces. I ate a half of a yam and a couple of cups of boiled tender endives. It doesn't look like a lot of food, but I ate slowly and I was totally satisfied by the time I was done. I drank tons of water while I ate which probably helped to make me feel full.

Another day down!

Salad, again

I made a relatively boring, routine dinner for my Monday night meal. I'm not putting much effort into my meal planning. I stopped off at Whole Foods on my way home from work, bought Arugula lettuce that was already triple washed, and a piece of chicken that was already cooked. I came home and made it into a salad. The laziness I brought to the table, made me feel like I didn't deserve to weigh less today. I have the day off, so I plan to grocery shop, buy more vegetables, and see if I can come up with a dinner that is dietetic, but more creative than my dull plain salad. Patti's plate needs to become more palatable!

Perch

Today I had a special treat. I went to a brunch at the most beautiful restaurant perched high among the buildings of downtown, Los Angeles, Perch. I definitely felt like I was on vacation in another country. There is a beautiful inside/outside feel to the restaurant. Music from a live band is playing, and there is an eclectic clientele throughout, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. I was eyeing the delicious looking hamburgers served at the table next to me. I was so happy with myself that I was able to refrain from ordering one. Tony and I shared a beautiful fruit plate with Greek yogurt, croissants, and pastries, and an order of truffle fries. I mainly ate the fruit, which left Tony very happy to finish the rest. I must admit, in all honesty, I did taste everything. Superb! And worth a little Sunday indulgence. Back to the grind, tomorrow!

Liver

Saturday night is my "cheat" night. I still avoid Mexican food or pizza. But, I do allow myself dinner out with my husband.

He is so good about fending for himself all week, it's a night we both can look forward to. Before we went to the restaurant, I looked at the menu online to see what my best choice would be. I was debating between having an appetizer of ahi tuna as my entree or having calf's liver which I've never ordered in my life.  The closest thing to my eating liver in a restaurant was when I was a child and took a huge scoop of chopped liver off of a Vegas buffet thinking it was chocolate ice cream. (True story) Anyhow, prior to going out, I entered the liver in to my daily log (My Fitness Pal) along with spinach, a green salad, and a gin martini. ( I repeat, Saturday night) I was still under calories for the day, so I thought I was doing well. Here's where I made the mistake: I didn't say "no sauce." At least I didn't eat the mashed potatoes.

From the looks of the photo, I think I should have gone with the Ahi! As my mother would say, "I livered it up today!"

Cabbage slaw

Today I had a short conversation about diets with a friend of mine who is an interior designer. She is thin, fit, and very pretty. She told me something many others have told me before. "Don't think of  it as diet, think of it as a lifestyle change." Unfortunately, I need to consider it a strict diet with immediate results for me to have the willpower to complete each day. I have tried the "lifestyle change" many times. Eventually, I let life get in the way, I get lazy, and I go back to my bad habits. Through the years of dieting, I have made some major changes. Every time I try something new, I learn a little more. I definitely eat differently than I did when I was younger. I haven't had a soda, diet or regular in years. I also don't remember the last time that I had a taste of ice cream! (Root beer floats used to be my favorite as a teen). So, although I have picked up some lifestyle changes, I still need a rigid diet to follow to lose weight. Tonight I came home from work, tired, hungry and unprepared. I looked in the refrigerator and didn't see much. Tony had leftover spaghetti that he could eat, but I didn't even have lettuce to make a salad. Then, my eyes caught a small cabbage in the crisper drawer. The good thing about cabbage is that it lasts longer than other vegetables. I peeled off the out layer and was happy to find an alternative to my usual salad. I shredded it and added sweet onion and avocado. I also defrosted a piece of Jim's fish from last week and broiled it. If I wasn't on a strict diet, I could have made the excuse to give up and order pizza. I am happy to say I persevered!

Grilled Shrimp

I have been so good about eating at home during the week for dinner. I take care of myself; my husband takes care of himself. I may not sound like a good Greek wife, but I am doing what I need to do to get thinner. He will be happy in the long run. Yesterday, on a Thursday night, he asked me to go to dinner with him and a friend because his friend's wife is out of town. I would have been fine to be left at home while he goes out, but for some reason he likes me to accompany him. So, the three of us went to dinner at the Valley Inn and I searched the menu for my best option. I settled on the Shrimp special, because shrimp has very few calories. It was served on a bed of couscous and mango salsa which may have been flavored with lots of  fatty calories because it was quite delicious. Although I seldom drink these days, I also had a glass of red wine.  I know I went off track of my super strict regime. Still, I made better choices that three weeks ago I never would have made. And the topper is I still got up this morning bright and early to exercise!