Mushrooms and Peppers

It was a very disappointing dinner. If you are a loyal reader, you know by now that Saturday night is date night. Sometimes we include my mom, once in a while we go out with friends, but usually it is just Tony and I. Tonight we decided to choose a new place. Big mistake! I'm not going to include the name of the restaurant, since they are relatively new, and will hopefully get it together one day. The music was loud, the food was mediocre, and the bill was high. We won't be back unless we hear about a major change. I ordered a salad and filet, and we shared  an a la carte side dish. Even though Tony would have loved the fried potatoes, or bacon mac 'n cheese side,  we went with the healthier choice of mushrooms and peppers. Even though I am not strict on Saturday night, I am still making better food choices. Wish I had been better with my restaurant choice!

Kale Salad

I've mentioned before what a great job I have. I feel the need to say it again. I love my job. After spending the day on the computer, my boss/friend asked me to stay for dinner. It was a good way to skip the rush hour traffic, and I didn't need to cook dinner for myself. She already had food prepared and there was enough to share. We ate steak and a yam, and she introduced me to a delicious Kale, Brussels Sprout, Broccoli mix salad.

Tony took advantage of the night alone and splurged on Mexican food take out. All three of us were happy!

Boiled Chicken

This feels like such a slow process. I have been going to the gym every morning since I promised myself I would almost an entire month ago. Except for a weekend cheat now and then I have been really putting an effort into my diet. Why do I feel like I should be so much thinner by now? Yesterday I was so good, I thought I was going to drop about 5 pounds overnight. I boiled and weighed my chicken. I measured a tablespoon of olive oil for my salad and I only ate half of it. I drank lemon water throughout the day. My 4:00 snack was boiled endives with lemon. I weighed myself when I got up and the scale read exactly what it said yesterday. I know, I'm not supposed to weigh everyday. But, I really thought I was going to be pleasantly surprised.  Unfortunately, I was just surprised.

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!