Marching Out!

Friends, my March goals didn’t go so well. I ended up being so busy and so diverted by family stuff that I just didn’t do a great job meal planning. Also? Trying to do more fish during Lent ends up being a tad expensive.

But life is pretty good ‘round these parts. That dietician I went to? Kind of awesome. I lost 6 pounds in two weeks! Here are some of the changes I made:

1. Switched my butter. I now use almond butter instead of peanut butter on my English muffin. It’s higher in unsaturated fats (those good ones) and fiber than the peanut butter. Trader Joe’s makes an amazing one with sea salt. Score!

2. After school snacks. I usually eat a snack around 3, but this time I pushed it back to closer to 4. I set out something like: pretzels with hummus, trail mix, or nuts and graze a little bit while cooking. This way when Scott gets home from work, starving, we have a little snack ready. And it’s okay then if we eat a little bit later.

3. Watching my weekends. The dietician asked me to track and print out my weekend eating. I always thought I ate fairly decently on the weekends. I surely did not. I ate the same things I ate during the week, but about 10 times the portion size. Being accountable about this has been a game-changer for me.
I have a follow-up visit shortly after I am back from my VACATION. Hopefully I can keep the weight gain to a minimum while I am eating my way through San Francisco.

Before I leave, I’ll share with you one of my favorite new recipes and a few of my favorite blog posts from other blogs. Also? Stay tuned next week for some guest posts!

I mentioned this enchilada last month and finally took some pictures. Not sure if it sells the story, as they don’t look overly attractive. But TRUST, this one is excellent.

Turkey Enchiladas by Cooking Light

2 teaspoons stick margarine or butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons chopped pecans, divided

1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon fat-free milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups chopped cooked turkey breast (about 1/2 pound)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Cooking spray

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeño peppers

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and 2 tablespoons pecans; cook 3 minutes until onion is tender and pecans are toasted. Remove from heat.

Combine cream cheese, 1 tablespoon milk, salt, and cumin in a large bowl. Stir in onion mixture, turkey, and cilantro.

Spread about 1/3 cup turkey mixture onto tortillas; roll up and place, seam sides down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine 1 1/2 cups milk, sour cream, jalapeños, and soup in a bowl. Spoon soup mixture over tortillas.

Cover with foil; bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with mozzarella and 1 tablespoon pecans. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Nutritional Information

Calories:376 (27% from fat)

Fat:11.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 4.4g,poly 2.9g)

Protein:27.8g

Carbohydrate:38.7g

Fiber:1.9g

Cholesterol:46mg

Iron:2.4mg

Sodium:977mg

Calcium:320mg

Confession: I didn't use pecans. It kind of freaks me out. This time I made it, I forgot the cilantro and that made a huge difference, so make sure to include that, or basil if you're not in love with cilantro.

Finally, here are some of my favorite blog posts in March:

Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva defines what behaviors are by assholes and what ones are by toddlers.

Beta Dad digs in to how you address the naughty bits with toddlers.

Itzy's Kitchen Demystifies Risotto

Goal Gut Check: February

It’s time for a goal gut-check, my friends. Did you guys lose steam like me? February was a tough month for me because it involved some very last-minute work travel. For most people, that’s no biggie, but for someone who has been living in her work pajamas the last few years, it presented more than a little challenge.

So here is my run-down.

 

Goals for February:

1. Make up a meal plan every Sunday night. I got two Sundays out of the month. I give myself a C on this because when I did make the meal plans, a lot of the week I didn’t feel like making what I had planned. I got in a mega food funk. Do you ever have that? Where you are hungry, but nothing appeals to you and nothing satisfies you? Not good times. 
2. One vegetarian meal a week (can include fish). This I did if you include english muffins with peanut butter vegetarian? Yes? I did have an excellent almond lemon fish dish that I will surely repeat. And I did BUY some orange roughy which I’ve yet to attack. And I have started replacing our sides with veggies instead of starch. So I’m giving myself a solid B on this, for at least sticking to the intent. 
3. One new cookbook recipe. I am so sad I did not take a picture of this one, guys. I made turkey enchiladas that were OUT OF THIS WORLD! I have a favorite turkey chimichanga recipe that may have just been replaced. I want to take a picture, though, before I share the recipe, because the recipe looks bizarro. A+ for me on this one! 
4. Declutter bathroom closet.  FAIL
5. Try one new workout class or video. I did try a new workout video on our Exercise TV On Demand. It was a Red Carpet Makeover one with Stephanie Vittorino. I liked the workout, but she had a very distracting camel-toe situation in the beginning that made it a teensy bit difficult for me to pay attention. What? I’m 12 years old sometimes, I can’t help it.

Goals for March:

 

1. Meal Plan around coupons. I let a lot of coupons expire this last month because I wasn’t organized. I need to try to incorporate coupons when I can to keep our grocery bill on goal.
2. One fish dish a week.
3. One new slow cooker dish. I recently made a slow cooker meatloaf and it was great. It made me realize that I don’t use that little bad boy enough. And also, it made a huge difference in my day. Typically I cook after I pick Wee ‘Burb up from daycare. She’s very lovey and snuggly after not seeing me all day, so I am often trying to hold her and cook at the same time. Having it prepped and in the slow cooker made our time together a lot better.
4. Declutter bathroom closet.
5. Do one 45-minute workout a week. Because I usually work out on my lunch hour, I usually only do 20-30 minutes, but as I have a wedding coming up, I need to get cracking. This may mean getting up early…dread.
    

So, spill! What are your goals for March? Do you ever feel stifled by meal plans or go through food funks? 

The Book of Revelations: Suburban Edition

So, a lot of you professed on your blogs and in person to me that you were absolutely, positively not doing resolutions. But, like me, you had some goals. How are those going for you?

What I decided to do was make sort of a small monthly goal list for myself. These would be (in theory) attainable goals that would ultimately lead to some lifestyle change that would contribute to my overall New Years Revelations.


I will say, despite my funk, January has gone really well for me in terms of my motivation. Here were my goals:

1. One quiet night a week. With the exception of the 1st week in January, done! Every week we spent at least one night unplugged and reading. One night we even played a rousing game of Scrabble. Grade: B+

2. Take a multi-vitamin every day. This is something I neglected after having Wee ‘Burb. I realize now that it’s not just about folic acid when you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, the vitamins kept my skin in check and, I believe, kept me relatively healthy while others were going down with the stomach flu and bad colds. And now because the universe is a great big ole bizzo, I will probably come down with the plague. Grade: B (I still forget to take it at least once or twice a week)

3. Invest in makeup.  Oh did I invest. I had some major buyer’s remorse after a very expensive trip to Sephora. But then two days later, my new boss asked me to fly out for a few meetings. I haven’t faced work people since June, so I was a little freaked out. But happy I had invested in makeup that made me feel more confident. Grade: A+

4. Invest in clothes that fit. I purchased a pair of $80 jeans, you guys! I can’t even explain how big that is for me. I never spend more than $30 on anything. Shoes, clothes, especially jeans. Because I can get them at JC Penney for that, people! To spend $80 at Nordstrom…well I thought it was nuts. Until I realized how quickly my cheap jeans stretched, how often I was replacing them. And I invested in a pair of jeans that look AWESOME! The confidence I feel going out in those are worth every penny. Plus I found a similar pair in a different color for $30 on eBay. So that’s like…saving $30, right? Call it girl math. Grade: A++ (seriously, this was a big girl step for me)

5. Try one new workout class. The local community center offers free lunchtime classes, so I have been attending the Rock Your Core class. Um, ow! I am amazed at what I can accomplish in 20 minutes. And it’s good for me to get out, even if so far I am the youngest one in the class by about 10 years. Also I attended a Candlelight Yoga class, which I had to pay for, but was totally worth it. Grade: A

Goals for February:

1. Make up a meal plan every Sunday night.


2. One vegetarian meal a week (can include fish)


3. One new cookbook recipe


4. Declutter bathroom closet


5. Try one new workout class or video

Did you make goals for your year, or smaller attainable short-term goals? How are they going?

New Years Revelations

I’m not much for New Years Resolutions. In my slightly more than 30 years, I’ve done more than my share of resolutions. Usually they are an epic fail. Why set yourself up? Even my masochism knows some bounds!

I’ve made a few goals in the last few years. Usually they revolve around simple things like take more pictures, eat more vegetarian meals, etc. Nothing earth-shattering like lose 100 pounds or read 100 books or something.

If you have been following my blog, you know when I plan a timeframe and an outcome, I’m generally not successful. Exhibit A: any walking/workout plan I have done EVER.

I was surfing around for some prompts after deciding I couldn’t write any more complaint blogs this week. When I saw this prompt , at first I dismissed it as a resolution prompt. But I kept coming back to it because I was having a major case of writer’s block and because I was thinking about it a lot.
December 11 – 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

The good news is, I couldn’t even come up with 11 things! Or at least 11 things I felt worthy of including in this blog. I mean, I could do without fleas or lice or more boxelder bugs or crazy neighbors.

But I thought now (versus when the prompt was released on the 11th) was as good a time as any to go ahead and release these…not resolutions, not goals, maybe just hopes and things I am attempting to do. With a few revelations thrown in. Yes, those terms give me a decent out should I epically fail again.

So here are some things I can do without in 2011:

1. Comcast: once my year-long deal ends with them, so does my relationship with cable. Not only will it save us money, but I think it will encourage us to be more choosy in what we watch and how much time we spend watching it. Maybe I’ll read a book or two.

2. Constant Background Noise: This goes with the release of cable. Back when we were living together before we were married, Scott and I tried to have a quiet night each week. One without TV or radio or anything, just us reading a book or a magazine, curled up together on the couch. Scott constantly fights for this now, and I am just ambivalent. I edit for a living, so reading sometimes is as taxing as work. I also have a tendency to get deep into a book, to the point where I don’t sleep until I finish it. I am a fast reader, but it’s meant many a late night trying to get to the last chapters when I should be sleeping. It’s much easier to turn off the TV in the middle of a Simpsons rerun than it is at the climax of a good juicy novel. But it’s important to turn the noise off sometimes, I know, and this is something I am dedicating myself to, even if it means a night of writing instead of reading.

3. Customer Service Complaints and Appeals: I’ve got to accept customer service doesn’t exist. I have to start choosing my battles. Calling insurance and telling them their billing is unfair is not worth it. Continuing to blanket Comcast with complaints and my disgust is not worth it. It feels good in the moment, but ultimately takes time and rage I can no longer afford.

4. Solitude in Motherhood: I have to continue to reach out to the moms I already know, and try to continue to find moms in my community. Wee ‘Burb is in such a crazy time of change, I need that support to get through her becoming a toddler and person.

5. Letting Myself Go: I have been appalled recently that when it was time to go out, I didn’t have anything nice to wear. Somehow I had become unaware that nothing fits right because I’ve been living in sweats. And this isn’t even a “how did I get so fat” post because honestly, I’ve been losing weight. I’ve been focusing on it, it isn’t happening magically (as much as I wish that to be). But somehow it never occurred to me that since I lost over 30 pounds since this time last year, perhaps I shouldn’t try to wear last year’s outfits? I’ve simply got to invest some money in myself and my appearance. To this end, I did get a nice Sephora gift card for Christmas. If you have any suggestions, speak now or forever hold your awesome glowy skin a secret.

6. Skipping Date Nights: So many weekends, Scott and I will say we should go here or there. We never make final plans because of his insane work schedule. So when it comes to a free day, I always figure he would rather sit at home with some beer and catch up on Tivo. And confession: so would I! Him being at work means I am home with Wee ‘Burb, or out doing 150 things at once so Wee ‘Burb and I aren’t bored at home. To avoid the avoidance this year, I’ve created a Christmas present that will ensure a bunch of date nights: The 12 Dates of Christmas! I went through and picked out 10 places that we have been forever talking about, and then kept two open for us to choose if a new place opens up or if we just have an alternate hankering. While it’s sad that we need this prescribed date time, I think it will be a really good game changer for us. And will make #5 even more important! I can’t go on date night as dumpy wife.

So again, I could only come up with 6. I’m going to count that as a good thing.


What things can YOU do without in 2011? Do you make resolutions? If you do, do you stick to them?

Things I Love Thursday: These Boots are Made for Walking

I should confess, I don’t have these boots yet. I just love what they represent to me right now.

I have been coveting these for months, ever since I saw them in a magazine. I was taken back to my childhood when I wore “galoshes” and splashing in a puddle was the greatest thing EVER.

I saw them and thought two things: 1) these are the cutest boots ever and 2) these are the least practical boots ever. I mean, I barely leave my house.

So, I put them aside and thought of them no more, until I began to start focusing on losing the baby weight. Like many women, I’ve gained and lost ad nauseam. I have a broader range of clothing sizes than The Gap. This time, I was hell-bent on taking my time and doing it slowly so it would last. This approach goes against my very soul, as I am the queen of Instant Gratification. But as I figured out, if you lose it fast, you gain it fast.

To maintain my sensible weight loss plan, I had to play some head games with myself. Embarrassing, but true. So I began to set little weight loss goals. At 15 pounds, I bought myself a massage. At 20 pounds, a manicure.

And, folks, you are seeing what I am getting for 30 pounds, a milestone I reached last week. It’s taken me since January to get here, it’s been a long journey, but here I am. And here are my boots, which shall arrive here in 3-5 days, just after the rain is going to stop. Great.

And now I need your help, Internet! My big goal is actually close, too. I want to hit 32 pounds by my 32nd birthday, which is this coming Tuesday. I’m close to reaching the goal, and I was going to treat myself to a housekeeper for a day to clean my house from top to bottom, but my awesome husband is getting that for my birthday.

And so, I need something to treat myself. Something bigger than boots but smaller than a trip to Napa (that’s my 50 lb prize, if I ever get there). Ideas??

What have you done to treat yourself? Some great things I’ve heard along the way include one woman who logged how many miles she ran in a year and then treated herself to a vacation that was the same mileage away! Do you have to do these little mind tricks or is the number on the scale enough motivation?