DECEMBER EVE

I've noticed a real change in my eating pattern since switching to Core...a benefit of journaling, by the way. When I was doing Flex, I always tried to save half of my points for supper and evening. I had this fear of getting to the end of the day and having no points left. This left me eating very little of substance earlier in the day...mainly vegetables for lunch...and a lot at supper and in the evening.

My pattern now is almost the opposite...I eat a good portion of oatmeal or a serving of meat and a couple of eggs for breakfast...sometimes a salad or soup mid-morning...something left-over from supper or soup for lunch...and popcorn and a fruit mid-afternoon. By the time supper rolls around, I'm usually not too hungry and eat a much smaller evening meal than I used to and usually just whatever milk I have left to get in after supper.

I think the difference is that I know I can eat until I'm full at supper and I could have fruit or vegetables, milk, or popcorn in the evening if I want without having to worry about points. Before, I saved the points and felt I had to use them all up so I would eat until they were gone...not to mention that I was not eating much protein early in the day and was actually hungrier by evening.

Again...this is not the fault of the Flex program...it was just the way I managed my points...an interesting observation, however.

WEEKEND: I'm sure the holiday season has begun for most of us. I'm done with the shopping...we draw names among the adults so we don't have to buy so much...and I knitted hooded sweaters for the grandkids.

I will have 7 year old granddaughter, Audrey, with me tomorrow afternoon and evening and I'm going to enlist her help in preparing the apple dumplings I'm going to give to our neighbors...she loves being in the kitchen! And I DVR'd the Christmas Shrek show the other night, so we will watch that.

Sundays are a vacuum for me for about 79 more days...Daytona!!!...not that I'm counting or anything. I can entertain myself with the Sunday crossword and the Sunday political shows now that the primaries are nearing...I'm kinda a political junkie, too...but I don't talk about that...I drive away enough people with my NASCAR obsession...lol

RANT:
Loved Roni's rant today about fast food restaurants...I have been messed over so many times in fast food drive-ups with getting the wrong food, food missing, not prepared to order...I am so happy that we very seldom deal with them anymore. In fact, since moving to Core, we eat out far less frequently than we used to and when we do, we go to our trusty Greek place where the waitresses know us and know not to bring the basket of rolls and know Hubby will want a bowl of "au jus" for his baked potato instead of the butter and sour cream...no problem with special requests with these guys!

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Apple and cranberry oatmeal
Mid-morning: Oriental soup
Lunch: Apple and Popcorn (nothing sounded good but salt!)
Afternoon: A tiny piece of crystallized ginger...good for scratchy throats
Supper: Green salad with a tomato slice and fat-free French dressing, roast turkey slice, mashed potato
Evening: Milk

THIS IS FOR YOU, SHANNON!!!

Kyle Busch takes on New York

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE BLOGGER'S SOUL...AND SINUSES

If you didn't catch Oprah yesterday, you missed out on a very inspiring show. She and Bob Greene had on several people who have turned their lives around by losing huge amounts of weight and doing it with sensible eating and exercise. Although the large numbers get the attention on shows like this, I have always been of the opinion that it is just as hard to lose 15 pounds and maintain it as it is 150 pounds...the price for not doing it are just not as high.

The change in lifestyle and the necessity to continue with good habits on a daily basis are the same no matter how much you have lost or need to lose. We all fight the same battle and I admire those people who have worked hard to lose and maintain that loss no matter how heavy they were to begin with. I'm hoping to someday be that "thin lady" who people look at and wonder why she is so careful about what she eats..."She doesn't have a weight problem! What does she know about losing weight?"...wouldn't you?

NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!
Up until yesterday, any time I have suffered with a stuffy head, tickle in the throat, and over-all ickiness, my soup of choice has been the Hot and Sour Soup from the Chinese restaurant a few blocks north of us...it was the best...it was easy to get...it was cheap...and it worked. It always made me feel better...at least for a little while. But, alas, all good things must end and it would appear that the little restaurant that could has closed shop!!! The horror!!!

And it is the only Hot and Sour Soup I ever loved...I've tried the others and they just aren't the same!!!

So...NASCAR Kathy had to get inventive...and here it is:

CLEAR OUT YOUR SINUSES ORIENTAL VEGETABLE SOUP

1 medium onion, large chop
8 cups fat-free chicken broth
2 Tablespoons Chicken soup base or bouillon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (this is the MAGIC...skimp if you must)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables

• Spray soup pot with non-stick cooking spray and add the onion. Stir it around as it browns lightly and gets a little limp.
• Add the remaining ingredients and let it simmer for about half an hour.
• Eat a big bowl and prepare to sweat and feel your head open up!

This soup is so good...like your Jewish grandma and your Chinese grandpa combined forces and made you a pot of chicken soup! I wouldn't know, because my ancestors came from England and were pioneers in Indiana and Kentucky and probably would have brought me possum stew...but you get the picture!

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Oriental Chicken Soup
Mid-morning: Apple and Cranberry Oatmeal
Lunch: Frittata of eggs, green onion, yellow bell pepper, corn, and ham
Afternoon: Popcorn and Grapefruit
Supper: New England boil: Potato, cabbage, carrot, and ham
Evening: Milk

PLEASE DON'T GNAW YOUR ARM OFF

The following is a portion of an actual blog entry I read this morning:

SLIMFAST, DAY 2

"Wow, it's 11:40 and I feel like gnawing my arm off. Well, that's a way to lose some weight. That one shake in the a.m. barely holds you until lunch. Twenty more minutes ... I can make it."

I always felt that way after drinking SlimFast...one more diet that didn't work for me.

Recently, I've been seeing some weight loss bloggers making lists of all the diets they've tried over the years. Mine would be as long and ugly as all the others and liquid diets would be on there. I remember when the first liquid protein diets came out that I signed up and was sent home with a powder that was made from cow's hooves or something like that. The powder was to be mixed with diet Faygo or something sugar-free with a lot of flavor because it was just as delightful to taste as one might imagine...and worse! And the injections of hormones from the pee of pregnant women...or whatever...it was brutal and I fell for all of them. There wasn't a diet book that I didn't buy, a plan I didn't try, or a food group I wouldn't eliminate to try to be thin. If I only knew then what I know now!!!

COMMENTS:

I had to laugh when Shannon said I was known at her house as NASCAR Kathy because I, too, refer to my blogging friends in family conversations just as I would my local friends...you are just as much a part of my world...sometimes more...than they are. Hubby walks by and says,"Are you bloggin'?" and I'll tell him who I'm leaving a comment or what someone said today. And I also have catch phrases for my "regulars": the guy from Jersey who looks like Vince, the guy from Milwaukee who's wife is pregnant, my German knitting friend from California, my special "over the fence" friend with 6 kids in Colorado, the runner from San Francisco, the cute red head, the girl who has lost so much weight and kept it off and was on the front of that magazine, the little girl from Saskatchewan, the teacher in Korea, my NASCAR friend who likes Kyle Busch, the girl who's in college and getting ready to move into a condo, the lady from Tennessee who likes Midsommer and knows so much about nutrition...you get the picture!

And I love being NASCAR Kathy!!! (It could be so much worse!!!)

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Apple and Cranberry Oatmeal
Mid-morning: Southwest soup and raw cauliflower...had the munchies!!!
Lunch: Chopped sirloin, bell peppers, and onion stir-fried with soy sauce
Afternoon: Popcorn
Supper: Grilled orange roughey, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut
Evening: I will have Hot Pumpkin Cocoa

EXPERIENCE SHOWS

You know, when I look at that list of bloggers and their weight loss I posted yesterday, (see Cathy's...Dinah Soar's...comment on yesterday's post for her progress) I see a common thread running through their posts. These are people who have made a serious commitment to changing their eating habits for the long haul...not just dieting to fit into a dress or suit jacket for a special event. These are people who have gone the dieting route before...know what doesn't work...and are well aware of how they want this experience to be different.

They are people who are willing to examine their food plans, come up with creative ways to prepare healthy food, and journal what they have eaten, under what circumstances they've eaten it, and how that behavior can be altered in the future.

They are people who are not afraid to get back on the horse after a spill...they shake it off, figure out what caused them to be thrown...and come back stronger and more determined than ever to win this battle.

They are also people who are generous with their time and are willing to go the extra mile to post on their blogs on a regular basis, read other blogs and offer comments, suggestions, and praise.

I think all those things taken together have increased the chance that these people are going to lose weight in a healthy manner and maintain that loss...or...to beat the odds. You are all special people and you deserve the success you are experiencing.

I'm glad so many people enjoyed the Chex site...I have been on there daily throughout the NASCAR season voting for my Mikey for the most popular driver award. He is in the top 10 and the winner will be announced in December. Shhh...I suspect Junior will probably win...but don't tell Mikey I said so!

Kinda under the weather today...sinusy and achy all over. It's making the rounds, I hear. Hope you don't catch it from me!!!

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and a slice of ham
Mid-morning: Orange sections
Lunch: Southwest bean soup
Afternoon: Popcorn, Banana, Orange spice tea with a little wedge of ginger...good for the throat
Supper: Green salad with vinegar and oil; 1/2 baked sweet potato with a tablespoon of sugar-free maple syrup; chopped sirloin
Evening: I will have my milk with cocoa and Splenda before I go to bed

P.S. Welcome back to the blogosphere, Laura Brandon...good to have you back!

THE BEGINNING OF A "NORMAL" WEEK

Hubby has had almost every Friday off for a couple of months so he can use up his accumulated vacation time or lose it at the end of the year...and with the Thanksgiving Holiday last week...I haven't had a stretch of alone time for a long while. Don't get me wrong...Skinny...I love having Hubby home, but the cadence of a five day work week is much different than four and adjustments need to be made at home. But this week will be a five day week again and I'm making a mental note of what day I will do what and if there are any Christmasy things I can still get done.

I usually make a little food gift for the six neighbors who are immediate to us and deliver it the first weekend of December. I figure the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone by then and the full swing Christmas baking has not begun and people appreciate a little special treat about then. Two years ago, I made everyone a coffee cake and last year we handed out bags of 4 different flavors of Chex Mix...look on their site for fabulous recipes. I'm trying to decide between homemade granola or a pan of apple dumplings for this year...hmmm.

COMMENTS:
Thanks for all your great comments...it's like getting a letter or phone call from a friend when you leave a comment...I love you all.
Cathy: Hope you have the same results with the All Stain-lifter formula...I love it and it smells good...I forgot to say that!
Hanlie: I wish I could fix you a plate of the pancakes and, as Xander says,"Warm maple syrup!!!" I just use a box mix and add a scoop of pumpkin (I keep some in a Glad bowl in the fridge all the time now for a handy scoop of pumpkin in a lot of things I fix) and pumpkin pie spice...easy peasy.
Noelle: We were actually kinda happy to get back to our routine yesterday...and SO happy that Core is our routine now...even Hubby likes it...AMAZING!!!
Skinny: Where are you???
TB: You gotta try the oatmeal with the cranberries and autumn fruits...we love it! And thanks for the compliment...disciplined!!! Wow!

AMAZING BLOGGERS...LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE...RESULTS NOT TYPICAL!!!
I made a quick list of how many pounds the bloggers on my sidebar have lost:

• BRIANA.....................................46.8
• CHRISTINE..............................37.2
• CYNTHIA..................................80.8
• JONATHAN..............................50
• KATE.........................................14
• NOELLE....................................41.4
• RONI..........................................64
• RUTH ELLEN...........................56
• SHANNON.................................35
• SKINNY GUY...........................132.2
• TB................................................70.2
• VERONIKA................................27.5
• ME...............................................80

GRAND TOTAL:...............................735.1 pounds
(and that's without Cathy from Dinah Soar...couldn't find yours, Cathy)

TAKE A BOW, BLOGGER FRIENDS! WE ARE AMAZING! AND WE STILL HAVE A FEW WEEKS LEFT IN 2007!

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: 7 grain cooked cereal
Mid-morning: Smoothie of 2 cups skim milk and 1 cup frozen raspberries
Lunch: Salad of lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, onion, pumpkin seeds (WPA), vinegar and oil
ham
Afternoon: Popcorn and an apple
Supper: Southwest bean soup; cube steak prepared with onion, mushrooms, and fat-free mushroom soup; fresh green beans cooked with a yukon gold potato
This evening: I will have frozen grapes

SUNDAY

Had a really good day...no celebratory meals...no apple dumplings calling my name. It was back to the oatmeal and all the good things that follow.

Hubby took me to an organic food store this afternoon where they sell a lot of grains, beans, and seasonings in bulk. I stocked up on their great whole rolled oats that Hubby brought me a sampling of last week, some white pepper, candied ginger, granulated maple syrup (to add judiciously to the oatmeal for flavor), and a garlic herb seasoning to try on chicken.

They also had a couple of bean soup mixes that I just had to try...a 32 bean mixture and a Southwest bean and vegetable variety. Next time, I'm gonna try a couple of new grains.

DISCIPLINE??? WHO, ME???
Veronika commented that I am disciplined and I have to laugh. I had to rid the house of all the "goodies" before I started Core...out to the charity food drive went all that white flour pasta, anything with a lot of sugar, anything that would call my name in a weak moment, cause I know that I am not disciplined at all. But, I also know that eating this way is not a sacrifice...Hubby and I love this food and I don't know about me, but I know for a fact that he is looking leaner and healthier already.

A side note to ridding the house of goodies...the triplets visited Saturday morning for breakfast and I fixed them pumpkin spice pancakes and hot chocolate. They ate that and were happy but a while before they went home, Xander was looking through the refrigerator looking for that chocolate pudding he was used to finding and had to settle for an apple...the closest thing we have to a treat at the moment.

ETC...ETC!!!
Don't you love it when you buy a product and it does what it says it's gonna do? This is completely off topic...and I promise you that I am not being paid! I bought some All detergent a few weeks ago because it was on sale at a super price...the new kind with "stain lifter". Well...this stuff really works. I was doing some laundry earlier today and the change was noticeable...everything was brighter and whiter...just like on a commercial! Well, you live and learn.

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with autumn fruits, milk
Lunch: Sirloin steak, brussels sprouts, and green salad with onion, bell pepper, onion, vinegar and oil
Afternoon: Popcorn and Apple
Supper: Bean soup, Scrambled egg, and ham slice

TODAY I TOOK THE FORK IN THE ROAD

Today was not my best day of Core eating, but it was certainly not the worst day of eating...especially during the holiday season. I think we all do best when we are in our routine and eating regularly. This weekend is the first time since I began Core that I have not been in control of what we're eating and when.

We were up at midnight picking our younger daughter up at the airport and she and Mark were in need of a meal since they had been flying from London to Chicago and then Indy, so we decided on Denny's and since we were up several hours past our regular bedtime, we both ate scrambled eggs and ham.

This morning, I prepared my autumn fruits oatmeal and grapefruit for everyone. We had a light lunch of tilapia, a salad, and butternut squash before going to my older daughter's house for my stepson's birthday party. We each had a small portion of the cake (about 1/4 of a piece) and some coffee. But then she warmed up some of the apple dumplings from Thanksgiving day and I HAD to try those too...but, believe me, I ate far less than I wanted to...these things are TO DIE FOR!!!

Then their family came to our house to help decorate the tree and we ended up having pizza for supper. So, I missed out on my milk today and even though I had some fruit and vegetables, I had far fewer than I normally do.

I don't feel bad...we both did pretty well with what we had to work with and under these circumstances. The really good thing is that we both enjoy our new style of eating and accept these little forays into eating less healthy food as just blips on the landscape and then we go right back to eating as we should at the next meal. It wasn't the occasional pizza or taste of a dessert that got us into trouble in the first place...it was what we were eating on a daily basis.

I think we are through with celebrations and treats for a while after today and that is a good thing!

BLACK FRIDAY SOUP

Thought you might like this recipe for Southwestern Turkey Soup to use up a little leftover turkey from Gobble Day.

SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY SOUP
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Cooked turkey, shredded...about 2 to 3 cups
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (11 ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained

Garnishes: 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Avocado, peeled and diced
Lime wedges
Baked tortilla chips
Spray soup pan with non-stick cooking spray and cook onion, peppers, and garlic until they are limp. Add remaining ingredients, except optional garnishes, and simmer over medium heat until flavors are well blended...about an hour. Makes about 8 servings. Serve with the optional garnishes.

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Oatmeal w/cranberries, apple, pear, and orange zest; skim milk
Lunch: Green salad w/fat-free honey mustard dressing, penne with marinara sauce, 1 meatball
Afternoon: Apple, Popcorn
Supper: Salad of spring greens, tomato, and green bell pepper w/vinegar and olive oil; Butternut squash w/sugar-free maple syrup; chicken, tomato, and barley soup

GOBBLE DAY

Hey, blogger friends...except you Canadians who indulged earlier in the year...lol...have a great Thanksgiving today. Remember...the food is good and should be enjoyed in moderation...but take a big heaping helping of family and friends and enjoy them to the hilt. And let's all join in being truly thankful that we live in a land of plenty.

I am so thankful to have all of you, my blogger friends. You have made the past year of my journey so much more enjoyable. I learn from you all every day.

We started the day with the smell of the turkey baking...sage and turkey...the perfect combination. I put it in early so we could carry it over to Nurse Lara's house to join with all the sides she is making.

We are fortifying ourselves with a big bowl of oatmeal this morning so we won't arrive in starvation mode. I added an apple, a pear, some cranberries, and orange zest with a good amount of apple pie spice...yummmm! I made extra for tomorrow morning.

Hubby's corduroy pants are loose and saggy...do you suppose this is working???

EVENING UPDATE:
Had a good day...ate turkey and veggies and just small portions of the treats, as I had planned. I had a pear late in the afternoon with the rest of my milk. It is sleety cold here, so I put a little cocoa powder, vanilla and Splenda in it and made hot chocolate.

I just had breakfast for supper...scrambled eggs, ham, and a little grits...at our favorite Greek restaurant. So it is off for Survivor and probably an early bedtime tonight. I don't do the Black Friday thing, so I can sleep in tomorrow. Good luck to any of you who are out there fighting the hoards for the bargains!!!

I'm posting a recipe for making soup from leftover Turkey tomorrow!!! Watch this space.

THANKSGIVING EVE

I was up at 4a.m. this morning baking apple dumplings for Hubby to take to work with him. It is cruel to leave the smell of sweet cinnamon in the house...starves me to death! I'm a sucker for smells...they always lead me by the nose into the kitchen. I should have been smart and put a pot of apple and cinnamon oatmeal on the stove to cook at the same time...maybe I could have fooled my mouth into thinking it was eating what I was smelling...lol! NOT!!!

I'm sure most of you have heard of Amy's Organic Foods...they have a great line of frozen and canned organic vegetarian foods that I think are superb. I get a newsletter from them on occasion and it took me to their site this morning where I found some great ideas for flavor combinations for your morning cooked cereal. You might enjoy browsing the site just for new ideas.

I was also reading about a trivia game: FOODIE FIGHT: A TRIVIA GAME FOR SERIOUS FOOD LOVERS by Joyce Lock. You can find it on Amazon where they also show a sample card of questions. One was: What is being served in Norman Rockwell's painting "Freedom from Hunger", and another was "Whose kitchen was donated to the Smithsonian Institution?". Looks like it would be fun.

I also wanted to give a shout-out to another site I check on a regular basis:
http://eatbetteramerica.com
They cover nutrition related to diabetes, heart disease, and weight management, and are also a good source of recipes. Check it out during your long holiday weekend.

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cottage cheese, topped with salsa
Morning: Leftover bean salad and a bowl of split pea soup
Lunch: Egg salad made with boiled eggs, 1 tsp relish, mustard, and fat-free Miracle whip; celery sticks
Afternoon: Popcorn and a banana
Supper: Grilled orange roughey (WPA for the flour), 1/3 baked potato, steamed broccoli
Evening: I will have 2 cups skim milk with cocoa powder and Splenda heated and an apple

TUESDAY

You can just feel the Thanksgiving excitement around blog land. Everyone's ramping up for the big day...special recipes, family, and tradition. I have a big turkey thawing in the fridge in our garage...I have to bake it for our big day and Nurse Lara is fixing everything else. There is something magical about the smell of that turkey baking...it just spells "Holiday", doesn't it?

We never had turkey when I was growing up. I grew up on a hog farm and our holiday meals revolved around Dad's sugar-cured ham and many of Mom's great recipes. It was definitely a time for family to gather at the farm and enjoy great food.

I plan to savor the whole experience this year and let the food be just another component of a great family day.

HERE'S WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Banana, Oatmeal
Mid-morning: Split Pea Soup
Lunch: Taco salad: lettuce, tomato, red bell pepper, onion, taco seasoned ground sirloin, fat-free refried beans, salsa, fat-free sour cream
Afternoon: Popcorn, Apple, 1 1/2 cups skim milk and 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries blended
Supper: Pork loin in homemade barbecue sauce, spinach with vinegar and chopped boiled egg, bean salad in vinegar and oil
Evening: 2 small oranges

MONDAY

Several sites were posting nutritional information from Quiznos this morning after the company put out the details of what is in the food on their menu. The shocking figures for calorie and fat content of what might be considered to be healthier items on the menu were another reminder that it is probably a good thing that the pressure is on restaurants to make this information more readily available for their customers.

Some examples were a large veggie with cheese and dressing at 1220 calories and 75 grams of fat; a large tuna melt sub at 2090 calories and 175 grams of fat; and a flatbread chopped salad where the bread that accompanies it is 330 calories and 12 grams of fat. I guess we should always ask and not assume that a particular food is the healthiest choice.

HERE'S WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Apple Spice Oatmeal
Lunch: Lettuce, bell pepper, and tomato salad with vinegar and olive oil: leftover pasta
Afternoon: Popcorn and 2 cups milk and 1/2 cup frozen raspberries blended
Supper: Split pea soup; Salad of lettuce, tomato, tuna, and kidney beans with vinegar and olive
oil

SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 pound bag split peas
8 cups water
3 Tablespoons ham flavored soup base (bouillon)
Few red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in soup pot and cook over medium heat until peas are soft and "melting" into the liquid. Add more water if necessary.

SUNDAY

We decided we would go out for breakfast this morning and maybe have a treat such as a pancake since we had WPA's left...and you know what...I ate my normal Core food (well, as close to Core as you can get it when you let someone else fix it). I just enjoy what I'm eating so much that I wasn't tempted. Hubby had a pancake, but took half of it home for our dog-buddy, Kipper. He was so happy to see a white box in our hands...he hasn't seen one for a while.

I had some fresh green beans and decided to have them in a stir-fry with some shrimp for lunch...really good. And a crock-pot of beef stew for supper finished our day.

CROCK-POT BEEF STEW

1 # beef cubes, all fat removed
3 or 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 pound mushroom caps
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup (wpa)
1 can beef broth
1/2 packet dry onion soup mix
Combine everything in Crock-pot and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Scrambled egg and ham slice
Mid-morning: Apple
Lunch: Shrimp and fresh green bean stir-fry (garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, few drops
sesame oil)
Afternoon: Popcorn, Hot Cocoa (2 cups skim milk, 1 Tbsp cocoa powder (0 points), vanilla,
Splenda), Apple
Supper: Beef Stew
Evening: Frozen Grapes

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Congratulations to my blogging friend and "cyber neighbor", Noelle, who has begun maintenance as of today!!! Kudos to you and we all wish you well.

SHOPPING ON A BUDGET
I don't know how many communities have access to Aldis grocery stores, but I have grown quite fond of the ones here in Indianapolis. There are specialty items that they don't carry so I can't do all my shopping there, but they have a really decent selection of low-fat and fat-free items that we really like.

I routinely buy milk, eggs, and cottage cheese there as well as many fresh fruits and vegetables. They have a "Fit and Light" line that includes canned fruits packed in juice and I recently found whole wheat pastas and brown rice.

I found bags of grilled frozen vegetables yesterday that contained eggplant, zucchini, onion, and red and yellow bell peppers. I threw a couple of cups of them in my tomato sauce tonight, added a little browned ground sirloin, and then the cooked and drained whole wheat penne to make a really good Italian dish.

I know many people complain about the cost of eating in a healthy manner, but there are less expensive choices out there if you look for them...and eating great home cooked meals has to be less expensive than eating out. And I love the leftovers!

WHAT I ATE TODAY
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with red bell pepper and scallion
Mid-morning: Apple
Lunch: Taco salad: Lettuce, scallions, red bell pepper, pan grilled chicken breast seasoned with
taco seasoning, beans, salsa, and fat-free sour cream
Afternoon: Popcorn; Milkshake (2 cups skim milk, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, Splenda)
Supper: Salad of Spring salad greens and grape tomatoes with vinegar and 2 tsp olive oil
Whole wheat penne with grilled vegetable tomato sauce

RESULTS NOT TYPICAL

Sometimes I wish that we could celebrate the holiday season without the emphasis on food...as a "dieter", life would be so much more simple. But food is an integral part of the Thanksgiving celebration...the reason for it, in fact. We live with such a plentiful food supply that it is hard for us to appreciate how fortunate people used to feel when there was food for the table and their families would be fed. An abundance of food was not a seasonal "curse" to be dealt with, as it is now, but a luxury and something to offer up thanks for.

I'm reading on blog after blog that people who have had few problems sticking with their new lifestyles throughout the year are now running into problems dealing with the extra treats at work or holiday buffets. It is the beginning of the festive season and parties and dining out are going to be more common.

Many of us have been able to incorporate our new habits into our daily lives and even been able to come up with strategies to see us through the weekend. Being able to master dealing with Holiday treats is just another rung on the ladder to success and we've got to climb it.

You've seen the little warning next to those before and after weight loss pictures that states: "Results not typical". Well, a lot of us have already beat the odds by losing weight and maintaining that loss during the past year and we should take great pride in that achievement. Let's not let a few parties and holiday treats ruin what we have worked so hard for all year.

I'm making a promise to myself to not only get through the Holiday season without a gain, but to actually lose. I know I can do it...and so can you. Let's make a pact to cheer each other on and lend each other encouragement throughout the season so when January comes, we will begin 2008 with a nice loss that will carry us through to our goal weights. Let's make sure that our weight losses "are not typical".

Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal and skim milk
Lunch: New England Clam Chowder ( 10 WPA)
Afternoon: Coffee milkshake made with 2 cups skim milk and instant coffee
2 apples
Supper: Vegetable, bean, and barley soup; baked sweet potato and roasted beet (odd...I know,
but good!)
Evening: Popcorn with 2 tsp olive oil

WEDNESDAY

You know you are probably not in a great writing mood when the only title you can come up with is the day of the week...it is Wednesday, isn't it?

Eating has gone well today...I'm just in a fluster because I've been called to serve jury duty tomorrow and this takes me way outside my comfort zone. I am a home body and since I retired I resent anything that clutters my schedule...dentist and doctor appointments...anything. And the courthouse is in downtown Indy...someplace I HATE to go. But jury duty is important so I'm scurrying around trying to ready everything for tomorrow.

I made baked custard for supper...one of my favorite things...and when made with Splenda, it is totally Core and a good way to get some milk in. Easy, too. Just beat 2 eggs, 2 cups of milk, 4 Tbsp. Splenda, and a few drops of vanilla together. Put in 4 baking cups or a small casserole dish, set in a pan of boiling water to about half way up the cups, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Breakfast: Oatmeal and milk
Mid-morning: Broccoli soup and an orange
Lunch: Leftover stir-fry and rice from last night
Mid-afternoon: Popcorn and a pumpkin milkshake
Supper: Broccoli soup, salad with vinegar and olive oil, 1 ear of corn, pan-grilled tilapia, and custard

I saw an idea for knowing when you may be approaching the "satisfied" area of fullness today on another blog. It may have made the rounds of WW meetings, but I have never heard it before. It is called the "sigh". It is that time in a meal when you may hesitate, take a deep breath and sigh. At that point, you might continue to eat more, but if you hesitate, you may recognize the first sign of feeling satisfactorily full and stop eating. It was funny, because I found myself doing it tonight and I had to laugh, because I hadn't noticed it before. Food for thought.

Well, wish me luck tomorrow...at least I'm not in Vegas...wouldn't want to risk being on you-know-who's jury...that is if the judge decides to go forward with a trial. btw...I'm packing an apple and a bottle of water along with some soy chips in my bag. I don't want to have to rely on a vending machine for sustenance!

INCENTIVE

When I began my nursing career in June of 1969, it was not unusual for people to be admitted to the hospital for a few days for "full physicals"...blood work, routine x-rays...with Blue Cross and Blue Shield paying the expenses. I had one family physician who admitted a female patient of his to the hospital for a full week once a year. I was making rounds with him one day and he confided to me that she had a house full of kids at home and could not afford to take a vacation, but her husband had good insurance and admitting the lady to the hospital where she would be allowed to rest and have breakfast in bed for a week was the physician's way of giving her an annual break. (Do you hear that, Noelle???)

Those days are gone. Getting insurance to pay for anything is getting harder and harder. And over the expanse of years in which Hubby and I have worked, we have been blessed with "good" health insurance coverage, but we've also seen our share of medical expenses gradually increase from year to year. Our out-of-pocket expenses has grown year after year and we have grown to accept it.

But Hubby's retirement looms ever closer...we can hear the clock ticking...and the medical expenses just keep getting greater every year.

Why am I writing about this today? Because we have come to realize that taking better care of ourselves...especially eating better...could eliminate several, if not all, of our major medical expenses. And that is a major incentive for us.

What we, and a lot of other Americans suffer from, is the disease of the new millenium...metabolic syndrome. It is defined by the patient having the following conditions:

• Type 2 Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Central obesity...extra fat deposits around the waist
• Decreased HDL cholesterol
• Elevated triglycerides

The bad thing is that Americans are getting this disease at earlier and earlier ages...the good thing is that we have the power to eliminate it completely...and it doesn't have to cost us anything. We can eliminate it by diet and exercise. That's it.

So, every time we consider eating something that is sugar or fat-laden, we remind ourselves that it will be costing us...not the insurance company...every time Hubby has to fill his prescriptions next year...until we meet the new deductible of $2400...(that's with today's "good" insurance, my friends!!!). That could take a huge chunk of our retirement money. That's a vacation...a great fishing trip...the fun things in life. And it is also a kick-in-the-seat wake-up call that what we eat today can definitely cost us tomorrow.

We could lament the fact that insurance isn't paying enough...and we do, big time!!!...but it has also been a blessing in disguise, in that we have taken back responsibility for our health. All of us have fallen into the trap of believing that we can continue our same behaviors because there will always be a new pill to fix it, but those pills are beginning to cost us more than we can afford, both in dollars and in the fact that we put off the inevitable...the day that we have to face our own responsibility for this particular ailment.

And, while I am on the soap box...think you're too young to be affected by this syndrome? Have you heard of "polycystic ovarian syndrome"? One in ten young women are affected by it. It is the leading cause of infertility in America...and it is the twin sister of "metabolic syndrome".

FOOD...TODAY'S RATION

First, I started the day with oatmeal...flavored with some cranberries and orange zest...half the oranges in my fridge are naked!!!...and it has made all the difference. I feel better...I'm not constantly thinking of eating...it appears to be the breakfast cereal of choice for me...so far.

I took a look at the vegetable drawer this morning and realized I probably had to do some prep work on some of it or I would risk losing it. I always try to use the most vulnerable vegetables the soonest...the leafy lettuce, for example...and save the broccoli and carrots for the end of the week. But I sometimes get carried away and just buy too many things that need attention early in the week. I got some green onions in my bin and we had used 3/4 of them, but the greens were starting to get limp and I decided it was time to finish cleaning them, trim them up, slice them thinly and throw them in a little clear covered bowl at eye level in the fridge so they will get used in my stir-fry tonight.

I had about a dozen red grapes that I put in the freezer for a future snack. The red and yellow peppers got cleaned...half going into tonight's stir-fry and the other half sliced thinly and put in a bag for use in a salad.

I had 4 ears of fresh corn left from the weekend and I boiled them...I'll cut the kernels off and store those away and use the still hot water they came from to cook a few boiled eggs for future use. I'm also pre-cooking the brown rice for our supper. I've noticed I run out of steam later in the day sometimes and when that happens, we don't eat as well.

Breakfast: Cranberry orange oatmeal
Mid-morning: Orange
Lunch: Salad of lettuce, onion, bell peppers, grape tomatoes, 1 boiled egg, vinegar and oil
Cold roast pork
Mid-afternoon: Popcorn
Supper: "Fried" brown rice with green onion, frozen peas, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce
Stir-fry: Chicken breast, onion, bell pepper, water chestnuts, fresh broccoli, garlic, ginger,
soy sauce
Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cooked in diet orange soda with a little vanilla, chilled; topped
with a scoop of fat-free yogurt
Evening: 2 cups skim milk warmed with vanilla, Splenda, and a dash of nutmeg

THE SWEATER SONG FROM THE OLD NAVY COMMERCIAL:
The Way I Am

MORE SWEET AND SOUR

I've enjoyed the comments on the recent recipes. I felt the need to make the first few meals on Core interesting and tasty. I remember looking over the Core list in the past and wondering what on earth I would fix for meals if I followed it...steamed vegetables and fish? But the more I looked at it, the more I realized that the foods were just basic unprocessed foods...very similar to the list of foods that I would have helped my mother cook back on the farm. I had the "ah...ha" moment and the rest has been easy.

The roast I fixed yesterday was really good, but the best part was the apple, cranberry, pear combo that cooked up with it and I wanted more of that sweet and sour combo today with the roast that was left. My veggies included red cabbage this week, so I adapted a standard German recipe and had that for supper with the pork. Like Skinny Guy, I look at several recipes and pick out the essential elements, adapt them to the Core food list, and take it from there. The red cabbage recipes used equal parts vinegar and sugar, bacon, and some added apple. So, my adaptation used a slice of lean ham, diced finely, to replace the bacon...Splenda for the sugar...and the apple was used to give it a little more depth...along with salt, pepper, and a shake of ground cloves.

We had mashed potatoes along side the meat and cabbage. I boiled the potatoes in salted water, drained them, mashed them roughly...I like them a little on the lumpy side...and added about 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream, salt and pepper...and I have to say...they were really good.

This is the kind of meal that sometimes sends me into seconds and thirds, but I made myself stop after the first plate and just rest for a few minutes, talking to my husband, and it was enough time for that feeling of fullness to come over me...it really does work.

And, like Noelle, I do plan my meals for the day taking into consideration what is in the fridge and freezer. The new vegetables have opened up new possibilities. I probably would not have bought the red cabbage.

I started the day with Cream of Wheat this morning, and I noticed that it didn't seem to hold me over like the oatmeal has been. I kept wanting to eat the rest of the morning...1/2 cup apple salad, an orange, and finally a cup of vegetable soup.

I had a little of the leftover pork and the rest of the apples and cranberries for lunch. I felt snacky all afternoon too...a banana, popcorn, and finally a pumpkin milkshake to get the rest of my milk in. Supper finally filled me up.

I tried to drink a lot in case the desire to eat was really just thirst in disguise. I didn't eat anything awful...just frequently.

LET YOUR IMAGINATION SOAR

Briana wrote to me that I had inspired her to try pumpkin so she has bought a can today...YES!!!
Cathy tried the "Hot Pumpkin Cocoa" and loved it...YES!!!
Kate has been putting pumpkin in her oatmeal...YES!!!

We need to let our imaginations soar and use these healthy foods to build a library of recipes that are OUR favorites. That is what our moms and grandmas did...they took what they had and they made great food with it. We need to see the possibilities when we look at our food and not limitations.

I have spent the day making one good thing after another...using my appetite...my sense of what "goes" together...what was in my vegetable bin this week...and what flavors and smells I associate with fall...as my guides.

My breakfast was what I call a "rustic" scramble...it is a combination of foods that we would have handy on the farm and we would combine them to make a great meal. It begins with corn cut from the cob...we usually used what we had left from a previous meal...diced green pepper and onion. All that was thrown into a non-stick skillet after a spray of Pam. I tossed that around until everything was warmed through and crisp-tender. Then I beat 2 eggs and added that to the cooked vegetables, stirring things around until the egg was cooked and then served it with a little salt and pepper. Delicious. The same scramble could be adapted to use a left-over baked potato diced with the same green pepper and onion...use your imagination.

I have several types of apples in the house and some red grapes in the fridge so I decided to make up an apple salad. I used three different types of apples and just cored them, and cut them into medium-sized chunks, peel and all. I added a few of the grapes, cut in half and a little diced celery. Over all this I poured a half cup of fat-free mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Splenda, a dash of salt, and a little orange zest...the zest makes all the difference.
I had about a cup of this for a mid-morning snack.

We had a taco salad for lunch. I browned the ground sirloin, added a can of diced tomatoes, and a packet of taco seasoning along with 1/4 cup water and let it cook over medium until the sauce thickened up a little. I poured that over chopped lettuce, added some warmed fat-free refried beans, diced onion and green pepper, a little salsa and a tablespoon of fat-free sour cream. It was so good. I had a big glass of skim milk with it.

And this is what we had for supper; I'll call it "AUTUMN PORK ROAST"

1/2 bag fresh cranberries
2 apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
1 pear, cored, peeled, and sliced
2 Tbsp Splenda
zest from an orange
a few shakes of cinnamon
a few shakes of ground cloves
1/2 cup water
pork loin with all visible fat removed
salt and pepper

In an oven-proof pan, combine the fruits, Splenda, spices, orange zest and water.
Lay the pork loin on top and salt and pepper.
Cover and bake at 350 for an hour and a half.

This was one of the best roast meals I've ever had...and the aroma from the oven was mouth-watering! I made a little side dish of canned asparagus spears, drained, and tossed with a little red wine vinegar and my 2 tsp of olive oil, salt and pepper.

I had a little popcorn this afternoon while watching the race and I will have one more glass of skim milk before I go to bed tonight.

Noelle commented that I had used very few WPA's this week and I have to say that if I had not had the party to attend yesterday, I probably wouldn't have needed them. I think the big story about the party wasn't what I ate, but what I didn't eat...friendship bread, beautiful looking rolls, birthday cake!!!

I always hesitated even considering Core because I thought I would miss my breads, but the grains and starchy vegetables included on the Core list have made up for the absence of bread. Hubby says he misses sweets...I've been making sugar-free jello for him...but I really haven't. In fact, the fruits I've been eating taste super sweet to me and I'm going to start decreasing the amount of Splenda I've been adding to recipes because I'm finding it to be a little too much at times.

TRIPLE THREAT

Here are the birthday celebrants...Morrigan, Teagan, and Xander...six years old and loving it!!!

Well, it's not too hard to savor the moment when you have seven great grandkids and three of them are celebrating their birthday! Seems like just yesterday when I could sit in a big recliner and hold all three at the same time.

It was a beautiful day to drive from Indianapolis to Bloomington...the weather was perfect and the leaves are still pretty...not as gorgeous as they would have been if we weren't in the middle of a prolonged drought.

We took a few minutes to go off the main road on the way home to go past a local orchard. We got a bag of Cameo apples...new to me and really sweet and crisp. We had to sample one on the rest of the drive.

SO...HERE'S WHAT I ATE TODAY

Breakfast: Carrot cake oatmeal and 1 cup skim milk
Mid-morning: Banana and orange
Lunch: Ham, about 1/2 cup each broccoli/cauliflower salad and potato salad (wpa)
Mid-afternoon: Apple and popcorn
Supper: Salad with lettuce, green pepper, green onion, albacore tuna, roasted sweet potato,
(these were little midget sweet potatoes about the size of a lime...very sweet and orange...
they came in my vegetable bin this week), vinegar and olive oil dressing
Evening: Hot pumpkin cocoa...2 cups milk, 1/3 cup pumpkin, vanilla, Splenda

SAVOR...DON'T STUFF

The following came from a list of ways to have a healthy holiday season from Martha Stewart Living:

SAVOR...DON'T STUFF
The opposite of mindless gorging isn't not eating, but savoring -- and you can do that only with satisfying food. If you experience psychological nourishment, you'll feel sated more readily. And don't stop with the food. Savor all the elements of a holiday meal -- music, lighting, scents, people. Not only will you reduce your consumption, you'll increase your genuine holiday cheer, pie-related or otherwise. If slowing down to savor doesn't come naturally, start paying attention to how much you chew. Counting 15 chews per bite is enough to make you conscious of what you're eating, and not so much that it becomes annoying.

I have a birthday party to go to tomorrow...the triplet grandkids are turning six...and I'm going to try and keep the word "savor" in mind as I enjoy the company of family and the celebration of their birthday as well as the great food my daughter is preparing for the event.

SO...HERE'S WHAT I ATE TODAY:

Breakfast: Carrot Cake Oatmeal and 1 cup skim milk

Lunch: Mexican vegetable soup (Salsa, beef broth, cabbage, corn, kidney beans, taco seasoning)
ladled over a little polenta in the bottom of the soup bowl

Mid-afternoon: an apple and a pumpkin milkshake

Supper: Salad of mixed spring lettuce leaves, vinegar and oil
Chopped sirloin, shitake mushrooms, onion
1/2 orange

Hubby and I were saying over supper that anyone who says you can't eat good food and eat in a healthy manner is just WRONG. We have both been so happy with our meals and he is loving being able to eat all the food he wants and still have great blood sugar readings.

Gotta go and cheer my guys on during their Phoenix qualifying runs!

BUY QUAKER...STOCKS ARE GOING UP

BOOK REVIEW:

Told you I would look through Jessica Seinfeld's book, "Deceptively Delicious", and let you know what I think...so here goes.

Jessica wrote this book to help moms with picky eaters find ways to get more fruits and vegetables into them, but it is also full of ideas for adding some extra nutrition and fiber into the diets of adults and vegetable lovers, as well.

She accomplishes this by roasting or steaming various fruits and vegetables and then pureeing them, storing them in the fridge, and adding them to her cooking during the week. From the looks of the recipes...she is also into whole grains and low-fat proteins which makes most of the recipes friendly to those of us who are trying to eat better.

There are lots of recipes for adding these purees to baked goods...muffins, brownies, cookies...and into beaten eggs for French toast and the egg wash that precedes the breading on chicken nuggets and cheese and vegetable sticks.

She also slips them into meat loaf, taco filling, sloppy Joes and foods such as chicken and tuna salad. And, of course, it is easy to slip them into casseroles...mac and cheese...soups and stews.

I was especially interested in a Ranch dressing that used mashed great northern beans, buttermilk and seasonings...hmmm. And I think my grandkids would like the baked doughnuts that had pumpkin and sweet potato in them, and two pancake recipes...one with pumpkin in the mix...and the second one called "pink pancakes" that had beet puree in them.

Interesting ideas. Nothing new, as many critics have jumped into the arena to complain about, but maybe new to a younger generation who never had their grandma's chocolate cake made with sauerkraut, tomato soup, or beets.

A NEW OATMEAL RECIPE:

After the success of the apple pie and pumpkin pie oatmeal recipes we've had this week, I decided to continue down that path a little further and made up "Carrot Cake Oatmeal" this morning...yum!!! I make these oatmeal recipes up in big amounts in a small crockpot, but they could also be made up in smaller portions or on the stove top or microwave. The main idea is to let your imagination fly.

CARROT CAKE OATMEAL

2 large carrots, peeled and shredded finely...about a cup and a half
2 cups crushed pineapple, drained
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup Splenda or sweetener of choice, to taste
2 cups old-fashioned oats
4 cups water

Combine everything in the crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally and check to see if you need more liquid.
My food processor didn't shred the carrots as finely as I would have liked so I had to cook the oatmeal a little longer than I liked. I think I would pre-cook them in the microwave a little before adding them next time I make it.

SO THIS IS WHAT I ATE TODAY:

Breakfast: Polenta, sliced and lightly browned in a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray; 2 eggs scrambled; 2 Tbsp salsa on top.

Mid-morning: Banana and "Hot Pumpkin Cocoa"

HOT PUMPKIN COCOA

2 cups skim milk
1/3 cup pumpkin
1/4 tsp vanilla
few shakes of pumpkin-pie spice
Sweetener to taste

Warm and serve with a little nutmeg on top.

Lunch: Mediterranean Salad: Lettuce, onion, green pepper, Albacore tuna, garbanzo beans, red wine vinegar and 1 tsp. olive oil.

Afternoon: Brown-bag microwave popcorn and an apple

Supper: Orange Roughy grilled with 2 Tbsp seasoned flour (1 Pt.) and 1 tsp olive oil; broccoli; 1/2 plain baked potato

Evening: Sugar-free jello, broccoli and cauliflower

Kathy-Kathy-Pumpkin-eater

I received my copy of "Deceptively Delicious"...Jessica Seinfeld's book...today and will look through it over the next few days and let you know if I see anything interesting or a review of anything I might try. I don't have a problem with vegetables, just thought it might be fun to try some new variations...hope there are some good ones.

I have been having fun with pumpkin the past few days. Once the can is open, I feel obliged to try and use it up. Besides the Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, I made a milkshake this afternoon with pumpkin...it was really good and I will definitely make it again!

PUMPKIN MILK SHAKE

1 cup skim milk
2 or 3 Tablespoons pumpkin (from can)
a few drops of vanilla
Splenda to taste (2 packets for me)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
a few pieces of ice

Blend until smooth.

I also cooked up some polenta and stuck it in the fridge in a loaf pan. I plan to have it handy to serve with beans over it, or with tomato sauce, or browned up in a non-stick skillet and served with an egg and a slice of ham.

POLENTA

1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 cups cold water
4 chicken bouillon cubes

Place everything in a medium sized heavy pan and stir constantly as you bring it to a boil. Be careful not to let any of the meal bubble up on you...it can cause a serious burn. I learned this as a kid at my mother's side. Lower temp and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

A word to the wise: Don't let the pan or spoons set after cooking...it will be IMPOSSIBLE to clean up after it drys. I learned that as a kid too. lol

SO...HERE'S WHAT I ATE TODAY:

Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal and 1 cup skim milk

Mid-morning: Vanilla Latte made with 1 cup skim milk, 1 cup strong coffee, a few drops of vanilla and sweetener. A few red grapes.

Lunch: Italian soup served in a bowl over a scoop of warm polenta; watermelon

Afternoon: Pumpkin milk shake

Supper: Grilled chicken breast, fingerling potatoes with 2 tsp olive oil, cauliflower and broccoli and watermelon

Evening: Brown bag microwave popcorn...if I'm hungry

Click here to see what artist, Phil Hansen does with the oil he found in a large order of fast-food french fries.

AS WRITTEN

I'll bet Skinny Guy didn't realize what an impact his blog entry of a week or two ago was going to have on me...and maybe some others...but ever since his admonition to just follow the plan...AS WRITTEN...I have had those two words swimming around in my head. You see, everything has to make sense to me or I question and doubt and play with it and tweak it to death.

When I read through the Core list, I started doing that...."Now why can I have tomato sauce and tomato paste but not tomato juice?"...and..."Why isn't any yogurt but unflavored fat-free yogurt considered Core?"...I was all ready to play the "I'm smarter than Weight Watchers" game.

But those two words just kept coming back to me...AS WRITTEN. And the light finally came on...just let it be...stop trying to reinvent the wheel...just follow the plan and see what happens. And it has worked. Read the plan. Reread the plan. Study the plan. Follow the plan. Don't try to rewrite the plan!!!

WHAT'S DIFFERENT?

I'm actually eating fruit and drinking milk. I always avoided them because I wanted to use my points on "fun" things like sugar-free, fat-free ice cream. And again...that is no fault of the Flex Program...it is a great program and I'm not trying to convert anyone, believe me. I just was not using my points wisely...and now I'm eating fruit again.

And Hubby is so proud to tell the WW "girls" at work that he is following Core...Devil!!! His blood sugar has responded outstandingly well...from the 300's last week to 80 and even 55 this morning!!! That's impressive.

SO...HERE'S WHAT I ATE TODAY:

Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal and 2 cups skim milk

PUMPKIN PIE OATMEAL

I made a huge amount of this in the crockpot yesterday so I would have it ready in the fridge to reheat in the microwave for our breakfasts.

2 cups Old-fashioned whole oats
4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup Splenda

Combine everything in crockpot and cook on high for about 3 hours...stir once after about 2 hours. Refrigerate in individual serving bowls and warm in microwave when ready to serve.

Mid-morning: 1 banana and a cup of vegetable soup

Lunch: Roast beef, a potato, and a carrot (leftovers), green pepper, onion, and raw cauliflower

Supper: Salad with 2 boiled eggs, vinegar and 2 tsp olive oil; 1 cup Mixed Beans

Evening: I will have 1 cup yogurt and a small slice of watermelon
(yogurt is not on the snack list...skim milk instead...still learning!)

AMNESIA

Clever use of aluminum foil, huh? And a reminder that there is a Holiday coming up in a week and we'd better get our strategies in place. I don't know about you, but I develop situational amnesia about my food plan. I came in from reporting for jury duty today (didn't have to serve...everyone went for plea agreements at the last minute!) and was famished. I had been afraid to eat much this morning...nerves...and was just ready to scarf down anything when I got home. Thank goodness the kitchen is pretty much Core Central and there weren't any goofy foods to grab...but I had to stand there for a minute and get my bearings and make myself consciously remember what it was I was supposed to be looking for. I do the same thing in buffet or cafeteria lines. All memory of food plans and disciplined eating just disappears. So, I try to go into Holiday meals with a plan. This year, I plan to do the following: Save a majority of my WPA's for Thursday. Remember to drink liquids...preferably water. Savor...don't stuff. Eat small portions of the foods that are special to the occasion...skip the foods I can eat any time...eat slowly and mindfully. Find out ahead of time what food items will be served and "rehearse" what I will choose to eat ahead of time. Remember that it is one meal...it is only food and not entertainment! Breakfast: Scrambled egg and ham Lunch: Chicken breast, leftover sweet and sour red cabbage, corn Mid-afternoon: Apple, 2 cups skim milk Supper: Roast beef, green beans, deviled egg Evening: I will have popcorn with the 2 tsp olive oil I haven't had yet today and one more cup of milk

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF "CORE" GIRL

My friends, I am loving this. I have eaten some of the best food today...no kidding...and I'm going to put on my Cheerleader outfit here...stop laughing!!!...and send out some enthusiastic weight-losing vibes.

As Darrell Waltrip says, "Here me now; believe me later."

I needed a kick-in-the-seat restart to my stalled out weight-loss plan...notice all the NASCAR references??? DW was praising Jeff Gordan's fast car once and telling him that with that car he would be a sure winner in the race, when Jeff looked at him and said, "DW, the last time I looked around, there ain't nobody in there but me." We all have weight loss plans available to us that are the equivalent of that fast car, but if we don't take control and drive it home, we will not win the race.

One more racing story and I'm on to something else. The Chase is on in NASCAR and Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordan are the only contenders who have a realistic chance at the championship this year...but there are 12 guys in the Chase and only 10 of them get to be recognized at the Awards Banquet...a big deal. Matt Kenseth was in 11th place when the race began in Texas yesterday and he found himself at the front of the field in the last few laps when Jimmie Johnson burst forward and started fighting him for the win...they were door to door and in jeopardy of taking each other out when Matt came on the radio and asked, " Would it be better just to settle for second?" I could not believe my ears...a racer was asking if it would be better not to race hard at the end because he might wreck and not make it to 10th place and the Awards Banquet??? Well, he suddenly fell back, Jimmie took the lead and Matt is in 10th place today.

All this to say: Many of us are settling for second place and not doing what we need to do to "bring it home" weight-wise. Just saying.

Back to Core...this has been a fabulous day. I used up a lot of foods that were leftover from the weekend...you'll see how I used them as you follow my food for the day. Here's what I had.

Breakfast: Apple Spice Oatmeal (from yesterday and warmed in the microwave) and 1 cup skim milk

Mid-morning: Banana and a bowl of "Oh My God This Is Good Italian Soup"

OMGTIG ITALIAN SOUP

1 quart of homemade spaghetti sauce (leftover from Saturday)
2 cups water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups cooked spaghetti squash (leftover)
1 cup spinach leaves (what was left in the bag with a few leaves held out for lunch)
1/4 head of cabbage, diced (left from a previous recipe)

Put everything in a soup pot and let it simmer for about an hour until the cabbage is soft.
When this was done, I took a bite to test for salt and doneness...and the name was born!!!

Lunch: Remember the roast and potatoes from yesterday? They turned into a wonderful hash for lunch. I took a slice of the roast beef and diced it up along with a couple of the potato wedges, added a little onion, leftover red bell pepper and those spinach leaves, and a couple of tablespoons of the meat juice from the roast and cooked them in a non-stick pan until everything was soft. I drizzled a teaspoon of olive oil over it just before eating it. Heaven!!!

Mid-afternoon: Brown-bag microwave popcorn and a few red grapes

Supper: Hot "Bacon" Salad
Mixed fruit salad...mandarin oranges, pineapple, banana, and a few grapes...and 1 cup
fat-free yogurt

HOT "BACON" SALAD

This is my interpretation of the Pennsylvania Dutch classic...re-invented for Core...and it was fabulous. The original uses bacon in the dressing, but I substituted ham.

This is a single serving:
1/4 head leafy lettuce or spinach
2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 or 3 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 or 2 boiled eggs, sliced

Over this, pour the following:

2 oz lean ham, diced very small, and browned in non-stick skillet or pan
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp mild vinegar...I used rice vinegar
1 packet Splenda
After the ham has browned, pour the remaining ingredients over it and warm. Pour over the salad just prior to serving.

Evening: I will have 1 more cup of skim milk to finish out the day.

Have a good one...and remember...don't settle for second place!!!

CORE: DAY 4

There is definitely a learning curve when you begin a new program and I have been learning a little more every day...it just takes practice.

Today, I realized that whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, and potatoes are limited to one meal a day...I had potato twice yesterday and whole-wheat spaghetti for supper. The servings were all small, but I know now to balance those out. I also caught the cottage cheese that I used for the afternoon dip was not on the snack list. I checked on-line and found that the fact that I eat six mini-meals would make that ok, but I'll need to figure out how that style of eating affects other Core rules...still working on that.

I want my week to begin every Monday, so I will consider today the end of Week 1. I wanted to do that so we can use our points on the weekend. We had our first "treat" meal at lunch today and I think we did pretty well.

So, here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: Apple spice oatmeal and 1 serving of skim milk

Mid-morning: An apple and a few red grapes

Lunch: Pizza Hut Medium Thin and Crispy Vegetable Pizza...2 1/2 slices and water. (I think I did pretty well. I had allotted myself 3 pieces, but stopped in the middle of the third one when I realized I wasn't really hungry anymore. I probably should have had a salad with it, but theirs are so awful that I decided to skip it.)

Mid-afternoon: Celery sticks and a cup of hot tea

CROCKPOT POTROAST

Combine in a crockpot:
Eye of Round beef roast...about 2 pounds
Potatoes, peeled and quartered (I used 4 white potatoes and 1 large sweet potato)
Carrots (I had a bunch of carrots from my vegetable delivery...orange, yellow, white, and purple)
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 cup water

Cook on low about 8 hours.

Supper: Eye of Round, sliced; white and sweet potatoes, and carrots; 1 cup fat-free yogurt topped with 1 cup raspberries

I'm skipping my sixth mini-meal today since I had the yogurt and fruit for supper and am not hungry. I did not get in my third serving of dairy today or the oil...that's what happens when you have pizza for lunch, I guess.

Shannon asked me if I have to do a lot of cooking for Core and I guess I have been cooking quite a bit but a lot of it has been in the crockpot or is a quick fix. I did a lot of cooking with Flex too. And I have loads of left-overs for next week, so once the meal is fixed, it can get you through several more later.

I prepared a big pan of the oatmeal this morning and put the extra in individual bowls for the refrigerator for the next few mornings.

I pack lunch for Hubby and he has said he would be happy with soup, cottage cheese, and fruit. He always keeps the 100 calorie packs of popcorn at work in case he wants something in the afternoon, and we routinely pack fresh vegetables for him.

I'm going to get back to my sports now...double duty switching between the Colts game...a must for us Indy residents...and the NASCAR race from Texas.

CORE: DAY 3

I saw a new title for Grandmothers today and I think I'm going to adopt it:
"Senior Research Associate of Child Development and Human Relations"...waddaya think???

I woke up this morning with the swelling in my feet gone and my tummy feeling flatter...not bad for the morning of the third day. So far, this has been a fabulous experiment and I'm anxious to continue to see how I handle it long term.

I always said that I would not be posting what I ate at every meal on my blog, but I think it might be instructive...at least for a while...for anyone else who is curious about Core, but not tried it, and to put it out there for anyone who is familiar with the plan to let me know if I have misunderstood something and correct me...it is a learning experience.

So, here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: An omelet with fresh spinach, onion, red bell pepper, and a little cottage cheese in the middle; a small fingerling potato, nuked, and sauteed in a teaspoon of olive oil; and a cup of skim milk heated and added to my coffee.

Mid-morning: An apple and 1/2 bag of popcorn ( Hubby and I were experimenting with popping corn in a brown paper bag in the microwave ala-Skinny Guy...it was great!), and a cup of orange spice tea.

Lunch: Lettuce and tomato salad with vinegar and olive oil, roasted turkey breast, 1/3 plain baked potato.

Mid-afternoon: Smoothie made with 1 cup skim milk, 1 small banana, and 1/2 cup frozen raspberries.
Celery and a dip made with 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese blended with 1 Tbsp dry onion-soup mix (yummy!)

Supper: Salad with Boston lettuce, tomato, onion, and red bell pepper with vinegar and olive oil;
Whole wheat spaghetti with homemade spaghetti sauce.

CORE TOMATO SAUCE

1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
a pinch of crushed red pepper

I placed everything in the crockpot and cooked it on low most of the day. About an hour before serving, I used my immersion blender to make it a little smoother.
Note: Next time I will prepare a double recipe of this on top of the stove so the liquid cooks out of it a little more and I will freeze it in 1 pint containers for future use. It makes about 5 cups as written.

Tomorrow I will chop and pre-cook vegetables for filling Hubby's omelets this week and also prepare a big pot of oatmeal and put it in individual serving containers. He doesn't care for instant oatmeal and I have to get him out the door for work about 5:30 every morning, so this will speed things up.

Thanks for all your comments on my going Core...I appreciate them all and they really help.
Briana asked me about the vegetable delivery service. I kept reading all summer from several blogs about home-delivery programs of fruits and vegetables and I was so jealous! So, I finally took the plunge and did a little research and found there was one starting up in our area called Farm Fresh. I love the convenience of the delivery, but my favorite thing is getting to try and use vegetables and fruits that I probably would pass up in the grocery store. The spinach leaves were perfect and I really enjoyed them in my eggs this morning. The spaghetti squash was super...and btw, I forgot to mention that I drizzled my second teaspoon of olive oil on mine before I ate it yesterday...I didn't forget, Cathy, but thanks for the reminder...that's what I'm talking about...I need you to catch things like that.

I have noticed that I am eating more real food as opposed to the processed foods I was choosing on Flex...no fault of the plan...that's just the way I was playing it. And we are both able to go much longer between meals before we begin to feel a little peckish. The past few months I have actually made myself wait 2 hours between eating and, even then, I was watching the clock and counting the minutes until I could eat something.

CORE: DAY 2

My second day on Core coincided with my first delivery of a box of great looking vegetables and fruit to my door. I have some fingerling potatoes to roast, a spaghetti squash, some multi-colored carrots (YUM), broccoli, spinach and a leaf lettuce, apples, grapes, and grapefruit...a nice addition to my meals this coming week.

I split the spaghetti squash in half and put it cut-side down on a baking sheet, and baked it at 375 degrees for an hour. I left it cut-side down to cool so it steamed a little before I took a fork to it and shredded it. I sat aside a little to have for supper and put the rest in two storage bowls to have later.

I bought a quart of fat-free yogurt and put it in a sieve lined with a coffee filter for the night to turn it into that thick yogurt everyone is talking about. It will be ready tomorrow to sweeten with Splenda, add a little vanilla and some orange zest, and serve up with some raspberries.

So, this is what I ate today...all of it way good...and filling. We have both been very pleased with what we had to eat today and I haven't been craving junk all day like I have the past few weeks.

Breakfast: Oatmeal cooked with a diced Macintosh apple and cinnamon and a glass of milk.

Mid-morning: An apple

Lunch: Green salad with fat-free French dressing, 1/2 baked potato with salsa, grilled cube steak

Mid-afternoon: Skim-milk latte

Dinner: Salad of fresh spinach, fresh tomato, yellow pepper, onion, a teaspoon of olive oil, two teaspoons red wine vinegar, garlic powder and salt; 1 cup spaghetti squash and Chicken Barley Chili (recipe in last post).

Evening snack: 1 container fat-free, sugar-free yogurt

I THINK I LIKE IT

Core...I've never even considered it before...thought it wasn't for me...I would miss my bread! But when I went back to basics and reread my WW material, I took one more look at it and decided to go on-line and see how people were living with it...what they ate on a daily basis...were they comfortable with the choices they were offered.

Skinny Guy was good enough to tell me what he eats in a normal day. I went to the Message Board and read what people were writing...what questions they were asking. I went to the recipe exchange and looked over the great looking recipes. And I considered how it would fit into my lifestyle and that of my husband.

I was beginning to warm up to the idea.

I studied the list of foods that were considered core and made note of the foods that weren't.

So, yesterday morning, I started out the day on Flex with a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of milk...determined to get those 8 Healthy's in...and then I went back to record it and realized that I had just had a Core meal. So, I studied the food supply in the house and decided I would give it a try for the day.

One of the things I always worried about...and I'm not alone in this...was the idea that I could have unlimited amounts of Core foods. I thought I would turn into an eating machine...but the new snack guidelines...didn't know about them until I did some reading...and the fact that you are to eat until you're comfortably full and then stop...reassured me a little.

I had an apple mid-morning and warmed up another half cup of milk with an equal amount of coffee, Splenda, and a little vanilla and had a great latte with it.

I had some of my stuffed cabbage casserole left over from earlier in the week for lunch. It wasn't Core the way I made it last time...white rice and spaghetti sauce...but I pretended for the moment knowing that I could just as easily turn it into a Core meal next time I made it.

Mid-afternoon, I had a bag of 94% popcorn.

We went out to dinner where I had a lettuce and tomato salad with fat-free French dressing, a grilled chicken breast and a plain baked potato. I brought the extra chicken from my meal home and put it into my chili for today.

I finished the day off with a cup of yogurt with vanilla and Splenda.

That was a good day of eating and Hubby liked it too. We've decided to give it a trial run and see if we can live with it.

We started our day off with a bowl of oatmeal cooked with a MacIntosh apple diced up in it and a touch of cinnamon...really good...milk, and a scrambled egg for Hubby.

For lunch we'll have this chili I cooked up after supper last night:

CHICKEN BARLEY CHILI

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 16-ounce jar salsa
1 14 1/2 ounce can chicken broth
1 cup quick-cooking barley
3 cups water
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 1/4-ounce can corn, drained
2 or 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a soup pot and cook until barley is soft and all flavors have blended.

Well, wish me well. I'll keep posting what we're eating (for Veronika and Shannon) and give you recipes as I discover them.

BACK TO BASICS

As promised, I went back to basics, got out my Week 1 Weight Watcher booklet, and read through it. Yes...I have definitely taken some forks in the road...pun intended!!!...since I last studied it.

1. Stay within your points budget plus a weekly points allowance.
2. Track what you eat and its point value.
3. Follow the Good Health Guidelines.

Well...cause I was so smart and experienced...I quit weighing and measuring things. Hmmm.

And...cause I'm so BUSY and it's SO MUCH TROUBLE...I quit writing everything down...I just kept track of my points in my head.

And...the Good Health Guidelines...I seriously thought those were a part of the Core list.

Now...why have I been having so much trouble sticking to my food plan?

I think I can feel Dr. Phil glaring at me and shaking his head right about now.

So, here's what I'm going to do...before I even have a cup of coffee:

1. I'm putting out a fresh new notebook and pen where it will be handy for writing down everything I eat today.
2. I'm going to make out a plan for what I will be eating today taking into account the 8 Healthy Guidelines.
3. I will measure out any food that has a point value.
4. I will convince myself that, although I am smart...I'm not THAT SMART!!!

IN THE "SOME FOODS SHOULD NOT BE PHOTOGRAPHED" DEPARTMENT

Check out Hungry Girl this morning!!!