Ever been there? I'm sure you have. We all have. That thought goes through my head a lot, what if I can't do it, what if I fail, what if it's not right...., but this morning, I decided I would kind of turn it around, what if I can do it, what if I won't fail, what if it is right?
The thought crossed my mind several times over the last two weeks since "taking a break" from running and training for my half-marathon. What if I can't do the 13.1 miles? What if I run out of gas? What if my foot hurts that day? What if I fall behind? What if I cross the finish line in last place? Or...my latest fear...what if I end up running the wrong route?
It's been almost two years since the first day I ran. My thoughts have been on this anniversary for a while. In fact, the other day, I think I actually posted that it would be a three-year anniversary, but in looking back today, it's been two years.
Why did I think it was three? I just realized as I sat here looking back at old posts that the reason is that now I think of myself as "a runner". I no longer think of myself as a person striving to be a runner. No. Now I think of myself as a runner and feel like I've always been doing it, when actually, it's only been 24 months. 24 Months!!!! And now I'm training for a half-marathon!
I think back to that day when I started running for the first time. I just woke up that morning and decided to try it. There was absolutely no thoughts in my mind like what if I can't do it, what if I fail, what if someone is watching, what if someone laughs, which, now that I think back, was ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES IN ME. Instead, I got up that morning and thought, "I'm going to run", more like "What if I can run a mile." All I knew was I was going to run a mile, and I did. Without questioning myself, I just got out there and starting moving on the track. It was an important turning point in my life.
So this morning, I'm once again turning it around. What if I can do the 13.1 miles? What's next? Another half maybe? What if I don't run out of gas, and what if I actually beat my expected time? What if my foot doesn't hurt that day? Might I actually do better than I would ever expect? What if I don't fall behind? What if I cross the finish line still feeling strong? Or...my latest fear...what if I end up running the wrong route? Well, if I end up running the wrong route, what if I just keep going anyway, find my way, and still cross the finish line?
I don't know the answers to any of these questions for sure, but I know that I will do my best. That's all I can, my best at that very moment. I do know that I can do it and I will do it. Will I run the whole way? Don't know, but I know I will continue to move. Will I have a good race time? I don't know, but I know I will have the best time that I can on that particular day. I will do my very best. I will cross that finish line. As for losing my way, well, I sure hope not!
So now, to end this post for today, switch away from running for a second. What if I have a bad day and don't make good choices? Well, okay, it happens. What if the next day, I have a good day and make great choices? What if I just try right now, today, this morning, at this moment? Little by little, I creep along, sometimes good, sometimes great, sometimes not so good, but I keep trying, stay positive, and MOVE ON.
For me, I am on this journey for the rest of my life, day in, day out. I have had a weight issue for my entire life. For me, it's not something that's going to just "go away" because I'm now at goal weight. No. I will still have to focus on eating healthy and exercising for the rest of my life. But it's a task I am willing to accept every single day, because I don't ever want to go back.
P.S. I did get back out and run yesterday. I didn't track the mileage, just went to a local park and my only goal was to run more than 30 minutes. I did and it felt great to move again, did wonders for me physically and emotionally. And running on a windy day definitely adds a level of cardio!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Here I Come, Ready or Not!
Ah, got up this morning feeling much more like myself than I have in two weeks! I'm still having trouble getting out of bed in the morning, and yet again, I'm running late and have to get to work, but wanted to get this post done first.
So like I said, feeling so much more like myself. I'm ready for the day. Of course, it does come with a "confession". I got into the cupcakes last night. Yep, I did. My first real "cupcake slip" since I started baking. I normally allow myself one cupcake, and then the rest are for friends and family. But last night, they were calling me. They were out on a plate. I had one and then didn't even think about it and grabbed another. Okay. I'm wrong. I did think about it and decided to have it anyway!
So now that's it. That's the last treat for the week. Tracking everything, even the cupcakes, drinking lots of water, plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, no extra points for the rest of the week.... and my plan is to get out today for a short run. I'm so excited to get back out there. Friday is a special day for me, kind of an anniversary, three years since the very first time I ran, and Friday is also my first scheduled 8-mile long run. So I need to get out there today and tomorrow and get a few miles in to get these legs working again.
Breakfast this morning was a HUGE omelette with leftover sauteed mushrooms and onion from last night and fresh spinach, eggbeaters and some low-fat feta cheese. Fueled and ready to for the day!
So like I said, feeling so much more like myself. I'm ready for the day. Of course, it does come with a "confession". I got into the cupcakes last night. Yep, I did. My first real "cupcake slip" since I started baking. I normally allow myself one cupcake, and then the rest are for friends and family. But last night, they were calling me. They were out on a plate. I had one and then didn't even think about it and grabbed another. Okay. I'm wrong. I did think about it and decided to have it anyway!
So now that's it. That's the last treat for the week. Tracking everything, even the cupcakes, drinking lots of water, plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, no extra points for the rest of the week.... and my plan is to get out today for a short run. I'm so excited to get back out there. Friday is a special day for me, kind of an anniversary, three years since the very first time I ran, and Friday is also my first scheduled 8-mile long run. So I need to get out there today and tomorrow and get a few miles in to get these legs working again.
Breakfast this morning was a HUGE omelette with leftover sauteed mushrooms and onion from last night and fresh spinach, eggbeaters and some low-fat feta cheese. Fueled and ready to for the day!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Struggles Can Still Equal Success
Yes, I really struggled, but muddled through. I attempted each day, meal by meal, bite by bite sometimes, to make healthy choices for myself. I did not use the excuse that I couldn't run, therefore, it's not going to be a good week. As a result, I had a good result at my weigh-in last week, down 3.2.
Yesterday was a day full of little things that took up a lot of time. It was also "pizza day", and I enjoyed every single bite, and tracked each piece. After having pizza for lunch, we ran out to a couple stores to finish grocery shopping, and then home to finish up my other work and focus on a healthy dinner.
I knew I wanted fish for dinner, and I picked up cod for dinner. Rubbed with a little fresh garlic, salt and pepper, lemon juice, fresh chives, a sprinkle of bread crumbs over the top with a drizzle of olive oil. Baked in the oven until it was done. Served with sweet potato, sauteed swiss chard, and a salad. Great healthy dinner!
Of course, it was also time last night to "test" another cupcake recipe. They turned out okay. The cake was very good, but I think the frosting is too sweet. Hubby thinks they're good, but, of course, he has a huge sweet tooth.
I know, very pink! Vanilla Cupcake with a hint of strawberry, Buttercream Marshmallow Fluff Frosting.
I never thought I would survive being around cupcakes and buttercream frosting as much as I have, but for me, the trick is that I allow myself one cupcake, and then that's it. The rest are for hubby and I give some of them to friends and family. So far, it works for me, and I am finally able to enjoy my longtime desire to learn how to bake and to use a piping bag. Still haven't taken that step to take a class on cake decorating, but so far, learning a lot just from the internet and YouTube.
Yesterday was a day full of little things that took up a lot of time. It was also "pizza day", and I enjoyed every single bite, and tracked each piece. After having pizza for lunch, we ran out to a couple stores to finish grocery shopping, and then home to finish up my other work and focus on a healthy dinner.
I knew I wanted fish for dinner, and I picked up cod for dinner. Rubbed with a little fresh garlic, salt and pepper, lemon juice, fresh chives, a sprinkle of bread crumbs over the top with a drizzle of olive oil. Baked in the oven until it was done. Served with sweet potato, sauteed swiss chard, and a salad. Great healthy dinner!
Of course, it was also time last night to "test" another cupcake recipe. They turned out okay. The cake was very good, but I think the frosting is too sweet. Hubby thinks they're good, but, of course, he has a huge sweet tooth.
I know, very pink! Vanilla Cupcake with a hint of strawberry, Buttercream Marshmallow Fluff Frosting.
I never thought I would survive being around cupcakes and buttercream frosting as much as I have, but for me, the trick is that I allow myself one cupcake, and then that's it. The rest are for hubby and I give some of them to friends and family. So far, it works for me, and I am finally able to enjoy my longtime desire to learn how to bake and to use a piping bag. Still haven't taken that step to take a class on cake decorating, but so far, learning a lot just from the internet and YouTube.
Friday, March 25, 2011
YOU CAN DO THIS!
Another short and sweet post. Have to get myself together and stop pouting.
My new motto, mantra, whatever you want to call it.....
"YOU CAN DO THIS"
In fact, plans on making new t-shirt tonight.
This could apply to so many aspects of my life, your life, anybody's life. It's okay to feel sorry for yourself for a little while, but okay, enough already! Time to move on! No matter what it is, we can atleast try. If we don't try, we surely won't get anywhere.
I had my little (okay, not so little) pity party for myself last night. Done. Check it off the list. Time to move on.
What does it do by telling myself this phrase made up of four little words, "You Can Do This"? It gives me power. It gives me strength. It tells me all things are possible....if I just try, and keep on trying. This may not necessarily apply to weightloss, or exercise (as in my situation) but applies to every aspect of one's life really.
So here we go, as Ms. Carla said to me this morning, "A New Day".
AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NEW DAY IT IS HERE ON THE EAST COAST, WITH BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE COMING THROUGH MY OFFICE WINDOW!
My new motto, mantra, whatever you want to call it.....
"YOU CAN DO THIS"
In fact, plans on making new t-shirt tonight.
This could apply to so many aspects of my life, your life, anybody's life. It's okay to feel sorry for yourself for a little while, but okay, enough already! Time to move on! No matter what it is, we can atleast try. If we don't try, we surely won't get anywhere.
I had my little (okay, not so little) pity party for myself last night. Done. Check it off the list. Time to move on.
What does it do by telling myself this phrase made up of four little words, "You Can Do This"? It gives me power. It gives me strength. It tells me all things are possible....if I just try, and keep on trying. This may not necessarily apply to weightloss, or exercise (as in my situation) but applies to every aspect of one's life really.
So here we go, as Ms. Carla said to me this morning, "A New Day".
AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NEW DAY IT IS HERE ON THE EAST COAST, WITH BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE COMING THROUGH MY OFFICE WINDOW!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tough it Out
Been a rough week, not feeling great, tired, and just trying to tough it out to the end. I've been doing well with controlling what I eat, really enjoying my fruit and greek yogurt as a treat at night. No activity at all this week. Hoping for tomorrow, if all goes well and I can get some good rest, but if not, it's okay. My body has to feel well in order for the rest of i to happen. So I'll rest more if need be.
Other than that, not much to tell. I am reading all the blogs as much as possible, but just can't seem to get in the groove this week.
Tomorrow is a new day! :)
Other than that, not much to tell. I am reading all the blogs as much as possible, but just can't seem to get in the groove this week.
Tomorrow is a new day! :)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sweet Bay/Bay Laurel Tree
A little off topic, but just curious if anyone has any info. I bought a sweet bay or bay laurel plant a few years back (I believe at a local garden center). I had been looking for a while and was so happy to find it.
It grew slowly over the first few years, but I always clipped a few leaves when I was making soups or stews and sometimes in my pasta sauce.
It lives on our back patio in the summer, comes into the enclosed porch in the fall, and into our sunny diningroom in the winter. Like I said, always a slow grower...until this year! It has a new branch that has taken off over the winter and is twice as large as the rest of the plant, and the leaves on that branch are very large!
So just wondering if this is "normal". I've never seen bay leaves that large. I read online that there are several plants out there that "look similar to bay", but are not edible and, in fact, some are poisonous! Now, of course, I've used occasionally in soups and stews and pasta sauce, never got sick, but was just curious if anybody knows if what I've got is true bay.
It grew slowly over the first few years, but I always clipped a few leaves when I was making soups or stews and sometimes in my pasta sauce.
It lives on our back patio in the summer, comes into the enclosed porch in the fall, and into our sunny diningroom in the winter. Like I said, always a slow grower...until this year! It has a new branch that has taken off over the winter and is twice as large as the rest of the plant, and the leaves on that branch are very large!
System Rebooted - Ready to Go!
Ahhh, just an regular, ordinary Monday morning. System has been rebooted and ready to go. Pondering what to make for breakfast. Oh, I know, the normal breakfast, eggbeaters! What to make for dinner? Hmmm, some kind of chicken breast or chicken thighs maybe with some nice steamed veggies and a side of brown rice, oh, and a big salad.
Still not going to run for another day or so, but maybe some yoga TV or something, OR HULA HOOPING, to warm the system back up.
Last week was so crazy busy. I was able to get a couple runs in though and stuck to the plan, tracking points...until Saturday. I didn't eat much Saturday honestly. Munched on some Cabot 75% cheese while I helped take down tables and set up tables at the hall for our fundraiser. A little later, I ate a half cup of greek yogurt and some fresh fruit, strawberries, pineapple and grapes. I also ate a turkey and spinach sandwich I had brought with me while we were prepping the salad bar and the guys were cooking the wings. Wing cooking went on all day long. It was crazy! During the party, I ate three plain chicken wings and a nice bowl of salad. I also ate one of my cupcakes and a lemon bar. But I did not track any of it. Guess I still could, but just don't feel like it. Ready to start fresh.
Yesterday was a beautiful day! I slept in a little, which was wonderful (okay, I decided to sleep in "a little" this morning too). My thought is if I'm working at home and I have the opportunity, if the day's schedule isn't too busy, I should get extra rest and let the body heal. I also got out in the garden and cleaned out a few flower beds. Hubby planted my "salad bowl" (more on this another time), and made my Dad's meatballs and sauce for dinner with a great big salad. Good.
Unfortunately, my big downfall was last night when I found a bag of milk chocolates that I forgot to bring to the party. Ughh. They're just tiny little things, but I ate six of them! That probably equaled a whole bar of chocolate! Oh, well, done. Happens. Moving on. Like I said, system has been rebooted and we're good to go now (just hide that bag of chocolate).
Well, I'm off for a nice, regular day. Raining pretty good here this morning, which is always good for me for working. No distractions.
Might have to take some time to browse around the blogs and find something different to do with chicken thighs for dinner.
Still not going to run for another day or so, but maybe some yoga TV or something, OR HULA HOOPING, to warm the system back up.
Last week was so crazy busy. I was able to get a couple runs in though and stuck to the plan, tracking points...until Saturday. I didn't eat much Saturday honestly. Munched on some Cabot 75% cheese while I helped take down tables and set up tables at the hall for our fundraiser. A little later, I ate a half cup of greek yogurt and some fresh fruit, strawberries, pineapple and grapes. I also ate a turkey and spinach sandwich I had brought with me while we were prepping the salad bar and the guys were cooking the wings. Wing cooking went on all day long. It was crazy! During the party, I ate three plain chicken wings and a nice bowl of salad. I also ate one of my cupcakes and a lemon bar. But I did not track any of it. Guess I still could, but just don't feel like it. Ready to start fresh.
Yesterday was a beautiful day! I slept in a little, which was wonderful (okay, I decided to sleep in "a little" this morning too). My thought is if I'm working at home and I have the opportunity, if the day's schedule isn't too busy, I should get extra rest and let the body heal. I also got out in the garden and cleaned out a few flower beds. Hubby planted my "salad bowl" (more on this another time), and made my Dad's meatballs and sauce for dinner with a great big salad. Good.
Unfortunately, my big downfall was last night when I found a bag of milk chocolates that I forgot to bring to the party. Ughh. They're just tiny little things, but I ate six of them! That probably equaled a whole bar of chocolate! Oh, well, done. Happens. Moving on. Like I said, system has been rebooted and we're good to go now (just hide that bag of chocolate).
Well, I'm off for a nice, regular day. Raining pretty good here this morning, which is always good for me for working. No distractions.
Might have to take some time to browse around the blogs and find something different to do with chicken thighs for dinner.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Hit the Reset Button
Deep breath. That was a CRAZY week, followed by a crazier Friday and Saturday. Whew, glad that's done.
I am so far behind on reading everyone's blogs. Don't know if I'll ever catch up. And I haven't tracked and counted what I've eaten in two whole days now. That's really unlike me. Not necessarily "off program" but feels stranged that I haven't tracked. Need to hit the reset button and get back to normal.
The fundraiser was a great success yesterday. Promised myself that I was going to do whatever I wanted today. That meant sleeping in a bit, until 8:00 a.m. instead of 6:00 a.m. That meant relaxing in the reclincer while I drank my coffee and read the paper. I did have to go to the grocery store and get some things to get us threw the week, because when I checked the freezer, we really had nothing left but the a couple very large frozen turkeys and a pack of chicken breasts. After dropping by my brother's for a short visit, we made quick work of the shopping and headed home for lunch. I put the groceries away, had some lunch, and then I actually got out in the garden and cleaned out three flower beds. Felt good to be out in the sun.
Due to some physical issues (nothing major), I am unable to run for a few days. I was bummed about that, because it was perfect weather for a good jog, but hopefully by Tuesday I might be able to get back out there. Less than two weeks left already in the month of March. April, my long run will be bumped up to 8 miles. Wow, hard to believe I'm able to run that far!
So tomorrow I hit the reset button, start tracking and get back to work. Was so nice to have a day off though to do whatever I felt like at the moment. I definitely need more of those!
I am so far behind on reading everyone's blogs. Don't know if I'll ever catch up. And I haven't tracked and counted what I've eaten in two whole days now. That's really unlike me. Not necessarily "off program" but feels stranged that I haven't tracked. Need to hit the reset button and get back to normal.
The fundraiser was a great success yesterday. Promised myself that I was going to do whatever I wanted today. That meant sleeping in a bit, until 8:00 a.m. instead of 6:00 a.m. That meant relaxing in the reclincer while I drank my coffee and read the paper. I did have to go to the grocery store and get some things to get us threw the week, because when I checked the freezer, we really had nothing left but the a couple very large frozen turkeys and a pack of chicken breasts. After dropping by my brother's for a short visit, we made quick work of the shopping and headed home for lunch. I put the groceries away, had some lunch, and then I actually got out in the garden and cleaned out three flower beds. Felt good to be out in the sun.
Due to some physical issues (nothing major), I am unable to run for a few days. I was bummed about that, because it was perfect weather for a good jog, but hopefully by Tuesday I might be able to get back out there. Less than two weeks left already in the month of March. April, my long run will be bumped up to 8 miles. Wow, hard to believe I'm able to run that far!
So tomorrow I hit the reset button, start tracking and get back to work. Was so nice to have a day off though to do whatever I felt like at the moment. I definitely need more of those!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Three Days- Three Busy Days
Wow, has it really been that long since I posted? Time is flying. Crazy busy this week working and prepping for a fundraiser.
I'm still struggling with that sweet tooth at night. Wonder if it's because of my "exposure to butter cream" lately. Ha ha! Yes, I'm still into making the cupcakes. I've become cupcake obsessed! Just kidding. But I did bake yet again last night. See, even though I'm new at this baking cupcakes, I want my cupcakes that I'm bringing to the table to be "really good", not just normal regular cupcakes. So I keep testing recipes. I tried a batch of white cupcakes to take to a family part last weekend and they were a flop. So last night, we tried another.....and we found a good one! They came out great (at least that's what hubby says). I made green mint frosting for St. Patrick's Day. Time to give away more cupcakes. Can't have them in the house too long.
Now, as to the real topic of my blog, my journey to eat healthy, stay at goal, and be active. So far this week, I think I'm doing okay, still tracking every single thing thanks to Weight Watcher's eTools points tracker. Makes it so much easier for me. I've also been trying to get more water in. Couldn't even get my ring off on Saturday. TOO MUCH SODIUM. Hello!
This week I decided to flip my week and get my long run out of the way early since Friday would be impossible to run 7 miles. Felt pretty good. It was a little cold and started to rain a tiny bit, but I kept moving. Ended up with the same pace that I did on Friday. So now I know that's my "good run" pace.
Food? Well, hasn't been working out so well in the kitchen, probably because there is so much else going on. Had a nice ham that I popped in the oven to cook on Sunday. I've been craving a baked ham lately. Well, when we took it out, ready to slice, with all our sides complete, garlic mashed potatoes, swiss chard, and ....oh, I can't remember what the third was. Anyway, the ham tasted funny. I don't trust meat that "tastes funny", so I threw it out, the whole ham! Luckily, we had a container of roast pork in the freezer as a back-up, but dinner was a little late.
Yesterday I cooked tilapia, but got wrapped up in something in my office, and it was "a little crispy". Hubby said don't worry about it, it's "oven fried". :) He's such a good sport.
I also made a big crock full of turkey chili yesterday. That will be for Thursday's dinner and then I'll pop the rest into containers for the freezer. Stopped by the market and picked up another ham, which we intend to cook today. Yep, I'm a little stubborn. Once I have my mind set on something, I have a hard time letting go.
Still feeling very achey in the morning, back and above the knee. Plan on getting a foam roller suggested by Marisa, and I put myself back on the glucosamine on Monday. I had taken myself off of EVERYTHING, all vitamins and supplements when I was having tummy trouble. Decided it's time to "test the water" again. The glucosamine used to help me....or at least I thought it did.
Well, time to go make some breakfast. What will it be this morning? Honestly, I'm bored with breakfast, really bored. I tried a big yogurt bowl yesterday, Greek yogurt (2X protein/(honey vanilla), lots of mixed fruit including mango, kiwi, strawberries and blueberries, and a little bit of Special K (with extra protein). It was delicious! However, not even two hours later, I got the shakes, not enough protein. So hubby came to the rescue while I worked and cooked up some scrambled eggbeaters for me. Seems that's the only thing that works, eggbeaters or eggs. Why is that? Is it a different kind of protein perhaps?
Any other ideas on high protein breakfasts? Would LOVE to make protein pancakes, but no time this morning. :(
I'm still struggling with that sweet tooth at night. Wonder if it's because of my "exposure to butter cream" lately. Ha ha! Yes, I'm still into making the cupcakes. I've become cupcake obsessed! Just kidding. But I did bake yet again last night. See, even though I'm new at this baking cupcakes, I want my cupcakes that I'm bringing to the table to be "really good", not just normal regular cupcakes. So I keep testing recipes. I tried a batch of white cupcakes to take to a family part last weekend and they were a flop. So last night, we tried another.....and we found a good one! They came out great (at least that's what hubby says). I made green mint frosting for St. Patrick's Day. Time to give away more cupcakes. Can't have them in the house too long.
Now, as to the real topic of my blog, my journey to eat healthy, stay at goal, and be active. So far this week, I think I'm doing okay, still tracking every single thing thanks to Weight Watcher's eTools points tracker. Makes it so much easier for me. I've also been trying to get more water in. Couldn't even get my ring off on Saturday. TOO MUCH SODIUM. Hello!
This week I decided to flip my week and get my long run out of the way early since Friday would be impossible to run 7 miles. Felt pretty good. It was a little cold and started to rain a tiny bit, but I kept moving. Ended up with the same pace that I did on Friday. So now I know that's my "good run" pace.
Food? Well, hasn't been working out so well in the kitchen, probably because there is so much else going on. Had a nice ham that I popped in the oven to cook on Sunday. I've been craving a baked ham lately. Well, when we took it out, ready to slice, with all our sides complete, garlic mashed potatoes, swiss chard, and ....oh, I can't remember what the third was. Anyway, the ham tasted funny. I don't trust meat that "tastes funny", so I threw it out, the whole ham! Luckily, we had a container of roast pork in the freezer as a back-up, but dinner was a little late.
Yesterday I cooked tilapia, but got wrapped up in something in my office, and it was "a little crispy". Hubby said don't worry about it, it's "oven fried". :) He's such a good sport.
I also made a big crock full of turkey chili yesterday. That will be for Thursday's dinner and then I'll pop the rest into containers for the freezer. Stopped by the market and picked up another ham, which we intend to cook today. Yep, I'm a little stubborn. Once I have my mind set on something, I have a hard time letting go.
Still feeling very achey in the morning, back and above the knee. Plan on getting a foam roller suggested by Marisa, and I put myself back on the glucosamine on Monday. I had taken myself off of EVERYTHING, all vitamins and supplements when I was having tummy trouble. Decided it's time to "test the water" again. The glucosamine used to help me....or at least I thought it did.
Well, time to go make some breakfast. What will it be this morning? Honestly, I'm bored with breakfast, really bored. I tried a big yogurt bowl yesterday, Greek yogurt (2X protein/(honey vanilla), lots of mixed fruit including mango, kiwi, strawberries and blueberries, and a little bit of Special K (with extra protein). It was delicious! However, not even two hours later, I got the shakes, not enough protein. So hubby came to the rescue while I worked and cooked up some scrambled eggbeaters for me. Seems that's the only thing that works, eggbeaters or eggs. Why is that? Is it a different kind of protein perhaps?
Any other ideas on high protein breakfasts? Would LOVE to make protein pancakes, but no time this morning. :(
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Short and Sweet
Results are in....I'm still at goal. :) Great feeling being able to maintain goal weight.
Family get together today, and I made....yep, cupcakes. Really have been enjoying teaching myself how to use a piping bag. Hubby and I are still considering taking a class together in cake decorating. And these cupcakes, again, are using the Weight Watchers chocolate pumpkin muffin recipe, and it makes about 20 or 21 smaller sized cupcakes. This time, I made homemade buttercream frosting. Good, although I'm going to be testing out a few more buttercream recipes to see which one we like best. But with the WW recipe, depending upon the amount of frosting I use, it's not bad at all. These, because they're for family, have a little more frosting than I would use if it was just for me.
So I think I've got the basic piping down. Now it's time to start getting a little more creative...after next week's fundraiser.
I haven't eaten much yet today, bagel thin (3 PP), 1 tbsp. low-fat peanut butter (2) and half a banana. Time to go make a pita pizza for lunch, and then off to a family get-together and busy work day tomorrow.
Family get together today, and I made....yep, cupcakes. Really have been enjoying teaching myself how to use a piping bag. Hubby and I are still considering taking a class together in cake decorating. And these cupcakes, again, are using the Weight Watchers chocolate pumpkin muffin recipe, and it makes about 20 or 21 smaller sized cupcakes. This time, I made homemade buttercream frosting. Good, although I'm going to be testing out a few more buttercream recipes to see which one we like best. But with the WW recipe, depending upon the amount of frosting I use, it's not bad at all. These, because they're for family, have a little more frosting than I would use if it was just for me.
So I think I've got the basic piping down. Now it's time to start getting a little more creative...after next week's fundraiser.
I haven't eaten much yet today, bagel thin (3 PP), 1 tbsp. low-fat peanut butter (2) and half a banana. Time to go make a pita pizza for lunch, and then off to a family get-together and busy work day tomorrow.
Friday, March 11, 2011
A Good Day!
A busy day, but still, a good day. I have 4 points left (well, maybe less, since I made homemade buttercream icing and, of course, I had to taste it!
Got up early, and made myself an omelet with one egg, one egg white, half ounce of cabot cheese, turkey sausage, and a little leftover from dinner last night. Great start to the day.
Got my work finished and then got ready for my long run. A single serving bag of almonds to give me a little fuel to run on and I was out the door. Same route as last week. 7.19 miles. It was a good run today, felt good, and I beat last week's time by 8 minutes!
After cleaning up, it was time to get start with my usual Friday errands, but not until after we got some lunch. I've been craving roast turkey on rye bread, so that's exactly what I ordered, with a side of stewed tomatoes instead of the fries, a pickle, and a cup of soup. Great lunch, very filling.
From there, it was off to get the rest of the things on the list done. Got home around 5:00, unloaded the groceries put everything away, a batch of chocolate cupcakes in the oven for a family party tomorrow, and then decided to make a pita pizza for dinner, with salsa, mozzarella, half a piece of sausage, spinach and some fresh basil. Just enough.
So it's been a busy day. Yawn, so tired.
Meeting and weigh-in tomorrow and a family get together. Should be another good day. Sunday will be busy with work.
What are you doing this weekend?
Got up early, and made myself an omelet with one egg, one egg white, half ounce of cabot cheese, turkey sausage, and a little leftover from dinner last night. Great start to the day.
Got my work finished and then got ready for my long run. A single serving bag of almonds to give me a little fuel to run on and I was out the door. Same route as last week. 7.19 miles. It was a good run today, felt good, and I beat last week's time by 8 minutes!
After cleaning up, it was time to get start with my usual Friday errands, but not until after we got some lunch. I've been craving roast turkey on rye bread, so that's exactly what I ordered, with a side of stewed tomatoes instead of the fries, a pickle, and a cup of soup. Great lunch, very filling.
From there, it was off to get the rest of the things on the list done. Got home around 5:00, unloaded the groceries put everything away, a batch of chocolate cupcakes in the oven for a family party tomorrow, and then decided to make a pita pizza for dinner, with salsa, mozzarella, half a piece of sausage, spinach and some fresh basil. Just enough.
So it's been a busy day. Yawn, so tired.
Meeting and weigh-in tomorrow and a family get together. Should be another good day. Sunday will be busy with work.
What are you doing this weekend?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Slim Pickins'
First of all, great giveaway at http://www.danicasdaily.com/. So make sure you check it out!
My desk is full of "little" jobs that are taking all of the day to get done. Weather is getting nasty again, rain and wind, flooding possible. Refrigerator is down to the slimmest of pickins. Maving leftover pork chops from last night. Took a container of leftover cream of broccoli soup from the freezer to cook the chops in, with some carrots and rutabega on the side. Just not much excitement around here.
Hoping to get work done early tomorrow morning so I can get my weekly "long run" in. Fingers crossed.
Been slipping a little at night with the "treats". Last night, craved chocolate and hit the "stash". Well, at least it was sugar free, one serving, and I tracked the points. The night before, it was miniature cookies, and I lost count and didn't count them. I feel like I'm kind of losing control at night. Going for a big bowl of strawberries tonight. Sounds good, and it's about the only thing left in the fridge. Ha ha!
My desk is full of "little" jobs that are taking all of the day to get done. Weather is getting nasty again, rain and wind, flooding possible. Refrigerator is down to the slimmest of pickins. Maving leftover pork chops from last night. Took a container of leftover cream of broccoli soup from the freezer to cook the chops in, with some carrots and rutabega on the side. Just not much excitement around here.
Hoping to get work done early tomorrow morning so I can get my weekly "long run" in. Fingers crossed.
Been slipping a little at night with the "treats". Last night, craved chocolate and hit the "stash". Well, at least it was sugar free, one serving, and I tracked the points. The night before, it was miniature cookies, and I lost count and didn't count them. I feel like I'm kind of losing control at night. Going for a big bowl of strawberries tonight. Sounds good, and it's about the only thing left in the fridge. Ha ha!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Ho Hum - Just So So
Hey there. Just not feeling it these days. I mean, I'm tracking everything, but it all seems so...hmmmm, how do I say.... boring. My food is boring. And the same with my workouts. Ran 4 miles at the gym yesterday on the treadmill, so boring. Ran 3 miles outside at the park today. Wasn't so excited about that either. Everything is still so brown and yucky. I want green, green grass, green trees, flowers blooming. I have spring fever soooo bad. Need to get outside some more and clean up some more of the flower beds. Maybe that will make me feel better. The spring bulbs are popping up now. It's a sign, right?
So for now, nothing exciting going on here. Even trying something different tonight, turkey meatloaf, and added shredded zucchini to it, but the sides are boring, baked potato, steamed brussel sprouts, leftover green beans. See what I mean? Just not feeling it.
Well, at least I know that I'm on track and not taking in too many calories. Strawberry yogurt bowl planned for my after-dinner snack.
I know what my problem is. That week in Florida with the warm weather, sunshine, palm trees, ocean breeze, it spoiled me!
So for now, nothing exciting going on here. Even trying something different tonight, turkey meatloaf, and added shredded zucchini to it, but the sides are boring, baked potato, steamed brussel sprouts, leftover green beans. See what I mean? Just not feeling it.
Well, at least I know that I'm on track and not taking in too many calories. Strawberry yogurt bowl planned for my after-dinner snack.
I know what my problem is. That week in Florida with the warm weather, sunshine, palm trees, ocean breeze, it spoiled me!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Running Too Much/Overtraining/Risking Injury?
Really? Yeah, that's what I said. Ran into a friend of ours yesterday, someone who has been giving me advice here and there since I started running almost three years ago. He at one time was a runner and had run several marathons.
This friend also was there when I had the surgery on my foot/ankle and was incredibly helpful, coming in the house to help hubby set up the bathroom and tub to be more "handicapped accessible" for me, showing me how to wrap my foot to take a shower so the cast didn't get wet, stopping by during the weeks that followed surgery to see how I was doing and if we needed anything. He was incredibly helpful.
He was there and heard my frustrations as I struggled to get back to my pre-surgery life of running and skating, being sidelined from activity several times by the doctor. So he kind of knows me and knows what I've been through and where I want to go. He's also been very helpful in showing me stretching exercises to do and ALWAYS asks me if I'm stretching after runs and on my "off days".
I told him yesterday how well I was doing, that I was training for my first half-marathon, which isn't until October. I was so excited to tell him that I was running three times a week, two short runs and one long, and that my long run was now up to 7 miles, and that what I was trying to do since I had such a long time between now and the event was to just increase my long run by one mile each month. So my long run for March is 7 miles. In April, I'll bump it to 8, in May it will be 9, and so on, again with two shorter runs during the week.
His response was I'm overtraining and risking injury, risking shin splints, that I should keep the long run shorter until I'm closer to the event.
So I'm reaching out to all our "running bloggers" out there to seek your advice. What do you think? I certainly don't want to get injured. I thought that this would be an easy way to build my distance and stamina since I have 7 months before the event.
I could probably just train now and run a half-marathon sooner, like in May, but I really really wanted Atlantic City in October to be my first.
So what are your thoughts?
This friend also was there when I had the surgery on my foot/ankle and was incredibly helpful, coming in the house to help hubby set up the bathroom and tub to be more "handicapped accessible" for me, showing me how to wrap my foot to take a shower so the cast didn't get wet, stopping by during the weeks that followed surgery to see how I was doing and if we needed anything. He was incredibly helpful.
He was there and heard my frustrations as I struggled to get back to my pre-surgery life of running and skating, being sidelined from activity several times by the doctor. So he kind of knows me and knows what I've been through and where I want to go. He's also been very helpful in showing me stretching exercises to do and ALWAYS asks me if I'm stretching after runs and on my "off days".
I told him yesterday how well I was doing, that I was training for my first half-marathon, which isn't until October. I was so excited to tell him that I was running three times a week, two short runs and one long, and that my long run was now up to 7 miles, and that what I was trying to do since I had such a long time between now and the event was to just increase my long run by one mile each month. So my long run for March is 7 miles. In April, I'll bump it to 8, in May it will be 9, and so on, again with two shorter runs during the week.
His response was I'm overtraining and risking injury, risking shin splints, that I should keep the long run shorter until I'm closer to the event.
So I'm reaching out to all our "running bloggers" out there to seek your advice. What do you think? I certainly don't want to get injured. I thought that this would be an easy way to build my distance and stamina since I have 7 months before the event.
I could probably just train now and run a half-marathon sooner, like in May, but I really really wanted Atlantic City in October to be my first.
So what are your thoughts?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Pop's Chicken...with a Twist
"Pop" was a very important person in my life. My Mom married "Pop" a/k/a "Charlie" a/k/a "Sal", a few years after she lost my father. Pop made an immediate impression on me and I was drawn to him and his love of cooking right away. He was of Sicilian heritage, loved being in the kitchen, and most times you would probably find the following ingredients in his refrigerator and pantry:
Bell & Evans chicken, olive oil (large can), garlic, fresh basil, fresh parsley, Pecorino Romano cheese (in large quantities), lemons, Hunts tomato sauce....I could go on and on. He taught me how to cook many things, including stuffed artichokes and cranberry beans, both of which I had never experienced until he came into my life. "Pop's Chicken" was one of the first things he ever made for me and I loved it from the beginning!
Okay. So here's the basics of Pop's recipe.
Chicken pieces (I'm using eight thighs, skins removed), clean and dry
Potatoes, clean and dry (I'm using about 1.5 pounds)
Large onion, peeled and quartered (I cut in eighths)
Salt and Pepper
Dried Oregano
Olive Oil (I use about 2 tbsp.)
Honey
1/4 cup White Wine or Vermouth
Reen's Twist (must be the Irish in me), I added one Rutabega, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
and a half bag of baby carrots.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pop said to use a glass pan. Put olive oil in bottom of pan. Place chicken, potatoes, onions in pan. No real specific way to do it. Just get everybody in there. Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.
Put it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes (I go 40).
Remove pan from oven, flip chicken and toss veggies around a bit. Season other side with salt, pepper and dried oregano. At this point, at 1/4 cup of wine (or vermouth) to the pan and drizzle with honey all over (I used about a tablespoon maybe).
Bake for another 30 minutes (I go 40). Flip chicken and toss veggies again, then drizzle with some more honey (Again, I used about a tablespoon).
At this point, turn the oven up to 400 degrees and put the pan back in the oven. Watch carefully (his exact words) and cook for another 15 minutes. Done!
Eat and Enjoy, and "if you don't like it, you can get your money back." (Again, his words) :)
Now, a few notes. Because I didn't have a big enough glass pan handy, I used my stainless steel pain today, but I think it would have cooked nicer in the glass pan. Also, because I added the rutabega and carrots, there was a lot in the pan . So maybe I should have gone with my extra large pan. The carrots and rutabega could have been "roasted" more. So take that into consideration if you're adding other veggies.
Also, I would have liked more honey on it tonight. That may be because there was so much juice left in the pan (didn't cook off because there was too much in the pan), and it didn't get that "sweet roasted" flavor that I love so much. But hey, we learn from my mistakes, right? But the juice from the pan was really really good spooned over everything. Or, of course, Pop probably would have had a nice crusty baguette with it and dip the bread in the juice!
I can only estimate what the PointsPlus value is because the recipe builder for some reason doesn't have raw chicken thighs listed, but if I add up all the ingredients individually as cooked ingredients, and then break it down to 4 servings (2 thighs and a quarter of the veggies), it comes up to be about 14 PointsPlus. That's a little high for me normally for a weekday, but on a weekend, that's about right, considering it includes the chicken, the potatoes and all the veggies. It's a one-dish meal! If you want to break it down to 8 servings (1 chicken thigh and an eighth of the veggies), it's only 7 PointsPlus.
So there it is, Pop's Chicken.
Oh, and made another "test batch" of cupcakes today, this time playing with colors. I think these came out pretty cool. We have a "Wing Fling" fundraiser coming up, hot wings obviously, so I was trying to do something that went with that theme. That's why I went with the "hot" colors.
These are actually the Weight Watchers chocolate pumpkin muffins with the frosting added. So they're not so bad. The "cupcakes" are only 3 points, and then the frosting is another 3 points. It made 21 cupcakes. So I've got to give some away again. Can't keep that many cupcakes in the house, even if they are semi-Weight Watcher friendly!
Bell & Evans chicken, olive oil (large can), garlic, fresh basil, fresh parsley, Pecorino Romano cheese (in large quantities), lemons, Hunts tomato sauce....I could go on and on. He taught me how to cook many things, including stuffed artichokes and cranberry beans, both of which I had never experienced until he came into my life. "Pop's Chicken" was one of the first things he ever made for me and I loved it from the beginning!
Okay. So here's the basics of Pop's recipe.
Chicken pieces (I'm using eight thighs, skins removed), clean and dry
Potatoes, clean and dry (I'm using about 1.5 pounds)
Large onion, peeled and quartered (I cut in eighths)
Salt and Pepper
Dried Oregano
Olive Oil (I use about 2 tbsp.)
Honey
1/4 cup White Wine or Vermouth
Reen's Twist (must be the Irish in me), I added one Rutabega, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
and a half bag of baby carrots.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pop said to use a glass pan. Put olive oil in bottom of pan. Place chicken, potatoes, onions in pan. No real specific way to do it. Just get everybody in there. Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.
Put it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes (I go 40).
Remove pan from oven, flip chicken and toss veggies around a bit. Season other side with salt, pepper and dried oregano. At this point, at 1/4 cup of wine (or vermouth) to the pan and drizzle with honey all over (I used about a tablespoon maybe).
Bake for another 30 minutes (I go 40). Flip chicken and toss veggies again, then drizzle with some more honey (Again, I used about a tablespoon).
At this point, turn the oven up to 400 degrees and put the pan back in the oven. Watch carefully (his exact words) and cook for another 15 minutes. Done!
Eat and Enjoy, and "if you don't like it, you can get your money back." (Again, his words) :)
Now, a few notes. Because I didn't have a big enough glass pan handy, I used my stainless steel pain today, but I think it would have cooked nicer in the glass pan. Also, because I added the rutabega and carrots, there was a lot in the pan . So maybe I should have gone with my extra large pan. The carrots and rutabega could have been "roasted" more. So take that into consideration if you're adding other veggies.
Also, I would have liked more honey on it tonight. That may be because there was so much juice left in the pan (didn't cook off because there was too much in the pan), and it didn't get that "sweet roasted" flavor that I love so much. But hey, we learn from my mistakes, right? But the juice from the pan was really really good spooned over everything. Or, of course, Pop probably would have had a nice crusty baguette with it and dip the bread in the juice!
I can only estimate what the PointsPlus value is because the recipe builder for some reason doesn't have raw chicken thighs listed, but if I add up all the ingredients individually as cooked ingredients, and then break it down to 4 servings (2 thighs and a quarter of the veggies), it comes up to be about 14 PointsPlus. That's a little high for me normally for a weekday, but on a weekend, that's about right, considering it includes the chicken, the potatoes and all the veggies. It's a one-dish meal! If you want to break it down to 8 servings (1 chicken thigh and an eighth of the veggies), it's only 7 PointsPlus.
So there it is, Pop's Chicken.
Oh, and made another "test batch" of cupcakes today, this time playing with colors. I think these came out pretty cool. We have a "Wing Fling" fundraiser coming up, hot wings obviously, so I was trying to do something that went with that theme. That's why I went with the "hot" colors.
7.19 Miles...and feeling it!
Happy Weekend! Woohooo! Don't have to work this weekend, but don't know if I'm happy about that or not. Work seems to have slowed down once again. So I'm going to do my dancing prayers to the "Work Gods" and hope that things pick up.
Got back from my trip last Sunday and got right back onto the program, tracking every single bite. Have I said how much I LOVE Weight Watchers eTools? Oh, my gosh, love it! I still have to track everything, but this way, I don't have to look up the points values. Just great!
I had yesterday scheduled for my long run. Fridays are usually a little hectic, but I decided that instead of doing the grocery shopping on Friday this week, I was going to set it aside until Saturday after my WW meeting so I could get my run in on Friday, which I did. I mapped out my route. Almost put it off because it was a little cold (36 degrees), but decided to dress warm and get out there. Tried to keep the same attitude as earlier in the week when I ran on that very windy day. After all, I can't control the weather on the day of my half-marathon.
So anyway, dressed warm and off I went. I have to say that it was a difficult run. It's much easier to run 7 miles when you're running among palm trees and along the ocean (last week in Florida). But I did it. I ran the entire route I had mapped out, a straight route from my house, out and back, for a total of 7.19 miles. Now I'll do this route once a week for the month of March and bump up the distance again in April.
Have to say though that I'm a little worried. I am SO ACHEY this morning in my back. I took myself off the glucosamine a month ago because I was having some stomach problems and wasn't sure what it was from. Wondering if that has something to do with it. I also have to admit that I have missed taking medication lately that the doc has me on for the back. Maybe that is affecting it as well. I'll get back on that but not sure I want to go back on the glucosamine right now. So I'll take some Motrin and see what happens. It's not pain, just achiness.
So this morning I finally go back to my usual WW meeting. Haven't been to a meeting since the end of January! I miss all my friends there and am anxious to get there. I think the scale went up a pound but that's surely from vacation and will be off again next week. No problem.
Have no idea what I'm cooking for dinner today. Weather is supposed to be decent today so I'm hoping to get out in the garden later and start doing a little "spring clean up". All the spring bulbs are popping up now so I would like to get started.
Maybe dinner will be "Pops Chicken", a recipe of his that I treasure. Seasoned chicken thighs roasted with potatoes and onions, a little white wine, and drizzled with honey at the end. Oh, my gosh, so good! Yep, that might be it. Pops chicken with a little "Reen's flare". Will post about it tomorrow.
Hope you all have a GROOVY DAY! Oh, yes, planning on getting the hula hoops out for a good workout too!
Got back from my trip last Sunday and got right back onto the program, tracking every single bite. Have I said how much I LOVE Weight Watchers eTools? Oh, my gosh, love it! I still have to track everything, but this way, I don't have to look up the points values. Just great!
I had yesterday scheduled for my long run. Fridays are usually a little hectic, but I decided that instead of doing the grocery shopping on Friday this week, I was going to set it aside until Saturday after my WW meeting so I could get my run in on Friday, which I did. I mapped out my route. Almost put it off because it was a little cold (36 degrees), but decided to dress warm and get out there. Tried to keep the same attitude as earlier in the week when I ran on that very windy day. After all, I can't control the weather on the day of my half-marathon.
So anyway, dressed warm and off I went. I have to say that it was a difficult run. It's much easier to run 7 miles when you're running among palm trees and along the ocean (last week in Florida). But I did it. I ran the entire route I had mapped out, a straight route from my house, out and back, for a total of 7.19 miles. Now I'll do this route once a week for the month of March and bump up the distance again in April.
Have to say though that I'm a little worried. I am SO ACHEY this morning in my back. I took myself off the glucosamine a month ago because I was having some stomach problems and wasn't sure what it was from. Wondering if that has something to do with it. I also have to admit that I have missed taking medication lately that the doc has me on for the back. Maybe that is affecting it as well. I'll get back on that but not sure I want to go back on the glucosamine right now. So I'll take some Motrin and see what happens. It's not pain, just achiness.
So this morning I finally go back to my usual WW meeting. Haven't been to a meeting since the end of January! I miss all my friends there and am anxious to get there. I think the scale went up a pound but that's surely from vacation and will be off again next week. No problem.
Have no idea what I'm cooking for dinner today. Weather is supposed to be decent today so I'm hoping to get out in the garden later and start doing a little "spring clean up". All the spring bulbs are popping up now so I would like to get started.
Maybe dinner will be "Pops Chicken", a recipe of his that I treasure. Seasoned chicken thighs roasted with potatoes and onions, a little white wine, and drizzled with honey at the end. Oh, my gosh, so good! Yep, that might be it. Pops chicken with a little "Reen's flare". Will post about it tomorrow.
Hope you all have a GROOVY DAY! Oh, yes, planning on getting the hula hoops out for a good workout too!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Am I Ready?
That's a question that is always on my mind. "Am I ready?" First, it was am I ready to get to my goal weight and live the rest of my life being healthy and active? I can remember when I was asking myself "Am I ready" days before I was scheduled to run in my very first 5K race.
I am constantly questioning myself, can I do this, will I make it, "Am I ready". Even on my recent road trip, I was doing it. Can I still drive a stick shift? Can I handle driving through Jacksonville (what is it about that City that makes my heart stop? All those darned entrance and exit ramps on 95 remind me of something out of the Jetson's cartoon). Can I handle driving through that tunnel? Am I ready to extend my run (7 miles now!). I am constantly questioning and doubting myself. Now, here it comes again.
See, one of the things I have ALWAYS wanted to do was to learn how to decorate cakes and cupcakes, and cookies, learn how to properly use those mysterious cake decorating tips left by my grandmother. But due to my fear of the unknown, I never really never gave it 100%. I mean, I've made a few very sorry attempts at it, but never worked and I just quit.
Lately, it's been my fear of "the sugary treats". How could I possibly learn this with all that sweet stuff staring me in the face. But I really want to learn! I really want to conquer this control that "I think" cakes and frostings have over me. I want to say yes, I used to be overweight; yes, I am at goal and fit now; yes, I decorated those beautiful cupcakes AND I can do it without eating half the frosting!
I am involved in a few groups in the community and we have been doing a lot of fundraisers. One thing that we did last year was a bake sale. I tried to make cupcakes and pipe the frosting on, but didn't work out like I wanted (although they were delicious). But I also struggled with that bowl of frosting staring at me. I immediately said okay, enough of that. But again, I'm giving up on something instead of digging my heals in and beating it.
So I decided to give it another try. I did some reading, found out that maybe I needed to add a few things to my can of tools (different cake decorating tips), and we're at it again. What I really want to do is take some cake decorating classes. Hubby and I also went to the library for some books and are now thinking this might be a fun project for us to work on together.
So yesterday I baked up a batch of Weight Watchers chocolate pumpkin muffins and then last night we frosted them, just as a test. First attempt:
Not bad, right? Very basic, but I'm learning how to handle the piping bag. The problem is these cupcakes are now in the house. We ate one last night. My plan is to give them away. Now we'll start experimenting with different recipes to find what works best. We have a fundraiser in a couple of weeks and I offered to bring something sweet. Of course, I'll be bringing CUPCAKES!
I'll have to be very controlled about this new "hobby". I'm thinking chew gum while frosting might help. I also gave hubby the bowl, spatula, and piping bag to clean up when we were done so I was not tempted to start dipping my finger in the bowl!
So the bottom line is I AM READY! I am ready to give it my best effort. I can do this! I WILL NOT let a bowl of butter and sugar control me!
I am constantly questioning myself, can I do this, will I make it, "Am I ready". Even on my recent road trip, I was doing it. Can I still drive a stick shift? Can I handle driving through Jacksonville (what is it about that City that makes my heart stop? All those darned entrance and exit ramps on 95 remind me of something out of the Jetson's cartoon). Can I handle driving through that tunnel? Am I ready to extend my run (7 miles now!). I am constantly questioning and doubting myself. Now, here it comes again.
See, one of the things I have ALWAYS wanted to do was to learn how to decorate cakes and cupcakes, and cookies, learn how to properly use those mysterious cake decorating tips left by my grandmother. But due to my fear of the unknown, I never really never gave it 100%. I mean, I've made a few very sorry attempts at it, but never worked and I just quit.
Lately, it's been my fear of "the sugary treats". How could I possibly learn this with all that sweet stuff staring me in the face. But I really want to learn! I really want to conquer this control that "I think" cakes and frostings have over me. I want to say yes, I used to be overweight; yes, I am at goal and fit now; yes, I decorated those beautiful cupcakes AND I can do it without eating half the frosting!
I am involved in a few groups in the community and we have been doing a lot of fundraisers. One thing that we did last year was a bake sale. I tried to make cupcakes and pipe the frosting on, but didn't work out like I wanted (although they were delicious). But I also struggled with that bowl of frosting staring at me. I immediately said okay, enough of that. But again, I'm giving up on something instead of digging my heals in and beating it.
So I decided to give it another try. I did some reading, found out that maybe I needed to add a few things to my can of tools (different cake decorating tips), and we're at it again. What I really want to do is take some cake decorating classes. Hubby and I also went to the library for some books and are now thinking this might be a fun project for us to work on together.
So yesterday I baked up a batch of Weight Watchers chocolate pumpkin muffins and then last night we frosted them, just as a test. First attempt:
I'll have to be very controlled about this new "hobby". I'm thinking chew gum while frosting might help. I also gave hubby the bowl, spatula, and piping bag to clean up when we were done so I was not tempted to start dipping my finger in the bowl!
So the bottom line is I AM READY! I am ready to give it my best effort. I can do this! I WILL NOT let a bowl of butter and sugar control me!
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