So long November!

I can’t believe November is being put to bed for another year.  I’m excited for December though! I have most of the month off from work and can do extra jogging/workouts and baking!  I’ve been devising my plan of attack for the holidays.

So, you haven’t seen me since Thursday. I can sum up the weekend in some photos for you!

There was a Christmas party

There was wine, food and dancing… great time! 

I made tuna casserole

There was comfort food in the form of a toasted PB & honey sandwich for breakfast

I also ventured into making my own nut butters. I thought I would try making my own almond butter with my new pet processor… Almond butter turned into cocoa almond butter and so good!  Cashews turned into such sweet cashew butter. THE BEST!

Almond butter

cashew butter

Cashew toast

Almond toast

together now!

Sunday fruit salad

Monday quesadillas

Okay… so, in an effort to get to bed at a decent time I will tell you what I ate today. BUT, I must warn you that my stomach has been rejecting food since yesterday… I don’t know why it’s mad at me. Yesterday ended up being an unplanned ‘rest’ day.  The good news is despite feeling yucky today, I still managed a quick jog.  As for what I ate…

Breakfast: WW toast (1), 1tbsp butters (2)

Lunch: 2 WW tortillas (2), cheese (2), salsa (0), apple (1), date ball (1)

Snack: fruit salad with banana (2), kiwi (1), berries (1)

Dinner: spinach/tomato/mushrooms/zucchini/red onion/garlic (0) chicken breast (3)

Total: 16 – and yet I still feel I will be up tomorrow. Hello bloated city!!

Happy Tuesday tomorrow… Welcome December… and wait to watch The Biggest Loser – can you believe next week is the finale??  I will miss the show, but I have already seen the commercials for the next season starting the first week of January. Yay!

1 down, 14 to go

So, I was down 1lb tonight. This is my challenging week so any time I don’t gain I’m happy. I feel like I worked hard this week.

I jogged for a half an hour this morning, but no walk at lunch.  Today was the first day in the new office and it’s chaotic to say the least. I was so tired and so happy to get out of there at 4:30.  I can’t wait until tomorrow at 4:30… and then get my hair coloured Saturday morning!

Anyway… tonight has been the usual subway… mmmm… I could eat it every night I think.

I also treated myself to 3 Lindor chocolates (the red ones – my FAVE!).  My other treat was the last half cup of my fat free ice cream.

The exciting news is that my Grandpa Pearl gift came in today (not the Garmin, the other gift from her!)

Can’t wait to bake with my new food processor!!! My mixer is called “my pet mixer”… this is called “my pet Pro(cessor)”… or ‘my pet pro Pearl’ (because grandma was a pro baker).

Here’s some of my pets all lined up…

(processor, mixer and blender… not in the photo is the matching toaster as well!).  Now, my blender is broken and I’ll be replacing it one day.  All that’s missing is the red KitchenAid coffee maker (which I will get one day even though Alex and I don’t drink coffee… guests do!).  One day I will also own the red KitchenAid pots and pans (they always go on special for half price at Canadian Tire… but I’m not buying them just yet!). One day I will have the most kick-butt kitchen ever for cooking and baking!!

Happy Friday!!

Happy Hump Day

I am up far too late… I must head to bed!

Today was bookended with jogs. It started out with 45min and ended with 45min. I’m reminded why I don’t jog at night… I should be asleep by now but I’m still winding down!  Tomorrow morning’s last chance jog could be challenging.

I have lacked appetite today.

BF: egg (2) toast (1), wheat grass shot! (0)

Snack: cinnamon apple (1)

Lunch: tuna salad with a full tin of tuna (3), mustard & tons of black pepper (0), little bit of relish (0), full pomegranate (2), cherry candy apple (1)

Snack: Cashew cookie Larabar (4), Starbucks grande coffee with a shot of sugar free cinnamon dolce (0)

Dinner: roasted spicy broccoli & cauliflower (0), turkey breast (3), 1/4c ff ice cream (1)

Total: 18 (yeah, lack of appetite… won’t complain on a Wed)

Photos…

Pomegranate 3 clems ready to go

Cinnamon apple Candy apple

Mustard tuna

I should say… I know my tuna looks gross, but I have discovered I LOVE mustard and tuna!

roasted veggies

Now… wish me luck tomorrow please!  15lbs in 5 weeks… Gotta work my butt off (literally!)… actually, I gotta work my stomach off!

Can I do it??

Just realized 1 month from tonight is Christmas Eve!  Gee… think I can lose at least 15lbs in 1 month?  This is going to be a challenge!  It’s technically 4 weigh ins away… but Christmas Eve is on a Thursday, so I would have a 5th weigh in that day. I’ll be happy if I weigh myself at home and I’ve lost the weight by that day. 15lbs in 5 weeks?  3lbs a week?  Going to be a definite challenge!!  Blogging may be crucial over the next month.

Oh Hungry Day

Today was the last work-from-home day.  It was nice to sit on my couch and work in my PJ’s again.  Tomorrow I have to work from the Markham office. Oh well… some poor sucker has to do it, might as well be me. 

The one thing I’ve found this week is that it’s actually harder to jog in the morning when I know I don’t have to go anywhere and I could be lazy in the morning.  So, this morning I decided in honour of my last day at home (working-wise that is), I’d be lazy.  I still got up at 6:30, but watched TV and relaxed until 8:30.  I wasn’t sure what to have for breakfast… so I threw together some oats, banana, milk and Davinci Caramel – voila! My own bananas foster oats!

I did some work and threw together a lunch somewhere in there.  Lunch was more broccoli soup and a turkey/cheese sandwich… followed by a full one hour jog!

Wasn’t sure what to have for dinner… so I threw together a salad similar to last night! Spinach, turkey breast, mozzarella, clementine and raisins… with a vinegar/dijon mustard/honey dressing!

Tonight I was feeling blah, but wasn’t sure why… I thought maybe I should jog again, but realized I was tired. I decided I would relax with an extra long shower and a pedicure with The Biggest Loser (speaking of which – who is excited for the ‘where are they now?’ special tomorrow night??).  A “me” night seems to be just what I needed! Yay me!

So… here’s today’s points

Breakfast: oats (2), banana (2), 1/8c skim milk (0), caramel davinci (0)

Snack: 3 clementines (1), strawberry candy apple (1)

Lunch: 1/2c broccoli soup (1), WW toast (1), 50g turkey breast (1), 30g light cheddar (2), 1/2c ff ice cream (2)

Dinner: spinach salad with 70g turkey breast (1), 30g skim mozzarella (2), vinegar dressing without any EVOO (0), 1.5tbsp raisins (1)… and then because I’m having some cravings I nibbled on some starburst (3) and chocolate chips (3)

Total: 23… which still isn’t too bad for me. Pretty much right on target actually, I’ve just been trying to eat less this week.

Now time to pack tomorrow’s lunch/snacks and finish up with my Biggest Loser!

Happy Hump Day tomorrow!

Mug Shot Monday!

Happy Monday.  Happy work-from-home day.  Tomorrow is my last day of getting to work from home. I’m a poor sucker who has to work from the Corporate office on Wednesday, then back to Whitby to our new office on Thursday.  I will enjoy every moment of working in my PJ’s tomorrow.

Today only included a short jog… because I was lazy.

Here’s what I ate today:

Breakfast: hard boiled egg (2), 3 clementines withOUT seeds, thank you Wal-Mart! (1)

Lunch: 1.5c broccoli soup (1), ww toast (1), cheese (2), apple (1), 1/2c ff chocolate brownie ice cream (2)

Snack: Coconut Cream Pie Larabar (4)

Dinner: spinach salad with turkey breast (3), cheddar cheese (2), Clementine (0), homemade honey Dijon vinaigrette with EVOO (2)

Snack: gingerbread caramel tea (0) YUMMY!

Some photos…

apple/cheese sammie

fat free chocolate fudge brownie ice cream

turkey Clementine honey Dijon salad

Gingerbread Christmas tea!!

And finally… ta da!  My new Starbucks mug. Looks like a take out coffee/latte cup… makes me feel like I’m drinking one of their hot drinks and I LOVE it!  It’s my Monday mug shot mentioned in the title!!

I swear, I enjoyed my caramel gingerbread tea so much more drinking from that mug!! (Gingerbread tea with Davinci sugar free caramel syrup.  Tomorrow’s project may be a sugar free egg nog latte… wish me luck!

I did it!!

To quote my adorable 2yr old nephew; “Good job Aunt Jen”!!  I pulled off 2 days at mom and dad’s house without so much as straying off of my healthy eating plan at all.  ZERO indulging. ZERO regrets.  Woohoo!  Hello pride. It’s been a while since I’ve felt you this strong… I must remember this feeling and feel you even MORE throughout the rest of the holidays. This weekend was the first Christmas weekend (of many)… I am starting off on the right foot.

Today involved getting up, visiting with my mom and dad… then heading to Lindsay for the Santa Claus Parade.  After the parade we ran some errands then went back home for some dinner.  I left their house around 8 and didn’t get back here until after 9 because I had my own stop to make (for some apples, pomegranates and tangerines!).  I’m totally exhausted now.  I haven’t even put everything away. That will have to wait until tomorrow… for now bed is calling me.

First… some photos of today’s nutritious intake

Breakfast: Oats, banana & natural PB

Morning snack of some Christmas tea

This time of year tea is best served in a festive mug

Sometimes it’s difficult to make a meal at someone else’s house… you just don’t know what you can come up with from their cupboards. I decided for lunch to try to make a margherita pizza – ww tortillas, fresh tomato slices, mozzarella cheese and some basil. Turned out pretty good! I ate 2!

It was every bit as yummy as it looks. I made some for my dad and he really liked it too!

So, every year in the Lindsay Santa Claus Parade the Kawartha Wholesale Bakery place makes a rainbow bread loaf and hands hundreds of them out during the parade. My dad came home with 1 this year. I snuck a piece while waiting for soup to cook for dinner. I was famished and while the thought did cross my mind that I was eating dreaded white bread… You only live once. I mean, it’s RAINBOW bread! It was very fresh, soft… and yummy! I want to bake some!

After bread but before dinner I decided to throw together a trifle. This is a chunk of angel food cake and some thawed raspberries on it…. before I ate it.

Here’s the trifle I threw together in about 10min. We ate almost the whole thing for dessert (only 3 of us!)

Here’s my big bowl full (followed by another half bowl)

So, there you have it. A photo summary of my food today. Not too bad, right? 

I should mention a few other things.  Chicklet would like to put it out there to blog land that she missed her Alex this weekend. Look how sad she looked.

And, just for a laugh (Tara… you will remember these days… unfortunately Alex, you never got to experience my high stylin’ days… here’s a photos my mom found in my grandma’s old china cabinet. Not sure why she kept it in there, but she kept it nonetheless).  It’s me at Wasaga Beach the summer of 1990 (I believe). Check out the ‘do!

And just a reminder… 32 days until Christmas.  Here’s my mom’s new tree… a gift from my grandma Pearl.

It’s a very pretty and bright tree… just like my grandma. Such a beautiful woman who brightened any and every room.  I know I will think of her every time I look at that tree this year (and maybe all years from here on out).  She would be happy with it.  Oh… the tree has yet to be decorated!

What Grass??

Well… I am happy to report I did “recover” from yesterday as I had hoped.  The day started out with a little bit of this…

That would be a straight up Amazing Grass Wheatgrass shot.  Oh my.  I thought it might be a good way to start the day off on the right foot.  Go me.  Overall… a little bit nasty, but tolerable.

After the shot I got this butt on the treadmill and had a jog while watching Mickey’s once Upon a Christmas.  I then packed myself up and headed towards Pontypool where I helped my sister make a fruit bouqet…

She did all the work… but I tried to help.  I supplied the flower cookie cutter.  We had some dinner and then mom and I headed to Shoppers Drug Mart to spend at least $50 and get 20X the points.  After that we headed to the grocery store (where I found coconut cream Larabars!!!  Yahooo! A rare find indeed) and back home. Busy day. I think I will sleep well tonight… and it’s a good thing. Tomorrow is the Lindsay Santa Claus Parade!

Here’s what I ate today…

Pre-breakfast: wheatgrass shot (0)

Breakfast: ww toast (1), 45g cheese (3), pomegranate (1)

Lunch: Cherry Pie Larabar (4), fruit bites (2), light babybel (1), apple (1), cracker barrel cheese slice (1)

Dinner: turkey sausage soup (4?), few more fruit bites (1)

Total: 19, water: 2L

So… my stomach is growling while I write this… but I am ignoring it!!  It can’t really be hungry… it just knows I’m at mom and dad’s house and wants me to do mindless late night eating.  Actually, I’m exhausted so I’m heading to bed.  Here’s a photo of the turkey sausage soup mom made.

Wish me luck for tomorrow.  1 day down, 1 to go of being good in this challenging place!  I will do it though. I want to get my ticker at it’s goal by Christmas.  Or, at the very least… lose another 15lbs.

Cheers to a happy 6 years

Well, we celebrated 6 years together last night. You would think I would have asked our waiter to take a picture of us. Nope. I just took some food pictures.  Oops.  I guess we can get a picture at any time though… perhaps at the upcoming fancy Christmas party we are going to.

So… I was bad last night. Wine, desserts…  Check it out….

There was bread and butter

There was a shrimp cocktail appetizer (healthiest appetizer you can get – thank you very much!)

There was Alex’s salad

There was Alex’s filet mignon dinner with mushrooms and garlic roasted mashed potatoes

There was my mango chipotle chicken and shrimp with mashed potatoes

There was also wine (not pictured – but trust me, we drank a whole bottle of Riesling wine. Mostly I drank it because Alex was driving).  We then headed to another restaurant for dessert…. Molten Lava Cake

Annnnnd… 1 more dessert… a tiramisu-smoothie alcoholic dessert/smoothie drink (so good!)

Overall… a great night. We really enjoyed ourselves and I have vowed to recover right away and be good/restrictive the rest of the week and see a good loss at weigh in.  We both concluded we look forward to another SIXTY years together (at least).  (love you, Alex).  Okay… enough of that.

So… did I get back on track today? I’m in Pontypool visiting my parents for the weekend.  It’s always a challenge here.  So…. much… food!  I’ll be back later to update you on my day today and let you know how I’ve really done.