thursday is tip day

ok today i am turning tip day around on all of you, my readers. (do i have readers?!) i have been pretty down on myself this week, finding loads of excuses to blow off exercise. i have been on plan as far as food goes, so thats good. but while i am blowing off exercise, i find myself beating myself up for not exercising. its a vicious cycle. i am still walking the 5K on sunday, but i have been using that as an excuse to take it easy on the exercise this week as well. i need to get out of this rut NOW. so sign in, dear readers, and share some tips on how you get back on track after you have a slip like i did last week.

recipe review: shrimp fra diavolo

tonight we had shrimp fra diavolo from cooking light. i always get sucked into the facebook posts from cooking light and today was no different. this afternoon, there was a post about budget meals that linked to about 25 or so recipes that were all budget conscious. according to the cl website, this meal cashes in at $2.47 per serving. now i have to admit, i wouldnt normally think of shrimp as a budget meal, but cooking light got away with it by calling for the inexpensive medium sized shrimp. i had extra large (31-40 count) frozen shrimp on hand, so that is what i used. i also subbed a can of stewed tomato and a can of fire roasted diced tomato for the two types called for in the recipe. i find the canned varieties of stewed tomato and fire roasted tomato add a lot of full-bodied, cooked-all-day flavor, especially to quick cooking recipes. i also subbed lime juice for the lemon, because it was what i had in the fridge.

i have to say, this recipe was super easy to put together. it is one of those quick cooking meals where you absolutely want to already have all of your ingredients out, cans opened, onions diced, etc. before you get started. all of this can easily be accomplished while you wait for the pasta water to come to a boil. oh how i yearn for one of those induction stoves that kelly ripa is always dancing around that boils water in 90 seconds. but i digress. tonight was one of those nights, sadly increasing in numbers, where hubby was late leaving work. i decided i wasnt waiting any longer, and threw this whole dish together in less than 30 minutes. i dont know how it will taste for hubby as shrimp really should be eaten right away, but his loss. i found the meal to be delicious. it satisfied that spicy craving i was having without a ton of effort or forethought. it was a total pantry meal. i have to say though, that i am not sure how 1/2 box of pasta is supposed to serve 4 people. i did eat a bit more than the portion size, and hubby is certainly sitting down as i type to a bowl full that is much larger than portion size. i give this one a 4 out of 5.

witching hour

as a SAHM of young children, the hours between 4-6pm are generally some of the most emotionally fraught ones in my house. two hungry three year olds is a sight to be seen. they are a force. some days i just plain separate them during this time for everyone's sanity. their older brother is generally in the midst of homework, and alternately taunting his younger brothers. all three boys are screaming demands for food. all four of us are anxiously awaiting the call from hubby letting us know that he is leaving DC to travel home from work. it can be a tense, noisy, chaotic time in this house. the problem is that this is when planning and cooking of dinner occurs. it makes it hard for me, a self-professed emotional eater, to keep it together and get something healthy on the table for dinner. its an easy time to dole out snacks, and partake in snacks, and just plain end up off of the ww plan. does anyone else dread this time of day? how do you handle it?

monday morning weigh in

well, i knew it was coming. after last week and a girls weekend i was pretty sure it would show on the scale. and boy did it. i was up 2.4 this week. better to be up and know why, then to be up and have no idea. back on track today and heading in the right direction. i will not beat myself up for this.

thank you

thank you for the comments and emails about my last post. i realized this morning, in the cold light of day, that last night was actually about progress for me. in the past i wouldn't have thought twice about what i ate or drank. i wouldnt have put thought into the meal i ordered, which i did, and actually made a reasonably healthy choice given it was mexican food. even though i ate more chips than i planned on, and a lot more guacamole than i planned on, it is ok. i chose the guacamole, instead of the con queso, which i would have had in the past. so it was a better choice, and that is progress. it is progress. (we wont discuss the drinks, because that was not progress.)

i think part of why i was soo angry at myself is because i am going away this weekend for a girls getaway. last night i sort of blew my flex ww points, which i had planned on banking for the weekend. so be it. i will just have to add more exercise in over the next few days. monday, if the scale doesnt land in my favor, that will be ok. at least i will know why.

this journey is about changing my overall behaviors. i am making progress. i am moving in the right direction. it does; however, rock to know that i have support out there. now i just need to work on not blogging under the influence. one step at a time...

food coma

i am angry with myself tonight. i went out with the girls, and ate to excess. if we are really going to be honest, i drank to excess too. i feel disgusting right now. at what point did i start having a problem with self control? its sad and pathetic really; the relationship that i have with food. its not meant to fill voids, yet i use it that way. i dont know why i just ate and ate and ate tonight. well past the point of comfort. to the point where i stood over the toilet and shoved my fingers down my throat praying i could undo what i had just done. that is something i have never done in all my life and will never do again. it didnt work. i didnt vomit and i just ended up feeling more disgusting. its sad and pathetic and i feel disgusting.

monday morning weigh in

another great week on the scale for me. this week i lost 3.2 lbs, bringing my total to 28.4! i have to say, i am feeling really great. i have more energy, i am starting to look at food in a healthier way and i am enjoying the results i see in my body. i was able to shop for some new clothes last week in a regular store - which felt great! i know i have a long way to go on my journey, but i am at least enjoying it along the way.