Olive Oil Vinaigarette LoveChild!

So, back "in the day" I was very much a blue cheese dressing lover.  I mean, the chunkier the better...the bluer the better....the creamier the better!  It was orgasmic with naked wings (yes I said orgasmic and naked in the same sentence) and drippy on my salads.  I was an addict, completely and utterly in love with the stuff.

But...a new day has come <insert creepy Star Wars music>.  I have found the second coming to blue cheese dressing and my heart is full again!

Bolthouse Farms Olive Oil Vinaigrette - Blue Cheese

This. Stuff. Is. From. God!

I almost passed out when I saw how Weight Watcher friendly it was after I whipped out my handy-dandy smartphone app to punch in the info.  VIOLA!  1 point...ONE POINT, for 2 tbsp.  I know that doesn't sound like much, but it was seriously enough for my salad! 

Suddenly my romaine, cucumbers, green peppers and roma tomatoes were drizzled in olive oil goodness with bright summery seasonings and....AND BLUE CHEESE! 

I'm serious, it was summer happiness in a bowl!  And yes, it was even more orgasmic than the gloppy stuff on naked wings.

Thanksgiving....is about being thankful. Sorry, Tom the Turkey!

First, Happy Thanskgiving everyone!!

Second, I'm thankful this year for the fact I'm finally putting myself as a priority and on a lifelong journey towards better health.


While Thanksgiving traditionally surrounds family and friends gathering for pounds and pounds of eating until we're so full we can barely focus on the football game....I am refocusing my definition of Thanksgiving!  I am making a new tradition of being thankful for taking care of me.  While the food is nice, I refuse to make it an excuse to eat until I want to puke.  In fact, my daughter and I will be walking to a restaurant close by and walking home, in the midst sharing a meal with a friend and her mother who have no one local either to celebrate with.

So again, Happy Thanksgiving.....may it be a healthy day for all of us!

There's A Casserole Taunting Me

Remember the days of the Parkay commercial?  Yes, yes I know I'm dating myself!  Remember?!?!  The cute little dish of Parkay talking to us...."butter....Parkay!" 

Well, I have an entirely too large disposable casserole dish of broccoli cheese rice casserole doing that to me in my refrigerator right now!!  Every time I open my fridge to get water or a healthy snack, it yells out "eat me!!"  How cruel is that?  I know you think I'm making this up, but I'm not!

Not only is it talking to me, but my house smells like cheesy goodness and no matter how many candles I light, Febreeze I spray or increase my AC air-flow, it won't go away!  It's like that eerie feeling you're left with for the day after waking from a bad dream....but I can smell this one!

Someone grant me the strength to get through this massive Thanksgiving meal I get to help create tomorrow at work....because I'm not sure I have it within myself!  I mean, it's taking all my willpower to shut-up one talking casserole....how do I defeat a whole Turkey-Day Army?!?!

Potatoes...Butter...Chihuahua's....Brains....OH MY!!!

So I learned some valuable lessons today:
1.  After 2 weeks on this journey, brown rice - even at only half a cup - feels like a cinder block  in the pit of your stomach!  Suddenly the Wicked Old Witch of the West from Oz suddenly shrieking "I'm shrinnnnkiiinngg" comes to mind when thinking of my stomach in relation to brown rice....ugh, bad feeling.

2.  Do NOT give into the submissive line of thinking and bombard oneself into believing they didn't achieve a loss, ANY loss, as to avoid disappointment.  Or, is it simply thinking that lures one back into the land of delusion?  Yes, yes, I took a temporary day trip back into that land and was shocked when I saw another 2 lbs. gone when I weighed in.  And yes, I'm starting to formulate a little, creative happy dance in my head...be prepared, it will be phenomenal!

As I sat there thinking "Wow, I'm .4 away from 10 lbs gone!"....I started wondering if those 10 lbs. explain why I feel more sprightly?!  I mean sure I'm still stuck in the fat suit, but heck I wore a top I haven't worn in over a year quite comfortably yesterday....could it really be those first 10 lbs. made that much of a difference?

So I pondered what exactly 10 pounds looks like...and what I'm NOT carrying around at this point:
* Obvious one, 10 lbs sack of potatoes.  Yeah, those can seem pretty heavy when carrying them through the store!
* 38 Sticks of Butter (seeing I'm 9.6 lbs gone).  Hmmm, think I'll save that butter for someone else to use basting their turkey next week!
*  2 Chihuahua's.  Now there's a vision!
*  3 1/2 dozen Krispy Kreme Glazed Donuts.  MMMmmmm donuts!!  Oh sorry, distracted.  But really?  3 1/2 dozen?!
*  3 Human Brains! Wow, if I'd had HALF a brain (again with the Wizard of Oz), I wouldn't have needed this journey because I would have done something about it long ago.
*  An Average Newborn is only 7.5 lbs.....wow, I haven't birthed one but I have melted one off my body.  Creepy!







.

It MUST Be An Alien Invasion!

I'm beginning to wonder if somehow in this past week's full moon, my world has landed at an odd tilt...or if an alien invasion occurred in my sleep.  Why do I ask this?  Let's look at the evidence.

I enter into evidence:  The choice of raspberries over chocolate at the grocery store.  WHAT?!?!  Who and what woman chooses raspberries over chocolate?  I mean raspberries are sweet, plump, juicy red bits of sweetness....but over the smooth, creamy, goodness that a woman justly deserves for dealing with what we must as women?  I have to say, for the first time in my life I think I may understand what it may feel like to be a dude.

Second point into evidence:  Granola bar over buttery, salty movie popcorn goodness.  Really?!?!  Like that's even a choice!  I have never been one to pass any type of popcorn goodness, heck I'd rather have it over chocolate!  Ummm, perhaps there's a pattern forming?  Damn aliens!

Finally, into evidence:  It IS possible to go through a McDonald's Drive-Thru and buy food for your kid, and only a Diet Coke for yourself.  I seriously thought fries automatically came with everything!  Who knew?!?! 

So to you friendly (at least I hope friendly) Martians, Plutonians or Venutians....welcome to my world!  Feel free to pull up a chair and stay awhile, that is if you can sit.  These alterations in my world are mind-boggling, however if you keep guiding me gently, I just may vacation to your home some day!

I Paid Damnit....I Want My Accolades!

So today was weigh-in number one with the illustrious "weight watchers."  I have to say, I walked in with trepidation as good ole Mother Nature just has PERFECT timing.  You girls know exactly what I mean.  But I sucked it up and waited in the cattle line for my moment of truth.

7.6 lbs....gone, not gained people, GONE!  Yes, yes I know Mrs. Leader that this "is not the usual nor the typical" but damnit let me have my moment!  I will honestly say I froze on the scale, amazed by the number - yes it's still far too large of a number, but it's 7.6 lbs less than it was this time last week!

So thus begins my giddiness of waiting for the "yay, you lost 7.6 lbs this week"......*pop* hear that?!  That's my bubble bursting!  No accolades, no "way to go's"....just silence.  Yeah, Thanks Mrs. Leader for forgetting me!

Sad part?  Last week I was actually uncomfortable with all the prissy kudos handed out and the "5 lbs. stars" people were receiving.  I mean really?  That's what motivates people?  Yep, seems it even motivates me...little did I know.

Positive part?  A girl I have sat by twice now asked me how I had done and saw the disappointment.  Alas, the light shone and I told her, and myself, that getting accolades wasn't the point.  The point was, I lost 7.6 lbs!!!  DUH PEOPLE!

So I'm going to enjoy that fact, and chalk up to that being part of the reason why I was flirting with random strange men in the grocery store today ;)

And speaking of the store!  My friend that watches my munchkin during my meetings and I ventured into a new creative cooking experiment.....Southwest Potstickers!  Interested?  I just might share the recipe as they were DELISSHHHH!!!

Ahh Fair Maiden You CAN Slay The Dragon!

So, here we are only 5 days into this journey and the old, ugly, green monster reared it's head not only once, but TWICE today.  That darn emo-eating dragon found his way out of his moat and up into my castle!

Started out with my finally telling a family member about the recent decision.  Of course, their reply is "why not just have surgery?"  Well....just because it worked for you, doesn't mean I want it!  Nope, I'd like to learn WHY I do this to myself over and over and give it 150%...and I can admit, I've never seen it through before and darn it, I need to commit that to myself before I take the surgery route.  So thanks for the instant want to steal a few pieces of my kids Halloween candy, but in the long run it has only fueled my motivation. 

Slash one to the dragon!

Then there's the frustration of a day of defiance by a child can create.  Oh dear dragon, you tempt me so!   But alas, you AND the child will not lead me to the moat to live with you. 

Dragon slayed....for today! 

I know he will return...but for tonight, I am going to enjoy my time in the castle knowing he is tucked away in his murky moat.