Wrapping Up 2015

Well, this is the last post of 2015 and while I don't have any recipes to share or any good news on the scale front, I am optimistic for 2016 and proud of the things I've accomplished this year.  It's a slow process but I am starting to realize that life doesn't begin and end with a number on a scale. I think I want to shift my focus from worrying so much about surface issues and learn how to appreciate who I am in the next year.  I know it sounds cheesy but I do believe that caring more about myself on a deeper level will help me in my weight loss journey by proxy.  So, even though it's cliche to reflect at the end of the year, it's what I'm doing.  I hope 2015 was good for everyone and if it wasn't, cheers to a better 2016.

I would like to give my brother a birthday shout out.  He is turning 22 on Wednesday and he is so very special to me! Happy Birthday, David!

This Christmas was filled with fun and family. I am beyond appreciate of the gifts and help I have received.  I am so unbelievably fortunate and I realize that now more than ever.  I hope you all have a fun, safe time ringing in the new year.  I will be watching Alabama football in the playoffs and starting 2016 with my my oldest dog bestie, Coco.  I am dog sitting and actually looking forward to a quiet NYE.

Best wishes and ROLL TIDE, y'all!

Happy Holidays Y'all!

Hi everyone! I hope you all get a chance to rest, relax and enjoy family and friends this week.  I am still steering clear of the scale but I'm counting calories today and I actually have a recipe to share.

Since it's winter time and since soups are easy, flavorful and often low in calories, I tend to make them quite a bit.  I made a chicken tortellini soup.  I love using store-bought rotisserie chickens for recipes. I tend to use them for a lot of recipes.  They are easy to shred, already cooked for you and they are packed with taste which adds another layer of flavor for your dish.  Remove the skin and then use all the white meat.  I also used frozen, cheese filled tortellini. The use of these two "cheats" made this soup extremely easy.  Use a bit of oil to sauté carrots, celery and onion.  Add garlic.  Add 4-1/2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil.   After you do that, add the chicken and tortellini and let that pot simmer until everything is cooked through.  I served with salad and cheese toast.  Those sides packed on some calories but the soup alone is less than a couple hundred calories a cup depending on how many tortellinis you eat.  It's a nice spin on traditional chicken noodle soup and the cheese and tortellini makes it even more hearty and filling.  It was a nice winter meal.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Safe travels...

Until next time...

I'm Going To Snap!

The truth is, I think I've already snapped.  I haven't weighed in a few weeks and even though my exercise game is strong, my mentality when it comes to food is not.  I have good moments and bad moments but I have most definitely slipped into my holiday slump where I try desperately each day not to do the typical, "I'll just wait until January" diet.  The holidays are hard because Christmas celebrations pop up all over the place and I'm not a "say no" kind of gal.  Sometimes, it's worth it though. For instance, I went with friends to Texas de Brazil (a Brazilian steakhouse) on Saturday and it was absolutely delicious.  I had another party with different friends yesterday and I can't turn down a mimosa.  I will figure it out and I'm determined to find the motivation I had for so long again.

One of my goals is to replace my need to eat with other things.  I know the print on this list is small but it's 100 things to do instead of eat so here is the link as well: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/avoid-mindless-eating.  It includes activities like shopping, getting a massage and meditating. Sadly, all of these ideas cost money.  Shopping actually works well for me as a hunger mitigator but it's not something I can always do.  I also like the free ideas on this list like wash your car, take a bath and organize your photos.  I have found that my best diet moments in the past couple weeks is when I've been busy for hours doing stuff around the new house.  Keeping busy is the best way to stay away from the pantry.

One of my most favorite holiday treats are the gingersnaps from World Market.  They are perfect, crispy and somehow moist as well.  I am convinced they are laced with some type of drug.  The best part about them is that if you can stop at one or two, they are only 20 calories a piece.

Ian and I put up our first tree.  It's quite crooked and the ornaments and lights could be more evenly distributed but I kind of like its imperfections.

Have a good week everyone and good luck out there!

Tired

Hi everyone! I am exhausted.  I moved into a new house.  Moving is always difficult, especially when the change comes with such heavy emotions.  I'm excited about the future but still feel bits of my apartment with Cassandra life pulling at me so there are a lot of mixed emotions.  Having said that, I have been working like crazy to get the place looking more like a home rather than a mess.  I worked all day.  I didn't weigh again this weekend because I'm scared of the results.  The good news is that I counted today for the first time in awhile and it felt good.  I will weigh at some point but my primary goal this week is to stay on the right path until I have a Christmas dinner with friends at Texas De Brazil on Saturday.

I haven't had time to cook but I wanted to show you my "dinner" tonight.  I burned so many calories today and stayed so busy that I had a boat load of calories left before I climbed in bed tonight.  What did I do? Made my own little cheese tray.  I am obsessed with cheese and crackers so it was a special treat.  I used sesame seed Lavash crackers and smoked gouda and shaved parmesan from Fresh Market.  It was a nice big plate and it was quite the luxury.

I also wanted to share something that isn't friendly for those that eat clean but I found myself loving them.  I tried cinnamon sugar Pringles.  The combination of salty and sweet is great! Plus, they aren't too caloric.  I am such a snacker and since I know that's more than likely never going to change, I make sure to always have snacks on deck.

Hopefully I'll make time to cook soon but after my $300 Wal-Mart trip today, I'm in no mood to do more shopping.

I want to give a HUGE shout out to everyone that has been so supportive during this move.  I want to especially thank my family who have spoiled me beyond anything I could have imagined.  The physical labor, the financial help and just being there made this very difficult move a bit less stressful.

Also, a huge ROLL TIDE as Bama won yet another SEC Championship when they defeated Florida.

Until next week!