Sometimes food just looks better than it tastes

I can't believe I haven't posted since Friday. Sorry about that.  I just was out for dinner late on Saturday, and tired last night.  But I did count my calories like a good girl.

Yesterday I tried out a new recipe, French Country Style Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs, but it wasn't that great (although it looks good).  I'm picky on food though - if it isn't fabulous, I don't make it again. But it really looks good doesn't it?  Sometimes food, I suppose like people and some dogs and cats, look better than they actually are.  LOL

I did take a walk on Saturday - time to get outside and walk!

french style slow cooker chicken thighs

french slow cooker chicken thighs

Me a walkin outside - gettin in that exercise!

Felt Fake Hunger today after a difficult event

I really need a Weight Watcher meeting.  I had to miss last Saturday due to my mom going into the hospital.  I'm going tomorrow and I need it.  It just motivates me so much.

Mom got released from the hospital today.  I am so glad.  But cautious.  She was release in early March and 3 weeks later was back in and worse.  I'm not sure she is going to live.  Time will tell.

Today I actually bought a beautiful dress for her to be buried in.  After I bought it I have to admit I felt hungry.  I think that was just a "please soothe my emotions with food" craving.  I am so proud of myself in that I just ate a salad with no meat - 140 calories.  I made a good choice.  

It's strange how emotions can fool you like that - make you think you are hungry when you are not.

No food will make it better.  You just have to lean in and do the emotions.  They won't kill you and they won't last forever.

Resting now.

Is there such a thing as balance?

Balance.  Is there such a thing? I'm not sure.  I work full time, my mom is extremely sick in the hospital, my dad is pretty darn sick, too, and I need to take care of me, too.  How is that done?  I think for me it's a pacing.  It's not doing everything to the nth degree.  So, I worked hard at work, but I took time to go take a walk over lunch at the mall (see my smiling face below).  I left a little early so I could see Mom after work and not spend forever in traffic.  I just stayed about 45 minutes - tended to her, checked in with the hospital staff, and then got myself dinner and some down time.  That seems to work for me.  Balance - or at least an attempt at it.

The scale had a huge drop this morning.  I'm the lowest now since my husband died.  Hope it keeps trending down.  Yippee.

We must take care of ourselves to take care of others.  Just true.

Mall walking at lunch - taking care of me

Self-Care - Always needs to be a priority in weight loss

I don't put everything I eat in my food diary.  I don't put vegetables, no-calorie beverages.  So if you think I'm not getting enough of those, I am - I just don't bother cause the calories are nil.  Also, sometimes I put an item that isn't exactly what I ate, but close in description and/or calories.  Just being transparent here!

My mom is still in the hospital.  She's recuperating, but we believe it is temporary.  She has pneumonia and can't seem to heal.  Her lungs are bad and so she just can't breathe enough these days.  So, it is serious.  I love her so much, though.  It is my honor to help her through her end of life.  But I must not lose myself in this.  So I am still counting my calories, and tonight I got a much needed hair cut.  Over eating happens when we self-neglect in other areas.  Gotta take care of my basic needs.  It's not a bad thing - it's a good thing.

Take care of yourself.

Oven Roasted Chicken

Made a new recipe tonight from one of my Weight Watcher's cookbooks - Oven Roasted Chicken with Srirachi-Honey sauce.  It was good, but not great. I  only repeat great recipes, so I won't make it again.  But you have to try stuff to find the gems.

My mom is still in the hospital.  She is better, but it is a temporary fix.  She isn't doing her treatment at home and just will end up failing again.  So, we are considering hospice care.  It's a very emotional time.  But I am still counting my calories.  You can't throw away your health in stress times.  I did that when my husband was sick with cancer and gained all that weight.  I need to not do that. Period.

You know how on a plane they tell you to put on your own mask before you assist others.  We have to be sure we are healthy before we can help others.

That's your lesson for the day.

:)

Oven-Roasted Chicken With Srirachi-Honey Sauce, Rice and Zucchini

Gotta track even when life is crazy stressful

My mom's still in the hospital, and it's extremely serious.  We are considering hospice care.  Lots of tears.  Plus, my dad is also very ill with cancer.

But I still tracked my calories.  I overate, but not crazy.   I'm happy with that.

I made chili with ground chicken tonight.  I just love a bowl of chili on a cold night.

To lose weight and do it for life, you have to still work at it even when life is extremely taxing.  And so I am.

Jeans are getting loose

Been busy the last few days - just a lot going on, including now my mom is back in the hospital.  I had to miss my Weight Watcher meeting today because I had to be at the hospital.  But I still counted my calories.  I'm very happy about that.  Yesterday I under ate, too.  Today a little over.

My jeans are very loose.  Love that.  I keep having to wash hem and redry them so they fit.  Loving that.

Well, I need rest.  Do you know sleep is critical to weight loss?  It is.  Be sure to get enough!

The only way to fail is to quit

The only way to fail is to quit - this is another saying from my friend Jack.  True, huh?  Well, I've been battling my weight my whole life.  And there have been times I've quit.  But not since January 2 this year.  I'm staying on it.  And this blog is really helping me.  Thank you for being here.

Stayed the same yesterday, but that is still good.  I did OK today, except a co-worker 2 desks away has this chocolate bowl my brain knows about.  I need to bring something in to counter it.  Like a larger chocolate fiber bar for less calories.  Let's see, I'm checking my cabinet now......  Yippee, I have 3 Special K Chocolatey Pretzel bars - 90 calories each and a lot better for me than a handful of M&M's.  Only 2 grams of fat and has 16 grams of fiber.  OK, bringing these to work tomorrow.

Instead of beating myself up, I learn. What do I need? How can I help myself do better?  That's a lot more productive than ignoring what I'm doing or feeling bad.

Love thyself.  :)

I'm back

I caught a bad virus that had me sleeping on and off for a few days, so I didn't have the energy to blog until now.  But, I did track my calories.  Yeah me.

Bad: Ate too much last Friday and had a gain at my Weight Watchers meeting.  Boo.  Had my second glass of wine this year (yep) and I tend to avoid alcohol because it usually means an automatic gain for me.  Yep, that happened, plus eating way too many calories.  Oh well.

Good: I already have lost most of that weight I gained last Friday.  So Yeah!  And I didn't exercise at all, so that is real good.  Plus I've been home near the fridge.  But I just used my trusty "My Fitness Pal" app and made sure it didn't get out of hand.  :)

Also, my dad is sick - very seriously sick.   And he was in the hospital and I couldn't visit because I was sick.  Gosh I hated that.   He's a bit better now so I'm feeling a little relieved.   I did get to visit him today finally, too, and that was super great.

The most important time to track calories is during times of stress.  That's when it's easiest to just forget it and end up eating too much.  But for this to be for life, it has to be done when it's hardest.  Period.  I'm proud I did it during the last few hard days.

Here are the last 5 days of what I ate, if you are totally bored read on....

Thai food yesterday = pound lost today, cool!

Well, Thai food agreed with me.  Dropped that pound yesterday that came back on earlier this week.  But I ate kind of a lot today. Hope I keep it off.   We'll see.

I fractured my foot last summer and darn it, I keep aggravating the little break.   So I didn't walk today - need to let it heal.

Going out for dinner tomorrow night to Maggianos.  I usually get the Lemon Chicken when I go and I don't do too bad.  It is soooo good, and I only eat 1 breast.

Well, it's kind of a boring day.  Hope you are having a good one yourself.

My vege soup and Mall Walking

Howdy my dieting fan.   Well, it got cold again, but that's no excuse for not moving.  I walked inside the mall on my lunch hour and that felt GREAT!  I also made my Zero Points Weight Watcher soup again.  I eat a cup pretty much every day, usually as the start of my lunch.  Fills me up and helps me not eat too much.   But, right now I'm up 1 pound from last Saturday's weigh in.  Poop on that.  And, I ate really delicious thai food for both lunch and dinner tonight.  So, I may be paying for that tomorrow.  We'll see.  But geez, it was so good.  I love spice (I think you figured that out by now).  No bland food for this girl.

Well, move and eat good.
- Sandy

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What I ate the last 2 days:

Pizza for dinner

I made homemade pizza for dinner. I used a Bolboli thin crust, 5 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 cup turkey sausage, 2 oz, mini turkey pepperoni, and 8 green olives.  1/4 of this pizza is only 400 calories, and tastes great.  Too bad stupid me figured out the calories after I ate half of the pizza.  Grrrr.  Always figure out the calories/points BEFORE eating.  Don't follow my example.  But I took a really fast, brisk walk after dinner so hopefully that will mitigate the damage.  You can follow that example.

Losing weight is hard.  Seriously.  To stay focused every bite, every meal, every day for many, many months on end and then really, for your whole life.  Yeah, it's just work.  But I must get this weight off.  And that is just that.  And keep it off once and for good.  That is the goal.

Well, that's it for today.

My homemade pizza - 1/4 = 400 calories (9 pts)

me on my walk - nice to have sunlight last longer so I could go after work