Moving Day

Hey, guys! My new site is completed! I'm so excited, and I hope you will follow me over to twopoundsawk.com. I have tonight's post up there, and will be using that site from now on. I want to thank those who read my blog and leave encouraging comments. Words seriously can't describe how much you all have helped me throughout this weight-loss journey!

Tuna time

Breakfast held me over incredibly well today. I wasn't hungry again until almost 11, so I ate a small snack to refuel before my workout:

7 celery sticks (yes, I'm weird and eat the leafy top too on the small, center pieces), and 2 tablespoons of Sabra Greek Olive Hummus. Fresh and filling!

I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical doing the weight-loss program (think lots of intervals), and rocked out to the likes of Black-Eyed Peas, FallOut Boy, Katy Perry, Lady GaGa and a few other of my keep-on-going favorites. Thank goodness for iPods -- I don't know how I'd work out without one! After a quick gulp of water, I did some strength training: bicep curls, squats, arm raises, push ups and crunches. I upgraded to 8-lb weights from 5'ers...feelin' the extra burn for sure!

Lunch was this plate of deliciousness:

I made a healthier version of tuna salad with:

• 2 oz. canned Starkist White Albacore tuna
• 2 oz. Greek Gods plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• An onion quarter, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Diamond sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons Athenos basil & tomato feta cheese
• Few dashes of salt, pepper and organic cumin

This was my first time subbing yogurt for mayo, and while the first couple bites were a little different for me (kind of like trying sushi for the first time), I started to embrace the new flavors.

I toasted two pieces of Ezekiel bread, cut them in half and topped them with the salad. Open face sandwiches, to me, helps not mask the tastiness of the inside.

Wanna bite? :)

JD got off work early today (yay!), so I think we are going to go run some errands before taking Tex out for his daily walk. I still have to do some cleaning too -- I got distracted by blog reading and reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond. :)

Will post dinner this evening!

A change will do you good

I went to see a nutritionist yesterday, and I practically skipped to my car after our session was over. I felt rejuvenated and inspired, and had all the materials for a brand spanking new food plan. As you may know, I've been working really hard for about 3 1/2 months, and haven't seen much of a downward budge on the scale. Surprisingly, the nutritionist said that may be due to not eating enough calories with all the exercise I do now. More food is fine with me! :) She suggested that I switch it up a bit and count calories instead of following the Weight Watchers plan. I'm getting out of my comfort zone -- I've been a Weight Watchers girl off and on for six years -- but I'm excited to do something different. Weight Watchers is an excellent plan, but I say if something isn't working for me, then I need to move on to something that will!

My target calories for days that I work out is 1400, and 1200 for days I don't. That's about 300 for breakfast, 400 for lunch and 500 for dinner, plus 2, 100-calorie snacks. (Which I will have to adjust for 1200-cal days) And of course I can mix up the calorie amounts if I plan to go out for a nice evening meal or need a bit more fuel in the morning. The best part? She gave me a free day once a month to eat whatever I like! Hello, Thanksgiving...drool...

To help me track everything and learn the calorie values for my favorite foods, I joined Sparkpeople. Anyone else a Sparky? My username is Megsgettinfit if you want to be friends :) I started using the food and exercise logs this morning, including tracking this healthy breakfast:

(Note: I am obsessed with this yogurt! I tried it for the first time the other day, and promptly went to the store to buy more. Loved the pineapple, and can't wait to try the plain and vanilla flavors!)

Yogurt bowl! I mixed the container of strawberry Chobani with 1/2 cup Kashi GoLean, plus 1 sliced banana and a few sprinkles of cinnamon. Scrumdidlyumptious! (And only 319 calories!)

Completed with a tall glass of chilled water and beautiful morning light streaming in the windows!

I'm off work today, so I'm about to get my exercise done, then super clean our house! And of course, spend time with this guy:

What a couch potato! :)

Lunch post to come later...

*Thanks to all our veterans and soldiers for your service and sacrifice*

Meg Makes It on Monday: Pizza bake

I love pizza -- the gooey cheese, the endless array of toppings, the buttery crust. My, oh delicious my! But, I have looked up the Weight Watchers points values for my favorite pie -- pepperoni, extra cheese, mushrooms and black olives on regular crust, and let me tell you, the fat and calories ain't pretty! Ha Ha! So, with a few odds and ends from my kitchen, I came up with a recipe that to me, tastes a lot like one of my favorite Italian indulgences, sans crust. And I don't feel like a big grease ball is slugging along, only to finally settle on my hips. :)

Here's what I used (minus those browning bananas in the background. Ha!): Leftover Prego Heart Smart spaghetti sauce, Hormel turkey pepperoni, provolone cheese, two yellow squash, three zucchini and an onion. Of course, you can make this your own with different kinds of cheese, veggies and protein. Tofu crumbles, maybe?

Chop your veggies

Oh onion, you make me weepy!

Throw all the veggies in a pan and cook over medium heat until they look like this:

The husband wanted to make his side of the casserole dish a bit "manlier," so he added leftover organic noodles and a few meatballs. :) My part looks a little nakey!

Not anymore -- pour on those steamy veggies!

Add sauce (about 3 cups) and smooth with spoon

Layer with pepperoni

Cheese, please! We used six slices for the whole casserole

About 25-30 minutes in a 350-degree oven, and ta da:

Now that's amore!

A square about the size of one cheese round (a little over a cup) is 6 points. I did count and measure all my ingredients though, so it may vary a bit if you are a little more heavy-handed with the pepperoni and cheese. :) I did try a bite of the husband's noodle-laden side...it was really good too, if you have the extra cals to spend.

In other News...

• I started Level 3 of Jillian Michaels Shred Challenge. My muscles are trembling just talking about it! Jumping jacks and butt kicks with weights?! I-N-S-A-N-E. I also walked two miles with JD and the pup, so that's 62 minutes of exercise for today!
• Tomorrow, I'm going to see a nutritionist. I'm pretty pumped about it, and of course will share the full report. Hopefully, this gal can help me figure out a good plan to get this weight loss rolling. (Fingers crossed) Which means, I may be switching from Weight Watchers to something new -- we shall see.
• We have several loads of laundry that need to go in the washer and dryer, and a cat who needs her medicine (we have scars from trying to give it to her the other day) so I better quit talking! :)

Have a great week!

Snoozin'

While most people are out to dinner or having drinks with friends on a Friday night, I was asleep...at 8:30. Does this mean I'm getting old? I think so! Ha Ha! I guess staying up until midnight most days this week finally caught up with me and kicked me in the shins. So sorry for no Tucson finale yesterday! Here it is. I don't think I even need to put a bunch of words in this one, because the pictures speak for themselves. The brave guy is my uncle Danny, and the hot mama is my Aunt Teri. (Danny is her bro-in-law) She is undergoing her last chemo treatments (yay!) and is doing amazing. Loves her!

Before

After! What love!

I won't bore you with details of Monday -- it was traveling, Starbucksing (my own new word) and coming home to my sweeties. Food and liquids were in check, and I even got to briefly visit the Whole Foods store in Nashville. I can see why everyone goes ga-ga over it!! I will definitely have to go back.

Today is going to be a busy one! I'm about to get my workout on (elliptical and weights today) before getting ready for 3 parties -- a housewarming, and two birthday bashes. I thought I'd be out of town today, but since those plans fell through, I'm going to have a day-long celebration with friends and family. Fun, fun! Hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Nice day for a Halloween wedding

Saturday -- Day 3
I woke up bright and early (and feeling a lot better!) to another day of gorgeous weather -- perfect for an outdoor wedding! After a delicious breakfast of tea and an egg-white omelet with a little cheese and sliced orange pepper, (super proud of my flipping skills that morning!) we packed our stuff and get a head start on the 1-hour drive to East Tucson, where the wedding of my cousin, Ryan, and his lovely bride, Melissa, was soon to take place. The Hilton -- our digs for the night -- was elegant and tidy, and the beds were oh so heavenly! I'm still thinking about mine! :)

While we got ready for Ry and Mel's big day, the parents and I ordered some room service for lunch. Unfortunately we were so rushed, I didn't have time to take any pics, but my veggie wrap (think little chunks of squash, zucchini, and carrots, plus lettuce and tomato) and fruit salad was to.die.for. Nom, nom....

A lot of the family was already downstairs by the time we got ready, and our transportation to the wedding site soon showed up -- a yellow school bus! What a flashback to the days of chasing after one when habitually late me missed it by a block just about every morning my freshman year. My sister even bought me an alarm clock after my dad got mad at me for missing it for the bazillionth time one day. Ha Ha! I digress...

The ceremony was unique and beautiful. Ryan walked down to Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back," and the groomsmen (donning soccer jerseys under their tux jackets since Mel and Ry met through a soccer league) strutted down the aisle to the theme song from Star Wars. It may sound weird, but it truly was perfect and made everyone laugh! And in true Halloween fashion, the sweet flower girl was dressed in a bunny costume -- too cute!

Kind of far away (I'm working on my picture taking skills...bear with me!) but I love the soccer ball! :)

After the ceremony, a beautiful table of appetizers was set out, but I was still pretty full from my wrap. I did, however, take advantage of the open bar with a couple of glasses of red. Wine and weddings seem to go hand in hand!

The reception hall looked fab in fall colors, and I loved the centerpieces.

Halloween candy, anyone? I skipped these too, which I think shows good progress. The old me would have gobbled up all those Hershey kisses even if I wasn't hungry.

Dinner was two kinds of pasta, breadsticks and grilled veggies. I ate it all, even though I should have left at least some on my plate. But it was too good to portion out! (And sorry for the lack of pics -- I was busy gabbing with family) Oh but the best part...

The CAKE!

This wasn't your usual white cake -- it was cuatro leches, which "begins with a vanilla sponge cake, coarser than American butter cakes but strong enough to hold up to the sauce of three milks poured over it. Then it is covered with a caramelized Swiss meringue and dotted with the arequipe or caramel sauce." (definition courtesy of Serious Eats) I have honestly never tasted a better dessert, but I still split my piece with my dad. If that isn't willpower, I don't know what is!

The rest of the evening was filled with dancing, visiting and maybe another glass or two of wine. :) It was fantastic!

Congratulations, Ryan and Mel! I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!

Tomorrow's post will highlight my last day in Tucson. My uncle did something for my Aunt Teri, who is battling breast cancer, that was truly touching! Then it will be back to my usual blogging starting this weekend.

*My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones at Fort Hood today.*

Meds and Mexican Food

Friday -- Day 2
On the second day of my Tucson travels, I woke up to howling dogs (my aunt has a slew of them!) and the worst sinus pain I think I've ever felt in my life. Not to mention my nose was running, and I was sneezing so much everyone was getting sick of saying, "bless you." Ha! I thought a cup of tea might tame the congestion a bit, so that was my breakfast.

Do you have one of these? I don't, but I definitely want one now! This electric tea kettle heated up water in no time. If it wasn't my aunt's, I might have snuck it in my suitcase. :)

Ah, comfort! This chai spice black tea didn't even need sugar it was so good!

None of us were really hankering for food just yet, so we got ready and headed to look for a med clinic for sickly me. Luckily, CVS had what they call a "minute clinic," and I got in to see a nurse practitioner and out with a prescription to treat my sinus infection in about 20 minutes. Who needs a doctor's office with that kind of service? :)

It was nearing lunchtime at this point, and what could be better to open the sinuses than some spicy Mexican food? We went to a restaurant called La Parilla Suiza, where we were promptly given a couple of baskets of chips and three kinds of salsa.

The green one was my fav!

I counted out a serving of chips and put them on a plate. It helps me from constantly dipping my hand into the basket and eating the whole thing!

I ordered shrimp tacos for my meal.

These babies were delicious! They didn't even need a dollop of sour cream. I ate every bite of them, but left all the rice and half the beans (subbed for the coleslaw). Most of the chips I counted out stayed on the plate too. I was full, but not stuffed, which is unusual for me when it comes to Mexican fare! Does that count as a small victory? :)

After lunch, my aunt took us to an upscale shopping area that made my mouth drop open. Tiffany's, Bebe, Crate & Barrel...and one of my favorites, a full-on Mac makeup store. Not a counter in a mall, but an actual venue filled with all kinds of fun (and expensive) face wear. I was giddy -- I LOVE makeup. Almost as much as I love shoes and handbags. What can I say -- I'm definitely not a tomboy! So, one of the sales girls helped me pick out some shadows that would bring out blue eyes. She even offered to give me a mini makeover, which of course I excitedly agreed to. I loved, loved the brown palette she picked out, and added a grayish/purple shade to the mix.

Before she talked me into chocolate liner and neutral lip gloss, we headed back to my aunt's house and made a quick and healthy dinner: salad, sauteed scallops and shrimp and leftover veggies. I noshed on cucumber wedges and a glob of jalapeno and cilantro hummus while everything was cooking.

And the perfect end to a great day?

Pure bliss!

Keep an eye out for tomorrow's post -- it's all about my cousin's Halloween wedding! The cake alone is worth reading about! Good night. :)