Tag: #SmartPoints

Monday Madness…

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Some Mondays are mundane, some are as predictable as clockwork, but today was pure madness. Today was an intense, I was busy from the moment I hung my coat to the last announcements. Then I stayed after work to help a colleague with her lesson planning. After that I had the pleasure of my long commute home. Lots of traffic that came to a crawl because of a minor accident. No sooner did I pull into the driveway, I had to turn around and drive my son to Nokado. I got home, again, and it was time to start writing.

What about dinner? My husband took care of that when he came home with a pizza but one slice of pizza wasn’t going to do it for me. Instead, I had a hot dog and and a knish (12 SmartPoints). I also ate a 1/2 cup of fat free yogurt mixed with 2 tablespoons of Sugar Free Hershey’s Syrup and a spray of Fat-Free Reddi-Wip (1 SmartPoints) and that satisfied my sweet tooth. Today, I am rolling over 4 SmartPoints so that will bring me up to 11 Weeklies by tomorrow.

  • What a great find! 1 SmartPoint a serving

Right now, the thing I’m looking forward to the most is my nighttime routine and getting a good night’s sleep. I think this week’s goal to mindfully practice my nighttime routines is really helping me to feel better. I am keeping up with drinking water and I am in for spin class tomorrow. I think the spin class will help my energy levels for the day.

In keeping with my MONDAY theme, and just for fun, I’m going to revisit some more carefree days and let the Bangles have the last word…

Beginners…

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Some may think it’s hard to be a “beginner” because if you’re a beginner you don’t know much and have limited, or even, no experience. However, I think being a beginner is a gift. It’s a gift because everything is possible in the beginning. It’s all new and even though that can be a bit scary, it is ripe with potential. That is why, when it comes to being a better cook, I am going to try to adopt a beginner’s mind…

A beginner’s mind implies openness and eagerness to get started. There are no preconceptions either way. No good or bad expectations and that grants some freedom, doesn’t it? When it comes to cooking, I am using this week off to experiment with menu planning. I’m cooking and prepping dinner ideas to see if they would be feasible when I’m back to work.

  • Celery, Bay Leaf, and Parsley
  • Searing the brisket
  • Cauliflower fried rice
  • There are all kinds of goodness in this crockpot: wine, sweet onion, beef broth, carrots, mushrooms, brisket – yum.
  • Really good bread.
  • White Chicken Chili
  • cornmeal
  • chicken
  • peppers & onions

So far so good. I’m two for two. The cauliflower fried rice was great. Last night I prepared the White Chicken Chili was really great. You can see all the meals I prepare on the What’s for Dinner page. I’m also using my Paprika App and that has turned out to be a great tool. Paprika is a recipe manager and I really think it’s great. It organizes the recipes and creates shopping lists and helps to plan out meals.

I’m like many of you – I get home from work and I’m tired and hungry. The truth is, what I value gets done. I know that in order to maintain my weight loss I have to prioritize cooking really tasty food. I am the only one who can make that happen for me so I have to just get over the fact that this goal is going to take time and effort to accomplish.

So… what do you say? I say, “Mangia!” Let’s eat really delicious healthy food that’s good for us too. I think that’s one way that makes this lifestyle change permanent.

Yoga…

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I came into work and was greeted with a nice surprise this Monday morning – Yoga. As part of a health initiative my school is offering a yoga class before school. Luckily I could do it. It was a lot of fun, and was a really nice way to begin my day. I have to figure out how to do yoga more.

Short post tonight, because I’m off to bed so I can get up and go to spin class tomorrow morning. Wish me luck.

Day Twenty-Nine…

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Exhausted. Christmas is here and thankfully it all looks beautiful. I ate three Christmas cookies, and I did think about each one. I tracked them and needless to say this was not a “blue dot day” and now I feel a little remorse.  Learning how to manage cravings and bad choices is all part of the journey.

Sometimes (most of the time) I wish I didn’t have to think so much about this. To someone reading this blog they may say, “So what? She ate three cookies, big deal.” It’s not about the three cookies it’s the desire to eat them won over my better judgment. Anyway, it’s ok it’s only Sunday I can get myself together for the rest of the week.

Thank you for reading, and sending your support. Know that I send it all back to you as you travel your path to better health too. More tomorrow.

Day Three Hundred Eighty-Five…

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I didn’t make my goal of rolling over four points. I had pizza for dinner and went over. Then I had a low-fat ice-cream cone and went over even more.

Words of WisdomI know I am the kind of person who will always have to be vigilant about watching my weight. I was really disappointed about tracking the pizza, and then the cone tonight. It was upsetting to see the number go up on my app and that’s the truth. I believe tracking is a very important habit to cultivate. s what helps me to make my next move.  Tomorrow will be a better day.

 

Day One Hundred Ninety-Two…

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There is no better feeling than being in snuggled in bed on a dark snowy morning. The light filtering through the window is grey and muted. On any other day, a ringing phone would be jarring, but today it is as comforting as a childhood memory, “Good Morning, This is Dr. Gianni, due to the inclement weather school will be closed today, March 13th…” Clicking off the phone, it quickly shouts out another cheerful ring, click: “Good morning, This is Robert Banza,” the Northport choir singing softly behind him, “Due to the storm our roads will not be safe for travel for our students, faculty, and staff. Our schools will be closed…”  Getting a day like today is like receiving a gift to do whatever I want – or even to do nothing and just be. I know that everyone is safe and sound that is a remarkable feeling of contentment.

Nature is awesome. I can’t get over how vulnerable the gazebo looks.
8sp totally worth every delicious bite!
Quiet lovely calm despite the dangerous driving conditions.

I feel like I’m making the most of the day. Our daughter did have to go to work but Stop & Shop is just down the road from where we live.  So my husband cleared the snow and we dropped her off and took a ride into town. This made me think of my father-in-law who loved to venture out on snowy stormy days. He loved the adventure of it, and it was comforting to think of him too.  We came home, and I made three batches of pancakes: M&M pancakes for my son, regular for my husband, and blueberry for me. Yes, on Weight Watchers I can enjoy pancakes too. That’s why this program is the best one for making a lifestyle change. It would be a dark, stoic, unhappy life if I couldn’t relish a dish of blueberry pancakes on a snow day!

I hope that wherever you are in the world you are well on the journey. I wish you calm, contentment, and joy. Yes, we all want to reach our weight loss or fitness goals, but the thing is, if you are on the journey to improve your life, you don’t have to wait to start enjoying today. Make it a great one.