Feed Me Friday

I know, I know, I have been posting lots of food lately. It is the main area I have been concentrating on because my exercise plans are not going so well. After my workout the other day, I spent days in pain. My feet (that have not been bothering me at all for a couple of weeks) were very painful again. I don't want to get anywhere near the constant pain I was feeling before. I have a couple ideas (and welcome suggestions) of some things I am going to try to get in workouts with out ending up with the pain. On the list is swimming, which I will be honest I am NOT excited about. Bathing suits in public are a big deal for me and back when I was doing really well on the weight loss I was starting to get over it. However, now that I am on the other side of my starting weight the bathing suit is quite an unpleasant thought.

So on to what I am eating. Oh wait, first, this week was our first real snow of the season. I think our little shed looks so cute out there :)

The day it snowed I was a bit anxious about driving to work and didn't want to spend the extra time putting together a lunch. Instead, I ended up raiding my frozen entree stash. This was shrimp and pasta in a creamy sauce. I do like carrots and get their nutritional value, but sometimes I am a bit baffled when Lean Cuisine thinks they belong in certain dishes. For me, carrots just don't go with this dish, but it was okay and I didn't have to drive anywhere else to get it.

Since we are taking a class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, meals those nights need to be quick and easy. Buffalo Chicken Tacos are a favorite quick meal. I saute chicken breast cubes then toss them with buffalo sauce. Chopped onions are mixed with cilantro (sorry, Meg) and lime juice. We have made this many times and I am still surprised at how much simple deliciousness the doctored up onions add to the tacos.

Assemble the tacos on corn tortillas with lettuce and and a sprinkle of cheese. I measured out a portion of the ingredients for each of us then we put however much we like on each taco. I like a smidge of ranch dressing on the tacos, but my husband doesn't. It is a meal that is quick and easy and I definitely not boring.

I mentioned in my last post that I was working on an idea for green beans. I want to get more variety in my veggies. For example, one week I ate cucumbers and carrots all week with bean dip. It was great, but I want other veggies in the mix. Some veggies I don't enjoy as much raw - like broccoli. I saw a tip once that recommended blanching broccoli for a veggie tray to take the edge off the raw flavor, but keep the crispness. I thought it sounded like a good idea for green beans.

The beans were plunged into boiling water for about a minute.

Then straight into cold water to stop the cooking. I would have put some ice in the water too to cool them more quickly, but I didn't have any. The beans became a beautiful bright green.

Crisp, but not completely raw, green beans and orange peppers were super fresh tasting with my bean dip.

Remember those fried potatoes my mother in law made last weekend?  She sent them home with me and because I love them so much I couldn't make myself throw them out. I thought about a way to incorporate a portion of them into another dish that would be healthier than sitting down with a them and a big spoon. I settled on a breakfast hash. Since it was just me I was free to add a big dose of yummy mushrooms. The potatoes had already been cooked with peppers and onions, but I added a few more onions and a big handful of spinach.

I topped it with an over easy egg. It was super tasty and filling (I actually had it again this morning.)  I loved the convenience of having the potatoes pre-cooked. I am now thinking of a way to prep some potatoes without all the extra oil to make the hash even healthier. Stay tuned.

I know this lunch doesn't look like much, but I am proud of it. I had to work early that day and ran out of time to pack a "good" lunch. I had a few things in the fridge/freezer at work and knew I would have to make do. However, I had to do a work errand at lunch time. I really struggled with just stopping and grabbing fast food. Thankfully, I was able to resist and ate this at my desk instead - the last portion of lentil soup (I decided I will definitely make more - it "freezes beautifully"), bread toasted with Swiss cheese and a cutie. In retrospect, I wish I had split one slice of cheese between the two pieces of bread. Overall, the calories were right on target and I actually enjoyed the meal. Maybe it was the condiment of pride that made it extra delicious.

Last night we decided on Subway for our pre-class dinner. It was fine, but this time of year I crave warm food.

I am so eager to get my Cooking Light magazines. Yesterday, my heart start beating a bit faster when I thought I saw first issue in the mail box. It turned out to be Country (a magazine my husband's grandma gets us) - a perfectly nice magazine, but...

Okay, so this is still happening at my house. I am the WORST about taking down the Christmas tree. I am sure it is a combination of my love for my ornaments and a little laziness. It is quite a task to pack up boxes and boxes of precious ornaments. I think it is going to have to happen this weekend.

The other morning I got out all the ornament boxes. I sorted the ornaments that didn't get put up this year. Some of those ornaments will be "let go."  I am determined to organize the rest as I repack. If anyone out there is an organizing guru and you don't have plans for the weekend....

I was at a wrestling match the other day and I thought this sign was great. Know your role. 

This week I had to have a physical form filled out, so off to the doctor I went. I can't say I am ever excited to go to the doctor. I hate that moment on the way to the exam room when they stop you at the scale. This time was no exception. I knew what it was going to say, but it is hard to let someone else see what it says. The whole time I am thinking about the form knowing there is a section on health problems and one of the items that can be checked is "obesity". When I think of obesity I think of people who are much larger than I am. Of course, I know I am technically in that category, but I really didn't want to see it checked. I still remember MANY years ago when I was applying for the Peace Corp my doctor filled out my physical and wrote in "mildly obese." I was traumatized. At the time, I didn't know the true definition of obese and thought it was a complete overstatement. At that point in my life, I weighed about 40 pounds less than I do now. One day, I need to share the Peace Corp experience and what happened next.
 


I am not sure how to say this - yes, my current weight is not good for my health, but thankfully, I don't currently make a direct correlation to a health issue I am experiencing. In the end, my doctor did not mark obesity (there was actually nowhere on the form that even asked for my weight).  There were several follow up questions about my physical abilities - lifting, reaching, walking, etc. None of those things are an issue. So now, I just need to keep addressing the weight to prevent future issues.



That brings me to weigh-in. I lost .6. I know every little bit counts, but having plenty to lose I certainly wouldn't mind it a little bit bigger loss. At least, that takes me into that next 10s. Let's see what I can do this week :)