The Diet Day 7 Wednesday

WEIGHT: back to 164 on the nose.

BREAKFAST: bowl of Wheaties with raspberries and skim milk

SNACK: a cup of Smartfood popcorn

LUNCH: sliced chicken, tomatoes, and lettuce on a WW Deli Flat with 1 tablespoon canola mayo and 1/2 tsp. horseradish sauce. 1/2 cup popcorn. I always drink water at lunch.

SUPPER: Pita pizza: I used a whole wheat pita and drizzled about half a teaspoon of EVOO on it then covered it with the spaghetti sauce I made last night. Then I added a tablespoon of Alfredo sauce, chopped red onion, red bell pepper, broccoli, and mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Then I baked it at 450 degrees for 8 minutes.

I love how the crust got nice and crispy.

It didn't look very big and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be enough but it was. I ususally try to buy Joseph's pitas but I couldn't find them and had to settle for these smaller ones, instead.

I was tempted to have a glass of wine with it but decided to be smart and just had a small glass of skim milk. I'm so good I'm making myself sick!

EXERCISE: No rain tonight! Cold, though, in the 30s. Bracing! I walked about the same as last night, a mile and a half. I kind of lost track because I was talking on the phone with my mom. Tomorrow, she's moving from a rehab facility to an independent living apartment in a retirement community. She sounded excited and I'm happy for her.

DILEMMA: I'm dying for a snack but it's 8 pm and I really don't want to eat so late. But, maybe some fruit? I think I'll have a banana.

The Weekend

Visit from Nathan and Danielle

Yummy food

Nice walk

Relaxing reading

Sports on TV

Season premieres

Great weekend

The DD! Day 6: Tuesday

WEIGHT: 164.3. I think the weekend is catching up with me!

BREAKFAST: bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with raspberries and skim milk.

SNACK: About a cup of Smartfood popcorn

LUNCH: chicken salad made with 1 tablespoon canola mayo and 1/4 teaspoon horseradish dressing on a WW Deli Flat with lettuce, roasted red pepper, and sliced tomatoes. I also had about half a cup of popcorn.

SNACK: tablespoon of natural peanut butter

SUPPER: I made a spaghetti sauce of onions, green peppers, zucchini, roasted red peppers sauteed in olive oil. Then I added leftover chicken, fresh tomatoes, tomato puree, V8, 1/2 cup of prepared Alfredo sauce, garlic powder (I forgot to buy fresh garlic, dammit!), basil, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and a bay leaf. I had it over WW angel hair pasta. It was to die for if I do say so myself.



Here are the veggies sauteeing. Gosh, it smelled so good!

And here it is simmering after the rest of the ingredients were added.



I need to add here that this is really a labor of love because I somehow broke the timer on the stove and it constantly buzzes. Since Gary is at camp and not here to fix it, I've had to turn the breaker for the stove off when it's not in use. And when it is in use...yes, I have to listen to the buzzing! As I did tonight.

EXERCISE: Another 6 times around the block like last night and, like last night, it started to rain. A quarter of my walk was uphill.

The DD! Day 5 Monday

WEIGHT: 164. I wasn't sure I believed it since I didn't do very well over the weekend so I moved the scale from the rug in my bedroom to the hard floor of the bathroom and it still said the same thing.

BREAKFAST: bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats, sliced banana, and skim milk.

SNACK: 4 Triscuits with peanut butter

LUNCH: lean imported ham and swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and red bell peppers on a WW Deli Flat bun with 1 tablespoon canola mayo and some spicy brown mustard. And carrot sticks. Eaten standing up in the cafeteria watching the kids eat their lunches. So much fun! I love lunch duty!

SNACK: Handful of Smartfood white cheddar popcorn

SUPPER: I bought a roasted chicken at the IGA and also some individual cups of brown rice that I just had to put in the microwave. I also sauteed some red onion, red bell pepper, and zucchini in olive oil, basil, rosemary, and salt and pepper and put the cooked rice in it and sprinkled about a tablesppon each of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top. Delish! I had three slices of chicken breast with that and a glass of skim milk.

EXERCISE: I walked 6 times around the block. One time I drove around and measured how far it was and it was a quarter of a mile so tonight I went a mile and a half. I would have gone further but it started to rain.

The Damn Diet! Day 4: Sunday

Gary hasn't bought any groceires for camp so we had to go out to eat for breakfast, again.

BREAKFAST: at Lucky Logger Landing at eleven o'clock: omelette with cheese and green peppers and a little hollandaise. It came on the side so I could add as much or little as I wanted. I also had about half of my homefries.

LUNCH: at home around 3:30 pm: I used the leftover seafood salad on a whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, red bell pepper, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

SNACK: I got hungry around 6:30 so had a handful of mixed nuts along with several glasses of water.

EXERCISE: I walked about a mile and a half, one quarter of it uphill with an umbrella, in the rain! But, it still felt good!

It's nice to be home where I can make my own choices. Of course, then I have no one to blame but myself!

The Last Pennant

I mixed about 4 different colors to get the right background for this page. One of them was a glittery gold but the glitters kind of got lost in the mix.

The Damn Diet: Day 3: Saturday

I knew it was going to be hard on the weekend...and it was!

I don't have a scale here so will weigh myself again on Monday morning.

BREAKFAST: The guys went fishing so Danielle and I went to Michele's Garden Cafe around eleven o'clock. I had Eggs Oscar: white English muffin with fresh asparagus, crabmeat, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. (So good!) And homefries. And I ate every last one!

SNACK: Apple I bought from the farm stand which they said was picked that morning. Yum! And a few peanuts. (Best meal of the day!)

SNACK: 4 broken pieces of Ak-Mak crackers with cream cheese, glass of merlot

SUPPER: We went to Ruby Tuesday's because Gary had some coupons. I had another glass of merlot, the salad bar (way too many itms to remember and I didn't make the best choices, unfortunately!), and Parmesan Shrimp with pasta. I ate about 2/3 of the pasta and all of the shrimp. (To die for!)

EXERCISE: Danielle and I walked around MacWorth Island for about an hour and I walked around the campground once when we got back from supper.

I'll be glad when the weekend is over and I'll be home by myself and can do better!

The Damn Diet! Day 2: Friday

I don't think my scale works that accurately because when I got on it Friday morning, it read 165.1. I know I didn't lose almost two pounds overnight! (Especially with that supper the night before!) I always weigh myself in the morning just after my shower so the conditions were the same.

Anyway, I've still got a ways to go!

Friday was semi successful, again.

BREAKFAST: Whole Wheat English muffin with Benecol and peanut butter (I've got to get the natural kind; that Skippy is just too sweet!), banana (I'm buying berries next week), and a glass of skim milk.

SNACK: small handful of mixed nuts. I should point out in my defense that a student brought me a warm, cinnamony piece of coffee cake and I didn't eat it!

LUNCH: Seafood salad made with shrimp, crabmeat, imitation crab, and canola mayo (half the fat and calories of regular mayo) on a whole wheat Deli Flat bun (by Pepperridge Farm) with sliced tomatoes and golden cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, and water to drink.

And now comes the bad part, just like yesterday.

SUPPER: We went to Kerrymen's Pub with Nathan and Danielle and I made some poor choices again. (I'm so weak!) 1 1/2 glasses of merlot, macaroni and cheese and hotdogs. (The guy sitting next to me at the bar ordered it and it looked so darn good, I couldn't control my mouth when it was time to order! So, it's really not my fault!) I only ate 2/3 of it (talk about filling!) but had three hotdogs (somebody shoot me!)

EXERCISE: I walked briskly around the perimeter of the campground but only once because I didn't want to be rude to our guests. (How's that for an excuse?)

I'm asking myself why on earth I started this diet on a Thursday when I knew the weekend would be difficult. Oh, well, at least I'm determined even though I'm not always strong.

The Damn Diet! Day 1: Thursday

Yes, I've decided to watch what I eat. Anyone who knows me, knows I love food but it's time to slow down a bit.

I debated about posting about my attempts but figured that it would be better for the whole world (well, at least the four or five people in the world who read this blog!) to know and keep me accountable.

I woke up yesterday morning and could barely button my pants so I got on the scale and was so disgusted with myself, that I decided right then and there to start eating better.

9/24 WEIGHT: 167

BREAKFAST: Honey Bunches of Oats with sliced banana and skim milk.

SNACK: 4 Triscuits with peanutbutter

LUNCH: Salad of lettuce, cucumber, greenbeans, golden cherry tomatoes, swiss cheese, and ham with a dressing of olive oil, raspberry vinegar, and dijon mustard

SNACK: a small handful of mixed nuts

SUPPER: at Dairy Bar with Dottie: glass of merlot, vegetable soup, scallop roll with tartar sauce (I tore off most of the huge roll it was in) I know, I know bad choices!

EXERCISE: We walked briskly from Dottie's house to the Dairy Bar which is about a mile each way.

No, Turn Around!

Click to enlarge this photo and you'll be able to see what I mean! It's a bit fuzzy because I took it through the bathroom window. (I think it's time to get the Windex out!)

I took this picture Tuesday morning, during the last sunrise of summer.

If you'd like to see more awesome skies, go to SkyWatch Friday.

Week of Sept. 14-20

Not an awful lot going on last week and I only managed to do this one page.

Great detail on this pennant. I love the place card!

Happy Weekend

All the routes to camp are under construction. Last week I tried route 2 and ended up getting stopped for a good 15 minutes while trucks were unloading gravel. I actually grabbed my book and read!

This week I decided to go down through Fryeburg and take routes 113 and 117. Wouldn't you know, more construction! This time the road was closed entirely and I had to take a long detour and, even on that route, I got stopped once for paving.

Very frustrating!

But I'm here, now, and the weather is gorgeous so, as soon as my laundry is done, I'm heading to the beach. Can't think of a better place to unwind!

I love how old fashioned Amy's pennant is...when times were simpler and more genteel.

The Sunday After Labor Day

I took this picture when I was at the beach last Sunday from Ocean Park Beach looking south toward Ferry Beach and Camp Ellis.

There weren't too many people around, just the way I like it!

To see more skies click on SkyWatch Friday.

Last Week

I didn't do much journaling but managed to get this one page done. There was just so much going on with school and traveling to Maine on the weekends.

• But, the real reason is that I was reading a great book and couldn't put it down. It was called The Help by Kathryn Stockett. You can read about it here.

Don't you just love the vibrant colors of Cindy's pennant?

Pennant Swap

Last year Lisa of Simple Journeys hosted a banner swap titled "Hats, Handbags, and Heels." I figured I'd glue them into my journal so they won't get lost. This one is Lisa's. I love all the girly elements!

On the SeeSaw

I haven't been doing too many journal pages lately so figured I'd post another picture of Kylie from last weekend.

I do have a page done but forgot to take a picture of it before heading to camp. Next week! And I'm halfway done another page. So, I guess it's not that bad.

Through the Morning Fog

I saw this apricot sunrise on my way out the door so ran back inside and got my camera.

There are plenty more skies at SkyWatch Friday.

Kylie and the Computer

She loves it!

"Grammy can I use your computer?"

"Sure."

"Can you put it on PBSkids, please?"

Wish I could Have Played Hooky

We've had an amazing string of blue-sky days here in northern New Hampshire.

I saw this scene on Tuesday morning when I was on my way in to school. It was cool (38 degrees) but so beautiful! I hated having to go inside.

Go to SkyWatch Friday to see more skies from all over the world.