A new, better day

OK, it's a brand new day ... I have at least six chances to make good decisions. Healthy choices.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks. Lots of water.

I can do this. I can! It's not that hard. Even though I'm still stressed out about my financial situation, I don't have to eat my feelings. I can take a walk, call a friend, read a book, write something.

One good decision down: A serving of Special K with skim milk for breakfast. 3 Points, leaving me with 20 for the rest of today.

You know it's never good

When I'm ignoring my blog, it's because I've been a bad, bad girl.

Despite writing that I was going to rein it in Saturday, I continued the free-for-all all weekend and into today. (Even though I woke up at 9:30, I skipped breakfast, so I was starving by the time I got to eat lunch ... and so I ate too much.)

I was afraid to face the music by getting on the scale this morning (and still can't afford my WW meeting, anyway. That doesn't excuse me from the home-scale check-in, however.

I started counting Points for dinner and after — I've eaten 10 so far. Don't want to think about the Points in lunch, though.

Spinning again

With three not-so-great days under my belt, I’m starting to spiral out of control again.

Must rein it back in. Now. I don’t want to undo all the progress I made earlier in the week.

Just for Friday, I’m going to track every bite. That always seems to help.

Great breakfast & a new blog

I know, I know .... I usually don't post until the end of the day. But since I had something to share, I figured, "Why not shake things up a little?" Blogging more than once today won't hurt me!

The Boyfriend called right before 9 this morning, so I was actually up early enough to make myself that French toast this morning. I'm psyched, because it turned out delicious.

Psyched? I haven't said that since about sixth-grade. Ah, let's not take that trip down memory lane.

Anyway, it couldn't have been simpler to make.

1/4 cup egg substitute

pinch each of cinnamon, nutmeg & Splenda

1 Sandwich Thin

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray. Mix egg substitute, spices and Splenda. Dip bread into egg. Cook on each side until as brown as you like it.

Yum! And only 2 Points. (I added half an apple and a drizzle of SF syrup, making my total for breakfast 3 Points. Same number as a bowl of Special K w/ 1/2 cup milk, but a nice change!)

On to the blog. Thanks to Tonyne over at The Unlikely Success Story, I discovered a new blog this morning: T.J.'s Test Kitchen. T.J. has lost about 70 pounds on WW (which is where I'll be when I finally hit goal). Right now, she's doing a giveaway ... a great lunch bag filled with some of her favorite snacks.

And now I'm entered to win! :D (I never win this kind of thing, but it's always fun to try.)

Blame it on Taco Bell

My NyQuil-induced sleep lasted until 2 p.m., so I didn't get the French toast I was hoping to have for breakfast. (I'm weird like that. I don't like to eat breakfast food unless it's breakfast time. Hated it when the school cafeteria served waffles and sausage and called it "brunch.")

When I left the house to go to work, the day was so beautiful — sunny and warm considering we still have several feet of snow on the ground — that I wished I hadn't slept most of it away. Guess I needed it, though. I feel a little better now.

I wanted a burrito for lunch, but the place I wanted it from is closed on Sundays. I was a bit embarrassed that I didn't know that, but I usually don't try to get burritos on Sunday. (Figured that I had the Points for it, since I'd eaten nothing all day.)

Anyway, I ended up at Taco Bell. I thought I ordered the Drive-Thru Diet combo (two fresco grilled steak tacos) but I actually GOT the regular grilled steak tacos.

They're SO NOT WORTH the extra 4 Points — each. (Fresco are 3 Points each, regular are 7.) I picked the cheese off the second one and called it 12 Points for lunch.

That's the same amount I'd have spent on the burrito at Burritos Fiesta, but it didn't taste nearly as good. Nor was it as filling. I'll probably end up at BF tomorrow anyway.

Anyway, at 28 Points for the day, I'm counting it as another success. Yes, it would have been fewer had Taco Bell not screwed up my order ... but 28 Points still is decent.

My pedometer count, however, sucked even more today: Just 1,494 steps. Guess that's what happens when I sleep until 2 and then sit at my desk for six hours.

I think I'm less hungry as the days go by. More OP days under my belt and my whole attitude is changing.

Nice! Why is it so easy to forget these things when I stray?

On the budget front, I spent $7.07 ... all on food (combo at TB and a kid-sized yogurt from TCBY). I did think twice before getting a Diet Dr Pepper from the vending machine, though. That would have been another 60 cents, so I'm pleased with that decision.

Food	Units
grld stk tacos (cheese removed from one)	12
kid sz. tcby pb yogurt	2
1 godiva caramel-filled chocolate square	2
smart ones meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes	5
green beans & 1/2 sandwich thin	1
1 deep chocolate vitatop - yum!	1
(4got to enter earlier) quaker cafe square	2
svg spcl k w/ milk	3
Total:	28

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Another decent day

That makes two in a row! I feel so much better than I did earlier this week that I'm doing a little happy dance right now.

I ate a little more today than yesterday ... and succumbed to the lure of a chocolate-covered pretzel rod (2 Points) at the Barnes & Noble Cafe this afternoon before work. It was on sale for 49 cents, so when I saw it only had 2 Points, I just couldn't say no.

Do you guys ever end up eating something you totally didn't plan on just because you're out and it looks good? I'd just had a container of Stonyfield Farms Chocolate Underground yogurt, so I certainly didn't need a chocolate-covered pretzel.

Overall, including the bowl of Special K and skim milk I ate after I got home from work, I consumed 28 Points today.

That's not bad. Granted, I'm allowed 23 ... but if you factor in the 5 FPs I can add to each day (provided I have them, which technically I don't, unless I start my week yesterday), I'm right on track. Maybe I should start my week Friday, then! :D

I was a little hungrier today than yesterday. Maybe that's because it was a carb-heavy day, with sushi and yogurt for lunch, soup and an apple with peanut butter for snacks and a veggie corn dog and mac & cheese for dinner, then the cereal snack.

Must work on getting more protein. Some days I wonder if I shouldn't just start doing Atkins again. Then I remember that, even though I once honestly thought I'd be able to do the low-carb thing for the rest of my life, things changed when I met the carb-loving Boyfriend.

Still no exercise, though. I only logged 2,138 steps on the pedometer. Pathetic. :S (But considering I slept til 11 a.m., then sat on my butt at B&N and then work, I guess 2,000 steps isn't so bad.)

In the "adventures in life" category, I've decided I'm going to try something new with money.

In keeping with the WW theory that tracking helps you take control, I'm going to start keeping track of what I spend, and what I spend it on (bills, entertainment, food, whatnot).

I haven't quite worked out the system yet, but I did buy a little notebook to start tracking in (4 of them for $1.08 at the Dollar Store). It'll be something with a key code (E=Entertainment, F=Food, U=Utilities, A=Auto, R=Restaurants ... etc.) so I can see exactly where my money goes.

I expect I'll be shocked and sickened at how much I waste. Guess I'll find out soon enough, eh?

Now, it's time to take some NyQuil gelcaps and knock myself out until tomorrow. As long as I wake up in time to go to work at 4, all will be well.

On the right track

This morning, I made a pledge to myself: Just for today, I'm going to log every bite that goes into my mouth.

I did, and it helped me immensely. I ate 24 Points (forgot to put in strawberries and SF Jell-O mousse before I exported my chart). I'm still contemplating heading home and eating 1 Point of popcorn, because I'm still hungry.

Long hours are not exactly my friend. But at least I've avoided the vending machine today. It was the first time in more than a week that I've stayed OP.

Let's hope it's the start of a nice, long streak.

Food	Units
svg. spcl k w/ 1/2 c skim milk	3
chicken bacon ranch salad w/ lt ranch dressing	7
small vanilla cone	3
quaker true delights cafe squares	2
apple w/ 1 t rf pb	3
hg pulled bbq chicken on sandwich thin	4
svg. progresso soup w/ extra 1/2 c green beans mixed in	0
Total:	22

Table provided by Roni's Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.