Spinach Feta Wrap

So, you like Starbucks' Spinach, Feta & Egg White wrap? 

Me too!!

Here is my version:



Sauteed onions, garlic, mushroom (which is not in the Starbucks version) & baby spinach added to egg whites, topped with a sprinkling of parmesan and feta, all wrapped up in a Flat-Out Light wrap.

So. LAME.

Yeah, I'm lame, I admit it. Almost embrace it, really.

I don't have an excuse. The holidays? Meh. That's no reason. Been busy with the kids underfoot? Hm. Again, no reason. Feeling sorry for myself because we are on a strict budget? Wow, that is the WORST excuse EVER. And more evidence of my intrinsic lame-ness.

So, no, I don't have an excuse for not keeping up with this blog.

How is the weight loss going, you ask?

*sigh*

I'd rather you not ask, actually. Because...it's not. Going. The weight loss.

It's not that I've given up....more like, been sidetracked?  With all those non-excuses above.

That, and I need to temporarily find a different way or place to work out, which makes things a little more complicated.

Also, I may be looking for a job very soon. But I don't think that's a bad thing, necessarily; although I'd rather not have my little grandson in daycare, and I would also rather keep my 13-y-o son out of public school, still, having a job would force a little more structure onto my shapeless days, and that might be just the motivation I need to start working out again (and to stick with a diet again).

What have we been up to for the past month or so?  Well, we had Christmas, of course, and we got to see family: my mom and stepdad came for a visit; another day we met my dad and stepmom for dinner; then, finally, my in-laws came for a couple days, and that was probably the best gift of all since we haven't seen them in a year! And they hadn't met our little grandson yet! We were very blessed they got to come.

My older daughter has been continuing to work at the pharmacy, which was recently bought out by a Big, Nationwide Pharmacy Chain....much to her chagrin and to the consternation of her fellow workers. Older Daughter was planning to stick around awhile with this new pharmacy but the longer she stays, the worse it gets. Some of the differences: BNPC is open on Sundays, where before they were always closed. The workers' schedules are no longer set but instead change week to week. Employees have to have their purses and pockets searched anytime they leave the store. (I guess I understand this...shrinkage is a big concern with retail...but man, that's dehumanizing!) And worst of all: Big, Nationwide Pharmacy Chain has virtually NO full-time employees.  Older Daughter took off from school this semester so she could work full time (and in fact, under the old regime, she was told she would get to work full-time). But now it looks like she will have to find another job.

And I need to do some organizing. House is cluttery.

Someone send the Cleaning Fairies, please. And the Job Fairy. And the fairy that will wave her wand so my metabolism goes from "needs to work out an hour a day just to maintain a normal-ish weight" to "high metabolic rate means I can eat whatever I want and not gain an ounce."

Pre-Christmas Blues

So, here we are, Dec. 23rd - Christmas Eve, eve. 

I haven't posted for a few days because a windstorm came through this past week and after that the internet wasn't working.  Ultimately, it turned out something had gotten disconnected under the computer desk. Who knew? I mean, I was the one who had to go under the desk and mess with all the wires, while husband and tech support guy - both on the phone - directed what to plug in or un-plug.  I just know I left everything plugged back in....but lo and behold, that night, hubby comes home and immediately locates the un-plugged wire.  Internet restored! And, my family's unspoken acknowlegment of a certain person's air-headedness remains intact! Normalcy returned.

Anyway - Working out and going to the gym HAVE been happening on a regular basis, I'm pleased to report.  Additionally, Bible reading has ALSO been occuring, usually in the morning, on a regular basis.  Yay for both!!!

Food intake.....still needs some work.  But it's coming along.  My allergies kicked into high gear with the phenomenal winds (you know, the same winds that knocked out the internet?) and as a result, I've had to take a lot of Sudafed to keep the sinuses somewhat unclogged.  The upside to Sudafed?  Apparently, now, it kills my appetite. This has never been the case for me before. Why it does now, I couldn't say. But I'll take it.  The downside to Sudafed is being awake for much more of the night than I would want. That's not the worst thing in the world, but it sure does take the wind out of my sails the next day. 

So, food today:

a pear
several Cadbury cookies
minestrone soup
1 1/2 bread rolls
1/3 Canneloni
a "light" chocolate bar
quite a few chocolate-coated pretzels, vanilla-coated pretzels, and something SUPER yummy that seems to be Chex coated in sweet yumminess that my daughter said is "puppy chow" like a friend of ours at the old church used to make

No, not my best food day ever.  I think I'll have a glass of wine. Or a Colorado Bulldog.

Road Signs

Day Two - the good news!  Woke up at 7 am but did not read my Bible; instead, hubby and I went for a 1-mile walk. It was a chilly but really beautiful morning.  Great way to start the day. 

Later I went to the gym and spent 30 minutes on the Nordic machine.  So, that's good! 

But, I did weigh in.  The bad news: 171 lbs.  The most I have *ever* weighed in my life.  The good news?  I'm still in pretty good overall health, and despite a gripey knee, I'm able to work out.

What I ate today: 

2/3 of a medium non-fat Caramel Macchiato
a 32-oz mixed berry protein shake
1 Oreo cookie (Not twelve! Not ten! ONE!!!)
one red pear
the tops of 2 cupcakes (Not three! Not ALL the rest of the cupcakes! This is an improvement, people!!!
1/4 serving of Gardettos
5 chocolate animal crackers
10 baby carrots
1/2 C mac-n-cheese
7 Li'l Smokies sausages
1/2 can Green Beans

Probably got at least 5 servings of fruits/veggies today - that protein shake had a LOT of berries - but, I got too many carbs in the snacks & treats.  Also high fat content in the frosting & in the mac-n-cheese with sausages. 

7 am is an actual, real hour of the day.

Yay me!  Woke up at 7 am, read my Bible!!! Hooray!!!

Went to the gym. 45 minutes. Hooray again!!!

But, did not go weigh in today.  Truthfully I forgot.  No, really, I'm not kidding, I forgot. No, I'm not avoiding the scale. Why would I do that?  Aside from the fact that I can't fit into about 60% of the clothes in my closet, or that I'm inching into plus-sized clothing.  No, there's no reason I would not remember to go weigh in at the gym.

What I ate today:

- Grande skinny caramel macchiatto from Starbucks
- An original chicken burrito from Del Taco - easy sauce, easy cheese, only ate about half the tortilla
- 2 double-stuffed Oreo cookies - Hey, it was ONLY two!!! Not twelve!!! Yay me!!!
- the last serving of my healthy Mexican layered...thing....
- 3 94% Fat-Free Hebrew National Light hot dogs
- Half a can of green beans
- a Colorado Bulldog: 1 oz. Svedka vodka, 1 oz. Kahlua, about 1 1/2 C. fat-free milk, splash of Diet Coke. Don't judge.
- 10 White Cheddar Cheez-Its
- About 2 tablespoons of frosting from cupcakes my daughter gave me (she got them from work) - but hey! I didn't eat a whole cupcake!! Yay me!!!

Hi there! Thanks for following my blog. I'm a Texas mom, recently a grandmother, and I love the Lord, my family, and a good story well told. 

I started this blog for a couple of reasons.

1.) In the crazy-busy-ness of life, I need to find balance between spirituality and everyday reality.  I don't know about you but for me, this is hard. If Bible reading and prayer time are put off "until later when I have time," I find that, more often than I'd care to admit, "put off" really means "not gonna happen."


2.) I need accountability.  God knows I wish I didn't need some outward system of regulation to keep me focused, but I do! Several years ago I lost 38 pounds on Weight Watchers.  It was all about tracking the food and the accountability of going to the meetings, and facing the weigh-in, that kept me on the right path.  Now, several years later and with more than 38 pounds gained back, I need to fit into my clothes again....without going crazy, and preferably without paying to go to meetings.

3.) Last but not least, I miss writing. A long time ago when I was thinner and had fewer (well, zero) children, I wrote pretty much daily. Typed, actually. On a typewriter. I guess it was more journaling than anything; I never really did much fiction, although I would try my hand at the occasional poem....anyway, I enjoyed writing, and I'd like to rediscover this simple pleasure. 

So here I am. Blogging.  I hope to accomplish a few things with this blog. Intangibly, I'd like to recover and improve upon my writing ability.  If you have some constructive criticism for me, I'm open to that. But be kind, okay? More tangibly, I plan on establishing a daily routine that will allow me to spend time with the Lord as well as make time to improve my health. To that end, I am planning to wake up early tomorrow morning to continue my Bible reading program; additionally, I've already been working out several times a week at the gym, and I plan to keep doing that and to expand my routine to include more weights.  Also, I expect to return to healthy eating habits. (Ha! At Christmastime? Ha! Hahaha! .....sigh....) I have to do something before my hips alone require their own zip code, so my plan is to start tracking my eating and to post it here.  Not sure yet what I'll be using to track. Thinking about "My Fitness Pal." Or maybe just writing down what I ate, without being worried about the calories. Either way, I believe that by being honest, transparent, and consistent in tracking, I will end up losing weight.

I think I'm going to weigh in at the gym tomorrow.  (shudder)