Day 2 of the Sin City Diet

So far, granted we're still very early in the game, I feel pretty good and the scale showed a 2 pound drop this morning! It's probably just water weight but it's a start. The last time I did Atkins I was much more haphazard about it and pretty much winged it without really researching the diet and reading the book. I was still able to drop a bit of weight but the food just felt so heavy since I was basically only eating protein (no healthy green veggie carbs like the book stresses) and bogging my system down. This time I've read the material and have been pre-packing my meals the night before so I don't really have to think once I get to work, I just grab my pre-made meal or snack and munch away. I also decided that I wasn't going to fill my daily protein allowance with red meat like I did last time. I don't eat much red meat normally so no sense in forcing myself to eat something all the time that I don't like very much :) I stocked up at Costco this weekend on lean ground turkey and salmon and am on the hunt today at Trader Joe's for nitrite-free lunch meat to fill any gaps while at work. I'm also picking and choosing my full fat condiments carefully since I'd rather get my fats from avocados, olive oil and fatty fish than from butter and full fat mayo. My only full fat total indulgence is Philly cream cheese since I adore it and usually only buy the low fat or fat free version... I'm going to get my butt back on the treadmill tonight and try to incorporate a 30-45 minute walk in every day for the first 2 weeks and then kick it up to a jog for the following weeks.

My menu for today:

* Breakfast *
2 scrambled eggs with mushrooms, spinach, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese

* Snack 1*
1 cup of English cucumber rounds & cream cheese

* Lunch *
4 oz. Baked salmon with lemon pepper, & asparagus

* Snack 2 *
Mini Tillamook "Tilla-Moo" cheddar cheese, broccoli florets & blue cheese dip

* Dinner *
Roasted chicken breast, sauteed spinach w/ garlic & lemon juice

All in all sounds super yummy, totally satisfying and crave-worthy :)

I HATE diets...

I may hate them, but I definitely need to be on one right now... The winter is always time for tons of baked goodies from the oven, thick sauces and gravies and everything comfort. This equates to an additional poundage that starts to make me feel like I'm dragging and drowning in my skin by almost spring. One of my very good friends is getting married in Vegas in May and I need a solid kick in the ass to fit into my lovely dress and feel comfortable rockin' it in Sin City. So, effective tomorrow morning, I'm officially on Atkins Induction for the next 2 weeks, maybe longer. The last time I followed the diet I wasn't really committed to it but was still able to lose about 15 pounds. This time, I've planned ahead, purchased all of my lean proteins and healthy green veggies and am going to see this through to the day we leave for Vegas. Don't get me wrong, I want to be leaner and firmer but mainly I just want to feel good in my skin. I'm not a girl obsessed with the scale nor do I really care how others see me, but I feel slow and self-conscious and I don't like it. Cheers to lean protein and healthy vegetarian carbs and a little less wiggle!

Sunday To Do List

Sundays are my day to cook.... I usually make some kind of soup and I try to prep my lunches, and a few for the Hubs, for the following week. I used to neurotically plan out 7 dinners for the following week but realized after wasting quite a few meals that our life sometime doesn't follow my color-coded plan. Now, I plan for 4 meals for the work week including 1 basic recipe that can change to accommodate the left overs on hand and 1 night for "clean out the fridge dinner." Basically anything leftover from the previous days goes into a bowl and that's dinner :) The last night is usually breakfast for dinner or delivery pizza to give us a break.

On tap for today:
   * All veggie Minestrone soup for the week (clean out the veggies heading south)
   * Green eggs and ham roll-ups for me for the week (egg and pureed garlic spinach    crepe/omelet wrapped around a turkey sausage and a sprinkle of cheddar)
   * Already made biscuits and gravy for Sunday sleep-in late breakfast :)
   * Cranberry & Almond Granola for the kiddos to snack on all week
   * Turkey, ham, spinach and Havarti roll-ups for lunch with leftover soup

** What are you doing with your lazy Sunday? **

Ready for Spring

Maybe it's the rain, the cold weather, but I am so READY for Spring... Ready to re-plant our garden and make meals from our harvest, ready for BBQ and picnics in the backyard... Ready for evening walks ans planning camping trips. Don't get me wrong, I love the cold windy rain of winter and blaring my oven for a few months but I think I'm over it. I've already set my planting list and just waiting for the last blast of cold weather to ring in a long weekend of getting my hands dirty. There are many things I need to get done this Spring including a major cleanup of our toy room and the kiddos closets... It's crazy how fast they grow. We've also got 2 weddings lined up in the next 6 months including one in VEGAS. Is it totally lame that I'm almost 30 and have never been to Vegas? I know it sounds crazy but Vegas without the kids sounds like a little too much for us. We're home bodies and we've been that way since we got together. We don't enjoy going to clubs and bars together since it's just a chance for problems and it's way more fun to be home curled up on the couch with homemade mac n' cheese and Toy Story 3. Maybe before I had kids Vegas would have been a crazy weekend, but now it's kinda like walking into a war zone. Too many overly-drunk people, too many chances for crazy crap to happen and far to much risky business for our happy little life. We'll go, driving in our rented mini van, man we're cool, but I doubt we party very hard.... I can't even stay up past 11 without yawning every 5 seconds. Cheers to a happy, quiet life :)