Weekly Meal Plan: June 9-16, 2018

Here's what I'll be eating this week. 
Recipes with an * will be forthcoming.  

Saturday, June 9

B--2 fried eggs; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--1/4 honeydew melon
L--Salad with 3 oz. chicken, 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--Apple
D--Lean hamburger patty 3 oz; stir-fried zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, onions in 2 tsp oil; 6 reduced fat wheat thins; 1/4 honeydew melon

Sunday, June 10

B--2 fried eggs; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--1/4 cantaloupe
L--Out (Salad)
S--Apple
D--Grilled chicken marinated overnight in Italian dressing; Salad with homemade Balsamic Dressing (I used 3/4 teaspoon of Truvia in place of the sugar); Grilled Corn on the Cob*; Strawberry Pudding Parfaits (the original recipe called for raspberries, but I will substitute strawberries).  

Monday, June 11

B--1 boiled egg; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--1/2 orange
L--Leftover grilled chicken (3 oz); Zucchini in tomato sauce; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--Apple
D--Salad with 3 oz chicken; My Favorite Dressing*; 6 reduced fat wheat thins; 1/2 orange

Tuesday, June 12

B--1 boiled egg; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--1 cup strawberries
L--Crabcumber Salad*; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--Apple
D--Grilled Fish*; Stir-fried squash, peppers, mushrooms and onions; 6 reduced fat wheat thins; 1 cup strawberries

Wednesday, June 13

B--1 boiled egg; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--1/2 orange
L--Crabcumber Salad*; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--Apple
D--Shrimp and Vegetable Kabobs*; 6 reduced fat wheat thins

Thursday, June 14

B--1 boiled egg; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--1 cup strawberries
L--Crabcumber Salad*; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--Apple
D--Stir-fry with chicken, zucchini, yellow squash, onions and mushrooms; 1/3 cup rice; 1 cup strawberries

Friday, June 15

B--1 boiled egg; 3 reduced fat wheat thins
S--1/2 orange
L--Out (Salad)
D--Creole Salmon Fillets; Sweet Potato* 3 oz; Stir-fried vegetables (cabbage, mushrooms, squash and onions); 1/2 orange

Saturday, June 16

B--Special Bran Muffin*; Scrambled egg
S--1/4 honeydew melon
L--Lemon Herbed Fish*; Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing*; 6 reduced fat wheat thins
S--Apple
D--Skillet Steak (I omitted the mexicorn); 1/3 cup rice; Green Beans; 1/4 honeydew melon

My Absence From the Blog

It's been a while since I've been on here.  2017 was not a fun year for me.  In February of that year I found out I had a highly aggressive triple negative breast cancer in my left breast.  It was the size of a pin head; however, it had already moved into a nearby lymph node. I had to have two different rounds of chemotherapy, a left mastectomy and radiation.  I was thrilled when my surgeon said the breast and 11 lymph nodes they removed showed no signs of cancer!  Praise the Lord!  I finally finished with my radiation about a week before Thanksgiving.  

I'm just now beginning to get back to 'normal'.  My lower back and legs were used to me being pretty sedentary all that time so I'm still not quite back to being able to resume all my daily activities.  I still can't bend over well enough to put my own shoes and socks on or stand for long periods of time.  My husband still pretty much makes the meals and does the housework.  I'm pushing myself and doing better but I've been afraid since my legs went out at the store in January of this year and I was unable to walk for about a week after that.  

I began going to the chiropractor in February.  My first visit I was in a transport chair, now I don't even need a cane!  

I've started working out with weights again and using my treadmill.  This is the third week since I began.  I can see a large improvement.  I was surprised when I tried to get on the weight bench at my first workout I couldn't put my leg over it by myself and it hurt my hips just to sit on it.  Last Wednesday, I could get on and off the bench myself and my hips are just fine.  Also I am able to stand up without holding onto something most of the time now.  It's amazing what small accomplishments can seem like such huge triumphs!

5 Tips to Help You Shop Smart At The Grocery Store

Most of the battle to lose weight is fought at the grocery store.  I have put together some tips to help you get in and out without negatively affecting your waistline.

• Shop the outside aisles of the store

This is where you'll find the bulk of what you are purchasing:  fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat items.  

• You can't eat what you don't buy

This is a true statement.  However, it can be a little difficult when you are buying for more people than yourself.  If you're having to buy for your family and they are not all following your food plan, be sure to keep their selections in a cupboard out of sight whenever you get home.

• Limit your time in the store

Plan your shopping trip to keep your time in the store to a minimum.  This is where a shopping list comes in handy. Don't leave home without one.

• Make a Weekly Menu

Even if you shop a few times a week, having a plan in place helps with making out your grocery list.

• Eat before you shop

Shopping on an empty stomach is a good way to spend more money and calories than you intend.  Go ahead and eat before you shop.  Even if it means making a second trip out of the house.

Weekly Weigh In

I'm excited that I was down 3 pounds yesterday!  Although the cushion that I was feeling between what I weigh at home in the mornings and what I weigh at TOPS in the evening has caught up with each other.  So I had better stay on top of my game this week!  

Last Tuesday I took my measurements for the first time since I started back up, March 28.  I have lost 11.9 inches!  So that means I am losing an inch per pound just like the program states!  Plus I am down a size and half!  Yay!  

So, on to the hindsight of last week.  My food journal completion was spotty at best.  It appears I only kept it for three days.  Monday I started out well and even added morning stretches to help loosen up my back and legs.  I was diligent with my program with the exception of finishing up those darn cheese penguin crackers!

Tuesday we went to look at properties right after Tim got home from work so we ended up eating at Quiktrip.  Not a healthy choice.  And then Wednesday it stormed and we ate at home which helped us stay on plan.  Thursday the gravel for our driveway arrived and my daughter's boyfriend came over.  We ended up ordering pizza.  Surprisingly the next morning Tim and I had both lost some weight.  Of course, his idea of eating the leftover pizza Friday night for dinner did not have the same effect.  

Along came Saturday and Sunday.  My diet nemesis.  The weekend.  We yet again had Mexican food and Tim ordered a margarita!!  Which we shared!  And totally enjoyed!  I can feel myself getting lax on the willpower of avoiding certain foods. Time to tighten that food plan belt!  

I have to remember:

You Alone Are Responsible for Yourself!

Cabbage

Qualities:

• High in fiber which maintains bowel health, lowers cholesterol levels, helps control blood sugar levels and aids in achieving healthy weight
• Good source of thamine or B1, which belongs to the Vitamin B complex.  It plays an important role in maintaining a healthy nervous system and improving cardiovascular function
• Good source of vitamin B12 which keeps your nerves and red blood cells healthy and helps to prevent fatigue
• Good source of B9 or better known as folate which plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair
• Good source of choline, another of the B vitamins which can be made in the liver.  It's used to fight liver diseases including chronic hepatitus and cirrhosus
• Good source of pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 which alleviates asthma, hair loss, allergies, stress and anxiety along with respiratory disorders and heart problems
• Good source of niacin which is vitamin B3.  It lowers and controls cholesterol levels
• Good source of manganese which helps with bone structure and metabolism
• High in potassium which helps to regulate blood pressure, helps to prevent heart and kidney disorders, relieves anxiety and stress as well as enhances muscle strength, metabolism, water balance, electrolytes and nervous system.
• Good source of the essential trace mineral, copper which is necessary for survival.  It helps with the formation of collagen, increases the absorption of iron and plays a role in energy production
• Good source of phosphorus which is a critical mineral used to maintain acid-base balance in the body
• Good source of magnesium which is essential to life and necessary for good health.  It helps to maintain balance, avoid illness, perform well under stress and maintain a general state of good health
• Good source of calcium to build and maintain strong bones
• Good source of selenium, another essential trace mineral important for cognitive function, a healthy immune system and fertility
• Contains iron which metabolizes proteins and eradicates different causes of fatigue
• Contains niacin, or vitamin B3 which lowers and controls cholesterol levels
• Contains protein which is our building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood

Prep:

• Remove the thick, fibrous outer leaves
• Rinse under cool water
• Quarter and remove the core
• Chop into smaller pieces
• Can be eaten raw or cooked

Cabbage does a lot more toward keeping me healthy than I had realized.  I've always eaten it either raw in a coleslaw or boiled.  This is another vegetable that my husband wouldn't eat and one that Kristen didn't like.  However, someone had told him that they fry it, similar to how I fix my Pan Roasted Asparagus.  So I gave it a try and not only did I like it, my husband and youngest daughter now likes cabbage!

• 1 head cabbage
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Vegetable oil

Rinse the head of cabbage and remove any old and discolored leaves.  Remove the core by cutting around the cabbage in fourths, top to bottom.  Discard core. Chop remaining pieces into chunks about inch in diameter.  

Place chunks in nonstick skillet.  I am using my very seasoned iron skillet.  

Sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder.  Drizzle generously with vegetable oil.  Place lid on top.  

Place on stove and set heat to medium.  Cook, stirring often for about 20 minutes or until cabbage is limp and carmelized.  

Enjoy!

Avoiding Diet Burnout!

It always seems like there's a time for me, after I've been on a weight loss plan for a few weeks, that I experience a lull in my motivation to stick to my diet.  It's not that I haven't lost weight.  I may have even noticed a difference in how my clothes fit.  I'm just tired of 'dieting'.  I start thinking about how it isn't 'fair' that I can't just eat like a normal person and be a normal size.  I want to not have to think about what I put in my mouth.  

I love cooking and preparing special foods for my loved ones.  But I can't do that anymore without gaining weight.  So I have to change how I think about food.  Below I have listed several ways to keep myself on track.  

Motivational Tips For Sticking To Your Diet

• Keep a positive mindset.  Concentrate on your accomplishments and not on your limitations.  Your self talk should be "Another pound down!" or "I stuck to my food plan today!"  Not "Only a half a pound!"  or I have ______ more pounds to lose!"  That last one can be especially daunting if you have a lot of weight you need to get off.

• Eat on a schedule.  If you have planned times of the day you eat your main meals and when you eat your snacks, you are less likely to forget to eat and it will keep you from being overly hungry when you get around to eating.  

• Don't eat in front of the TV.  We started eating in front of the TV about 4 years ago when my daughter and her family moved in with us for a while.  It's been about 3 years since they moved out, however, we still do it.  Even though eating while watching a program is enjoyable it also can cause you to overeat because you're not paying attention to what and how much you are eating.  

• Use clothing as an incentive.  Pick out an old pair of jeans or another piece of clothing that you would like to eventually get back into, or buy something new.  Hang it on the back of your bedroom door where you can see it every day.  Try it on every week and watch yourself get closer to fitting into it.  

• Post inspirational quotes.  Pick out some quotes that are inspirational to you and stick them up around the house to encourage you.  Some places to put them could be your bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, or next to your door so you can be reminded as you leave the house.  

• Journal.  A food journal is a good thing to keep so that you can see what you've eaten over the past week or months and it can be a good guide to help you realize what has worked for you and what hasn't.  But writing down how you feel, how you handled situations throughout the day, and how your clothes are fitting will help remind you how you felt at a larger weight.  As I lose my weight I tend to forget how it was nearly impossible to do certain things when I was heavier or how my breathing is better now. 

• Chart your progress.  I weigh myself everyday.  Not because I am super reliant on what the scale says, but so that I can keep myself accountable.  I record my weight on a weight chart that I keep on my refrigerator.  Also, I have an Inches Lost chart.  On this I record my measurements in four week increments.  Both of these charts help keep me aware of how well I'm doing.  I will have these charts for you soon.

• Reward yourself. Plan a special treat for yourself when you hit a goal.  Things like a new piece of jewelry or an article of clothing.  Don't choose food treats. They can sabotage your good efforts and cause you to backtrack your weight loss.  I have come up with a Motivational Game that helps me 'earn' things.  I'll share it with you all in a later post.  

• Approach your diet one day at a time  Approach every day as a new day on your diet.  The slate is wiped clean.  Make good choices.  

• As Sybil Ferguson says in her book, The Diet Center Program,

You Create the Success in Your Life

Weekly Weigh In

Well, I didn't make it to TOPS last night but since I weigh myself every day I'll use yesterday morning's weight.  I was up 4 pounds!  This morning, however, I was down 2.5.  I wish our TOPS meetings were on Tuesday so we could have an extra day to recover from the weekend. 

I seem to always be off my food plan Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!  I have great intentions and they don't seem to come to fruition.  Beginning with Friday lunch, I tried to make good choices.  I did stick with chicken and had a Salad from Rib Crib.  However, I also had ranch dressing, plenty of those tortilla strip croutons and added a cheese quesadilla roll-up.  Yes, I shared with my grandson but he ate way less of it than I did!  

And Friday night was me and Tim's date night so of course we ate out at Plaza De Toros.   We both had the Carne Asada.  With too many chips because they were busy and kept bringing them to us before we got our meal.  I am proud of the fact that I was successful in not ordering a margarita.  They looked so good though!

We had our granddaughter over to spend the night on Saturday and since it was late by the time we picked her up we ate at Chick-Fil-A per her request.  Although I think the only reason she wanted to go there was to play in the play area.  It was different than the one by her house so she kept telling me what was wrong with this one, lol.  She ate four chicken nuggets and the two strawberries and four blueberries she had in her fruit cup and then ran off to play.  I had the chicken sandwich and waffle fries.  Was a bad choice, but it tasted good.  

Sunday I fixed a healthy, albeit not on my diet, meal and consumed too many penguin cheese crackers I had left over from last night.  So I shouldn't have been too surprised I had gained.  I don't know why I seem to have no restraint on the weekends! 

How did your week turn out?