March

March is really not a good month for me/my family.

Six years ago this month, I lost my uncle Jim.

Four years ago this month, my grandpa passed away.

And last night, Paul’s uncle Marty died. He had been battling a rare bone cancer. This was an “expected” loss, but a loss nonetheless. The sadness comes in waves when I stop and think about having to bury Marty next week. His face comes to mind at times, smiling like he always was, and I feel my stomach drop knowing that we won’t be able to see him again. You will be very deeply missed, Uncle Marty.

That’s gonna hurt in the morning….

So, on January 1, I told myself I had the month of January to prove that I could lose weight without actually going back to WW. At the end of the month, I was actually down 2 pounds. On May 1, I was the exact same weight I was on January 1. Therefore, I dragged myself to my local WW center yesterday and signed my 10-pounds-above-goal butt up again. Part of me feels like a failure. I was so sure that I wouldn’t have to go back to WW after losing the initial weight. And you know, I probably wouldn’t have had to, if I had kept going to meetings and weighing in once a month. But it’s okay…. It is what it is. I’m back and I hope hope hope this will keep me on track. Two days in and I’m doing well, considering this weekend’s events. So, I’m considering yesterday’s weigh in as the starting-over point, and all future weigh-in updates will be calculated using that as a baseline.

Yesterday, Paul’s cousin’s twins turned 1, so we went to the family party. I did really well–I took small servings of things, chose as healthily as I could, and only had a bite of Paul’s slice of cake (which wasn’t particularly great–I’m glad I didn’t eat an entire slice). Plus, add in the fact that I was chasing the cutest 5-year-old ever around the yard while playing catch/”soccer” with him, I’d say I did well.

Today, we went out to lunch with Paul’s parents, sister, and grandma for Mother’s Day. We went to Seasons 52, which I love. All the meals are 475 calories or less. Everything is very fresh and lightly prepared. It was so easy to plan ahead. I picked out what I wanted beforehand (though didn’t plan on the appetizers–but even with those, I stayed with in my Points) and stuck to my plan. I had artichoke-stuffed shrimp and a cookies and cream mini dessert. So yummy.

We got home around 4:45ish, and I changed into some grungy clothes and started work on our garden. Our front walkway has a small planter area alongside of it, and the only things growing in there were some random grasses, moss, and other unidentifiable plants. By 6:15, I had ripped up the 3 patches of grass (which were a complete pain in the grass…), the moss, and the random other growth and planted 3 Hostas in their place. I had also turned up countless worms, spiders, grubs, nails, pieces of plastic, and roofing tiles. Mary Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow…? Paul and I had bought a lot of other flowers to plant out there, too, but after an hour and a half of digging and pulling and crouching and raking, I was exhausted. I just about destroyed our trowel–it got a little bent while I tried to uproot the grasses. Whatever. For $4, you get what you pay for.

In an effort to save a little money on our grocery bill, Paul and I have instituted “TV Dinner Night” at least once a week. We managed to knock $30 off our bill this week. Hopefully that’ll keep up. So, I give you this week’s meal plan:

Sunday: Snacks–late lunch made dinner unnecessary

Monday: Leftovers–Hoisin-Orange Pork Chops with Coconut Rice (8PP total)

Tuesday: HG Sloppy Janes (7PP); Frozen veggies (2PP) (9PP total)

Wednesday: TV Dinner Night (Smart Ones or Healthy Choice…depends…5-7PP); Frozen veggies (2PP) (9PP total)

Thursday: Leftovers from Tuesday (9PP total)

Friday: Paul and I are going to see my school’s play, so dinner out (most likely at Panera). After the play, we’ll be heading to Baker’s Square for pie….mmmm pie.

I’m trying to summon the energy to do laundry and pack my lunch, but feel like sitting here is a better option for now. I’m a little hungry. Think I’ll find something to eat first. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Tradition!

Every Good Friday for as long as I can remember, the Sullivans have maintained one tradition (adopted from the Spaldings): Salmon Loaf. I promise you its name does it no justice. Salmon loaf is salmon mixed with vegetables and shredded cheese baked inside crescent roll dough.  Ab.So.Lute.Ly delicious. Paul is not the biggest fan of this particular meal, but manages to get himself through it once a year (hey, Lent is a time to carry one’s crosses, after all). This year, we stayed in the ‘burbs for Easter and I was on my own with the traditional meal.

Well, it didn’t happen. I was on a week-long guilt trip after making several dishes that Paul really didn’t enjoy, and so I decided that I couldn’t continue making him unhappy with dinner. And so we started a new tradition. Today we decided to break fast with breakfast. For dinner. We whipped up some maple pecan waffles (thanks, William-Sonoma!) and veggie sausages.

I was not at all disappointed with dinner (brinner?), but I do miss the once-a-year salmon loaf. Until next year, my loafy friend.

The Good, The Better, The Bad, and The Even Worse….

The Good: I’ve been doing really well with the gym. I’ve upped my time on the elliptical slightly (to 40 minutes), and I’ve been adding in abs and weights after every workout. And, I just earned my free water bottle from the gym for going a certain number of times. Free T-shirt, here I come!

The Better: I FIT INTO TWO PAIRS OF PANTS FROM MY CLOSET! Yes!!!! I haven’t been able to wear my trouser jeans in ages, and I tried them on on a whim today. They fit! (Okay, so there was a little bit of a muffin-top situation, but there was also a gap in the back, so I’m calling it even.) PLUS, I fit into a pair of black pants that have never really fit properly. Huzzah for expanding one’s wardrobe without actually shopping!

The Bad: Um… I didn’t go to the gym today. Which, in itself, is not bad. It’s okay to take a day off. However, coming home and binge eating is bad. Now, old-Carly would have said “Ho hum. I’ve thrown the week away. I’ll just start all over next week.” But not this time! New-Carly is keeping a positive attitude. The week is not over yet. I can still do better tomorrow. And I WILL do better tomorrow. And I did so well today. We had a baby shower for a co-worker, and I stuck to veggies and fruit, and a teeny tiny piece of cake.

The Even Worse: The reason I didn’t go to the gym today is because I was starting to feel sick. Rather than pushing myself and feeling worse later, I just decided to take the night off. That’s fine, I know that’s acceptable. However, I cannot afford to get sick right now. I have an eligibility meeting tomorrow, another next Friday, another the Wednesday after that, and then the Wednesday after that, and then that Friday as well. Plus, I need to schedule an annual review or two somewhere in that mess. And I haven’t finished testing for next week’s eligibility…. Ugh. Is it June yet? No?

Best part of my day: I got a text message from my mom that said “I wore a belt OVER my sweater today! How’s that for fashion forward?” Oh I love my mom. I replied with “Way to create a clearly defined waistline!”

Weekly Meal Plan and Other Updates

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. Mine was full of delicious food…and over-indulgences. Whoops. I think it’s what I really needed, though–a good kick in the pants (aka feeling completely awful about what I’ve eaten) to get me back on track. So, that being said, here’s the weekly meal plan:

Sunday: Leftover Chicken and Dressing Casserole (WW recipe; 5 Points)

Monday: Deep Dish Taco Pizza (WW recipe; 5 Points); Salad

Tuesday: Leftover pizza (5 Points); Salad

Wednesday: Leftover pizza (5 Points); Salad

Thursday: Baked eggs with spinach and tomato sauce (WW recipe; 5 Points) [Thursdays are the nights that Paul has bowling, so I get to make things he doesn't like. I'm excited about this recipe. I love eggs, and breakfast for dinner. ]

Friday: I’m leaving town on Friday to visit my family for the weekend. There’s no telling what they’ll have planned for dinner. I’ll have to do my best to stay on track during the day and leave myself as many Points as possible for dinner that night.

 

We had a lovely time at home with my family this weekend. It was nice to have everyone together for Thanksgiving. It was the first time in years that my brother has had the day off. I’m very grateful for that. Paul and I went out shopping bright (okay, dark) and early Friday morning. I got myself a new camera (yay!), and then we promptly turned around and went back home to sleep. We went out later in the day and got a little bit of our Christmas shopping done, but not much. Saturday, we went out to Kohl’s and got an incredible deal on a new comforter (originally $390, on sale for $140). Our duvet cover that we bought with wedding gift cards a year ago died recently. The dryer melted/ate it, even though I followed the washing instructions, and even though I’ve washed it several times before. I’m upset about it, but at the same time I’m so happy not to have to deal with that stupid duvet cover ever again. It was really pretty though. I’m having mixed feelings….

We saw Love and Other Drugs Saturday night. The movie was very good, but there was too much female nudity and too liberal a use of the f-bomb for my taste. Otherwise, I enjoyed the story.

I’m feeling overwhelmed by the concept of going back to work tomorrow. I’d better get a start on laundry and such. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.