Hey Everyone! Here's the plan for the week:
Sunday: Large Salads. We had some left over ham from dinner on Thursday night, so I warmed it up and added to the top of the salads. Topped it with a mustard vinaigrette. It was delicious!
Monday: Hot Dogs/Cole Slaw. Tonight I have a mandatory meeting for Lauren and Christian's upcoming field trip. Had to do something quick. Ballpark makes a GREAT tasting, lower calorie Turkey Frank. 45 Calories each and very good, in my opinion. Topping it off with a delicious cole slaw I made last evening (wanted to make it ahead of time to allow the flavors to "meld" together.
Tuesday: Kielbasa/Mac & Cheese/Asparagus. I have a meetings and work to do this evening. Mark is responsible for dinner. We buy a turkey Kielbasa from Hillshire Farms. I'm not a fan of this meal, but Mark and the kids like it, so have at it y'all! The Mac & Cheese will be with Whole Wheat Pasta.
Wednesday: Fajitas/Salad. This is one of my favorites. I stole the recipe right out of the Sugarbusters Cookbook. It's fantastic. It combines soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and canola oil to make a banging flavor on the chicken.
Thursday: Pork Marsala/Brussels Sprouts. At cooking class last week, I learned to make a homemade Marsala sauce. Can't wait to repeat it with the pork rather than chicken!
Friday: Quick bite out.
Saturday: Lamp Chops/Greens. We'll use whatever greens haven't been used previously in the week to top off a delicious meal. Haven't decided on preparation yet, but I will probably grill the lamb chops.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
a moment to refocusonlife ~ progress
 |
| Goofy. |
Weekly, I listen to Jillian Michaels podcast. On Friday I had to travel to Charlotte for a seminar. On that trip, I got to hear Jillian's latest podcast. It was truly a day I needed to hear a specific message. And, it came during the podcast. Isn't life crazy like that? You need something specific (in this case VERY specific) and karma delivers it to you.
Jillian said that people should strive for "progress not perfection". That rang true with me. That hit home. I'm not going to go into all the reasons why I was striving for perfection. I'm also not going to dissect that quote. Either it strikes you or it does not.
Just for today, focus on progress, not perfection.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Meal Plan - March 23, 2014
Hi Everyone! Here's the plan this week:
Sunday: Stacked Chicken Enchiladas/Salads. This was more or less a Mexican Lasagna. It was ok...but I'd make changes if I were to cook it again.
Monday: Parmesan Dijon Pork Chops/Brussels Sprouts/Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday: Pomegranate Chicken/Asparagus
Wednesday: Steaks/Sweet Potato Fries/Broccoli
Thursday: Ham Steaks/Sugar Snap Peas
Friday: Out
Saturday: Working in Raleigh will be there overnight.
That's it! As always, if you want any recipes or ideas, yell at me!
Have a great week!
Sunday: Stacked Chicken Enchiladas/Salads. This was more or less a Mexican Lasagna. It was ok...but I'd make changes if I were to cook it again.
Monday: Parmesan Dijon Pork Chops/Brussels Sprouts/Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday: Pomegranate Chicken/Asparagus
Wednesday: Steaks/Sweet Potato Fries/Broccoli
Thursday: Ham Steaks/Sugar Snap Peas
Friday: Out
Saturday: Working in Raleigh will be there overnight.
That's it! As always, if you want any recipes or ideas, yell at me!
Have a great week!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
a moment to refocusonlife ~ bad day
I had a BAD day today! I went to a lunch and learn. Little did I know that I'd be learning that some places just do not encourage healthy eating.
I've had to "eat my way around" a many a cafeteria lines. This one was different. Dramatically. I was shocked and I caught myself wondering if anyone else thought the same thing. Why was I shocked? Let me give you the layout of the menu:
I've had to "eat my way around" a many a cafeteria lines. This one was different. Dramatically. I was shocked and I caught myself wondering if anyone else thought the same thing. Why was I shocked? Let me give you the layout of the menu:
- Pulled Pork BBQ with BBQ Sauce
- Baked Beans
- Cole Slaw
- Potato Salad
- Rolls
- Banana Pudding
Could anyone guess my first question? Anyone?
Oh, I thought so. My first question was where's my blood sugar meter. Look at that menu! The only thing remotely low glycemic is the Pulled Pork (sans BBQ sauce of course).
So, I made a decision to eat anyway. I took it as easy as possible. I had a large serving of the pulled pork. I had a small serving of Baked Beans, a small serving of Cole Slaw, and a too large for my own good serving of banana pudding.
I find myself sitting here wondering how people could ever wonder why we have an obesity epidemic in this country. When a group of people en masse are served a menu made entirely of unhealthy foods without one single vegetable to be found. Sure, maybe they threw some onions into those baked beans, and there had to be some cabbage in that cole slaw somewhere, but when those things are lathered in brown sugar and/or mayonnaise, does it still count?
Today, I wasn't prepared. I missed my opportunity to be healthy at lunch. I could have snacked before going to that lunch to lessen my hunger when I arrived. I wrongly assumed that there would be some real food there. Next time, I will prepare better. If I have to, I'll skip the provided lunch in order to have better choices. Maybe next lunch and learn I'll teach the presenters a thing or two about food. Either way, next time, I am promising myself not to end my day over my allotted daily calories by 651. I'm sad.
Tomorrow will be better.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Meal Plan - Week of 3/16/2014
Hi Everyone! Here's our weekly plan! If you want any of the recipes, please let me know!
Sunday: Dinner with Mom. She wanted to prepare a Turkey! Should be a wonderful dinner! I always eat too much when at Mom's Family Buffet though! Wish me luck!
Monday: Parmesan Crusted Chicken/Mashed Sweet Potatoes/Roasted Brussels Sprouts. This is one of my favorite chicken dishes! Can't wait for it!
Tuesday: I have meetings, so Mark is going to make Ham Steaks. I figure he'll top it off with a salad and some sort of potato for the kids!
Wednesday: Sloppy Joe/Macaroni & Cheese/Asparagus. I will use whole wheat pasta and some pre-packaged nasty cheese to make Mark one of his favorite foods. Should be great!
Thursday: Leftover evening! We'll either have leftovers from earlier in the week or leftovers from the freezer. Either way, we have some cleaning to do!
Friday: My evening off. We'll probably have something quick and easy and CHEAP because I have big plans for Saturday in Asheville.
Saturday: Spending the day in Asheville for work. Making Mark go with me and we're going to have a nice dinner! I love Asheville...even if I have to work.
Sunday: Dinner with Mom. She wanted to prepare a Turkey! Should be a wonderful dinner! I always eat too much when at Mom's Family Buffet though! Wish me luck!
Monday: Parmesan Crusted Chicken/Mashed Sweet Potatoes/Roasted Brussels Sprouts. This is one of my favorite chicken dishes! Can't wait for it!
 |
| Broiled Tilapia and Shrimp with Black Bean Mango Salsa March 15, 2014 |
Tuesday: I have meetings, so Mark is going to make Ham Steaks. I figure he'll top it off with a salad and some sort of potato for the kids!
Wednesday: Sloppy Joe/Macaroni & Cheese/Asparagus. I will use whole wheat pasta and some pre-packaged nasty cheese to make Mark one of his favorite foods. Should be great!
Thursday: Leftover evening! We'll either have leftovers from earlier in the week or leftovers from the freezer. Either way, we have some cleaning to do!
Friday: My evening off. We'll probably have something quick and easy and CHEAP because I have big plans for Saturday in Asheville.
Saturday: Spending the day in Asheville for work. Making Mark go with me and we're going to have a nice dinner! I love Asheville...even if I have to work.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
a moment to refocusonlife ~ pronto!
Are you ready to refocusonlife today? If not, let's get it started...stat! pronto!
Speaking on pronto, I've had several people ask me about food coaching and while I would love to help anyone out, I thought I'd give some ideas for quick lunches. I've compiled a list of the most frequent places you'll see on the road and some super quick, easy, and relatively healthy meals you can have without wrecking your entire plan. Remember, I'm living a "correct carbohydrate" lifestyle, which means I try to reduce the impact that foods have on my blood sugar. The foods I mostly eat are low on the glycemic index (or lowER). So, without further adieu, here's a partial list...if you have more you'd like to add or places I have not mentioned, let me know:
McDonald's: YUCK. Used to be my favorite, now it's by far my least favorite. I've even gotten Christian saying that their food is nasty. Hopefully, he'll continue to think that so he will not grow up loving it as much as I did! Your options at this abundant joint are fairly limited. Order a salad with grilled chicken (make sure you specify grilled or they'll throw on that crispy stuff). Make sure you skip the croutons and add only about half a packet of one of the lighter dressings. Remember the oil based dressings are always better and typically have fewer calories than the creamy dressings. Try to avoid sweet dressings like French or Honey Mustard.
Wendy's: I've found several options at Wendy's. Of course their salad's. Follow the same rules as above. Make sure it's grilled chicken. Kick the croutons and any "candied nuts". Eat light dressing. I also love Wendy's chili. Order a small chili and a side caesar salad (again avoid the croutons) and skip the crackers they will throw in the bag. Also, I've been known to order their grilled chicken sandwich and throw away the bread. It's quite tasty in a pinch.
Papa John's, Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Pizza in general: Avoid if at all possible. It's bad news. If I eat pizza, I only eat the toppings and throw away the crust. Do you know how difficult that is? Mark will take two slices, take the toppings off of one slice and put two toppings on a single slice cutting his bread intake in half.
Hardee's: Fabulous any time of the day! They will make ANY of their sandwiches "low carb" if you ask them too. Watch out though, these things are calorie bombs! Skip the fries. ALWAYS. For breakfast, order a low-carb bowl. While it's laden with 620 calories, it's very good in a pinch. If I have one of these, I'm set all morning, but I have to say, I eat them VERY sparingly because that's about twice what I normally consume in calories for breakfast.
KFC: They make it so easy! Order a combo meal of grilled chicken. Skip the delicious biscuit. Have them give you green beans for the side. If it comes with two sides, order 2 green beans! They are VERY good and it's fast and easy.
Bojangles: I've eaten at Bojangles for breakfast a number of times. I just order two pieces of sausage and two or three scrambled eggs. A perfect low-carb breakfast. But, I've just discovered some lunch and/or dinner options. They have roasted buffalo bites. Order those (they do not have breading) and a side of green beans. Perfect quick meal. I've also heard they have salads...but I have not eaten them, so if you try them, let me know.
Burger King: Order a salad. Same rules apply as above. My favorite BK salad is the grilled chicken caesar. It's probably the best salad of any of the fast food establishments. They've also gone back and forth on having sweet potato fries. I'm not sure the status of those currently, but if they have them, a small order is a nice treat. Make sure you skip the brown sugar and/or honey everyone wants to serve as a dipping sauce with the fries!
Subway: You think this place is healthy, right? I could not disagree more. Again, in a pinch, I will eat at Subway...but they practice trickery that upsets me. Their "whole wheat" bread is nothing more than white bread with some brown coloring to make you feel good about what you're eating. The meats are all pre-packaged and just gross. As are the veggies. Avoid Subway. If you must eat there, choose a salad following the same rules of skipping the croutons and light dressing.
Jimmy John's/Jersey Mike's: These places know how to make better subs. I loved Jersey Mike's back in my "eat anything" days. They had the best sub by far! But, their salad making capabilities stink. They have so few veggies. If you eat at Jersey Mike's, order a salad and have them make it as best they can. Jimmy John's will do a lettuce wrap. It's kind of messy, but a good option. Last time I checked, they did not make salads.
Zaxby's: Do I sound like a broken record yet? Order a salad with grilled chicken. We went to a Zaxby's recently and they had one of those fancy drink machines! I splurged and had a diet soft drink mixed with flavors. What a fun experience!
Chick-Fil-A: I have a personal beef with CFA and refuse to eat there, but if you decide to, they have two things that are fantastic: Grilled Caesar Salad and diet lemonade!
Cook Out: I have no idea if I could even order off their menu and be satisfied. I'm sure they have a grilled chicken sandwich. Ditch the bread. If you eat here and have suggestions, let me know.
Mexican Restaurants: While not technically fast food, these places serve up food so fast, it's sometimes easier than fast food. Order a chicken fajita. Skip the chips! Skip the tortillas that come with the fajitas and make sure you order beans instead of rice (or skip both). It's full of veggies and always delicious with some salsa!
Hope this is helpful information. If I've missed something that you think I should try, yell at me. I always love fresh ideas!
Speaking on pronto, I've had several people ask me about food coaching and while I would love to help anyone out, I thought I'd give some ideas for quick lunches. I've compiled a list of the most frequent places you'll see on the road and some super quick, easy, and relatively healthy meals you can have without wrecking your entire plan. Remember, I'm living a "correct carbohydrate" lifestyle, which means I try to reduce the impact that foods have on my blood sugar. The foods I mostly eat are low on the glycemic index (or lowER). So, without further adieu, here's a partial list...if you have more you'd like to add or places I have not mentioned, let me know:
 |
| Need Dessert? FroYo Places offer NSA FroYo. Load up on fresh fruit (skip the chocolate I have on mine!) |
Wendy's: I've found several options at Wendy's. Of course their salad's. Follow the same rules as above. Make sure it's grilled chicken. Kick the croutons and any "candied nuts". Eat light dressing. I also love Wendy's chili. Order a small chili and a side caesar salad (again avoid the croutons) and skip the crackers they will throw in the bag. Also, I've been known to order their grilled chicken sandwich and throw away the bread. It's quite tasty in a pinch.
Papa John's, Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Pizza in general: Avoid if at all possible. It's bad news. If I eat pizza, I only eat the toppings and throw away the crust. Do you know how difficult that is? Mark will take two slices, take the toppings off of one slice and put two toppings on a single slice cutting his bread intake in half.
Hardee's: Fabulous any time of the day! They will make ANY of their sandwiches "low carb" if you ask them too. Watch out though, these things are calorie bombs! Skip the fries. ALWAYS. For breakfast, order a low-carb bowl. While it's laden with 620 calories, it's very good in a pinch. If I have one of these, I'm set all morning, but I have to say, I eat them VERY sparingly because that's about twice what I normally consume in calories for breakfast.
KFC: They make it so easy! Order a combo meal of grilled chicken. Skip the delicious biscuit. Have them give you green beans for the side. If it comes with two sides, order 2 green beans! They are VERY good and it's fast and easy.
Bojangles: I've eaten at Bojangles for breakfast a number of times. I just order two pieces of sausage and two or three scrambled eggs. A perfect low-carb breakfast. But, I've just discovered some lunch and/or dinner options. They have roasted buffalo bites. Order those (they do not have breading) and a side of green beans. Perfect quick meal. I've also heard they have salads...but I have not eaten them, so if you try them, let me know.
Burger King: Order a salad. Same rules apply as above. My favorite BK salad is the grilled chicken caesar. It's probably the best salad of any of the fast food establishments. They've also gone back and forth on having sweet potato fries. I'm not sure the status of those currently, but if they have them, a small order is a nice treat. Make sure you skip the brown sugar and/or honey everyone wants to serve as a dipping sauce with the fries!
Subway: You think this place is healthy, right? I could not disagree more. Again, in a pinch, I will eat at Subway...but they practice trickery that upsets me. Their "whole wheat" bread is nothing more than white bread with some brown coloring to make you feel good about what you're eating. The meats are all pre-packaged and just gross. As are the veggies. Avoid Subway. If you must eat there, choose a salad following the same rules of skipping the croutons and light dressing.
Jimmy John's/Jersey Mike's: These places know how to make better subs. I loved Jersey Mike's back in my "eat anything" days. They had the best sub by far! But, their salad making capabilities stink. They have so few veggies. If you eat at Jersey Mike's, order a salad and have them make it as best they can. Jimmy John's will do a lettuce wrap. It's kind of messy, but a good option. Last time I checked, they did not make salads.
Zaxby's: Do I sound like a broken record yet? Order a salad with grilled chicken. We went to a Zaxby's recently and they had one of those fancy drink machines! I splurged and had a diet soft drink mixed with flavors. What a fun experience!
Chick-Fil-A: I have a personal beef with CFA and refuse to eat there, but if you decide to, they have two things that are fantastic: Grilled Caesar Salad and diet lemonade!
Cook Out: I have no idea if I could even order off their menu and be satisfied. I'm sure they have a grilled chicken sandwich. Ditch the bread. If you eat here and have suggestions, let me know.
Mexican Restaurants: While not technically fast food, these places serve up food so fast, it's sometimes easier than fast food. Order a chicken fajita. Skip the chips! Skip the tortillas that come with the fajitas and make sure you order beans instead of rice (or skip both). It's full of veggies and always delicious with some salsa!
Hope this is helpful information. If I've missed something that you think I should try, yell at me. I always love fresh ideas!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Meal Plan - Week of 3/9/2014
Happy Daylight Savings Time! Thank goodness! I'm ready for longer evenings so I have time to go out and walk after dinner. Here's this week's plan...as always if you want recipes or ideas, please let me know:
Sunday: Pork Tenderloin w/ Apple Coleslaw (a recipe from my cooking class with Suzette and Lisa!). We'll pair it with some veggies, probably asparagus.
Monday: Tacos (with our homemade seasoning)--we'll save enough of the meat to have some pizza topping for later in the week. I've also made some homemade black bean-mango salsa. I have to tell you I'm excited about this one! We'll use half ground pork/half ground beef for the meat. I'll turn mine into a salad.
Tuesday: Lasagna--I'm going traditional on half of the lasagna for Mark and Christian. The other half I'm going to use eggplant to replace the pasta. I've never done this, but I think it'll work out fine. I'll keep you posted! Salads on the side.
Wednesday: Roasted Chicken Thighs with a pan gravy and Brussels Sprouts.
Thursday: Pee Wee Pizzas! I use whole wheat pitas as the crust. From Monday night, we'll have leftover taco meat as some of the topping choices. We also have turkey pepperoni, cheese, and whatever veggies each person wants. It's always kind of fun and everyone loves them!
Friday: Who knows yet? Friday is my night off!
Saturday: Lamb Chops or Steaks. Whatever Mark and I decide we want. I have both in the freezer. They were on sale at Food Lion!
Enjoy the week and remember to take a moment to refocusonlife! Also, please check out my website at www.refocusonlife.com. Share it with your friends as well!
Sunday: Pork Tenderloin w/ Apple Coleslaw (a recipe from my cooking class with Suzette and Lisa!). We'll pair it with some veggies, probably asparagus.
Monday: Tacos (with our homemade seasoning)--we'll save enough of the meat to have some pizza topping for later in the week. I've also made some homemade black bean-mango salsa. I have to tell you I'm excited about this one! We'll use half ground pork/half ground beef for the meat. I'll turn mine into a salad.
Tuesday: Lasagna--I'm going traditional on half of the lasagna for Mark and Christian. The other half I'm going to use eggplant to replace the pasta. I've never done this, but I think it'll work out fine. I'll keep you posted! Salads on the side.
Wednesday: Roasted Chicken Thighs with a pan gravy and Brussels Sprouts.
Thursday: Pee Wee Pizzas! I use whole wheat pitas as the crust. From Monday night, we'll have leftover taco meat as some of the topping choices. We also have turkey pepperoni, cheese, and whatever veggies each person wants. It's always kind of fun and everyone loves them!
Friday: Who knows yet? Friday is my night off!
Saturday: Lamb Chops or Steaks. Whatever Mark and I decide we want. I have both in the freezer. They were on sale at Food Lion!
Enjoy the week and remember to take a moment to refocusonlife! Also, please check out my website at www.refocusonlife.com. Share it with your friends as well!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
a moment to refocusonlife ~ obession
"Hey Everybody! I have an update about my life!" ~~ Sophie
Yep, that's about right. I have an update. I think that my goals have me hyper-focused to the point that I might be making some not so good decisions. Is it healthy to weight every day? Is it healthy to be obsessed? Is it healthy for me to focus on 8000 steps a day regardless of the circumstances of that particular day?
In my hyper focused state, I've even developed an OCD "step schedule". By 8 am, when I arrive at the office, I should have at least 1500 steps completed. By 9 am, that total needs to be 2000. By the end of lunch, it has to be at 4000. By the time I leave for the day, it has to be at 6000. Then by bed, I can reach the 8000 step goal. I meet these goals by getting myself up throughout the day. If my phone rings, I pace while I'm talking. After each meal, I have obsessed myself with walking for at least 10 minutes. Even when I'm relaxing, if my step goal isn't met, I pace and drive my family nuts. Is this normal?
Who's to judge normal? Can I judge my own normal? Can my family judge normal? Should I consult a doctor on it's normality? How about a therapist?
What I do know is that I have been much more active since January 12th, which was the day I set my goal at 8000 steps a day rather than the Fitbit suggested 10000 steps per day.
In 2013, according to Fitbit.com, I averaged 6173 steps per day. In my new hyper-focused state, since 1/12/2014, I've averaged 9099 steps per day. So, is it obsession? Yes, I believe it is...but is it a bad obsession? Who am I to judge?
Anyone have any input for me? I would love your feedback!
 |
| Measure this %$&#@! |
In my hyper focused state, I've even developed an OCD "step schedule". By 8 am, when I arrive at the office, I should have at least 1500 steps completed. By 9 am, that total needs to be 2000. By the end of lunch, it has to be at 4000. By the time I leave for the day, it has to be at 6000. Then by bed, I can reach the 8000 step goal. I meet these goals by getting myself up throughout the day. If my phone rings, I pace while I'm talking. After each meal, I have obsessed myself with walking for at least 10 minutes. Even when I'm relaxing, if my step goal isn't met, I pace and drive my family nuts. Is this normal?
 |
| Anyone wanna walk? Anyone? Cinderella? |
Who's to judge normal? Can I judge my own normal? Can my family judge normal? Should I consult a doctor on it's normality? How about a therapist?
What I do know is that I have been much more active since January 12th, which was the day I set my goal at 8000 steps a day rather than the Fitbit suggested 10000 steps per day.
In 2013, according to Fitbit.com, I averaged 6173 steps per day. In my new hyper-focused state, since 1/12/2014, I've averaged 9099 steps per day. So, is it obsession? Yes, I believe it is...but is it a bad obsession? Who am I to judge?
Anyone have any input for me? I would love your feedback!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Meal Plan - Week of 3/2/2014
Sunday: Salad/Sandwich night. We drove in from Raleigh today (where we had an AMAZING brunch), so we decided to go light. Salads and sandwich night! Chicken Salad, Egg Salad, and the like.
Monday: Steaks/Sweet Potatoes/Salad: I have meetings on Monday evening. Mark is grilling steaks that we didn't fix last week. We'll top it off with Sweet Potatoes and a salad.
Tuesday: Low Carb Beefed Up Meatloaf and Asparagus. Again, this is my favorite. I think I overdo it, but the family likes it, so here it is again!
Wednesday: NCSD Fundraiser @ Motown Deli in downtown Morganton. Mark will be there all evening folks. Go check it out and order some food so his poor Senior Class can have a great Senior Trip.
Thursday: Roasted Chicken Thighs and Brussel Sprouts: Mark will be making this because I have a cooking class. We found a delicious looking recipe in Cooking Light Magazine. He's going to give it a whirl.
Friday: TRX Class. Mark and I are going to try a workout called TRX at The Original Workout at 6pm. We are excited. Dinner will be something quick after we workout. Or, we might reward ourselves with a nice dinner afterwards. Depends on how sweaty we get!
Peace out. Check ya on the other side.
www.refocusonlife.com
Monday: Steaks/Sweet Potatoes/Salad: I have meetings on Monday evening. Mark is grilling steaks that we didn't fix last week. We'll top it off with Sweet Potatoes and a salad.
Tuesday: Low Carb Beefed Up Meatloaf and Asparagus. Again, this is my favorite. I think I overdo it, but the family likes it, so here it is again!
Wednesday: NCSD Fundraiser @ Motown Deli in downtown Morganton. Mark will be there all evening folks. Go check it out and order some food so his poor Senior Class can have a great Senior Trip.
Thursday: Roasted Chicken Thighs and Brussel Sprouts: Mark will be making this because I have a cooking class. We found a delicious looking recipe in Cooking Light Magazine. He's going to give it a whirl.
Friday: TRX Class. Mark and I are going to try a workout called TRX at The Original Workout at 6pm. We are excited. Dinner will be something quick after we workout. Or, we might reward ourselves with a nice dinner afterwards. Depends on how sweaty we get!
Peace out. Check ya on the other side.
www.refocusonlife.com
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