Start today....Don't Delay!

Why the hell would I start a "diet" on December 28th?

I actually have a really good, logical explanation for this.

All my life, I have been doing this.....

I think we've all been there.

This is one of the things that I've changed in my mindset, that has helped me be more successful in losing weight than any other time of my life.

Don't start Monday.  Start today.
For some reason, this made me think of Billy Crystal in "When Harry Met Sally" - LOL

If I blow it on Tuesday, and I wait until Monday to start again - I've just wasted 5 days that I could have done something positive towards my weight loss.

So now, when I blow it on Tuesday - I get right back on the horse on Wednesday.

So don't wait until Monday, or January 1st or 

whatever day you put off in the future.

Start now.

Yeah, I'll probably screw up a little on New Year's Eve, but I'll get right back to it.

Weekly Weigh-In 12/28/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 7/27/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 7/20/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh in - 7/13/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 7/6/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 6/29/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 6/22/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

My Favorite Salad

I love salad!  After a while it can get kinda boring and you need to shake things up.  My new favorite salad is the chopped salad from Portillo's.  If you are from around here, you know you go to Portillo's for a beef sandwich, so this salad has to be good in order for me to choose it over a beef! LOL

So I created my own version of Portillo's chopped salad and I try to eat it for at least one meal each day - either lunch or dinner.  That way I can save on points, and it's really good!

Now remember, this is my version.....so I may have changes a few ingredients to my liking.

So here's what you need:

Lettuce

 (Portillos use a combo of romaine and iceberg - I prefer green leaf lettuce)

Red Cabbage - you only need to chop up a little bit

(One head lasts me literally a month before I have to throw it out)

2 tomatoes

Red onion

Green onion

Cucumber

(not in Portillo's but I added it)

Ditalini pasta

(Barilla is the only I've ever found)

Grilled chicken

(I buy the already grilled kind)

First, chop up your lettuce and red cabbage into small bite size pieces.

Next, I chop up my tomato and peel and chop the cucumber.

Now here is my secret to my salad lasting me all week.

This handy little tool I got from Pampered Chef many years ago.

 I use it to remove all the seeds and gunk from inside the tomato and the cucumber, 

which helps the salad last longer.

 Then I chop up my red onion, green onion, and grilled chicken into bite size pieces.

Meanwhile, while I'm chopping, I am boiling my ditalini pasta.  I measure about 1/2 cup dry pasta, which comes out to be about a cup when cooked.

Run it under cold water, and drain really well.

Add the pasta to the salad and toss.

I think the pasta also helps the salad last longer by absorbing moisture from the veggies.

This is important to me because I'm the only one in my house that eats this salad, so I make it on Sunday, and it lasts me the whole week.

 Right now, before you put dressing on, your points (old points) look like this for one serving:

Lettuce - 0

Cabbage - 0

Cucumber - 0

Red Onion - 0

Green Onion - 0

Grilled Chicken - 1 point

Ditalini pasta - 1 point

Total - 2 points!

Now let's talk dressing.

My sister Barb found a dressing that is very similar to the dressing they give you at Portillo's.

It's Kraft Creamy Balsamic.

1 serving (2 tbsp) = 3 points

Problem is I'm having a really hard time finding it.  It's so good though.

My other favorite dressing is 

Paul Newman's Lite Balsamic Vinagrette

1 serving (2 tbsp) = 1 point

It's really low in points, and it is delicious!

If you need to have a creamy dressing, you can always do what I do when I have to have the creamy garlic.....you can just have it on the side and dip your fork in it for each bite.  You will be shocked at how little dressing you get away with using!

A few variations.......

The original Portillo's salad has bacon bits and gorganzola cheese, 

but I leave those out usually, just to save calories.

So eating a salad for one meal a day is one of the ways that I have found to help lose weight, 

but it has to be a salad that you like and is satisfying.

So give this one a try.....or invent your own!

Weekly Weigh In - 6/15/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 6/8/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 6/1/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 5/25/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 5/18/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 5/11/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 5/4/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

My Secrets for Eating Out

One of the hardest things to overcome is going out to eat while trying to lose weight.

Servings are always too big, and even the most innocent thing like a salad can cost you all of your points (or calories) for one day!  You have to be careful! 

So I thought I'd post a few tips that work for me.

1. Chili's is our go-to restaurant in my family, but those damn chips and salsa are like crack!  I could eat an entire basket all by myself!  As soon as the chips and salsa hit the table, I throw a piece of gum in my mouth.  This would work for bread or any other appetizers that your family may order.
   
2. Plan ahead.  I try to have a meal planned before I go.  There are certain places where already know what to order.  Most restaurants have their nutritional information online, so it makes it easier to check ahead of time. I love Dotti's app - but it's a website too, and it's free!
   
3. Only eat half of what you order.  As soon as my food arrives, I cut it in half.  You can even ask for a to-go box right away too.
   
4. Try something new!  Last week I ordered a garden burger at Red Robin and I was really surprised at how good it was.....and it was like a third of the points of everything else on the menu!
   
5. Always order your salad dressing (or other condiments) on the side.  While eating a salad, dip your fork in the dressing for each bite, rather than dumping it on.  You will be surprised at how little dressing you can actually get away with.  Also, ask for them to hold the cheese - that's a big calorie booster.
   

Anyone else have tips to add?  

Feel free to post them in the comments!

Weekly Weigh In - 4/27/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 4/20/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

10 commandments of weight loss

I saw this photo and thought I would share as it totally relates to the idea of taking weight loss one day at a time!

Weekly Weigh In - 4/13/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 4/6/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 3/30/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In - 3/23/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In 3/16/13

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In Saturday 3/9

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In Saturday 3/2

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In Saturday 2/23

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In Saturday 2/16

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In Saturday 2/9

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In Saturday 2/2

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

Weekly Weigh In Saturday 1/26

It's that time of the week.

Time to step on that scale and be rewarded for all the hard work this past week!

How did you week go?

Did you gain or lose?

(remember - you can share as much or as little info as you like)

Let the commenting begin.......

A helpful little tool...

Hi all, Q/Laureate04 here!  This is my first official post over here at the Skinny Girl blog...although I've been following and commenting since we started again after New Year's...I've got a little tip for you!

So if you're like me, you're trying this diet thing on your own - no programs, no food deliveries, no official weigh ins - and sometimes things can be a bit tough.

You're getting ready to have a snack (because, let's face it, sometimes you just need a little something...and they say that smaller/grazing type meals are better for you anyway...) and you're not sure which is better...or you want to start counting calories (this, along with portion size is my own diet plan...) but you have absolutely no idea how many calories that chicken breast you're having for dinner is.  I mean, it's easy when you open the loaf of bread to make a sandwich to check out the nutrition facts, but a head of lettuce doesn't have a calories or nutrition list. 

I've found a great tool that has been super useful in this endeavor.  It's also helped me figure out what to order the few times I've been out to eat since I really started paying attention.  

I use www.fatsecret.com.  It's a fully customizable food and diet page.  It has a food log where you can log everything you eat (which goes with UAB's suggestion of writing everything down that she shared in a previous post).  It also has an activity log so you can fairly accurately estimate the number of calories burned both by working out and in a general day.  There are forums if you have questions for others, a cookbook to store favorite healthy recipes (and you can search others' recipes as well), there are groups you can join and also challenges that you can set up or post.  I've gotten some great ideas for challenges - both short and long term - from others who have posted. 

The biggest advantage I've found with this website is the app for my phone as well.  I can log food no matter where I am.  I can also search restaurants and other foods while I'm out so I can compare and make smart decisions.  You can set your preferences to the number of calories that you want to stay under or other parameters and it will show you when you're getting close.  

Check it out and see what you think.  Great tool, easy to use...oh, and the best part?  Totally free!! 

Embrace Your Hunger

When you stomach growls, you want to eat.

It's an automatic thing.

You go ahead and eat something, because hunger pangs can be uncomfortable.

I'd like to offer another way of looking at those hunger pangs.

Those hunger pangs tell me that I've been doing well with my eating plan.

Let me clarify. 

If I've been sticking to my points and eating what I should, then my body has been nourished.

So it's okay to feel hungry between meals.  At bed time.

Especially at bed time.  

You shouldn't eat late at night anyway, and I just tell myself that I'm going to sleep anyway.

Think about when you are being....let's say...not so good.  You are constantly eating.  You never even give your body a chance to actually feel hungry.

How many times have you overeaten, and then you feel miserable.

I hate that feeling.

So when I feel a little hungry, I think about that awful feeling of being stuffed, and the hunger doesn't seem so bad.

I'm not saying you shouldn't eat if you truly need to eat.

If it gets really bad, try drinking some water, or having a light snack to take the edge off.

I'm just saying, it's okay to feel hungry.

So embrace your hunger.

Remember, you will be happy with the results in the long run.