Weekly Weigh In

I'm not too happy with the scale this week. I'm back up a half a pound, so week two of the contest, and I'm only one pound down from my starting weight.

I'm disappointed but not really surprised. I broke a lot of groundwork rules last week and fell victim to the pitfalls they're meant to cover. I didn't make out a meal plan. I didn't keep my gallon pitcher full of water in the fridge. And I just put away the fruits and vegetables when I came home from the grocery store instead of washing and cutting them.

My yearly tormentor struck Tuesday. I spent the remainder of the week exhausted, aching, and struggling to breathe. So, given that it would take fifteen or twenty minutes, with a toddler and preschooler clambering to see every move I make, to prep dinner and another half hour to hour to cook it, it's not exactly surprising that I gave in when Hubby came home wanting pizza or canned soup. All in all, the last half of the week wasn't good.

I do learn though! I took a couple hours while the girls napped Saturday afternoon to wash and prepare our fruits and vegetables for the week as much as I could. I plucked the grapes from the bunches, washed, and bagged them. I washed the blueberries, apples, and lemons. Carrots, celery, bell pepper, and broccoli were washed, cut, and bagged. And the peaches I'd forgotten about last week were washed, cut, baked with spices and one sliced apple, and then blended into an unsweetened peach butter for oatmeal or whole grain toast. And I made a simple vegetable dip using lentils, onions, spices, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I left the potatoes, onions, and apples uncut since they turn or are odoriferous otherwise, and we have tomatoes, green beans, peas, rice, and corn either canned, frozen, or dried.

Once this was done, I made up the meal lists for the week, filled the pitcher, and put it into the refrigerator. With snacks ready to grab and meal preparation cut in half or more, the temptation to have Hubby pick something up on the way home or turn to some junk stashed in the pantry is diminished. I know this. I used to do it all the time, but somewhere along the way, I got out of practice. I've paid the price for it in my continued size. I'm surprised it took me this long to remember how I'd made so much progress before.

This week is spring break in our area, so the house if full all the time. If I can manage to loose this week, I have no more excuses.