Catching up (Day 26)

I haven't blogged all weekend, but don't worry, it's not because I've fallen off the wagon or anything. I've actually been feeling better this weekend and got outside of the house to do some running around. Nothing majorly exciting ... some shopping, "hors deouvres" at Costco, dinner out with family, a movie with my husband, and a wonderful time of worship at church with friends. I live a humble life, but a contented life. I've continued my exercising and healthy food choices. My blood sugar remains under control without medication and I have lost another 2 pounds, for a total of 14 pounds lost ... never again to be found ... gone forever! Yes ... life is good.

Dear hubby and I actually did hors deouvres at Costco twice this weekend ... Saturday and Sunday. I'm not sure how to count my calories for Saturday, but when I got home and tried to figure it out, I came up with about 500 calories worth of stuff (that processed food adds up fast)with probably 40% fat. Way too much fat! If I had really realized it at the time, let the information sink in on what I was doing, I think I would have stopped myself. It was just kind of a denial thing ...oh well ... it's only little pieces of food ... can't be much calories in it ... oh ... I'm eating it while I'm walking around the store ... I'm probably working it off ...denial, denial, denial.

This is what I had: 1 mini brownie with @ 1-2Tbsp. real vanilla ice cream; 1/4 quarter of a ham/cheese sandwich (there goes my vegan aspirations) on whole grain bread, no mayo; @ 2 tbsp of chinese chicken salad; @ 2 tbsp. mediterranean bean salad; 1/4 of a Gardenburger patty on 1/4 of a ciabatta roll; 6 Stacie's pita chips w/ @ 2 Tbsp. jalapeno artichoke dip; @ 2 Tbsp. cereal with 1Tbsp. milk. I think that's it.

I did much better on Sunday. I checked the nutritional information on all the samples I had and chose to have the following: 3 Stacie's pita chips with no dip (42 calories); 1/4 Gardenburger patty on 1/4 ciabatti roll (112 calories).

We also went out to dinner with my beautiful and talented daughter and dashing son in law on Sunday evening. We went to Chevy's and this time I checked out their nutritional info on line before going. Good thing too. If I hadn't I may have been taken in by something healthy sounding like Portobello Mushroom and Asparagus Fajitas ... grilled veggies ... must be good, right?! Wrong! Not hardly at 922 calories and 42 grams fat! Not to mention 2883 mg. of sodium. And that's not even counting the tortillas you want to wrap the stuff in. Their el machino tortillas will add another 167 calories and 4 grams fat for each one.

This is what I chose, in advance, and even wrote down on a piece of paper and took with me. I tell you, writing it down really helps me ... like making a binding contract with myself: Mixed Baby Greens Salad (no dressing), side order of black beans, 3 corn tortillas and salsa. And this is what I did ... I wrapped the beans up inside the tortillas, laid them on top of the salad, poured a little salsa over all, along with the leftover bean "juice" and voila ... a wonderful black bean enchilada salad all for about 450 calories.

The one unplanned addition was some guacamole. They make it for you table side and we ordered it as an appetizer. I did not have any deep fat fried tortilla chips, but allowed myself 1 Tbsp. of guacamole to top off my Black Bean Enchilada Salad masterpiece at an addition of 22 calories. I am still beaming with pride over my smart choices (taking a minute here to pat myself on the back).

I know, however, the true reason I was able to make the choices that I did is because I asked God to help me ... to give me wisdom for good choices and strength to fight temptation. Yes ... greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4) ... of dining out. That is the key to all success. It's not me ... it's me seeking Him and allowing His spirit to direct me ("... not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty." -- Zechariah 4:6) ... His Holy Spirit that He loves to pour out on His children when they ask. (Luke 11:13)