This weather is so weird. Yesterday there was black ice on the way to work – almost more roads closed than open. So weird because we only got like 1/2 an inch of additional snow, but it was all ice underneath. I drive pretty carefully (Tony calls my driving “10 and 2 with an attitude!” It’s the other drivers that I worry about not paying attention or driving too fast for conditions.
I left about 10 minutes earlier than normal, and I ended up being 10 minutes late. Not bad. It took one of our attorneys 2 1/2 hours to drive in, so I am not complaining!
I made another batch of the Chobani banana granola pancakes for breakfast. Although I didn’t have any granola, so I used a teaspoon of sunflower seeds and slivered almonds. I also added 1 tablespoon of freshly made honey peanut butter that I got at Whole Foods. Just the addition of the peanut butter made such a difference – the banana/peanut butter combo is amazeballs. I still have to figure out the nutritional value, but I think it’s still going to be close to the 95 calories per pancake. My boss raved about this version – winning! 
When I got to the gym I saw that the pool was open so I decided to swim. Now normally, I just swim at a pace that is comfortable since I try not to stop during my 30 minute swim.
Yesterday there was a man in the next lane who was a really good swimmer. I realized I’d just been going through the motions of my swim, and not really giving it any effort.
So yesterday, I decided to “sprint” a lap (to try to keep up with Mr. Olympian) and then float on my back to recover the next lap, and then sprint again. Guess what? My face was actually flushed and I was huffing and puffing after that 30 minutes!
You guys will be proud of me. Guess what I am doing?? Labeling my food!!
I am the queen of throwing shit in a bag saying to myself “I’ll remember what that is!” I’ve been known to bring pasta sauce to work before thinking it was either tomato or red pepper soup!
I kicked up my vegetarian taco soup with chopped baby spinach and had some tortilla chips on the side for dipping.
Now here is a perfect example of me having to stop being a waffle. And by waffle I mean the change between doing things that are good for me and then doing things that are not good for me.
I swam a really good workout. After I ate the above lunch, I was full and very satisfied. However, I knew I had extra chips, some salsa in the fridge and at about 4:00, I had a mini salsa party at my desk. WTF?! I wasn’t hungry. I just knew the food was there so I ate it. Probably made my workout obsolete!
I had chicken sandwiches on the menu for dinner. I cut one chicken breast in half, then cut the thicker part in half again so I ended up with three pieces.
No real recipe to this. I let the chicken sit in seasoned milk for about 15 minutes before dipping it in seasoned flour. Then deep fry for about 6-7 minutes. Each piece of chicken was right around 3.5 ounces.
I, of course, made my sammie buffalo!
Again, here is where I need to stop taking those extra licks and bites. That third piece of chicken? After I cleaned up the kitchen I caught up on the Makeover issue of the Biggest Loser. Guess who ate that third piece of chicken while watching THE BIGGEST LOSER of all shows?! This gal. Gah!
I had to come clean, just to be honest with myself and to acknowledge the overeating and try to stop it. My birthday is next week and I think after that I am going to go on a cleanse of some sort – not sure what, but I can’t keep going in this direction and expect different results.
I started this blog 4 1/2 years ago at 168 pounds. In 2011 I got down to 156. This is how I looked then:
To just last week:
Look at the difference just 14 pounds makes on me. Well, I’d be the perfect weight if I were 6’2”!
So today is a new day. I only have one goal. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. That’s it. No extra bites of cheese, no peanuts at night. Just one day without over eating. I can do this.
I have a proud Momma moment! Hannah’s been working really hard. She is taking 16 credit hours, and she works about 25-30 hours a week at her job at Panera. Last night they had an employee meeting. I’ve always joked with Hannah since she started there that someday she was going to be Employee of the Month!
She was the Bread Head of the Month for January! Woop! It’s really no surprise. Here’s why:
- She’s never late.
- She’s never called in.
- If they call her to fill in for a shift, she says yes.
- She’s organized.
- She’s uber clean.
- Did I mention that she cleans like people need to eat off the floor?
- Oh, and then there is the part about her work station being spotless, even during her shift.
- And she’s nice to the customers.
So proud of you Hannah – keep up the great work!
Alright – today’s a new day. Let’s make it a great one!
GO Hannah! She is such a hard worker. Amazing. Must have gotten that work effort from someone I know
. I love how honest you are on your blog- one of the reasons I have followed you religiously! That soup- please share?
Happy 5 year blogaversary Erica!!
Here is the link to the soup – I made it for one of my works souper Fridays.
http://mybizzykitchen.com/2013/03/02/souper-fridayvegetarian-taco-soup/
Congrats to Hannah, great achievement.
It’s funny that I need to make the same adjustments with my food as you have to do. No more snacking in between and I’ll be fine.
Congratulations Hannah and a happy belated birthday!! That kind of work ethic is hard to find these days. You did a fabulous job Biz!! Mindless snacking is a tough habit to break, but you can do it. I am guilty of eating during the Biggest Loser and I always feel so awful when I catch myself.
Hooray for Hannah! I hear you about those extra bites (says the ashamed person who ate leftover meatballs at 10:30pm)
You ate balls at 10:30 p.m.? I knew there was a reason I liked you Dana!
I have a friend who used to eat ice cream while watching The Biggest Loser. It was her thing for the longest time! I’m also guilty of the extra bites, licks and tastes. It’s insane how fast those extra calories can add up. Great job, Hannah! What a cool achievement!
Extra bites, licks, snacks – they just keep adding up, don’t they? I used to have a “snack drawer” at work. It was full of healthy stuff (and some junky crap from time to time), but because IT WAS THERE, I ate it. So, no more snack drawer! Now I bring my meals – breakfast, lunch, and snack. If I’m super hungry at lunch, I include my snack. Makes me wait for supper when I get home!
And YAY Hannah! Love me some Panera – is the “hidden menu” going to become part of the real menu? I wonder how often people order from it (other than me, I mean!)…
It’s so weird about their hidden menu at Panera – why would they hide healthier choices??!!
http://mypanera.panerabread.com/articlestips/article/access-into-paneras-hidden-menu/
It is very rare that someone orders from the Hidden Menu. Not many people even know about it since we aren’t allowed to advertise it! Weird concept- they want people to feel special and feel like they’re getting an exclusive menu, but unless you hear about it from a friend or have a MyPanera card, you’d never know!
Glad you like it though! I wish more people did!
Yay Hannah! And I knwo you can break taking in those little bites!
Awesome job, Hannah!! Congratulations. You obviously deserve it.
When you make such good food it’s hard to stay away from nibbling! But it does add up. Speaking from experience. Don’t beat yourself up. Just get right back at it.
I am not surprised at all that Hannah got the award!
I’m going to not be a waffle today too, and join you in the 3 meals thing. It’s only one day! You can do it.
Thanks Maggie!
Ah, great news on Hannah!! Those chicken sanwiches look amazing – wow, will have to try soon.
Congrats to Hannah!
Biz, if you’re snacking, maybe 5 small meals make more sense for you? So then your calories are spread, allowing you to eat at the times you want to eat at. Just a thought.
I would love to eat smaller meals throughout the day, but I have to take insulin every time I eat, so eating 3x a day vs. 5x a day saves me two shots a day.
Congrats to your daughter Biz, that’s such a great accomplishment and not to mention yours with the weight loss. Your eats are making me hungry…..mmm
Don’t you love it when other people acknowledge your child’s greatness? I mean, WE see it, but it’s nice when strangers do, too. Congrats, Hannah!!!
Yay, Hannah! I can tell she always makes you one proud mama!
That is one awesome egg you raised, Biz! She’ll probably be managing the place soon too!
Way to go, Hannah!
Ha, I told her the same thing Jenn!
Oh, Biz, I do the same thing. I’ve been better the past 2 weeks, though, b/c I log my food ahead of time and know I either have a little wiggle room for nighttime, or the kitchen is shut down. It’s really helped! Last night I took a piece of chocolate out of the freezer (I keep my Dove dark chocolates in there so the boys don’t steal them!), walked into the living room, then looked at myfitnesspal, and walked right back into the kitchen to replace the chocolate. Big feat for me! I know you can do it, too!
Congrats to Hannah! She definitely makes you proud!
Yesterday was the first time I logged into my food journal in over THREE MONTHS! Yep, I can do it!
Your daughter is awesome!!!! And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you are awesome too Vat!!
Thanks Roz!
Congrats to Hannah! That’s awesome!
I have to follow your lead on labelling. I, too, pull the “oh, I’ll remember what this is”. Of course, a few weeks/months later, I’m pulling something out of the freezer and for the life of me can’t figure out what it is. Why does it look so foreign to me when it’s frozen?!?!
Your pancakes look great! I’m pretty notorious in my house for nibbling while cooking– it’s such a hard habit to break! The worst is when I start to fill up before dinner and then I still eat my full meal!
I am not a nibbler before dinner, but I am notorious for eating the leftovers when I clean up the kitchen – no more!
Those pancakes sounds amazing! I have to label food, I don’t trust my memory…lol!! Yesterday I had to actually think what my zip code was…geesh!!
That chicken looks delish!! I find myself eating like that too. It needs to be summer so we can be outside and busy and not shut in the house and boredom sets in and we want to eat!!
Yes… I need to label things too, always forget what I froze and it’s always a surprise when defrosted….okay, what am I going to do with this???
Must try those pancakes one of these days. Sometimes I wonder how in the world…with all those wonderful dishes you make that you CAN lose weight???? I mean, I just have to look at all you eat, drool and gain weight???!!!!! That fryed chicken and french fries….oh my…my taste buds are singing!!!!!
I am a snacker, and I think in my mind, I didn’t eat that much, but then I forget what I ate an hour ago……it’s no wonder I am the way I am….(sigh)…I am going on a strict diet for the next 3 days of 1000 calories…..lets’ see if I can manage to stay on the diet and still feed the husband his big meals before he leaves for work and when he comes home. He is always in the kitchen rummageing through the refrigerator for something to eat. He can eat whatever he wants and not gain a pound, I am the exact opposite….unfair!!!!
Congrats to Hannah, keep up the good work and she will bring home many more awards!!!
Note: thanks for the address for the Millita coffee maker….no that was not what my little personal coffee maker looks like (but I may try that one)…..took a picture of it and will put it on my blog in a little bit. I could use my coffee maker but it takes an hour for the coffee to filter through…..it’s arteries must be clogged I guess. I’ve tried “dip-it” maybe a couple more applications and it might work.
Louise – check out this blog post because I used a coffee cleaner that was amazeballs – my coffee brews so much faster after using this stuff!
http://mybizzykitchen.com/2012/12/27/we-thought-we-lost-him/
Checking out Brew Rite Cleaner today….thanks
That is so awesome for Hannah, and for you, you both should be proud. As for having will power and not over eating, I have the utmost empathy. It is so hard to walk away from food for me also.
No excuses, Biz! You’ll get there, but you can’t let yourself rationalize those decisions that aren’t the best for ya
Great job, Hannah, That’s awesome!
Thanks for the push Errign – I have been loving your skiing pictures on facebook!
You look so happy!
I need a Hannah! Love the look of those pancakes. And you are encouraging me to get outside and walk. I really need to get off my duff!
Go Hannah!
Don’t be too hard on yourself…tomorrow is another day! Keep in mind that there are MANY benefits to exercise besides just the calories…you’re also improving your overall fitness level, improving your mood, etc.
Also – I am loving those pancakes, yum!
Congrats to Hannah! She sounds like a perfect candidate for employee of the month. I had two sons that worked at Panera. It was a great stepping stone to other jobs for them.
Don’t think of having a snack as negating your work out – you still built muscle, improved your cardio, and lots of other good things. It’s not just about the calorie burn
And having planned snacks between meals might be better than saying no snacks – that way you can work in healthy items, and keep blood sugars more level throughout the day.
Thanks everyone for your kindness!!