Time for a Regroup

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend!

It was a beautiful weekend here! The mornings and evenings were cool, and I was loving it! I took a few walks with the dogs and a few walks without the dogs. I sipped on a lot of coffee, some on the deck and some while running my errands with the windows down. 

We spent Saturday at a friends house sitting around the fire pit sharing stories that we hadn’t shared in a long time. Lots of laughs and it was my favorite part of the weekend!

I did do a little work too. I worked on Friday at the food truck and I worked two meetings at Weight Watchers on Saturday morning. 

Yesterday? I spent all day yesterday regrouping. I had several things that I needed to address ranging from my schedule/calendar, my desk, the checkbook, a food plan for the week, an exercise plan for the week, and I needed to prioritize some things in my head. You know how sometimes you just need to refocus? Well, that is what I spent yesterday doing, and I’m now ready for the week, the remainder of the month and maybe even for the rest of the year!! Okay, that last part might be a stretch, but I’m feeling refocused and organized.

I’ve had a hard time getting into any kind of schedule since coming home from our New York trip. I think not feeling well was a large part of that, and I just wasn’t taking the time needed to plan meals or prepare for the week. I was opening up my desk and tossing the mail in there without opening anything or sorting through it, and I haven’t made the time for a Yoga class in over two weeks! I was going to attempt another Yoga challenge, and that hasn’t happened yet.

I’ve brought things back into my diet that I know are causing me to have some cravings that I haven’t had in almost a year, and that needs to change. Bread, chips, cheese, sugar and artificial sweeteners……all things that cause me food cravings, and all things that I was comfortable leaving out of my diet.

I made a grocery list for the week, then I shopped. I spent the day in the kitchen meal prepping while listening to the Chiefs play, and also listening to Mike yell at the Chiefs play. It wasn’t a pretty game, but we did walk away with a win! I took the time to write everything down in my calendar that I have planned for the week, and that makes it easier for me to schedule my exercise out for the week.

Yesterday’s regrouping really was what I needed.

Here is what I cooked up yesterday!

I made up some Tuna Salad for lunches this week. I’m working at the Food Truck three days this week, and as much as I love that food, I make better lunch choices when I take something from home.

 

Do you follow me on Instagram? This is one of my post over the weekend. Sometimes, I think I’m funny.

I put all of those squash to good use yesterday.

Have you ever seen a Spaghetti Squash shaped like this? Turns out, they taste just like their little brother, the smaller, more yellow Spaghetti Squash. I thought the skin was more firm, and it took a bit longer to cook. It was a real booger to cut up too!

 

I made Butternut Squash Chicken Soup and Mike and I both loved it! The recipe calls for Coconut Milk, but I used Skim Milk to keep the soup lower in SmartPoints, and I’m just not a big fan of Coconut Milk in my savory dishes. To simplify things just a tad, I used some of the rotisserie chicken that I had in the freezer and I used some Butternut Squash that I purchased already peeled and cut. No worries, I’ll still make up that squash in the picture. I do love a Butternut Squash.

The Soup without the chicken is only 2 SmartPoints per serving (Points calculated using the Weight Watcher Recipe Builder) if you make it with skim milk and leave out the coconut milk.

We have plenty for lunch this week when we are wanting something quick!

 

Did I mention that we liked it?

 

Now for a nice little surprise. I played with a Delicata Squash. Have you had it before? Thank you so much to my wonderful reader, Nancy, for suggesting that I give it a try! Nancy said that she had not had it, but had heard that it tasted similar to a sweet potato. It did!

I made this Maple Roasted Delicata Squash recipe. Yum!! You can eat the skin, which made this prep much easier than I had anticipated!

(I just heated some of this up and ate it with my breakfast this morning. SO YUMMY!)

 

I made Trina’s Meatballs for dinner (I used ground turkey) and served them over that great big Roasted Spaghetti Squash. Dinner was a hit!

 

While shopping at Trader Joe’s yesterday, I discovered that they were now carrying a couple of varieties of RXBar’s. Have you tried any of these?

They have Egg Whites in them, which makes them higher in Protein and lower in SmartPoints than the Larabar that I have been eating. Both the RXBars and the Larabar are made with natural ingredients, nuts and unsweetened dried fruit. They have no sugar and no artificial sweeteners. Yes, they are a little high in points due to the fat in the nuts and the natural sugar in the dried fruit, but they do not cause me to have sugar cravings and I really like the way that they taste.

Here are yesterday’s eats…

Breakfast – 12 SP

Roasted White Sweet Potatoes, topped with a Bacon and Egg Scramble and Smashed Avocado.

 

Lunch – 4 SP

Butternut Squash Soup with 2 oz Chicken and 1 slice bacon, crumbled.

 

Snack – 7 SP

Blueberry RXBar and black coffee

 

Snack – 0 SP

Late afternoon, it felt so good to step outside and get some fresh air. I sprinkled a Pear with some Pumpkin Pie Spice and poured myself a cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee.

 

Dinner – 7 SP

Turkey Meatballs over Roasted Spaghetti Squash

These are my 2016 Goals
Make time each week to Meal Plan
Drink 100 ounces of water each day
Exercise 5 days a week
Three Meals and One Snack, Daily

 

“love the life you live, live the life you love”