Days 5, 6, 7 ...

Yikes... I am already behind with this blog. I have to say though... the days went well. I had a few pouty moments when the "can't haves" brought me down. Being an elementary teacher, a week doesn't go by when at least one kid shows up at your door with a birthday treat. I am a CUPCAKE fanatic! Of course, the first day back to school with kids, a student shows up at my door offering me a cupcake. This was hard on TWO levels. FIRST... saying no to the birthday treat. I will usually accept a treat even if I am not going to eat it because I don't want to hurt a kiddos feelings. However I realized that if that cupcake came into my classroom I WOULD eat it... so thanked the kiddo but said I had already had my snack and was VERY full! I suggested another teacher (one who actually sings a fun song for any kid that comes in his room with a birthday treat!). SECOND, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted that cupcake! It looked so WONDERFUL! Honestly, usually when I want some kind of food I will eat it no matter what. I will even get in my car and go get it from the store if I don't have it. So this was a BIG victory.

Another hard part of being back to work is the soda fridge. The school district no longer has soda machines in the buildings. Our secretary, realizing that many teachers "need" caffeine throughout the day, bought a mini fridge and keeps it stocked with our favorite sodas. We put in 50 cents take a soda... and easy as that we have our caffeine and sugars and calories... UGGGGHHH! I haven't had one yet! I should take a picture of the soda cans that are in the sink in my classroom from before the break. (I keep forgetting to take them to the recycling bin in the lounge). We had a full five day week before break and I have 10 cans in my sink... plus I am sure I had a can or two at lunch that week that didn't make it to my room!

Funny story! The first day back with students I brought two hard boiled eggs and carrot chips for my snack. I was happily eating my eggs when I felt the urge to look up at my students. Almost all of them were staring at me with goofy or questioning looks on their faces! I had to chuckle out loud. They asked why I was eating part of my lunch! LOL! I told them that I am trying to have a little protein in all of my snacks. The next day one of my kiddos brought a boiled egg for snack. He had told his mom that my snack looked good and he wanted an egg for snack too! Look at that... I am setting a positive example.

Yesterday, I had to go to the store for more groceries. I thought my husband was going to stay home and my mind immediately went to what I could buy at the store. In the past, I have bought the chicken bites from the deli case and eaten them in the car, bought a soda in the checkout and finished it before I got home, buying a cupcake (the ones like you would buy from places like Jilly's or Small Cakes) or cookie sandwich. I think in my mind it was like "If a tree falls in the forest when no one is around does it make a sound" ... but I was more like... if no one sees me eat/drink this bad thing do the calories count. This is a big problem for me! So I started half looking forward to/ half dreading this trip to the store... at the last minute my husband decided to go! I found that I was more relieved than disappointed.


I have enjoyed my days without the fiber drink in the morning. The morning routine went a lot smoother without it! So, I start back up with the fiber drink Sunday. I am going to get up an extra 20 minutes early on Monday to make sure I can get the fiber drink taken care of!

Meals have been pretty good. Salads for lunch each day. Dinner as follows:

Thursday: Grilled Salmon and zucchini (in the oven) and Quinoa
Friday: Chicken stirfry (chicken, balsamic vinegar, zucchini, broccoli, and Quinoa)
Saturday: Salmon Kabobs (with Spanish Quinoa)

My stir fry was a result of needing to use left overs. I had a couple of chicken tenderloin strips I hadn't cooked from earlier in the week. I had left over broccoli and LOTS of Quinoa. I added the zucchini because I wanted more than broccoli! I even used leftovers to make my hubby a pot of chilli. I had already cooked ground turkey, Italian sausage in the fridge. I then added the tomatoes and beans and spices. Then I added some of the Quinoa (I still had LOTS LEFT!) I don't eat chili because I can't stand beans. My hubby was really happy though!

I find the that with the Spark drink I am not really craving much more than water. I think that is saving me big time. I will get this done! I will be healthier!

 This weight loss/ healthier lifestyle journey is NOT easy for me! People (even my husband) tell me it is just about will power. They make it seem so easy. THIS IS NOT EASY for me! I struggle making good food choices... I need the encouragement and "gold stars" that go with certain weight loss programs. I do my work out on the Wii because the I get stamps and points and it charts my progress. I feel weak because of this sometimes. This is who I am ... if that is how I have to do it... than I need to own that and use it to my advantage!