L. E. S. Artistes

So the other day I was starting to write a new blog and all of a sudden I start having trouble with my blogger website. It won't save. I can't get the internet to work.

Ironically my husband had just done something with the Wi-fi in the house so I totally blamed him but instead it was Comcast's fault...it was an outage in our area.

I'm still going to blame him...

That blog went into the trash bin...literally.

I was writing about prepping to teach an art history lesson. I had been CONSUMED with preperation for the lesson as was my teaching partner. I mean, I had literally spent hours and hours learning about Bernini, Carvaggio, Rembrandt, and David. It was a lot of stuff...a lot of European art.

But it is some very cool art.


On the other hand, the lesson plans were...terrible. When we teach these lessons to the kids, we go into their classrooms (in middle school we teach during their history period) and use a power point that has been designed by some sort of art history person.

Well, that person took a day off when he/she did this lesson...

First, it was covering too much information, too many years of art, and really, too many artists...

But they also were focusing on the wrong stuff ABOUT the artist.

So my teaching partner and I revamped it. We just went rogue and did our own thing. We used the old lesson as a framework---in other words, we just covered the artists the lesson covered...that was it...we did the rest.

I know have a new appreciation for those artists and I did enjoy all the research and study, but I'm glad it is behind me.

Here is a sample of Bernini's work: Pluto and Persephone...AMAZING

We taught the lesson, kept the kids (fairly) interested, and even survived having a fire drill in the middle of it all. We talked non-stop for 48 minutes.

I told Bacchus it exhausted me and I was happy that I didn't have to do it every day. He LOVES to talk...even more than me. I LOVE to talk, but I felt a heavy responsibility to the children and the material to get it right.

In the middle of all of this teaching I got a text from a friend that she/he had lost her/his job. I'm not saying anything more here to protect her/his privacy but she/he was fired unjustly and I really felt bad for her/him. Normally I wouldn't disclose somthing like this but it will come into play later. All you, my dear readers, need to know is that a friend lost a job that she/he had held for 7.5 years and was fired unjustly.

After my teaching I texted Dimples and asked if he was in the mood to put up with his favorite pain in his arse and he agreed to meet me for a de-stressing workout. See why I love him? He's there when I need him...

I followed the workout with 4 hours of watching my son and his team at the city-wide wrestling championships.

Boys in leotards grappling each other.

lovely...

Between art and wrestling I needed that workout...literally BETWEEN art and wrestling...because they both scared me...

Several of our boys won medals but alas The Cutest Boy in the World did not...but he had fun trying. Some of my mommy friends expressed disbelief and joy at my weight loss...I luv luv luv them for it...and I happily told them that I give Dimples a lot of credit for being trainer/therapist/hand holder and that they could have him as their own trainer/therapist/hand holder if they wanted.

Because we are having a boot camp starting next week...if you live in Houston and want to join us, email me!

Anyhoo...

After wrestling we went to my fav fav fav restaurant (George's Pastaria)and ReRe (the owner's wife and mistress of the vine at the restaurant) was truly a goddess in my book because she had a delicious glass of muscato poured and placed it in my hands just as I walked to my table.

That is why I love George's Pastaria...ReRe KNOWS what wine I love and just when I need it...personal service to their customers is top-notch

I had asked Dimples if I could have some pasta that night and he told me:

No

And then I asked about garlic bread and he told me:

No

(he told me to imagine it was a big pile of sugar and wouldn't do my body any good...when I got up this morning and the scale was down I sent him a mental kiss and hug...)

And then I told him about the wine and he told me:

Go for it

Yet another reason why I love Dimples...he knows when Mama needs her fruit of the vine.

So ReRe and George (ok, there is no disguising his name...I mean, come on, the restaurant is called "GEORGE'S Pastaria")suggest I have the rainbow trout cooked "bodybuilder" style with veggies.

That is why I love George's Pastaria...the owners want happy customers...and happy friends...not just people who come to eat...

I'm telling you, you need to make this your favorite place...great food, great wine, great service...need I say more? 1/2 the price of Carrabbas and so much better...

Anyhoo...

I had a great dinner, kept to my diet, only had 2 glasses of wine and headed home.

Got up yesterday at 5:00 so I could chaperone the middle school choir and Region Choir auditions. The kids work so hard learning their music and it takes quite a bit of coursage to get up there and sing before the judges. I'm super proud of them.

I was super proud of me because I managed (with the help of 4 other moms) not to lose any of our kids and I only had to intervene/fight with the people running it about 3 times...that might be a new low record for me. GOTT was proud...

My son did not get into the Region Choir. As he describes it, he had an "epic voice crack" in the middle of "Come Travel With Me" so he knew he was out before he was even done. Oh well...

I came home from that and took a nap...it was GLORIOUS!

Then I went to chaperone a middle school party that some friends were giving...and I didn't behave so gloriously there...

Now lest you think I was falling down drunk in front of the kids, re-boot your brain and focus on these words:

Mexican food

Oh, it wasn't pretty.

Because thus far I have only been faced with Mexican food when I am at a restuarant and able to choose what I was eating.

But this was a buffet of snack type things and not one of them was going to make Dimples smile and not one of them was something I could alter to be less fattening.

Nachos.

Queso.

Tamales.

Beef flautas.

and...

my downfall...

quesadillas

Really really good quesadillas.

I lost count after 4...

It was basically a night of beer and quesadilla overload for me.

I was starving and I had made a huge mistake because I should have eaten before I went.

But I didn't...

And those quesadillas? Really really good...

but a lead balloon in my stomach and left me feeling pretty gross this morning.

But wait! There's more...

CRAVE CUPCAKES

curses!

There they were...CRAVE cupcakes. Sitting on a cute little stand all ready for me to grab one and eat it.

So I did.

It was chocolate.

It was fantastic.

Dimples is going to punish me good for that little forbidden food orgy.

My girlfriend told me that when they went to pick up the cupcakes that the line was out of the door. Her husband asked her:

"What are they selling there? Crack?"

Yep, that has always been my word for it...CRACK. They are CRACK cupcakes.

A deadly drug that you cannot resist once you have had one...

But I learned a lot these last few days and I will share my little lessons with you since I am in a teaching mood...

1. I would have been totally hot in the 17th century. Look at this detail from Bernini's Persephone and Pluto.

That looks like my thighs, people...

It is pretty amazing that he was able to carve that rock to look like such soft, supple flesh. AMAZING...

So yeah...I would have been a hot chick just as I am...soft round curves, thick thighs. And I am totally in love with Bernini's sculpture.

2. OK, so #1 isn't really a lesson...but this is. And it is one we all know...when God closes a door, He always opens a window. In my case:

Door Closed: terrible power point and lesson to teach the kids
Open Window: we had the time and energy to make up a new lesson

Door Closed: my friend losing her/his job
Open Window: she/he can now pursue the career she/he REALLY wants to do

Door Closed: I coulnd't eat my favorite dish at my favorite restaurant
Open Window: great restaurants have options...and they fed me a GREAT alternative to my favorite so I could stay on my diet

Door Closed: "epic" voice crack that derails my son's audition
Open Window: I don't have to deal with all the Region Choir stuff (but congratulations to the parents that do!)

Door Closed: no scheduled workout with my favorite trainer when I was stressing
Open Window: he totally rocks and made time for me...even if it meant he had to shiver in the cold...

Door Closed: Mexican food buffet with no redeeming food
Open Window: Crave Cupcakes...because who the hell cared by then...

I guess what I am saying here is that I have found it a lot easier to be flexible these days and to not be so rigid.

3. My third lesson is in not beating myself up. My son didn't beat himself up for his voice crack in the middle of his singing audition, so I shouldn't beat myself up for falling off the "eating clean" wagon.

Food orgies happen

Yes, I should not have had that really bad food last night but I behaved the day before and I am behaving now so it's not like I had a week-long or even weekend-long undoing of my diet...it was 3 hours...

I have to say that a year ago I would have taught that lesson, come home and taken to my bed for a few hours and then slogged myself to the wrestling thing where I would have sat on my fat behind and watched the boys and then followed it with some wine-fueled eating at George's Pastaria (where I would have indulged in some really amazing and sinful Rigatoni Alfredo...if you want to be "bad" they can do "bad" really well there). The next morning I would have been sluggish and slow and sat in my chair during the Region thing, followed IT with a nap and then headed to that party in a tent and black stretchy pants and lived by the buffet and eaten much much more.

Instead...I taught my lesson with energy and enthusiasm, did my favorite workout---A Dimples Training---went to wrestling and ran all over the gym taking photos, got up early and with energy and took care of choir kids and, yes, took a nap (50 minutes...perfect), and then rocked leggings and stilletto boots at the party and misbehaved (with food) just a little.

It's not that I am so great or good...it is about changing how I handle my days that makes things better for me. Seeing Dimples instead of napping on Friday I KNOW gave me the energy to get through the rest of the weekend.

I took yesterday off from exercise but today I'm hitting it hard at the gym with spin and body pump. And tomorrow the bootcamp starts so I'll pay for my sins of last night and move on.

And not do it again...for a while...

Today is a new day...clean slate...gonna do it right and not look back...

Oh, and teaching that lesson on Friday taught me more than just art...it confirmed my resolve to get my teaching certification...I'm going to do it. I told GOTT and he was excited for me...see why I love love love my GOTT? Support when I need it...and so much more...

I don't know WHAT I think I can teach...but it is something to work for...

Inspiration Song: "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santogold...she's pretty cool...

Bye Darlings..."Re-boot" if you need to...it's a new week...

My Favorite Things

As I start to write this blog I am watching a re-run of Oprah doing her last "Oprah's Favorite Things" show...you know, where she gives away thousands of dollars worth of goodies to her audience? The audience members cry when the realize that they are at the "Favorite Things" show---I would cry too! This year she was giving away an iPad, sequined Ugg boots, cashmere leggings, a Coach Bag, $500 from Nordstrom and a VW Beetle car. No wonder they are so excited to go to that show!!!!

In the mail today I received a very very very special gift. A friend of my mother's, who knew me as a teen, sent me what is probably the most perfect gift I could have received this Christmas. I'll call her "K'town Gal" (she knows who she is, very special lady...) and somehow she managed to rescue a tile from the kitchen of my Kingsville house (on the ranch). The house was torn down. Another friend gifted me with a brick from the house---I treasure it. But K'town Gal got to the heart of the matter...and in this case, the heart of my house...the kitchen. My mother was an extraordinary cook and you've heard the stories of her entertaining, so getting a tile from that kitchen literally took my breath away. I opened the box and there it was...I lost my breath and the tears started to flow. I could feel my mother next to me. Ke$ha Barbie tried to steal it for herself. K'town Gal turned it into a trivet for me so it now will sit on my counter and I will think of my beautiful Mommy and my friend K'town Gal who so thoughtfully presented me with simply the most perfect thing...

So, inspired by this great gift I thought I would make my very own "Favorite Things" list as a gift to you, my friends and readers of this blog.

No "raindrops on roses" on this list...although "whiskers on kittens" would very likely make the list...

So here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite things that have gotten me through the year and this weight loss journey...

1) My friends and family. I could not have done this without my family's support as well as that of my friends like GOTT, GOTTESS, TTG, Sistah, TamTam, Bacchus, etc. And how can I forget that it all started with Precious and Adorable looking at me with fear that got me started (I thanked him and told him---he had no idea).

So, my friends---call upon your friends to help and support you with whatever your endeavors are. You will go so much further with arms to around you to support you...

2) Coach Dimples---he's the bomb and doing double duty as therapist as well as trainer. He did a fantastic job as football coach and he is doing a fantastic job as my trainer. My body looks better because of him...

And I have to throw in J'taime Jamie, Spinderella and JayVee and Fitness Goddess...because they have all helped get me to where I am now and they will help me get to where I want to go...

Since I can't give you all my Coach Dimples (or the girls listed above), I can say that having a trainer is a favorite thing...so find someone to help you that knows what they are doing!

3) My Fit Foods---I still eat at least one meal a day from them...usually 2.

4) Lucy---I love Lucy...and I'm not just talking about the show with Lucille Ball. What I am really talking about HERE is the store (and website) called Lucy. I love love love their workout clothes and I am currently LIVING in their power pants...so comfy! Oprah likes the lululemon pants---haven't tried them myself but my friend NJ loves hers so I am going to give them a try too. Right now I am wearing a pair of Lucy crops and Lucy tank that I wear to workout in. I love wearing the pants for training because they don't "show" anything like a pair of Nike shorts might when I am jumping about with a man telling me what to do. The tanks have nice long length to cover you whether you are training, running, or bending over a bike. I like the fact that many of the styles are "compressive" so they hold you in and they hold up really well in the wash. Check them out:

lucy.com

or

lululemon.com

In Houston both stores are located in Highland Village.

5) Red Wine---'nuff said...you can add white and champagne to that...

6) Asics running shoes---great for running and training.

7) Caslon t-shirts from Nordstrom. Not pricey. Cute cuts, great colors. I throw them on with my Lucy pants and go...

8) My Keurig. I am in love with a mechanical device and it is my Keurig. I'm the only person in the house who really drinks coffee and I usually only have one cup so making a pot of coffee is a waste. So that is why I bought a Keurig---it makes one cup at a time! And the flavor selection (online) is tremendous! I love love love all the flavor options and I can also make hot tea and the kids can make hot chocolate with it. If you are on the market for a new coffee maker, I highly recommend it...

9) My Riedel stemless wine glasses...love them...so chic...and love holding them, especially when they contain my favorite red wine...

10) Spanx tights...they feel so good and make you look good...

11) cottage cheese with pineapple and a little Splenda...great snack and good for you. That trainer chick on Bravo, Jackie Warner (my girl crush), claims that the casein in it will help with weight loss.

12) Crystal Lite in the individual packets. I don't like to drink plain water so I use these a lot. The strawberry energy flavor is my favorite (warning, it contains caffeine).

13) My metal water bottle that my friend Ticket Queen got me...use it every night...no more thrush! I got thrush last spring from drinking from a plastic water bottle that I was washing but not steralizing each time so she gifted me with this great metal one...I fill it with water at bedtime and drink up...

14) SmartWater...when I buy bottled water I usually buy SmartWater. I usually can't tell the difference in the taste of water, but I DO like the taste of this stuff. But more than the taste, I like the SHAPE of the bottle and the size of the 33.8 fl oz bottles. So I buy them...wash and STERALIZE them (with a bit of clorox) and re-use them for working out.

15) My music...as you can tell, I like a wide variety of music. Music is what moves me...so I love making playlists for working out and giving music to my spin teacher friends to use in class. If you want me to suggest a playlist, email me with your music preference taste and I will make you a suggestion list...

16) George's Pastaria. If you live in Houston, you need to go to George's. It is my favorite place. Located on Dairy Ashford between Westheimer and Briar Forest. Worth the drive. They will make you the BEST food for a great price and you can have some yummy wine. George and Rene (the owners) are almost always there. They are GOOD people and so is their staff. They will make you anything any way you want it. You want it grilled, not sauteed? no problem! You want it with extra spinach? not problem! You want a different sauce or pasta? No problem!!!! And you can eat healthy here and not feel like you are eating "health" food. Have the whole wheat angel hair primavera with shrimp and extra spinach...I'm going to make George name it after me!

17) Crave cupcakes. Why would I put that on this list? Because despite living on a diet, they are still one of my favorite things! You have to have a little sin with all your virtue and this is sin that is worth paying for. Strawberry and Candy Bar are my favorite flavors...but I'm sure if I ever tasted chocolate mint or dulce de leche that I would add them to the list. I'm just not going to tempt fate and try them...

18) Dark Chocolate. My favorite treat. The darker, the better...and I love love love dark dark dark chocolate. A little nibble now and then curbs my sugar cravings and is actually loaded with antioxidents so it is good for me too. I like Scharffen Berger extra dark (82% cocoa). mmmmmmmmmmmmm....

19) Living Proof Full Shampoo, Conditioner, Thickening Cream, Root lifting spray and mousse...my hair has never looked better...available at Sephora or QVC...

20) Cake Beauty Satin Sugar Hair and Body Refreshing Powder---smells like vanilla sugar cake and is the BEST for freshening up your hair when you don't have time to shampoo. It makes your hair smell so good and, even better, it comes in a light and dark version so that those of you with brown hair can use it and not look dusty! I've had men tell me that my hair smells good when I have used it...Sephora is your best bet...

21) Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume...the only thing I like as much as my Thierry Mugler "Angel"...very sexy scent. Different. Not for the faint of heart or timid...Everytime and I mean EVERY TIME I wear it I get compliments and am told "you smell SO good"...and I get it from men, women, and children...Wear it if you dare...

22)My 20 pound body bar---bought it at Academy. It is not an actual "body bar by Body Bar" (you can get that online...it is a little smaller in circumference than what I bought), but I like it just as much. For those unfamiliar, it is a 3 foot long weighted (and padded) bar that you use for doing excercises. You can do a lot of excercises with it...even if you don't have your own personal Dimples to tell you what to do. It will fit under your bed...

23) Women's Health Magazine and online website...lots of great advice and recipes. The website has workout suggestions so you can have Bob from Biggest Loser as your trainer! I like it better than Shape or Fitness (both great mags). Just my personal take on the fitness magazine thing...

24) M by Marc Bower dresses from QVC...if you have seen me in a dress there is a good chance it is from this collection from QVC. Washable. Wearable. Good looking. Great price.

25) Advil---I don't need to explain Advil, do I? But I love it...

26) Spin class---if you have never tried a spin class, do it...it is great cardio work, works the heck out of your legs and glutes and if the instructor is good, it is fun...

27) Body Pump---if your club/gym offers Les Mills classes, they offer Body Pump. Body Pump will work every major muscle group in an hour---choreographed to music. It is a great way to do your strength training if you hate working on the weight machines as much as I do.

28) Salmon---I don't like salmon all that much but since I have added it to my diet I have learned to like it and appreciate it. A few things I have learned---if you can order it medium rare it will taste less "fishy", I like a thicker small slice vs. a thinner larger slice (for the medium rare thing), a meal of salmon on a bed of spinach is pretty good and satisfying, the Omega3 oils in it are good for your skin, it is as good cold as hot. I can't say that I love it...but I love what it is doing for my body. I have dropped weight. I see a change. I eat a lot of it...

29) Tasti-D-lite...J'taime Jamie got me started on this and it is my new obsession. Love it for dessert and it is guilt free! Taste like you are totally sinning but is so low-cal that you can't hurt yourself. There are like 80 flavors...you can't go wrong.

30) My "liver cleanse" that I drink each morning. Juice of 1/2 lemon, 4 oz. unsweetened pure cranberry juice (not cocktail), 1 TBS. apple cidar vinegar, 1/2 oz. liquid B12, 1 oz. liquid glucosomine. Mix together and drink up. I swear it helps...

And that, my friends, is my "favorite things for looking/feeling good" list. These are all things that have helped me look or feel better during these past 9 months. I wish I could be Oprah and just give all of these things to you, but I can't...but pick through the list and see what appeals to you. I promise you if you use Living Proof full shampoo and spritz on some Tom Ford Black Orchid and put on an M by Marc Bower dress, someone will notice...

Inspiration Song: "My Favorite Things" by Rogers & Hammerstein...Sound of Music (you know that, don't you?)...as sung by the amazing, incomparable, one and only Julie Andrews...

Bye Darlings....I'm off for a bit of dark chocolate as my dessert after a nice dinner at George's Pastaria....

Lisztomania

Coach Dimples and I have a new partnership...we gonna play "who wins that bowl game" together and defeat the empire known at GOTT the GREAT...

GOTT always always always wins these things. He lets me play because I am so dreadful at it.

So he has set up some "predict who wins the bowl games" thing...there are 35 games...and we all know that I know less than a microgram about football. I take photos of football but I don't understand it.

Remember, Dimples had to explain what a "linebacker" was to me recently...he did it patiently and without irony I might add...

So I tell GOTT I will play his little game with him and I have high hopes of doing better than I did last spring in the March Madness contest when I came in 3rd from dead last.

But this time I have a secret weapon. I have Dimples! And he knows his football, oh yes he does...he even knows the name of the mascot for the team from Florida International (I didn't even know that was a college). So he picks the teams, I put up the $10 and we are going to split our fabulous winnings after we beat GOTT and Coach Supersweet (who always wins if GOTT doesn't).

I'm going to look like a football predicting superstar. But, because I am unfailingly honest about these things, I will admit I had the help of a football coach. You see, no one in my house wanted to help me...and I think Dimples has a better handle on this than they do. I did try and watch ESPN last night when they talked about bowl game predictions but completely zoned out after 45 seconds. Maybe if they broke out into song like the do on "Glee" I would have paid more attention.

People keep asking me what "diet" I am on. The truth is, I don't have a "diet" per se, but rather I am eating clean and healthy.

But here are some tips I have picked up along the way and some things that I eat...

This is in no particular order of importance...it's just as I think of it. Think of this as a roadmap whether you want to lose 5, 10, 15, or 50 pounds or just want to eat better...and remember, I am not an expert, just a woman who is trying to lose enough weight for Oprah to notice her (she and Dr. Oz are doing a weight loss thing for her new network...I could be on that...but I really would rather sit on her couch and talk to her...but again, this is all fantasy...)

OK, so here are some things to do/eat/try...

1. Dont' try and cut everything out at once. Try cutting out one or two things each week. Like, cut out corn and fried foods one week, the next week cut out something else.

2. Buy a water bottle. Fill it. Drink it. Repeat many times throughout the day. If you don't like water, add some lemon juice or make flavored water in your fridge. To make flavored water, simply put some fruit (orange, lemon, watermelon, canteloupe, lime, strawberry etc.) or cucumber, and or a bit of mint in a pitcher and add water. The fruit needs to be sliced or cut up. A delicious mix, courtesy of the Kahala Hotel in Oahu, Hawaii is the following: mint, cucumber, strawberry, apple, orange. You can add more water as you drink it down but I would pitch it after a few days or when it loses its taste.

3. Eat more good protein. A serving of protein should be about the size of a deck of cards...or maybe if you are really hungry and working out, the size of your hand (but only if you have a SMALL hand). Good protein: fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef, lean pork. Not-so-good-for-you protein: fatty steak, hamburger meat, dark meat from poultry (but that is not as bad as sausage), sausage, pork and beef ribs.

4. You don't have to eat "breakfast" foods for breakfast...sometimes I eat some ground turkey (wrapped in lettuce leaves for some crunch), or leftover fish. But I always eat some form of protein for breakfast and if I eat carbs, it is usually steel cut oats...and protein.

5. Egg white omlettes can be good if you cook them right. You can even add an egg yolk for every 2-3 whites if you don't have cholesterol issues. Try leftover veggies, spinach, fat free cheese, picante sauce, or ground turkey in one. The fat free cheese isn't bad inside an omlette. I like smokehouse pepper on mine...makes me feel like I am having bacon. Smokehouse pepper is in one of those red and white cans and it has a smokey taste...really good.

6. Have dessert occsionally so you won't feel deprived. But ask them to bring you only half and box the other half up. or give half to a friend. or eat a few bites and then pour salt all over it...I'm serious...

7. Eat salmon. I haven't liked salmon much in the past but I have made it part of my diet and now I don't mind it. It is best not overcooked. Order it medium rare and I promise it will taste better. Salmon is so good for you---full of Omega 3 and a good source of lean protein. I'm a little obsessed with it these days.

8. Get rid of corn. Dimples made me do this. It doesn't offer you much nutritionally and, this one shocked me, they use corn products in batteries and diapers. I like the taste of corn but I have cut it out of my diet...even corn tortillas. Now when I am at the Mexican food restaurant, I ask for lettuce leaves to wrap my fajitas in...that is Asian style and it is good!

9. If you want an alcoholic drink, choose wisely. Believe it or not, champagne is a good choice. Red wine is good and has antioxidents. White wine is good. Not so good for you: margaritas, lemon drop martinis, cosmos, anything with sweet-and-sour mix or simple syrup. Too much sugar. Or try wine mixed with club soda to cut calories further and cut out some of the alcohol.

10. No good ever came from eating a french fry...unless it is from Houston's and then it is totally worth it. But it is better not to have even one or you will want more...the last time I ate fry---February...

11. Google "EAt this Not That" before you go to a restaurant...they have great suggestions.

12. Dark chocolate is my friend. It gives me a bit of sweet when I need it. The darker the better. I eat a tiny bit a couple of times a week. No, I don't eat a Hershey bar...just a little square of very dark chocolate. I eat it slowly and savor it and it really feels like a treat.

13. Eat your veggies first. Order extra veggies at a restaurant but ask them to cut the butter. Steamed or grilled veggies are best. And no, a baked potato is not a good idea unless it is a sweet potato...with no butter.

14. Don't eat "white" food...no white rice, no white bread, no white veggies (unless it is cauliflower and then you can have all you want).

15. EAt 3 small meals and 2 snacks...way better for you than 3 large meals. My daily intake is usually breakfast (egg white omlette and oatmeal, or ground turkey and egg whites, or something from Fit Foods), a mid-morning snack (fruit, yogurt, protein bar), lunch (protein and veggies as my carbs), mid-afternoon snack, and dinner (like lunch). Sometimes I add dessert. See below:

16. My form of dessert: I love cottage cheese mixed with a bit of sweetner (Splenda...yellow packets) and fruit, or fat-free Greek yogurt mixed with Splenda and fruit, or a Skinny Cow dessert, or a small square of dark chocolate, or a couple of gingersnaps, or yogurt.

17. Cottage cheese is good for you...calcium! So is Greek Yogurt...

18. No sodas with sugar. In fact, cut out or cut back any soda...

19. Roast your veggies. In fact, if you THINK you don't like a vegetable, try it roasted. My favorite veggies to roast: asparagus, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, sweet potato, cauliflower, and fingerling potatoes. For asparagus, just trim off the tough ends. For brussel sprouts, cut in half. For the squash and the rest, just cube it up. Toss the veggies with a few teaspoons of olive oil and some sea salt. Roast at 450 degrees until tender. Fantastic...it will change your mind aobut some vegetables. They take on a nutty flavor and get sweeter. Email me when you have done this so I can say "I told you so"...

20. My new favorite treat----Tasti D Lite. One location is on Post Oak near Berryhill. Another location in Highland Village. Coming soon to Dallas.

21. Try quinoa and couscous...they are good. I love couscous tossed with some cinnamon and dried cranberries and raisins.

22. Dried cranberries perk things up...salad, grains, pasta, roasted veggies...

23. If you go to a restaurant where the portions are really big, ask them to bring you a to-go box right away and put half of it away. Then don't forget it when you leave...

24. Try whole-wheat pasta. It is so good. Many Italian restaurants have it so ask.

25. If you live in Houston, go to George's Pastaria. It is worth the drive even if you don't live in far west Memorial. It is between Briar Forest and Westheimer on Dairy Ashford very close to the roller rink. Heatlthy food (and bad-for-you too). Great wine selection. Great prices. My dish: whole wheat angel hair pasta primavera with shrimp and extra spinach. Try it, you'll like it.

26. Keep a food log/diary. It will make you think about every morsel you put in your mouth.

27. I have found that I can eat (fairly) healthy just about anywhere. Most places have a chicken sandwich (ask for no mayo, be sure the chicken is grilled not fried), or have a small hamburger and only eat half the bun if you are forced to---but a lot of burger places now have salads. You can do it...you just need to look harder at the menu.

28. Order salads with dressing on the side and ask them to cut the cheese if it is on it. Dip your fork into the dressing. I promise you will get all of the taste and not so many calories. I can't stand over-dressed salads now.

29. Keep protein bars in your purse/bag/car. That way you always have a snack and keep your metabolism going and won't overindulge when you do get to eat.

30. Eat slowly. You will eat less. I promise...

31. If you have a My Fit Foods near you, try their stuff. There are other companies that do what they do----make fresh, healthy food in controlled portions that are convenient to pick up and eat. I've been eating it since April and I'm not tired of it yet...

32. Cut out all but natural sugars like those that you get from fruit. Try it for 2 weeks. You won't miss it. And if you commit to it for a couple of weeks, you will find tht you lose your taste for it.

So there you have it...basically this is how I have been eating for the last 9 1/2 months. There is no magic to it. It is just making good choices. Cutting out the bad stuff. You don't have to go "no carbs" or "juice fast"...just eat clean and healthy.

Don't try and tackle this all at once...just pick some things and I bet you will begin to see changes...if not in how you look, but HOW YOU FEEL. I feel GREAT now...I don't look great but I feel great. I have energy. I sleep better. My skin is better. I don't crave things.

My trainer writes a blog about food and excercise. It is GREAT information. I have learned a lot from him (when I am not yelling at him about making me run up the hill). Take a look:

http://trainingwithjesse.wordpress.com/

OK, now I have to go and look at football stuff...so I'm not completely stupid about it all...but then again I might just go to bed and let Dimples handle it all.

Inspiration song: "Lisztomania"---because it was the only thing close to having "list" in the title on my iPod. It is by Phoenix. It is a really good song!

Bye Darlings...let me know what works for you...