Count your blessings, not just your calories...

30^th June 2014

“If you want to soar in life, you must first learn to F.L.Y. (First love Yourself)” Mark Sterling

Check me out – not long been up, had me an early night and a lie in, feeling 100% refreshed now.  Another none work day yesterday, I don’t actually remember the last time I totally turned off from work, even at Christmas I was answering members questions, it was weird and I’ll own up to answering one, couldn’t help myself! 

Another chilled out day, although I did clean out the fridge/freezer ready for my online delivery yesterday which came about eleven just in time for me to cook a roast beef dinner.  I over ordered on the bananas!  Must have added them twice, have about 6 bunches, did think about making banana bread but can decide as it’s just more cake in the house really!  Although Nigella’s chocolate banana muffins were awesome and they could be frozen, I shall see, my sister is going to have a couple of bunches.  Not sure I can make cake and stay on track this week…  

My first step to staying in control is knowing your limits – if it ain’t there you can’t eat it!

My fridge is now full of good healthy food, I have a couple of good ready meals in case I can’t be bothered to cook and just want something quick, although I must remember beans on toast, or eggs are quick, maybe put a list of quick meal ideas on the fridge – that might help.

The highlight of our day yesterday was how to stop the pigeons eating the squirrels nuts!  How rock and roll are we?  Well we did it, or we will as my sister tracked down a squirrel feeder online so that he can get to the seed but the pigeon can’t.  We’ve made a make do version until it arrives, me being a saddo was getting worried that the pigeons will starve as I watched them wander round confused yesterday afternoon saying, “where’s me dinner?” to each other!

So I’ve gained a pound this morning, I’m not surprised, although I’ve eaten healthy this week, I haven’t paid any attention to the ProPoint totals of all the extras I’ve been having, I’ve treated this weekend like a mini holiday because I wasn’t working and I didn’t want to think about Weight Watchers at all.  Back on track from now though, meals ideas list made rather than a meal plan, my fridge is full of healthy and happy friendly food, I’ve bought mom crisps and goodies that I don’t particularly like so hopefully I should be ok.  

I’m going to work today, even though it is usually mom day (we’ve had mom weekend instead) so that I can take time out over the rest of the week to cook  good food and eat lunch, cooking doesn’t have to be a big deal, I love the idea of meals in minutes with few ingredients.  I saw this one yesterday that I’m going to try;
Spaghetti with pea pesto – 13pp per portion, serves 2
boil 120g Sainsbury’s wholewheat spaghetti (10pp) until al dente.  Meanwhile blitz 150g peas, 1 chopped chilli (optional), ½ crushed garlic clove, 50ml basil oil (13pp), juice of ½ lemon & 30g parmesan (3pp), season and mix with spaghetti, serve with basic leaves and parmesan 

 I reckon you could lower the basil oil quantity and I’m guessing it’s just olive oil infused with basil leaves so you can make your own.  Yeah that might be nice, but no way would I use that much oil.  This is why when you eat out at restaurants you just can’t work out exactly how many ProPoints in some of the meals, not if they’re pour olive oil around like that! 

The hot weather needs to get back, I just love sitting outside in it, my kitchen tables the next best place, and if I work there it doesn’t feel so much like work because at least I’m not in my office!  

Well writing this has motivated me to get back on track and focused on the healthy, I smile when I write these blogs you know because I know if I was to go back through them, I would have written similar things many times but do you know what – that’s life!  We repeat, we redo and we carry on and I happen to love my life, I love my constant start-overs, it’s who I am, it usually means I’ve had a fab weekend or week preceding the “back on track” mindset or it signifies the end of a bad period of my life because I’m mentally in a place to get “back on track”.  

Yeah I’m blessed, I have a wonderful mom who makes me smile with the things she says, some clean - some not so, don’t get me wrong we drive each other crazy at times, our life is not all happy, happy but it’s our life and we’re making the best of it. 

Right I’m off, I’m still contemplating a bit of banana baking ;) watch this space….

Have a great day BeYOUtiful, take the time to notice your blessings!