Stepping Out With My Baby
We were up and moving early for a Saturday. Big daughter had a basketball game at 9 a.m., so I rushed to get everyone fed and out the door. Everyone but me, that is! I was so rushed that I didn’t have time to make myself breakfast. I wasn’t very hungry anyway, but I sure missed my joe 
Big daughter had a great game; it was so fun to watch! We ended up staying for a second game, then ran an errand before finally heading home. By now, it was lunchtime and I was hangry!
I went for the quickest, easiest lunch – turkey, bacon and lettuce wrap with light ranch and a side of orange slices (I can’t get enough of these!)…
And I finally got my joe…
A little later, I was in the mood for some exercise. I decided to take Sheryl from Bitch Cakes’ lead and try out some stair climbing. No fancy equipment needed – just me and a flight of stairs. Holy crapoli, that is HARD! I only did 30 flights (I counted up 13 steps and down 13 steps as 1) and I was huffing and puffing. It was 780 steps total and really got my heart pumping. It was a short, fun workout for something different. Next time, I’ll try 50 flights!
I worked up an appetite after all that, so I had a snack of plain Chobani nonfat yogurt, 2 drops of NuStevia vanilla extract, 1 cup blueberries, Yogi granola crisps …
I tried to do some meal planning (fail) in the afternoon. I got caught up in too many recipes. I have to focus on one book or binder at a time or it’s just too overwhelming. I’ll have to take pictures of my recipe binders and cookbooks to show you all – it’s really a ridiculous sight.
The husband and I had a dinner date to celebrate Valentine’s Day. We chose a local cajun-style restaurant that just re-opened in a new location called New Orleans Cafe…
Everything on the menu looked delicious; it was so hard to choose!
While deciding, we dipped into the crusty bread served with garlic butter…
The husband was excited to try the Nola Fries – fries topped with crabmeat, Old Bay Seasoning and a cheesy cream sauce…
I had a bread plate full. They were low cal! Kidding 
But, they were very good!
For dinner, after much deliberation, I chose the Seafood Jambalaya…
I loved it! The shrimp, crawfish and scallops were cooked perfectly and the creole seasoning was just right. I was only able to eat about a cup’s worth, but I took the rest home for another meal.
We listened to the dessert options, but were too full to indulge. I settled on some decaf…
Then, we went home and crashed cuz we’re old and carb-loaded!
Happy Valentine’s Day, D! I love you <3
Total: I didn’t count POINTS for the evening. I practiced a more intuitive approach for dinner. I ate what I wanted to, tasted everything, but didn’t feel like I had to finish everything. I ate until I had enough. I plan on practicing that approach when nutritional information may not be available (at a dinner or party), so that I don’t drive myself insane trying to figure out how many POINTS I ate!
Have a great day, everyone!
Valentine’s Poll: Flowers or Chocolate?
Questions? Email me! aloserforlife@gmail.com
24 comments
Even though I would love to sink my teeth into some dark creamy chocolate, I have to pick flowers. And a dozen red roses were waiting for me this morning. Happy Valentine’s Day, Marisa.
Sounds like a fun evening…and I thought we were the only people who crashed from a good meal because we are old !!!! I am neither flowers or chocolate- which makes my husband crazy. I would rather have a shared inside joke or a moment of simply staring into each others eyes ( it can make some people VERY nervous though)
Oh man your dinner looked delicious!
I have a hard time calculating points for special meals like that so I just save up my weeklies and eat what I want then cross off any points I have left to just estimate. Glad you enjoyed your evening out! 
Poll ? – I don’t care for either chocolate or flowers for a V-Day gift. Electronics make me happy…lol Jewelry too!
Happy Valentine’s Day! 
I totally understand what you mean about meal planning getting overwhelming because of all the cookbooks & binders! i got a lot of new cookbooks at christmas, have picked up a few since then, and am constantly updating my recipe boxes with recipes i see in magazines and on blogs – when i sit down to plan I find myself making a list of just abotu EVERY recipe i come across!
i hope you share your books and binders soon- i love to see where other bloggers get their inspiration!
also- i came across your blog from the fitbloggin website and i just love it! i hope to get to meet you when we are at the conference next month!!
Oh my, those fries look incredible!!!!
Those fries are awesome!! I want to try to make that!!
That wrap looks great too – turkey/lettuce/bacon/ranch – love it!
Those fries look delish!!!
OMG those fries look heavenly!! And the bread and the jambalaya…I will stop now! Looks like an amazing dinner. Personally I chose chocolate, flowers die, chocolate lives on with me
good for you for doing a staircase workout! i love old bay seasoning with fries…
OMG, those fries!! What a great date night!
FLOWERS!
Happy V. Day!
happy valentine’s day! im glad you didnt count points — why spoil such a great occasion with stressing over every bite!?! looks like you balanced and indulged at the same time…and had a great time with the hub im sure!!
chocolate!!!
The first and last time I did stairs for exercise is when I was trying to get my labor going LOL….if you call that exercise
Oh, wow, those fries…..I’m a sucker for fries with stuff on them!
Hmm, I would say chocolate. Event though I love flowers, I hate knowing the cost of them during Valentines!
looks like you had an amazing dinner! did you say that the bread came with garlic butter??? omg, delish!!
VERY COOL about the not counting points and veering toward the intuitive!
Id love a post about how this all made you feel (panicky? stressed? empowered?) as I know it would help so so many of us who are making that transition to intuitive eating.
I know eating that way has change my life.
Flowers!
That restaurant sounds good- I love hearing about different restaurants!
what a wonderful v-day!!
and i would def say flowers…you can enjoy them longer than the few seconds chocolate is in your mouth!
I’d rather have flowers, because I never get them for myself. Chocolate is a weekly (sometimes daily) occurrence, and it doesn’t feel as special.
I’d rather have flowers!
Chocolate! But I do have an awful sweet tooth
I would pick chocolate, but knowing me I’d want them both! I’m so bad at just picking one thing! I want those fries.
Oh, those are some good looking fries. I’m really craving an orange right now. I love oranges in the winter, is that weird. More that the summer. lol
You go, girl! I’m so proud of you for doing the stairs – That’s awesome! Isn’t it amazing what we are capable of if we (to steal a phrase from Nike) JUST DO IT? Congrats and thank you
Ooooh, those crabmeat fries! Never seen anything like it. Aren’t those steps a sweet killer?
[...] The husband and daughters enjoyed their homemade pasta and I enjoyed my leftover Seafood Jambalaya from our Valentine’s date… [...]