Spring break begins!  The daughters are off from school until next week, so we are in lounge mode!  We slept in a bit, but by 8 a.m., I was in the basement starting my workout.  A 1o minute warm-up on the stepper, then on to the weights…

I was dreaming of breakfast halfway through the workout.  I wasted no time getting to the kitchen as soon as I was done!

Bringing the yogurt bowl back!

• 1/2 cup nonfat Chobani yogurt
• 1 small Gala apple, diced
• 1/4 cup Love Grown Foods Apple Walnut Delight Granola

This flavor of granola is DELIGHTFUL, too!  Love the giant clusters …

A filling 6 PP bowl…

After breakfast, the daughters and I headed to the mall for a little spring shopping.  Daughters – 1 , Mom – 0 .   They found some cute things… I found some nothing.

Although, I did eye up these shoes…

Until, I saw they were Jimmy Choo’s and $1, 095. 

Yes, one thousand dollars.  For shoes.  Made of cork.  And a few straps of leather. 

I think I like these better…

Payless, here I come… $49.99.  Priceless

After recovering from sticker shock, we stopped for lunch.   I got a mediocre Turkey Club Salad from Saladworks (10 PP) and when I went to reach for my camera, I realized the battery wasn’t in it!  I left it charging at home!  *smacks forehead*  So, here’s a pic that I borrowed from the restaurant website …

It didn’t look a thing like that in person

Dinner was a little more exciting.  I planned on grilled burgers, but instead of store bought buns to serve them on, I made homemade buns.  I used the recipe for Beautiful Burger Buns on the King Arthur website.  I tweaked it by using less butter , sugar and made 8 buns instead of six.  My buns didn’t look quite as pretty as the ones pictured on the site (they puffed up more), but the texture was nice and the family loved them!  With my changes, each bun came to 5 PP which isn’t too bad for a soft, fluffy burger bun!

I topped my 4 oz. burger with cheese, ketchup and Caramelized Onion Dip  (11 PP)…

Served alongside  -  Light Slaw with Cranberries and Honey (1 PP)…

This is a great make-ahead slaw.  It tastes even better as it sits!

Now, back to lounging! 

Don’t forget to enter the Love Grown Granola Giveaway!  It’s good stuff!

Have a great day, everyone!

What is the most you would ever pay for shoes?  Other than my Ugg boots, I would have to say that $50 is my limit!! 

It was 40 degrees and the sun was shining brightly this morning!  It gave me a little spring in my step!

Sun + the promise of spring = yogurt bowl cravings.  Cool yogurt and sweet berries…

Plain nonfat Chobani yogurt topped with blues and reds (3 PP)…

After breakfast, I hit up the gym for my strength training workout.  I’m trying to be diligent about doing weights twice a week.  I’m using the machines and a method called Super Slow.  I like the concept of it!  I first came across the method in a post by my friend with the gun show I dream about having one day, then my Dad gave me a book called The Power of 10 which promotes the same method…

  Basically, it’s all about lifting weights very slowly to maximize muscle fatigue and reach muscle failure in a shorter period of time.  You work at each weight machine by lifting with a 10 second cadence – 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down.  There are no set number of reps;  you do as many until you can’t  do another.  The object is to use a heavy enough weight that you reach that point of muscle fatigue in about 8-10 reps, depending on the exercise.    You also move quickly between exercises.  There is no stopping or resting when you move from one machine to the next as there is with traditional weight lifting sets.

I tried the workout for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I really like it!  It hurts and burns and makes you feel all kinds of beat up afterward!  And I found another great use for my GYMBOSS besides running!  I set it for 10 second intervals to keep track of the lifting cadence for me.  It’s awesome!  I can concentrate on the workout and the beep alerts me when I need to move on.  LOVE!

I’m putting together a workout and chart to keep track of the amount of weight I’m using along with the number of reps I reach for each machine.  I’ll share that with you guys when I get my act together

When I was done with strength training, I hopped on the bike for a quick 15 minutes while watching replays of the Superbowl commercials!  Some of them were really crazy, weren’t they?! 

Lunch was easy, thanks to my Mom sending me home with leftovers! 

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps ( 6 PP)…

I also munched on some pretzel Goldfish and a string cheese which I didn’t snap a photo of  (5 PP).

Afternoon snack – ginormous latte with real milk (4 PP)…

Dinner was more leftover party food!  The family had sliders and weenies   I went for the Black Bean Chili Dip served over fresh baby spinach and topped with guacamole (6 PP)…

And a side of potato wedges (4 PP)…

Time for R & R!

Have a great day, everyone!

Do you have a strength training routine?  Do you like machines or free weights?

You know it’s gonna be a rough day when it starts like this…

Yep, that’s how I went to my Weight Watchers meeting.  Two different shoes.  This girl need help.  I blame it on the stuffy sinuses.

I went to the meeting and stepped on the scale, not really knowing what to expect and I was up .8 lbs.  And you know what?  I felt GREAT!!! Seriously!  I had one of those “ah ha moments” right afterward.  I sat in the meeting and really checked in with myself.  I was “looking” to feel badly, ashamed, mad at myself, mad at the scale, etc.  but, it just wasn’t there.  I felt…peaceful.

The scale has always been my nemesis.  I’ve had obsessive issues with it for a long time, but since ditching the scale back in April and working on intuitive eating, emotional eating, etc., I believe I am finally free of the control it has had over me!  Going through that process and yes, even gaining the 16 lbs. since then has truly helped me heal on the inside.  I am able to approach this new journey of weight loss in a much healthier way, mentally.  I am able to see the scale as just a small tool and part of the picture instead of the only tool and the WHOLE picture.  I may have gained weight, but along with it, I gained FREEDOM.

Hallelujah.

Okay, let’s talk food…

You see by the shoe incident what kind of morning I had, so I didn’t bring an after meeting “car breakfast” with me.  And because I was too embarrassed to run errands with 2 different shoes on, I headed home for brekkie – scrambled egg whites with Laughing Cow cheese and turkey bacon (3 PP)…

I was super excited for lunch –  Pulled Pork Tostadas!

2 corn tortillas (crisped in toaster oven) topped with leftover Crockpot pulled pork, asian slaw and 1/2 oz. cotija cheese (9 PP).

Along with it, a side of parsnip fries (1 PP)…

These are delicious!  Sliced, tossed with 1 tsp. olive oil and roasted in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Mmmm…

I grabbed a snack on the way to religion class (5 PP)…

That lasted me all the way until 9 p.m. when I finally got to have dinner!  GAH!

I heated up a bowl of Pasta e Lenticchie that I made yesterday after seeing it on Kitchen Boss!  My only changes were using 2 slices of center cut bacon , 2 tsp. olive oil and a little fresh spinach at the end of cooking.   This made 4 huge servings (about 1 1/3 cups) at  7 PP each…

Along with it, a slice of honey bran bread with Laughing Cow (3 PP)…

My carby kinda dinner

Before I go… a FUN GIVEAWAY!!!!!

I’m featured with 11 other bloggers in their Nothing But Good Recipe Challenge.  Head over to Facebook , fan Chobani Greek Yogurt and “like” my Fig and Walnut Scones for a chance to win a Chobani prize pack which includes a tote bag, oven mitt and YEAR SUPPLY OF CHOBANI!!!!!  Whooo hoooo!!!

Get “liking”!!! Click HERE!

Have a great day, everyone!!!