Struggles and Setbacks

6.3.15

"There is scarcely any passion without struggle."~Albert Camus

This week I have a couple of admissions to make. First of all, this is my first post in about three weeks. Secondly, during that time, I was off the Weight Watchers plan. This is incredibly unsurprising. I knew that my posting and my healthy eating success would go hand-in-hand. I allowed a busy and stressful time to get in my way. As you may remember, we went to Kansas City on the weekend of May 10, and I never got back on track with healthy eating until three days ago.

In my past posts, I wondered when this thing would get tough. I got my answer. A combination of taking a couple days off and the end of the school year made it difficult. And I didn’t tough it out. I took a break—a much longer break than I intended to. And, not only did I take a break from tracking points, I fell completely OFF THE WAGON. I allowed one weekend of overindulging to become an excuse to just keep eating--BBQ, cake, candy, pizza, beer—all in abundance. And it was so, so yummy J

This is a familiar spot for me. But instead of being defeated and beating myself up for the decisions of the past three weeks, I have decided to get up, get on the scale (ouch), and start again. These times are going to happen. The question is, what can I learn from this one? How can I recover faster the next time? How can I truly turn healthy eating into something I just do intuitively? How can I effectively train myself to eat in a balanced, mostly nutritious way while still enjoying less healthy fare in moderation? I don’t have an answer that I can clearly communicate in writing, but I hope that this post is one step in the right direction.

If I were to listen to a friend in the same situation, I would tell her to brush it off and move forward. I would tell her that three weeks in the scope of things is no big deal. I would celebrate her effort to get back on track. So that’s what I’m doing here. I’m sharing the struggle and celebrating this small victory.

Food for Thought

I am excited about this segment this week. Yesterday I perused Costco for the healthiest foods I could find. I paid close attention to nutrition labels. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not an all-organic, whole foods type of person. But, I feel better when I eat mostly whole foods. Because planning is essential to healthy eating, I feel great about stocking up on some healthy staples. Here’s what’s in my fridge now:

Power Greens: my goal is to eat this entire, industrial-sized bag before it goes bad. That’s a lot of greens. I’ve started to add them to smoothies, and I’ve also added some to a quinoa dish (see below for more on that).

Artisan Romaine: This is good chopped for salads, but the leaves are also perfect for lettuce bowls. I also think I’ll have Matt grill some wedges for me.

Baby Cucumbers: I like cucumber in certain situations. These are the perfect solution. I’m chopping them up in ice water to mix things up a bit, and I also added some to the quinoa dish (still coming…) I also plan to dip them in hummus and/or guacamole.

Avocados: I added some to my green smoothie yesterday—can’t taste it, and it made it creamy and more filling. I truly think eating avocado frequently is a key to my weight loss.

Path of Life Organic Quinoa and Kale: Five ingredients: quinoa, kale, olive oil, garlic, sea salt. It’s frozen in 2 serving packages and can be microwaved right in the bag or cooked in a saucepan. I cooked mine in a saucepan yesterday and added chicken breast and another handful of greens (did I mention I have a lot of those to get through??) I topped it with baby cucumber slices and feta cheese. The feta cheese was totally the key. I decided it also needed some cherry tomatoes, so I will be adding them next time. Yummy, convenient, healthy.

Alpine Valley Sprouted Multigrain Bread: This is almost the only bread I eat now. It keeps well in the freezer, which is good, because it comes in a two-loaf package.

Fage FruYo Greek Vanilla Yogurt: great for smoothies and this new fruit dip I’m experimenting with.

Bottom line with food this week: I’m trying some new things, and so far, I’m happy with the results. But, like I wrote earlier, I am not trying to go all organic or all whole-foods. I just don’t think that’s sustainable for me. For dinner last night, for instance, we had burgers and frozen Arby’s curly fries (did you know you could buy those? They’re pretty good!) And today, Luci and I met Matt for lunch at Cheddar’s. I chose something from their “Lighter Side” menu, but it still wasn’t all that healthy. If I’m gonna do this thing for the long haul, I’ve gotta live my life, ya know?

The Stats

3.23.15: 37 lbs to lose

3.29.15: -4 (33 lbs to lose)

4.4.15: +1 (34 lbs to lose)

4.12.15: -2.5 (31.5 lbs to lose)

4.19.15: -2 (29.5 lbs to lose)

4.26.15: -1.5 (28 lbs to lose)

5.3.15: -1 (27 lbs to lose)*********10 lbs down!!!**********

5.10.15 -.5 (26.5 to lose)*********Wearing smaller pants!*********

6.3.15 +4 (30.5 to lose)

What I'm Reading

I’m still working on Tasty, which is a little strange for me. But it’s a little different than most of the things I read. This week (the first week of summer break), I binge-watched the Netflix series Bloodline instead of grabbing a new book.

New Segment: The Great Purge of Summer 2015

I am very much feeling like a captive of my things, so this summer, I am being brutal about getting rid of them. I’d really like to know exactly what I own and where it is all located. I’d like to have a set place for every object. I started with the guest bedroom, because that’s where I put all my pre-pregnancy clothes. I got rid of all of the clothes hanging in the closet and will now move on to the dresser. I got rid of some nice things, but even if I could ever fit into them again, I will want more current styles. Four bags of clothes to the Goodwill and one bag of trash. It’s a start. How many bags can I get out of my house by the end of summer break? I’m starting with a goal of 10 bags per week.

6.2.15: 5 bags gone

Contemplation and Cake

5.10.15

"There are three things extremely hard: 
steel, a diamond, and to know one's self."~Benjamin Franklin

I can admit it: I'm a slow learner. I've been on this lovely planet for 37 years, and only recently have I started to understand what "knowing myself" means. I've spent most of my life looking to others to figure out what I should think, how I should act. But, if you think about it, why should we expect to know ourselves any better than we know others if we don't give time and thought to what lies within us?

So many people have helped me to get to this beginning point of self-discovery: family members, friends, colleagues, and even people who did not have my best interests at heart. Those people have taught me some tough but important lessons to say the least.

Two major learning experiences in the past 6-7 years have really catapulted me into new ways of thinking of life and my role in it. The first was the discovery of meditation through Meditation Oasis, a series of guided meditation podcasts. I began listening to them to fall asleep. I suffered from anxiety and insomnia, and their "deep rest" podcast pulled me out of that vicious cycle. From there, I began to listen to some of their other podcasts (available free from iTunes) and learned to bring my thoughts back to the present and to accept life as it is, not as I think it should be. One of my favorite lines from the "trust" guided meditations is "who are we to know what's intended in this life"? This really puts our existence into perspective. Though unique and important, we are small parts of an infinite universe. Just because we have consciousness does not mean that we can completely control our own lives. 

The second major learning experience was a class I took called "Characters in Conflict." The basis for this class was David Keirsey's Temperament Theory. We studied fictional characters in relation to their temperaments, and in the process learned much about human nature. I learned my innate ways of looking at the world and was able to recognize that others look at it differently. Knowing my core values helps me to embrace my strengths and be cognizant of my weaknesses. It helps me communicate more effectively with others (which has been a great asset in my personal and professional relationships). 

About a million inspirational quotes about knowing yourself, loving yourself, and being true to yourself abound on the internet and on office posters. But I never really gave them much thought until recently. It must be fairly difficult to adequately describe what those words mean. We are all on different paths, and I don't think we can fully explain our journeys to anyone else. Sort of like good poetry, I can feel my path in my heart, but my brain hasn't quite caught up yet. What I do know is that I am much more confident and calm. I rarely feel anxiety or have insomnia. I am a better friend, mother, and teacher than I could have been 10 years ago.

Food for Thought

This blog seems to have a mind of its own. It started out as a weekend posting, but seems to be settling into a Tues/Weds/Thurs posting. Honestly, life has been a little more difficult recently, mostly because it's a stressful as well as emotional time at work . I am getting ready to say goodbye to another outstanding group of seniors, and as always, it's bittersweet. And this brings me to my thoughts on food this week...

First of all, I ATE THE CAKE. And the world did not end. I still stayed within my allotted WW points, but I was disappointed in myself. Not only did I eat cake (on Friday), I also ate three cupcakes over the weekend. But as I look back on the last week or two, I made soooo many more good decisions than I did so-so decisions. Although I will continue to limit refined carbs and sweets, I don't plan to live without them forever. And this past weekend proves that I CAN enjoy in relative moderation, but I have to be intentional. I didn't spiral out of control, but I easily could have. So, the answer to my question last week about when things will get difficult? Yeah...I got a taste of that last weekend. I conquered, but it wasn't exactly easy. 

This weekend will be spent in Kansas City. BBQ and craft beer are central to the itinerary. Check back next week to see what happens.

The Stats

3.23.15: 37 lbs to lose

3.29.15: -4 (33 lbs to lose)

4.4.15: +1 (34 lbs to lose)
4.12.15: -2.5 (31.5 lbs to lose)
4.19.15: -2 (29.5 lbs to lose)
4.26.15: -1.5 (28 lbs to lose)
5.3.15: -1 (27 lbs to lose)*********10 lbs down!!!**********
5.10.15 -.5 (26.5 to lose)*********Wearing smaller pants!*********

What I'm Reading

Tasty, by John McQuaid: a non-fiction work about the evolution of taste. 

"More than vision, or hearing, or even sex, flavor is the most important ingredient at the core of what we are. It created us. The ultimate irony...is that the introduction of killing into the world, and with it untold suffering, also expanded intelligence and awareness, and ultimately led to human consciousness" (p. 21, Tasty). 

Whoa--I guess our relationship with food has been complex since the beginning!

Sustainable Sustenance

5.3.15

"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good."

~John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Food for Thought


When I set out on my journey to blog every week and lose 37 lbs this year, I did not intend to miss posting. Ever. I enlisted the help of a few great friends to keep me accountable, and they have! So, because life is what it is, it so happens that I truly was too busy to write the post. This doesn't mean that I didn't have time to sit down and do it. It means my mind was too busy, and I didn't have the space I needed to contemplate. But it's OK!! Seriously! My mind has been mostly occupied with my students and their exams, which began (for my classes) yesterday and end tomorrow. I'm starting to feel the relief in my brain...so now I forgive myself, I write, I move on. I have a lot of semi-formed thoughts for blog posts, but like I said, not enough brain space. So this post is simply an update on how I'm doing with my healthy eating goals.

I have been following the Weight Watchers plan and continue to lose at a good pace. This is my third go-round with Weight Watchers, and lots of things are different for me now. Though one of my motivations is to look better, front and center is my health and how I feel, physically and emotionally, on a day-to-day basis. Instead of resigning myself to the idea that I have to be hungry to lose weight, I have found ways to stay satisfied while still eating within my points range. Heart disease runs in my family, and I really do not want to be a 37 year old victim of a heart attack. I have high cholesterol, and recently have learned that I have pre-hypertension--ugh! The best remedy for all of these is to lose weight and to fuel my body with nutritious foods.

I have continued to stay almost completely away from sweets (with the rare exception of frozen yogurt and dark chocolate), and mostly away from refined carbs. I feel like I can eat this way for the rest of my life because my cravings are gone. Gone! It's easier than ever to say no to the occasional cookie or piece of candy...right now. But I am constantly wondering when it will get tough. I know the drill--feel good about losing weight, reward self with treats, start rolling down that slippery slope, end up back where I started. Or worse. So, the thing I'm contemplating, almost constantly, is how to prevent it. I've never really "maintained" my weight. I lost it, felt great, and almost immediately began gaining it back. How do I stop myself from doing it again? Truthfully, I don't know. But I DO know that I really never thought much about it in the past. My goals were simple. Get thinner, fit into smaller clothes, look better. And, mostly, I did that by eating frozen dinners, 100 calorie snack packs, and drinking low-carb beer. First of all, that's just gross. Secondly, it is totally not sustainable. I feel so much better the way I'm doing it now and it actually does feel sustainable.

Exercise is still pretty much non-existent in my world. I do, however, keep track of my steps with my phone, and I make it a point to get a little extra walking in during the day, even if it just means an extra trip to the copy machine or parking a little further away. It's supposed to count for something, "they" claim. I plan to start walking/jogging a few times a week and to sign up for a yoga class this summer (which is out of my comfort zone, but that's the only way to grow, right?)

I've lost 10 lbs as of this week, which feels good and looks good on paper. And I've done it eating mostly whole foods and making healthy, not just calorie-cutting, choices. It really does not feel like a "diet," and I am trying not to look at it that way. About once a week, I go out and I don't worry much about what I order. I love craft beer and bar food, and because I can't see myself giving it up forever, I am making it part of my plan now. I try to think this daily: if this is not something I'm willing to give up forever, I should not give it up now. The other thing I try to avoid is obsessing--like digging and digging on the interwebs to find an accurate point-count for a food. I eat it, estimate it if I have to, and MOVE on. Obsessing about food is not sustainable, either. 

Thanks for your patience. It's good to be missed, but I hope not to neglect posting again any time soon. Thanks to those of you helping me keep on track!

5.3.15: The Stats

3.23.15: 37 lbs to lose

3.29.15: -4 (33 lbs to lose)

4.4.15: +1 (34 lbs to lose)
4.12.15: -2.5 (31.5 lbs to lose)
4.19.15: -2 (29.5 lbs to lose)
4.26.15: -1.5 (28 lbs to lose)
5.3.15: -1 (27 lbs to lose)*********10 lbs down!!!**********

5.3.15: New Segment! 

What I'm Reading:

East of Eden by John Steinbeck--a comforting favorite.

"I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one...Humans are caught--in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too--in a net of good and evil...There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well--or ill?"

The Good, The Bad, The Balanced

4.22.15

"My point is, life is about balance. The good and the bad. 

The highs and the lows. The pina and the colada." ~Ellen DeGeneres

This week, I've been contemplating the all-too ubiquitous idea of finding BALANCE. You know, eat a balanced diet, find your work-life balance, balance your checkbook, etc, etc. Seems like I've been searching my entire life for the elusive "balance" everyone's been talking about.

When I was young, my dad constructed a balance beam in our back yard. And no, I don't think my parents had any grand ideas of turning me into a gymnast. I was just clumsy! I've LITERALLY never been quite "balanced!" What you will find if you attempt to walk across a balance beam is that you don't FIND balance. If you're good, you can KEEP balance. But even the best gymnasts don't always complete their beam routines without a misstep or a fall every now and then.

A lot of bruises resulted from my time on the balance beam. Many people use the metaphor of running a marathon for various life experiences, and even for life itself. While I find this a useful image and can definitely relate to running out of steam at mile 23, I think a better metaphor for me is of the balance beam. Sometimes we lean completely to one side, flailing our arms in an attempt to right ourselves. A sick child. A fight with a spouse. Stress at work. Lean and correct. Lean and correct. Sometimes, we fall completely off. Sometimes it leaves a bruise, and on rare occasions a more serious injury. But, like the faithful gymnast, we brush ourselves off and jump back on. 

Keeping balance in my life lately has meant making tough decisions and having tough conversations. It's meant being flexible and understanding, but also unflinching when I need to be. Every tough decision, every sacrifice I make helps me stand up straighter, step more carefully, and stick closer to the center of the beam. I'm not expecting to stay on the beam every minute of every day. I just want to minimize the number of times I fall.

4.22.15: Food For Thought

I have stayed within my allotted WW points consistently. I had a great time Friday getting together with good friends and one I hadn't seen in awhile. I ate and I drank. But the next day, I went back to making good choices. 

Speaking of balance, I really enjoy the "new" Weight Watchers program. It helps me choose foods that are better for my health. In the past, a 100 calorie pack of cookies was the same number of points as a banana. Now, a banana is zero points. And I don't think anyone ever became overweight solely from eating too many bananas! Choosing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy keeps me full, and that's something I don't remember feeling the last few go-arounds. I have more energy, and I feel better emotionally.

One new-to-me find: My friend Becky has been eating sprouted grain bread. I was curious, but hadn't really gotten around to asking her more about it or trying it for myself. At Costco last week, they had samples of sprouted grain bread. I really thought this bread was way too yummy to be point-friendly, but two slices equal only three WW points, and it actually has some substance to it. It's called Alpine Valley, and it comes in a two-pack for right around $6, which is almost half of what my friend was paying at the grocery store.

About this week: there were a couple of days when I didn't even EAT all my points. Seems impossible, I know. I am making a concerted effort to avoid this in the future. Stress played a role, as did caring for Luci while she was sick this past week. I actually think that I won't see much weight loss because of it.

4.22.15: The Stats

3.23.15: 37 lbs to lose

3.29.15: -4 (33 lbs to lose)

4.4.15: +1 (34 lbs to lose)
4.12.15: -2.5 (31.5 lbs to lose)
4.19.15: -2 (29.5 lbs to lose)

Love What You Do; Share What You Love

4.12.14

"Poetry is, above all, an approach to the truth of feeling . . .. A fine poem will seize your imagination intellectually—that is, when you reach it, you will reach it intellectually too— but the way is through emotion, through what we call feeling." ~Muriel Rukeyser

It's April. In my world, that means it's time to hit the test prep--hard. In case you don't know me, or haven't read my bio, I teach AP Lit and IB English 12, both of which require high stakes testing at the beginning of May. Every year I re-evaluate the effectiveness of my instruction and my ability to adequately prepare my students to succeed on these exams. But I also try not to get too carried away. Are my students taking the highest level literature courses to learn how to take a test? Frankly, I hope not. But, I know that I have been, and continue to be, guilty of test-prep overload.

Facing my last unit before the AP Lit exam, I cringed as I pulled up my PowerPoint instructing students how to read a poem:

1. Read it out loud. 

2. Try to get a general idea about the meaning. 

3. Look for patterns. 

4. Scour that thing for every literary, sound, and structural technique the poet uses to create meaning. 5. In short, "tie the poem to a chair with rope/and torture a confession out of it" (Billy Collins, "Introduction to Poetry"). 

(There are 20 instructions. No joke).

Every year my students have entered the room on the first day of the poetry unit with trepidation, eye-rolling, and often downright defiance. They are literature students who do not like poetry. How is this possible? (Please see above list on how to read a poem).

I love what I do. My passion lies in working with my students and with my curriculum. But I don't love poetry because I've been taught to dissect it word by word, syllable by syllable. I don't love it because I know the definition of anapestic tetrameter (the meter utilized in the popular by "Twas the Night Before Christmas"). I love poetry because it speaks to me on a deep level--a level beyond my intellect. When my brain cannot accommodate paradox and ambiguity in words, I can understand poetic truth on an emotional level. Poetry touches me in the core of my humanity. It welcomes me into the beauty, fear, uncertainty, and even the ugliness of what it is to be human. It connects me to people and places far away, and it assures me that I'm not alone. And what do all teenagers need to know more than anything? That they're not alone. 

Poet Billy Collins says teachers install "poetry deflector shields" in high school. My PowerPoint is just such a shield. But this year, it remains in its folder, unopened. I'll share what I love. I'll give them the opportunity to understand for themselves what there is to love. I'll stand back while their eyes light up with understanding and connection. I'll celebrate the songs and poems they share with me--the very things that speak to them. Somewhere along the way, I'm certain we will discuss the sonnet form and iambic pentameter, and maybe that will get them a few more questions correct on the exam. But, ultimately, I hope they take with them the humanity expressed in good poetry, and not the idea that only the English teachers know what it means.

If you are interested in delving into poetry, here are the two pieces I selected for my introduction to poetry: "In a Week"--lyrics by Andrew Hozier Byrne (Hozier), and "Ghost House" by Robert Frost. Both consider what happens to us when we die. I recommend listening to "In a Week" while you read the lyrics. Drop me a note to let me know what you think. This generated so much discussion that by the third time I taught it, I had guests. Really...students not in my class who wanted to see what it was all about. 

4.12.15: Food For Thought

I learned something important last Sunday. I always knew that I had trigger foods, but I did not know how quickly and severely I would react. On Easter Sunday, I ate candy and dessert. Not nearly as much candy and dessert as I could have (or would have in the past), but enough. It made me irritable, tired, and HUNGRY when I shouldn't have been. Monday was a little rough, too, because I was still feeling that unnatural hunger. Luckily, I was back to normal on Tuesday, and I haven't felt that way since. It was a great wake-up call for me. I don't even want to start eating those trigger foods, because I know what they will do to me now. I ended the week well within my allotted Weight Watcher Points and had a good loss. 

4.12.15: The Stats

3.23.15: 37 lbs to lose

3.29.15: -4

4.4.15: +1 (34 lbs to lose)
4.12.14 -2.5 (31.5 lbs to lose)

Magic Moments

4.4.15

"How we spend our days, is, of course, how we spend our lives." ~Annie Dillard

Scene: The nightly dinner struggle, when the 2.5 year old monster love of my life rejects even the idea of supper. Never mind that she ate three plates of spaghetti just the night before. Tonight she doesn't like spaghetti. So, she embarks. Destination: distraction. First up, "Let's play bubbles, Mommy!" Hmm. It is a beautiful day. And I am so, so exhausted from this mealtime game. Bubbles. Yes, bubbles. She really is brilliant, that little Tazmanian Devil sweetheart of mine. So, we leave the spaghetti on the table, grab our bubbles, and head outside into one of the first beautiful days of spring.

Isn't this what life is all about? Taking a moment to have fun, to connect, to engage in something other than another battle of the wills? Just as the bubbles are peaceful, beautiful, and fleeting, so is the moment. Blink, and the bubble is gone. Blink, and the moment is gone. What choice do we have but to embrace even the simplest of our moments? Life is not waiting around the corner. Life is NOW. My moments, like everyone's, will float away. But they can turn into magical memories if I stay tuned to the present and open to the possibilities.

Food for Thought:

The salads were good this week. I was a little worried that I would be sick of salad, and by Thursday, I was. This week, I plan to mix in some low calorie sandwiches. Tuna and chicken salad with chunks of fruits and veggies are on the list.

I feel I have re-set my body and am no longer craving junk food. I've been deliberate about choosing nutrient-rich foods that provide plenty of protein, healthy fats, and whole grains. And, of course it helps that I am getting in more than my recommended daily amounts of fruits and veggies. I've avoided eating even one bite of trigger foods (Snickers minis, I'm lookin' at you!) and may need to do this for awhile.

The Stats:

A word about the first week of my healthy eating plan. I lost 4 lbs in 4 days. That is not reasonable for me, and the weight loss I saw did not stick around. I attribute this to the comprehensive overhaul of my diet, and the fact that I ate chia seeds every day (they are little body scrubbers, you know). So, I am up 1 lb this week, but not feeling down about it AT ALL. Last weekend was my birthday weekend, and though I counted my WW points, I went over by almost 60 for the week. Still a success in my mind, because I did not give up on tracking. So, two weeks in, and I am down 3 lbs. Considering that to meet my goal, I need to average 3 lbs a month, I'll take it. 

3.23.15: 37 lbs to lose

3.29.15: -4

4.4.15: +1 (34 lbs to lose)

Have you tried Yoplait Greek 100 Whips? AH-MA-ZING. Two WW points, and eating them feels almost like eating a decadent dessert. Worth a try.

Let’s talk about this busy business

3.29.15

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~Socrates

How many times this week have you said, “I’m busy” when a person asked how you were? How do we define BUSY? More importantly, how many times do we use “I’m busy” as an excuse? For instance, this week, I was apparently too busy to a) do my laundry, b) get my papers graded, and c) finish some other paperwork that needed to be completed. But, was I really?

We ARE busy. But why? I feel busiest when I neglect to prioritize, plan, and execute my plans. I let the events in my life control me without a plan in place to meet obstacles and everyday nuisances head-on. I’m busy in the mornings when I have neglected to prepare clothes and lunch the night before. I’m busy during the day when I allow myself to be distracted instead of being productive. I’m busy at night when I haven’t planned a healthy dinner. All this “busy”-ness wears on me, but it’s not truly me being busy. In fact, it’s me being lazy.

This week I will not be too busy to plan and execute healthy meals and snacks, because I tend to use my failure to grocery shop or failure to prepare meals ahead of time as excuses to eat junk. And junk makes me tired, hungrier, and eventually, depressed. This week, I will begin to re-define “busy.” I’ll be busy laying the groundwork for a positive, healthy change.

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Food for Thought, 3.29.2015

This week is all about salads. Cabbage and broccoli slaw mixes are the bases. Toppings will include tuna, chicken, avocado, black beans, raspberries, apples, and mandarin oranges (not all on the same salad! A girl’s gotta have some variety!) I’ve discovered Bolthouse dressings—1 weight watcher point for 2 TBSP. The cilantro avocado is delish! I’m also adding chia seeds to these lovely salads to up the healthy fats and protein. I have a very short lunch, but these guys will keep me busy chewing throughout—no time for junk!

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The Stats, 3.29.2015

To Lose: 37; Today: -4