Announcement: New Blog!

I decided to move my PCOS musings over to another platform. If you're interested in reading more, please visit me at...
http://www.PCOSRa.com/
I'll gradually be moving the content from this site over to the new one.
Thank you for your support!

Meal Plan, Week 3

I really love this cooking once a week plan. It works very well! I'm cooking a few less things because there are leftovers to use. Here's what I'm cooking this week:

Meal 1: Quinoa Burgers

Meal 2: Baked Chicken Nuggets

Meal 3: Turkey Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Dessert: Light Chocolate Chunk Brownies

Housekeeping 102: Organize Your Makeup

Now that you've mastered making your bed it is time to work on another housekeeping skill--keeping your makeup organized. This is the best way I have found to keep my makeup easily-accessible and clutter-free.

* Go through all the makeup you own and create three piles...

1. Makeup that is over three years old or that you haven't used in over a year
2. Makeup that you use for special occasions
3. Makeup that you use every day or most days of the week

Makeup in pile 1 goes in the trash. Right now. Regardless of how much you spent on it or the fact that maybe, just maybe, you'll use it. In the trash.

Makeup in pile 2 goes into a bag of some sort (Ziploc is fine) and is stashed away in a cupboard or closet. You can pull it out when you need it. It shouldn't be cluttering up your regular makeup collection.

Makeup in pile 3 gets to stay on the counter in an organized fashion.

*Find yourself two containers--a small vase-like one (see photo) and a plate.

They should both be rather small. The only things that will be out are things you use frequently. I bought both of mine at the dollar store in the candle aisle. I used a candle holder and a small glass candle plate. Small cups, jars, etc. work well too.

*Fill up the vase with something to support the brushes.

I used brown rice. Other options include beans, small marbles, popcorn kernels, beads, seeds, aquarium rocks, etc. Just find something around your house that isn't being used currently. This keeps the brushes from hitting into each other and makes it easier to grab individual items when you are using them.

*Put your makeup brushes and everything else long and cylindrical into the vase.

Mine holds my brushes, mascara, and eyeliner.

*The containers for everything else go onto the plate.

This only works if every day, as you use the items, you immediately put them back where they came from.

* Clean everything once a week.

It takes about three minutes a week to keep everything clean. Use whatever shampoo you have to wash the brushes. Rinse well. Let them air dry on the counter for several hours. Take a disinfecting wipe, and wipe down the containers for all of your other makeup items. I promise--they look much better when they are clean! You'll feel better too! Wipe off the plate, and then put everything back on. You're done!

Musings

Weigh to Health, Day One

Several weeks ago, I found out about a class offered by Select Health (my health insurance company) called Weigh to Health. They offer a series of either 12 group classes or 5 individual classes on weigh management. It costs $225 up front--but if you go to all of the classes within 6 months, they reimburse you for the full cost. I figured I didn't have anything to loose, so I called to sign up. Their earliest appointments were over a month out. I scheduled the first available one.

The dietician, Jillian (no, not THE Jillian) came to greet me at the volunteer desk and then walked with me down the stairs to her office in the belly of Intermountain Medical Center. I found it fitting that the trek from the entrance to her office involves multiple flights of stairs. Good planning for the overweight folks who are coming to visit.

I'll admit, when I first saw her my impression was--"This girl is a petite little size 2. What does she know about weight loss?" But then I had to tell myself to stop trying to sabotage the plan. She was very nice, friendly, realistic, and helpful. I'm glad she's going to help me on this journey.

Sometimes I really believe that we are the biggest barriers to our own success. I'll tell myself things that I would never in a hundred million years say to someone else. That has to change.

My favorite part of the visit was that she gave me hope that things can change. For some reason I had envisioned in the back of my mind that she would say--"Nope! You can't do this. You're fat and you've always been fat. Go back to wherever it was you came from. It's hopeless. Give up now." Of course no paid professional would ever say that, but that's what I said to myself. Now, there's a glimmer of hope that things can change. Thank you Jillian.

One thing we talked about was coming up with non-food rewards. So, after my appointment, I went with Pilo to get a pedicure. It was the second time in my life that I have had a pedicure, and they did an amazingly good job. My feet feel heavenly.

Meal Plan, Week 2

The first week of pre-cooking all of my main meals went very well. It was lovely to have everything already cooked and ready. Plus, it kept my kitchen quite a bit cleaner too!

I ended up putting the first two meals in the refrigerator and freezing the others. Then, I pulled out a frozen meal in the morning and put it in the fridge. When dinner time came around, I put the now-thawed meal into the oven. I cooked everything at 350 degrees until warm (usually around 25 minutes).

This week I discovered skinnytaste.com. If you have not been there, you must go now. Most of my meals this week are from that website.

Meal 1: Five Spice Roasted Chicken Legs

Meal 2: Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Meal 3: Skinny Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Meal 4: Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

Dessert: Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

Meal Plan, Week 1

I stumbled across this blog last night: http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/

I was transfixed. I stayed up for an additional 3 hours reading page after page. I have never seen a weight loss story that so closely resembled my own situation and hopes for the future. I love her well-balanced, both physically and emotionally, approach to life and weight loss. I am so thankful that she has shared her journey with the world so that others can be inspired. Please take the time to read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of her entries called "What I Miss from 135 lbs ago."

How she has chosen to organize her cooking is to do all of it once a week and then reheat items throughout the week. I love this idea! My job as a Registered Nurse means that some days I am completely free and other days consist of little more than work. The problem that I have run into before is that even with well-planned meals for the week, on days I work I am simply too exhausted to cook anything. So, this should work well for those days!

I'm not comfortable with eating refrigerated leftovers that are 3-5 days old. Something about taking Microbiology and Infectious Disease classes did that to me. So, my plan is to prepare and cook everything on Day 1. Then freeze all the meals that are not to be eaten in the next 24-48 hours. I'll reheat them in the oven. When using frozen meals, I'll put them in the fridge in the AM so that they are defrosted a bit before it is time to cook them.

Here we go! Good thing my parents gave me perfect little Pyrex dishes for Christmas!

Meal 1: Lemon Chicken Cordon Bleu

Meal 2: Sesame Salmon with Stir-Fry Vegetables

Meal 3: Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Meal 4: Soft Tacos

Dip: Knorr Vegetable Dip (use fat-free ingredients)

Treat: Homemade Berry Newtons

Here we go! I'm off to the store for ingredients!