Fab Grab Smoothie Option for Only 3 Weight Watcher Points

I would never pay Full price for this product because I am Frugal, but because they were on sale at my local grocery store for $1.79 each AND I had a coupon for $100 off of 2, I bought 14 of 'em to try out.  Each cost me just $1.29.  It is definitely a time-saver 'cuz there are no glasses or blenders to clean from making my own!

I had originally bought them for my picky daughter because they have some veggies in them and Greek yogurt protein in them, but after I Figured out the points, I knew this could be a Fab Grab item for when I am on the go.  In Fact, I may stop off at grocery stores to buy them with some single-serve apple juice when I'm on long drives and Find myself Feeling snacky, and for the kids too.  We have a long drive coming up soon, so I may try that out.

This particular Blue Power Dole Shaker boasts B6 and B12 and is labeled is a fruit and veggies smoothie with Greek yogurt, blueberry, banana, and red beet.  The back of the container indicates it is all natural fruits and veggies plus Greek yogurt with pre- and probiotics plus 100% DV of vitamins B6, B12, AND folic acid. It says there is 180 calories as prepared and 5 grams of protein.  It also happens to say that satisfaction is guaranteed. There is a little window on the back as well, the bottom of which is the Fill line for an extra thick consistency, and the top of which is the Fill line for a thick consistency.  One cup of apple juice took mine to the thick consistency, the top of that window. 

This particular Dole Shaker is only 3 Weight Watcher points for me, and that includes the 1 cup of apple juice.  It comes out to 1 point for the Shaker and 2 points for the juice.  I had this for a snack option today.  You can use a Few different juices to mix with them too.  The bottle says you can use apple, pineapple, or your Favorite juice. 

They come in many Flavors.  Here is a picture of those I chose to try out in the Future.

 (This is my garage Fridge, so don't judge!)

Update:  I just checked the Peach Mango flavored Shaker.  If the full cup of apple juice was added to it, it would be 4 points total. The Blue Power alone is 1 point, but this peach-mango alone is 2 points.  I'll update with the rest of the points values for the rest of the flavors I have shown.  It's just too cold to go out to the garage fridge this time of night. ;)

Spicy Cod Cakes with Chipotle Sauce for 7 Weight Watchers Points

I am not really a Fish Fan, but I love these spicy cod cakes.  The recipe, as I wrote it, called for regular, Full-Fat ingredients, but I lightened it up just a tad. Each patty is actually quite large.  That is one corner of a serving platter shown in the image above, as I included a couple of other Fish options for the rest of the Family to try. 

Cod Cake Ingredients:

12 oz. cod fillet (8 points)
1 egg (2 points)
2 Tablespoons Hellman's Light Mayo (0 points)
1/2 c. Panko breadcrumbs (2 points)
3 green onion (I use more) (0 points)
3 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil (12 points)

24 Recipe Total points for cakes divided by 4 patties comes out to 6 points per cod cake. 


Cod Cake Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly coat a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Season Fillets with salt and pepper to taste and place in pan.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until Fish Flakes easily with a Fork.  REmove from oven and let cool completely.

Break Fillet(s) into small Flakes and place in a large bowl.  Add the egg, 2 tablespoons of the mayo, the panko and green onions.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and gently mix to combine.  Form into 4 large patties.

In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add patties and cook 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through (145 degrees F).


Chipotle Sauce Ingredients: 

1/2 c. light sour cream (4 points)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (0 points)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped wearing a glove (0 points)
2 Tablespoons of Hellman's Light Mayo (0 points)

4 points total sauce recipe points divided into four equal servings comes out to 1 point per serving. 


Chipotle Sauce Directions: 

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, cilantro, chipotle pepper, and 2 tablespoons of light mayo.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Divide evenly and top each of the 4 cod cakes with a dollop.

Serves: 4
Points: 7 Points per Serving


Nutritional Info.:  315 calories, 22 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 19 g protein.

A Few Fab Grabs by Quaker and Planters to Share

Yes, you can buy granola cereal in many forms, but this is a great grab-and-go option when you are on the run, pre-measured to boot.

I had some coupons for the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal (which you can eat cold by the way or even add to some plain nonfat vanilla yogurt) that allowed me to buy a bunch of boxes for $1.50 each when combined with a sale.  The Apple Cinnamon version of the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal is only 3 points per serving.

The Cranberry Almond version of the Quaker Warm and Crunchy granola cereal is only 4 Weight Watchers points for me.

 

When I look back at the 1.4-oz., 3-point packet of granola cereal I got on the NutriSystem plan, the Apple Cinnamon at 1.69 oz. and the Cranberry Almond at 1.76 oz. seems fair, as each provides a bit more per serving.

Another great Fab Grab is the NUT-rition bars Planters makes.  For example, this cranberry-almond-peanut bar is only 3 points for me.  Fits great in a purse! It is 1.23 ounces. 

 So there you go....three new Fab Grab Options for those busy moments when you don't want to cave and grab something Fast and totally crappy for you.

My Review of Kathy Smith's Secrets of a Great Body Upper Body Workout

I need to clarify that while Kathy has been around for decades, I am offering a review from the view of a 44-year-old Fat woman today.

I Find that many workout videos are overly-challenging for the bigger amongst us in that they aren't taking into consideration our bellies and the state of our endurance or strength.  Either that, or I'm just a wimp, but the thing is, if there were more encouraging workouts out there for Fat Folks, Fewer of us would throw in that towel, so to speak.

Having explained where I'm coming from, and having dug out my old VHS collection of Fitness tapes (Thank God I still have a working VHS player! Knock-knock.), I revisited Kathy and this particular workout today.

I have to rate this a 9 out of 10, with 10 being the highest.

Very minimal "equipment" was required, save a few household items, as shown below.  The towel is for a stretch, the cushion to lie upon for a Few moves, and the chair to sit upon and lean upon.  The hand weights are all you would need to buy if you don't have any.

It was easy for me to do all of the exercises she shares in this video.  (I only had to modify the crunch section due to my lower back.)

I could do all of the reps for all exercises except for the push ups.  I made it through all 12 of the first set of push ups, but only 3 of the second set.  You can see improvement in the number you can do with each subsequent run through as your strength increases.

She very clearly explains each and every exercise stressing you to Focus on the muscle group being targeted.

Great pace and around half an hour long.

YOU get to choose how much weight you wish to use and therefore get to determine that awful level of soreness that stops many in their tracks.  I like to build up strength slowly with a small burn when first starting any routine versus going all out and being unable to move for days.

I used 2- and 3-pound hand weights and still felt a burn.  Heck, my arms burned after her arm warm-up with the weight of my own arms.  lol

There were only two exercises I Found myself wishing she had explained a modification for.  They were both exercises that required you to sit as shown in the image below--with your chest in your lap.  The problem for us Fat Folks is that our bellies don't allow for that.  I just bent as much as I could with my legs not together as they do in the video (spread 'em) and tried to maintain my Focus on the muscles being worked.  That being a complaint, I still did it with this big ol' belly, and I bet you can too.

No offense meant to Kathy by asking earlier "Do you remember Kathy?" because she is still apparently active in the industry, and it's my bad that I didn't know that.

If you are interested in this workout, here you go via this link for a 26% off sale at $9.49 for a 3-DVD set (I paid way more than that for each VHS tape I have back in the '90s!).

I'll do and review the lower body workout tomorrow, but I know nothing about the third DVD they offer in this set shown at the link provided above.

I am in no way affiliated with Kathy Smith or the company link I provided for the cheapest price I could find.  I'm just offering an honest opinion of my personal experience from the perspective of a Fat girl in her Forties! ;)

Flashback Friday and Kickin it VHS style

Anybody remember Kathy?  I used to do her video workouts back in the '90s and am revisiting those tapes today.  If it was good enough then, it's good enough now!

Blueberry Muffins for 3 Weight Watchers Points

I made my kids a batch of blueberry muffins from a recipe my youngest brought home from school when they had a blueberry day.  A coworker's of Mr. F's owns a blueberry Farm, and I have about 8 pounds of blueberries yet to use up in my Freezer from last season.

I decided to Figure the points out when I remembered that blueberry muffins were an actual breakfast entree while on the NutriSystem plan (as I covered in this post).  Turns out the points value for me was 3 points per muffin.  Guess what?  They were 3 points on the NutriSystem plan too, so why not?  Mine were Fluffier, less dense, bigger, and tasted better with none of that "diet" taste.  I had a hard time swallowing their version and HAD to drink something to help it go down. lol

Here is what the muffins looked like on the NutriSystem plan (and that is a 1-cup measuring cup), and as you can see, I counted my Weight Watchers points while on their plan:

Their packaging says each muffin was 2 ounces. Each of my muffins weighed in at 1.8 to 2.0 ounces too.

As you have probably noticed by now, I prefer to use "normal" ingredients.  Faux sugar/sugar substitutes scare me (and give me heart palpitations), so I stick with normal, unmodified sugar, which is 15 calories per tablespoon with 0 grams of Fat and Fiber.  Because 1/2 cup of sugar (equal to 8 tablespoons) would be 120 calories, I assign the sugar in this recipe 8 points (1 point per Tbs.). Because this recipe makes a dozen muffins, there is less than a tablespoon of sugar in each muffin.  They may technically be less than 3 points each at 2.5 points.

Ingredients:

1 c. blueberries - 1 point
1/4 c. melted butter, - 12 points (I use Challenge organic butter, which is
           higher in points than Land O'Lakes)
1-3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour - 14 points
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder - 0 points
1/4 tsp. salt - 0 points
1/2 c. sugar - 0 points/Tbs, but I give 1 point per Tbs. at 120 calories, so
          8 points
1 egg - 2 points (could use egg white substitute and save a point)
1/2 c. 1% milk - 1 point

(38 points total divided by 12 muffins = 3.1666~)

Directions:

Combine the dry ingredients and add the melted butter. Add egg and milk and beat until smooth. Stir in the blueberries.  Divide evenly among muffins tins.  Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Makes 12 muffins.
Serving Size: 1 muffin
Points: 3 points per muffin

A Biscuit AND Gravy for 7 Weight Watchers Points!

This is why I love Weight Watchers.  You don't have to deny yourself anything.  Biscuits and gravy is a Favorite of mine, which I usually only make and eat on holiday mornings and once during an annual vacation.

Because I had biscuits and gravy on Nutrisystem, albeit for 3 Weight Watcher points, I decided to see how many points I could make it from scratch with items I had on hand.  (See the NutriSystem version in my post here.)

Turns out that even while baking up some store-bought large homestyle biscuits, the biscuits themselves are 4 Weight Watchers points each.  That puts the biscuit alone at 1 point higher than the rehydrated NutriSystem biscuit and gravy entree in its entirety shown here, but because my breakfast smoothies ring in at 5 to 6 points and there would be none of that preservative crap happening, I kept going.

I pulled aside some sausage after browning an entire batch, added 2 tablespoons of Flour, and 1.5 cups of milk.  The gravy, made without any special weight- or health-modifying ingredients, clocked in at 9 points total.  There was enough gravy to divide into 3 even servings, which I weighed out and placed in storage containers.

I knew that the gravy would thicken upon standing and storing and that I would need to add a splash of milk upon reheating to thin it.  Because the gravy came out to 9 points, when divided by 3 servings, it comes out to 3 points per serving. I do not count the "splash."

So there it is, *A* biscuit and gravy (I would normally eat 2 in a serving) for only 7 Weight Watchers points.

I bet you or I could make it for less by tweaking some ingredients, but I'll wait to try that out for when my points range changes.  Let me know if you do it First!

As it stands, here are the ingredients and my directions:

Follow package direction for biscuits of choice and Figure points.

2 ounces of breakfast sausage drained on paper towel - 5 points
2 Tablespoons of unbleached all-purpose flour - 1 point
1.5 cups of 1% milk - 3 points
salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage until slightly crispy in a frying pan breaking it apart into bits as it cooks.  Place 2 ounces of sausage onto a paper towel to drain and pat to remove grease.  Place the 2 ounces of sausage into a small saucepan.  Add 2 Tablespoons of flour to hot fully cooked sausage in small sauce pan and stir to coat sausage crumbles.  Stir in 1.5 cups of milk and stir over medium heat until boiling and thickened.  Divide gravy mixture evenly into 3 separate storage containers.  Add in a splash of milk while reheating your individual serving for consumption. Enjoy what most consider a lost treat while dieting, or at least what I consider a treat! It has to be the southern part of my heritage that makes me love it so, right? ;)

I will make up an entire 12-oz batch of sausage turning it into 15 individual servings.  I bake the biscuits and place them in the freezer on a cooled cookie sheet to freeze them individually.  I also place the individual containers with gravy into the freezer.  Once all are frozen, I place 1 biscuit and 1 batch of frozen gravy into a Food Saver baggie and seal.  

Family-Friendly Faux Spaghetti (5 Points) AND Bread Sticks (5 for 4.5 Points) for Only 9.5 Weight Watchers Points!

I know my picture quality could stand some improvement, but I have to tell ya, without having an extra set of hands holding some special lighting reflecting onto the food that I am about to eat, I don't much care 'cuz I gotsta eat it before it gets cold!

I'm very happy I tried the Faux spaghetti AND the Faux breadsticks (my second time making these).  It was all very Flavorful.  Turns out I actually like my zucchini "noodles" much better than real pasta, and brace yourself.....wait for it.....2 whole ounces of lean ground beef, a whole 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce, and a bowlful of zucchini is only 5 Weight Watchers points!

The Faux breadsticks are made of cauliflower!  Here's the Funny....each of my kids ate it too!  Of course, they had NO idea they were eating cauliflower.  Because I was able to slide this one past my three picky and choosy eaters and one asked for more (yes there is a difference), I'm labeling the breadsticks Family Friendly! I'm labeling it Family-Friendly ESPECIALLY because Mr. F. (who once puked while being Forced to eat cauliflower by a babysitter as a child) ate it too.  I know...probably mean not to mention it was cauliflower to someone with a past experience such as his, but I had to try it.  I made the announcement after he was done and had expressed his Favorable opinion.  I'll probably never tell the children until they're on their own.

I bet you could slide the zucchini noodles in if you peeled the green off before blanching AND mixed it all up prior to presentation to the Fussy eaters. ;) (Have to try this one soon.)

Cautionary note....there is a little piece of metal sticking out inside of the Veggeti I bought at Walgreens that can cut your knuckles as you twist your "noodles" out.  I did not use the gripper device provided because I guess my zucchini was too narrow and curvy to keep hold of it, but I did try to use it.

                                                                  (Still hungry? Ewww)


I got the recipe for the Faux breadsticks from Betty at Betty's Kitchen here. Thank you Betty! I'll share what my measurements, etc. were, and as is per usual, the points values.

5-Point Faux Spaghetti Ingredients/Directions:

2 oz. lean ground beef = 4 points
1/2 c. spaghetti sauce = 1 point
1 whole zucchini = 0 points (I used the end labled "Thin" for thin "noodles")

   Instructions:  I just browned my lean ground beef and set aside 2 ounces of it onto paper towel (to let the paper towel absorb any fats).  I took out 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce from the batch I threw into the beef mixture for the rest of the family.  After using the Veggeti to process my zucchini, I brought water in a sauce pan to a boil, tossed in the "noodles," and boiled for only 2 minutes.  I quickly heated up my premeasured meatsauce and tossed with my "noodles." Voila. Done.


4.5-Point Faux Breadsticks (for 5 sticks!): 

1 large head cauliflower (I just go for an average size - I'll weigh one out for my next batch)=0 points
2 cloves garlic, minced = 0 points
2 eggs, well beaten = 4 points (2 points each egg) (could probably use egg white substitute)
4 oz. shredded mozzarella (I use regular) = 8 points
1/2 tsp. onion powder = 0 points
coarse sea salt to taste = 0 points
freshly ground black pepper = 0 points
cooking spray = 0 points
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I grate my own) = 6 points
Italian seasoning to taste (I use generously)

   Instructions: Betty's directions instruct you to use a plastic-covered bowl to steam your veggies in the microwave, but I won't use plastic in the microwave due to the health implications this practice is said to have, so I steam my cauliflower until it is Fork tender on the stove top.

I let it cool in a strainer for about 5 minutes so that as much excess water drains/evaporates off as possible (you don't want it to be particularly water logged, as it will leave your sticks extra mushy).

Once the steamed cauliflower is Fork tender, place in a Food processor and pulse/run until mashed-potato consistency.  Add in the eggs, mozzarella cheese, garlic, and onion powder.  Process again until well combined.

Spray a 10" x 15" baking pan with cooking spray and spread the cauliflower mixture out evenly, pressing slightly.  Sprinkle with the coarse sea salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste, and then cover evenly with 1 whole cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (you can use less Parmesan if you like to save on points if necessary).

Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes or until sufficiently browned and sides have pulled slightly away from the edges of the pan.  Slice into 20 "breadsticks."

These breadsticks aren't going to stand up to being held in your hand, but cutting them with a Fork to eat them works just Fine.  I just told my kids the "dough" was a little weak. ;)  The less water your cauliflower holds onto, the more Firm your sticks will be.

I just cut off a chunk of the "breadstick" and slid it into my Faux spaghetti.  It was delicious.

Broiled Jamaican Mahi Mahi for 5 Weight Watchers Points

Tried this recipe tonight.  Quite spicy, but that probably depends on the jerk seasoning you use.  A serving size is 6 ounces for 5 points, and it's done in a Flash, so get your sides ready beforehand!

Ingredients:

4 (6-oz.) mahi mahi filets
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1-14 tsp. lime zest
2 to 3 Tbsp. jerk seasoning
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Choose 4 (6-oz.) mahi mahi filets

Season by placing honey, oil, and lime zest in a small bowl.  Put filets on broiler pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Brush honey mixture on each filet and sprinkle with jerk seasoning.

Preheat broiler to high.  Broil filets 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Drizzle with lime juice and serve.

Serves: 4
Points: 5 (6-oz. filet)

Nutritional Info:  210 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 935 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 33 g protein

Face the Flub Up Quick - Sleep issue

I found the above picture while reading about alternative and natural remedies for hot flashes.  The photo was in an article regarding acupuncture here.


It's been about two weeks now that my sleep has been out of whack.  I think it's due to the temperature change outdoors that has made my hot Flashes magnify.  If it's colder inside my house, then I'm thinking they aren't as apparent, but boy are they back right now at Full Force.

Last night I actually took an ice pack to bed.  It was 5:30 a.m. the last time I looked at the clock.  The simple act of touching the ice pack can lessen the duration and head off a Flash when I'm out and about, like at the dentist or the chiropractor, and this is great because a Flash is actually humiliating in public where I suddenly become a sweaty hog and the doctor needs to touch me. Sigh. It was difficult to ignore the icy feeling on the top of my head, on my belly, or on my back, however, in order to fall asleep.  I slept my morning away and didn't wake up until the afternoon.

This has been progressing slowly to the point my nights and days are switched up again.  When this happens, I don't eat breakfast or lunch, as I'm only up for dinner with the rest of the Family.  Not good for dieting.  Then, after they're all asleep, I don't cook, I snack to keep from making a ton of noise in the kitchen. (My master bedroom is off the kitchen.)

I'm going to take some NyQuil tonight to see if that helps me fall asleep earlier so I can be up during the day like the rest of the world. That stuff knocks me out when I have a crazy cough.  I hate medications, so I don't advocate this approach, nor do I advocate developing a dependency on something.  This is merely desperation and a possible quick Fix.  Trust that I hate taking that stuff enough that I do what I call the "Icky dance" when I do take it, so bottom's up!

This is Freakin' Frustrating.

Balsamic-Parmesan Asparagus for 1 Weight Watchers Point

If you need your veggies to be Flavorful, then this is a good one at only 1 Weight Watchers point per serving!

I, however, have a problem with microwaving my veggies, and I especially have a problem with microwaving anything covered in plastic wrap. Toxic chemicals anybody? I typed the recipe as it appeared, but I prefer to steam my asparagus. To each his own. 

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place asparagus in a microwave-safe dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drizzle with vinegar and oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cheese.

Yields: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1/4 of the asparagus
Points: 1

Nutrition:  52 calories, 3.2 g fat, 3.6 g protein, 3.2 g carb, 1.3 g fiber, 6 mg cholesterol, 1.3 mg iron, 248 mg sodium, 90 mg calcium

Tex-Mex Haystacks for 8 Weight Watchers Points

This is a Filling dish.  It makes 4 servings, so if not everyone enjoys this (beans Freak my kids out and rice Freaks out 2 of them), then you have something for a grab-and-go situation for a Few days out into the Future.  Just portion, mix up, and Freeze what's left.

I'm still having a heck of a time Finding baked tortilla chips, and the scoops above claimed to be baked.  They didn't taste baked either, but I'd like to Find some regular baked tortilla chips and do a value comparison before I promote those babies. 

Ingredients: 

1 (16-oz.) can pinto beans, drained
1 (14.5-oz.) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained & chopped
1 (10-oz.) can premium chunk white chicken in water, drained
1 Tbsp. chili powder
3 Tbsp. no-salt-added tomato paste
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
***************
2 c. hot cooked long-grain rice, cooked without salt or fat
1/2 c. (2 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions
40 baked tortilla chips (10 per serving)

Directions:

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Spoon rice onto a serving platter and top with chicken mixture, shredded cheese and sliced green onions.  Arrange tortilla chips around outside edge of platter.

To serve up individually, each portion will be 3/4 c. chicken mixture, 1/2 c. rice, 2 Tbsp. cheese, 1 Tbsp. green onion, and 10 tortilla chips.

Yields: 4 servings
Points: 8

Nutrition:  414 calories, 28.5 g protein, 6.1 g fat, 61.8 carb, 10 g fiber, 41 mg cholesterol, 4.2 mg iron, 1115 mg sodium, 257 mg calcium.

F Words Today: Failed at Freestyle February

Signing in a little disappointed today.  February didn't turn out so well for me for the most part.  I got sick of tracking points and decided to take a stab at following a more NutriSystem-style approach.  I ate a lot of smaller snack-style bits of foods.  For example, I measured my servings and kept each down to no more than a cupful. I ate much of the same meals I did on their plan, although I paid no attention to the "glycemic index" that they do.  

I also drank a lot of the Tea & Honey drinks (sick of plain water) with the artificial sweetener in it, which most weight loss plans recommend because it's low in calories.  I've heard that it can make you hungrier or crave sugar, and boy did I ever on both fronts.  I was hungrier than I've ever felt before, and I usually don't get hungry, not even when eating once a day.  Despite feeling like I did well, I only lost 3 pounds for the whole month.

I didn't weigh myself daily or even weekly.  I usually weigh-in in the mornings prior to eating and showering (because wet hair HAS to weigh more than dry hair), but it was just so darned cold I avoided heading into the basement to weigh in on the doctor's scale I have down there.  Perhaps I could've been alerted sooner that something was off or my Freelancing was working out so well had I just done it.

I also didn't blog because I moved my laptop back downstairs into my office that I've been avoiding due to the extreme cold.  This meant not even the computer tempted me to go down there.

Anyway, I'm back to tracking my food and hope to see at least a 10-pound loss for the month of March.  I'm back to biting the bullet, with shivering teeth, to weigh in each day.

How are you faring this harsh winter?

I updated this post....I changed Freelance to Freestyle.   That's what happens when you blog when tired I guess. lol