HOLIDAY WISHES!

PESEVERANCE PAYS OFF!

Back in July I earned my blue ribbon by following the No S Diet for 21 days in a row. I'm now 15 pounds lighter and working on losing another 10 pounds. Make sure you take a blue ribbon (on my sidebar) when you have reached 21 days also! You deserve it!

Panini Tortilla

I'm sure I've mentioned in my previous postings how much I enjoy adding a "tortilla" to my salads. Today while I was making my family panini sandwiches, I thought I'd throw my tortilla on the grill too. It toasted up to a nice crunchy texture and added a little extra pizazz to my lunch today. I prefer to use the GARDEN SPINACH & VEGETABLES 95% Fat Free Gourmet Tortillas. You should be able to find them on any grocery shelf. Next time I may try spritzing a little olive oil and seasoning on the tortilla before I grill it. YUM!

Bummer, I didn't resist the cranberries!

Ok, I'm going to "confess" right away. The delicious walnut cranberry cookies are now coming out of the oven, but not without a lot of the cranberries missing. Oh, I didn't pick them all out of the dough, but enough that I know I shouldn't have done it...and that I was resorting back into an old habit. I rationalized it by telling myself that cranberries are healthy... and that I was doing so good on my No S Diet that this wouldn't "hurt" me. Well, I know I won't regain the 15 pounds I lost overnight...but I felt uncomfortable picking the cranberries out of the dough and realized that eating the NO S way brings me a lot more enjoyment. I need to remember that the next time I'm tempted to dig into some cookie dough and pick out an important ingredient! :)

Monday's Lunch at CHILI'S!

Today my daughter and I went to Chili's and split a Chicken Quesadilla Explosion. If you've never tried one of these, you don't know what you're missing! They are fantastic! I'm not sure how one person could eat the whole thing. I didn't eat the guacamole dip...too many calories. They will also substitute shrimp for the chicken, but for an added fee. That is also delicious!

Plateaus

Today's No S Dieter Tip

Everyone who has ever dieted always appreciates a good tip! I'd like to share one with you. I love using these WISHBONE SALAD SPRITZERS on my salads. My favorite is RANCH VINAIGRETTE DRESSING. Can you believe only 2 calories per spray? This little 7 fl.oz. bottle dresses more salads than a 16 oz. bottle! It suits this NO S DIETER perfectly!

A HAPPY DANCE DAY

I'm doing the HAPPY DANCE today! I was surprised when I stepped on the scale this morning to see that I had already lost 15 pounds since June 27th! My starting weight was 145 and since I am only 5'4" losing the 15 pounds has made a big difference in how I look and feel. I have dropped from almost a Size 12 to a Size 8. My indigestion symptoms have also dropped from a 9 down to a 1. :) That is REALLY good news about losing weight! Following the No S Diet has not only been pretty easy, but also fun. It's been helpful to keep this blog about my journey and I hope to continue! My goal is to lose another 10 pounds. Developing the No S Diet habits has enabled me to have the confidence that I can do this for a life-time! I know YOU can too!

PASS THE FRUIT PLEASE!!!

Often times you'll see my plates have grapes, raisins, or cranberries mixed in with my salads.
I love the texture and flavors fruit lends to my meals, not to mention the vitamins! A big plus for me is the way fruit satisfies that sweet tooth I have. It's a great addition to any meal! Try it sometime!

Diet the No S Diet way!

Last night I enjoyed a delicious supper of BBQ Chicken Breast, Sliced Sweet Potato, and Broccoli Salad on a bed of Lettuce. <------my favorite. :) It was fast and easy to put together. Best of all, it was filling and healthy. Preparing meals on the No S Diet doesn't take a lot of preparation, but with a little bit of effort it's easy to come up with some tasty and affordable meals.

Another Week Begins!

How do skinny people eat?

Since I've been on the No S Diet, I've become more aware of peoples eating habits. I see thin people eating sweets, desserts, and fattening foods. But I also have noticed that they have no problem leaving food on their plates and they eat slowly. Many times I hear them say "NO, thank you." to offers of food. Have you noticed anything about how thin people eat? If so, please share them!

A SPECIAL "S" DAY for ME!

Today I took the liberty of having a SPECIAL "S" DAY! I went to a WEDDING and if that's not considered SPECIAL, nothing is! I ate very lightly earlier in the day. The buffet banquet was healthy and delicious, but it was the hor d'eurves that were a little tricky. They were soooo good and the meal was delayed a bit, due to the bridal party having their pictures taken. Needless to say, I probably had a few more of the delicacies than were absolutely necessary to stave off my hunger. In "reparation" I decided not to have any cake...which was fine with me, because I wasn't craving the sweets. Since being on the NO S DIET, it's become easier to say NO to sugar. So all in all, it was a very successful SPECIAL "S" Day! Oh, by the way...I think the bride and groom are going to live happily ever after!

Meet one of my best friends!

I know it's still summer, but it won't be too long and the cooler weather will be upon us. I'm looking forward to having some delicious No S Diet crockpot meals. I'll be sure and share some of my recipes with you. You'll really like my black-bean chili! It's one of my all-time favorites!

Incredibly Simple

It's amazing how quick and easy a No S Diet Supper can be put together. At the beginning of the week, I browsed the grocery shelf for something a little more exciting to add to my salads. I decided to try marinated artichokes and Greek Kalamata Olives. It added a nice zing to the meal!

Thought for Today

Trying the "PORTION PLAN"

On Friday night my daughter made some delicious smelling blueberry muffins. I told her I would save mine for Saturday, my "S" day. Well, when Saturday morning rolled around and it was breakfast I realized that now would be the perfect time to try the PORTION PLAN as specified in the book I just read and commented on in an earlier post. I measured a portion of the muffin using two fingers and cut the muffin accordingly. My sweettooth was fully satisfied eating 1/3 of the muffin. I had a good feeling that following the PORTION PLAN would work extremely well on my "S" days when sweets, snacks and seconds were allowed. What a great way to start my "S" weekend!

P.S. Yes, that is Cool Whip on my cereal! :) We were out of milk, and since it was an "S" Day, I was in the free and clear!

Soup Days Ahead!

After some real scorching hot days last week, the weather has finally cooled off a bit. This got me to thinking about the approach of winter. It has been nice filling up on some delicious salads with all the nice selections of vegetables available during the summer months. It won't be long before soup season arrives and the menu will change a bit. I hope I'll be able to continue my success on the No S Diet when that time comes. Somehow I think I will!

Portion Distortion

Do you really mean I can eat the foods I love and still lose weight? Following the No S Diet has shown me that I can...and THE PORTION PLAN reinforces that concept to me. It's all a matter of portions. This is especially helpful on "S" Days when I have the freedom to eat sweets. Authoress Linda Gassenheimer has chosen symbols showing different parts of the hand to indicate how much of each food makes the ideal portion. I paid particular attention to the dessert section. How much dessert can I eat on my "S" days and still be within the limits of healthy eating? She uses two-thumb portions as a measure. Put your two thumbs together and that is the size that a brownie should be. Put two fingers together and that is the portion size for frosted carrot cake, chocolate fudge cake, and strawberry cheesecake. Other desserts also, but you get the idea. This book should be available at your local library. It's something you might find helpful in combination with the No S Diet! Let me know what you think!

Does anyone care what I had for lunch?

I thought it might be fun to get some new ideas for the blogs I have. While at the library yesterday I came across this book about blogs entitled "No One Cares What You Had For Lunch - 100 Ideas for Your Blog". Sometimes I'll post what I ate for lunch. But is it true...does anyone really care what I had for lunch? And so what if they don't care? I care, because it's important to my health and well being. Since being on the No S Diet, I have much more energy than before. I'm putting better foods into my body, and still not depriving myself of the food I really like and crave. I have more discipline over the choices I make and following No S has been a huge part of that. So I guess I answered my own question, eh? :)

Tuesday's Top Secret Weapon #2

There are some days when realize I am more hungry than others. I try to be aware that I may need a little more protein in my diet to hold me over to the next meal. This is when I pull out my secret weapon...the Fit & Active Plain Nonfat Yogurt. In addition to my regular meal, I scoop myself about 3-4 heaping tablespoons in a little dish and add a little sweetener to taste. Sometimes I add a few drops of vanilla flavoring. This satisfies my need for a little something extra and I know I won't be hungry before it's time for my next meal. Try it sometime. See if it works for you!

No S Diet Success on an "S" Day!

This weekend my dh and I went to see Batman. (The Dark Knight) I can't believe it, but I actually sat through the movie without any popcorn or sodas. I was satisfied from supper and didn't have the desire to indulge in any "junk" at the theater. Following the No S Diet through the week has given me a little more will power on the weekends to say NO to foods that really aren't good for me. THANK YOU NO S DIET!

Gentle Reminders