Welcome, Summer!

Thank goodness we found those 12 Grain sandwich flats from Stop & Shop, because burger season is here! (Note to others: every other brand of sandwich flats I've seen have used HFCS or Sucralose, so read your labels!)

Actually last night I found a list of different burger topping ideas and the first one we tried had no bun! Take some chili (preferably home made to avoid carbs from wheat fillers) and pour it over a nice sirloin burger in a bowl! We added a slice of pepperjack cheese to the patty, and a touch of shredded cheddar to the top. It was great!

Last week's weigh in was a surprise. I hadn't felt particularly successful in the plan the weekend before (weekends are the most challenging - we plan movie nights and want movie junk to go with it), but I lost more than two pounds and a quarter of an inch off my waist. My husband also continued to lose, which was very encouraging. The proof that this plan works is there - every weigh in!

We went to the Bronx Zoo last Wednesday, and even though walking around with no where to be but where we are ought to be relaxing, the traffic in New York is NOT! A woman, who was thrilled to see a street side parking spot opening up, lost her focus and backed up into us, who were stopped behind her. Thank goodness it was at a slow speed and that we drive the same make of care, so our bumpers were made for each other! We shook hands and parted ways, but the drive home, thankfully without bumps, was very crowded, slow and full of worrying about other drivers who were not watching where they are going. I think traffic has gotten worse, and I know my husband saw quite a few people playing with their phones instead of focusing on the roads.

My shoulders were hard as ROCKS when we got home, it took a day and a half to finally relax them! But Friday I was able to attend my first Martial Arts class since early May. A friend of ours was leading the class and was kind enough to take it easy on me, as I was only there to find out how ready I was. I did much better than expected, even though I still have some trouble with my right foot and calf muscles. It was such a thrill to be back out there doing what I love.

I'm going back tonight for another class. Depending how that feels I may also go tomorrow evening.

Weigh-in after class (I drink a bottle of water after class, get home and shower before my weigh in). This is the typical schedule of weight checks, and it's good to have the familiar elements involved!

This morning's breakfast was a bowl of plain Cheerios and an apricot, with my coffee (decaf) waiting for me to finish this post.

For lunch I packed a serving of Pirate's Booty, and the makings of a pita ham sandwich. I found a Horseradish-Dijon mayonnaise that really flavors up a plain deli meat sandwich (I have never been particularly enthusiastic about sandwiches). The pita pockets are Joseph's Oat Flax and Whole Wheat, and are a magical 8g of carbs with 4g of fiber, and NO sugar. (Edited to add: okay, the label on their site shows sucralose in there. The packaging doesn't! I will have to call them and find out which is true. Hopefully the packaging is right and the website is wrong!)

Dinner will be oatmeal with Nature's Hollow preserves, Unsweetened Almond Milk and Cinnamon. That usually gets me nicely through class.

And LOTS of water! It's hot out there and I'll need it to get through class!

Oh, and for those of you with access to a Stop & Shop, look for Nature's Promise Organics Homestyle Frozen Waffles.  They are 5/2, with just enough room for Joseph's Sugar Free Maple Syrup. We had some with eggs and bacon on Sunday morning and they were delicious!