You know that dream where you are wearing exercise clothes and your hair has been under a cap in an earband and blown around by 25 mph winds…

…and you are surrounded by beautiful teenage girls in evening gowns?  Well I lived that little scenario tonight and I LOVED it!  After a VERY chilly, windy, actually frigid track practice where I got ZERO exercise this afternoon, wore an earband, a crocheted cap, AND a hoodie and gloves, I went to the Miss Draca Pageant and took pictures.  The girls are always beautiful and the event is fun.  I’ll have to post pictures soon.

Breakfast- a bowl of multi-grain bran flakes and fresh strawberries with skim milk and two cups of coffee. I had a cup of hot green tea during first block.

Morning snack- Multi-Grain Cheerios and almonds and part of a bottle of water

Lunch- Black Cherry flavor Chobani Greek yogurt, an Ambrosia apple, and a bottle of water

Afternoon snack- A FiberOne bar, peanut butter flavor

Supper- Ably Asian’s hot and sour soup and a Rainbow Roll (a California sushi roll topped with thin slices of tuna, salmon, whitefish, and avocado) OMG!  It was delicious!  I had a whole pot of hot tea at the restaurant in an effort to warm up after freezing at track practice and took a cup of hot tea with me to the pageant as well!  When I got home, I ate the LAST two pieces of my Valentine candy.  Whew!  I’m glad that’s gone now.

Zumba today? Make mine a double, please!

Today was my every-other-Thursday adventure with the dance class and girls’ weight-lifting class during my planning period.  Then I found out I could sub for Jenn at the gym (hope you’re feeling better), so I taught another Zumba class this evening.  Fun (and very, very sweaty!)  I think I covered the cardio portion of my day thoroughly.

Breakfast- 1/4 cup Hodgson Mill Hot Multi-Grain Cereal with honey, walnuts, and fresh blueberries.  One cup of coffee.  I had a cup of hot green tea during first block.

Morning snack- one breakfast cookie

Lunch- one carton Chobani Blood Orange Greek yogurt, a Pink Lady apple, and a mozzarella cheese stick with a bottle of water.

Afternoon snack- the last breakfast cookie from this recent batch and more water.

Supper- (Again, after 8:00)  one BIG chicken breast sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with sea salt, cracked pepper, and chipotle pepper and a salad of mixed greens, avocado, and almonds with Ken’s Light Options balsamic dressing.  I topped that off with two more of my Valentine chocolates.  There are only two more in the box, so I should be finished with them soon.

Black beans and rice, pork skins, spaghetti, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes…

…cream cheese pie, brownie delight…YES please!  I tasted all of the above just during second period today.  I also had two varieties of brownies fourth block.  “But I thought you taught English, Mrs. Roper!?!”  I do.  However, my students are working on their memoir projects this semester and today they shared their “Food” pieces.  When you write about food and read about food and listen to others talk about food, aren’t you supposed to EAT  food?  Certainly.  Days like today are fun and the happy, nostalgic looks on the faces of several of my students as they share stories about food and family make me a happy lady.  However, days like today also turn a diet completely upside down.  I see extra cardio in my future to make up for this.

Breakfast- a bowl of multigrain bran flakes with milled flaxseed and skim milk and a cup of coffee.  I also drank a cup of hot green tea during first period.

Morning snack- a breakfast cookie and a carton of skim milk.  I wasn’t thinking about the feast I was about to dive into headlong.

Lunch- Chobani Blood Orange Greek yogurt and a handful of fresh strawberries with half a bottle of diet citrus green tea and a bottle of water.

Taught a fun, sweaty hour of Zumba after school then ran 1.5 miles and walked another mile on the treadmill before I came home.  I NEEEEEEEDED the extra cardio today!

Supper- stir-fry chicken with carrots and broccoli and a glass of skim milk.  I also had a handful of mixed nuts while I was cooking the chicken because I was so hungry.  I’m going to try to avoid the Valentine candy tonight.  I think I got enough of a sweet fix at school today.

Couldn’t my three-day weekend have been a four-day weekend?

The only bad thing about a three-day weekend is that it makes me want another day off to do all the things I didn’t get done yesterday!

Breakfast- whole wheat bagel thin with fat-free cream cheese and fresh blueberries and a cup of coffee.  I also had a cup of hot green tea with honey when I got to school

Morning snack- one breakfast cookie and a carton of skim milk

Lunch- Chobani Black Cherry Greek yogurt, a double handful of fresh strawberries, a mozzarella cheese stick, and half a bottle of diet citrus green tea…and one dark chocolate candy that Michelle gave me.  I also drank some water.

Afternoon snack- a Fiber One peanut butter bar and water

Went to the gym after track practice and took Kim’s fun Zumba class. I almost forgot how neat it is to take someone else’s Zumba class for a change!

Supper- late again, a salad of baby romaine, mesquite smoked turkey, avocado, and almonds with Ken’s light options balsamic dressing and a big glass of ice water. I also had a couple of pieces of my Valentine candy. It’s nearly gone!

I don’t want people to leave the wedding saying, “Did you SEE what her Mama was wearing? Oh my Gawd!”

Jessica and I went to Bride Beautiful in Sandy Springs and picked up THE dress today- her wedding dress.  It’s beautiful and I know she’ll look lovely in it on that day, which is now…GULP…less than four months away!  Now I need to start the search for MY dress.  (I feel nauseous.)  I don’t want to dress like a teenager or a hoochie, or Lady Gaga, but I don’t want to look like her great-great-grandmother either.  Where can I find a dress that fits perfectly, hides all flaws, is classy, sophisticated, and just a little sexy too?  Does that particular creation exist?  In an appropriate color?  Suitable for an outdoor wedding?  And if I find it, where can I get shoes to match?  Brain overload!!!

Breakfast- two homemade breakfast cookies and two cups of coffee

No morning snack

Lunch- a very greasy (and very delicious) Chic-Fil-A sandwich with a side of slaw and a diet lemonade.  I’m not used to eating this kind of lunch often and my tummy grumbled about it for a while.

No afternoon snack

Taught a fun hour of Zumba then got in a mile and a quarter on the treadmill before I did 10 sweaty minutes on the elliptical.  When I started running on the treadmill this afternoon, my knees yelled at me, “HEY YOU!  You’re 47 years old and you ran over 11 1/2 miles the last two days!  Give me a break!”  So I listened to them.  I wanted to take BodyPump, but the class was full and all of the equipment was taken, so I’ll wait until later.

Supper- a generous bowl of mixed beans that simmered on the stove with some lean ham all afternoon.  I made cornbread for everyone else, but I’ll skip it tonight.  I’m going to have a big glass of skim milk with my beans and ham and maybe another couple of those Valentine chocolates.  It was a BIG box, y’all!

“These may be the BEST potatoes you have ever cooked!”

That’s what Barry said about the stewed little red potatoes I made this evening, exactly the same way I have been making them for the 27 1/2 years we have been married (with real butter and half and half and salt and cracked black pepper).  When I tried to tell him that, he said, “Can’t you just take the compliment?”  I hushed, and I did take the compliment.  They were pretty good.

This has been a great Sunday! Church, gym, and there’s going to be a new episode of The Walking Dead shortly!

Breakfast- three whole wheat pancakes with butter, honey, and fresh blueberries with two cups of coffee

No morning snack

Lunch- Chobani Passionfruit Greek yogurt with almonds and granola on top. I decided to give this flavor another try and I liked it a little better this time around. I drank a glass of ice water too.

No afternoon snack.

I went to the gym and reached my goal on the treadmill. I wanted to get 6 miles and I actually got 6.1! I ran 5.5 and then walked .6 and it felt great! Drank a ton of water after that too.

Supper- a very generous helping of roasted pork tenderloin, a very small helping of new red potatoes, and a salad of baby romaine, diced avocado, and Ken’s Light Options balsamic dressing with a glass of skim milk. I topped that off with two of my Valentine chocolates.

Three-quarter squats? You want me to START and END in a loaded position?

This morning I was really working on my FITNESS!  After breakfast, I went to the gym early to make sure I got a spot at Pump.  After I set up, I warmed up with 15 minutes on the elliptical, then did an AWESOME hour of BodyPump with Tina Goss, the first pump class I’ve been to in three weeks, and then got in 5 1/2 miles on the treadmill.  I ran four of those and walked the rest.  I’m feeling GOOD!

Breakfast- one biscuit with honey, a cup of coffee, and a glass of water

No morning snack, but I did drink plenty of water at the gym.

Lunch- Ably Asian’s Sushi Lunch Special A with hot tea and two glasses of water.

Afternoon snack- four Ritz crackers with Sabra Roasted Red Pepper hummus and half a diet citrus green tea.  I also had a cup of hot green tea with a squirt of honey later.

Supper- mixed green salad with grape tomatoes, diced avocado, walnuts, and Ken’s Light Options Raspberry Walnut dressing with a seared Hake filet and a glass of skim milk.  I also had a couple of my Valentine chocolates.  I’m still working on those!

I’m so glad I’m NOT allergic to peanuts!

Peanut butter is a staple at my house, both for the two of us who are really trying to make a conscious effort to eat HEALTHY meals and for the other two who don’t really care if the meal is healthy or not as long as it tastes good.  I’ve decided I like the natural style peanut butter, you know, the kind where the oil separates and floats on top of the good stuff.  You have to stir it up before you eat it and it must be refrigerated after opening.  In other words, it’s more trouble than regular preservative-filled peanut butter.  I bought this to make my breakfast cookies, but I really like the taste of it on its own.  However, ounce for ounce, it costs more than plain old JIF, so I probably won’t be purchasing it frequently!

Breakfast- one whole wheat bagel thin with Smucker’s natural chunky peanut butter, a drizzle of honey, and a banana and a cup of coffee; I also drank a bottle of water when I got to school.

Morning snack- two “healthified” breakfast cookies and half a diet citrus green tea.

Lunch- Chobani Greek yogurt blood orange flavor, a Pink Lady apple, a carton of skim milk, and a bottle of water.

Afternoon snack- a peanut butter FiberOne bar and a cup of hot green tea.  During fourth block, I drank a bottle of water.

Not much in the exercise category for today, unless you count my thumb clicking the start/stop button on the stopwatch at track practice.  I also raised my right arm and lowered it a few times when I yelled, “Ready, Set, GO!”  (They were doing 200’s today.)

Supper- Fiesta Friday again.  I think there’s a pattern here.  Chips with salsa and cheese dip and one taco autentico asada and one taco autentico carnitas.  Delicisio!  Washed that down with two glasses of ice water and then I was freezing!  I also had two pieces of my Valentine candy when I got home.  I’m really going to have to get in some cardio tomorrow!

Rainy days make me so sleepy!

This cloudy, rainy, dreary morning put me nearly to sleep, along with a few of my students.  Hope I’m a little more energetic tomorrow!

Breakfast- 1/4 cup Hodgson Mill Multi-Grain hot cereal with a sliced banana, walnuts, and honey with a cup of coffee.  I also drank a bottle of water during first period today.

Morning snack-  three of Jessica’s No-Bake energy balls, a pink navel orange,  and a cup of hot chamomile tea with honey

Lunch- Chobani Greek yogurt, black cherry flavor and an apple and two pieces of dark chocolate with diet citrus green tea and some water

Afternoon snack-  about half a diet cranberry drink

Track practice was inside this afternoon because the weather was yucky right after school.  I ran just a few laps upstairs in the gym, maybe half a mile.  Then I did some free weights with the distance girls:  triceps, biceps, and shoulders.  We also did one Zumba song and then an ab track and a cooldown.

Supper- a small salad, a bunch of steamed broccoli, and a dozen tiny shrimp sauteed in olive oil, a tad of butter, and some fresh garlic with sea salt and chipotle pepper.  I also had a glass of skim milk and three pieces of my Valentine chocolate.  I’m determined to eat that stuff and not have ANY more chocolate in the house for a while!

I’m so glad I can EXERCISE for STRESS RELIEF!

How in Heaven’s name do people who don’t exercise relieve stress?  I don’t know how I would make it if I didn’t have exercise for an outlet.  It GIVES me energy and starts all those endorphins flowing and I ALWAYS feel better after a good sweaty workout!

Breakfast- Multi-grain bran flakes with a double handful of fresh blueberries and a cup of coffee

Morning snack- a breakfast cookie and two pieces of Dove dark chocolate with almonds and a carton of skim milk.  I also drank a cup of hot peppermint tea during second period.

Lunch- Chobani Greek yogurt, peach flavor, and a FiberOne peanut butter bar with a bottle of diet citrus green tea.

Afternoon snack- a banana and a mozzarella cheese stick with a bottle of water; before Zumba, I ate a few Cheerios with walnuts and almonds and drank a bottle of water

Taught an hour of Zumba and got all sweaty, then while I was warmed up, I ran two miles on the treadmill in 18:45 and then walked a quarter mile as a cool down.  Should have stretched more than I did, so I’m planning a nice long yoga session after I get out of the shower later!

Supper- a two-egg omelet with ham and cheese and a small salad with a bottle of water.  (Thanks to my friend Jerry for the fresh eggs!)