Whittling away at my middle...one day at a time

So did you make some goals? Think about what you need to do to change? I told my kids what I had planned (groan) so they could get on board...or at least cheer me on. I can see my kids driving out for ice cream while I'm at work. Have you ever seen that Eggo commercial, where the children say, "When mom's on a health kick, we are all on a health kick." Haha.

Day one was a success! Tuesday was an easy day, though, since I had the day off and could eat when I was hungry and what I want. Work is crazy and I usually have to eat standing up, when its convenient, and in about 30 seconds flat. None of that is conducive to eating healthy, but no more excuses. I packed up so much food to bring and didn't eat any of the crackers or other junky stuff that was available. I must admit to waking up a little hungry. Plus, I went easy when dumping in sugar and creamer in my coffee. Dinner last night was a request from my daughter for Skinny Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet from IowaGirlEats.com. I have gotten a lot of really fabulous recipes from her and I recommend checking it out. Her pictures are so gorgeous that I didn't even take some of our meal. This recipe has chicken, some red sauce, pesto, garlic and a little bit of pasta. What's not to love. YUM.

The only changes I made were cooking the chicken in my toaster oven instead of sautéing it. I did that earlier in the day and just reheated it when the whole dinner was ready. I just poured Lowry's Garlic Herb Marinade on top and skipped the pesto in this step. I also used 4 TABLESPOONS of pesto by mistake (whoops) and it came out so good. You can decide how much you love pesto and adjust accordingly. Of course this added some calories to it.

This is her recipe:

For the chicken marinade:

4 small chicken breasts
1/2 bottle Lowry’s Garlic Herb Marinade
2 Tablespoons prepared pesto

8oz penne pasta

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
8oz tomato sauce
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 teaspoon flour
4 teaspoons prepared pesto

• Combine marinade and pesto in a large Ziplock bag then add chicken breasts and squish to coat. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.

• Saute marinated chicken in a large skillet sprayed well with non-stick spray over medium heat for 5-6 minutes a side, or until no longer pink in the center. Remove to a plate then cover loosely with foil to stay warm and set aside. Carefully wipe out skillet with a spatula or wet paper towel. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil then season with salt and add penne. Cook until al dente then drain and set aside.

• Still over medium heat, add oil to the skillet then add onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until tender, then add garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for 30 more seconds. Carefully add chicken broth then let simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and evaporated milk then whisk in flour and pesto. Simmer until thick and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Add cooked and drained pasta then toss to combine. Portion out to plates then top with cooked chicken.

Of course I bought the white mod moves crop from Lululemon, and what gets uploaded yesterday? Some nifty colors. I have to make a trip to Lululemon to pick up a pair of Groove pants that were hemmed for my daughter, so I can hopefully check it out in person. I'm going to do my best to be in and out and not walk out with anything new. I'm going to turn my head from that sand to savasana bag, even though it is right above the cash register. 

My thoughts on the stock plunge and Christine Day stepping down? I hope whoever steps into her shoes will recognize that there are core pieces that don't need to be changed and should always be available. That for the prices being charged, seams and fabric need to be perfect. I have older garments that still look great, and I am still going to buy new items. That color blocking is ugly. And to bring back some of the special details that sets Lululemon apart from other apparel brands. I personally think the company grew too quickly and analysts put a lot of pressure on them and they forgot who the customer is. Anyway….

Good luck with day 2. You can do it! You can do it!