Salt is my enemy!!!!

I was working on the computer, drinking a glass of V8, and I thought to myself, "I wonder if V8 juice is really good for me? Let me Google it." The results were not good. 80% of V8 juice is tomato juice with some pureed veggies I could handle that. I reached for my handy, dandy 20/30 book to check the food in the back. In the back of this book there is a list of foods I am allowed to eat, cut back on, and avoid. V8 juice had a bomb. Bomb = avoid. So sad. I bought a few containers of V8 juice thinking that this was going to be the new drink of choice; instead I made a stew with it last night. I need to concentrate on my salt intake. I feel bloated and I feel like I am retaining water.


Last night I made a stew. This stew consisted of black beans, kidney beans, onions, garlic, tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, corn, and V8 juice. I seasoned my stew with cumin, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. I tasted my stew and something was missing. I could not put my finger on it I was missing something. I opened the fridge and I saw a half of a bag of sauerkraut. Mmmmmmmm...I love sauerkraut, but in my stew....I don't know. So, I put a little bit on a spoon with the stew and yummmmmm...my stew tasted like cabbage soup. I love cabbage soup. So, I was eating a big bowl of my "steoup" (Rachel Ray term of stew and soup together) while watching "The Young and the Restless" and then it hit me...sauerkraut is so good.... sauerkraut is cabbage...that has been fermented...mmmm...sauerkraut..."SALT!!!!!!!" Oh crud!!!! Salt again...and a lot of it. So, this is my last pot of salt that I am going to eat. Pictures are still to come of the steoup.

For lunch today, I went to Wendy's because I was craving a baked potato. So, I ordered a broccoli and cheese potato and a grilled chicken sandwich. What a great lunch. I treated myself to a special treat.... food prepared for me!!!!

Bad news....

No more V8 juice for me.....too much sodium.....so sad!!!!  :(

Many pictures to add!!!

Since I have started watching my diet and the food that I am eating, I have enjoyed cooking and finding new recipes to try out.  I have really enjoyed taking pictures to add to my diary.  Here are so pictures that I wanted to add. 

Last nights dinner consisted of a chicken breast sandwich and vegetables.  I was having a strange craving last night, oh no...don't worry.  This craving was for sauteed onions and mushrooms.  I also wanted horseradish and sauerkraut.  So, I put it all together.  It was delicious.

My newest favorite drink is V8.  Today at work, I poured a glass of V8 and added some veggies to the glass along with hot sauce and pepper.  YUMMY!!!!

For dinner, I made a thin and crispy pizza.  I used the flat out wrap.

On the flat bread, I added some pizza sauce, diced tomatoes, cheese, red onion, green pepper, and mushrooms.  The pizza turned out very well.  I will make this over and over.

The finished product:

Along with the pizza, I ate some spicy bean and pulled pork chili...mm.mmm..good!!!

My phone sucks...

I am hating my phone right now.  I charge my phone each night and I lose all juice by noon, the next day.  This is messing my flow up.  I have taken a few pictures that I would like to post about a product that I bought, I guess I will have to wait until I get home tonight to upload my pictures.

I bought a few products this morning that will become a staple in my household.  The first product that I bought was Fiber One Key Lime Pie Yogurt.  I love this yogurt!!!!  I am a big fan of key lime pie and this yogurt is only 50 calories and has 5 grams of fiber.  High fiber and low calorie.

The next product that I bought, High Fiber V8 juice.  I had to decide between high fiber and hot n' spicy.  I decided to buy the high fiber, I can add my own hot sauce.  I cannot believe that I have turned my entire attitude around about tomato juice.  The only thing that I was missing....vodka!!!

The last product that I bought, Flat Outs.

For lunch, I made a turkey sandwich wrap.  The wrap tasted great, good texture and only 100 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 8 grams of fiber.  I bought the whole wheat with flax seed flatout.  Tonight, I think that I may try to make pizza. 

I love these products and they will always be in my kitchen.

Pictures to come, later tonight.

Another Monday.....

I am proud to announce that I am past the headache phase, the sugar craving phase, and the eat when I am bored phase.  I am now into the weight loss phase.  I weighed myself this morning and I was surprised, I have lost 25 pounds since January 4th.  I have been 100% dedicated to my lifestyle change and I am enjoying the change.  When planning meals, I think about the fresh produce that is in season and how I can use it.  I love coming up with ways in incorporate beans into my meals.  The most fun that I have had is coming up with new soups and chilis.  Last night I made the most wonderful chili.  The chili is called spicy bean with pulled pork.....fantastic!!!!

This chili is hearty and flavorful....I think that this is the best chili that I have ever made.  The only fat that is in this chili is the fat from the pork tenderloin that I used.  I used northern beans, tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chipotle pepper, green pepper, onions, and green chilis.  So good!!!

When I was younger, I was never a fan of tomatoes.  Lately, it seems like I am incorporating them in every meal that I eat.  Today, I went to Speedway and bought a bottle of V8 juice.  Funny how tastes change with age.

My breakfasts remain the same.  Usually, I eat oatmeal or high fiber cereal with an apple and yogurt.  Sometimes for added fiber, I eat a slice of toast.

When I have a craving for something sweet, I make hot tea.  Good Earth tea is wonderful.  Spicy and sweet is the way to go.

After I re-organized my clothes, I took some time to prepare tostadas.  I used corn tortilla and black beans, I added corn to the black beans and topped the tostadas with tomatoes, lettuce, and jalapenos.

Clothes, clothes everywhere.

I do not want to assume that most people have a closet like mine. I will assume that women have a closet like mine. My closet consists of many sizes of clothes. The range of sizes varies. My summer clothes are all around the same size; my fall and winter clothes are small and larger, no in between. Three years ago, when I lost 125 pounds, I decided to take control of my closet. I took the time to sort my clothes out and throw away the clothes that were too big. I vowed to myself that I would not become that size again. At that time, my clothes were one size, the smaller version of me. Then slowly the weight came back. One week I was able to wear my favorite jeans and sweater and two weeks later, the clothes became tighter and tighter. I had to begin to buy larger clothes and larger clothes, so my closet is back to the way it was, various sizes for various seasons. My plan for the weekend is to organize my clothes. My organization abilities will come in handy for this situation. I will organize by season and then by size. The clothes that are not in season and the clothes that do not fit will go in the basement. My mini goal is to slowly creep back into the clothes that I have bought within the last three years. I will set mini goals for myself...each time I open up a smaller container of clothes, I am one step closer to a new me.


My meals have remained healthy and balanced. The only part of the equation missing is the exercise. After I get my clothes situation under control, I will have more room to move in my bedroom which means I will be able to workout in there.

My breakfast, on Thursday, included high fiber oatmeal, cottage cheese, and pineapple.

My lunch was delicious.  Chicken salad, sliced cucumber, and lentil soup.

The dinner that I made last night was fantastic and healthy.  I have to say that I eat tons of chicken.  Last week, I bought a bag of Troyer chicken.  Oh my, I love it!!!

Wendy's and Subway.....

I have not had fast food in 20 days.  No french fries, no cheeseburgers, no soda, basically no terrible food.  Last night, for dinner, I went to Wendy's.  I ordered a plain baked potato and a small chili.  That was my dinner.  For an evening snack, I made an eggbeater sandwich with basil and tomato.  So, I ate Wendy's.  I ate fast food, but is Wendy's considered fast food?  Yes, there is a drive thru and in one minute or less the food is in the car.  When I say "fast food", in my mind, I am thinking Big Mac, fries, McNuggets, and a shake.  Or I think about a nacho bell grande or a chili cheese burrito.  My dinner calories that I ate measured at 470 with 6 grams of fat, and 12 grams of fiber.  Not too bad, plus my dinner was pretty good.  So, yes I ate at a fast food restaurant, but I did not eat fast food.  There is another place that I can think of that I do not consider fast food, Subway.  7 of their 6inch subs have under 6 grams of fat.  I would have no problem with eating Subway everyday.  I love it!!!  That is not going to happen.  I am going to continue to eat at home 95% of the time.  I cannot wait to start my garden. 

I had a delicious lunch today.  I ate the rest of my spinach/bean soup and I ate 2 corn tortillas filled with black beans and corn.  YUMMY!!!!

Yummy!!!!

My delicious lunch!!!!

Turkey sandwich on wheat with tomato and lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, and bean an d spinach soup.

A pleasant surprise!!!!

This weekend I went shopping with my mom.  I have not been shopping, for myself, in a while.  I have been under some stress lately and finals were going on, I thought that shopping would be therapy for me.  I am happy that I went shopping because I was able to get away from some issues and focus on me.  I had so much fun.  Whenever my mom and I go shopping, it is not good.  Sales, sales, sales!!!!!  I found 2 pairs of pants, 2 sweaters, and 1 shirt for $50.00!!!!  I love end of season sales!!!!  Looking at the sizes, I did not want to buy what I wear because I am focusing on healthy eating.  The pants I purchased are a size smaller.  The sweaters and shirts, I too purchased a smaller size.  As I was at the counter, I was thinking that I would have to wait for a week or two to fit into everything. 

I went home with my bag of goodies and put it in the closet.  Saturday night went by, Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, and then last night I thought to myself, "maybe I should try the clothes on to see how much work I have to do."  To my surprise.....the clothes fit!!!!  I am so stoked!!!!!  Something is working!!!!

Healthy eating, no fast food, and food journal is working!!!! 

Tried a few dishes!!

This weekend, i tried made a few dishes that I foind online.  The first recipe was Spinach and Northern Bean Soup.  The soup came out very well.  The northern beans made the soup hearty and the spinach was fantastic.  I added some peas and tomatoes.  SOOOO GOOD!!!!

The reason why I wanted to make this soup, I knew that it would last me at least four days. 

I find that my most comforting lunch is a bowl of soup and a turkey sandwich with tomato and lettuce.

Another recipe that I made this weekend, Black Bean and Corn salad.  I added some tomatoes, jalapenos, and red peppers.

I made a chicken breast and made a salad.  YUMMY!!!!!

One last thing that I made was a breakfast sandwich with egg beaters, basil, tomato, turkey, and a bun.

For lunch today, I made tacos!!!! With the black bean and corn salad.

I was busy this weekend.....Good fun and good times!!!

Cleaning out the pantry and freezer

I tend to buy items from the grocery store over and over again, not realizing that I already have that food at home. I have decided to clean out my pantry and freezer before I go shopping. Last night, I made an interesting meal. I had a can of black-eyed peas, a box of whole-wheat couscous, frozen broccoli, fresh green beans, garlic, shallots, asparagus, and low sodium chicken broth. I put all of the ingredients together and here is what I came up with....

When I was younger I hated brussel sprouts, tomotoes, and asparagus.  Every year I try those food items to see if my tastes have changed with age.  I am fond of tomatoes and just recently became a fan of brussel sprouts.  I still HATE asparagus.  I tried it last night and it was no good.  I think that I may prepare the asparagus differently next time.  Anyway, my meal was a success and I found all the ingredients in the freezer and the pantry.  I am planning on trying 2 new recipes this weekend!!!!  YIPEY!!!!

I am so EXCITED!!!!!

I have decided to plant a garden this spring. I plan on going to Barnes and Noble and buy a book about creating a vegetable garden. I am so excited!!! I find myself eating tons of fruits and vegetables. There is nothing like tasting food directly from the garden. I remember going to my Aunt Shirley and Uncle Bob's house as a child and eating cucumbers for lunch. Whenever I eat a fresh cucumber, I remember that time and the freshness of the cucumber and the juiciness. So, instead of spending money at the grocery store, I would like to try to grow my own.


I came up with a list of the vegetables that I eat the most of lettuce, spinach, onion, cucumbers carrots, radishes green beans, peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes. I may not try all of these veggies, but this is my list. I would like to try to plant some type of fruit, maybe a strawberry pot...mmmm.... strawberries!!!!! On the inside of my house, I am going to create an herb garden. I am going to try to go fresh always. I know that it takes time for a garden to grow, so I plan on shopping at the farmer's market instead of the grocery store. Fresh, fresh, fresh.... that is the way to go.

I would like this activity to become a hobby for my son and me. I think that Scott would love to help mommy in the garden. An added plus to our new hobby, I will be promoting healthy eating. I cannot wait to get started!!!!

Last night for dinner I made a chicken breast and mixed vegetables. Boring, I know...I made a chicken breast sandwich with a side of veggies. Delicious, but boring :)

I am going to try a couple new recipes this weekend that I found in Elie Krieger's cookbook,

"The Food You Crave."

I HEART HER!!!!!

Last picture.....Diet Swiss Miss with Adam Carolla

So Far.....so good....

Today is January 13th. I have not had fast food, only 3 cans of caffeine free diet soda, I have created many new dishes, and I have not caved. The one issue that I am still having is dealing with exercise. I am slow on getting an exercise regiment in order. I am embracing the vegetable. Last night I made a wonderful chicken stir-fry. I used brown rich and 8 oz of boneless chicken breast. I was in a mood for green vegetables; I used green beans, green peppers, bok choy, peas, green onions, and carrots. I used low sodium light soy sauce and a Korean stir-fry sauce. OH MY...the best stir-fry that I ever had. It was so good that I forgot to take a picture from dinner and from lunch. Bummer...the meal was delicious. I could have put more high fiber vegetables in the mixture and I should have taken a picture.


I am thinking for dinner this evening that I am going to have chicken with broccoli and spinach. Sounds boring but it is left over’s. I have chicken legs in the freezer that I am going to thaw out. I feel like creating my own sauce for the legs.

I have experimented and one experiment went somewhat wrong. I made broccoli slaw. I used the dressing that goes into carrot salad.... I figured that it would taste good.... I think I should have used carrots. It was ok. Not the best, I still ate it.

Looks good....tasted...well....ok.

Fat and Fiber

I found my plan and food that I can see myself eating and NOT get bored. There are so many diet books on the shelves at the local bookstore. So many choices and so much confusion. What is the right one? Which one will work the best? What should I do? Many, many years ago I joined weight watchers with my mom. At that time, there was a plan called Fat and Fiber. I lost 70 pounds in 3 months and I loved that plan. The weight watchers plan is similar to the 20/30 book that I own. Here are the ways to lose weight:


· Eat all the fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and beans that I want.

· Eat no more than 20 grams of fat per day.

· Eat at least 30 grams of dietary fiber each day.

· Limit foods made with refined flour, and other low fiber foods.

· Reward yourself...(this is my favorite part)...If I follow the program faithfully for nineteen out of twenty-one meals, enjoy two "free" meals. Have reasonable-sized portions of whatever you want.

I can eat fruits and vegetables all day plus I am a fan of high fiber foods. This seems plan seems realistic plus I am able to apply the knowledge that I learned from Jillian's and Dr. Oz's book. I am feeling good. I am sleeping better. All is right with the world since I am eating better. It is amazing how change of diet and viewpoint can affect someone's overall attitude about life.



For breakfast this morning I ate 1/2 grapefruit, high fiber oatmeal, and a blackberry/blueberry smoothie.

For lunch, I have a Kashi Sweet and Sour Chicken meal, spinach salad, and a starfruit!!!!

Weekends.....

Weekends are always a trying time for me. When I am not working at the golf course, I am usually home hanging with the family. That means that I have a lot of free time on my hands and a kitchen full of snacks. I have tried to cut down on the snacks that I have bought recently, but those darn donuts are always in my house. Usually every morning, on the weekend, my boyfriend or myself makes breakfast. The breakfast usually consists of meat, eggs, and pancakes or waffles. YUCK, right? Well, this weekend, I did not cook and I skipped breakfast both days. That was not a good idea at all. My weekday eating habits are like clockwork. My weekend eating schedule is horrible. This is something that I have to work on. The good news is that I weighed myself on Sunday morning and I weigh less than I did when I went to the doctor on Dec. 12th. I am sure that with holiday eating and eating because I wanted to, I gained 5 pounds. So.... yeah me!!!!




I started keeping track of my fat and fiber grams along with calories. I want to consume 20 grams of fat and at least 30 grams of fiber daily. I am following the plan out of a 20/30 book that I have previously written about. I am eating all natural, organic, and focusing on dark leafy greens; just like Jillian mentions in her book. I am creating 4 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that I will rat on a regular basis and exercise at least 30 minutes a day just like Dr. Oz mentioned in his book. All of the changes that I have made make sense to me and I am ready to be accountable. I know my weight, as of yesterday, and I am ready to start shedding.

I made a fantastic dinner last night. I found the recipe off of The Food Network website. The name of the recipe is Poached Eggs on top of sweet potato and herbed turkey hash. OMG.... this was amazing. I used chicken instead of turkey and I added a batch of fresh spinach to the pot. YUMMY!!!

This picture is what the main ingredients of the recipe.                Here is the final result.....so delicious!!!!

I made enough to have leftovers for lunch today and I have a chicken breast left for dinner this evening!!  Score!!!

My breakfast consisted of high fiber oatmeal, 1/2 grapefruit, and a smoothie....

What to do.....what to do??

OK, I am into day 5 of eating healthy and I have kicked the sugar habit. The sugar withdraw headaches are gone and my appetite has lessoned. No food after 9, drinking tons of water, and eating natural foods. Now, what do I do?


One thing that I have to work into my schedule is exercise. When I begin a new routine, like exercise or tanning, I become addicted. The addiction to food is gone and I pick up another addiction. I chose not to begin exercising until the second week of a healthy Adrienne because I did not want to over sue myself. Going through sugar withdrawal is bad enough, but starting an exercise regiment at the same time, not a good idea. So.... this weekend I am beginning. I am hoping that my exercise schedule will consist of a light work out at 5:00am, before work and then a harder workout after work. When the weather is nicer, I will continue to take my 2-15 minute walks on my break and a 30-minute walk on my lunch. I am holding myself accountable for this to happen. I will begin with morning stretch and Slim in 6, to start out. I am ready for this. I have tons on clothes in my closet that I was able to fit in to a couple years ago, I envision myself back into those clothes by May.

The next issue that I have, what do I focus on? There are many diets and self-help books for anyone needed assistance with losing weight, which one is the right one? I love Jillian’s concept of her book, I just do not think that I am able to cut out EVERYTHING. Plastic bags, containers, bottles.... I just do not think that is realistic for me, right now. I am eating natural, organic foods.... I love the recipes, but I do not know if I can follow her word. I love Dr. Oz and his YOU on a diet.... I love that book. I also have another book that is called the 20/30 Diet, which is low fat and high fiber. I have had success with that before. There is Weight Watchers, Adkins, South Beach, Kimkins, and many more. My head is spinning from all of the options. Which one is right? So, I think that I am going to incorporate 3 books into my diet, which are, Jillian’s, Dr. Oz, and 20/30. I am all for healthy, organic, and natural foods. These types of foods taste better and are full of nutrients. Whole grains and high fiber foods are some of my favorite. Fruits and vegetables are the staples of any balanced diet. Dairy, I will keep at a minimum along with red meat. Natural, organic, high fiber, low fat, and daily exercise seems like the best option for me.

For breakfast today I ate Vanilla Kashi GoLean oatmeal, 1/2 of a grapefruit, 1/2 whole wheat bagel, and water.  I love oatmeal and it is very healthy.  Every breakfast is going to involve oatmeal!!!

My lunch was yummy as well.  I had a turkey burger, that was left over from last night.  Along with that, I had a salad and lentil soup.  YUMMY!!!!! 

Lunch and dinner and SNOW.....

Today, I am obsessed with writing this blog.  Thought I would share a picture of the snow from today.

This is a view from my office.....how nice!!!

I enjoyed a delicious lunch of a turkey sandwich with tomato and lettuce along with carrot sticks and a pickle.

For dinner this evening I made turkey stuffed burgers with roasted sweet potatoe fries and brussel sprouts.

The turkey burger is stuffed with cheese and on a thin bun.

I feel great since I have cut out bad food and pop.  I did drink a caffeine free diet Mug Root Beer.  It did not taste good at all.  I perfer water.  Another thing that I have not drank is coffee.  Amazing, I know.  Coffee just does not taste as good without sugar and cream. 

Afternoon tea with Tchaikovsky

I wanted to share what I have just experienced.....a delicious cup of Stash Organic Honeybush Caffeine Free tea with a stick on honey.......mmmmm....mmmmmm.....good!!!!  In the background, on my ipod, The Best of Tchaikovsky.....

It's snowing!!!!

I love snow!!!! I have lived in South Bend, Indiana for 33 years. A chance of lake effect snow is hit or miss and that is what I am used to. I would think that everyone else who lived here would be used to it also. I am so tired of hearing people talk about how much they hate winter and the snow. I wonder why people feel this way?? Why do these people live here?? They could move a few hours south and not see as much snow. Why complain? I had to ask myself that question yesterday. I find myself being negative and I that is not my intention. Do situations in our lives make us negative thus causing us to complain? I tend to be more negative in the winter. The negativity is not caused by the cold, winter months but that it is not golf season. My second job is like a vacation and a way for me to unwind. I love working at Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame. LOVE IT!!!! Off-season caused my wallet to be thinner and I do not have a chance to collect my thoughts the way that I would normally like. I find myself complaining and being negative mostly at home. It is not right and I should be a better person and become more aware of my issues. I should not push my negativity on my family. I may not be one of the people that I was speaking about earlier, but I am being hypocritical. I am in the same routine as the other people complaining about snow every year. I need to figure out a way for me to take this negativity and wash it away.




I did not post yesterday due to technical difficulties. Today I am back and ready to share the two new meals that I made. Chipotle Beef is the name of a recipe that I found in Jillian's book. The meal turned out wonderfully. Yesterday, I brought the left over’s to work along with some split pea soup and drank water.

I bought some romaine and added broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cucumbers, and mozzarella cheese to the beef that I had made. I used a fantastic roasted red pepper salad dressing made by Annie's. Fantastic.


The dinner that I prepared was also a new recipe, a healthy version of huevos rancheros. I bought all natural corn tortillas, organic black beans, Newman's Own black bean and corn salsa, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. To top off my tortillas, I poached two eggs. YUMMY!!! I love a good poached egg. Baked tortilla scoops and salsa accompanied my meal last night.

For breakfast this morning, I was boring. I had a slice of whole-wheat toast with all natural peanut butter, Greek yogurt, and a blueberry smoothie.

Funny thing.... I find myself relaxed and calm while I am writing this blog. Maybe I should focus on posting more.