Veggies, Anyone?

    

     It's been no secret to friends especially those I'm in contact with on Facebook that recently I've been taking measures to lose weight. Yes, a measly 5lbs is all I'm aiming to lose because my ideal figure for a woman is one with curves and some meat on the bones. But the overall look needs some uplifting. Sure, I've always been comfortable with my body no matter what weight but I want to go back to the days when the self confidence matched the physical appearance.

     I can be quite diligent when it comes to exercise but dieting is a challenge that has never been seriously taken on. It's easy enough to understand. Who doesn't love delicious food? It's the biggest of life's little pleasures. Family and friends bond over food. We frequently have veggies at home but more so with pork. I have weekly lunch or breakfast and sometimes both with friends. And having three different sets of friends doesn't help. Well, it does wonders for my inner self but my outer self bears the hard evidence of all the calories piled on.

     All I planned to do was exercise so I could continue to enjoy food but a month of doing regular exercise didn't make me lose even a pound of weight. Sure, muscles were getting toned here and there but I longed to see the desired number on the weighing scale more than anything else. While the resolve was made to eat healthier, the next obstacle was what to eat that's both healthy and filling to keep my mind off food.

     A couple of weeks ago we started eating healthier. It was pretty frustrating at first that while the recipes online and in books were simple and easy, finding the ingredients here was not. But keeping in mind that vegetables are healthy and fish and chicken were better choices for meat, it's a workable obstacle. I haven't been paying mind to the actual calorie count though.

Grilled herbed chicken with beans and yellow capsicum from a recipe of Rachel Ray. I had low-salt soy sauce with drops of sesame oil and lime for dip. 

   

 

Broccoli and Garlic Pasta without any meat was surprisingly well-received by the kids.

 http://www.food.com/slideshow/healthy-dinner-recipes-159/broccoli-garlic-pasta-5

Salad with grilled chicken with mangoes and veggies and my made-up recipe of pesto and light mayonnaise dressing

     The show Asia's Next Top Model was on and I almost forgot to take a photo. Good thing we still had some left. For the kids I added pasta because they still need their carbohydrates.

     So far so good. By doing this and exercise, we're also setting an example for our daughter that there is a healthier way to lose weight and get in shape. It takes a lot of discipline and on times when I could have fallen off the wagon, my body actually wouldn't take more than what it has gotten used to.

     

   

Deep, Dark, Dramatic

      I've been in hibernation mode for quite a long time. I know being out all the time and engaging in all sorts of activities wouldn't have put me off writing and sharing anything that went on. But for some reason, I felt like stepping back for some quiet time and instead indulged in reading.


    I've always loved to read and the selection vary from realistic fiction to paranormal and ranging from kiddie books to grown up ones. Sometimes my kids require me to read books that they've read too. What's consistent though is how my mood affects my reading choices and so for these past few weeks, it's all been deep and sometimes dark books.

 

 

I've recently discovered Diane Chamberlain's books. If you love Jodi Picoult's books, then you'll definitely love her.  Enough said. 

I read three of her books in a row. Once I get hooked on an author or her books, I try to have everything she's written. This is probably the biggest advantage of owning a Kindle. It allows me to carry so many books at one time that I can read one right after the other. 

Sister of Silence is by an author I didn't know but this was one of the free ebooks available for download on Amazon and had great reviews. This book is about a woman who was a rape victim who ended up marrying her rapist. Her ordeal with her husband went on for several years until she finally found her feet and had the courage to seek help. 

 

 

 

 

 I just happened upon this book and being in the mood that I was in, I found this interesting. I had to skim through some parts that dragged (scientific explanations) because I was in a rush to get to the bottom of it all.

 

 

 

A big favorite of mine too is Lisa Gardner. I think I have all of her books and as soon as she has a new one out, I get a copy. Her books are crime thrillers which never fail to fascinate and get me hooked.

The most recent one I finished just today and already I'm wanting more of her books. 

 

I should start reading something light to bring up my mood again and a couple of Jodi Picoult books are beckoning. Hmm, we'll see..