I missed getting a blog in last night, but it was for a good reason! Yesterday was our 15 year wedding anniversary and we had a big meal to cook (still completely within the diet), some relaxing on the couch, and a Scrubs marathon to watch (“Eeeaaagggggllllllle!”)…and later, after the channel Scrubs was on went out, we really went all out and switched over to Happy Gilmore. We started dating in college in early 1999, so if we really want to get technical, we’ve actually been together 19 years!

Yesterday was a good diet day, my energy is coming back up, the absence of caffeine isn’t bothering me at all, and the other family members are hanging in there with me. I’ve noticed my teenagers falling asleep much faster and seem to be getting better quality of sleep– parenting win!

Breakfast was my favorite Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie. Lunch was a recipe I have made several times before, Roasted Garlic Chicken Salad. Soooooo, good, and even better the next day after it’s marinated in the fridge overnight! I had mine over a bed of chopped romaine, with a side of half of a cucumber and an orange.

My husband received a new smoker for Christmas, so he busted it out yesterday and smoke a beef roast and a bone-in turkey breast. As lifelong Kansans, we are natural barbecue snobs, so for us to say it turned out good…well, then you know it was good. I made a power salad as our side for the meal, although the kids also reheated some leftover mashed potatoes from the night before. The power salad is a good hearty side that I’ve made several times before — Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad. Only I don’t use the dressing listed in the salad recipe, I always opt for this Honey Lime Vinaigrette, so much more flavor.

This weekend is going to pose several dieting challenges. In addition to running a daycare, I am also a T&T gymnastics judge (trampoline and tumbling). Tomorrow, I will be judging a meet all day at Wichita State University. Most of the time, judges have very little time to eat, or we eat right at the judging table during the events. Although the hospitality rooms at the meets usually have great food, most often it is not diet-friendly. While my daycare kiddos are still napping, I need to prep and weigh all snacks and foods to take with me for tonight and the entire day tomorrow. AND it going to have to be things that don’t need to be heated, I have no idea if I’ll have access to a microwave. So, challenge accepted, I can do this!

Well, time to refill my ice water, sharpen my knives, clean off my kitchen scale, and get to chopping and weighing. This is the year this weight will be gone, and gone for good. I’m sure I’ll have slips ups along the way, but there’s no excuse for tomorrow when I have the whole afternoon right now to prepare. Until I post again tonight…later y’all.

~~ Amie