Madonna Arms -- the ones from 10 years ago...

I'm not a big fan of her music, I don't own any Madonna CDs, but I have always loved her arms.

Not the arms in that recent picture of her, with skin stretched over bone and muscle (which I've heard was p-shopped anyway) yuck! But these arms --------------------->

I've always wanted the Madonna arms of yesteryear, and so I'm doing this workout. Hope it works!

About broth...

Vegan broth, so low in calories! but really, it's pretty much just flavored water and doesn't really stick to the ribs, ya know? I also had to drink the whole box to feel full. That can get expensive, especially when I was hungry again about an hour later.

Today I purchased a small container of Seitenbacher vegetarian (vegan actually) broth, which has about 40 servings for about $5, and I have to say....thank GOD for TJs....Healthy 8 chopped veggie mix - broccoli, carrots, green cabbage, red cabbage, jicama, green bell pepper, radish, and celery - a nice 16 oz container all chopped up and ready to throw into anything -- which is what I did, add whatever seasonings are on hand, and a bit of my favorite hot sauce -- I crumbled in some fresh crimini mushrooms too - and VOILA!

It's fast, it's easy, it's yummy, and it's only about 50 calories for the whole pot! (that's only 1 weight watcher's point!). Maybe I'll go wild later and add some beans!

I drink lots of broth

to take the weight off
at first i had some misgivings

as I drank the whole quart
satisfaction was short
and my patience for diet was thinning

I decided to chop
fresh cut veggies in the pot
Now this is a diet for living!

Guinea Pigs Eating Watermelon

Yucky Choice

I've now tried three different Healthy Choice entrees -- and boy do I use that word loosely. First of all, they keep you full for, like, an hour. Second the pasta tastes like hardened pencil erasers and the vegetables turn into gelatinous goo.

Real food is the only answer!! I had a humongous bowl of roasted brussels sprouts the other night that were like a little piece of heaven. Take off the leafy bit on the outside, cut them in half, and toss them in a bowl with a little olive oil. Then spread them on a cookie sheet and cook them at 350 for about a half-hour, and halfway through, sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar on them. Omigod! If this sounds suspiciously similar to my roasted-chickpea recipe, except for the vinegar, it's because it is. But hey, if you've got a good thing going, work it!! I'm trying it with eggplant and squash next.

New month, new conviction

I feel like I've let the team down a bit--I sort of limped through October, improving my eating habits marginally but not relly making the all-out effort I need to make to really get back into shape (and my clothes). But November has started off better, and I'm going to try to stay on the wagon -- and get back on right away if I fall off. It's not the falling down that gets you -- it's the staying down.

So I'm on board for real now! I feel like a contrite spouse who stayed out all night and got drunk again and is like, no, really, honey, this time I'll really behave! But I will.

Roasted vegetables are my new saviour!

Nice spread

Mustard mixed with a bit of plain goat's milk yogurt and seasonings
makes a nice dressing or sandwich spread....
but I'm afraid they were wrong, I still miss my mayo.

Computer crash

craving tandoori,
masala, and poori
and dishes that I cannot spell

when I called tech support
they did not fall short
and my taste buds were outsourced as well

Spicing things up...

Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning - $1.99 - comes in its own grinder.

Ingredients: Sea salt - Mustard seed - Black peppercorns - Coriander - Onion - Garlic - Paprika - Chili pepper - omg it makes anything taste delicious.

I just put it on my poached eggs with 1 slice of Ezekiel bread, and it made 5 points taste like 10!

Thank you Trader Joe's!

What's the points?

I thought...oh, it's just espresso with some soy milk, how bad could that be? But I looked up my Starbucks soy latte, and it turns out to be 4.5 points!!! That's a freakin' meal! Bye Bye soy latte, I shall miss you. Good thing it's early enough in the day to compensate. 17.5 (+5 bonus) points to go! I'm hungry.

Ode to Knowing What's Good For You

Apricots love me,
Apples adore me,
Spinach and carrots can't do enough for me!
My love of chocolate is quite unrequited;
I fear a marriage would soon be benighted.
So, as the tiger might say to the antelope,
You know I love you but dear, we just canteloupe.

The last hideous shopping experience. That's my promise to myself!

So yesterday I'm in Macy's, looking for a dress for a wedding in Michigan in two weeks, and I'm trying them on and looking into the full-length mirror -- something I have studiously avoided doing these past few months. Then I headed back out onto the sales floor and looked at the little icons. "Dresses." "Suits." "Casualwear." Not a one said what I was looking for: "Cyanide Capsules."

After a good cry, I vowed that this would be my last shopping experience like this. I haven't been great at sticking to my diet this past week, but yesterday I was officially Scared Straight. So a big "I Hate You/Thank You!" shout-out to Macy's!!