Sometimes you need a pick-me-up....the 200 cal Pumpkin Spice Latte

I was out running some errands tonight (mostly going to Trader Joes...more on that over the course of the week) and was just feeling kind of blah. Eating healthier is great; and I'm seeing and feeling the changes with my body, but it can also be a bit of a downer emotionally. Sure, its great to know that I've lost weight but I also miss some of the comfort foods that I haven't had in a month. I know...everything in moderation...but for now, having foods like ice cream and pasta or pizza would not be good for me. Someday I'll get back to them with a new mindset.

So, enough about that. Like I was saying, I was out running errands and feeling kind of blah when I remembered that I saw on the Starbucks website that there is a way to have a 200 calorie Pumpkin Spice Latte. For those of you who know me, you know that I love pretty much anything pumpkin and definitely love a pumpkin spice latte. It's practically a sign of Fall for me. In past years, I'd have one of these a week if not more often. Since I've been watching what I'm eating and drinking more closely I thought that this seasonal delight was off the menu.

But, that is not the case! According to the Starbucks Website, there is a way to make it happen. Now, this isn't something to do every day, but it is a nice treat once in a while. If you get a Tall made with skim milk and leave off the whipped cream the drink is only 200 calories. And, to be honest, I don't miss the whole milk or the whipped cream. The drink is just that good.

I finished the latte on my drive home and am feeling better. Its amazing how food can mess with our mental state as much as it can, but that's something to discussed on another post I think.

So, as a once in a while treat, its well worth the calories.

Update and New Product Discussion (Archer Farms Freeze Dried Strawberries)

Like I said in my earlier post, I plan to keep up this blog with discussion on how my weight loss / getting in shape is coming along. At this week's weigh in, I was down another 2.5 lbs. I'm very happy with this number as it's around what is recommended for healthy reduction in weight. I'm pretty sure that I'm also building up some muscle mass but I won't know for certain until I have a body fat text next week.

When I started this, I had one of the trainers at the gym measure my body fat and take circumference measurements around my arms, chest, waist, and thigh. Next Wednesday will be 5 weeks so I figured it would be a good time for an update. I know that the waist and thigh sizes went down since I've been able to wear some jeans that were put away a few months ago for being too small. Major Win there!

So, onto new product discussion... I wish I had a picture but I forgot to take one before I threw out the package and I can't find one online. Google and the Target website aren't helping either. Anyway, these are just what they claim to be...freeze dried strawberries. The only thing listed on the ingredient list is strawberries so there are no extra chemicals or preservatives and no added sugar. They advertise the bag as 1 serving but I've been splitting it up among bowls of oatmeal, cups of yogurt, and a snack right out of the bag. The whole bag has only 90 calories and covers 3 servings for fruit (for those keeping track with the food pyramid daily intake recommendations).

I think the bag costs around $2.50 so it is a bit on the high side for its weight but I think its worth it. The strawberries retain their sweetness and color and will be a great way to add fruit to dishes in the middle of winter when the stuff at the grocery store tastes pretty bland. If you are trying to find it, the Target stores in my area have it located with the bags of trail mix.

No new food to report...mostly

So, as I've been told by some of my friends, I haven't updated this blog in quite some time. To be honest, I haven't been cooking much stuff that I find really inspirational and worth posting. And there is a bit of a reason why I haven't been making things like that. If you look over the blog, there are a fair number of desserts or at least not overly healthy things. That's what I really enjoy making. Unfortunately, my body doesn't agree that these are what I should be eating. It took some time, but I finally admitted to myself that I should agree.

So I've been working out much more lately and being more mindful of what I'm eating (and most importantly how much I'm eating). I've been recording everything I eaten for the past 4 weeks and it has really been an eye opener on just how much I've been overeating. Now, I'm not starving myself nor denying myself anything, but I'm just having less. I've lost some weight which is great, but what's even better is that I feel better.

I'm going to continue with the food diary for at least another 6 weeks and see how things are looking then. I hope to maintain this blog a bit more over that time. It will be good for me to share my progress and talk about how things are going.

As the title said, I did want to mention at least something food related. In this month's issue of Everyday Food there is a recipe for Roasted Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup.

The first time I made it, I followed the recipe and it turned out wonderful. For the second batch, I added a roasted red pepper to mix and blended that up to add to the soup. It was a welcome addition. One of the great things about this soup (and most soups) is that its only around 200 calories for a 2 cup serving. Its also very hearty so you feel pretty full after eating it. Oh, and its pretty cheap to make since it uses bone in chicken thighs which are usually low prices and butternnut squash which is in season right now.