Happy New Decade...

Ok, ok...I know. So it's been a long time. Does my blog even know who I am anymore? Lol!

Truthfully, I just haven't felt much like writing. It's not that stuff hasn't been going on, I've just been doing more "micro blogging" so to speak, i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc. I have no other excuse. I've just not been making time to write.

Will I change? That remains to be seen, but January is always such a "Reflective Month" so here I go.

I decided to not make the typical "weight-loss" type resolution that people generally give up on by February. Instead, I opted for the "I will increase the frequency of my exercise" type resolution, which seems to be working better for me. Added to that the fact that Nintendo finally updated the Wii Fit routines to where you can customize your workout and follow a whole flow of movements & games, which is what I wanted it to do in the first place. Now I'm to the point where I do my Wii Fit Plus *almost* everyday. Therefore, I am sticking to my resolution thus far. It wasn't very hard to do because lets face it.......I am a big slacker and wasn't doing jack crap! Have I lost much weight, well, maybe not as much as I would like, but it's at least not getting higher and is decreasing very slooowly.

Today I was reading the February issue of Real Simple magazine (hello! I love this magazine! I need a subscription!) and they had a little meal list on the back of the monthly tear out calendar. Everything on it sounded good and was possibly something I would eat...so I'm going to try it for this next month. Oh, P.S. each meal = 400 calories or less!! www.realsimple.com/400calories I don't know if the meal plan is repeating for February? Because if you scroll over each day in January it is also the same recipes? It would be nice if when the Feb. calendar comes up it's new stuff to try. We'll see...meanwhile I am beginning with the January recipe list which is the following monthly menu:

Week 1:
turkey meatloaf with mashed potatoes 376 cal.
roasted shrimp with peppers and lemon 392 cal.
pork tenderloin with cabbage and apple slaw 321 cal.
gnocchi with roasted cauliflower 331 cal
chicken with spinach and mushrooms 295 cal.
steak with golden zucchini 321 cal.
ham, Gruyere, and shallot pizza 305 cal.

Week 2:
crispy chicken and garlicky collards 395 cal.
curried eggplant with tomatoes and basil 339 cal.
shrimp tacos with citrus cabbage slaw 392 cal.
asparagus and soft eggs on toast 348 cal. (this is the only one that concerns me, I may have to turn it into Eggs Benedict)
roast beef salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette 350 cal.
blackened salmon with broccoli rabe and raisins 339 cal.
roasted pork with Brussels sprouts and apricots 313 cal.

Week 3:
halibut with sugar snap pea salad 313 cal.
polenta-stuffed poblano peppers 281 cal.
quick spring lamb and vegetable stew 372 cal.
tilapia with pepper and olives 276 cal.
chicken with roasted sweet potato salad 388 cal.
spiced pork chops with red cabbage and raisins 311 cal.
white bean chili with jalapeno bulgur 269 cal.

Week 4:
steak with sauteed fennel and olives 360 cal.
pork chops with mustard sauce 364 cal.
chicken and vegetable pot pie 398 cal.
crispy fish with tomato and leek sauce 297 cal.
pierogi with sauteed red cabbage 297 cal.
chicken kebabs with chickpea salad 220 cal.
halibut with sauteed radicchio 274 cal.

Now...will I eat exactly everything on the list? Probably not, but I'm going to begin tomorrow and have made my shopping list for the week. I made a few substitutions based upon what I already have in the house. For instance, instead of buying buttermilk to mash the potatoes on tomorrow's recipe I can use regular 2% milk or even sour cream (which also equals less calories), instead of buying cabbage to go with the pork I'll use the romaine I already have in the fridge, instead of buying Gruyere cheese to go on the pizza I'll use the shredded Swiss...you get the idea. Surprisingly, once I was done, I only have 16 items on my list! Not bad! Also, I think it will help me take leftovers for lunches at school because I've not been the greatest about that. I'm only doing like 2 out of 5 days, otherwise I eat school lunch (not always that great) or go get something off campus (bad!! on the waist and the wallet!)

So, anyone want to cook (& eat) this next month with me?