Food wise I am still struggling. We ate out several times again last week - but we made progress in that we ate at home more meals than we ate out (there are many weeks in our lives this is not true, except for my 5 yr old who always eats at home). I have noticed I am less hungry lately, not sure if it is because I am so busy with everything or just the heat - either is fine with me! I had noticed that I was falling back into the pop routine - hubby would pick up dinner and grab a Coke for us to share, or he got a Coke when we went to the McD playplace with the kids - and very quickly curbed it. I have been relying on Vitamin Water for the times I desperately want something that isn't just water (or water flavored with fresh fruit) and was happy when I discovered that you can get smaller sized bottles of it.
My proudest accomplishment this week is my launch party, which was last night! The entire menu was vegan - artichoke and walnut pesto, garlic white bean dip, bruschetta, spinach artichoke dip (no dairy - WAY less calories than the traditional dish), stuffed shells with arrabbiata sauce, and two types of cupcakes (our standard imitation hostess and then a spiced cupcake with vanilla bean frosting and date maple carmel drizzle). For the most part, the food was a hit - I probably scared people a bit since there was garlic in everything but the cupcakes - which made me happy since only one friend at the party is even a vegetarian. I didn't HAVE to make a vegan menu for the party, but I have been attempting to incorporate more vegetarian options into our household and it was a great way to test new recipes. Plus, despite only having a week to prepare, my demonstration went fairly well (I relied on cue cards for a lot of it - but 30+ products in less than a week is a bit much). I had two guests interested in hosting a party later this year (YAY) and another that would like to host once her littlest is a wee bit older (he will be one two days after I turn 37)!
I am determined to keep on track this week! We are going to a birthday party for my neice today - so I am bringing the leftovers from my launch party so that I munch on that stuff instead of chips and dip (because, like most families, everything revolves around food). Hubby and I are also figuring out the menu for the week today vs trying to come up with something each day off the top of heads, which never works. If I can stay on track with food choices and still make it to the gym 3-4 days this week, I am certain to drop another two pounds this week. Pretty soon, all these li