National Pancake Day This Week!

Tuesday, March 1st is the celebration of National Pancake Day at IHOP!  Come in 7 AM – 4 PM and enjoy a FREE short stack of pancakes!  You can also make a donation on your way out to support kids in your community.

Enjoy!

My Cool Symphony Event

I’ve always been a big fan of the symphony.  I’m a season ticket holder for both the Symphonic series and POPS series of performances, and I just renewed for next season, as well.  It’s my requested annual Mother’s Day gift!

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra did the coolest concert last Sunday. We got to watch the entire film, Back to the Future, on a big pull-down screen over the stage while the symphony performed the full musical score for the film live while the movie played.  It was so cool!  And outside the Bass Performance Hall, they had the signature DeLorean on display.  Check this out!

Now this movie is from 1985 when I was in middle school, so this was a real blast from the past for me!  I really enjoyed it.  It was nice to see Michael J. Fox still in his prime, too, before Parkinson’s disease plagued his life.

I really had a great time, and I love it when the symphony plays live music to an accompanying film.  It’s a real treat!  I remember that one year, they did music to classic silent films, as well, and that was pretty cool.

Here’s to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra!

Valentine’s Day Deals

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here are some dining deals you can enjoy with your special valentine.

Auntie Anne’s: Pretzel Perks loyalty members get a “buy one, get one free Chocolate Frost” frozen beverage when ordering in-store or online using the Auntie Anne’s app.

California Pizza Kitchen: Starting at $40, there is a Sweet Deal for Two dine-in promotion. It includes an appetizer, two entrees and a dessert.

Chick-fil-A: Participating restaurants will have special Valentine’s Day trays, which include 30 nuggets and 10 chick-n-minis in the shape of a heart. Check with your local restaurant to confirm.

Cinnabon: “Bachelor” fans can try the Fantasy Sweet Bundle, which includes two classic rolls and two Cinnamon Roll flavored Cold Brew Iced Coffee drinks, starting at $15. The deal includes free delivery on all $15+ orders placed on the Cinnabon app, website and DoorDash (for first-time users).

Dunkin’: Their Valentine’s Day lineup has been available since Feb. 2 this year and includes two classic donuts: Brownie Batter and Cupid’s Choice.

McDonald’s: Celebrate “Galentine’s Day” on Feb. 13 with a “Calling All Besties” promo. For $5, get any two Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, 10 piece Chicken McNuggets or Filet-O-Fish when you order in the app.

Outback Steakhouse: There is a Valentine’s Day four-course special starting at $54 a person. The menu includes a grilled shrimp or Barbie appetizer, two side salads, two entrees and cheesecake.

Papa John’s: Get a one-topping heart-shaped pizza for $11.99.

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse: Treat your someone special to a night out with an elevated, prix fixe experience. Enjoy world-class hospitality and service with a special romantic meal for two, available all week. Join us February 11-20 and enjoy Ruth's Chris on your time. Celebrating at home? We've got you covered. You can still enjoy our Tenderloin for Two offer no matter where you choose to celebrate when you order takeout. TENDERLOIN FOR TWO: enjoy a complete meal for two including starters, an entrée, personal sides & shareable dessert

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Wendy’s Food Deals for February

If you use the Wendy’s app to order your food, you can get more sweet deals during the month of February as Wendy’s continues to roll out Free Fridays.  Here’s what’s in store for you for the rest of this month:

• February 11: Get a free Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger with the purchase of a medium order of fries. 
  
• February 18: Get 150 bonus points in the reward program with the purchase of a large order of fries. (That’s enough points to unlock a free small Frosty).
  
• February 25: Get a free six-piece order of Spicy or Crispy Nuggets with the purchase of a medium order of fries.

Remember that you must order in the Wendy’s app to take advantage of these special deals. 

Enjoy!

How 21 Day Fix is Working for Us and Our Latest COVID Scare

Monday will make 3 weeks…the full 21 days of 21 Day Fix.  I still have 2 days to go, but as of today, Saturday, I have lost 3.6 pounds so far!  I can’t even remember the last time I saw this weight on the scale…I’m at 134.4 right now.  My goal is to get back down to 128 like I was before my shoulder surgery.  Steve has lost about 8 pounds!  He’s not even doing the workouts…just eating the same portions as me on the nutrition plan.  Oh, to be a man!  Weight loss is so much more challenging for women…especially at age 50! 

Speaking of being age 50…I missed a cycle for the first time in probably 37 years!  That really caught me off guard, especially since I’m still on birth control pills.  So coupled with the night sweats and hot flashes I was having last summer and fall, I’m guessing I’ve officially entered perimenopause!  That really does add another difficult challenge to losing weight, but I’m in this for the long haul.  I already feel better.  I’ve lost all that belly bloat I was experiencing, and even less than 3 weeks into the exercise program using lots of modifications and super light weights, I’m already feeling so much firmer pretty much everywhere.  I can’t weight to take my measurements on Monday morning and see how many inches I’ve lost!  That’s where you can really see the progress…not so much on the scale.

I took a picture of our dinner tonight so I could show you an example of what a meal would look like.  This was delicious!  The portions are pretty big…you definitely don’t go hungry.  In fact, sometimes, we don’t even get all of our containers in, but we do our best to stick to the program as written.  This salmon dinner tonight was 1 red container (1 protein serving), 1 yellow container (1 carb serving), and 1 green container (1 vegetable serving).  It was a lot more food than I’d typically have in a meal on my own, but it does leave you feeling full and satisfied.  Our evening snack will be a nonfat Greek yogurt.  Yum!  For me that will satisfy my late night craving for ice cream, and it’s so much better for me.

That was such a beautiful piece of fresh Atlantic salmon that it didn’t need a thing!  And we had a garlic brown rice and quinoa blend and California blend steamed vegetables.  What a beautiful meal! 

Our adult son came home one night for the first time in 15 days after quarantining elsewhere after an exposure to COVID and turned out to test positive from a new exposure the next morning after all of that!  So we were all exposed, too.  Since Steve’s employer then required him to work from home the rest of the week, we were able to prepare meals throughout the day rather than my having to prep breakfast and lunch for the next day in advance so he could take them to work.  That was so much easier for me!  I like cooking as we go.  We decided that he’s just going to help me do more of the prep work when he comes home from work so I’m not using up my evening making food in advance.  His help cuts my prep time in half.

We all have to test on Sunday night or Monday morning after our waiting period is over, but we don’t have to quarantine from the world because we are all vaccinated and boosted here.  Our son had not yet had his booster, and it had been a long time since his second shot, so he is isolating at his girlfriend’s house until he is all better.  She just got over COVID and was the reason he was quarantining before.  He’s actually sick since he hasn’t had his booster.  Fortunately, it was only intense the first day for him.  He just sounds really stuffy now, so I’m thankful for that.  I actually plan to test a little earlier on Sunday morning just to make sure I’m not contagious before we go to church.  CDC guidelines say we just have to be masked around others until we test on day 5 after exposure, but I’d like to be extra cautious for the sake of everyone at church since I had extended close contact with our son when he was home.  If any of us has it, it will be me.

On Saturdays, I generally set up my 21 Day Fix meal plan for the week in my Pepperplate online planner and make my shopping list from that.  Then on Sunday, we take two vehicles to church.  I stop on the way home at Sam’s Club to pick up most of the fresh produce and chicken breasts that I need, and Steve and Holden head home to take our daughter to work shortly thereafter.  Then when Steve drops her off, he heads across the street to Aldi and picks up the remaining items I can’t get at Sam’s with the shopping list that I send to him.  That way, we’re both shopping at once, and that saves me time, too.

So far, this is all working out very nicely for us.  And no doubt, we’re improving our cholesterol levels and overall health in the process and losing weight, too.  It’s a win-win!

Wendy’s Deals This Week

We’re embarking on the last week of January, so if you find yourself at Wendy’s this week, be sure to take advantage of these special deals.

On Friday, January 28th, get a free medium Frosty with the purchase of a medium order of fries.

There’s also a deal in the app that you can use one time on any deal this week…B1G1 for $1 premium burgers.

Enjoy!

21 Day Fix…A Revival in 2022!

I have done 21 Day Fix nutrition and exercise program from Beachbody many times over the years, and it always does the trick for getting me back in shape and on track with healthy eating.  It’s one of the few things that makes any difference at all in my hereditary high cholesterol, and when I’m not doing it full-time, my cholesterol is always high. 

I’ve been off the program for almost a year due to my 2nd shoulder surgery in 2021.  I was cleared to start back slowly in June, but I was honestly afraid to exercise because of the risk of inflaming my shoulder again, which had been a problem for the last 3 years.  3 years of therapy, 2 surgeries, many meds and treatments later, I think I’m finally ready to get back to my normal self.  I have put on 10 lbs. during this hiatus from exercise, and I really need to get it off and get myself back in shape.  So I was resolved that after the holidays and our subsequent string of birthdays were over, I was going to start fresh.

So here I am!  This was my first week back on the program.  I started Monday, January 10th.  As of this morning, I’ve lost 2.2 lbs. since Monday.  That’s actually really good for a woman!  According to the government, the average weight loss for a woman is 1.1 pounds per week, so I’m pretty happy with double that…plus, it’s only been 5 days!  The first week isn’t even over yet.  My husband is doing the nutrition part of the plan with me but not the exercise plan.  He’s losing weight, too.  We eat 6 times per day…3 meals and 3 snacks.  That way, we’re never hungry for long, and we’re always digesting something, which burns more calories.  I’m also drinking at least 64 oz. of water every day.  I measure it out in a container in the morning, squirt a little flavoring in it, and pour my refills out of that container in the fridge all day long until it’s gone.

Already, I feel so much better!  I’m more regular, and my bloated belly has really gone down significantly.  I’m eating 3 cups of veggies, 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of protein, 1 cup of carbs, 1/3 cup healthy fats, and 1/4 cup seeds/nuts/dressings every day.  That’s plenty of food…larger portions than I would normally eat, for sure…and of the right things.  So I can feel good about what is going into my body.  And I’m working out every single day.  I’ve been sore, so I know I’m out of shape, but I feel stronger every day.  Hooray!

My physical therapist told me to start back slow, doing half the reps and no weights to light weights with modifications to start back, so I’m taking it a little easier than I normally would with the weights.  I’m trying to pay close attention to my form and posture, rolling my shoulders back and down and being careful to maintain that form so that I’m using my shoulder muscles properly and not compensating with my neck muscles.  It’s tough with how weak that shoulder has become, but I’m working through it!

I’ll update my progress as I go, but I can usually lose 10 pounds in a couple of months.  We shall see.  128 is my goal! 

Here’s my pre-program photo.  Hopefully, I’ll be a little less curvy in the weeks to come!