Cheese & Chocolate

Friends, family members, anyone who learns of my weight loss... they all ask the same question: How are you doing it?

They all get pretty much the same answer:

I workout regularly

I eat healthy meals at home

When I eat out, I eat whatever looks good on the menu

I try to eat until I'm comfortable, NOT full or stuffed

At this point, people are usually nodding along like they've heard it all before... but the next thing I say almost always makes them pause and raise an eyebrow...

I EAT CHEESE and CHOCOLATE EVERY DAY!

Its true, I do... cheese and chocolate pretty much every day. I'm sure there have been a few days where I've skipped one or the other... but I'm honestly not sure if I've ever gone without both for an entire day.

Now I'm not talking huge portions... that would just be silly. But I love them both and I know they have to be a part of doing this in a way that I can sustain for the long haul.

Some of my favorite ways with cheese (always 2% unless its Parmesan)... sprinkled on a breakfast scramble, string cheese with an apple as a snack, shredded cheddar sprinkled on veggie soup, feta mixed with brown rice & onions, and of course some sprinkled in a salad. And if I'm craving salty snack foods... I will toast a mini bagel (the 100 calorie kind), top it with an ounce of 2% cheddar & pop it in the microwave for a minute; sprinkle just a tiny bit of garlic salt on it and you've got a yummy little snack for under 200 calories or put a piece of fruit with it for a mini meal.

The main forms of chocolate I use are light chocolate syrup and mini chocolate chips. A little drizzle of chocolate syrup on oat pancakes with sliced strawberries makes it seem decadent and only adds a few calories. Its also a nice add-on for one of my favorite treats... bananas sandwiches (slices of bananas with Cool Whip Free & peanut butter). The mini chocolate chips often get tossed in (a teaspoon or so) to my homemade trail mixes. Sometimes I will just measure out a tablespoon and indulge... I always freeze them first and suck each one individually so they take quite awhile to eat. Otherwise about the only chocolate I eat (other than Hershey's kisses at kids group) are what The Husband refers to as "foo-foo candy," also known as Frangos, Lindt, or See's.

Now that I'm drooling thinking of all the yummy things I could make tonight... I must STOP and get my tushie to the gym.

Before I head out... how should I prove my insanity tomorrow? 260 floors on the StairMaster or 20 miles on the bike? :)