Writing it down...

Are you like me? For days you try and remember to do something or to tell someone something, and you keep forgetting, but as soon as you actually write it down, you remember that when you can do it, and without looking at the note? For some reason, writing it sometimes seals it in my memory.

When I last wrote two weeks ago I wrote about my greediness on vacation. I can't remember if I wrote that after weigh day or not, but I gained about 3 pounds from it. Yikes--but better than the last time I did that on vacation. I worked really hard to stay within my daily points and not use all my weekly points the following week, and did really well. I lost about 2 pounds that week.

Then, my husband and I took an overnighter, courtesy of Sheraton Hotel's one night giveaway, and while I didn't do terrible there, I did use all of my weekly points up by the end of Saturday (and maybe more than my weekly). So, I still had Sunday-Thursday to go without using anything but my daily points. It's been a struggle. I think it's because of the abundance of candy all around my office and house, having a bad cold which just makes me want to eat that candy to feel better, lack of willpower, and unsatiable hunger. I've been hungry hungry, but probably not really. It probably just seemed like it. So, I'm not too excited for tomorrow's weigh in, but I am really excited to flip the switch into a new week and do better. It's like once I've blown it for the week, I keep blowing it for the week. If I start out good, I stay good.

On a side note, I made cheeseburger chowder for dinner tonight, and will share the recipe here, though I can't guarantee the point content for two reasons--to be explained afterward...

Cheeseburger Chowder

1 lb. 96% lean ground beef (12 pt.)
1 small onion, chopped (0 pt.)
2 cloves garlic, minced (0 pt.)
1 package potato soup starter/mix (I used Bear Creek) (24 pt.)
8 oz. 2% velveeta cheese, cubed (8 pt.)
diced pickles, onions, and tomato (optional) (0 pt.)

Brown the ground beef with onion and garlic, and drain if needed (I needed). While the meat is browning, prepare potato soup according to package directions. Add ground beef and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. Add cubed cheese and let melt, while stirring frequently. Serve topped with cheeseburger toppings, like pickles, onions, and tomato. Good with toast dipped in it, for that "bun" flavor.

So, I can't guarantee the pointage per serving, because the stinking soup should have made 11-1 cup servings. The soup mix was supposed to make 8 cups, which made sense, because I added 8 c. of water. And then I added 3 cups of cooked ground beef. And then I added about a cup of velveeta (which I didn't count in the cup calculations). So, 11 cups right--so 4 pt. per serving. Well, I dished myself out a 4 pt. serving and my husband too, and then we went back for seconds. Then I noticed there was in no way still 7 cups of soup left, like there should have been. I measured it out and there was about 4 cups left. HOW IRRITATING! So, I probably consumed more points than I really thought I was. GRR! Yesterday I made mac and cheese that was supposed to make 2 cups, and it really only made 1 1/2 cups. What is with the shrinkage, especially when the package says it will make 8 cups, prepared, or 2 cups, prepared! I guess I'm going to have to start measuring AFTER cooking and then figure the points per serving.

Well, remember how I had some things I wanted to write down for myself to remember? Now I can't remember what they were. Dang it. Well, I think those motivating thoughts later and share them then. :)