149.4 Portion Control

I lost .8 pounds yesterday, and now am back inside my weight-loss goal of 145 to 149.9. For exercise, I walked the dogs a mile in the park. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms (1 serving)
Salmon patty and steamed mixed vegetables
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
10 corn tortilla chips (1 serving)

Portion control is one of the keys to keeping the weight off. When I was fat, I would just set the bag of M&Ms or corn tortilla chips next to me and eat until I didn't want any more.

Today, I check the package to see how much or how many a serving is, and I serve myself that many or that much. Sure, I can go back and get another serving if I really really want to, but most often, I don't.

Portion control is a little tricky because of the way food is packaged. A can of soup has "about 2" servings. One serving of salad dressing is only 2 tablespoons, which is less than a glug from a typical salad-dressing bottle.

I am glad food is labeled by calories per serving and how many servings are in the package and how much is one serving. This way, I can always figure out how much of the package I can eat and only get one serving's worth of calories. If I'm out camping or something and don't have a measuring cup, I can divide the contents of the package by how many servings are in it, to get one serving.

150.2 Paddle Surfing

Here is another paddle surfing photo from the Coeur d'Alene Resort on monday. This one is just a little kid. I had seen wind surfing before, but not paddle surfing. There was enough wind this day that they could have wind surfed. Paddle surfing looks more difficult, if you ask me.

I looked around the web, and people actually paddle surf the waves in the ocean, too. Wow. At this lake they just paddle around, and that looks tough enough all on its own. Oh wow, here, I found a video!



This paddle surfing instruction video details how to paddle out to waves and catch them on a paddle board. Paddle out straight, not sideways, or you will capsize. Once you are out, point your board the direction you want to go. If you miss a wave, lower yourself to avoid being knocked off the board. It shows neutral foot position vs surfing foot position and how to paddle as you catch the wave. Very informative.

I lost .6 pounds yesterday. For exercise we walked the dogs a mile in the park. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
Raw baby carrots
Hamburger patty, BBQ sauce, steamed broccoli
1 leftover steak fajita burrito with a little leftover sour cream
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Raw baby carrots
Thick slice of cheddar cheese
Three corn tortilla chips

150.8 Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant in Spokane Valley

Scott and I went to dinner last night at Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant in Spokane Valley. The food was too good, especially the surprise complimentary dessert they brought us! Scott had shrimp enchiladas and I had steak fajitas. I tasted his, and it was even better than mine. I'm from Los Angeles, and I know authentic Mexican food when I taste it. This is the real deal, unlike the sugary "Mexican" food we got at this one place in Forks...

I left a generous tip because our waiter was really on it, asking frequently if we needed anything else and bringing everything with friendliness yet efficiency. The decor is beautiful Mexican tile and artifacts, even in the restrooms. They have a huge saloon in back with pool tables, arcade games, and karaoke Friday and Saturday nights from 9 to 1:45, so we might be going back soon!

Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant
6915 East Sprague Avenue
Spokane Valley, WA 99212

(509) 922-2632

Here is another picture of Mom and me at the Coeur d'Alene Resort on Monday. This was the first picnic I had been on this summer. I have the big Hanes Beach Cover Up T shirt on to protect me from the sun. Mom soaks up as much sun as she can, as you can see! After about two hours of moving with the shade I finally gave up, took off the T shirt, and used sunscreen. Mom had that pink bag made for me by a village woman in Ghana, Africa on her last medical volunteer mission. 

I gained 1.4 pounds yesterday. For exercise, I walked 2/3 of a mile with dogs in the park, and 1.2 miles to the restaurant and back. Food Intake:

El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
1/4 cup M&Ms
Hamburger patty, 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, raw baby carrots
3 Steak fajita burritos with grilled onion, green pepper, guacamole, and sour cream
2 crispas with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and honey