Weigh In #2

After 2 more weeks, only 1 more pound.

Today's weight 219.

Had to change up my morning routine a bit.  New routine may be building more muscle...  What to do, what to do.  I want the number to decrease more quickly, but am wanting to build a better me along the way now too.

2 weeks of vacation coming up.  Can I stay the course.  I'm sure gonna try.

My Kids' Favorite Pancakes

Yes, I make them from scratch.  I used to think that I didn't have the time, but really it doesn't take any more time than the just-add-water mix.

Here's the recipe.

In a large mixing bowl, add:
1/2 cup      100% Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup      all Natural White Flour
1/2 cup      quick Oats
4 tsp          baking powder
2 T            sugar  (We actually use Splenda, any dry sweetener will do.)
1 dash       salt
                 Mix these dry ingredients together.

In a large measuring cup, add
1 1/2 cup  milk
2               eggs
1 T           vanilla
2 T           cooking oil
                 Stir this until the eggs are broken up and mixed in a bit.

Pour liquid ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix.

We scoop 1/3 cup of batter onto a hot griddle (325-350 degrees) to make medium sized cakes.  flip the pancakes when the center of the cake bubble and bubbles break.  Cook the second side for about 1-2 minute.


BETTER THAN SYRUP
Now, on special occasions, and to make this a truly delightful experience we make a homemade topping that I learned on my first visit to Rhonda's Colorado family.  I forget what they call it, but I call it "Syrup of the gods."  Not really.  It's delicious and I don't have a name.  And since it is not fat free, or low in calories, you would need to immortal to enjoy it on a regular basis.  It's so fantastic though, that you really should have it on special occasions.

Add 1 cup of brown sugar to 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
In a sauce pan, over medium-high heat, bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
After the mixture bubbles, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla and stir for about 2 minutes until the sugar granules mostly disappear.

Use this sauce warm instead of syrup...  And you really don't need any butter!

Enjoy!

My Weigh In - Week 4

OK, not for your benefit but for mine, I'm going to record my weekly weigh in here on my blog, as well as a weekly journal of my health-preservation activities.

For the past 4 weeks, I have been working out daily.  And if you know me, you know I hate working out.  So, this is a genuine accomplishment.  I have been to the gym every day, 6 days/week, missing only one of those days in the span of the 4-week period.

When I have friends there, I play racquetball for about an hour.  When no comrades are present, I spend an hour doing cardio on the machines and about 20 minutes with light, free weights, performing multiple reps. I have been minding my diet, but not counting calories with any measurable accuracy.  This week, with friends in town, I did consume several spoons full of ice cream (with hot fudge... duh).  Otherwise not indulging in treats outside of a couple of grande toffee-nut mochas over the 4-weeks.  And when I had those mochas, they replaced my regular, high fiber breakfast cereal.  My goal is a generally low calorie, low fat, high fiber diet.  I have not measured those things systematically because I am hoping to accomplish a new lifestyle that I can live by long term.  If I measure them, I'm afraid I will think of it more as a diet and go back to my old ways when I reach my optimum weight/size.

Today's weigh in:
220 lbs.  A loss of 5 lbs. in 4 weeks.
(I wish I had lost 10...)