124.8.

A bit surprising to lose over 3 pounds in a week - but I'm certainly not complaining. I must've been retaining lots of water over the holidays...

What am I doing differently?

I'm cooking delicious and nutritious meals at home. I'll be honest, I'm a lousy cook. I don't know enough about spices and herbs and how to combine them to just whip something up. I'm not good at deciding what dish or what flavors are good in combination for a meal. I'm in awe of folks who can do that, and watching the Food Channel sometimes makes me feel horribly inadequate.

To give myself a tad bit of credit, I'm really, really good at following recipes. I love cookbooks and cooking magazines, and admit to spending more time than I should scouring the internet for potential meals when I should be working. This week, I've made 4 new dishes. A new taste sensation every night. Only one turned out to look better in the pretty picture than it actually tasted; but the meal was decent. Just not great. And I really like dinner to be great. Especially when they say that a way (at least one of the ways) to a man's heart is through his stomach. I admit, I really enjoy being a good wife; and I love when my husband enjoys and appreciates dinner. Things seem to get done around the house.
;-)

In addition to preparing wonderful food, I've been super careful with my portions. One plate. No seconds (as tempting as it is, especially when there's stuffed manicotti still in the pan - which, by the way, tasted even better for lunch the next day). I'm trying to take smaller bites, chew more, and simply enjoy a leisurely meal. So dinner is satisfying but I'm not stuffed. And when it's done, I've actually eaten about half the calories that I normally would have, so I have room, and allow myself a bit of dessert if I'm craving that (and I am usually craving that).

I've had a small home-baked treat each evening. One cookie. One piece of quick bread. I baked a lot over the holidays, so my freezer is well stocked. So I can take out just one, totally enjoy it, and feel like I've still been "good." Which I have. The scale says so.