- 3 LB, 81 To Go

Alrighty! I got right back on track after my vacations - I am ready to get out of the 50's! I haven't been in the 40's since... 2002!

I did really well this past week except for yesterday. I had a meeting to go to in the AM and all they had were donuts and apple juice - so I had 1, yes I promise only 1, donut then some juice. Then I got a latte on the way home... um pumpkin spice! I don't even think I had lunch - then I ordered pizza for dinner because I was too lazy to cook. Yep, yesterday was a bad day... but today won't be!

The fall time is where I start to munch a lot more than usual - so I gotta watch myself. I love anything pumpkin. I did find a low fat pumpkin bread recipe from
Kraft Foods if anyone is interested. I am going to make it for sure!

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 1 loaf or 16 servings, one slice each

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Set aside. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and the remaining egg white with wire whisk until well blended.
SPOON half of the pumpkin batter into prepared pan; spoon Neufchatel cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter.
BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

* 5 points per serving.

Enjoy!

+4, 84 LB To Go

Hey guys....

Well, I have been on vacation for the past 2 weeks. It has been fun but I am ready to get back into my old routine!

The first week my husband and I went to Seattle. Man, what a beautiful city! We enjoyed it so much that we have been playing with the idea of relocating there... but that is another story. While we were there we walked everywhere and we were so busy doing things that eating was sparse. So, I actually ended up losing a pound that week without even trying.

But last week we went to the beach with my husband's family... that week was horrible with a capital H!! I ate sooooo badly, and I only did some type of physical fitness 1 day out of 7! So, I deserve the 4 lb gain.

I asked my husband when he thought I would be able to be in a situation when everyone around me is eating horribly and I will still be strong enough to make good food choices....? I was trying so hard to pump myself up about this trip .... I was going to eat right regardless of what was in the fridge ... I had even brought some healthy snacks .... but when I was there I fell into temptation and ate like the rest of the skinny folk....

That is going to be a day to remember.. when I don't follow the band wagon.

I hope everyone is having a good summer -- gonna go read up on every one's news -- thanks for checking up on me Abba!