Day 17 ~ Noodles

This is my daughter Molly.  She is very cute.  Great personality.  Really, really fond of this one, but she has stayed home due to Strep Throat far too many times in the last 2 months.  Today it was not Strep Throat that was bothering her, but the antibiotic that she is taking for Strep Throat that is upsetting her stomach.   So, it seems that just about the time I get back into a routine with work and going to the gym, we have another sick day.  I feel bad for my little lady and yet the shift to my routine really throws me off.

I shouldn't complain, as Strep Throat and things related to Strep aren't so terrible.  Although she is miserable...and we are stuck at home most of the time.  It for sure has been a test of my will power.  As I have mentioned before, sick days equal comfort food.  Since this 24 Day Challenge started, we have had a total of 6 sick days.  Let me repeat the word challenge. 

Today was beautiful and Molly was a little slap happy...minus the occasional stomach pain, so we decided to get out of the house.  We ran errands and decided to go to lunch and make the most of our ladies day.  Her favorite place to eat is Noodles and Company, so we went there.  They have the most delicious Mediterean Salad.  It has cucumbers and tomatos, feta cheese, olives, macaroni noodles and I just love to add shrimp.  I love it.  There it is.  It is recommended that I avoid or minimize dairy and shrimp on the 24 Day Challenge.  Today, I chose to minimize.  A girl has got to live a little.  It is better than the usual Dorito party that I have on sick days.  Plus, to health it up a little bit, I had them replace the macaroni noodles with whole wheat pasta.  I think it might have made it even better.

This is what Molly gets...every single time we go to Noodles.

It is good old fashioned Macaroni and Cheese.  It is just about as delicious as it looks.  Usually, what happens is that I order my fav salad and she orders her Large Mac and Cheese and then I eat my salad (with Macaroni noodles) and while we talk and laugh, I also help her eat her Mac and Cheese.  Today, I ate my salad and she ate her small order of Mac and cheese.  When I was done with my salad, I stopped eating.  She ate half of her small Mac and Cheese (I didn't finish it for her) and we left.

It all seems pretty boring, but HUGE steps for me.  I can see that I am changing my habits.  Plus, I have never, ever thought to ask them to replace the noodles with healthier noodles. 

Don't get me wrong, had it been raining outside and Molly had a fever and we were cooped up again, maybe I would be face down in a bag of jelly beans.  I don't know.  I am just trying to take this 24 Day Challenge one day at time and hope that when it is all over I will have successfully established an improved lifestyle and not just finished a "diet". 

And, as much as routine is a comforting thing, it was time to shake up my old routine and tweak some of my old habits.  Change has been good.

Next up....CARBS.  I have been craving carbs the past few days, so I called my friend and Nutrition Coach Liz Blom and asked her for recommendations on healthy carbs.  I will let you know tomorrow what she told me.  She is also planning on posting fun, healthy and delicious recipes and information on healthy carb options on her Facebook page soon, so make sure to visit and "like" her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1159252272&ref=hpbday&pub=2386512837#!/lizblom.nutritionandwellness

Thanks for reading!  P.S. ~ Apparently, I am on Day 17, not Day 16 of the 24 Day Challenge.  Liz emailed to let me know.  I am not good with fast math...or any kind of math.  Calendars, scheduling and dates seem to throw me as well.  See, time flies when you are having fun.  I posted a Day 13 twice.  Sorry for any confusion!  :)