Thirty in Ninety v2.0

Wow! Thanks everyone for the great support while I suffered... I mean embarked upon losing 30lbs in 90 days, per my doctor's orders!! It has meant a lot to me that my readers have sent so many notes and made so many nice comments of encouragement. As you may also remember, there was the added incentive of MBH offering to buy me the mixer of my dreams, the Kitchen Aid Professional 5 Plus 12 Cup Bowl Lift Mixer in Empire Red if I lost 32lbs in the 90 days.

I had my follow up doctor's visit last Friday and I am happy to report that the official doctor's office scale said I lost 31lbs! My blood pressure was way down from 165/100 to 120/70. My blood sugar looked good considering the person who called to remind me of my appointment didn't tell me the doctor wanted to do a fasting blood test so I had my normal morning coffee and breakfast before going to my appointment. My cholesterol level I will know the results of later this week but I have no reason not to suspect that it too hasn't gone down. My doctor does want me to continue to lose more weight but has agreed that it appears I am doing well on my own; meaning no medicines for now. However, she wants to see me again in 90 days to verify I'm still doing well or else Lipitor here I come.

So, since I have ninety more days to go and both MBH and I, as well as my doctor, agree that I could stand to lose some more weight and I didn't quite get to my 32lbs to win my bright red mixer, I am announcing Thirty in Ninty v2.0! My goal is to lose a total of 30 more pounds by August 17, 2007; the date of my next doctor's appointment. MBH has agreed to extend the offer of the mixer provided I lose a total of at least 60lbs from this past ninety days and the upcoming ninety days. I'm secretly hoping for more...

I'm going to make a few more adjustments to my daily eating habits now that spring has arrived and the farmer's markets are starting to open again in New England. There is one just up the hill from my place in Fairfield, CT that I will be frequenting for fresh veggies and fruits as well as one in downtown Belmont, MA that is open on Saturday mornings for when I'm in Cambridge. The one here in Fairfield has the added bonus of being within walking distance; meaning exercise and fresh food in one fell swoop!!! One other added bonus of shopping at the farmers markets is this will help my plan to eat more local grown foods to help reduce MBH and my global warming footprint. But more on that later...

Guess it was good thing I just purchased the Best of Cooking Light.

White Bean Salad Nicoise
from Best of Cooking Light

Makes 6 - 8 Servings

Salad:
4 ounces haricots verts, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
4 ounces trimmed arugula
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (7-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

To prepare salad, cook haricots verts in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge into ice water, and drain. Place the haricots verts in a large bowl. Add kalamata olives and the next 4 ingredients (kalamata olives through baby spinach), and toss gently to combine.To prepare dressing, combine lemon juice, parsley, basil, mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad, and toss gently to coat.

Calories: 86 per 2 cup serving