It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Work, caring for elderly parents, and running two web sites has taken it’s toll – mentally, emotionally, and physically.

My parents are both 80 years old, and my father has Parkinson’s. His mobility and functionality have been deteriorating, but more rapidly over the last six months.

Then he had a fall and landed in the emergency room. No bones were broken, but he did have some heavy bruising. In addition, he lost pretty much all strength to handle daily functions. He needed assistance getting out of a chair, dressing, bathing, etc.

It was a rough couple months, but with some proper medication and in-home health care, he is improving. Needless to say, I allowed my personal well-being to deteriorate over the last few months.

But I am BACK and off to a brand new start! I joined Weight Watchers – yes, Weight Watchers! – last week. I never thought I would benefit from something as simple (simplistic?) as Weight Watchers – so here’s why I did.

• Supportive Group Environment: The supportive environment that I found at my group bootcamp classes was exactly what I needed. If it works (for me!) with exercise, why wouldn’t it work for the diet portion of my life? Just having a group of folks just like me that are going through the same struggles, and talking about it, has been a very positive experience for me.
• Keep It Simple Stupid: My bootcamp classes have been great because I don’t have to think – I just show up and work my butt off. Weight Watchers Points System is pretty simple as well – balance your food intake so that you don’t go over your point limit.
• Accountability: Weight Watchers forces me to look at my weight once a week, to acknowledge whether I’ve lost weight or not, and believe it or not, weight loss now almost seems like a challenge, or game, rather than deprivation.

I really thought Weight Watchers was “old school,” not something that a hip and happening chick like myself would be interested in, but I was wrong. They have some phenomenal online tools (available only with the monthly pass, I believe) as well as a great iPod/iPhone app that lets you track your points on the go.

I lost 2 pounds the first week (see my progress chart at the top of the page), which was big boost. And that was without any exercise! I’d suspended my bootcamp classes to deal with my father, and somehow “No Bootcamp Class” got translated into “You Don’t Have To Work Out” in my little pea brain. So a month has gone by with close to no exercise, but I start my bootcamp classes again tonight.

If you want to lose weight and have not tried Weight Watchers, or not tried it in a long while, I’d suggest giving it a shot. And fyi, I am not getting paid in any way, shape or form, at this time, to promote Weight Watchers. At some point there may be some advertising on this site, and it may feature Weight watchers, but I’ll be totally upfront about that if it happens.

Wish me luck!

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There are three key components that I try to balance when food shopping.

1) Organic: My philosophy on this is simple – our bodies take in enough chemicals and toxins from everyday living, why add any more than absolutely necessary? So I try to purchase as much organic produce as possible, as well as milk and meat products.

2) Convenience: I have a full time job, I maintain Little Black Dress Fitness Tips website and blog (basically a second full time job!), I work out, I help my elderly parents, and I’m in a long distance relationship (I travel about 3 hours round trip per week). Needless to say, I don’t have a whole lot of time to focus on my food.

But if I DON”T focus on my food, I end up eating junk. So when I shop, I look for foods that taste good and are healthy, but are convenient and save time.

3) Budget: I’m on a rather tight budget right now, so much as I love to buy products that are organic and convenient, sometimes that goal is cost-prohibitive.

Enter Trader Joe’s. This wonderful little store carries items that fit all three of the categories listed above. Here are a few of my favorite Trader Joe’s items:

Mirepoix: A fancy French term for minced carrots, onions and celery. Use them as a base in a stir fry; sprinkle them on your salad for an extra veggie kick; mix them with Trader Joe’s Salsa for a veggieful dip. But my favorite way to use them is to put some in a bowl, nuke them for about 35 seconds, then add some eggs and mix everything together; nuke for another 3 minutes or so. Excellent way to get veggies into your morning meal!

Trader Joe’s Salsa: Near the cheeses in the refrigerator case. I buy the big tub of the Medium salsa. Great as a low-cal dip. Top your salad with salsa and avocado for a healthy change of pace. Top your scramble eggs with it! And it’s so good, I’ve been known to eat it straight out of the container.

Curry Sauce: I’m a huge curry lover, and Trader Joe’s carries a number of curry sauces. My favorite is the Thai Yellow Curry. Just stir fry some veggies, add meat if you’d like, then add sauce and simmer for a few minutes. Curry in a hurry! Be sure to check the labels – some curry sauces have more calories and sugar than others.

Trader Giuseppe’s Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil: Two separate products that make one awesome dressing for salads and veggies. In the past, I never understood the allure of oil and vinegar on a salad. I think I had maybe tried the wrong oil and the wrong vinegar! These products from Trader Joe’s give salads a refreshing flavor without the cloying sweetness of commercial salad dressings. I just splash on some vinegar, then a wee bit of olive oil, toss and eat! Never going back to commercial salad dressing…

Greek Style Yogurt: Now this is yogurt. Not that overly sweet, processed stuff that you find at the grocery store. My favorite is the Honey flavor – it reminds me of the yogurt we ate in France. It’s more rich than sweet, and is great mixed with cantaloupe and blueberries.

Egg White Salad: I haven’t tried this product yet, just saw it on the website, but I’m guessing it will be a new favorite. Egg whites, soy dressing, chives and red onions sound healthy and delicious to me. Plus, each 6 oz. container is low fat, cholesterol free and has 7 grams of protein and just 2 grams of carbohydrates.

So there you go, a few of my favorite things from one of my favorite stores. If you’ve never been to Trader Joe’s, do yourself a favor and go – and be sure to check out the beer and wine in the attached liquor store. It’s best to go on a weekday or weeknight – weekends tend to be crowded, making it more difficult to browse.

Click here to find a Trader Joe’s near you. And tell us what your favorite product is!

Please note that I am not affiliated with Trader Joe’s in any way – I just love their stuff!

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Today’s Menu

• Four Eggs Scrambled with Trader Joe’s Mirepoix
• Coffee with milk
• Trader Joe’s Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage
• Handful of Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Cashews
• More Coffee with Milk
• Salad: Courtesy of my roommate Steffi Weiss – peas, tomatoes, onions, feta cheese, cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil

Today’s Workout

• Step Class at the YMCA

Today’s Weight

• 175.5 lbs.

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