My One True Love

I love pizza. It's a simple fact. I love it. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner - or all three. I can eat it cold or hot. Thin crust, deep dish, New York style - whatever. I love pizza.

However, when you're dieting, pizza consumption is threatened. And this makes me sad.

But! Ta-da! I have discovered a REALLY tasty, low calorie pizza recipe. SCORE!

This recipe can be found at one of my favorite sites, Hungry Girl. Follow the link.

Ingredients

1 Low fat/Low Carb Tortilla
1/2 c. low fat mozzarella
1/3 c. low fat tomato sauce
2 tsp. parmesean cheese

* Note: the linked recipe is a little different but this is how I make it. In regards to the tomato sauce, I just use a can of regular low sodium tomato sauce and then flavor it myself with garlic salt, oregano and basil. It's really tomato-y but I think it works well with the thin crust. You can also add whatever toppings you'd like. I usually use olives and mushrooms.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Bake tortilla on a baking sheet, 2-5 minutes on each side, until slightly crispy. Remove tortilla from oven and spread on tomato sauce. Sprinkle on cheese and toppings. Top with Parmesan. Return pizza to the oven for approximately 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut into slices. Enjoy!

I ate this for dinner tonight ( I usually also eat some kind of veggie or salad) and my tummy is happy.

--Shannon

Sometimes It's Worth It

It's a constant struggle every morning with my alarm clock. AT 5:45 on the dot I'm torn away from my dreams into a cold dark morning (it irks me to wake up to a day the sun hasn't even greeted yet). My bed is always so warm and cozy and it's so, so tempting to just hit the snooze button, throw the pillow over my head and sleep for another hour and a half.

Sadly, I do have to admit that this temptation wins out a lot. My WON'T POWER (see Wendy's post below) is minimal at best that early in the morning.

But when I do get up, throw some cold water on my face and lace up my running shoes, it always feels good. It's feels like I'm doing something. Yes, it's cold and I find myself yawning a lot but there's something almost spiritual about being out in the world before it wakes up. It's just me and the sound of my shoes against the pavement. And every once in awhile I'm given a little gift, like the amazing sunrise I saw the other morning (the picture truly doesn't give it justice). It's almost like God's little way of saying, "Good job."

-- Shannon

Insight from the Lunch Room

I was eating my lunch yesterday in the break room at work and I was thinking about all the exercising I've been doing and how great that has been going in combination with how well I've been eating, etc. The whole time I was eating I kept looking at a bag of Valentine's Day cookies that were sitting on the table. And as I was polishing off a container of Whips Key Lime Yogurt, the bag of neon pink Valentine's Day cookies were staring back at me whispering, 'Eat me.... we're really delicious.... even more delicious than we look... c'mon, just have one of us.... just one isn't so bad.... yeah sure you'll be able to stop after just one.... unless you can't, but that's okay.' Yes, right there in the lunch room I had a show down with a bag of cookies... I was out numbered, this is true.... and even though they were beautiful shades of pink and red, with eye catching sprinkles that twinkled at me and would mesmerize many who dare pass by... I hung in like a champ and resisted the urge to try even one sweet, shiny delight. It was in those moments of greatest temptation that I realized this: Weight loss happens with a combination of your "Will Power" and your "Won't Power." For example, "I WILL go to the gym in the morning" and "I WON'T have a pretty cookie." How's your Will and Won't Power treating you guys on your journey?