To Booze or Not to Booze... That is the Question.

There's a lot that happened this past week on my journey - it was hard to narrow it down to what to post about. But overall - this week - I think it's most important to talk about alcohol and how it affected my plans.  As a busy mom of 2, who will only rely on my parents to babysit my smallest one, to say "I don't get out much", is an understatement.  So when I was invited to a fabulous intimate outdoor party, along with a tent, band, catering and bar service with some of my closest friends (to celebrate a friend's anniversary).... I was raring to go.

I had the mindset going into this party that I was going to behave myself and limit my drinking and I did. I only drank light beer instead of the mixed drinks I normally would have drank on a rare night out like this. I also really watched what I ate. What I didn't factor into the equation was the amount of time I was out and the limited amount of food I ate compared to what I normally would have eaten.

I was definitely in control that night, but I didn't get a good night sleep. The next day I felt exhausted and slightly hungover. This affected what I ate that next day. Instead of making good food choices - I made bad ones thinking it would make me feel better physically. I also missed that day of running.

The next day when I ran it was A LOT harder - but I pushed through it. It was amazing how missing just one day set me back. Where I netted out that day is that drinking in excess is not worth it in any instance. It has taken me a long time to get there mentally and I hope I can stick to it. One or two beers / glasses of wine or ONE martini every once and awhile I think is fine and wouldn't hurt me - but even at a fabulous party I don't need to keep going - it's just not worth it on my quest for healthiness!

On the positive side - I really exhibited self control with food at the party. Sometimes I used to eat food when out at parties etc. not necessarily because I was hungry, but because I thought if I didn't - that I would be missing out. The "X" food was going to be too good to pass up etc. etc. But I've realized that it's not like that food is going to disappear - if I wanted it again sometime when I was hungry, or at a better weight - I could ask for the recipe and then I would really enjoy the food - not just eat it because of fear of missing out.

I officially finished week 2 of the running program yesterday and have also been making healthier eating choices for 2 weeks. As of this morning I've lost 6 pounds and am happy with that as a general guide to my progress. I am nervous to start week 3 of running tomorrow since the last day of week 2 was really hard - but I plan to push through it with the end goal in mind!

A question to my followers - do you prefer these longer more thoughtful weekly posts or would you prefer shorter more frequent posts? Please leave a comment with feedback. 

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "Dirrty" Christina Aguilera

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Awesome Turkey Meatloaf (otherwise known as Mom's Turkey Meatloaf courtesy of Ellie Krieger)

Ellie Krieger is a nutritionist who had a food network show and has published a few cookbooks. I have both and they are great (see titles below). This Turkey Meatloaf recipe is really good - really moist - I think the oats make all the difference. My husband is a big red meat guy and he loves this recipe. And it is only 205 calories, 3.5 grams of fat per one inch slice which is a filling portion!!!! Also - it's easy - I made it this week and have included a picture.

• 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 2 pounds ground turkey breast       
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.