second week of personal challenge

Last week went really well.  Dropped 4.5 pounds well.  So it was definitely the water and the need for just some better choices.  I still enjoyed pizza night on Friday but stayed away from a dessert treat all together (meaning so did the guys cause I can't look dessert in the eye and not have some).  Since I did so well with sticking to just coffee and water each day I'm rewarding myself with an 80 calorie spiced apple cider tonight.  But then I'm right back to sticking to just the coffee and water.  Next week I'll be leaving on Wednesday for a special language class in KM.  I will be gone 4 days and I know I will have opportunities for some yummy food, so I've decided to extend my two weeks hard core through Tuesday and then take my time away for my more relaxed eating.  Although when I say more relaxed I really just mean giving myself back those 100 calories each day and maybe having one splurge meal and dessert.  Mom and Larry are coming for the week between Christmas and New Years and I am determined to be as low as possible.  Two main reasons, 1) so I can enjoy that week and cook with my mom without being feeling bad and 2) who wants to sit and calculate calories when your parents are visiting after not seeing them for almost 18 months? 

Anyway, this week's meals were already planned out for me in many ways cause Tuesday nights we eat out, Wednesday night we are having a goodbye dinner for M and Thrusday we are going to my big sister's house to celebrate her oldest grandsons first birthday (by the lunar calendar, he was actually born on Oct. 31).  So tonight I really wanted to make something good but wanted to use what I already had on hand as much as possible.  I remembered the tilapia felets in the freezer and decided that was just what I was in the mood for.  Stan wanted grits as the side and I did some easy green beans.  If you are like me and grew up with a severe deversion to fish--it was a bone thing, I was deathly afraid of swallowing a bone, and fish is, well, fishy--I dare you to challenge your grown up taste buds and go for some fish.  Tilapia is a really mild, non fishy, fish.  Plus the recipe I'm gonna give you will make your mouth and tummy so happy.  For low calories.  Also, becuase I didn't want to just do plain grits I made these Pumkin Cheese Grits, which may sound questionable, but were really good.  Adding in a little bonus veg. and the flavor wasn't incredibly strong so it went really well with my fav tilapia....

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. butter, softened (I use non-butter, butter spread)
1 1/2 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice (I usually end up using white vinegar cause lemons aren't always available to me)
1/8 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1 pound tilapia fellets

1. Mix topping ingredients.
2. Broil fish 2-3 minutes on each side.
3. Cover with mixture and broil 2 more minutes--it is done with topping has slightly browned and fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serves 4.

I'm hoping for another great week.  Maybe I'll try to blog more than just once a week.  I really want to post and update about the boys on the Angel's blog--the last thing I wrote was over 6 weeks ago--so I'm gonna get right on that.  Maybe.  I have a lot of studying to do before next week.  Enjoy the fish.  You will absolutely be glad you made it.