Okay.  I am really trying not to think of this of a diet.  Diet makes me feel needy and I am trying hard not to feel needy.  I just want to lose the muffin top.

So, as you know, my daughter signed up for Weight Watchers and we are using that plan as our template.  She does not want to track points specifically online since she says she tends to become obsessed with the points,  constantly thinking about food and what needs to be eaten or not eaten next.  We are easily staying within her point allotment but not tracking day by day.

Still.  It takes thought.  And time.  Luckily, I have more time and she has thought.  She meal plans for the week with a bit of input from me.  She orders the groceries with a tiny input from me.  We cook together most days.

At the end of the first week, I can say that the muffin top is not gone but it may be concerned about its long term existence.  But the battle has just begun.

The Skinny Taste site has been a life saver.  Most of the recipes we have enjoyed have come from that site.  Our biggest hurdle is breakfast.  Not only is it a time when three kids need to be fed, lunches packed for school, things organized for school dropoff, etc.  but my daughter and I do not like eggs.  Breakfasts that are heavily protein are a necessity.  Sigh.  We are plugging along through that and if I find something outstanding I will let you know but we are slogging through with crustless quiche-like options with lots of vegetables to hide the eggs.  (Curse you older sister who told me that I was eating baby chickens!)  I made mini quiche muffins with a crust made of frozen hash brown that were not bad at all but need to be perfected.

Dinners are easier.  We have found a number of options we like:

photo from Skinnytaste.com

Skinny Taste Baked Potato Soup

Skinny Taste Mini Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup

Skinny Taste Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu

I have not had a Mike’s Hard Lemonade in a week (and you know how much I like those!) but wine is not on the table for elimination.  Life is too short.