In which it's the final week of 10K training

It simultaneously has flown by yet seemed like it took forever.

You know, because I started in June for Pete's sake.

Food Of The Day: Baked Apple Crisp

I love apple crisp and since it's apple season I've been trying to remember an old low-Point apple crisp recipe that was a favorite long ago.

I pinged Flo to see if she remembered it, and she found this, which is very similar.

I made it yesterday and today, and it is fantastic. If you follow the Nutritional Information from the recipe strictly, it's 5 Points per serving, two servings to the recipe.

However, I refuse to count the apple. According to WW, if I ate the apple by itself it's 0 Points, but if I use it in a recipe, I have to include its fat, fiber, carbs and protein in my Points calculations for the whole thing, thereby upping the Points value of the recipe. I get why they do it, but I respectfully disagree when it comes to this recipe.

I used 1C of Kashi Go Lean Crunch (5 Points), 1T light butter (1 Point) for a total of 6 Points and I don't count the apple. I am a rebel. And, if I'm feeling especially revolutionary, I will use two apples.

I'm not encouraging all-out mutiny, just telling you honestly what I count and don't. I didn't get obese my eating too many apples, so I think it's OK to not count it here.

Maintenance Weigh In #2

It's the first Tuesday of the month, so it was off to the official scale at Weight Watchers this morning.

I weighed in at 165 on the nose, -3.8 for the past month. Not bad given everything that went on in September, but I did want to lose an even 5 lbs.

I noted last week that I was concerned because I had a Sunday evening wedding this past week. I did great. I left the house at 2 pm having consumed 22 of my 29 Points for the day and a lot of water. I wanted to leave full and not arrive at the cocktail hour famished.

Mission accomplished. I ate this for lunch and it is great and crazy filling.

I passed on all appetizers, alcohol (and it was open bar, sob), bread and what looked like an awesome Ceasar salad.

I ate the small baked stuffed lobster entree and half a petite filet mignon, and finished with a small piece of wedding cake. Seriously, life is too short to pass up cake, weigh-in be damned. The key to everything I ate was small (or half) portions.

I went into the evening with 7 remaining daily Points, 19 APs(!) from my 8-mile run that morning and 40 Weeklies left. I had plenty of Points. Just a head's up on that run: That was an already-scheduled training run for the 10K. I wasn't trying to run forever to earn extra APs, just a note.

I left the evening full and, most importantly, not feeling deprived at all. I ate what I considered the food I wanted most and enjoyed it. If I didn't have an official weigh-in two days later, I would have also had a few appetizers, a beer and that Ceasar salad. But all things considered, I was very happy with how I handled it.

So now I am just 5 lbs away from my personal goal. I am kicking off Operation October 5.1. When I weigh in on Nov. 1, I want to be 159.9 and - finally - hit that personal goal.

In which my daughter doesn't recognize me

My 5-year-old was sitting on the couch next to me when I pulled up this blog post.

Her eyes moved to the screen. Her brow furrowed. She looked confused and I mentally guessed what she was going to say before it was out of her mouth.

"Is that you?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't look like you."

"It's me."

"That's you?" she continued, pointing to the picture, taken 17 months ago. "Next to Jake?"

"Yes, that's me. Remember I started eating healthy and exercising?"

"You were fat," she noted, matter-of-factly.

"Yes."

"But now you're thin."

"You got that right, sister."

In which I wear a dress

I was greatly looking forward to a family wedding this past weekend, but not very excited about dress shopping.

I've never been especially girlie and dresses have never been my scene.

Previously I was concerned that wearing a dress in my size would be a little too Omar The Tent Maker. For special occasions, (like my nephew's First Communion, above) I always went with pants or long skirt (black) and a blazer (black) because I hoped that somehow the combination would make me look like anything other than a 3x.

However, I wanted to look nice for this wedding and I seriously do not own a dress. And if I did, it would be too big.

I had put off dress shopping as long as I could, when I mentioned to my dear, super-fit friend Ali the task at hand.

"You should borrow one from me," she said.

"I wouldn't fit in your clothes," was my automatic response.

"Yes," she replied, "You will."

Which is how I found myself in her bedroom trying on a selection of dresses and found that little number up top. I loved it, it looked great and I could not believe it fit.

Seriously, in all my years I have never been able to borrow clothes from a friend because every single friend I had was smaller than me. Until now.

Amazing.

Fast-forward to the wedding day and I was feeling fabulous, feminine and full of confidence in said dress. I may have to reconsider my opinion on dresses...

Food Of The Day: BBQ Pulled Chicken Breast

Another favorite food from Trader Joe's.

One serving is only 3 Points+ and it's hefty (151g). The chicken is BBQ-flavored, so I usually pair it with a slice of Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese (which I know isn't real cheese, but it's only 1P+, so go with me here).

If I have some Points to spend, I'll throw it on top of a cup of rice.

But this dish is so versatile, it's great by itself, on a baked potato, you name it.

If you want spicy and sweet and want to keep it low Point, check out this product, found in the TJ's refrigerated section, by the premade sandwiches, sushi, etc.

Cooking couldn't be easier: Microwave for 2 minutes, stir and microwave for 30 seconds. Voila.

One measuring note: The NI says there are three 151g servings in the packet. I have yet to make it to three, it's maybe 2.5 at best.

In which I finally get you an 'After' picture

May 2010 with my wonderful nephew and today with a wonderful haircut.

OK, so I like to call this more of a "Now" picture than "After" because the latter seems to indicate "done" and I am not.

I like the picture on the right, but I don't love it. I still think I look too wide and that bugs me. Why can't I love it? Why am I so critical? Will I ever be truly happy with a picture?

I'm not fishing for compliments, but it bothers me that when I see a picture of myself all I see is what I conceive of as "wrong" as opposed to what's right.

I'm wearing size 10 jeans and a Women's (!) Medium shirt and I still think I look too thick. Why is my filter so messed up?