Healthy Living Through Costco

 

Dinner at our house! Yum!

  We are well into the middle of the rainy season here in wet western Washington, which means only 4 more months until Mr. Sun upgrades from his cameo appearances to a full-on cast regular. It is really hard to find the motivation to go for long walks (or even short ones) when there are few to no breaks in the precipitation. I am too cheap to pay for a gym membership just to have an indoor track, so I'm gonna have to think outside the box to get in my daily exercise. 

After work today my Jawbone Up was only reporting a lackluster 39% of the daily 10,000 steps, so I thought to myself, "Costco is a pretty big place. I'll try walking in there for a while". I walked up and down every single aisle and managed a measly 4% gain. Not exactly the numbers I was hoping to see. Maybe J.U. wasn't counting them all? I actually counted how many steps I took in each aisle-about 42 before turning the corner. And I KNOW there are more than 10 aisles. But at least I was moving. And pushing that heavy double-wide cart. That HAS to count for SOMETHING, right?

That looks like a lot more than 400 steps to me!!!!

  I also spent about $90, which would more than cover that gym membership. Maybe I need to rethink this plan? Costco can be a dangerous place. Around every corner is something else I "need". Check out those cool beach towels! (Yeah, 'cuz you're gonna find me at a beach anytime soon!) Look! Family-size package of Sharpies! Love me a good fire-pit! Who DOESN'T need more storage totes? And the sheer joy of stacks of discount-priced paperbacks (ok, that one actually gets me pretty excited). And of course, there's all the giant cost-saving snack foods, baked goods, and "healthy" (insert sarcasm HERE) options. Don't forget the sample pushers! So hard to resist all the innocent little morsels being offered on every corner. But YAY ME-I stayed strong and passed up each and every one! Hey, you've gotta count each of your achievements, no matter how small!
  I was on the hunt for some new dinner options. Jeff is a master at the grill, but I can only eat grilled meat, roasted veggies and the same old salads so many days in a row before I crack and devour a whole pizza! Or at least have disturbingly vivid dreams about it. *sigh* A while back I discovered Costco's Salmon Milano with Basil Pesto Butter. So tasty! A little pricey, but I received a refund on my tax return this year (thanks Uncle Sam!), so I thought I'd splurge on a nice dinner for my family. This is also a foolproof option-cooking directions right on the packaging so I can't foul it up too bad. I also picked up some salmon spread and an artichoke/jalapeno/Parmesan dip. Paired with a big three-dollar bag of celery makes for a nearly zero-carb snack or lunch option. And that artichoke stuff is super-tasty smeared on a steak! 

Tasty, Healthy, No-Carb and Fool-Proof!

No chips or crackers! Veggies and dip! Super!

    


  Newer discoveries are the Parmesan Cheese Crisps-these are crunchy, zesty stand-ins for croutons on our salads. Zero-carbs, low-calorie. PERFECT! I also grabbed a box of organic Edamame Spaghetti. Ok, I know. WEIRD! But it was on sale, so I thought, "We'll give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen?" I had given up on pasta. The whole wheat "healthier" versions I've tried taste like a Duraflame Fire Starter log and are loaded with carbs. I wasn't ready to start making noodles at home out of zucchini or kale or tree bark. These little green strands are pretty good. They have 21 grams of carbs per serving, but they also have 11 grams of fiber-so NET carbs is only 10 grams. Regular pasta is anywhere from 18 to 35 grams of carbs per serving and virtually no fiber. So for an OCCASIONAL pasta dinner, I think these might just fit the bill. 

Not as gross as it sounds!

  Jeff and I are walking at least three times a week and I'm trying to squeeze in more steps each day-parking my car far from entrances, walking around work, taking laps around the living room while doing chores. My Nike app has logged 222 miles since we started this whole process. I need new sneakers, but I said I wouldn't get them until I had logged 300. So instead I bought myself a big Costco package of cushy athletic socks. It's not shoe-shopping, but it will have to do for now. Soft socks=happy feet. Well, happier feet. 

Just a few more miles...

  And since we're on this road to wellness, I decided we should step up our game with the oral care. My dental hygienist has been gently hounding me for years to get a Sonicare toothbrush since the only time my teeth get a good flossing is when she does it for me twice a year. So I picked up a Flex Care White PREMIUM Whitening Edition set of two for me and my sweetie on Valentine's Day. Nothing says love and romance like vibrating oral care! And Oh how I do love it! These bad boys are powerful! I use the "Max" setting-a delightful timed routine-three minutes of a "Clean" segment ending with a "Massage" portion. Yeah, baby! This is the lazy-man's toothbrush! You don't have to do anything except stick it in your mouth and let her rip! Yee-Haw! It does take some getting used to. By the time this little gadget is through with it's dental acrobatics, the toothpaste has completely disappeared and I have sprayed a fair amount of saliva all over the bathroom mirror and faucets. SEXY! I'm gonna need a little more practice, but our smiles are gonna SPARKLE!

Can you smell the minty freshness?

  So that's the latest in our journey to health and fitness. Weekly weigh-in in two days! See you all on Friday! Wish us luck!

As always-comments and questions are appreciated. Email me at sprout624@gmail.com