-73 pounds. 7 to go. ALMOST there! But …

I finally realize why my weight loss has always been short term. I’ll reach a satisfying milestone and gradually return to celebrations and rationales. In fact, it’s clear that my victories on this current journey are due to living the life of a hermit for the past seven months; the past few weeks, I’ve been going to various social events again and my weight is up and down a few pounds every few days. It’s such a treat to be out, I take the approach, “Well, this is a special occasion. Might as well enjoy it. I’ll eat what I want, skip logging into MyFitnessPal, feel ‘normal,’ and have a nice time.” 

~ Except, every one of those meals the past few weeks has been entirely off plan. Too many carbs, too many calories. That was the old mindless normal, not the successful zone I’ve enjoyed since March. In order to keep those pounds off, especially at my age, that approach won’t ever work again. It’s time for a more intentional way of being with people and food.

So, I’ll get back in the zone for the last several pounds, accept that I’ve missed tomorrow’s projected completion date of the loss phase and plan on reaching my goal weight next month.

In the meantime, my favorite breakfast protein, the Applegate Well Carved turkey and veggie burger, has been off the grocery store shelf for more than three weeks. And the shelf tag shows the price will be higher when it’s restocked. At $2.50 per burger, I was reluctantly willing to keep buying them as long as they were available. But, happily, necessity created an opportunity. Here is my recipe for the Budget Blessing Breakfast Burger, with thanks to Frontier Co-op where I’ve been ordering supplies for decades. I love what they do.

Budget Blessing Breakfast Burger

32 ounces 93% lean ground turkey
1/2 cup dried soup veggies (dry) mixed with enough water to cover
1 tablespoon powdered Adobo seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
optional: a little Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, or other seasonings to taste

Microwave veggies/water until tender.
Stir all ingredients together and weigh into 10 equal portions.
Spray skillet lightly with cooking oil; saute burgers until cooked through.

Refrigerate a few, freeze the rest. So easy! Without any extra ingredients, these burgers come in at just 142 calories. AND, with the teaspoon of collagen I put in my coffee and the approximately 38 grams or so of low-fat cottage cheese I have on the side, this meal contributes about 28 grams of protein each morning.