That's the way I like it

First of all, I wanted to apologize for my sporadic blogging of late. I usually aim to write three times a week. But the past few weeks have been a bit hectic.

Also, coming up with new things to write about can sometimes be a challenge. I want to entertain you and be honest at the same time. The truth is that sometimes my life (including my weight loss journey) is a little boring. I welcome your ideas for future entries. If you have any questions for me or anything you’d like me to talk about in a future post, send me an e-mail or add a comment below.

Moving on, I thought I’d give a few of my new “likes.” Some are my new obsessions (see first bullet), others are just things that are helping me along the way.

• Skinny Cow ice cream cups

These adorable single-serve cups of ice cream are AMAZING. Seriously. What’s great about them is that they are controlled portions of goodness. If I were to buy a big gallon of ice cream—even light ice cream—I could easily overeat it. But with these little cups, I have what I need and am totally satisfied because I get to FINISH it. Yay! They come in five different flavors and all are fewer than 170 calories. My favorite so far is the Caramel Cone. It has tiny chunks of waffle cone in it. Yum.

• Pickles wrapped in turkey slices

I stole this idea from Hungry Girl (a terrific website if you’re not familiar with it). I take kosher dill spears and wrap them in a slice of turkey lunch meat. It’s a fun little snack that may seem strange to some, but it makes me totally happy.

• Corn on the cob

I’ve been addicted to corn this summer. The sweet white corn is my favorite. Eating it evokes memories of growing up in Michigan. My mom would send me out on the deck with a paper grocery bag to shuck the corn. I was always so proud of myself for completing this very important job. These days I don’t roll my corn in the stick of butter like I used to (oh yeah, I did. I know, I know), but instead use a little spray butter or some olive oil and sea salt and pepper. Thanks to Eat Right Atlanta, I’ve had fresh corn every other week in my produce basket. Speaking of…

• Produce baskets from Eat Right Atlanta

I don’t think I need to tell you any more about this, do I? If you haven’t ordered yet, what are you waiting for? Do. It. Now.

• Push-ups

Don’t let my trainer, Jessica, know, but I kind of like doing push-ups. It’s a pretty cool feeling to know I can do them, and last week while in the middle of my millionth (OK, second) set of them, Jess pointed out that she could see my muscle. Woo.

• My power flower

I know it’s a popular symbol in yoga as well as significant to many Eastern religions, but I’m new to learning about the lotus flower. The flower grows in murky, muddy water and pushes itself to the surface to bloom in remarkable beauty. I love the idea of something starting out in darkness and blossoming in the light. That’s what I’ve been trying to do since I started all this, so the image of the lotus really speaks to me. I bought a little lotus necklace that reminds me to keep pushing through the mud and the muck to find the light.

• Your e-mails and comments

You all have sustained me these past seven months. Your humor, your stories, your successes and your struggles continue to inspire me. I am so grateful for your support.

I hope you all have a fantastic, healthy weekend. Do something good just for you. You’ve earned it.

And don’t forget to send me your suggestions for future blogs. I’ll be looking forward to reading them!