First BBQ of the Season

As I've mentioned before, it is very important that I be able to enjoy food with friends. Food is more than fuel for me... it's a social glue. I try to have friends over for dinner every few weeks. Nothing fancy, just food, drinks, and laughs. I haven't really done much hosting since I started this journey. I wasn't sure what was healthy that I would want to serve to friends that weren't dieting or purposefully eating healthy. Last night I was hoping to grill out, but the weather didn't accommodate so I ended up baking everything with mixed success. It's a good think my friends know what a good cook I normally am, because last night was less than spectacular. The chicken was fine, but I tried to cook these potatoes (both sweet and regular):

It should be noted that it did not go well. ha ha

They took 2 hours at 350 degrees- I had budgeted an hour. Oh well, lessons learned. So when it came time to eat I had chicken, salad, asparagus, and roasted cabbage. I had a tray of vegetables in the oven, along with the still baking potatoes. Not the worst case scenario, but not ideal. Everyone had a great time, and we just ended up grazing on the food through the evening as it came out of the oven while we sat around and talked. Overall, it was really nice seeing everyone, and the food was great even if it wasn't all ready at the same time. :) 

As for the weight-loss part of this journey there has been little change. I still sit at 223. I've fluctuated between 223-225 for the last week or more. I still eat 1300-1350 calories a day. I'm working out 3 days a week. I'm eating healthy foods- LOTS of fruits and vegetables with lean protein. I'm still really confused on the whole "am I eating too many or too few calories". My hip has really been sore since I started the Couch to 5k program. I'm going to cut back and maybe try the elliptical next week instead of the treadmill. Something different without as much impact. I'm proud of the 30lbs I've lost, but I'm getting concerned that I won't be under 200 for my birthday in June. I realize that sounds silly, and I've still got about 8 weeks to go, but 24lbs in 8 weeks is a tall order- especially if this plateau doesn't break.