My evening started off fantastically. I was standing on the reformer, looking at myself in the mirror to check my position, and noticed that my thighs were looking much smaller in my tight yoga pants. That made me feel wonderful. However, things went down hill quickly once I got home.

Normally, I do all of the cooking in the household since I love to cook and it allows me more control over how the food is prepared. However, I was away most of the weekend and didn't have a chance to prep extras for supper tonight since I am always home late after my Pilates class and work. So, my mom got it in her head to make something. When I got home she said she found a recipe on SP for about 250 calories per serving for a chicken, rice, and vegetable casserole. The serving size seemed small, but it turned out okay. I added some frozen veggies, and thought I was all good. It wasn't what I expected since I had been promised grilled chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, and frozen veggies, but I thought it could be a decent substitution.

Turns out I was wrong. My first bite told me something wasn't quite right. It was way too salty and didn't seem to have too many veggies. When I went to add the casserole to my nutrition tracker I searched out the recipe, but only one seemed to fit the bill. However, the flavors I tasted didn't seem to match the ingredient list. When I asked I was told that yes, that was the right recipe but she made some substitutions, and only one of them was a healthier substitution, using brown rice instead of white. So many substitutions were made that it nowhere near represented the original recipe.

Full fat cheese was used instead of low fat and the volume used was increased. Only two cups of frozen veggies were used instead of a 10 oz bag. More chicken breasts were added. A carton of cream of potato soup was used instead of the 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup. Finally, chicken bouillon packet was sprinkled over the mixture without adding any water instead of chicken broth. When I saw this and expressed my dismay I was told that I could always stick my finger down my throat.

I know, I know, I should be thankful that someone made me dinner, but why can't they respect my desire to eat more healthily? My mom says she is proud of me for my weight loss and wishes that she could do it. But on the other hand she doesn't even try to make healthy choices and wonders why I feel that need. I feel like she doesn't respect the effort it takes and the work I had to put into losing weight and changing my life. Right now she is barely even talking to me, even though we are sitting about five feet away from each other.

I know I didn't have to eat it, but I would have received another guilt trip if I had declined. I would have been happy with the original meal plan and it would have been much simpler. Now, I have no idea what I ate or how many calories I consumed. I'm so glad that I had a light lunch and breakfast today to counteract the unknown.

Am I wrong to expect that when I am told that supper was prepared using a healthy recipe that it actually be followed? Minor substitutions - sure. Major overhaul - Is it still even the same recipe? Does it count?