Saturday Laziness

I didn't feel like cooking tonight either. Im on a roll! Lunch was at our favorite Japanese place. Sean and I split a couple of rolls. Dinner was easy. We love Garden burgers. They are the original, but we also love the portobello mushroom! YUM! To go with our burgers I had 3 small sweet potatoes that I peeled and cut into strips. I used 2 teaspoons olive oil to coat them and seasoned with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. I ate 1/2 of mine before Sean reminded me that I needed to take a picture.OOppss! So you get to see 1/2 a burger. :) Just another relaxing Saturday.
Nutritional Info per burger CAL 100/FAT 3/FIBER 5=1point

Disappointing dinner

I knew today was going to be chore day and I thought that an easy dinner would be perfect after a long day of laundry and cleaning. Baked beans, corn on the cob, and I decided to try Garden Burger's BBQ Riblets. ( Don't worry Sean, your having hot dogs! lol) I've seen numerous rave reviews for these and I saw them on sale last time I went shopping so I thought I'd give them a try. Bllahhh. Yuck. Can you tell I didn't like them? Lol I am a rib girl...I love BBQ. Just ask my boyfriend how quiet I become when I sit down to a rack of ribs. Haha! Im so disappointed. I even gave it a second bite to make sure...nope. My dinner of beans and corn was kinda boring. I see popcorn in my near future.

Anyone else try these? Anyone like them? I couldn't get past the stringy soy shreds. Don't get me wrong I eat a Morning Star soy sausage patty every morning on my breakfast sandwich but something about it turned my stomach. Oh well I tried. Now I want a rack. Not a half rack either! OH now that's a lot of points! YIKES! lol

Helllloooo

I had two busy days in a row and I finally sat down to track all of my meals. I feel good about how I ate even though I was not home for two days and splurged a little on lunch today. It was my friend Tina's birthday and she wanted to go to a great little place that has tasty soups, salads, and sandwiches. On the way there she described a sandwich to me that sounded right up my alley! It was an open faced english muffin, piled with ham, swiss cheese, a pineapple ring, and ranch dressing. OMG! This was TO DIE FOR! I Got the 1/2 sandwich-1/2 salad lunch and when It came to the table Tina reminded me to take a picture. She knows how I like to document my food with photos! lol I dug into the salad before I took pictures so you cant see how yummy that was, but take a look at the sandwich. Yes, that is a chocolate chip cookie next to the sandwich, however we both decided to pack up our cookies and bring them home for Tina's kids. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make as long as I could eat the whole sandwich! I also figured it to be 4 or 5 WW points and I didn't feel it was point worthy! Haha!

I had a blast today! Nothing like hanging out with an old friend! :) Happy Birthday Tina!

I am such a loser

Down 1.8 this week! YES! I’m super happy with that and I owe it all to the planning and tracking that I do. Not much activity this past week ( or the past 3 with being sick) but I plan on kicking that up a notch as well. When I got home from the Weight Watchers meeting I got busy cooking and planning. In the WW cookbook Best Eats they have a cake recipe that sounded tasty. I like to make sure when I do make a treat like this that I can get it out of the house quickly. Lol I will pack up some for Sean to take with him to work and I am going to bring some to my parents. I will be safe! ☺

Mock Macaroon Cake

1 16 ounce box angel food cake mix
1 20 ounce can unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained.
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
½ teaspoon ground ginger

1. Pre Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl; stir until blended. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 inch-baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely in the dish on a rack.

Per Serving (1/20 of cake) CAL 113/FAT 1/FIBER2=2 points

**cake comes out GOOD but VERY sticky. They recommend cutting it with a serrated knife and wiping it off with a wet towel each time you use it.**



For dinner tonight I wanted to make a meal that I had out at a restaurant recently. First I had to remember everything that was included in this dish. Easier said than done…I may have left out something. To help me figure out the points I added all of the ingredients to the Weight Watchers recipe builder …I love that tool!



Artichoke Caper Olive Spaghetti ( I made that name up Haha!)

4 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti
7 tbsp capers
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 ounce can sliced black olives
1 1/2 cup(s) canned artichoke hearts, without oil, sliced in half
3 tsp olive oil
1 cup red onion, diced

Cook pasta according to directions. In large sauté pan add oil, onions, and garlic; cook until onions are soft. Add artichoke hearts, olives and capers. Stir in pasta to the vegetables, coating spaghetti with the olive oil. Top with Parmesan cheese. (Additional points)

Serves 4
6 points per serving



Hope everyone is having a good day! I am still smiling from my weigh in this morning. Actually, I’ve been smiling for 3 weeks straight! WTG ME! LOL

Monday Shopping Day/Night Before Weigh-In!!!

In the latest Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer (that’s what they call their advertisement) I saw a new item that made me think of a recipe that I wanted to make. In the Weight Watchers My Turn Around Cookbook was an Enlightened Lobster Roll sandwich. Knowing that I am not going to be purchasing a lobster anytime soon to make this dish, although it looks tasty, I just didn’t want to splurge that much. Lol So when I saw that Trader Joe’s had Langostino Tails, precooked and frozen, I knew that I wanted to try out that sandwich. Here is the recipe:

Enlightened Lobster Rolls

Serves 4

1 pound cooked fresh or frozen thawed shelled lobster meat, chopped
4 large romaine lettuce leaves, torn
1 celery stalk, minced
¼ cup fat free mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons fat free sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ketchup
4 whole wheat hot dog buns, split and toasted

1. Combine the lobster, lettuce, celery, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup in a bowl.
2. Spoon one-quarter of the lobster mixture into each bun to make 4 rolls.

Per Serving (1 roll) CAL 249/FAT 1/FIBER4 = 4 points



I served ours with those frozen corn on the cobs, only because that is what the picture in the cookbook showed, and I wanted it. ☺ Asparagus was on sale when I went to the store today. I roasted them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Tasty!

I have that night before weigh-in feeling yet again. Why do I make myself feel this way every week? UUgghh! I know that scale has not been my friend in the past. Even though it has been kind to me recently, I think it knows that deep down I despise it! Lol I put too much pressure on myself to see a loss. That is of course why I am on this journey right? Hope everyone had a good Monday, if that is possible. ☺

Corn Chowder On A Rainy Day

I’m back! I was craving soup today because it was raining, so I looked through all of my cookbooks and decided to make something that I’ve never made at home. I’m actually surprised that I have not made this before because it is one of my favorite soups. As promised, here it is, take a peek…it came out very good. I added celery to the soup, just seemed like it needed it, and I omitted the bacon.

Hearty Corn Chowder

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cups frozen corn kernels
¾ pound red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 cups fat-free milk
4 slices turkey bacon, crisp cooked and coarsely crumbled

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the corn, potatoes, broth, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Puree ½ cup of the vegetable mixture with 1 cup of the milk in a blender until almost smooth. Stir in the puree along with the remaining 2 cups milk back into the soup. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through; about 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the bacon.

Serves 4. Per Serving (2 cups) CAL319/ FAT 7/ FIBER 6 =6 points.

Rainy Sunday

Rain, rain, go away. I was hoping that Sean and I could go for a walk today. Most likely we will be forced to exercise inside today. Maybe some yoga, and some weights. Although the last time Sean helped me with a workout I couldn’t sit down without crying out for 4 days. My thighs hurt so much from lunges. Yeah, yeah, I know no pain, no gain. Sucks to be me.

Yesterday I spent the day with my Mom. We went to a few stores and I saw that they had shorts and capri pants out already. I know that I have a few pairs that I saved from last summer that were a bit too tight so I am anxious to try them on soon. I love the feeling of being able to walk into a store and know that I can shop there. Not having to go to the plus size store, or to that designated section. Not quite ready for a shopping spree, but once in a while I need to pick up a few staples to get me though a season. It sure is a good feeling to see the sizes on those tags go down. ☺

So I had a conversation with Sean the other day about how I see myself. I still see a very large person when I look in the mirror. I feel so much larger than everyone else. I am assuming that being overweight most of my life has caused my brain to not see myself any other way. Looking at a lot of the blogs that I follow, I was wondering if anyone else has this problem. I need to keep looking at those before pictures that I have, reminding myself that I was 230 lbs. I remember how bad my face hurt in those pictures because my skin was so tight. One thing I do to help myself see what I have accomplished is keeping my weight tracker from my WW meetings out. I peek at it once in a while to see that last sticker that reads 188.

Sunday I always put my shopping list together and decided on a few new recipes to make during the week. Since it is raining I’m in soup mode. Nothing like comfort food on a cold rainy day. If I make something later I will be sure to let you all know. Happy Sunday everyone. ☺

It's Friday!

Not a very good day for me. I was kinda blah most of the day. I guess everyone is entitled to days like that right? Well I am looking to get back into the work force. Actually trying to change careers. To make a long story short, I stopped working in October 2007 after being diagnosed with scoliosis. For the past 15 years I have enjoyed my job as a Registered Dental Assistant. I was told that my job caused my back problem. I was in pain and the solution was physical therapy, acupuncture and a class that covers pain management. I did all of those things and I must say some of them helped. What has been the most difficult is getting a job that does not require experience, standing all day, lifting heavy items, and now with the job market the way it is, just basically getting an interview. I get upset about it at times and I guess today was one of those days. Not something I tend to share with everyone, but in the past it has made me turn to food for comfort. That is something that I realized today. I am stronger than that. I can deal with things without bingeing. Im not proud of the fact that I used to do this, but super proud of myself that I no longer do it. :) Ok, so today is not all that bad! :)

I was looking forward to cooking all day today. This is a new recipe in an old Weight Watchers cookbook called Best Eats.

Spaghetti with Creamy Spinach Sauce

8 ounces Whole wheat spaghetti
2 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 1/4 cups fat free ricotta cheese

1. Cook pasta according to directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Transfer spaghetti to a large bowl and keep warm.
2. Heat the oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat; add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, 6-8 minutes. Add the spinach, in batches, if necessary, and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted, 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach mixture and the ricotta to the spaghetti; toss to coat, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce.

Per Serving (1 3/4 cups) CAL 321/Fat 1/FIBER 16 =6 points



This came out pretty good. I had it with a big side salad with garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and some oil and vinegar dressing. I swapped my bowls. Using my large pasta bowl for my salad and my smaller bowl for my pasta. Funny how things like that fool your brain as far as portion sizes go.

Sean just came home and asked if I can budget in frozen yogurt to my daily points for tonight. Yes I can! :) Now if they would only have my favorite flavor, peanut butter. That would make up for my blah day! :)

Have a good night everyone!

Mexican Craving

Yesterday I went to dinner with my parents. I always feel like a pain in the butt when I am asked the question, “Where would you like to go?” I know my Mom is being supportive by asking me but, I can’t help to feel bad when I have to review the restaurants nutritional information online before we leave the house. After about 20 minutes of searching I decided on Mimi’s Café. I know that they have a Life Style menu and I knew that would be a smart choice. I decided on the chicken and vegetable platter. It is served with a side salad. I guess the waitress was not Life Style menu savvy because she loaded my salad with croutons when it clearly listed that salads on that menu were crouton free. So I picked off the squares of crunchy bread goodness and ate my side salad. As I ate, I looked around at a few of the plates of fellow diners. I was drooling a little bit, but I was checking out the portion sizes and more aware of how many more people SHOULD be ordering from the Life Style menu with me. Humm.

Tonight for dinner I am making quesadillas. I am always craving Mexican food. Here is what I’m going to use in mine:

ONE point tortilla (1)
2% Mexican cheese blend (1/3 cup=2)
Cooked chicken breast, diced (2 ounces=2)
Canned whole green chili’s (0)

Served with:
2 Tablespoons light sour cream (2)
¼ avocado (2)

Spray large fry pan with Pam. Add tortilla and any ingredients you want. Cook until cheese melts and tortillas is a little crispy. You don’t have to be a master chef to make these and you can add whatever ingredients you like. ☺ This came out SO good. One of my favorites.

I also made a zero point coleslaw using green cabbage, carrots, and jicama. I bought the cabbage already shredded and grated the carrots and jicama at home. Dressing was just lime juice, salt, and pepper.




I am finally feeling better and I think tomorrow will be my first day back to exercising. Can you tell I am excited? Lol Once I get back into it I will be ok. I just need a push to get started…and this time I am going to shove myself. Here is a great quote to help me out- Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm~
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Gee Thanks Ralph! lol

Hey if anyone has Facebook, I have a link in my ABOUT ME section to my page. I had someone send me a friend request and it is a great way to get to know each other. The more ways to find support the better!

Hope everyone is having a nice evening! Bye!

Look what I got!

Today at weigh in I received a 25 pound charm for my keychain! Yeahhh!! Lost 1.6 this week for a grand total of 25.6 on Weight Watchers! Whoohoo! :) Everyone clapped for me and I turned red. lol Im just happy that I didn't cry! :)

I am very happy that I am able to stick with this program. I truly feel like I have changed my life in a way that I never thought possible. Weight Watchers has taught me so much and given me all of the tools to help me along the way. Maybe not given me, I did have to buy a lot of stuff...and continue to buy the cookbooks. Haha!

Speaking of cookbooks! Great recipe that I came home and made. It is from the Weight Watchers Cookbook Best Eats. This is delicious! I just finished a bowl for lunch. Yummy! Check it out:


Spicy Black Bean Soup

1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 (15 1/2 ounce) cans black beans-undrained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (11 ounce ) can corn, drained

1. Spray dutch over with non stick spray and place over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Place the onion mixture, 1 can of the beans, cumin, and red pepper in a blender and pulse until smooth: return the mixture to the dutch oven. Place one more can of beans in the blender and pulse until smooth; add to the dutch oven. Add the remaining can of beans, the broth, tomatoes, and corn to the dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 20-25 minutes.

Per serving (1 1/2 cups) CAL 186/FAT 0/FIBER 10 = 3 points

Tonight we have a concert to go to in San Francisco. Joshua Radin is playing. It is a dinner theater and Im looking very forward to it. If you don't know his music I highly recommend it. He has an amazing voice. We have never been to this theater and I hear it is suppose to be a great setting for a small intimate show. Not really sure of the menu, but then again it is a new week for me and those 35 weeklies are burning a hole in my tracker! :) Have a good day everyone!

Monday

Hello! I feel like I missed out on a week of living. Wow that cold really did me in. The coughing is not so bad today and I am hopeful that I will be able to enjoy my evening out tomorrow. Part of my Christmas present from Sean is a dinner show with Joshua Radin in San Francisco. I've been excited for 2 months and wouldn't you know it, I get sick right before the show! My luck! When I woke up coughing the other day I imagined myself sitting down to watch the show and annoying everyone around us, including the singer! Lol!

Yesterday I went over to see my Parents. My Mom made me chicken soup. Nothing like home made chicken soup when your sick. It was so good, and I got to take a container home. I just ate a huge bowl for lunch. Yum! Thanks Mom! :)

Today I woke up and it was pouring. Needed a few things at the grocery store for this coming week so off I went out in the rain. No cooking for me tonight, a couple of weeks ago when I made the Red Lentil Sweet Potato Curry I put a container in the freezer. That is a great meal to make a large batch of and freeze because it is a little time consuming to prepare and it needs attention once it is on the stove. It is so nice to just take out a container and know all of the hard work is already done.

Anyone get the new Weight Watchers magazine? I enjoy that magazine and I saw a great idea in the current issue. One member made a poster showing numbers on it, hers was 1-85. It showed the amount of pounds she wanted to lose and each week she crosses off the pounds she loses. Loved the idea and had to make my own. For the first time along my weight loss journey I picked a number. This may sound strange but I have yet to set a goal, never wanted to put a number to it. I really didn't like the fact that I had to be a number. To me weight loss is not about a number but a feeling. I want to feel good about myself and not rely on what a chart says, or stay within a certain range of weight to be at goal. My number is 60. After I printed out my new poster, I took my red marker and crossed off 24 pounds, I felt a little discouraged. I am not even 1/2 way. I hope I get to take out my red marker tomorrow after weigh in. :)

Just wanted to thank everyone for all of the comments about my pictures. It took a lot for me to put them out there for people to see. Sometimes seeing small changes help along the way. Thanks!

Feeling Brave

Here is something I never though I would do before. I wrote recently about putting two pictures next to each other. One that I consider my "before" picture ( but is over a year before I joined weight watchers) and one that is my "during" picture. I feel like sharing them. Maybe it is all of the decongestant that is making me brave. I think the support from everyone out there in blog-land helped make me feel comfortable. I love seeing before and after pictures from everyone else so I thought mine would be just as inspiring to others. YIKES! Here we go:

Odds & Ends

Still sick, I am just going to ramble for everyone today. No cooking today I still just don’t feel up to it.

Most people don’t think about it, but the plastic hanger is not plus size friendly. A while back I was putting away clean clothes with my Boyfriend and he went to fold my pants over a hanger like this one:
I grabbed the pants from him and told him that they wouldn’t fit on that kind. I asked him to grab the kind without the slats/hooks. I was embarrassed, his pants fit just fine on those “smaller” hangers. He didn’t really understand the frustrations of wrinkles on the thighs of your pants like I did.

Last month I was short on hangers and grabbed one of the ones I do not like, and to my surprise my pants fit just fine. No more wrinkled thighs! More importantly to me, no more plus size pants. ☺


I love finding new things to eat that are healthy for me. Getting ideas from other blogs and also from the Weight Watchers message boards have helped too! Here are a few favorites of mine that I would like to share:

Edamame is a great snack or a side dish to a home cooked Chinese meal. This Trader Joe’s frozen pack cooks up in 5 minutes of boiling water. A little salt and you are good to go. Serving ½ cup: CAL 120/ FAT 5 /FIBER 5=2

Tuna is the only fish I will eat. Not sure why, maybe it’s the mayo? Lol I did switch to light mayo years ago and I don’t miss the original. My favorite part about this tuna is that there is NO CAN! Simply rip open the top of the pouch and dump it in a bowl. No tuna water getting on your fingers! Yipee!! It’s the little things in life that make me happy! ☺ Serving size: 1 pouch: CAL 90/ FAT 2/FIBER 1=2

To go with my tuna I like crackers. Now, I have to admit that I just allowed crackers back into my pantry. You see I have a slight “crack” problem. Crackers contain the word “crack” and yep I am addicted! I will eat the whole box or sleeve (mmm saltines!) SO with that said I MUST only have these with my tuna OR with a laughing cow wedge. I must also count them out and put the box away, out of sight. Special K has a new cracker that I found to be quite point friendly! They come in a few different flavors. I bought the multigrain. When I look at the NI on crackers I look to see how many I can have for as little points as possible. I could spend all day down that aisle at the grocery store! Lol Check this out: 17 crackers: CAL 90/FAT 2/FIBER 1=2; 24 crackers: CAL 120/ FAT 3/FIBER 2=2!!! You can have 24 crackers for 2 points!! Whoo hoo! Again, it’s the little things. ☺


Nuts are good for us but I always cringe at the points per serving. Here is a good way to portion control. Emerald Brand 100 calorie packs. Each bag is 2 points. Easy!

Now, peanut butter is not something I use very often but when I joined Weight Watchers PB2 was the talk of the message boards. I figured what the heck and tried it. Very good and what a savings as far as points go! Serving size: 2 Tablespoons: CAL 54/ FAT 2.8/ FIBER .3= 1

Not a lot of sugar around my house. Actually I don’t even have a sugar jar. I used to use the “blue” packets in ice tea and had horrible headaches from it. I could pretty much do without sugar and have been for some time. On TV I saw the new Truvia sweetener that is made from the stevia plant. Bought a box a few weeks ago, only tried it a few times in some tea. Seems ok. Anyone else try it?

Here is a GREAT magazine that is packed with delicious recipes. I know I have mentioned it before and I swear Im not getting a cut of the shares. lol Clean Eating is a new favorite of mine and I had to subscribe to it right away. I also ordered all of the back issues and would love to get them all in a binder together. Humm I think I’ve created a new project for myself! Check out this magazine if you see it!

I hope that with the weekend coming I feel better. This has made me get back in the habit of taking my daily vitamins. I was just sick at the beginning of January and I am not usually this susceptible to germs. Time to get healthy! Happy Valentine’s Day weekend everyone! ☺

Still Sick

UUggh! Today I woke up to a stuffed up nose. I don't know where the day went. I think I've been in a fog all day. Another waste of a day. Despite all of my cravings brought on by my sickness, I managed to stay within my daily points yesterday and today. Why am I so hungry if Im sleeping and laying around all day blowing my nose? One of my favorite things to eat when I am sick is Wor Won Ton Soup. No Sean tonight, he works one day a week up north and stops to see his family after. Normally he would be my soup delivery guy. Off I went in my sweats and bed-head hair to my favorite Chinese restaurant. Hopefully no one cared that I just rolled out of bed. Actually no one was at the restaurant yet, it was early.

Hope I feel a little better tomorrow. I miss cooking and sharing my recipes, maybe tomorrow. Thank you to everyone for the get well wishes! Very sweet!
:)

Wednesday Woes

Yep I’m sick. Upon waking up I discovered that my throat was worse than yesterday. I swallowed hard and it felt as though I had razor blades cutting me. Three cups of hot tea later, breakfast, (yes, I am still hungry when I am sick!) and a handful of throat drops I found myself headed back to bed. Of course I woke up hungry and had some Lipton Noodle soup with an egg dropped in it. More tea, and throat drops followed lunch. I am happy that the razor blade feeling is gone. ☺

I was already planning on making dinner and it was super easy to make. It was in an old Cooking Light magazine. I only bought 2 Portobello mushrooms so I cut the recipe in half to make it for just Sean and I. Here is the recipe:

COOKING LIGHT
Cannellini Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms


4 Portobello mushroom caps
Cooking spray
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
¾ cup bottled pasta sauce
1 16 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat broiler
2. Remove gills from underside of the mushrooms using a spoon; discard gills. Place caps, smooth side up, on baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray; broil 2 minutes. Turn caps over; broil 2 minutes.
3. Combine ricotta cheese, salt, garlic powder, and dried rosemary in a small bowl; stirring well. Spread 2 tablespoons cheese mixture in each cap. Spoon 3 tablespoons pasta sauce over cheese mixture in each serving.Divide beans evenly among caps; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serves 4 (1 mushroom cap per serving)
CAL187/FAT6.1/FIBER4.9 = 3 points

No exercise today. :( I am just going to let my body rest so I can feel better soon and get back into my workout routine. Sure hope that I feel better tomorrow, what a waste of a day, except for that dinner! It looks yummy!

P.S. Just finished dinner and it was good. I have been craving Italian food and that hit the spot. In the picture you can't see the mushroom because the cheese melted over it. lol They also shrink when you cook them so look for very large mushrooms. Enjoy!

Weigh In

Yesterday for the first time along my weight loss journey, I put two pictures of myself side by side. I was surprised at how different I looked. The before picture is from a few years ago when I got fed up and decided to start counting calories. Needless to say that did not work for me. I was eating pizza, hot dogs, and bagels, then halfway through he day I was out of calories and starving. Weight watchers has taught me the right foods to eat. They gave me a choice how to live my life and I feel like I am going to succeed. What I consider to be my biggest accomplishment was just walking through the door of the local Weight Watchers meeting for the first time. It took a lot for me to do it. To admit that I needed help and guidance was a huge step for me. Like I have said before, I am a very private person in regards to my weight. I have struggled with it. It has been a burden all of my life. For the first time in my life, I now feel as though I am on the right track.

With all that said...I lost 1.2 pounds this past week! I am very proud to say GOODBYE to the 190's and HELLO to the 180's. 189.6 to be exact. I have lost 24 pounds with Weight Watchers so far. Whoo hooo! :)

Meals today will all be leftovers. I think I caught my Boyfriends cold. Usually I don't catch his cooties but my throat is hurting and my nose is runny. :( STILL sore from Sundays workout but I want to try it again soon.

Hope everyone is having a good day!
:)

MONDAY

That workout yesterday made me super sore. No pain no gain. That is what they say, even though I feel like crying right now. lol I know it will be worth it. Workout today was 3 miles/ 1 hour on the treadmill. Tomorrow is weigh in. I always stress the day before. Am I alone with this? Maybe it's just me. ::sigh::

Today I accomplished grocery shopping for the week and all meals planned out. Even cooked a new chili recipe that I enjoyed for lunch. I will have it a few more times this week maybe even freezing a portion or two. Another new recipe for dinner tonight...boy am I feeling adventurous! Check out these two dishes...with a few modifications noted:

Cooking Light
Turkey and Bean Chili

1 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped seeded poblano pepper ( about 1 pepper)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 ¼ pounds 99% fat free ground turkey
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained. *NOTE*My can was 15-ounces so I opened 2 cans and measured out the 19 ounces.*
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 14-ounce can fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
serve with lime wedges and sour cream if desired.

Heat large saucepan over medium heat. Add first 4 ingredients; cook until turkey is done, stirring frequently to crumble. Stir in chili powder and next 8 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream.
Yields 6 cups.
CAL 211/FAT 6.5/FIBER 4.7


Weight Watchers
Corn and Green Chile Frittata

6 Large eggs
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 4 ½ ounce can chopped mild green chiles, drained.
¼ cup fat free milk
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 dashes hot pepper sauce
12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1.Whisk together eggs, corn, chiles, milk, thyme, salt, black pepper and pepper sauce in a large bowl.
2. Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and sprinkle with tomatoes. Cover and cook until the eggs are set, about 15 minutes. Cut the frittata into 4 wedges. Serve hot, warm, or at room tempature.
Serves 4
4 points per serving

* NOTE* I used Egg Beaters instead of real eggs (3 cups to equal 6 eggs) and no milk. I put the recipe in the WW recipe builder and it knocked off some points. My version= 2 points per serving.*


A snack that I've been enjoying lately is hummus with baked homemade whole wheat pita chips. I have made my own hummus before but I was at Trader Joe's and just grabbed a container of their brand original hummus(2 Tablespoons=2 points). For the pita chips I took one Trader Joe's whole wheat pita(2 points), cut it up in triangles and sprayed non stick cooking spray on both sides with a sprinkle of salt. Baked them for about 8 minutes at 400 degrees. They came out crispy and went well with my dip!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday! Wish me luck on that scale tomorrow! YIKES!

:)

Sunday Fun Day!

Our Sundays always include a lunch out. We always go to the same place...a local Japanese restaurant. We drove around a little bit to see if something else would catch our interest but it always boils down to the fact that we want to eat something healthy. Not too many fast food places or restaurants for that matter can claim that status. So, off to the Japanese restaurant we went. For 8 points I was able to get a roll with fresh crab, miso soup, and a side salad that satisfied my hungry belly.

Work out today was a walk that was 1.4 miles and lasted 35 minutes. When we got home my personal trainer Sean (my fabulous boyfriend) helped me get in a good arm/leg workout. I felt the burn and was sweating after our 25 minutes of going through nearly a dozen exercises. Knowing my muscles are going to be sore tomorrow, it makes sense to skip a day, rest, and repeat the same exercises on Tuesday. Tomorrow, walking for an hour will be enough of a workout.

Dinner tonight was something I made up. I found a dressing at Cost-plus and thought it might go well with the scallops begging to be taken out of the freezer. A bag of spring mix lettuce, shredded carrots, a handful of garbanzo beans, and some orange segments completed the recipe. I must say the picture does not do this meal justice. It came out really good--and yummy. While we were eating, Sean started pulling up pictures of raw scallops on the laptop he had sitting on the table. Having allowed the laptop on the kitchen table in the first place (temporarily), I had to put my foot down at this. I don't like looking at LIVE pictures of what I'm eating. Even though it just looks like a shell, I somehow feel bad that it was fished out of the ocean, dragged into Costco, and ended up on our dinner plate. I even started wondering if the scallop had parents who miss him, or her.

Enough tears shed, no way I'm going vegetarian.

1 Salad
-------
2 cups mixed greens (0)
7 Ounces scallops ( 4.5 points)
2 Tablespoons dressing (1 point)
1/4 cup shredded carrots (0)
1 Tablespoon garbanzo beans (1 )
1 orange, segmented(1 point)
Lemon

We are now headed out to get frozen yogurt. I am crossing my fingers that they have the fat free peanut butter! Wish me luck! lol

Rain & Ramen

Something about a rainy day that makes me lazy. I really wanted to stay in my comfy pants and oversized sweatshirt all day, curl up with a good book and relax. However I know that sitting on my butt doesn’t shed the pounds! So off to the treadmill I went and fulfilled my goal of 1 hour. It felt good and now I have the rest of the day to be lazy! Well, except for the laundry. Haha!

Soup is definitely a rainy day comfort food. I bought a whole bunch of veggies to make an Asian inspired noodle soup. What I used for noodles is another story without a happy ending. Choice Ramen are the best ramen noodles but are no longer being made. I have about 6 packs and I should try to hit up every store that I know carries them. This sad news was posted on the Hungry Girl blog and I think as I read it, I cried. Lol Anyway back to dinner! Everyone knows ramen only takes 3 minutes to cook so I prepared the veggies ahead of time, just a fast steam, and I will just throw in the broth to heat them up.
The entire pack of Choice Ramen is 5 points! RIP Choice Ramen. ☹

P.S. I have really enjoyed checking out a lot of the weight loss blogs out there. If you blog and you are reading this please let me know you are out there if I don't follow you already I will! :) I find that the more the merrier...and it adds to my support system to help motivate me. Thanks! :) Happy Friday everyone! :)

Support and Pizza!

I had a lunch date with an old friend today. She called me this morning and told me that she did not want to sabotage me but she wanted to make pizza for us. She remembered that I use whole wheat pita bread as a substitute for dough when I make pizza at home and wanted to get me some to make mine on when I got there. I knew I had a few in the fridge and some 2% mozzarella so I offered to bring them with me. She made a sauce for us and bought some fresh basil to add to the pizzas. Heres a peek at my pizza:
Lunch was delicious and very WW friendly( 4 POINTS!). Most importantly I was able to enjoy lunch with an old friend What was a nice surprise was the fact that she cared about me, and wanted help make the simple changes in order for me to have a lunch that was healthy. I appreciated that and realize that all it takes is to mention your goals to your friends and family. Let them be a part of your weight loss journey and show their support to you along the way. For most people (myself included) that journey will not happen over night and the more people I have on my team the better! :)

Spotlight on Breakfast

The "Tracey Special" is very well known in my family. Being the early bird, I was always hungry before everyone else, and always made my signature breakfast sandwich. Over the years it has definitely evolved. Back in the day when I was not so health conscious the sandwich was fully loaded. Butter, lots of cheese, eggs, bacon, ham or sometimes both meats pilled high on whatever bread was big enough to handle all of the toppings. Ahh the good old days! lol These days I actually think my new version is much tastier.

Here are the ingredients along with the stats:

Thomas's Double Fiber Honey Wheat English Muffins CAL 120/FAT .5/FIBER 5=2 points

Kraft Singles 2% Milk American Cheese (1 slice) CAL 45/FAT 2.5/Fiber 0= 1 point

Egg Beaters (1/4 cup) CAL 30/FAT 0/Fiber 0= 1 point

Morning Star Sausage Patties (1 patty) CAL 80/FAT 3/FIBER 1= 2 points PLUS a whopping 10 grams of protein!!

I know small changes can make a big difference. I am proof that it can be done. For me to change my eating habits and make foods that I love healthier, that to me is a HUGE milestone in my weight loss journey. Once again I am giving myself a High 5! :)

Now...I need to go eat my breakfast. Looks good huh? :)

Wednesday Wii Fun

My Wii got a workout today! I did 30 minutes of yoga on the My Fitness Coach then decided to play with the Wii Fit. Who else loves their Wii? I know that there are better ways to get in exercise, but how fun is this?? I love that as you "play it" games are unlocked. I was hula hooping, and the 10 minute session became unlocked! I pretty much have everything unlocked because when I first bought it I played it non-stop. lol I am very impatient. :) Next one I did was the advanced step class. I sure wish they had more step classes on here. I really enjoy this one, I just wish it was longer.

Anyone else share my love of the Wii games? Let me know your favorites!

:)

Leftovers

Something about having the same food over and over again that I do not care for. I just finished the last of the turkey breast. Last week I was excited to have some sandwiches with freshly carved turkey, now Im just tired of it and thankful thats it is gone. Why don't I get that way about my breakfast sandwich each morning? Humm thats a good question! lol

As for tonight, leftover baked ziti from last night. More leftovers. I cook too much and don't seem to plan out the fact that I will have food for 4-6 people when it is only 2 people that I need to feed. I need to get better at that!

I had to pick up more yogurt today and I saw fresh asparagus on sale so I am going to make that to have with the ziti tonight. I could eat the entire bundle of those! YUM! I just steam them and eat them plain.

Not much else going on today. Worked out today with my Wii game My Fitness Trainer. I enjoy the yoga on that a lot. I might head out for a walk, its a little cloudy but still a nice 65 degrees. Rain is suppose to head our way tomorrow so I might as well enjoy the fresh air today.

:)

Today is Tuesday

Today was weigh-in. I gained .2 this week and I think it will make me work twice as hard this coming week. I did not sleep well last night and I had a stomachache this morning. Told you that I get nervous before a weigh in! lol All in all it was a good meeting. Packed, no seats available. I saw some new faces but some people said they usually came on different days of the week. I like getting to the meeting early to chat with some of the people about what they tried for the week. Any tips help! So with the small gain this week comes a lot of enthusiasm to start my week off on the right foot. I walked my 3 miles today and I plan on doing some yoga later. That scale better watch out next week! ☺

Tonight for dinner I made a new recipe from the Momentum Weight Watchers cookbook.

Baked Ziti with Summer Squash

2 cups whole wheat ziti or penne
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 yellow squash-thinly sliced
1 small zucchini-thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups marinara sauce
2 cups fat free ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded fat free mozzarella cheese

1. Cook pasta, drain.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 8 inch square baking dish with non-stick spray.
3. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the squash, zucchini, and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened. Stir in cooked pasta and marinara sauce.
4. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish and top evenly with ricotta and mozzarella. Bake until heated through and bubbling, about 20 min.

Serves 6
1 ½ generous cups per serving = 7 points.




I could not find fat free ricotta and I already had 2% mozzarella so I will adjust my points accordingly. I used double the amount of veggies that they called for to bulk it up a bit. Also, I did not read the directions ahead and dumped everything in a large bowl and mixed the ricotta and mozzarella cheese into the pasta and sauce. I guess I am use to making Baked Ziti the way my Mom makes it! Guess what we learned today was to read directions! ☺ Ooopps!

I hope everyone has a good day. Even though I saw a gain today I know I can do better with each week I am on this journey. Maybe I might even look forward to getting on that scale next week. Nah! lol

SUPER SUNDAY!

Ever been more excited for the food than the event? I have never been a football fan. Something about it I just do not care for. Give me a Laker game or even a round of golf to watch and I will sit still longer. Today will be the first time that Sean and I will watch the Superbowl together in the almost nine years that we have been together. I plan on making my menu and shopping list for next week while the game is on, but I can multi-task! lol What am I most excited about? The food of course! So with that said I tried to think of things to pick up that were within reason for someone who follows Weight Watchers. Morning Star to the rescue! We enjoy the corn dogs and for 3 points they are a good choice.

A new one that I’m hoping that I like are the Buffalo Wings. They look more like chicken nuggets from the picture on the box.

For 5 “wings” =4 points. I’m anxious to try them! To go along with them I have some carrots and a new dressing that I have been wanting to try. 2 tablespoons=2 points.

A few first time goodies for today and I am super excited! I cooked up some roasted chickpeas already. These are easy to make and they are a good alternative to nuts when I feel that salty snack attack coming on. ☺ Here is the recipe:


ROASTED CHICKPEAS


Olive oil cooking spray
2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon Red pepper flakes or cayenne powder
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.


Spread chickpeas on baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder and red pepper; toss to coat.


Roast on bottom rack of oven, shaking pan about every 15 minutes, until browned and slightly crunchy, about 45 to 50 minutes. (The chickpeas will still be somewhat soft. Cook longer for desired texture.) Cool before serving. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Serves 4
2 points per serving



I hope everyone has a Super Sunday!
☺